Cabin Dreams

On Saturday we went to a local bar for a pig roast dinner. We met friends there who had been up at their cabin for the past month. Unfortunately it was a different month than we are spending at our cabin. Talk revolved around which cell phone company provided the best cell phone and internet access in the area. Conversation also included what equipment was needed to connect to cell phone and internet. There is almost no coverage in this area without antennas and boosters.

This morning we went out to breakfast which was a real treat. I enjoy going out for breakfast. It is my favorite meal to eat out. There are not many places in the area of our cabin that serve breakfast and then it is typically only on the weekend.

Saturday night is usually sauna night for us. Since we were gone on Saturday night we took our sauna on Sunday night. The Finnish way to take a sauna is to go from hot to cold three times. This involves going from the hot sauna into the cold outdoors, snow or even a cold lake. We sometimes just go from the sauna to the cold outside and sit on a bench until we cool off.

LeaRae Keyes
www.cabinstuff.com

We went to visit our friends who had been up for a month. They generously shared food they had not eaten with us to take home. We now have enough food to eat for about a week. This will help us get by without having to shop for much food for at least a week.

LeaRae Keyes
www.cabinstuff.com

What does the end of summer mean to you? After Labor Day, it often seems as if winter is just around the corner. For me Labor Day marks the formal end of summer. As I’ve gotten older, it seems that summer goes by, more and more quickly. I am once again sad to see it go. Then the summer also means waking up to cool temperatures, morning fog, and mist rising off this surface of the lake.

For my husband, Chuck, this is just the beginning of his favorite season, fall. I think he would be happy to sit in the woods and just watch the trees turn color and the leaves fall off.

Does the end of summer mean it’s time for you to close up your cabin? Since we are off the grid, there isn’t a lot we need to do to get ready for winter. We tend to continue to use our cabin in northern Minnesota until we have too much snow fall and are no longer able to easily get into the cabin. There is 3 miles of rough walking road to get into our cabin. So, once any amount of snow accumulates we need to use snowmobiles to get in, which results in multiple trips to get our stuff food and pets into the cabin.

What does the end of summer mean to you? Does the end of summer affect how often you go to the cabin? What else changes about cabin life for you in the fall and winter?

LeaRae
www.cabinstuff.com

Today while we were walking through a store we saw an outdoor heater. One of these seems as if it would be perfect for our cabin especially after we add a couple porches and a deck. This would give us a jump on spring and allow us to stay outside longer in the fall.

In Minnesota, and perhaps where you are, the summer is just never long enough for me. In addition, one of joys of spring and fall are that there are fewer flying insects so time outside is more enjoyable. When I am at the cabin I love to be outside and enjoying being surrounded by nature, and the peace and quiet of being in the north woods.

The newer outdoor heaters look more attractive and come with more bells and whistles. No, not literally. They do have options like remote controls and can run on propane and electricity.

I have to put one of these on my wish list.

Phenology is the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena. Phenology has been principally concerned with the dates of first occurrence of natural events in their annual cycle. Examples include the date of emergence of leaves and flowers, the first flight of butterflies and the first appearance of migratory birds, the date of leaf coloring and fall in deciduous trees, the dates of egg-laying of birds and amphibia, iced and ice-out dates of a lake.

Keeping a record of phenology at your cabin can be fun and educational. Have a notebook or calendar handy to record the seasonal happenings in the area of your cabin.

One thing we listen for during May is the date we start hearing the spring peepers (a type of frog) around our cabin in northern Minnesota. The frogs are so loud at night that if one is a light sleeper they may be kept awake by the cacophony of sounds.

Last week our hummingbird feeder was attracting a number of ruby-throated hummingbirds (the only hummingbirds found in Minnesota) as well as goldfinches. We were seeing common loons, geese and ducks on our lake and we observed a wood duck looking for a nesting tree (we don’t have a wood duck house – yet!). And, we saw our first wobbly-legged spotted white tail deer fawn of the season..

Tamarack trees in our area have fresh green tufts of leaves again. The birch, popple, and maple trees have leafed out and the ash are just leafing out..

Wild flowers blooming at this time of year include trillium, bunch berry, marsh marigolds, yellow and blue violets, and jack-in-the-pulpits. Wild prairie grasses are also coming up.

The phenology at your cabin will be different from what we observe at our cabin, earlier or later depending on your location. Begin now to track the seasonal happenings in the area of your cabin..

Other seasonal things to track at the cabin include bird varieties and bird counts at feeders, high and low temperature, precipitation, and lake temperature..

For more information about phenology, check out Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenology.