Cabin Time

Cabin time. Gosh. My parents have pics of me having cabin time as a kid and I didn't always have an aversion to dirt, bugs, weeds, etc. I remember teaching my brother how to fish, getting sail boat mast stuck in the trees, hunting with my dad. As I got older, cabin time turned into party time. My bestie and I would go with our "guys" and drink and smoke too much. It was always relatively safe. We always wore our life jackets and dumped water on the fire before passing out.

Then, I stopped going.

After my parents divorced I started going to the cabin again. Usually only for New Years. This year I have gone 3 times. Twice in the winter (see previous posts) and once this summer. This must have been my first summer trip in years. While I love the cabin in the winter- with all the untouched white show, plenty of winter toys, campfires and endless stars- I really love it in the summer.

Summer days at the cabin are for working and drinking. Always starting off with a hardy breakfast and a shot of bailey's or mimosa, and ending with a cold beer. Last weekend I went to the cabin with Colin, Dad and Steph. Of course, we arrived by plane :)




The first day we split some wood (we have about 300 logs to cut and split after Dad cleared a runway), made a wood stacking area out of an old deck, fixed the boat engine, cut some lake weeds and made a strawberry patch.


Dad fixing the boat engine...it has been around for 4 generations!


Log splitting station a.k.a fun station.


Lots of lake weeds!

Then of course, Colin and I took an evening canoe ride and relaxed by the fire.


Colin rowing away.

My little piece of heaven on earth.

The next day was more of the same. Dad managed to get a hot water heater and shower going! Looking forward to using that next time!!

The cabin is great because it needs work, but the hard work leads to much needed relaxation. There is always something to explore, something to admire.


Beaver dam. Colin and I tormented two beavers over the weekend. Silly little creatures.


Family of mallards. There is a family with even younger chicks that came by too!


The pair of swans visit almost every night about 8pm. They nest on the creek about 100 meters away from the cabin. They are huge, shy and majestic.

The eagle was out and so were the grebes and loons. Colin caught 2 fish, we put them back. The runways is full of moose and bear tracks. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are everywhere. So are bumble bees, beetles and mosquitoes (but not too bad).

Everything seems perfect at the cabin. Yes, we have 4 wheelers and generators and a propane stove. But, on a good day, you don't have to turn any of it on. You can just be with nature, be curious, be silly and imaginative and know that at least at Cow Lake, there is not a care in the world.

But all good weekends must come to an end. Eventually, you have to fly home.



I always feel a little anxious before I go and always feel sad when I have to leave. Never again will I let a season go by without visiting the cabin. I hope that eventually I can say I don't let a month go by without visiting. If I decide to learn to fly I may just be able to say I don't let a week go by.

My grandfather built the family cabin with his own bare hands. My dad brought it back to life 30 years later so that his family could enjoy it like he did. Now, it is time for me to leave my mark on the cabin. I may not be able to right it on it's foundation or install indoor plumbing (I still need Dad and Grandpa's expertise for such projects). But, if I spend enough time there, if I open myself up to leaning to be self sufficient and resourceful, maybe, just maybe I can keep it going for another 30 years so that the next generation of Lounsbury's can enjoy it.