I've named my little cabin in the big woods. I'm calling it the Cabin at the End of the Road. (I even hinted at this name, by the way, long ago in this post.) I had considered calling it my Fortress of Solitude. After all, even Superman needs a place to get away -- imagine how much more a mere mortal needs one -- but there hasn't been a whole lot of solitude about it so far. Good Neighbor Brian had been giving me frequent reports about its progress and status ("cuter than a new-born speckled pup!") and has emailed me plenty of pix in case I couldn't get down to the woods as frequently as he does (and I can't). He even hiked to the other side of the lake to take some photos. The builder has been out to take pix of his own, and I told him that he was welcome to bring by prospects to show them the fine work he does. I know from the game cameras that certain of my neighbors make regular visits to my woods, and I'm sure they've discovered it by now. In fact, I expect half the county knows about it. The front door has a lock, but so far I haven't used it. My thinking is that if some interloper wants to go inside and finds the door locked, he just might break a window to get in, and then I'll have  broken window. (The brothers, Good Neighbor Tom and Good Neighbor Fred, have a much, much nicer cabin -- with indoor plumbing, satellite television, a washer and dryer, and a beer-filled refrigerator -- and they leave it unlocked all the time for that same reason.) I carry the key to my cabin with me, and I've hidden one in the woods nearby, so if some interloper thinks he's doing me a favor by locking up after he leaves, I'll be able to get in. The cabin really is at the end of the road. My road doesn't lead anywhere else but into my private property. No one uninvited has any business starting down my road. You, of course, are always welcome. Missouri calendar:

• River otters begin breeding now through early April.
• Great horned owls courting; listen for "Hoo, hoo-oo, hoo-oo."

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 1:01 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.