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Mill Town Flood is dedicated to the folks back home. It's a fictional story using some non-fictional characters and places. It is based on the village along the Maple River that I grew up in, Muir Michigan. The last few years, I have become increasingly obsessed with the history of the small town. It's so interesting to me to learn about the area. I started collecting old postcards and reading anything I could find about Muir in the 1800's. Back in the day, Muir was home to a steam sawmill that could cut up to 20,000 feet of lumber a day and when the railroad was built it helped propel the industry. They floated giant logs down the river to the mill and then when the railroad was built it gave them the opportunity to ship that lumber out to surrounding areas, creating a bustling scene at the Montrose station (later named Muir in honor of the superintendent of the Detroit and Milwaukee railway H.K. Muir.) Darwin Lyin was the station agent there. Up there in the Grand River Valley, it is not uncommon for those rivers to rise up and take over. I saw it flood many times throughout my life and as I learned more about the area, I realized those rivers have been in charge for as long as people have been living next to them. Sometimes it's your best friend and at times it can be your worst enemy. I've always had a profound connection and adoration for the Grand River, the Maple River and Stoney Creek. I cut my teeth on those muddy banks. I learned how to fish and swim and play music there. I spent many hours in a meditative state just watching the churning water while pondering my life. Muir is the place where I spent my youth. My heart is still hung there. It is my home. Im happy to honor the village in song form with Mill Town Flood.