One More Time Before School Starts

I'm torn. I'm loving having most of the children back in school {just me & Peter at home}. Yet, I miss their company and our non schedule summer days, especially the days spent at Fish Lake.

We made it back to Fish Lake the first week in August. The first day John took us on a walk down to the lake and showed us where the cabin used to sit. This picture shows the exact spot. It was a small tiny wood cabin made by the Dutch owner out of wood. All the interior walls are knotty wood pine panelling. Adorable. The fireplace was made out of lava rocks adorned by a deer head with antlers. I've wondered how real hunters feel about the Hallen use of the antlers??? I'm sure they're offended. My favorite feature of the cabin is the Dutch door. Love it.

Then John's family purchased it from the Dutchman. They had to move it off the lake because the lake was getting too polluted from all the cabins along it's shores. So up it went a quarter of a mile on Vale in a little clearing surrounded by quaking aspens and pine trees. Nineteen years ago, when I first started visiting we could see the lake from the cabin's front windows. Now the trees have grown and we only see patches of blue water. John threatens that the next time he goes up he's taking along the chainsaw to take down the "dead" trees. We could use the firewood but not the hefty fine...

The famous "H" rock shows and reminds us where the old Hallen dock used to pier out over the lake. John spent many summers fishing with cousins for perch and fishing out old grandpa Melvin when he would fall into the cold lake. Grandma Rose always said that the reason they invested in this cabin was to build strong family ties. What a worthwhile and successful investment. This time up we met the Dana side of my family, minus Kenney & his family.

Memorial times with them were: the walk down by Twin Creeks, good food, another walk/hike on the trail north of the lake, making flower clips for our hair, and the endless hours watching the cousins play outside with sticks. Who needs toys when you have good old fashion sticks? And looking for the neighbors. This year it was a mother deer with two little "Bambi's".

Thank you Grandma Rose for your foresight and wanting a place for families to spend time together. Fish Lake. Hallen's Haven.