My cabin

My original reasons for wanting a cabin in our woods were these:

I like to camp out; Cliff does not.

I wanted someplace to escape the feeling that there were always eyes on me; no matter where I went in our old yard, somebody was lurking. I said many times, "I may as well live in the city!"

I wanted my dog to be able to sleep on my bed sometimes.

I love the woods.

I enjoy a campfire.

So, Cliff kindly rebuilt a discarded pool house someone had given us years ago, and there was my cabin. I used it almost once a week, the first summer.

The next summer, Cliff was recovering from CABG surgery (heart bypass) and I really didn't want to sleep anywhere but beside him.

Last year I went to the cabin perhaps half a dozen times.

Originally I had visions of cooking breakfast and making campfire coffee. In reality, though, I found it preferable to walk to the house, once I awoke in the morning, and have some really good coffee. The only cooking I did at the cabin, as it turns out, was to put hot dogs and marshmallows on a stick and roast them.

Still, when the crowds closed in on me, I loved having my retreat. Cliff built me a crude outhouse there, but I usually ended up "going" on the grass. That's because I rather feared what might be lurking in the outhouse after dark.

This year, I've spent exactly two nights at the cabin, and here we are at mid-summer.

The thing is, now that we're in the mobile home, I'm not overrun with kids and dogs and noisy motorcycles. I seldom see any dogs here except for Sadie, and I can barely hear the idiot on the four-wheeler who used to grate on my last nerve.

Oh, and I bought a fire pit, so I can have a campfire right here at the house if I so desire.

Tuesday evening I decided Sadie and I would sleep at the cabin. We went back around 7 P.M., and I started a nice bonfire before I inflated the air mattress. I ate supper at the house, so there was no food this time.

Notice the grass grown up in my fire ring.

Sadie played with a young toad for over an hour.


It's still relaxing back there, and enjoyable. I went to sleep to the music of frogs and cicadas, with my dog beside me.

I believe I'll keep the cabin, even if I only use it three or four times a year.