I love the woods.

I've waited my whole life to return to the woods. My father introduced me to the woods at a very young age (thanks, Dad). He loved the solitude and so do I. So this is where my current about me begins.

Deep in the woods of north/central Michigan my husband and I are developing a beautiful piece of property for our retirement years we call "The Rollin' Rock". This is our journey into minimalism. Our 12X24 cabin, Skinner Lodge, is off grid and solar powered. We will downsize to only the necessities....my dog, cat and Mother Earth News. I'm not sure what my husband will need, maybe a few tools (ha!!).

Our goal for the coming year is to expand our raised bed garden, erect the wind generator we've purchased off craigslist and to build a workshop to expand our productivity time during the long winter months.

We are currently at our cabin about 17 days out of the month working on this journey. This is hard work for middle aged people, but we love the sweat equity, the long days and all the trials and errors that come along with it. There is a huge learning curve here, but we're up for the challenge. The beauty, solitude and gratification you get from this kind of work is beyond imagination.

You've just got to love the life you live, because just when you think you have so many years ahead of you, all of a sudden you start thinking that you're hoping to get at least another 10 more. I've done a lot in my long life, but nothing quite like this. I've got to say, I'm lovin' this, and I'm not just hoping, I'm praying for at least another 20 good ones!

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