Gift of peace...

A month or so ago one of my customer/friends was mentioning that she and her husband had a cabin way up north, deep in the woods. She said they often see moose and deer and other fascinating wildlife when they are there. Apparently I looked a little wistful, because she spontaneously said, "You and Chris can go spend a weekend there any time you want!" So this weekend we did.



The weather was fine, and the foliage lovely. We drove a long ways on dirt roads before we came to the camp.





It was cozy and snug... even the outhouse was charming.

Ziva said there was something of interest under the deck.


She was right!! A wee weasel was under there, and quite bold. It would pop its head up and squeak with indignation, then vanish under the boards, only to reappear a few feet away. This game kept Ziva entertained for a very long time.



Once settled we took a nice walk, then got comfortable in front of the big window to play several rousing games of checkers.



My father taught me to play when I was a kid, and we shared many happy hours over the checker board. He played ruthlessly, even when I was little, never letting me win. I had to earn any success, which made it all the sweeter. I wasn't sure that I even remembered the rules of checkers when we set out to play this weekend, but I did! The wood stove warmed the little camp, the sun set beautifully over the firs, and we had such fun. There was no television, no internet, no music, just the two of us together, peaceful.

Before turning in for the night we walked outside. All around was total silence; not so much as a puff of wind made a sound. The sky overhead was awash in stars.

I was up well before dawn,hoping to see a moose out the window. Sadly I did not, but I did see moose EVIDENCE... about 4 feet from the front door.

Our friends have a game camera mounted to a tree not far from the camp. We took the card out and looked at over 300 pictures taken over the past few months. Big moose, little moose, a huge bull moose with an impressive rack, a mama moose nursing her calf. Moose lying right there in the yard, moose eating, gazing into the camera, staring off into the distance. It is moose hunting season right now, so they may be staying tucked up in the trees, but clearly this place is rich in ungulates. There were lovely photos of deer in the game cam, too.

Ziva and I went out for a walk the moment the sun was up. It was 27 degrees out, and the thick frost that coated every surface sparkled as the rays illuminated the world. I ran out first with bare feet, but changed my mind and ducked back inside for boots. The evidence of our being there was left behind, however...



Ziva enjoyed a couple of pork chops for breakfast.



Then we headed back out, exploring a new route on the way home. We felt energized, happy and so blessed to have been given the gift of time in this special, peaceful, place.