Our Memorial Day Weekend at the Cabin Didn't Go Quite as Planned

 

We were heading up north for Memorial Day weekend with one simple goal:

Open the cabin for the season.

After being closed up all winter, we were ready to get back to our little piece of northern Michigan.

But our Memorial Day weekend didn't quite go as planned.

It started out normally enough. As we made our way north, I couldn't help but notice how different everything looked compared to the year before.

It was hard to believe that Sanford Lake had been empty last year.

Now, it was full again.

And as soon as we turned onto our street, Lilly knew exactly where we were.

She knows.

This is her place too.

First Things First: Turn Everything Back On

Once we arrived, we had a few things to take care of before we could settle in.

First, we needed to turn the well and the power back on.

Then came the part we were hoping wouldn't be a problem:

Checking the pipes.

Michigan had a pretty harsh winter, and whenever you leave a property closed up through the winter, there's always that little bit of worry.

Did anything freeze?

Did anything burst?

Were there going to be any surprises waiting for us?

Well…

We found one.

Uh-oh.

The pipes had burst.

Not exactly the welcome-home surprise we were hoping for.

So while Herb headed into town to get the parts needed to make the repairs before the store closed, I decided to walk around the property and see if there were any other surprises waiting for us.

And that's when I found another one.

A Tree Was Blocking the Path

As I walked the property, I came across a large tree that had fallen across the path.

So much for a relaxing first day at the cabin.

That tree had to come down.

Much of Saturday was spent chopping it up and getting it out of the way.

There is always something to do when you own a property like this.

Even when you're supposed to be relaxing.

A Little Bird-Watching Break

In between all the chainsawing, I happened to spot an ovenbird sitting on a branch right behind me.

Of course, I had to stop and take a look.

These are the little moments I love about being up north.

You can be in the middle of cutting up a fallen tree one minute, and the next you're standing there watching a little bird sitting quietly in the woods.

Then it was back to work.

Because that tree wasn't going to move itself.

And Lilly Found a Stick

Of course, Lilly had to get involved too.

Or at least she thought she did.

She absolutely loves branches and sticks.

Give her a giant tree that has just been cut down and she's in doggy heaven.

At one point, the tree needed to be lifted so the chainsaw work could continue, so out came the tractor.

And right behind his dad came our son on the four-wheeler.

It was definitely a family effort.

Eventually, the tree was cut up and the wood was stacked.

Another unexpected job checked off the list.

Then the Cold Weather Arrived

After all that work, the weather turned cold.

So we headed inside, fired up the pellet stove, and settled in.

There is something really comforting about sitting inside a little cabin while the weather outside is cold.

We could feel the warmth from the pellet stove radiating through the room.

And because we were there to relax too, we decided to make some coffee.

We had recently gotten an electric percolator, so we put it to use.

A warm cup of coffee, the pellet stove going, and nowhere we needed to be for a little while.

Those are the moments that make all the work worth it.

The Wildlife Made an Appearance

The weekend wasn't all chainsaws and repairs.

There was plenty of wildlife to enjoy too.

I spotted a beautiful hummingbird just hanging out despite the wind.

And during one of my walks around the property, I had a red-tailed hawk checking me out.

That's one of the things I love most about our property.

You never know what you're going to see.

Sunday Brought Rain

Then came Sunday.

Our last day.

And, of course, that's when we woke up to rain.

We checked the weather app, and it said the rain should stop around 7:00.

So we decided to have breakfast, pack up whatever we could inside, and wait it out.

Instead of rushing around, we just sat on the deck and enjoyed the rain.

Sometimes you don't need perfect weather to enjoy being somewhere.

There's something peaceful about sitting under cover, listening to the rain, and looking out over the property.

One Last Look Before We Left

Once the rain stopped, I wanted to take one last panoramic view of the property before we headed home.

It was our first trip of the season, even though it hadn't gone exactly the way we'd planned.

And, of course, Lilly may have made an appearance.

She seems to find her way into just about everything we do up there.

Eventually, it was time to start getting everything ready to close back up.

We cleaned out the pellet stove.

Packed up the truck.

Locked the door.

Turned off the power.

Turned off the well.

And hit the road.

It Wasn't a Perfect Weekend—and That's Okay

When we headed north for Memorial Day weekend, we probably weren't expecting:

A burst pipe.

A tree blocking the path.

Cold weather.

Chainsawing.

Rain.

And a whole lot more work than we had planned.

But even with all of that, we still enjoyed our time there.

Because that's what we've learned about having this property.

It isn't always about everything going according to plan.

Sometimes it's about fixing the unexpected problems, working together, drinking coffee by the pellet stove, watching the wildlife, sitting on the deck in the rain, and simply enjoying the place we've created.

It wasn't a perfect Memorial Day weekend.

But it was our Memorial Day weekend up north.

And honestly?

I wouldn't trade it.

Thanks for coming along with us.