‘My brother and I are so excited and so very curious! Today Mom and Dad packed up all our summer stuff and said we were going to go on a ‘big adventure’. The car was loaded and off we went…’
(As I write this now with my adult brain, I can still feel those emotions and the excitement that I felt as a very, young little girl. I put these words out to share that first experience for you, doing my best to convey how I felt in those first few moments of seeing my beautiful lake property.)
Dad drove until we sat waiting at the edge of the ocean for a big, ferry boat to come and get us. The loud sound of the ferry boat horn made me jump as we left the shore, and I jumped when the loud noise startled me, but I was so excited as the ferry boat started to cross the big, blue ocean, something I had never done before. It was a very, very big boat and we went upstairs in it where all the people walked around. Dad took us up to the top deck and we watched the land go by from way up here. The sun was very bright in my eyes, and I had to squint, I always squint, and air smelled salty. I brushed my hair away from my eyes because it was so windy and I was fascinated by the little houses that we passed, and the tiny boats out in the sea around us. The ferry boat had really, really big waves, I have never seen such big waves.
When we got back into our car and the ferry boat landed, we drove off and travelled along a very winding road (for what seemed the longest time), heading to a mysterious destination that Dad said was going to be our new little summer cabin. I remember sitting in the back seat with my brother fascinated by the sights of the passing trees, houses, and even a couple little towns. I remember seeing the ocean sometimes, too, as we passed rocky little beaches along the way. We were off to a new place where Dad said we would all have so much fun! I couldn’t wait, because I missed the big lake place we used to go to, the one my grandparents owned. I miss that place, but Dad said this one would be so much better!
When we arrived at the end of a pretty, little blue lake in middle of a big forest where the dirt road ended, we all then piled into a tiny, little tin boat with all of our things, and the dog, (did I mention we had a big dog?). Well, he got into the boat, too, and it was crowded. Once our bright orange, puffy, cloth lifejackets were on, we left the car and the land behind as we floated from the shore and then motored away. I watched as everything got smaller and smaller until we went between a narrow island and the land, and I lost sight of where we had come from. Ahead, we headed out on more open waters of the lake and kept travelling on to this new mysterious place.
As the wind streamed through my hair, I had to squint again because it was so sunny. The air smelled so fresh here as we motored along and I felt so excited and so happy! We travelled across the bright blue, wavy waters until we rounded a big piece of land, and then my Dad turned sharply as he started to slow the boat engine and look ahead.
‘I opened my eyes to see what was ahead of us. There it was, a little cabin almost completely hidden by the tall, green trees that were surrounding it. Why it was so tiny compared to the cabin we had known before that our grandparents had, no big boathouses, no big docks, no rolling lawns and gardens, just this tiny little hidden house hanging over the water.
As the hum of the motor got lower and Dad slowed the boat, we approached the small, silvery wooden dock that had big half-tires attached to it across the front. I noticed a big old tree stump attached to one side of it. I felt the excitement building in my belly, and I could see the dog start to get anxious to jump out on to the dock. We had arrived, we were here, this was our new tiny summer cabin.’
I was so excited and filled with wonder that day, not knowing then that those same feelings of excitement and wonder would hit me every single arrival day for the next 55+ years, as I round that corner, made the turn, slow the engine and dock the boat. I am always so excited to spend time again at my beautiful little cabin. Those feelings of excitement and anticipation have stayed with me all these years and I never tire of it, even though, now as an adult, there is still quite a job to ‘open up’ the cabin and get settled in. Such is the nature of having a cabin, it is certainly worth all the work and commitment to get there. It is my little hidden piece of lake paradise.
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