Winter Reverie

Essence of lilacs
Soft breezes thru a field
Gravel roads
Cool rocky brooks
Perennial gardens
Granite steps
Peepers at sunset
Sap houses
Different shades of green
Country stores
Snowshoeing after a new snow

These are a few of my favorite things about living and selling Real Estate in New England.
    My husband and I reside in a small rural town in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.  This is where I am supposed to be. I have a true feeling of belonging.  We are awed by the animals and views that we take in every day.  Imagine:  during my commute to work, I am only slowed by one traffic light–and it does not matter which of the two offices I drive to!  
    Of course, I forget to look sometimes.  I have to remind myself to look out the window and take in the beauty that surrounds me.  You have to look at that stonewall as you follow it down the road.   It is amazing that so many roads are bordered with these creations of hard physical work.  Do you see them when you are here?  Don’t forget to glance out your window as you pass a field, stream, cabin or patch of wildflowers.
    Selling homes and land is what I do.  The special part is the characters that I meet along the way.  It is almost like directing a play.  I organize, build sets, act and celebrate the closing.  The storyline is always different, and I get a firsthand view of the history of the people and families that I work with.
    Recently, I sold a very old home that an elderly woman and her husband had owned for the past 38 years.  She told wonderful stories of parties, weddings and family reunions.  As I entered the Carriage House, I could almost smell the lobster bakes and envision the neighbors gathering for a summer feast at the long harvest table set in the middle of the large room.  The numerous wooden doors slide open to reveal screened walls so that your senses may take in the blooming perennial beds.  I can only imagine watching the snow lightly fall in winter while the woodstove crackles and wraps the house in warmth.
    It really brought me back to what seemed like a quieter, simpler and more relaxed time in history that I think we all dream of occasionally.  I believe it’s the wellspring of our vision of escape to a small “cabin in the woods.”  The dream of having a place where the dishes don’t have to be done right now, sandy floors are okay and the dog and kids can walk through with wet feet with no one getting upset. Wintertime brings skis to the corner, boots drying by the fireplace and warm cognac in the glass.  The cell phone does not get great reception, there is no Internet service, and your biggest decision is: pb&j sandwiches for dinner or mac and cheese from the blue box?

Keep dreaming.  Life is but a season.

PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL WILFERT