The things I will miss the most...

As our time here nears it's end - I think often of what I will miss out here. The list is long...

- The people. We have been made to feel so welcome by all. We were welcomed into their homes for great visits, delicious meals, and even given places to stay when we were far away from the lake. They say that your friends become your family - if that is the case we have gained many!

- The woodstove going 24/7. For heat, to cook on, to heat bath water on... When we went out to my parents' last time Nola said she wanted to bath when she got there - could we call Grandma and get her to "put the water on" to heat.

- The nails on the back wall of the cabin. Here we hung wet mittens, slushy ski pants and boot liners. It just won't be fitting when we are back out in civilization to fill the wall behind the stove with nails, functional as they may be...

- The spring water. We have a source for the cleanest, purest, most delicious water we have ever tasted. It makes the best tea and coffee. It is completely free and it hasn't been stored in plastic bottles!

- The view. I can look out across the lake and see Tinnecha Hill, Mt. Germansen, and several other unnamed peaks. I have watched them go from bare to snow covered, and now on their way back to being bare again.

- The colors. You have never seen bluer skies or whiter peaks. Greener trees, blacker water or ice more grey. There is nothing more vivid than a white peak against an azure sky - a combination we have enjoyed most of our time here.

- The noises of the forest. Whether it is an owl calling or the wind in the trees I have loved it and will miss it. I got to hear a wolf bark twice, but did not get to hear a howl as I had so hoped. When we leave I do not look forward to vehicles driving by or all the other noises that come with civilization.

- Doing laundry on the side of the road. Even though this was a late winter entry - doing laundry on the side of the road was a chance to sit with a magazine and a hot tea and relax. To read while the kids played in a new place. I will enjoy a laundry room again though...

- Time spent together. This was a great time to enjoy the kids and each other. We thought the kids might grow slower out here - but that was not the case. They are still taller, and have outgrown most of the clothes and shoes we brought along. We quickly learned that time can not stand still so we just made sure to enjoy it a little more.

- Not having to take the wallet out everyday. Out here we did a big grocery trip only a few times throughout the year. They seemed expensive, but I am sure they did not add up as fast as they would have at home where the wallet is opened every day it seems for groceries, Starbucks, fast food, fuel. I know some of those things can be declined, but when you are in town and in a hurry - you will pay for conveniences. Out here there was always a pot of hot water on for tea, and fast food meant a can of soup or something that could be heated quickly.

- Homeschooling. Even though there were times when I met with resistance, overall it went very well and Cohen was a great little student. Kindergarten was pretty mild material with lots of fun things to keep him interested. I don't think we would continue with this out in civilization though as we think it is important that the kids have the many social experiences offered by a school. I also wonder how much Nola learned as she sat through every school session working diligently in her Playschool workbook.

- The relaxed pace. Even though our year in the bush turned out to be one of the busiest years of our lives, everything moved at a slower pace overall. There were few times we had to rush out of bed in the morning to leave the cabin at a certain time either for a trip or going for mail.

- The, ummm... "facilities." Believe it or not I will even miss the outhouse. After I got used to the fact that I had to brace myself uphill while in there because it leaned quite far back, it was quite comfortable. We pried it up when we first got here and placed a beam under the back of it to improve "the lean" but it will eventually fall backwards after we leave. Living in cramped quarters - sometimes that was the only place you weren't followed. Last fall I fixed the floor by putting in some old leftover tongue and groove flooring, installed a trash can, hung a picture on the wall, and added a big square of pink styrofoam insulation to make a warm "seat" and voila! Mountain comfort!

I am sure I will add to this list more over the next few weeks, but these are the things that stand out in my mind today and over the last few weeks as the things I will miss the most.