The Spring Approaches a Summer Cottage in Winter

Four mesmerizing and indulgent days in a gorgeous summer home overlooking the placid shimmering Chesapeake.

We indulged and renewed.

Enough foresight to bring the crepe pan.

Days making crepes. Eating crepes. Watching movies. Enjoying the Jacuzzi. Sleeping late. Lazing. Hot coffee, cold beer, red wine.

1984, Italian Job, Chicken Run, Friends, Seinfeld.

During the height of the days, a student and her little dog too, working on their comps.

DirecTV has music stations. Adult Alternative for breakfast, Classical for work. Was it light classical or classical light? Chamber music. Solos. Piano. Cello.

Warmed by a fire controlled by remote.

Breakfasts of bacon, eggs, omelettes, crepes.

Never enough milk. Never enough eggs.

(Is there ever enough milk or eggs?)

Coffee mellowed with ice cream.

Today, a breakfast of toasted slices of Hawaiian sweet bread sprinkled with shredded cheese, freshly ground pepper, salt, then placed under the broiler until melted. Onto each a slice of bacon.

Like anchovy, bacon is such a strong taste that “a little goes a long way.”

Now, working on a report, working on comps, the weather is becoming more mild.

Yesterday morning, the loons played along the dappled water. Last night, the loons filled in the evening with their haunting calls. Today, the sky is bright and mild so as to sit outside with a coat and a blanket.

This morning, the waterfowl continue to head south. There are buds blooming. The grass sprouts.

This morning as we three sat on heavy deck chairs in this spare house, two F-14 Tomcats jet fighters crossed in tandem, their growl trailing them like paparazzi. Sound is such a slow ass.

No Internet access here except for the WiFi that we are poaching from the house across the way. In the wilderness — off season even — we have not just WiFi, but 802.11g to boot. And most of the time I didn’t even turn on InkPad.

And now, five hours until the carriage turns back into a pumpkin and we must pack up the Rover and return to Chapel Hill where I will catch some sleep before driving back to Washington to be at my awesome job by oh-nine-hundred sharp on Wednesday.

To be honest, it really doesn’t get much better than this.