Cabin Living North of Seven (5)

Everybody waves. I mean everybody.It might be a full hand from the elbow movement or as inconspicuous as the one finger off the steering wheel but it's definitely a wave. It's their way of sayin' 'Howdy!'

Examples:

The Single The Single is the easiest and hence most common example of The Wave.  It is performed by simply lifting the index finger from the steering wheel to salute an oncoming vehicle.




The Quad Getting interesting now…  The Quad takes The Single a couple of steps further to extend all four fingers of the hand in the most visible version of The Wave possible without removing a hand from the steering wheel.




The Universal Recognized the world over as a conventional manner in which to say hello, The Universal involves removing a hand from the steering wheel and simply waving.








I felt kinda funny doing it at first. I mean I don't really know these people, they just happen to live somewhere around here. Coming from the city, it felt kinda strange at first. I mean you don't wave to total strangers on the streets in the city. But here it's rude not too. I can just hear them at the hardware store saying '"That's the lady who doesn't wave...she must be from the city'. And God forbid I don't want to be THAT lady! So I merrily go into town and wave at every oncoming car!

And the DUMP! Now that's an experience. During the winter months it's only open three days a week. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Now most people work during the week so that pretty much leaves Sunday. So the day of rest in the week is pretty busy. Most of them get all dressed up for church at eleven in the morning, load up the garbage in their vehicle and off they go to church. Afterward they drop by the dump in their Sunday best! There is a large Quonset hut there where all the 'good' garbage goes and for a donation you can shop your heart out after church. In the summer months it's actually pretty good cause you get to shop the cottagers garbage too! It's all about encouraging people to reuse instead of tossing it away. It's very 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' experience. Basically you look through the stuff and if you see something you like, you offer a price.Yeah...I'm gettin into it.

Cabin living North of Seven (4)

Do the locals really appreciate what they have here? I sometimes have to wonder. Are they immune to the beauty and wonder that surrounds them because it's always been there for them? The young want to grow up fast and move to the big cities. The elders seem to take it all for granted. You see them in local greasy spoon restaurants having breakfast and I overhear comments about the 'hunt' or how the elk are ruining their crops. Which is fine....part of the ambiance, but do they ever just walk out in the forest, explore the woods, smell the roses?

I love to feel the country and listen to it breathe, to listen to the sound of the wind stroking the trees at night, rustling the oaks and bending the pines. There is such an abundance of wonder right here at my fingertips. It just never ends. I especially love the evening when the gray light from the misty day is bleeding through the window; the stars come out and the sky keeps its nightly tryst with the land it loves.