Wahohney "Little Flower"

June 3, 2014

I’m finally here. Wahohney (the name of my cabin) will be my home for the month of June. “Wahohney” is Ojibway for “little flower”. And it feels like a little gem on the edge of the woods, with a view of Lake Armstrong out my kitchen window. I have a longer walk to the road at home, than I do to the lake here. I felt a little like Henri David Thoreau as I unpacked my stuff into this one room cabin last night. One of the books I name as a favorite is “One Man’s Wilderness” about a man who built his own cabin on a lake in the remote wilderness of Alaska. He then lived in that cabin for a whole year by himself. At least until Saturday I will be the only one at this spot on the Lake. 

Wilderness Wind has two sites. The other site is about 3 miles away and houses the summer staff, outfitting supplies, and the groups preparing to enter the Boundary Waters. This site (Lakeside) is a place for people to come and get a taste of Northern Minnesota life without the rigors and challenges of wilderness, no trace, canoe camping. I am thrilled to be here.

Inside my little cabin, hardwood floors and open rafters, a simple kitchen and table, a padded chair and dresser, along with a double bed, welcomed me. The bath house offering pit toilets and warm showers is a short walk through the woods. I have running water in my cabin for washing dishes but I fill my two one gallon jugs with drinkable, and very tasty, water (filtered lake water) at the back of the bath house.

A bonus, for those of you who know me well, is the ability to hear the Loon calling from the inside of the cabin. I just read a journal entry of someone who stayed here who said they were able to hear wolves calling here as well. Awesome! But I do have to admit wolves both fascinate me, and freak me out. So I’m hoping to hear them, but maybe not see them, from my cabin. There was also a post that listed an Otter sighting. That would be cool.

To back up a bit and say the drive up here was incredible. I took two days to make the 13-14 hour trip and could’ve easily enjoyed a third day. It was all I could do to pass up photographing some incredible cloud formations, rushing rocky streams, and marsh areas. I even passed two cranes feeding in a marshy area and didn't stop because I wanted to get here before dark yesterday. I still didn’t make it until after the sun had set. Too much to see and savor on the way here through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I traveled along both Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. 

It sounds like there will be no lacking for things to do. In talking with the staff there are many projects on the schedule. And did I mention Mosquitoes? I’ve seen and experienced a few. Long sleeves and pants will be the order of the month. It certainly helps that it is 50 degrees at night and in the 70’s during the day.

As I look forward to the coming month my mind is full of hopes and ideas of what this time will hold. My biggest hope is that I can simply be present each minute and hour. I don’t want to paddle or drive or walk by an Otter, or Loon, or Wolf, or Black Bear, or Moose unaware. I want to be available to listen to the still small voice and, to the audible ones as well. I want to see the Northern lights even if it means enduring the Mosquitoes. And I want to take the time to catch my supper and go without if I fail. I want to read, both stuff I have read before and appreciated and, new stuff. I want to write, and take pictures, and dream.