Sunday, April 18, 2021

Mosaic Monday #127: A retreat


"There is more to life than increasing its speed." 
Mahatma Gandhi

Even people who already live in the woods need a break now and then.  Despite our relatively remote location, we are still bombarded with the noise of the world, and demands on our time.  Phones, computers, livestreaming programs, Zoom meetings.  Of course, our own choices led to this.

Just as easily, we can make different choices.  And so it was that, at the end of March, Spousal Unit and I went to Owl Creek Cabin for some isolation.  Recreation.gov offers relaxation at over 3,600 facilities and 103,000 individual sites across the country.  Browse the website -- you might be surprised what is available near you!

We checked in at 2 p.m. (read: opened the door with a combination) and were impressed with the condition of the cabin.  As I would learn later by reading the guest book, the cabin was renovated during 2019.  We nibbled snacks while playing Scrabble.  The deep concentration of Spousal Unit paid off with a win!


"A cabin with plenty of food is better than a hungry castle."  Irish Saying

As we went for a walk, it was snowing steadily, adding to the romanticism.  We strolled down a road that leads to a number of homes, which are occupied only in the summer.  It was easy to imagine the shouts of children at play, and envision parents sitting in deck chairs, hand-in-hand while watching the sun set over the lake.  This day, the silence was absolute and we saw not a soul.  Most of the homes appear to have been here for decades, with varying levels of maintenance.  I loved the classic mountain cabin construction of this residence.

We spent the evening reading. I don't read nearly as much as I would like; when I am at home I am pulled to my 'task list', and reading rarely rises to the top of that list.  What a pleasure to read without thinking about what I "should" or "could" be doing!



The next day, fortified by breakfast courtesy of Head Chef, we set off for Holland Falls.  (He was impressed and pleased with the cookware available in the cabin.)  We made this hike before, with my younger brother and his wife (some photos are in this post from October 27, 2017).  Quite different in the snow, but no less stunning.

  
"The world's big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark."  John Muir

The 3.3 miles, round trip, was miniscule by our standards, and we found ourselves at a loose end with hours of daylight ahead.  We meandered south on Highway 83, seeking out possible snowshoeing routes or intriguing side roads.  You might find it hard to believe, but even then, at the end of March, many of the roads were impassable.  We took a back road around Seeley Lake, another popular summer destination.  If you're looking for a cheap fixer-upper, this might be for you!

Back at the cabin, the fire pit beckoned.  We had brought some firewood with us, but we were also grateful for a stack of firewood nearby.  The guest book noted that, in the "good old days", the cabin had a wood-burning fireplace.  It was replaced with a propane fire because it is safer, but also because the Forest Service no longer gets the summer staff it needs to replenish the wood piles.  Sad.  

"I had daydreams and fantasies when I was growing up.  I always wanted to live in a log cabin at the foot of a mountain.  I would ride my horse to town and pick up provisions.  Then return to the cabin, with a big open fire, a record player and peace."  Linda McCartney

The guest book also mentioned barred owls calling the distinctive "who, who, who cooks for you", but none were about that day.  Plenty of Oregon Juncos, picking at the dirt road for seeds.  In the brush, chickadees darted about in their typical fashion.  I am quite accustomed to the Black-capped Chickadee and the Mountain Chickadee that frequent my birdfeeders.  But this little bird was different - it had a distinctive dark brown back and sides.  When I returned to a cell phone signal, I would identify it as a Chestnut-Backed Chickadee.  You learn something new every day!!!

That evening, we played Kings in the Corner, and once again, I was defeated.  But nothing could deflate my bonhomie.


"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit."  Edward Abbey

All too soon, our mini-retreat came to an end.  In an attempt to delay our return to reality, we popped in to Echo Lake Café for brunch.  Not too busy.  Socially distanced.  And oh, so tasty!




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32 comments:

  1. ..beautiful and I like snow, but I'm snowed out for this year. I glad to to be working in the garden and enjoying spring.

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  2. Angie, I'm so envious of your retreat. It looks so peaceful. As an introvert, I need lots of solitary time away from society. I'm fortunate that I bought my home in a rural area, in fact it's coming up on one year that I moved here. Your mountain retreat (even with snow!) looks so wonderful and so does the food!!! :) Bonhnomie...loved reading that word! :) ♥

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  3. wow, that is wonderful. Such a great place to spend time. Nature is stunning. I would be very busy checking that nature out. :) I envy you!

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  4. Yes, I agree with the philosphy of Mahatma Gandhi. It's true, Angie we life in a fast World and can't stop this. Only for few moments we can try to look around.

    A lovely Post and I wish you a good week. Have fun with BonHomie 🤗

    Happy MosaicMonday

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  5. Looks like a wonderful hideaway. Busy day today, so I will come back to read properly. Have a great week. and stay safe.

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  6. What fun, so many adventures in your neck of the woods!

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  7. The cabin looks like a wonderful "get-away" spot and very romantic! Love the views and waterfall.is

    We had quite a bit of snow this past weekend and more is coming tomorrow, so winter is hanging on here in between spring days.

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  8. What a wonderful place you found to relax and have time together somewhere so peaceful and quiet, your breakfast looked amazing. Happy MM.

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  9. Hello,
    What a wonderful getaway, the cabin retreat looks great. The waterfall is beautiful. Great quotes and photos. Take care, have a happy day!

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  10. Thanks for your fantastic share of photos today Angie. Especially interesting to me were the volcanic landscapes in light of the present day La Soufrière Volcanic eruptions going on in Saint Vincent now.

    Much💛love

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  11. Angie, what a delightful idea and what a wonderful place you found in order to unwind and relax away from the distractions of everyday existence. Pure bliss!

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  12. That really does sound amazing! A get away...we all could use one! Love your photos of the beauty around that cabin. And yes....I just spent some time on that website. There are a lot of campgrounds in this area but I don't think any of them have cabins. It would be fun to spend time right on the water so I may look some more. Thanks for taking us along! Happy MM!

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  13. PS: Thank you for hosting, enjoy the new week!

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  14. I love the quotes today! Yum. That omelette looks good.

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  15. Sounds like a wonderful retreat. I'll check out that webpage. We are soaking in the sunshine here but a little concerned that we have to start watering in the Spring because of how dry things are. Hope you have a good week.

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  16. That sounds wonderful Angie! It’s a beautiful cozy perfect location. When we were as young as you two are, we used to talk about thinking we’d enjoy being snowbound somewhere for, say, a week or two... In a well-provisioned, warm cabin. ... With books ... and etc))).... . You had everything there we would have needed, most importantly each other!

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  17. Angie, So glad you enjoyed your retreat! Thanks for hosting and have a great week. Sylvia D.

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  18. Dear Angie - Nice retreat at such a cozy cabin in the snow-falling woods. Looks like we need to be away from everyday life regardless of the place where we live. Where there is life, things tend to be speeding up if we aren’t mindful.

    Yoko

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  19. How lovely to escape life and enjoy a little getaway in a cosy cabin. I see, Angie, you found time to hike and discover the area. And....a game of Scrabble too....delightful.

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  20. Been ages since I've done a retreat. That looked lovely!

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  21. Thank you for sharing this wonderful place. The beauty of the cabin and surroundings shine through in your photographs.

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  22. I guess it's easy to find peace and quiet up there Angie. the bane of our lives is power tools of all types. Every neighbour has them and uses them every weekend without fail. Lawnmowers, drills, sanders, saws, grinders and goodness knows what. Oh for the days of hand tools!

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  23. Well your mini-retreat certainly looks and sounds that it was excellent, a very refreshing break.

    My good wishes.

    All the best Jan

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  24. Oh I would so love to stay at Owl Creek Cabin and play Scrabble and take a wander in the snow and read lots of books. That sounds a perfect staycation for me too!
    Wren x

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  25. Lovely in snow, to beautiful for words.

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  26. What a great getaway for just the two of you. Amazing that facilities like this are available.

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  27. Montana's beauty is stunning. Your retreat sounded so good, everyone could use some quiet time away from daily life. thanks for sharing another lovely post.
    About the cloud in my photo, I have no idea what it's name is. I call it a "beautiful cloud". :)

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  28. How wonderful to escape to a place like that, such beautiful scenery.

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  29. What a lovely little retreat. A cabin in the woods with snow falling sounds idyllic.

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  30. It's always good to get away for a break, Angie, especially with Chestnut-backed Chickadees to keep you company. As for Scrabble, sometimes you just don't get the letters and then it's really hard to win. Miriam and I at one time used to keep track of who was winning most often and after a period of a few weeks it was always close to equal.

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