Walden week-end

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms"
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Jordan and I had our own little Walden escape this past week-end. While my parents took Oliver and Benjamin, we stayed at a little cabin overlooking a river in the middle of the woods. There was no electricity and no running water.

The cabin, wood shed, playhouse and outhouse was built by a bunch of brothers and brother in laws who wanted to realize their father's vision of a humble retreat in this amazing spot.

They also set up a zip line



I loved how intimate living like that was. We were totally and completely in tune with the earth and it's realities. When it rained and thundered during the night, we heard it all clearly, felt the coolness of it, smelled the freshness of it. When the beavers were busy below at the river we could hear their efforts. When our own bellies needed food we took a gift of wood from the trees and made a fire to cook our food. One morning I felt especially chilly and started a fire in the little stove inside the cabin. I sat at the table beside the fire and felt like I was sitting with a best friend as it warmed and comforted me while I quietly sat, thought, read and wrote. For a few days we "reduced life to it's lowest terms" and consequently uncovered unity and beauty.