Good morning …..

We drove from Chapel Hill and I watched all those fields and farm lands rush past me as I lay back on my car seat listening to some soothing music. We had to take a few farm roads before we reached our destination - Lily pond Cottage.

Once we stood in front of those gates ….all I could see was some kind of construction work going on at a distance beyond the gates ….the rest was all wilderness packed with trees. I remember thinking to myself where is this cottage? Funny enough we could not find the button that would open the gates for us…finally after trying in vain …we decided to call Linda the person who owns the cottage….but before that a good Samaritan who was working on the construction area noticed us and drove down to the gate and opened it for us…  !

We drove on a muddy path with thick tall trees on either sides….we could not even see the daylight in there. All of a sudden it was like going down a magical tunnel….my outside world just faded behind me and this new fresh green wilderness was encompassing me ! We had only driven inside for just a minute that we found our cottage……WOW! that place is the cutest thing I had ever seen. Let me try and describe it for you. There is a beautiful pond of water lilies opposite to the cottage which is bordered by tall trees on the other side…and on this end facing the pond is the cottage itself. It is a triangular shaped A-frame cottage or a chalet  …to me I felt as though I was in one of those animation movies like that of Snow-white …that cottage looked adorable . There we were …Just me and my husband, spending the weekend in this cottage facing the lily pond surrounded by trees where I could already listen to all the various birds chirping. I could not have asked for anything more relaxing.

As I turned the door knob the door slid open and the cottage was as beautiful inside as it was from outside. It had a cozy living area with one big sofa and loveseat ,combined with a dining area for four adjacent to the kitchen which was equipped with all the essential gadgets - toasters, coffee makers, vegetable chopper, kettle, microwaves etc etc. It also had a bread maker…which as I opened mesmerized me with the aroma of a freshly baked rosemary bread. Even the restroom had one of those high end toilets .We then walked up the stairs and found the most inviting bedroom. It had balconies on either sides…and the most comfortable bedding.

There was a writing table on one corner of the bedroom with a journal filled in by all those people who have stayed at lily pond cottage. Did I mention the fireplace… they had two of them one upstairs and one down…it was an electrical one ..although it was neither winter nor cold …It felt luxurious to just watch the flames (without the heater on) which gave a certain character and ambience to the cottage. I was so thrilled and yet completely relaxed…which is such a contradiction in itself . In a few minutes of our arrival Linda drove by to check if we found everything ok. I truly can not say enough of Linda…she is one of those passionate, energetic, love filled souls that I have ever met. I felt at home almost instantly. She told us about the cottage and more importantly about the animals she had in her farm. Linda lives with her husband in her farm house within those 56 acres of wilderness .She has a collection of animals - long horns, horses, sheep, dogs, donkeys etc. To top it all she told us she is taking care of a rescued baby racoon and some baby possums. She wished us a happy stay and drove off in her rustic truck. Linda’s warm welcome and her energy level would sure bring a smile on anybody's face.

My husband and I then rested for a while and then took a nice long walk around the cottage…it had swings a hammock, wind chimes and lots of bird houses. As there was still some daylight we decided to drive back to the bluebonnet fields to take some more pictures. Later that night we came back to the cottage ,refreshed ourselves , had dinner and then all I remember was my head hitting the soft pillows…I dozzzzzzzzzzzeddd off to sleep in seconds….I slept so comfortably…it must have been the surrounding…how can you not feel so relaxed in such a place. I slept like a log.

The next morning , my hubby who is passionate on photography undoubtedly woke up early enough to take his nature shots while I had the best lazy morning ! The sun rays coming through those large windows and balcony doors literally wishes you a good morning to wake you up. It is one of those beautiful feelings you have when you wake up and the first thing that comes to your mind is “ All is Well” ! I felt good….I walked down stairs refreshed myself and switched on the coffeemaker. The aroma of coffee filled the space….I poured myself a cup of coffee and as I opened the door the view was divine. The morning rays of the sun were glistening on top of the Lily pond., birds chirping happily, the cool morning breeze and even before I knew I was walking towards the pond…I sat there by the swing, then I noticed my hubby on the other side of the pond with his camera trying to capture the beauty of nature that surrounded us and as I sipped my coffee I said to myself “ Life is good…God has truly blessed us with abundance”.

Later we had breakfast and we decided to walk through the woods…I was trying out the bird calling device along with the binoculars that were in the cottage . It worked… I was followed by red cardinals all through my walk. There were some woodpeckers and few other birds that I don’t know the names of but nevertheless all of them were equally beautiful. .While we were walking Linda drove by and picked us up in her mini farm vehicle…the ones that look like toy cars ..It was real fun to ride on it. She took us to see all the farm animals….At first we met Jack the majestic longhorn.

 He was grazing with his friends two other long horns, we then went to Linda’s home whose backyard is home to all the other animals. As soon as we entered all the animals just walked towards us…they absolutely love people, be it the horses or the donkeys even the sheep came running towards us, they were just wonderful. It was then that I realized the extent of love and care that Linda had showered on these beautiful animals that they fear no other humans…they just feel cared for. It was just heavenly to be there and one cannot help but enjoy how the child within us comes to life at that moment playing with those animals.

We took lots of pictures. Linda then took us to a room where she had the baby possums and a baby raccoon. She attends on them every one hour to check if they are ok , feeds them and pets them so they don’t miss their mothers. Linda is one of those virtuous people who shows unconditional love. We often fail to realize how fortunate we are or even the mere realization that we have so much to offer to the world. It is when we see people like her are we even reminded of such things.

After a fun filled time with these animals and a lovely chat with Linda…we came back to the cottage. We had our lunch and then as my hubby took a nap, I put on my creative cap and tried to take some photographs . Although not a pro like my hubby I still managed to take some decent pictures . I even got a woodpecker on cam.:)

If anyone is to visit the Lily pond Cottage you should never miss the hammock. I rocked myself to happiness in the hammock…the breeze, the smell of trees, the pond near by all added to my joy. Simple pleasures like these are so precious.

Later that afternoon around 3 pm we decided to leave and so packed our stuff , set the place right, wrote a thank you note to Linda on her guestbook for such a beautiful experience.

We were completely at peace after the stay and felt re-energized to deal with our daily routine in our regular world and as we locked the doors behind us , Linda drove by again to say goodbye of course but she was also beaming with excitement, the reason - she had gotten a call about 3 other baby possums that had been abandoned and she was already on her way to bring those baby possums home.

I really wish her all goodness and health as her home is “HOME” to so many living beings. All of us should develop a sense of “LINDA-ness” in us in any small way we can and offer something back to the world that gives us so much.

Lily pond Cottage - a true bliss ! I tried to just give you a glimpse of what I had experienced. Hope you all enjoy it!