‎63 Years of Memories....

‎63 Years of Memories....
that's what I have now. The photo below shows the chair on the point which for so many years was my father's favorite after-supper place to contemplate and cast for walleye. As much as I feel guilty about what's happened, I know he would understand and even say there's nothing to forgive. He lived life fully and moved on many times. I'm the one with the unique experience of being attached to a beautiful place for my whole life. And despite all my best efforts, yesterday the 'cabin' was sold. I signed the papers and, truth be told, a weight was lifted. A new life lies ahead without the obligations, but with all of the wonderful memories. My unrelentingly positive attitude says this is truly how it is, but my heart is still sad.

There are some things in life for which the balance between the obligation and the joy of ownership often cannot be sustained forever. It became clear that I was no longer up to the task of taking care of the place quite a while back. However, knowing what needs to be done and doing it are often far apart. Finally, no choice was left. It had to be sold.

Now it's gone. No more worrying about how long the grass or how deep the snow is up there. No more sublimely pleasurable early morning cups of coffee sitting on the dock when the color of the lake is like pale blue glass and the air is completely still. No more endless repairs, high taxes, and utility bills. No more late nights around the fire pit with friends and family - warm from both fire and friendship. No more frozen pipes or emergency calls to the furnace guys. No more saunas and midnight skinny dipping that make you feel like you'll live forever while your connection with nature is confirmed by the gazillion stars of the milky way and the loons calling out in the dark. No more concerns with low well water levels or water so hard and full of iron the clothes turn yellow and your newly washed hair feels like brillo. No more finding the way home by boat in the dark after a long day on the lake feeling like this is the only place you really, really belong. No more praying that the boathouse will make it another year without collapsing. And ultimately, no more making new memories with friends, family and loved ones. No new memories, that is, at Half Bay, Lake Vermilion, Tower, MN. New life... here we come!

How do you thank a place for memories?

Monday, February 12, 2007

Home again, home again

So I have hijacked my wife's blogger account to make it seem like she posts more often. Here is a picture of her trespassing across a golf course, her faithful hound right on her heels. We went family snowshoeing around Thompson park. I am not saying that Ra got us lost, but our tracks in the snow spelled out the first paragraph of Robert Frost's "Road Less Traveled". What a coincidence that was!

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


Everyone also keeps asking about the lake effect snow that you have all been seeing on the news. Here it is in action. Uh, maybe I can get a snow day.

Back inside where we are safe from the snow, wind and most of the cold, there is plenty to keep us busy. That little lady on dad's lap belongs to our neighbors.

An interesting side note about this photo, it took me almost fifteen minutes to roll that drunk animal off my leg. I had needles and pins for, like, ever man. Ever. whew

I'd better stop messing around with the blog and get back to doing nothing before my lovely wife tries to tickle me to death(I am not ticklish by the way, but don't tell her).
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1 comment:

Lottie Dah said...

What a fun post! I can't tell you how nice it is to see your face in your home! I recognized your front porch Victoriana scroll work and can see why despite the various inconveniences you'll enjoy staying there yet another year. Nice photos! Can't wait to see you and Rachel soon!
Hugs, Mom
PS Most people see your Frost selection as sort of melancholy and tinged with regret. I like to interpret it as advice to enjoy whatever path we've chosen and do the 'what could have been' ponderings to sometime 'ages and ages hence'. Thanks for sharing it. It certainly was appropriate with that beautiful scene.

9:48 AM

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