Many of my friends hunted with their dads when I was growing up in Minnesota. My dad was from Chicago and was out of his element in nature, so all I could do was listen to my friend's hunting stories, and dream.

I finally started hunting with friends in the Marine Corps while stationed in North Carolina. Once home from Vietnam, one of the first things that I wanted to do was to buy hunting land Up North, but that dream was delayed when I married and started a family.

I continued to hunt with one of my six brothers, but we both knew that as our children grew we needed a controlled hunting environment for teaching them. Then in the spring 1989 I saw an ad in the paper for 120 acres of railroad land for sale in Itasca County. Within a week, my brother and I had bought a heavily wooded, remote piece of property, surround by tax-forfeited land. It was perfect for our needs.

A month later on our way up to the property with some of our boys, we saw a 30-foot, 1949 Spartan camper for sale in Moose Lake. We had it delivered that day to our new property. We could not have been more excited. Within four years we had a cabin built from drawings on a cafe napkin. The place could sleep eight in two bedrooms.

While the grouse, woodcock and deer always have been plentiful, enjoying down time, time around the campfire, and family and friends makes the cabin special. Not having electricity or running water only adds to the experience. The complete solitude and elimination of artificial light and other distractions, while viewing the Milky Way and the universe, helps to give us a different perspective on our own lives.

Now, 32 years later, as the next generation begins having their own unique experiences with their children and the old-timers fade away, we only can thank God for the opportunity to introduce our families to nature and all that it has to offer.

Scott Sayer, Medina