Weekend retreat

My weekend in the cabin went well. I arrived Friday evening while it was still light, thankfully. The 15km gravel road took me at least half an hour to drive up (I am estimating, as I didn’t take a watch with me, and I didn’t know what the time was for the whole weekend...the sun was my only guide). I had to be careful, as at times there was a ditch on one side of the road and a ravine on the other.


My cabin was only a few metres from the edge of the lake and faced south. It was basic - just one room with a bed, armchair, dining table and two wooden chairs, a woodstove, and small kitchen area with a sink (no taps) and a three-ring gas burner. To get in, I had to unlock a padlock. When I was inside, a tiny hook just about held the door shut, though I could see daylight around the edges! I took drinking water with me, and water for washing was obtained from a tap near the office.

I was grateful to get the woodstove heated up (though it took me a few attempts to get the fire going sufficiently).

Friday night I didn’t sleep very well - that’s not unusual when I’m in a strange bed - and the first time I woke up, I had to go to the outhouse with my flashlight (creepy) and then I made myself tea and porridge thinking it must be nearly morning. In the end I went back to bed and woke again at dawn - then back to bed again and up when the sun was high.

The lake is at least partly managed by people - there’s a dam at the western end of it. I suspect it is also stocked with fish for the people who come to rent boats and go fishing. An open area runs around it, between the tree line (high water mark) and the water. I enjoyed a walk around part of the lake on Saturday morning.

There are black cows ranging around the area - I was told that the rancher is supposed to keep them away from the lake, but isn’t very successful. In fact, the most hazardous thing I saw all weekend was the large cowpats strewn everywhere. Apparently they've only seen three bears in the last 30 years, but I was still wary. I would have loved to see some deer, but no luck. I did see some tiny chipmunks though.

I had started knitting the Droplet hat before I left and I finished it sitting in the sun on Saturday afternoon. I never want to knit bobbles again! I think I will give this hat to someone who will suit it better than me.

Later I made the project that I had originally planned for this weekend - a drawstring bag to keep my tarot cards safe. I have a mini set of Motherpeace cards so only needed to make a small bag. Referring to some instructions I had brought with me for making different shapes from the centre out, I decreased for the base of the bag to form a pentagon. I’m pleased with how it turned out. You’ll see I used the blue colourway of yarn for the bag - I started with the green/brown, but it was getting a depressingly army-camouflage effect - NOT something I wanted.





Saturday night, on another trip to the outhouse, I stepped outside the cabin door and was awestruck by the sky. Stars - billions of them. No light pollution blocks the view of the stars up there. I could see Orion directly in front of me (one of the few constellations I actually recognise) but it was just part of a huge wash of stars. They were so bright, they were reflected in the lake. I stayed outside for as long as my nervous disposition would let me, just gazing at the wonder of it all.






This was a very introspective weekend. Much thinking, meditating, visualising, left-handed drawing, reading and interpreting of tarot cards. I had some enlightening thoughts while wandering about on the beach or sitting on a rock.





It was so unusual to just have to take care of myself. If the whole family had gone to a cabin like that, I would have remained in the role of mother/caretaker, washing dishes, constantly making sure that everyone had enough to eat, etc. This weekend, I was just me. And I had a chance to find out more about who this “me” really is, what I believe in, what I want, without interruptions or time limits.

I certainly wasn’t lonely (there were people around with whom I could have interacted more if I had felt like it) but I was glad to be coming home Sunday morning. A break like that does make you appreciate what you have - a loving husband, nutty kids, hot and cold running water and an ensuite bathroom!