Letter FROM THE CABIN 06-27-2018

I sat on the back deck the other morning, the sun low in the eastern sky. I struggled to come awake in the early dawn, my hands cupped tightly around my favorite cup, sipping down a hearty Ethiopian roast. The aroma rose in the air like an errant kite and my nostrils flared trying to suck in the scent like some old bird dog on a grouse.

Above me dragonflies flicked back and forth like sophisticated army helicopters, darting here and there in the treetops sniping their prey. The ability of these dragonflies to maneuver is, to say the least, incredible. Sometimes it even seems they can fly backwards, but I know that is impossible. Loss of wetland habitat has severely affected the number of these beautiful insects, and if you pray, you might want to offer one up for their survival.

It’s very warm today and my wife swam across the lake and back. The water in our shallow lake is refreshing but stained a deep brown from tannin which puts off most city folk. Amy is a good swimmer and seems to swim the distance with ease. I don’t attempt this swim with her as my swimming stroke is more like a flounder than anything more adept. Generally I just wade in and dunk myself a few times, and call it good. Blue, the English Setter, wades in to his chest and looks out at the humans that are in over his head and, --my guess, thinks we are crazy to venture so far from shore. As you might know most upland bird dogs have no affinity for water.

Well, enough for today. My coffee cup needs to be refilled so it’s time to say farewell.

Till next time.

Hilton