Neighbor's Cabin

The windows of the little house look down the crooked lane,
Windows that are watching like a child's wide eyes;
Hopeful in the sunshine and wistful in the rain
And anxious in the winter when the blown snow flies.

from The Windows, by Theodosia Garrison

The first house on our driveway was mostly uninhabited when we moved in to our place at the end of the road. Sometimes the owner or a relative would show up for a few weeks in the summer. There was a dilapidated old cabin on the property that had a sketchy feel to it. There were times it seemed like someone might be squatting there. I would occasionally push open the door, which was often ajar, and step in to look over the trash and debris inside, trying to discern if things looked disturbed. It was not far off the road and I felt like I had to keep an eye on the place just to be sure.

Then the house was sold and a new neighbor moved in. She completely renovated it, tore down the old cabin, and built a cozy little place she uses for meditation and reiki. She put up some fencing and keeps a decent size garden, with all sorts of flower pots around the small yard. This year she shared some peaches with us from a tree she planted on the property. It feels very different pulling in to the driveway than it did when we first moved in.