The Thunder Bay River  was given the name Anamakee long ago by the Ojibiway Indians, it means thunder.  The river is anything but thunderous
as it gently flows through Maple Ridge Park.  The park is 40 acres of
wilderness area bordered by 160 acres of state forest.  

Walking through the Maple trees one can see the bright red, orange and
yellow leaves ablaze under the Indian Summer sun.  Several deer, their
white tails like handkerchiefs in the breeze, wave goodbye as they
quickly depart.

The rustling of the leaves is heard everywhere when squirrels, black as
coal, scurry through the trees.  Close to the river, a red bellied water
snake, quickly and silently, slithers out of view.

Suddenly the honking of geese, comparable to a line of cars in a
traffic jam, invades the quiet peace.  The geese form V shapes high in
the sky and look like cursers on computer screens.  

Finally reaching the slow moving river, one sees numerous water beetles
moving across the water like row boats.  An occasional water stick insect
can be spotted searching for food.  In the river, which is as clear as a
classroom frog tank, one can see crayfish moving through the shallow
water like knights in armor.

Approximately 100 yards downstream the river divides into two.  The
west branch gurgles as it flows over some rocks towards a dam.  A beaver
silently slips into the water by the dam he spent his summer building.  A
lone heron, with legs like pond reeds,  stands guard over a small pond
created by the dam.  The east branch becomes swift as it turns into Lake Winyah, which was created by a man made dam.

A dozen small fishing boats sit on the lake.  Fishermen hoping to catch
a northern pike, small or large mouth bass or even a walleye, put tiny
ripples in the water as they cast.

Near the east end of Lake Winyah, a thunder can be heard.  The thunder
of water as the river explodes out of the dam.  The river will pass
through three dams, the four mile, seven mile and Ninth Street before it
finally reaches the icy waters of Northern Lake Huron.


By the 26 Fifth graders at Maple Ridge
Michael Meharg Teacher 

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