We have so many great memories that it is hard to narrow this down, but here are a few:

I remember waking up several mornings with a dozen or so deer in our front yard. It was especially enjoyable to see the fawn with their spots and the small whine that they make when communicating with their mother, who was always nearby.  We could spend a good part of the morning eating our breakfast and watching the deer enjoying our front yard.

Each year we would celebrate at least one of out kids' birthdays at the cabin and we had our extended

family as guests. It was great to fill the cabin with our relatives; some would play cards in the dining room overlooking the mountains and river, others would just unwind on the screened in porch while most of the men would grab a fishing pole and head for the river.

Jane would especially enjoy sitting in a chair on the moss rock patio under a massive Blue Spruce pine tree to read a book. She especially enjoyed listening to the songs of the birds as well as listening to and watching the squirrels and chipmunks as they hurriedly went about their way. The dark purple, light purple and white lilac's would permeate the patio and surrounding area with their fragrance.

Evening time we would build a bon fire in a fire pit and roast marshmallows; neighbors would come and join us and before long we would be listening to John Denver music. It was fun to watch the fire and look up at the dark sky and see all the stars. By being in the mountains we don't have all the city lights so the stars appear much brighter, closer and more numerous. We would pick out the constellations and formations that we could recognize, such as the Big Dipper.

The Fourth of July would typically consist of neighbors, family and friends joining us for an outdoor bar-be-que. Somehow everything just tastes better when it is cooked outdoors in the mountains. The smell of fresh caught trout, brat's and steaks would signal to our neighbors that the welcome mat is out; soon we would have quite a gathering of friends.

Wintertime also brings back fond memories. In the early evening Richard would build a fire in the massive moss rock fireplace in the living room and then go for a stroll down the road to visit with neighbors. He always enjoyed walking up our driveway and seeing the reflection of the glow from the fire making the cabin look just like a Courier and Ives painting.

We would also tie a sled on the back of our car and take our daughters for a sled ride up and down the road. I remember the ear to ear smile that each girl had as they asked us to go "one more time". Often times we would end our outdoor fun with a friendly snowball fight in the front yard.

I remember our first Christmas at the cabin in 1994. Our daughter, Amy, was eight years old and she really wanted a violin for Christmas. We had decorated the entire cabin with Christmas decor and had a beautiful tree trimmed for the holiday. We had hidden Amy's present at the very back of the tree so she would not know it was there. Very early Christmas morning both of our girls were up and looking through their presents under the tree. Jane and I were still in bed when suddenly we "heard" the sound of a violin being played by a very young musician. When we came downstairs to the living room, both girls had smiles from ear to ear as they were enjoying a few of the gifts they had received. The four of us had a great family Christmas at the cabin, the aroma of the meal and the peacefulness of the mountains made that Christmas one of our most memorable.