Sweetwater Days – Christmas at Sweetwater

Annie and I made it to Sweetwater earlier this time, and got down to business getting in spring water to drink, and more water for flushing the toilet.  Before starting a fire in the fire-pit we picked out a little cedar tree to cut the following day.  As darkness fell, we sat by the fire for a while, then turned in so we could get up early the next morning and get busy.

Not only was the next day Christmas, but we were getting visitors!

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Up at dawn, Annie and I ate and poured down some coffee, then we went to the north side of the cabin and I cut the little cedar tree we (OK, Annie) had picked out.

Annie had it all planned out.  She nabbed the three gallon plastic bucket we had brought to our camp, and we went to the creek bed, where we selected plenty of rocks big enough to hold the little tree upright.

Back at the cabin, Annie decorated the cedar and surrounded it with the presents we had bought for two of our delightful grandkids.

After we finished those chores, we sat on the porch with our coffee cups and relaxed a minute before getting busy again.  After a short time I took the pickup out to the main road and sat in it waiting for our eldest son, Scotty, and his family to arrive.  We have learned from experience that, despite our sons telling us about the infallibility of their GPS equipped cell phones, they almost invariably visit one of our neighbors first on their initial visit to Sweetwater.

Scotty had learned from his brothers’ attempts, and chose to let me guide him in to the driveway to the property.

I only sat in my truck for a few minutes before I saw Scotty and Erin’s SUV approaching.  I waved my arm out the window to make sure they saw me. 

They did.

They waved back…and drove on by.

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A text came in almost immediately, telling me that three-year-old Payden was asleep and they didn’t want to disturb him.  He should wake up momentarily and they would be right back.

They were, indeed, right back and followed me down the rough driveway to the cabin.  Once there, I trundled to the nearest grandchild’s door and opened it, where Payden was waiting. 

“Hi Pa!” 

I don’t even remember untangling my little man from the restraining straps of his car seat, but I sure remember that hug from the face-masked teddy bear named Payden.

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As most of you know, Payden is in the last year (by the grace of God) of his battle with leukemia.  Pay-Pay has his good days and his bad days, but he remains indomitable.  His parents, Scotty and Erin, and big sister Pfiefer, have set the example of indomitability.  Despite the fact that Payden’s treatments often leave him with virtually no immune system, Scott and Erin are sticklers about taking no chances.  Also, luckily, the Christmas holiday fell during a time when Payden’s immune system was back up, so the little man got to enjoy their trip to the woods.

After giving his grandpa a hearty hug, he wriggled out of my arms and I lowered him to the ground.  Once on terra firma my mini-me hung on to my hand as he showed me around the property, which he had never before visited.

He pointed out, “house” as he aimed his hand at the cabin.  The falling-down shed was named, and I led him uphill past the structure so that he could see the cliff. 

“See the caves, Buddy?”

He didn’t. 

I broke the little man’s grip long enough to pick up and hug Pfiefer, his big sister.  That little darlin’ beamed as she embraced me, then wriggled loose to rejoin Grannie Annie.

Despite the fact that Erin and the kids had chosen to stay in pajamas for the day, we made our way up to the nearest cave and Scotty and the little ones ducked into the shallow cave.

After that, we went down to the creek, where I pointed out some of the tiny crayfish rocketing around among the rocks and leaves.  I don’t think Pfiefer ever saw any, but she tried.  We followed the creek south.  Annie, Scotty, and Pfieffer made their way along the bottom of the creek bed once the water disappeared underground.  I alternated between walking with Erin and Payden and joining Pfiefer in the rocky, dry, waterway.

In the creek bed, I pointed out to my super-smart, inquisitive granddaughter where one rock had been formed into ripples. 

“How’d that happen, Pa?”

“I believe this rock was formed on the bottom of the inland sea.  More sediment settled on top of it and pressed it down.  Over millions of years, it solidified into rock, but you can still see where the waves formed the ripples.”  I went on to show her fossils of crinoids and even a little trilobite.  Then my eyes were drawn to one oddly shaped rock.

Over the eons, the stone had been formed in layers that poked out like nodules, then worn down by erosion to look like nothing more than an elephant’s foot, toes and all.

Pfiefer loved the “elephant toes” and requested that we keep it for her to see every time she visits Sweetwater.

Of course I did.

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With a little help from Scotty, his two children climbed on some of the logs that had fallen across the creek.  Better than any expensive playground equipment, the logs were the source of lots of fun for little people and their big people that day.

After reaching the south end of the trail, which stopped at the edge of our property, we turned to start back up toward the cabin.

The little ones moved ahead and I noticed something.  “Erin, look at this!” 

My daughter-in-law stepped over to see what I indicated.  A cedar tree, almost a foot in diameter had been clawed from about six feet up, all the way down to the ground. 

“What did that, a bear?”

“Yep, this looks like a bear used it as a marking post.  He stood up and reached as high as he could, then clawed it.  The thing I find curious is that the bottom foot or so is clawed so much more.  That looks like it would be difficult for a bear to do.  Maybe a bobcat or something did that part; I don’t know for sure.”

We discussed the mystery as we followed the others up the trail.  Pfiefer lagged a bit to let her mom and grandpa catch up, then announced, “I’m going to explore the cabin!”  She sprinted the last hundred yards or so to the cabin and disappeared inside.

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Erin and I climbed the steps to the cabin door and went in to find everyone else waiting for us.

Annie asked, “Who wants to open Christmas presents?”

I’m pretty sure it was unanimous.

The youngsters seemed to truly enjoy the presents we had gotten for them and professed a desire to visit us at Sweetwater again soon.

Annie and I assured them that they were welcome to visit us anytime.

Scotty and Erin and their family stayed for a little bit longer, then headed home.

We missed them immediately.

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My wife and I worked on a few more things, then turned in for the night.  We headed home the next day but couldn’t wait for our next visit to the cabin.

We had enjoyed a truly magical day on our first Christmas at Sweetwater.

I hope there will be many more.

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