‘As the sun is lowering over the hill to the West, the beat of my music is pounding in my ears, the buzz of the wine is running through my veins, and I’m sitting up in a tree fort in the forest, basically, I’m in my bliss.’
One of my favourite times of the day is in the late afternoon hours just before sunset, that time that coincides with those moments just before I actually start cooking my dinner. I am often happily sipping a glass of wine and thoroughly enjoying myself as I have usually just finished prepping the evening meal. I am alone in the cabin at this point and my routine involves putting on some tunes on the Bluetooth device, as I slice and dice and prep my meal. Just before I start cooking the food, I often take a few moments to steal away some personal time and go ‘rogue’ outside, sometimes to the point and sometimes into the back bay forest. I will refill my glass, turn off the indoor music and often plug my tunes into my ears before I go. I also take off my flip flops and put on a decent pair of shoes.
Occasionally, I go out to the Point and sit on the bench to appreciate my beautiful lake view, which is visible for miles down the lake. I can sit on my bench there and sip my bevie, watching the world around me, but, more often than not, I like to go behind my cabin property into the small back bay area, where it is so peaceful and quiet as it gets down to those last few rays of sunlight I see right before the sun goes behind the hill to the West. It is the best time of the day to go back there to appreciate my world, because the low-lying sun illuminates everything so well, every bush, every branch, every tree, and bounces a bright shine off the front lake waters, just before the sun goes over the hill and disappears for the day. This is the time I like to sneak away and appreciate the remains of the day in my outside playground.
Years ago, when my children were small, a wooden platform was built, a raised plank surface attached to several trees in the back bay area. It was a place where the boys could climb up on by means of a small ladder against it, and play, or could tent, if they wanted. With the boys all grown up now, the flat platform we always called the ‘tree fort’ sits there quietly unused and unappreciated. I might point out that there are no walls or roof, so it’s hardly a ‘fort’ by definition, just a raised flat wooden platform, a project my husband constructed for the boys back in the day.
This evening I was feeling reflective but rather upbeat, probably a side effect of the lively tunes I was playing on my iPod and the wine I had been sipping generously as I prepped dinner. I liked to prep dinner early, while the light was good in the cabin, since there is no electricity. The West setting sun illuminates the kitchen really well at this particular time of day, that is, right before sunset, and so I like to pour a glass of wine and prep the night’s meal while the kitchen is so bright with natural light. With all the chopping, dicing, wrapping of veggies in foil, and the rest of the meal prep done, I like to take a few moments, even if it is for a short few when the BBQ’s is lit but not warmed up enough yet to start cooking. This is my ideal time to take a few moments for just me, myself and I.
Tonight, I was going to walk to my back bay and enjoy those last few rays. I was going forest ‘rogue’, we were in no hurry for dinner tonight, having enjoyed a late afternoon dock lunch.
I walked to the back bay and the I climbed up the old, still viable, (thankfully), wooden ladder to the ‘fort’, profusely giggling while holding my plastic, coloured wine glass with a tiny splash of wine left in it. I had no desire to spill it, and I didn’t bring anymore because the ‘adult’ in me said not to hike back to a forest and continue to drink or be impaired for the walk back. (I hate when the ‘adult’ in me kicks up, it’s nice to be in touch with my younger self and to be having fun.) I do know the Classic Rock I was listening to now in my ears was taking me back several decades.
I might point out to any of you mature and responsible readers out there, that it is not recommended that you sit in a remote forest with ear buds pumping blaring Rock and Roll into your ears, and sipping on a bevie. It is a forest, there is wildlife, although my sporadic singing probably scared every living thing away for miles. Also, one must be able to safely walk the paths to get back and cook dinner, therefore, being inebriated (especially at this age, at least) is not such a good idea while marching around out in the bush.
Having been someone who has come here for over 55 years+, does give me a tad of bravado to feel comfortable around my property. I might also inform you that my back bay area is only a stone’s throw from the main cabin and therefore, within earshot should I need assistance. On this evening, I was sitting 8 or 10 feet above the ground and having a blast! These moments are the gems most people never get to experience. I hope I have shared a good visual for you, so you find a laugh imagining my antics as I go ‘rogue’ out in my forest. Sometimes it’s the crazy, but simple things, that make life so worthwhile.