What did you do for the 4th? Glad you asked. We went to "The Cabin"

The Cabin conjures up images of a log cabin in the woods but there are lots of different kinds of cabins. Some call "The Cabin" a 6-bedroom, 4-bath house on some acreage in the woods or outside of town. Some have no electricity or water, but still a place to go to outside of town, or shelter for a hunting camp.

This cabin, actually Joe's (my significant other) cabin, is located past Weston, Ore., on the way to Tollgate. Tollgate is an unincorporated community in Umatilla County that lies between Weston and Elgin on Oregon Route 204. It is best known for skiing at the Sprout Springs Ski Area which is active with snowmobilers in the winter.

The Cabin is basically a one-room cabin with a small addition on the side where wood is stored and there is a small 30-inch shower stall with running hot water! The main floor has a fireplace, washer and dryer, a Jenn Air stove, a round top refrigerator, and a microwave. The kitchen is small but efficient with the luxury of a sink with running hot water. The upstairs consists of a loft with room for two beds.

It does have an outhouse, complete with a light and a plug-in for a heater in the winter. It's only a one-seater, but who wants company when you are using it?

What does one do at The Cabin? Soon after I arrived, I got out of the car, smelled the fresh air, "heard" the quiet and identified my project. The firepit needed to be dug out and cleared of the old ashes, deepened, and more rocks added around the exterior to make it higher.

When that was accomplished to my satisfaction, I worked on cleaning the forest, which is a thankless job, much like laundry and dishes, and, quite frankly, pointless. But it gives me a good feeling to see the branches and pinecones picked up.

I like to take walks, enjoy the scenery and take pictures of the plants. Nature offers so much beauty. Since there is no Internet to distract one's attention, the cribbage board comes out. I am proud to say I won three out of five games! Sometimes I take books, depending on how long the stay is.

There are neighbors close by who keep an eye on the place, and they took time to come over so we could exchange phone numbers. Joe's cabin is a dry cabin, meaning water must be brought in. Joe has three 55-gallon drums of water. The neighbor generously offered us access to their water source when we need to refill our containers.

This time, we planned on visiting and returning home the same day, so we treated ourselves to dinner at the Alpine Outpost, a restaurant/gas station about two miles from The Cabin. They make their own bread, cookies, pies and have a full menu to choose from. It's delicious. Thankfully, I'm not close by too often.

When it was time to go, I always feel a twinge of wanting to stay longer and get more things done. But then I realize that projects can always wait until the next time.