First Impressions

Camp du Caro is my summer camp, project, and sanctuary for three weeks.

The approach to her camp passes farmland (lots of corn) and woodland. Canadian highways 1 and 2 traverse the area. After leaving the highway, paved and then dirt roads bring you to her driveway. To walk her driveway would take about 10 minutes, from the public dirt road to her cabin. The driveway is a single, two track lane that winds through woods of birch, maple, spruce, fir, and cedar. Lots of them. She owns the roadway and a narrow strip on each side, so the closest paved roadway is quite a way away, resulting in no car, truck, or motorcycle noise at the cabin.

The driveway emerges from the woods into a wide, open clearing filled with wildflowers, covering about 2-3 acres. At one edge of the clearing about midway is a deer blind, which looks like an outhouse in a tree. At the far end, is the camp, consisting of five structures - the cabin, behind it, the workshop/sugar shack, beside the cabin is the well house, and well behind the cabin are the outhouse and a shed.

The cabin faces east and looks out over the clearing. At night, the view fills with lightning bugs and stars. The only other visible light is a red beacon atop a tall communication tower, maybe a kilometer or two away. One night we heard wolves howling in the distance. Later there were fireworks, probably not at the same place.

The cabin has three rooms: a great room - living room, dining room, and kitchen - and two bedrooms. Caroline has decorated with some inherited things I grew up with, which gives hominess and continuity for me.

The camp holds lots of potential and opportunities for many projects. But the main feature is the
quiet, relaxed, and peaceful atmosphere. Time and our activities are based on the sun. It definitely feels like retirement to me.