Cabin Life Lessons for the Seasons

It’s no secret that living the cabin life is largely driven by the seasons. Embracing the perks and rewards of each time of year is one of the best parts of this lifestyle. As we round the corner on our fifth fall at Pine Daisy House we have found sure footing in the lessons each season has taught us.

Winter

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: It is the time for home.

Edith Sitwell

Time slows down significantly in the winter. Cabin fever is a very real challenge at times! We use the down time to our advantage. While snowed in and stuck inside we’ll embrace what the slow weeks of the season have to offer.

We use the winter months as the opportunity to re-organize and refresh our interior spaces and make the most of our limited storage space. It’s time to enjoy reading, crafting, baking, and planning our spring and summer projects during the slow months of January and February. Simply being still during the winter and embracing the coziness of our cabin is one of our favorite ways to celebrate the season

Tips to Make the Most of Winter

• Organize storage areas. Cabins can be tight on storage so make the most of the space you have! Invigorate your closets and pantries with new and ingenious ways of storing your items.
• Paint, redecorate, and conduct the bulk of your interior projects when it’s too cold to be outside.
• Embrace the opportunity to read, research, and rest before the busyness of the upcoming project months.
• Dream and plan your garden.
• Do a puzzle, make countless pots of soup, and snuggle by the fire.

Spring

Spring, a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can be.

Author Unknown

It’s tempting to start the never ending outdoor project list in the spring. But with snow through the end of May in our part of Colorado we have found it’s best to spend the spring weeks prepping for summer projects.

We inventory our garden tools, inspect our deck and fence as soon as the last snow has melted. And did I mention we plan the garden?! The anticipation creates a fun and exciting season at the cabin.

Tips to Make the Most of Spring

• Inventory your tools.
• Finalize all your summer project plans!
• Start buying project supplies.
• If you are growing a garden from seed, March and April are the times to begin planting seeds indoors.
• Keep planning your garden and go through your checklists.
• It’s nearly time to play outside again, take stock of any camping or mountain bike gear you need to repair or replace.
  

Summer

Do what you can, with all you have, wherever you are.

Theodore Roosevelt

At the cabin, life is busy in the summer! It’s finally time for outdoor projects to start! It’s also the time of year to make the most of the beautiful mountains and trails nearby.

Of all the seasons, it’s obvious why it’s our busiest. Every single summer we find ourselves maintenance-ing a significant part of our property. We have simply come to embrace the work; the painting, the repairs, the gardening and the time spent outside enjoying our little slice of forest. Part of living in a cabin and close to nature is understanding that annual maintenance is part of the experience (slightly more than the typical home-owner).

Tips to make the most of Summer

• Schedule your project and work days in the summer weeks to include a deadline for when you want them finished! Trust me having a deadline will help you be more productive.
• Maintenance fences, trees, and the outdoor living areas of your cabin while the weather supports it!
• Be firewise! Clear downed limbs, rake pine duff, and protect your cabin from the risk of wildfire.
• Hang the hammock and take a nap!
• Watch the hummingbirds, smell the sunny pine trees, and see the wildflowers sway in the breeze.
• Don’t forget to play in the mountains and on the trails!

Fall

The key is to not prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

Stephen Covey

Fall is by far my favorite season of the year. To me the season is like one long hug for the soul. I adore the cooler days, the still warm sun, the long shadows, the colors, the smells, the decor, the food…all of it. But, lest I forget, the chores remind me that winter is a-coming! Don’t worry though, we play outside until the last possible moment.

When it comes to winter cabin prep, the phrase, “luck favors the prepared” has never been more true. Winterizing the garden, chopping enough firewood for winter, and conducting yearly maintenance on our cabin’s heating systems are always must-dos!

It’s time to baton down the hatches and prepare for the next three months of slow living. We’ve worked hard stewarding the needs of our cabin during last several months, it’s nearly time to rest!

Tips to Make the Most of Fall

• Harvest the last of your veggies, and dry any remaining herbs in the garden.
• Winterize the garden
• Obtain enough firewood to make it through the upcoming winter.
• Schedule and plan any maintenance appointments for your fireplace, wood stove, boiler and/or furnace.
• Finish all exterior maintenance by the first freeze.
• Oil and prep your snow blower/plow if you have one.
• Stock the pantry with enough food to get through a blizzard and it’s aftermath!
• Enjoy the fire pit and one last round of s’mores.
• If your cabin is a seasonal home be sure to follow your winterizing checklist meticulously!

The Cycle of the Seasons

Every corny thing that’s said about living with nature- being in harmony with the earth, feeling the cycle of the seasons-happens to be true.

Susan Orlean

The biggest, unexpected, gift of the cabin lifestyle has been learning how to embrace the cycle of the seasons. As a result, our family is more grounded and in tune with each other and nature. We now expect these predictable rhythms and welcome all the seasons like an old friend.

With hope for you and your intentional home,