Tranquility Rules at Tangent Lodge

This is Tranquility base, we have landed. Too bad the Apollo program already used that line, this weekend has been a good example of how leaving the city behind is all it takes to put ones mind at peace with their surroundings.

Tangent Lodge is starting to fulfill it's destiny. Not much work was accomplished, it was a laid back weekend. Knowing our own physical shortcomings, we were forced to forgo heavy labor due to a wedding shower some 150 miles south of here that required our attendance on Sunday.
Having experienced excessive exhaustion, as the result of over working ourselves in past weekends, we realized if we over did it we would be miserable for the trip to Minneapolis. Instead we chose to take a small Saturday morning ATV ride to Danbury and conserve our energy.

That's where our plans went off track. As the crow flies, and the highway drives, it's only 10 miles to Danbury. A reasonable distance to travel, even on an off road vehicle that is most comfortable at about 20 MPH. Funny thing though, state maintained trails through the wilderness seldom go in straight lines.

All told, the distance doubled and then some. Our morning quickly vanished and by the time we returned it was a quick meal of beans and wienies to nourish our much jostled and very worn out souls.

By late afternoon enough energy had returned to de-nail the room that will become the walk-in closet. Though not a big accomplishment, at least it's another room that can be sheet rocked on our next visit.

More importantly we spent time sitting around the bonfire, watching the dancing flames dissolve some old planks that had served their purpose long ago and had been lying behind the shed, waiting for just such an occasion.

I've always been an early riser, more so when there is somewhere I need to be first thing in the morning. For us to make it to the church on time, well actually to the house where the wedding shower is to be held, we need to be on the road by 7AM. So what the heck am I doing wide awake, showered, and ready to go at 0'dark thirty in the wee hours of the morning.

Daylight is still a couple hours away, but my internal time clock refuses to let me get a full nights sleep. Barring mechanical failure, or the unexpected end of time, we will arrive at our destination well before the appointed hour, as so stated on the invitation. Good thing it's family, they know me.

Next weekend we'll give her hell, or so goes the plan. It's the desire to enjoy the finished project that has to be our driving force. Keep putting it off, or making excuses, and we'll be looking at bare concrete floors and naked sheet rock for a long time.

As much as we dread the return of another northern Minnesota winter, or in this case Wisconsin winter, the threat of cold weather is a great motivator, what with the wood stove not being hooked up. The lack of another source of heat pushes us as well, though not so much this year because we plan on closing up the lodge for the long months of heavy snow.

The normal definition of cabin fever is the psychosis suffered when one is trapped in their cabin for an extended period of time due to winter weather. I think it will be the reverse for us this year. Being unable to enjoy our secluded wilderness retreat for months at a stretch will drive us crazy with anticipation.

Though we're not looking forward to a long snowy winter, being aware of it's pending arrival pushes us forward. Here's hoping we can get the larger, more time consuming, parts of this remodel done in time.