My new cabin

My new cabin. :-) I know it's small, but this rustic piece of history holds part of my heart. It's the Forest Service cabin at the top of Kendrick peak, just below the lookout tower. When we were 6 years old, we took our first backpacking trip up Kendrick and stayed the night in that cabin. I have incredibly vivid memories of it. We wandered down to a nearby spring for water that evening and found a bear track; I was obsessively worried that the bear would haunt us with his presence, so kept asking Dad if the cabin door was securely shut. I remember when we awoke the next morning it was cold and we ate breakfast with a view. I've always loved the simplicity of this cabin, the refuge in a wild place. Last week when I hiked Kendrick with Bitty Boo and Paisley the McScottie, I revisited this place and it's memories. 

This week has been relentless. I wake up before the light is up each morning and work until after dark, and then when I look back upon the day, I have difficulty recalling what I actually did. My to-do list for the next few months is truly daunting with projects that must be tackled and completed, but it's the day-to-day happenings that keep me from ever sitting down. I keep looking for ways to simplify; I mean, we live in a one bedroom house so arguably that should simplify things for me. Cleaning never takes very long, though having a garden as part of the house adds to the overall dirt count. :-) I love the tiny space that we call home. I pray often that we may understand and really know how to live large in the small of it all. I do think that we are probably all more inclined to seek the adventure and open space of the outdoors, of the wild places that surround us, and like the Kendrick cabin, our house has become a refuge for us in all the ways. The downside to living in a small home is that clutter is an almost constant threat. We have one closet which harbors our winter jackets, a tiny pantry and no overhead cabinets. So, I'm almost constantly rearranging, attempting to find creative solutions for the items which are non-negotiable but in the way nevertheless. Forced creativity is probably healthy for our souls. 

I have one big project I must complete before the end of this week, so today I'm setting aside all but the most necessary daily happenings to focus my energy on that. However, there is still time to savor the wildflowers which we have growing abundantly around us, in spite of the very real hints that fall is about to be ushered in.