Be Mine?

I had a surprise in the mail today. A Valentines card from Himself! He had mailed it on the 8th, the day they docked in Akutan for a few hours. A week is good time from Akutan to Clarksville! (The mail goes out when the seaplanes can make it in. And it's been stormy lately.)

I love fishing floats! Himself has brought back one for me and always is on the lookout for more. So this card is just perfect! In fact, I'll be framing it to go in our bedroom. I think the artist has done a wonderful job catching the soft light on the floats.

"Beachcomber's Dream" by Bruce W. Nelson ( www.takugraphics.com )

In our almost 29 years together, we shared very few Valentines Day together. When Himself was in the army it seemed Feb was always the month they were out in the desert. Now Feb is the middle of cod season and he's up in the Bering Sea. But in 2004 he was home - just back from working a year in Bosnia.

That Valentines Day I found myself kidnapped! That morning he ran a couple errands and then after lunch he came into the living room carrying our small suitcase. All he would tell me was that we were going somewhere.

We drove into Clarksville, turning into the Hachland Hills B&B. Hmmmm. This was owned by Phila Hach, a local chef celebrity. (I'd been here a couple times for a cooking contest I'd finaled in).

We drove past the 'main house' and down to a little cabin.

The "Honeymoon Cabin"...



Now I knew what his morning errands were! Inside the cabin were flowers, chocolates and a bottle of "bubbly" (sparkling grape juice).




He'd even brought along my beloved cat "Hanna". (No wonder she hadn't been causing in trouble that morning... she wasn't at home!!)

There was a fire blazing in the fireplace. That is where Hanna had stationed herself. She was no dumb kitty!

He had even brought marshmallows and roasting sticks.

And made tea for us from water boiled over the fire. That gives it a really interesting smoky flavor... good with black tea, better with Earl Grey.

Dinner that night and breakfast the next morning was up the hill at the Hachland Inn. It was prepared by "Ms. Phila" herself. It was so good!

Phila Hach