The other day I came across an interesting article that asked people about their dream house. I was surprised to find that a majority of people said they’d like to live in a log cabin. Really? Since we live in one, I had to chuckle. Maybe folks mean a log home that has towering beams, huge windows, multiple porches and decks, gourmet kitchens, hot tubs and the like. Not our humble Kentucky cabin!
Built by a writer as a writing retreat years ago, ours is more a vacation cabin than a home to be lived in year round. But it’s as rustic and cozy as can be. Deep in the heart of Kentucky’s knob region, those gentle mountains my Washington State husband calls hills, and up a gravel road that requires a 4 wheel drive vehicle to climb, it’s a little gem in the Appalachian woods.
Log cabins today are a far cry from those of our forefathers. Many of those early cabins didn’t even have a single window due to the dangers of living on the frontier. Even today, cabins tend to be dark dwellings – all that wood! Bees and ladybugs love to visit them in swarms. Cabin porches are home to raccoons and birds and other woodsy creatures. Cabins creak unmercifully in the wind. They’re often drafty in winter yet cool in summer. A woodstove or a fireplace is a cabin must. Ceiling fans are another keeper. Antiques look beautiful in cabins. So do Christmas trees.
Of all the seasons I’ve experienced in a log cabin, fall is my favorite. There’s something about autumn with its browns and golds and russets that fits so beautifully with log cabin living. Watching those colorful leaves swirl down in a chilly wind soothes my spirit. Fall also carries a sense of expectancy with Thanksgiving and Christmas around that hand hewn corner.
Our humble cabin isn’t perfect but I’m so thankful to call it home!