Taking time to smell the pine trees

When our family first began working on the land that we had purchased in Northern Minnesota, it was a dream come true. My son Brian had a definite plan for the kind of cabin that we would build. He is a carpenter at heart and had worked in the trade for a few years. He drew up the blueprints and together we planned where the cabin would sit. With a lot of hard work, we, along with my son Brad, and my grandsons, made this a reality. We also had some help from some of our friends along the way.

Each time that I have to cut up a fallen pine tree and handle the freshly cut wood, I get a little pine tar on my hands or gloves. This, to me, is the sweetest smell that I can take in. It signals the outdoors to me and also reminds me of the work that it has taken to make this little piece of paradise our own.

When I was working, I made it through the winter by planning my summer vacation, which usually involved going up north camping. I now survive the winter months by planning for the upcoming season at the cabin. My son Brad and his son Dylan have been coming up to the cabin with me for a couple of times each summer. I always enjoy our time there, fishing and doing work on the cabin. Spending time with family has always been my favorite part of having this cabin.

Dylan and his wife Kloe have blessed us with our first great grandson, Krew, so I know that things will be different for Dylan now. I hope that I will be there to see when Krew catches his first fish. I can envision our great granddaughter Avery and Krew playing together at family get-togethers.

We were lucky enough to have plenty of fish in the lake when our grandkids were growing up. When I am there by myself, I swear that I can still hear the boys’ voices echoing through the woods while excitedly calling out for grandpa to look at the fish that they had caught. Those are memories that will last me a lifetime.

Until the next time: When I look back at those days of building our cabin and clearing the land, I am grateful for my family. Everyone chipped in and did their part to make this a place where we could share quality time together.

I am already making some plans to improve life at the cabin. There are many things that need to be done both in and around the cabin. My son Brad has a lot of good ideas, and he will help put those into play. Thinking about this should make me excited about the upcoming spring.

I have heard that the walleyes have been biting on Fountain Lake this winter. I also noticed that someone decided to do a little trolling with their car. It didn’t end well for that person, but at least everyone was all right. I won’t give a lecture about safe ice, but this is a prime example of not knowing how thick the ice is.

Please show your support for our troops who are now deployed. These service men and women are making that sacrifice, so that we may have the many freedoms that we enjoy today.