I am flooded with memories of Go Home Lake, My father Wayne Bright & mother Marie bought the land in 1960 (1 acre) on the Musquash river,. Dad was given 2 years to put up a 10 x 20 cottage. My brother Steve and I were 2 & 5 years old, and then came along little brother Lorne , who now is back on the Lake at the North End. My mother use tell us how they had a dresser bureau that we slept in the drawers, and mom and dad on the the old blue painted pull out couch. LOL…Over the 40 years on Go Home Lake, we new every neighbor on the river both sides, all us kids played , Learned to water ski, campfires, swimming, corn and hot dog roast, card games, portage canoeing out to Gibson river to the highway, picnics at 3 Rock Chute . My Uncle Bruce and Aunt Freda Bright are still on GO Home lake to this day! I remember the days of when all the parents would go to the Dance Hall on Saturday nights! or meet at different cottages for Euchre night..From the Douglas’s , Fordham’s, Schmidts’ Madely’s, Barkham’s, Sutton’s, Testers, Brights, Thiffault’s, Nobles, Hodgeson’s Don & Willy Perry, Paul & Suzanne Kooterman’s, The Gritiz’ (not sure I spelt that right) were just all great friends and neighbors. Many of docks and cottages revised over the years with a lot of help. Of course of the years friends were made meeting at the Marina, Parties.. I remember Reg and Lil Potter, to this day even as a little one, The Whittingham’s and The Gray’s at the North end Marina. Bob and Joyce Gray cooking up hot homemade meals in the winter. We started snowmobiling in the 1970’s me and little brother (Lorne) in home made sleighs dad built.. The many sleds trips we took out on Go Home Lake and Georgian Bay with Charlie Stewart at the end of the line with his Red Flag counting we were all present , having cook outs, meeting beaver trappers. The Phillips family in 4 Seasons Bay, The Greenwood’s around the Flat Rapids, and the other Potter’s LOL.. Steve Carpel , I can go on and on…..My older brother Steve had so many friends, Freddie, Wolf , Fred Mertz, and all his friends he brought to our cottage , some who live in the area or are on Go Home Lake now. I know that lake like the back of my hand, every rock, every cove, every island, Pike’s Bay , party central.. The Regatta , so much fun, across the lake swims, swimming races in age groups, sailing races, so much more. I never won Miss Go Home Lake my daughter Sharlene did! So proud we were. I can recall the 1st wooden boat 18 HP Scott, I was very young, 9 of us in that boat.. I too remember the 3 hour drive Friday night Hwy 103 turning into Hwy 69, now 400N, crossing dark lakes, with a flash light.. As we grew we learned of the Key To Bala, and all the great concerts! We learn of nature, hunting, small grouse and various birds, calls of the loons, whippoorwill’s, The grey herrings my dad referred to the pterodactyls l in the sky !.. We learned to build docks, collect rocks for the cribs, roofing, building decks, painting all hard work, but what a great lesson for both the girls and boys! Work hard and Play Hard! I am so Happy to have been given the privilege to have had a family cottage on GO HOME LAKE in Muskoka! Thank you Mom and Dad for such great memories….:)
