Future Considerations

Northwoods Journal

Monday, June 24, 2013

Too hot all night to get a good night’s sleep.  Our bedroom is at the far end of the trailer.  Always the coldest room in the winter and the hottest room in the summer.  Sometimes when it’s really hot and muggy we sleep on the sleeper sofa in the living room!  This time we just suffered through it.

Not much time to lollygag about this morning.  We were meeting the guy from the real estate office at that property near Lewiston at 10 a.m. and we had to gas up on our way.  We ended up really loving the piece of property.  Even though it was right off M32, it was way back in the woods, very secluded, and all the other cabins around are also on fairly large parcels, so you couldn’t hardly even see them.  The cabin was cute, but not that much more living space than what we have now.  The 10 acres are long and narrow and there was a trail cut through to the very back, with a really nice deer blind built up on stilts.  The yard space around the cabin was lovely, with more useable grassy area than we have now.  But no nice deck for sitting outside watching the birds.  Since we are impulsive people normally, had we had fifty thousand dollars in our pocket we probably would have bought it on the spot.  But, since we didn’t, we left agreeing that it is definitely something to think about.

Daisy was so upset when we left that she hid under the coffee table.  (The dogs honestly think we only go up north for them.)  So, we had to take them for a hike as soon as we got back.  We had lots of packing up to do and Mark wanted to be on the road around 1 o’clock, so we just walked back to the lake behind our place.  The hermit thrush and wood thrush both played their flute-like songs for us.  Once we reached the lake, the dogs went right in the water.

Daisy taking a dip.

There was a large patch of lovely wild irises along the shore.

Wild Irises

Unfortunately, some yahoo left a bunch of fishing line  right around the shoreline and before we even saw it, both dogs had managed to wrap themselves up in a tangled mess.  Mark and I worked furiously to get them untangled, the huge fish hook (much too big for this tiny lake!) nearly hooking Daisy’s paw.  Don’t even get me started on littering, personal responsibility and people’s complete disregard for nature, wildlife and the people who will come after them!

On the way back out, the dogs suddenly smelled a mole and started digging furiously.  We gave them a few minutes to have their fun.

Heads down, butts up digging for a mole.

As we approached the end of the two-track, where it comes out at the road, the dogs suddenly lifted their heads and tails so we knew something was close by.  Sure enough, a deer was bedded down in the trees and ferns.  It bounded away before the dogs could set to howling.

On the road we came across this big eastern hognose snake.

Eastern Hognose Snake

It was kind of funny because when we nearly tripped over it, Mark said, “I don’t remember seeing that when we left.”  And I told him it was because it wasn’t there!  I started taking pictures and when the snake moved a bit he said something about it still being alive.  He thought it had been run over because of its flat head!!  I told him, no, it was a hognose snake.  LOL  I took several pictures and watched as it puffed itself all up and tried to get scary looking.  I guess some people call them puff adders because of the way they puff themselves up but they are harmless creatures that eat toads and frogs.  The dogs didn’t pay it any mind at all, didn’t even sniff at it.

It was sweaty work packing up in the heat and humidity.  It’s never a chore to be enjoyed anyway.  At least we know we have less than 2 weeks before we return for the 4th of July holiday.

On the way home we discussed the property we looked at and the pros and cons of it.  Time and distance help us look at things a bit more logically.  We also discussed what we are going to do about fishing.  Seven years ago we bought a really nice fishing canoe and we have loved it.  Normally at this time of year we would be staying out on the lake until 10 p.m.  But unfortunately, the truck has gotten unreliable and Mark doesn’t want to drive it up and down the expressway anymore, and we don’t have a trailer to pull behind the FJ.  We talked about our options and whether or not we could haul it on top but with my back problems there’s not much chance I would be able to lift that canoe over my head to load it on top of the FJ.  Plus, Mark and I are both short.  I would hate for the summer to pass by without being able to go fishing!  So, more things to think about.  I guess we will start looking for a small trailer.  I doubt we’ll find one in the nine days left before we return to the northwoods!