Open up the Earth

As part of Jason’s birthday present we took off this past weekend to a little cabin in the middle of nowhere. I really owed him this weekend after I fell dead asleep on the couch on his birthday night, requiring him to light his own birthday candles on the cake and sing himself “Happy Birthday”. It was quite a pathetic display of celebration on my part. To repay my penance, I took him to Warm Earth Cottages for the weekend. It is touted as a romantic retreat where couples can go to relax and reconnect with only candlelight to guide their way (as there is no power) and a fire-heated outside bath to soak in. It was a place Jason had wanted to visit for a long time, but without power and only a shared outhouse for facilities, I had been reluctant to attend. Somehow such rustic accommodation did not appeal to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised and wished we had gone much sooner. Starting with a host’s welcome of home-brewed liquors, we knew we were in for a special time. It only escalated when we got the choice of two cottages, each adorned with high quality bedding, a pot-belly stove, and antique furnishings. Just a few feet from our door was a full barbeque and a high-backed soaking tub, lit each night by the owners. And the infamous “outhouse” turned out to have a beautifully handmade vanity and pull chain flushing toilet. Even the adjacent shower with saloon style doors was quite refreshing. Each morning the hosts treated us with a full brunch of fruits, breads, cheeses and meats, adding farm fresh eggs for Sunday, and the obligatory morning cocktail, of course. There was nothing rustic about this place. Aside from a short trip into the local town on Saturday for a look around some antique shops and to gather provisions for a barbeque dinner, we spent all weekend relaxing with good books, good wine, and fabulous food, soaking up the sun as much as we could between bursts of cold wind and warming up by the fire. I think my penance has been paid.