This past weekend we traveled to our family cabin in Prescott. My father
and grandfather purchased it when I was young, it was torn down and rebuilt
about 15 years ago though, but still resembles the original. When I reflect on
my childhood memories of the place I remember a long drive that seemed to
always take place at night, eventually we would arrive to the woods, and begin
a bumpy ride along which the headlights would illuminate a dark and foreign
forest surrounding us. It always felt so mysterious, so adventuresome, not that
we had driven a mere 2 hours, but that we were in a new and far away land.
The cabin was old and every step you took was a creaking reminder of its
age. There was a small downstairs where the kitchen and a storage room were
placed with a deck on the main level, the floor boards of the deck were very
narrow and numerous- to the point you almost thought you could fall through. There
was a narrow staircase in the middle of the cabin that led to a second floor
where there were 3 bedrooms a bathroom, and a family room with a large
fireplace. Downstairs was one of my favorite parts of the cabin, a wood burning
stove cast of iron that resembled a locomotive engine. My brother and I would
continually feed the fire which dispensed its heat through a chimney that ran
the course of the cabin. We loved that fireplace, and our grandfather loved
helping us maintain the fire.
I remember running to jump into bed with grandpa and grandma in the
mornings, I remember falling asleep at night, wondering with my brother if a
bigfoot was going to snatch us out of our beds, I remember the woods seemed
vast and endless, I remember I always felt a bit sad when we left, as if the
cabin was lonely without us, and I wondered how it passed the time until we
returned to it.
When I go back now it makes me feel so old! Watching the three of you
experience it brings so much joy to my heart, and a bit of longing to be
honest- to be young again. Quinn you are still mostly just along for the ride
at this point, Cora you are our mountain goat, climbing everywhere and being a
brave explorer. This past trip you spend a lot of time decorating a rock with mud
“making it beautiful” and also some time making algae cotton candy… scooping
algae out of the stream with a stick, which Deacon you also joined in on.
Deacon you are not currently a lover of long hikes like your sister, or a sure
footed, but you do very well for being just 3 and you take on any challenge
with good determination.
I love spending time with my family, away from all the normal
distractions. I am overseas again this week in London, and Aberdeen, both in
the UK, and will travel to Lisbon Portugal soon. I am so glad I have the
memories of the past weekend to reflect back on while missing you all. Going to
Lynx lake and finding a stowaway lizard which Cora you and I held, Deacon you
used the oar as a cannon to fight of pirates, panning gold in the stream and
finding treasures, even just watching a movie together and cuddling on the
couch. The thing I hold most dearly in my life is my family, I love each of you
so much, and you are all perfect to me in unique ways that make our family
whole. Cant wait to get home and see you all, and plan some more adventures!
