Big Rick: Act 1 Scene 2

 Big Rick on:

• Business Practices-  " (in the beginning)....we didn't want a bunch of employees and all those headaches.  We wanted to do it ourselves."
• Regrets about how he's built his business-"No regrets.  We built as we could afford it....there's a call for it so we add it....never felt out on a limb."
• Rick and Brian as fathers- "Never had a doubt that they would make good fathers."
• Grandkids-  "Aren't they marvelous?"
• Favorite thing at the resort-  "Being around people."
• Least favorite- "Collecting money from people."
• Outlook on life after having cancer- "Never thought why me? I just felt fortunate for the Mayo Clinic.  You feel thankful for things you have that you hadn't thought about before."
• Goal in life-  "Be proud of what they say at my funeral."
• The re-election of Obama-  "You can't even put that in there.  You can't spell most of that stuff."

Big Rick and Pat in front of their first Angle home

L:  What's your favorite thing about Pat?
BR:  Her joy in life.  Always upbeat, finding something good, good attitude.
L:  What do you like about small communities like the Angle or even Warroad?
BR:  You know where to go for help.  You know everyone, which is not necessarily a great advantage.   If you don't stop in for coffee someone will likely chew your ass.
L:  Least favorite?
BR: No complaints.  If you have a problem, it's probably something you screwed up on.
L:  What's your favorite thing about working with your sons?
BR:  Their enthusiasm on projects, they're always saying "Let's do it!"
L: What's your favorite thing about me?
BR:  Your smile.  And that you take my grandchildren to church.
L:  What's your least favorite thing about me?
BR:  Hadn't thought about it.
L:  Yes you have.

In the beginning there was no Youngs Bay Drive.  Big Rick built it himself with a drag line in 1978.  He had to teach himself how to drive it before he was able to make the 2 miles of road, which stretches from our resort  out to the stop sign at Dawson's Road. Until the road was built, they had to drive a 4-wheeler to Young's Bay, kids and all, over undeveloped land.  Which, except for the road, 

remains mostly undeveloped to this day until you get closer to the resort.

 Cabins 1 and 2 were the first to be completed, in 1977, and are the same buildings standing today.  He borrowed $7,000 from the bank to build them and grossed $600 the first summer.  Yes you read that correctly, $600 came in.

 This is looking in at Young's Bay Resort as the cabins were being built.  Big Rick was "borrowing" gravel from Brush Island and bringing it back by boat to this dock, where he hauled it to the cabin sites by wheelbarrow. Many boatloads he says.

This is in the winter last year and the lake is frozen over, but it's from about the same view as the picture above, to give you an idea of how it has changed.

 Cabin 3 was actually the first cabin started, but sat as just a shell for quite some time.  Big Rick says he was young and Cabin 3 was just a "pipe dream" starting out.  He was headed in the wrong direction and he had to leave it alone and build Cabins 1 and 2, then come back to Cabin 3 later.

Another view of Cabin 3.

Cabin 3 was completed in 1985.  This is how it looks today.

I have enough goods to make at least one more segment on Big Rick, maybe 2 or 3??  Pictures of the campground as it was started, more on family and on Big Rick's best buddy, Al.  Once again I apologize for such long periods of time between blogs and that this one is short.  I don't make New Year's Resolutions, but if I did it would have been to have more frequent blogs!  Somebody should invite me somewhere to do something exciting so I can write about it.  Seriously, somebody.  Anybody?