The leaves have long since fallen.  The snow shoe hare is white.  November gales shove piles of waves that batter the shore of Superior.  The garden has been harvested.  Firewood is split and stacked.  The deer hunting season opens this weekend.  Snowflakes and frost crust the ground cover most mornings.  Darkness prevails.

The summer came and went with the sinking sun of this late autumn afternoon.  We learned what it meant to raise a toddler, improve a homestead, maintain careers and explore the deep wilderness around us.  Our adventures were short.  Our camps offered luxuries we weren't accustomed to having- extra blankets, pillows, fresh fruit, bathing suits, beach toys, boxes of wine.  Our building projects paled in comparison to earlier endeavors.  

In short, we entered a new phase of life.  We learned a lot, enjoyed more.  Now that the bird migrations make their way through the north woods, moose rush to feed in the ponds before they completely glace over with ice, few travelers venture on the water and trails we've come up for our first "breath of fresh air". 

Our focus has shifted up towards the top of the property.  The lower cabin that we inhabit is complete.  Now we set our sites to the larger project- our dream house.  This winter will entail a lot of planning and decisions.  (Hopefully lots of skiing and ice fishing too!)