by Dominic D.

Created on: January 03, 2009

At thirty nine years of age, he could not believe the good fortune he had in finding this beautiful, secluded tract of land. Why by all accounts, the closest neighbors were more than forty miles away, and as far as his eyes could see, there were trees and thick forests, and all the wildlife they harbored.

Though Spring had just arrived a few weeks ago, he knew he had to get a jump on things before the next Winter. Winters in Northern wisconsin could be quite cruel for the unprepared, and any help from outsiders would be futile should a predicament arise. On the other side of the coin however, Winters in this part of the country were also some of the most beautiful that Mother Nature could provide.

His tools were few; a hammer, saw, shovel, chopping ax, various screws and nails, an old fashioned hunting bow, some steel files, and three large wood planers. These were the tools he needed to build underground containers for storing food during the cold Winter months. One of the reasons this area appealed to him was the bountiful supply of wild animals. Having been taught early in life never to rush things, he began his preparations before the fist of Winter approached.

Day after day he chopped, sawed, and planed trees into much smoother slabs of wood. With these slabs , he shaped them into roughly formed doors. These were then used to line the deep holes he was able to dig into the warming, moist earth. When all four sides were lined, he would finish the container with a top door to seal it off and protect the contents when it was filled. A small layer of top dirt would complete the project. This is Nature's way of refrigerating food. Also, if the need be, it could also protect him if need be. The whole process to biuld one container took about three weeks. with four to build, he had plenty of time, but none to waste.

In late August, the last nail was pounded in. Leaning on his shovel, he admired the four patches of fresh dirt and grinned in satisfaction. He would be ready this Winter, and just in time as the cold winds of November brought the first snowstorm of the season. With temperatures dropping into the thirties, he knew it was time.

Carrying his ax, he began the trek towards the cabin. Soft and sure were his footfalls as he walked the path he had walked many times before in his trial runs.

"Careful preparations make for better rewards," he thought to himself.

It was a good two miles through some dense, snow covered forest when he caught sight of the cabin. The

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