In an A-frame of Mind

It's no secret that Don is an avid angler. He owned a place on a big lake in northern Minnesota -- his beloved Winnie -- for many years, and he pines for it. We've spent a week each of the last six Augusts at a sportsman's resort in Alburgh, Vermont (almost to Canada), but that's just not the same.

Last summer, before we headed north, he searched the real estate listings, hoping to find a seasonal place we could afford. He found one, and we arranged to see it while we were vacationing. It turned out to be very small (tiny) and had some other issues that weren't favorable. We agreed it wouldn't work, and that was that.

Until this past summer, when vacation was coming up and the yearning returned. He spent early mornings online and "sharpening his pencil" to come up with a way to pay for a nicer place. The man can work the numbers like no one I know, and he devised a plan.

By the time we left for Vermont on the second Saturday in August, he had convinced me to look at two places on North Hero Island and scheduled showings for Tuesday. We drove by both properties when we arrived in the area, and I immediately nixed the first one. It was a vacant ranch just off the highway, with moldy siding -- not at all inviting.

The second one, however, was a different story. It was a cute little A-frame -- rather storybook-like -- on a private road at the quiet end of the island.

When we toured it on Tuesday, we were hooked. It was built in 1955, and had lots of recent improvements. There was one main room with a propane heating stove and the kitchen on the far end. The master bedroom was off to the side. Upstairs, there were two small bedrooms and a screened-in deck. It was about 100' from the water with a nice yard and beach. It came fully furnished, with a dock and boat lift.

We made an offer that day and reached a deal on Thursday. On Friday, we went over and met the sellers, Joanne and Jim. It's been in Joanne's family since 1966, and she's spent summers there since she was six! They are from Montreal and were gracious and welcoming. We were there for two hours while they shared the ins and outs of the place.

Joanne and Jim introduced us to Shirlene -- who is the neighborhood's "housemother" -- and her husband Doug. Ironically, when we had driven by the cabin that first Saturday, we had driven through a large celebration for "Shirlene's 70th."

We left Vermont hoping to return in the fall to our own cabin. The next six weeks turned out to be stressful, as we dealt with uncertainties about whether we could afford flood insurance (surprise -- it's in the flood zone!) and what the interest rate would be (the bank had to determine that it was a "year-round" property so they could sell the mortgage to Fannie Mae and give us the best deal).

It all came together, though, and we closed on Sept. 30. Don and I drove up that day and spent the night in our own lakeside retreat. Sarah was disappointed to be left home with Grammy; she wanted to see Joanne and Jim and Jayson and Eva (our real estate agents) again. She's such a people person!

The following Saturday, Sarah, Abby, and I went up for the long weekend, while Don flew to Minnesota for a week of visiting his parents and hunting with his friend Jim. It was beautiful weather on the islands (I love saying that), and the foliage was tip-top. Gorgeous sunsets in the evening and moonsets in the morning.

It was incredibly peaceful. Sarah read and worked on an art project while I puttered around making the place our own. Abby had a ball (literally) in the yard, and the stove kept us toasty in the autumn chill. We played cribbage and biked to the state park nearby (Sarah's first foray on actual roads). We met some more neighbors -- all nice, friendly people. And we celebrated Abby's second birthday!

I did not want to leave, especially since I didn't know when we'd be back. As luck would have it, Sarah's first-ever gymnastics meet, on Nov. 10, was cancelled soon after we returned home. Sad news, but it means we can all go up over Veterans' Day weekend. When life hands you lemons.... 😁

Don keeps saying, "It warms my heart that you're as excited about the cabin as I am." Good grief, how could I not be? Sure, it was his dream and not mine, but that's only because I never dared dream it. I am still pinching myself and, believe me, I dream about the place all the time now. I am constantly in an "A-frame of mind."