Cabin in the Woods

Small houses and cabins are popular these days. People are coming to the conclusion that  huge living spaces are not only expensive to buy but to maintain, cool in the summer and heat in the winter; not to mention the taxes.
    My daughter and her husband are building an approximately 400 sq. ft. cabin on our land and they will live there part of the year and sail the Caribbean the rest of the time. Construction began a few weeks ago.

Clearing a space at the edge of the woods.

This ditch will connect the well to the cabin.

Short Summer

It's fall. The leaves are falling and the shadows are growing longer. I look back on the Summer and it seems that it was a short one. I've been neglecting this blog partly because of time spent analyzing the events of the summer of 2015. 
     Because of a spring that was cooler and wetter than normal our garden was a dud. The tomatoes cracked and rotted; the ones that survived lacked that good, tart flavor I  look forward to every summer. The okra was stunted. We did harvest some good green beans and potatoes. We'll try again next year.
    In early June I went to the doctor for my yearly wellness exam and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I immediately went on a carb counting diet, bought a blood sugar tester and started using it religiously. I'm trying to get more exercise. I was able to bring my body mass index down from 35 to 32.5, I keep my blood glucose level within normal range, I've lost 23 pounds and my blood pressure is normal. The doctor is pleased with my progress. I feel better however I do miss those donuts, mashed potatoes, and biscuits.
     At the end of June I had another surgery for a basal cell carcinoma on my nose. This is the second surgery in 4 years. This one was on the opposite side as the other one. The surgery required the removal of more tissue than the last time. I don't know how I let that slip up on me. So, now I have to see my dermatologist 3 times a year instead of just once.
     My 46 year old nephew died. His death is under police investigation. That's all I can say about that right now.
    And last but not least I turned 70 this summer. I don't see that as a negative life event, in fact I'm grateful for the years I've spent on this planet and the people that I've spent them with. But it has me turned toward contemplating the time of my departure. So I've been doing a lot of spiritual/metaphysical/philosophical ruminating to prepare myself for that final and irrevocable loss of consciousness. Please don't think I'm being morbid. I know, like every human being before me, that I only  have so many days allotted to me and that I may have 20+ years to enjoy. I just want to make sure they are fruitful ones.