Woods & Water by Dick Herfindahl

I was just looking back at some old pictures the other day and of course most of them were of my sons and their families. I especially like looking at the ones of our times at the cabin. I put together a collage of pictures of the time we purchased the land and the ensuing years and how we cleared the land, brought our camper up to stay in while we cleared an area and readied everything for building our cabin.

Our cabin has been a work in progress with a little being done each time we are there. In the fall of the following year, after we purchased the land myself, Brian and my two oldest grandsons, Trevor and Taylor, headed north to clear an area for the cabin to be built. It was quite a team with Brian cutting the trees down, Trevor dragging the logs to an area with the ATV for me and Taylor to stack them. After a lot of work by all of us it was ready for a cabin.

The following Memorial Day, my son Brian and I (mostly Brian), dug the holes for the footings. It was rainy, wet and cold. As weather goes, it was probably one of the most miserable days that I can remember. Each hole had its own obstacle(s) which consisted mostly of rocks and tree roots. The holes were for anchoring the posts that would hold the cabin. It took most of a miserable weekend to complete, but in the end it was more than worth it. Most of the ground was clay, which can be mighty slick when water is added to the mix. To say that I fell down a few times would be an understatement. Between the sloping ground, exposed tree roots, rocks and the slippery clay I spent a lot of time picking myself up off of the ground. By the end of the day, Brian and I sat down by the campfire while his mother fixed us supper and after we had eaten, it didn’t take us long to fall asleep.

Eventually the cabin began to come together with the help of our family, especially all of the grandsons, my youngest son Brad and of course Brian, who was the carpenter and designed the layout for the cabin. Over the following years the grandkids, along with the rest of us, have enjoyed our time there. There have always been some fish in the lake and to this day, whenever I am up there alone, I swear I can still hear the laughing of little kids as they’d go swimming in the lake or excitedly run up the hill to show off their latest catch to grandpa. 

Yes, this is what it’s all about, having a little piece of land to be shared with family and friends on a small lake in the middle of what I call “God’s Country”. This little place is still pretty rustic and may not be that appealing to everyone. We finally did get electricity about five years ago, but we still have an outhouse and have to carry in our fresh water for cooking and drinking. We eventually added a couple of rain barrels to collect water for cleaning and showering.

Occasionally, I will be at the cabin by myself for a few days and on some of those visits I like to think back to the earlier days when I used an oil lamp for light. In the evening, when I’m feeling nostalgic, I will light a couple of those lamps and sit back in my chair and turn on the radio. These are the times when I can just sit back, relax and reflect on all of the fun times and wonderful memories that I have of spending time there with family.

With all of this reflecting, even though it’s a little early, I am more than ready for spring and warmer weather. I actually think I could really begin enjoying myself by taking a drive north for a few days.

Until next time, spend some time in the outdoors sharing an adventure with a youth, whether it be your child, grandchild or a friend’s child; it’s what memories are made of.

Please take some time to honor those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy today. Also, take some time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who served and those troops serving today.