Heavy Sky, Heavy Heart

Northwoods Journal

Monday, July 8, 2013

Needless to say, we did not get up at the crack of dawn this morning.  The dogs were kind enough to let us sleep in.  Well, can 8 a.m. be considered sleeping in?  I was pleasantly surprised to see a pair of goldfinches on the platform feeder when I pulled back the kitchen curtains.  That was about it for the birds this morning, except for the hairy woodpeckers.

The sky was heavy and thunder rumbled in the distance.  We decided to have a slow morning and didn’t eat breakfast until ten.  I stripped the bed and remade it with clean sheets and was just starting to pack the dirty clothes when Mark said the thunder was getting closer and we should walk the dogs one last time while we had the chance.

It started to sprinkle just as we got to the end of the driveway.  Of course, a little rain doesn’t bother the beagles, they will hike in any weather!  We didn’t go far, just up Stevens Spring to the ATV trail crossing.  We went a short way in on the trail and then turned and came back out on this overgrown cut-through.  We zig-zagged our way back, trying to give the dogs the impression of a decent walk.  We got back to the cabin just in time, the sky opened up and it really poured just as we got inside.

Mark headed into town to take the garbage to the dump and fill up with gas while I worked on packing up all the dirty laundry and the other odds and ends we drag with us every trip.  Mark had to put away all the things from the yard – Adirondack chairs, hammock, etc, – then put the hitch hauler on the FJ and load everything up.  He was soaked clear through by time we pulled out of the driveway.  He hates driving home in the rain, but they need it up here so badly, it’s hard to begrudge it.  I am thankful God blessed us with beautiful weather the entire weekend.

My heart is heavy as we drive away.  It will be a month before we return.  In a couple of weeks we are traveling to the eastern shore of Maryland to visit my mother-in-law, so it will be the first weekend of August before we get back to our precious northwoods.  We usually come up for Bluegrass in the Park which is the first weekend of August, something we always really enjoy.  It was a terrible disappointment to learn yesterday that there will be no Bluegrass in the Park this year. 😦  That is our wedding anniversary weekend so we are formulating alternate plans – perhaps a little get-away to the U.P.

We were not the only ones heading home today.  Heavy traffic and heavy rain on M33 south, not a good combination.  May the Lord give us safe travels on the highway!