For years, I enjoyed reading Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time”, of the mythical creatures that befriend Rand A’Thor, or of the elves, ogres, and other mystical creatures in “Lord of the Rings” by  J.R.R. Tolkien. Frodo, Sam, Gimli, Legolas and other elfin friends lived in forests and often in the trunks of trees; and  who could forget the Avatars and the planet Pandora. The trees were their safe place and home.

When I started living in the Wildflower Cabin, it was my retreat and developed into finding out how to make the tiny cabin better and my safe place and home. To that end, there have been thoughts for improvements, suggestions noted, and different designs contemplated. Since I built the Wildflower, there was already a lot of me built into the small cabin, so one could say I had a special attachment to it. I already loved it.

What I did not expect to happen did happen. The memories of long lost youth came marching through the nights; the sleeping under the eves of the roof listening to the rain falling on the roof; the peering out the window at night and watching the bats dart about, the rabbits hopping from bush to bush; the full moonlight nights; and the twinkling of the stars.  In the 3^rd week, it started to feel like I was sleeping in a magical place - almost like in the hollow of a tree.

Climbing into the loft each night became comforting and cozy. The Wildflower and the loft had become my nest and “Safe Place’ to rest, sleep, and relax in. My pillow was at the awning window and I could look out into the night and view creatures of the night moving about; deer ambling through the yard; the skunk that found the ground bees nest and savory honey; to the owl and mouse drama that resulted in a flurry of wings; the thunder and lightning shows as the rain danced on the metal roof; and the dancing of the shadows of the moonlight dancing across the grass. These all created the magical moments for me in my Tiny Green Cabin – Wildflower Cabin.

Cabin life and small cabins are the love of Minnesota and I suspect the world. For at the cabin, we find for a moment, the joy of life. For in a cabin retreat, pleasure becomes the norm away from the routine of duty for just a little while.