The sun’s rays shine directly above the cabin placed carefully in the middle of the forest that surrounds it. Sitting atop the mountain and eerily quiet, the only sounds of nature to be heard are those of catfish splashing in the pond out back and crickets brushing their legs together. Sitting on a picnic table on the porch that wraps around the entire back of the house, the scent of mashed potatoes and baked beans waft to the outside. Blueberry and blackberry bushes surround the premises patiently waiting to be picked for pies and muffins. Deer, and occasionally a bear, can often be spotted near the old, broken down play ground and snakes slither around the gigantic wood pile in search of heat. Without a TV or phone service, and only books, musical instruments, and a vintage radio on its last breaths, family is forced to be together. Hikes are taken and children play out in the yard and near the pond. Relatives swing on the tattered rope swing and play badminton. Adjacent to an alarming snore coming from the hammock on the porch are two people playing table tennis. And as the sun begins to set, a roaring fire is lit. The Maryville sky is painted with hues of pastel pinks, purples, oranges, and blues. The large yellow …show more content…
Tables fill up and laughter crowds the air as everyone begins to slap a variety of foods onto their plates. Three hours pass and the satiated gather around the beckoning fire. S’mores are passed out and the scent of burning marshmallow intrudes the air. Uncles grab their guitars and a jam session breaks out as the fire slowly dims. Fireflies begin to flicker all around and when the fire finally takes its last breath, cars are packed up and the headlights leave the driveway. Those who stay in the cabin retire to their bunk beds to get a good night’s sleep only to wake up and engage in the day’s festivities, once