We bought our cabin in 1976 on Davis Lake in McGregor, Minn., and nothing has changed much in 45 years.
We have added a screen porch and a new deck, and converted the garage into a three-bedroom bunkhouse. Still, the basic feeling is the same: It is a place to kick back and relax. Nothing fancy, just homey.
Our oldest two children were 7 and 8 when we acquired the cabin. Our youngest wasn't born. (They now all have children of their own.)
It is a place to enjoy nature and see ducks, swans, loons, hummingbirds, pileated woodpeckers, owls, and eagles. Also deer, beaver, turtles and an occasional bear. Many friends and r elatives have experienced its beauty with us. We have always welcomed our kids' friends and now our grandchildren's friends. It is a good place to really get to know them over a s'more and a roaring campfire, sometimes accompanied by a guitar and singalong, We swim, boat, tube, paddleboard, kayak, hike and snipe-hunt, and a variety of teenage night games are played.
The lake is small. There are only a few other cabins. One of my greatest pleasures is to swim when the sun sparkles on the water and no boats or other people are in sight. It is my own private slice of heaven.
A boy, 6, was visiting us, laying on the hammock and gazing at the sky through the 100-foot trees. I overheard him say, "This must be paradise." I think he is right.
Nadine Jordan, Crystal, Minn.
