TENTH SEASON OF INN A CABIN

Seems incredible that INN A CABIN is now in its tenth season!! We have had so many wonderful guests over the years and appreciate both the friendships and patronage. Each building on our 50 acres was built by Tom and his vision of making our property a sort of step back in time experience.

The 2015 winter months were rough. We had to keep the cabins closed most of first quarter of the year.

When we returned from a few weeks in Florida in January, this homeless dog  was waiting on our doorstep. He broke our hearts. Mom's sweet Boots (German Shepherd) passed away the summer before, so we thought this little poochie would keep her company. Mom and "Dixie" are now the best of friends!!!

The winter months became the "whining" months. Dragging on and on and on.

This "guy" kept us company. If you've ever seen a Pileated Woodpecker, you know they are enormous and beautiful. His neat little red cap was a joy to see in stark white and brown landscape.

Mickey waiting for spring. Usually the great orange hunter, Mickey spent most of the winter inside looking outside
.

Tom walking Brutus, our chocolate lab

Of course, the deer came in close to the house, looking for food. They are beautiful, but they do love our garden and flower buds in the spring. We mix up a homemade concoction that we spray on our hostas and rhododendrons. The spray stinks like an outhouse for about an hour after application, but it does work!

And then....spring!!!!

Although this photo was taken a year ago, I wanted to include it in this post. Several researchers found on our property a Red Shouldered Hawk nest. Tom and Matt were thrilled to be able to hold the baby hawks while the researchers tagged them and then returned them to the nest about forty feet up from the ground. As you can see, both Matt and Tom are in awe.

Spring means that a select few clay artisans gather at Logan Clay and begin a two week marathon of creating sculptures to be sold at Lilyfest or donated to local charitable events during the summer months. Hocking County is filled with artisans who give much time and effort to both their craft and community. This particular sculpture is MINE!!! Created by my good friend Jenny Beard who is amazing. I have several of her "pieces" in and around my garden. Can't wait to bring this owl home after it's fired in oven at Logan Clay.

My woodland rock garden with a "Jenny piece" toad house sitting on an old log.

Another example of "Jenny creations" My hens that nest outside my front door. I love these clay pieces of art!!!

And my curled lip frog that greets me every spring morning with his big eyes!

Now, I'm getting nostalgic. Tom built this little tree house many years ago for Steph and Eric. The slide coming down from the tree house was Tom's slide from his childhood. In the fall, the kids used wax paper under their bums and slide down at breakneck speed and into a big pile of leaves. What fun!

Best surprise this spring - two baby owls seen from our back porch. This owl stayed on this limb for almost twenty minutes looking at us and "talking." Yes, talking!! I'm sure he was being friendly.

After seeing these "guys" I kept Mickey in at night. Wasn't sure if they "ate" cats, but wasn't taking any chances.

A mama robin decided to build a nest right outside my kitchen window.

Garden Cabin front porch

Garden Cabin Sitting Area

Mill Cabin living room

Mill Cabin dining area in kitchen

Mill Cabin patio

INN A CABIN   To all of you from Tom and Sherry at Inn A Cabin in the Woods! Enjoy the summer and remember this... "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." anonymous

ON THE BEACH AT 65

Walked on Englewood Beach, Florida, this sunny morning. after stormy weather the day before.

Stormy Day

Cool. So I slipped into a light, long-sleeved sweatshirt and leggings. Windy, just enough to blow the waves in with some gusto. I get such a charge walking the beach alone. It's kind of primitive, walking a sea-foam seam between solid earth and big big ocean. Humbling humbling humbling.

To the  west the water blends into sky, I think: Ya' know it's really kind of scary. If I swam out there far enough, I'd have two choices . . . or maybe one, depending on the sequence of events: 1) Drown; and/or 2) Get eaten by something very large and  with razor sharp teeth. I shiver and dig my toes into the sand, a quick reminder that I'm safe on shore.

On my walk, I pass other people or people stopped and bent over, bums in the air, concentrating on the newly washed up shells. Sandpipers skitter along on those precious skinny little legs, running into the surf, then dashing back from the waves.

Bums in the Air - Lookin for Treasures

Fishermen with canvas chairs and roller bags that no doubt hold their gear and snacks. One tall and elegant egret stands by a fisherman's bag, impatiently putting his weight on one leg and then the other. I can read the bird's mind: Okay, fisher-guy, either pull me in a fish, or bring out the snacks. I walk to within a few feet of the egret, both of us eyeing each other up and down, He cocks his head and looks at me with one scary bile-green eye, probably thinking I looked pretty darn scary, too.

Note the Fisherman to the right

A Dog's Life

A man and his wife sit in lounge chairs, taking in the morning sun and breeze. A poodle sits in the man's lap, his head nodding occasionally to give the dog an affectionate kiss. Love men who are in tune to their effeminate side. A bit farther down the beach an older couple hold hands, looking straight ahead, no doubt remembering a time gone by, when they were young and didn't need medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, or...Viagra.

Kids know how to have FUN

Beggers

Three older kids dash out of a condo, flinging arms and legs in the air, their coltish bodies jumping into the waves, oblivious to the cold water.

Leaving my footprints on the beach 

At least twenty seagulls float down to the sand and huddle up like a football team, making a game plan for daily handouts from the silly snow birds, funny faced and making baby-bird talk. The birds saying to each other, "Okay, guys, we gotta do what we gotta do," Act cute for food.

The sand is cool, tickles my bare feet. Each step, my heels dig in and sink, in the best Dr. Scholl-fits-every-foot-problem sort of way. My toes go wild, giddy with the freedom of no shoes. At 65, I don't judge my empty-headed beach state of mind. 

Happiness is where you come face-to-face with something bigger than you are, a place where your soul intuitively absorbs all things. 

On the beach, there is anonymity, no age, no judgment, no politics, no Kim Kardashian drama (at least on this baby-boomer beach), no doomsday news that scares the hell of you. "Yes. Yes," I sigh. taking in a "namaste" breath. Ahhhh. Peace.

Find Sherry Hartzler's books on Amazon.com 

Three Moons Over Sedona

Island Passage

Chasing Joe

Women's Fiction