"What's in the basket?" he asked her.

"You didn't mention anything about food, and I hope you don't mind that I packed a bit of lunch. I think I remember you saying that the cabin was away from the nearest village and thought it might save some time if we didn't have to go anywhere to eat."

"Not at all." He smiled over at her. "We're thinking along the same lines anyway. I brought a few things myself, so we'll be fine. I'm not sure what's still there, since I haven't been up for a bit. I usually get there and have to go back to the village for supplies anyway. I try not to leave anything perishable open since I don't know when I might get back and it wouldn't do to have a bunch of spoiled stuff to deal with when I get there."

"What sort of things did you have planned for the day?."Molly asked

"Well.....there are a few places I particularly want to show you. There are eagles nesting a short way above the cabin that I generally try to keep an eye on. They hadn't started adding to the nest last time I was up, but by now there should be eggs or maybe even young ones. They only came here about four years ago and I have a list from the Natural Resources people to fill out so they can track them. There are lots of places to see if you don't mind a bit of a climb."

They were quiet for a time with Molly seeming content to watch out the window at the passing scenery, making small comments on things as they passed. What a contrast to her friend Angela, who couldn't seem to let a silence go on for more than a few seconds. What a relief it had been to get that sorted out, and he was glad that he had made the call to Molly.

The nearest town to the cabin was about an hour from where they lived, and the cabin was about a half hour from that. It took about the same time to get to the village of Springville as it did to get from there to the cabin, for the road was unimproved and in the spring quite difficult. He did have neighbors, but they all drove jeeps or trucks with four wheel drive and by commom consent had kept the area as natural as possible. Dave was right at the end of the road, and there was no upkeep at all on his section unless he did it himself. It discouraged people from visiting and he liked it that way.

As they drove through Springville, Dave saw that Molly was looking around with interest. "The town hasn't grown much since I started coming up here." He told her. "They are pretty self sufficient. A bit like the way things were long ago. There are a few outlying farms that supply produce to the local grocer and the people who live here buy almost exclusively from them. They even have a milk delivery. There's a small school and library and we have our own Doctor. I think there are about 500 people in the community."

"Where do they work?"

"Some work right here, but most have jobs in the city. They consider this their refuge from the rush and pressure there and try to keep their life here as simple as possible."

He could see Molly thinking that over for a time. Margeret had hated the town. Nothing happened there, she said. The people were boring and backward. They weren't, but you had to let them get to know you and they had had no time for Margret. Oh........they had been polite and had never said anything bad about her, but they had not included her in the events of the little village. Dave had always gotten along with the local folk and when they discovered that he treated his little cabin as his own refuge, they had taken him in and made him feel as though he was one of them. He had been grateful for that and always stopped at the grocer's before going to the cabin, so they would know he was there and to catch up on any news that might pertain to him.

He pulled to a stop in front of it . "Do you want to come in for a minute? I always let Mr. Adamsen know when I'll be at the cabin." He held the door as she got out and then the door to the grocery store.

She looked up to find Dave standing next to an elderly gentleman that reminded her of her Grandfather with his white hair and working clothes. Dave was talking to the man, but watching her and he smiled over at her. "Come and meet Mr. Adamsen, Molly. He's one of the oldest residents of Springville and anything that happens around here, he'll know about."

She held out her hand and found it folded in a hard clasp. No limp handshakes here.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr Adamsen. This is a wonderful store.My Grandfather would have felt right at home in here. I can just picture him sitting around your stove on a winter day with his cronies and telling his stories. What's this old fellow's name?" She reached down and ruffled the old dog's head.

"This old chap is Barney. He came in here when he was a wee pup and never left. We never could find out who he belonged to and assumed that someone had dropped him out of a car or something. He's a good old fellow, but he's pretty much on his last legs now. We'll miss him, and the wife says there isn't another like him. She's probably right, but I can't be long without a dog so we'll just have to find a new one and try not to expect him to live up to Barney."

She listened while Dave and Mr. Adamsen talked for a bit longer and then they were saying their goodbyes and were off on the last leg to the cabin. A short time later they turned off the paved section onto a gravel road that led up into the higher hills surrounding Springville. The going was a bit slower here and Molly could see that they had left the farming land behind and were properly into the rougher country. The hills were not high enough to be called mountains, but they were certainly rugged and several times the road edged fell off sharply into small valleys. It wouldn't do to go too fast here. They passed a few driveways and Dave knew the names of the people who lived at the ends, though you couldn't see the houses from the road. They got farther apart until presently she realized that they hadn't passed another for some minutes. The road got steeper as they went and rougher and Molly wondered how he had found the place at all.

Dave slowed the jeep as they approached another drive, and she thought they must have arrived, but all he did was sound a pattern on his horn, as they drove past. She saw him watching the rear mirror and looked back just in time to see a large brown and white dog come racing out the lane after the jeep. He wasn't barking and for a minute Molly thought Dave was going to wait for him to catch up, but all he did was tap the horn once more and speed up a bit.

"That's Max. He belongs to Jack and Elizabeth Winston. They're my closest neighbors and great people. Max will be at the cabin waiting for us when we get there. I used to try to beat him, and almost did it once, but he cuts off and goes through the woods and the road isn't good enough to go fast enough to get there before he does. I let the Winstons know I'm going up with the horn on my way past, and Max does his thing. Hang on now for a bit......the road gets pretty rough from here and I've got to pay attention."

He wasn't joking, and for the next few minutes he jockeyed the jeep around and over the potholes and ruts in the rapidly diminishing road. Molly had to hang on to the strap above the door as well as a hand on the dash. It was no wonder he had no visitors......no vehicle but a jeep or truck could have managed this road!! She wondered what sort of place the cabin would be. It would be next to impossible to get any sort of large building material up here. She was afraid to talk in case she bit her tongue and just hung on.

A short time later, Dave pulled the jeep to a stop beside a gate. "I do apologize for the road." he said laughing." I guess I need to do some work on that bit. We must have had some rain up here recently. It always washes out a bit, but that's really bad. I'm afraid we have to walk from here. I haven't cut more than a path into the brush since I came up one spring to find it had grown up enough to hide the path in from the road. It gives me some privacy from anyone actually getting this far."

Molly helped him unload her bag and basket from the back and he grabbed his own pack and a box with handles that she assumed were things he had brought for food. They went through the gate, which wasn't locked, and walked down a short path that gave onto an open meadow, and Molly stopped in amazement. The cabin stood on the far side across a stream that had a small bridge spanning a narrow part. There were two wider pools and she could see where the stream fell off into a waterfall before disappearing on down through the woods.

The cabin was much larger than she had thought it would be and had been built in three sections. The center section was the oldest and came up in a steep peak. The whole front was window and the view of the meadow and stream would be lovely. The part to the right looked as though it had been added next and the part on the left looked newer than that again. It had all been carefully integrated though, and looked complete rather than patchy.

A nudge from behind brought her back and she turned to Dave with a big smile.

"Oh my.......this is absolutely beautiful. How on earth did you manage to get those windows up here over that road??"

He laughed. "Let's go and get this stuff sorted and I can tell you all about my building problems when I show you around. There's someone waiting to meet you."

Molly followed his gaze and found the big dog Max was sitting near the front step waiting for them with his tongue hanging out as he panted. She wondered if he would be friendly. He hadn't come running to meet them, but stayed by the step as they came toward him over the bridge and the short meadow grass. She wondered if Dave cut all this or let it grow up naturally. The dog came toward them finally, and sat down a short distance away. "Maybe he doesn't like me here." she said doubtfully. "He doesn't know me."

"OK.......I guess I'd better introduce you." Dave turned and called to the big dog. Molly could see that he resembled a Saint Barnard by his coloring and build, but there was something else in there as well. Possibly German Shepherd......by his ears and nose, but she wasn't sure. He wagged his tail in greeting and came up and leaned his head against Dave's leg but when he looked over at Molly, he stopped wagging and sat down again. He made no attempt to come to her and Molly didn't know what to think. She was not afraid of big dogs, having grown up with them, but this one seemed a little standoffish. She put her bag and basket down on the ground. They were getting heavy, and she didn't know how long the dog was going to keep them standing here while he decided whether to be friends. She wanted to make sure they were before she went any farther, and Dave seemed puzzled by his actions as well.

"Come here Max."Dave said gently. "This is Molly. Hold out your hand Molly." She did and Max came and sniffed. She held quite still. "Molly is a friend Max. Molly ..... friend." The tail wagged slightly and Max looked over at Dave. "This is quite strange for him. I wonder if he thinks you will be the same as Margret. She hated him and I caught her once when Max was a puppy swatting at him with a broom. She hated everything about this place. I wonder if Max could possibly remember that!"

"Well how was he with your other ........ friends?" she had been going to say "girlfriends" and changed her mind at the last moment.

"I've never brought another girl here since Margret." he said, and Molly was surprised and pleased as well. "Let me try something........do you mind giving me your jacket for a minute."

Molly took off her jacket and handed it to Dave. "Look here Max." he said and held it out to the dog for him to sniff. Then he threw it a short distance away. "Fetch coat Max." The dog trotted over , sniffed her jacket and picked it up gently in his mouth and brought it back to Dave. "Give to Molly, Max. Molly's coat." Molly squatted down and held out her hand. Max looked at her and back to Dave. "Molly's coat, Max. Give to Molly."

Max came slowly to Molly, and pushed the jacket into her hand."Oh good boy, Max! Thankyou Max. You are a beautiful dog." She said gently. She stayed down and reached out to pat his head. He held very still and she rubbed behind his ears and around his neck where his collar rested against his skin. Her dogs had always loved that.......it was always an itchy place. Max's tail started to wag. He reached over and sniffed her face and gave her a quick lick. Molly laughed and as she rubbed under his chin, Max 's tail wagged harder and harder until he was positively wriggling, and he gave a little whine. Dave started to laugh

"Well.......if that doesn't beat all. I think you've got another admirer there." He squatted beside her and together they patted the big dog until he rolled over on the grass with his feet waving in the air, and they both laughed.

"What's that on his collar?" asked Molly. She noticed a sort of pouch attached to the collar that seemed almost to be a part of it.

"That's his message pouch. Come on.......now that we're all friends......let's take this stuff up and get it put away and I'll tell you about Max and the Winstons and the cabin."

He picked up his bag but before Molly could reach for her's, Max had it in his mouth and was leading the way, head held high to avoid tripping.....leaving her with only the picnic basket to carry. "That's hardly fair, Max." Dave laughed. With one hand now free, Molly reached over and took a handle on the box and together they carried it to the cabin.

had been very surprised at Max's reaction to Molly, but she had handled everything just fine and all was right again. Could the dog really have thought she would be like Margret? Max was very smart, but he had never seen him stand off from anyone before and wondered about it. He was pleased with her reaction to her first sight of the cabin as well. He had no idea what he would have done if she had said anything nasty about it. He tried to see the place from her point of view and couldn't imagine what it might be. He looked over at her as they made their way to a door at the side of the right addition. She was looking around at things as she walked, and he couldn't help wondering what she was thinking. Did she think it was unkept because the grass was uncut. Did she think it was too isolated for comfort? Did she mind that they had not been able to drive right up to the door? Well........they were all questions that he hoped would be answered before the day was over.

He unlocked the door into the addition that was the kitchen and led her in. It was one room, longer than it was wide, with a table and chairs in front of a small fireplace in one corner. The counter ran across the back wall with a big window looking out to the trees a short distance away. The window over the table looked back over the meadow to the stream. A door in the back wall led to a pantry and storage area, since the walls were mostly windows and there was no room for normal cupboards. Another larger door in the wall beside the fireplace led to the main part of the cabin.

Molly was looking about with interest. "This is nice. I love the windows.It's so nice and bright. Where do you keep things without cupboards?"

He showed her the pantry and they unpacked the food. There was a small refrigerator under the counter, and Dave wondered if he should think about getting something larger. This was fine for just himself, but perhaps he was thinking too far ahead . "Don't be in a big hurry here." he thought to himself."Just let things go along."

He laughed as Max came back into the kitchen from the other room, still carrying Molly's pack. "Here Max.......you've done a good job. Give to Molly." He laughed again as the big dog dropped the pack in front of Molly. She knelt down to hug him and he draped his head over her shoulder. He wouldn't have to worry about them being friends afterall. He held out a hand and helped her to her feet again.

"Come and I'll show you the rest of the place and then maybe we should have a bite before going on the trail. Or maybe just a coffee if you aren't hungry yet. We can always take some food along with us." He stood aside to let Molly go ahead of him into the main room, and almost bumped into her as she stopped suddenly. He wished he could see the room through her eyes. He loved it here and had worked hard to get everything just right, and he wanted her to like it too. He hadn't thought he would mind so much about what she thought of it and waited while she looked around. He went over and stood beside the huge windows looking out at the meadow. What if she thought it was too bare or hated the fireplace that took up one whole wall. He knew the room was huge.......it had originally been three small rooms with a loft and he had knocked down the walls making it one big space with a cathedral ceiling.

It had been silent for so long that he finally turned to find Molly staring up at the fireplace. He looked at it, trying to see it as she was seeing it. He had painted a mural there several years ago when he had returned to the cabin to find that vandals had broken in and flung paint pots against the stones. He hadn't been able to clean it and in the end had painted a forest scene to cover the mess. He could see tears on her face, but she was smiling and absently stroking Max's head.

"It's big." he said

"It's absolutely incredible." she replied.....still looking up. "It looks so real. I feel as though I can just reach out and touch those trees and the moss on the rocks actually looks soft. It's all sort of three dinensional. However did you come up with the idea of using the fireplace stones as rocks. It's breathtaking."

He explained about the vandals and how he had tried to clean the mess. She was horrified that someone had done such a thing, but said that in the long run it had turned out quite nicely for the wall. The heat from the fireplace had loosened the paint in places, and it looked as though the bark on the trees was hanging a bit. He had been going to repair that part until he thought how lifelike it looked and then had gone and sprayed the flakes with a high temp fixative. It all looked pretty marvelous even to himself. He was pleased that Molly liked it.

gazed about in awe as she walked into the big main room of the cabin. On the wall above the fireplace was the most wonderful mural she had ever seen. It showed a forest glade surrounded by trees, that looked real enough to reach out and touch. Rocks on the forest floor were partially covered with mosses that looked soft. She realized that he had used the rocks on the face of the fireplace to give a three dimensional effect. Sunlight slanting through the tree branches painted a golden glow over the sparse grass and shone on a tiny patch of white flowers nestled between two of the rocks. She couldn't help but wonder at the work that had gone into this. He loved the forest and he loved to paint, that was obvious.

She turned as he spoke to find him standing beside the huge front windows that looked out over the meadow. Dave explained about the vandals and she was horrified that anyone would do that to someone else's possessions. It had certainly turned into the most wonderful thing though.

As Dave led her through to the last addition of the cabin and she saw that it was taken up with two bedrooms, one larger than the other, both sparcely furnished, and joined in the middle by a tiny bathroom. There was no tub, but instead had a stand-up shower. That reminded her that it had been some time since breakfast, and as she excused herself, Dave suggested that he make a cup of tea before heading out on their hike. That suited her just fine, and a few minutes later, she joined him in the kitchen and followed by Max, they took the tea out to the steps in front.

"This would be lovely in just about any season." Molly said looking about. "Are you able to get up here in the winter? I can't quite imagine being able to get even the jeep in this far."

"No. If it's slippery at all, I would't try it. I do come up sometimes, though not as often as I'd like. I leave the jeep at the Winston's and come up on Max's path through the woods. It's a bit of a climb, but worth it."

"I can just imagine coming through the trees and seeing this all waiting for you. What do you do about heat and water then, though?"

"Well.....I have to admit, it's pretty cold for a bit til I get the fireplace going. There's a spce heater and I heat up the kitchen first. I always shut down the water before leaving since I am never sure of when I'll be coming back. I suppose I could call and ask Jack to come up and start things, but it's is a bit of a climb and he isn't a young man. He'd be more than glad to do it but I don't like to ask."

They finished the tea, and put the mugs back in the kitchen. Dave picked up his pack and they transferred some of the food that Molly had brought in the picnic basket to it. "This all looks good." He said."It makes me hungry already, but we'll want to eat when we get up aways. We can tidy up when we come back. I want to show you where the eagles nest and if you aren't too tired by then we might climb to the top. The view is quite amazing."

Instead of going back across the meadow, Dave led Molly to a path behind the cabin that angled up through the trees. It was steep going and Molly was glad that he had reminded her to bring hiking boots. Her sneakers would have been useless on these paths. Max ran ahead of them and kept looking back as if to say "What's keeping you? There are things to see." He ran about with his nose to the ground and Molly laughed. "He certainly has a lot of energy."

"That one loves to walk. He always comes with me and usually flops when we get to the lookout. There's a bit of a spring in the rocks there and if I don't get to it first he's got all the water lapped up and I have to wait til it fills."

There were some places that were a little steep and Molly was glad that Dave reached back to help her along. She wished she had kept up with her walking, but the spring had been so busy that she had let the routine go. She had to stop after a bit to catch her breath and they sat on a log and watched the squirrels run through the leaves looking for any nuts that may have been overlooked.

He was a comfortable person to be with. He seemed content to just sit and let the silence and peace wash around them and Molly was glad that he wasn't the sort to chatter on about nothing just to fill the silence. She noticed that he didn't seem at all out of breath and felt bad about holding him up.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm not in such great shape after all."She said ruefully. "I'd better get that tread mill dusted off again."

"Oh...... don't worry about it."He laughed. "We have all day and we can have a good rest when we get to the lookout. We can have lunch then too." He helped her to her feet and she thought he kept hold of her hand a little longer than necessary. She wished the path was wide enough to walk side by side but there was only room for one at a time. She would have like to walk hand in hand, but had to be content with the places that were rough enough for him to reach back to help her.

A short time later, the path seemed to level out a bit and the walking was easier, and all at once they came out onto a ledge of rock that overlooked a steep drop off into a small valley. At the back of the ledge against the rock wall, was a log that had been flattened into a sort of bench and thankfully she sat down. She watched as Dave walked over to a small depression in the rock and from a bit of branch stuck into a crack, lifted down a little tin mug. He filled the mug with water and held it out to her. Molly found the water sweet and so refreshing and after handing back the mug turned to look out over the valley. The tops of the trees were some distance below and she thought it wouldn't do to get too close to the edge. Dave joined her on the bench and they watched as Max had his own drink right from the rock basin.

"You never did tell me about that pouch." she said as she watched Max scratch under his chin with one back paw.

"Oh....right. As a matter of fact, I never even thought to check and see if there was a message. Come here Max. Here Boy......lets see if you've got anything for me." He loosened a catch on the front of the small pouch attached to the dog's collar, and drew out a small tablet of paper with a tiny pencil attached that was small enough to fit inside." Elizabeth has sent up a message. She wants me to drop in at the house on the way back. That's good. It will give you a chance to meet them. You'll like them. Jack trains Seeing Eye dogs. Max was his first and he found he couldn't give him up once he was trained. It isn't good practice to keep a dog since they are so much in demand, but Jack persuaded the handlers that it would be better if he kept the first one to give him some help with training the next ones. Jack handled message dogs during the war and he and Max are great buddies. I don't know what they would do without him......or me either for that matter. He usually spends part of the day up with me in case I have any messages. I don't have a phone here and I purposely don't often bring the cell phone. I like to get away and people have a habit of calling just when I'm in the middle of something."

He smiled over at her as she ruffled Max's fur. "Oh.....look.....there are the eagles." He walked nearer to the edge but Molly noticed that he was careful not to get too close. "Come over a bit......you can just see the nest from here."

Molly walked gingerly to the edge of the cliff and holding Dave's arm leaned out as far as she felt safe and could just make out the jumble of sticks high up on the side of the valley that the eagles called home. She remembered that she had the binoculars in her pack and got them out to take a closer look.

"Oh......look......they have babies. There are two." She handed the glasses to Dave and he looked pleased as he watched the parent eagles flying around the nest.

was very pleased to see that the eagles had succeeded in producing two young ones this year. Last year there had been only one and it had never reached adulthood. He never found out what had happened to the baby eagle. On one visit it was in the nest and on the next it was gone. There was no way of knowing whether it had fallen from the nest or whether it had sickened and died. There were still instances, after all this time, of people using pesticides that got into the water and soil and ultimately into the eagles diets. It interferred with their reproduction and had almost caused the end of the great birds, and they were not alone. Many birds had suffered through the widespread use of pesticides. Even now, from time to time there were repercussions and some eaglets were born unable to survive or were not born at all. He could hear the adults calling to each other as they soared about the cliff face.

He brought a small note book out and wrote the date and the nest location as well as the time of day. He noted that the nest held two babies and that the parents were in flight about the nest. They had been making a very slow comeback from almost extinction in the area and he was glad to see them making a permanent home in the valley. He knew that the signs posted below should keep the hunters out, but you never knew for sure. It was a large area and not patrolled by the Forest Rangers here. Most of the people who lived in the area took notes and handed them in at the Station whenever there was anything to tell about.

He looked over to Molly and to find her leaning back against the rock face with her face turned to the sun and her eyes closed. She must be tired after the climb and he felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of asking her to climb up such a rough trail. He hesitated to disturb her and turned, instead, to have another look out over the valley. How he loved this place. The beauty made the climb worth while and he never tired of the view. He felt honored that the eagles had chosen his valley to make their home.He looked out over the forest below. During the days when he had been having such trouble with Margret, it had been a release to climb up and let the wind blow around him. He always felt renewed and ready to face the next problems after a day on the mountain. It couldn't properly be called a mountain, but it was certainly a very high hill.

He thought back to the day he had decided to buy this land and how everyone had tried to talk him out of it. That there was no future resale value was the common arguement. The land couldn't be worked because of the location on the side of the mountain. He had chanced on the sale notice the summer after his marriage to Margret when he had seriously begun to paint and needed a place to get away from the city. His Uncle had died and the notice was in a magazine that came unexpectedly, addressed to the old man. He had come out to look over the property and when he had seen the original cabin across the meadow, with the stream running into the woods before him, had signed the paper on the spot. The real estate agent who had accompanied him had cautioned him that he should take some time to think it over, but he knew it was his the moment they came through the trees. He wasn't about to pass up the chance of a life time, and he knew a good thing when he saw it.

He had almost a thousand acres of land that took in this valley below as well as the mountain directly opposite. The ridge behind him was the highest in the area and then sloped down to a broad meadow. He had often watched the deer feed there and welcomed them. He owned the wooded area on both sides of the access road, and his property and that of Jack and Elisabeth had a common boundary. There was another meadow below the cabin that was hidden by trees, where the stream emptied into a small natural pond. He seldom went there, but he knew that the animals used the pond.

He had met the man who owned the property on the other side of the big meadow and found that though gruff, he was a kindred spirit and tried to raise crops and animals that would not cause any damage to the land. He seldom allowed hunters on his land, and Dave had been glad to hear that. He had nothing against hunters, if they used the meat, and understood that the deer herds had to be culled from time to time to keep them healthy, but he wouldn't hunt them himself. Dave kept in touch with his neighbors and knew the years that they were allowing hunters and kept away during those weeks.

He remembered how angry Margret had been when he told her about the purchase. To her, the land was absolutely uselsess and a huge waste of money that they could have used for something else. What that something was, she had never been sure of. Maybe a trip somewhere....... maybe a larger home....... a fancy car......anything that would make her look more important. He had used money left to him, surprisingly, from Uncle Harold, so it wasn't as though he had spent any of their savings. Margret had come up to the cabin twice and both times couldn't wait to get back to town. She had complained the whole time and had made both weekends miserable and she had refused to go there after that. Dave hadn't minded, and in fact had started to use the cabin as a safe place where he could paint in peace. He had never once regretted buying the land.

Now he was showing it to Molly. Of all the girls that he had dated after Margret, Molly was the first one he had even told about the cabin. He wondered what she thought of it all. There were so many places he wanted to show her. He hoped they would see some of the deer on the meadow later. He looked over and admired the sun shining on her hair where her hat had pushed back. He watched her for awhile, resisting the sudden urge to reach out and touch her hair where the sun made it shine like copper. He imagined it would be warm from the sun and wondered how it would feel on his skin. Her lashes made a dark smudge on her cheeks and her lips were slightly parted. He wanted to lean over and kiss her, remembering how her lips had felt the last time. He got up and walked over to the cliff edge.

"Take it easy, Old Son. Just give her time." It was hard to wait and he wondered for a minute what it was about her that made him so willing to resist taking her in his arms. There was no doubt at all in his mind that he wanted her, and not just a hug and kiss. He wanted to feel her skin against his and feel her breath in his ear as she whispered that she wanted him too. He turned to find her watching him and for a moment felt embarrassed that he had been lost in thoughts of making love to her.

"I thought you had dozed off there for a moment." he smiled. "Are you ready for a bite before we go on?"

She stretched and he groaned silently as he watched her get to her feet and laugh. "I did doze off! The sun was so nice and warm, and I only intended to shut my eyes for a minute. I'm sorry about that. Something to eat would be lovely." They ate companionably and he complimented her on the food. He didn't mind eating alone, but it was nice to have company from time to time. She was looking out over the valley and he watched the sun on her face and wondered why he had ever thought her plain. She had taken off the little straw hat that she had worn on the way up and the wrap holding her pony tail in place and was letting the wind blow her hair around ." It isn't really brown..... he thought.....more like a copper penny. I wonder what she would do if I reached over and ran my fingers through it."

He shook his head and tucked the wrappers from the sandwiches back into the pack. "We should be getting along Molly. Have another drink from the spring before we go and we'll save the thermos for when we get to the top. Do you want to go that high? It really isn't that far but it will take some time because there's not much of a path from here on and it is a bit of a climb."

She turned back to him and laughed."Of course. Now that we have come this far, it would be a shame to miss the rest. I can't imagine a better view than this though."

"Just wait til we get to the top, then. It's higher than that peak over there and there is nothing but distance."

The path continued for a short way along the side of the mountain and then sloped up once more through the trees. They climbed again and Dave reached back from time to time to help Molly over the very rough parts. He would have liked to be able to walk beside her, but the going was narrow and he needed to go ahead to clear the way and hold aside branches. Apart from the occasional comment and reply, they couldn't really even talk while climbing. In a short time, they came out at the top and Dave stood aside to give Molly her first look at the top of his world.

couldn't believe her eyes when they reached the top. She hadn't exactly known what to expect other than they would be at the top and that Dave had said the view was spectacular. She looked around at the space surrounding her. The top of the mountain was scoured by the wind that would hit from whichever direction it chose, since there was very little vegetation for shelter here. There were a few stunted cedars growning in tight clumps amid a scatter of rocks of various size. The ground had a few sparse bunches of grass but it was mostly gravel and rock and sand blowing in eddies with the wind. The view was truly amazing. Dave had certainly been right about that. She gazed about and saw that they were in fact higher than any other hill and that she could see for miles in all directions. It was the complete opposite from the climb up, where the vision was limited to whatever was directly in front and to the sides. The colors below must be glorious in the fall. Max was running around with his nose to the ground, though she thought that any scent would have been blown away long ago, and she couldn't imagine any animal digging a burrow up here.

The next surprise was a small curved stone bench nestled against one of the clumps of cedars. How he had managed to get that up here, she had no idea for certainly he couldn't have carried it. She looked around at him to find him laughing at her surprise.

"How on earth did you manage the bench?" she asked

"The same way I got all the big building stuff up to the cabin. I've got a friend who runs a rescue service and he has a helicopter. All we had to do was tie the thing into the sling and he set it down right where I wanted it. By the time I get up here I can usually do with a bit of a rest before going back down."

"Well it is a welcome surprise for be sure. This would not be the place to be in a storm, though. We'd be blown into the next county." She laughed as the wind did seem to try to do that very thing and she reached out to catch hold of Dave's arm to steady herself.

He led her over to the bench and they sat and just looked out for a time in companionable silence. Presently he got up and walked over toward the edge of the plateau and stood looking out. She could hear the eagles calling and looking up saw them circling overhead. She watched Dave as he started a tour around the edge , and ran over to look down, as he pointed out land marks and interesting things. She could just see the clearing where the cabin stood, and below that, another meadow that was screened from the cabin by the trees. He pointed out the places that marked his boundaries and she was astonished by the amount of land he had.

It was obvious to her that he loved this place and he took the time to care for it and make sure everything was right. No wonder he painted such wonderful pictures.......he had all the subject matter in the world right here. The wind ruffled his hair and he looked happy. He belonged in this place rather than the city and she wondered why he just didn't move to the cabin permanently. No wonder he walked there as if he was in the wide open spaces. Molly wondered if he found the city crowding in on him from time to time.

"I suppose we have to go back down again." she said "It's beautiful up here. It does make a person aware of just how small we are though. It would be a place to come on a clear night. Nothing but stars up there and an unlimited view. Do you hear wolves howling at night?"

" Sometimes they do. It's a wild and wonderful sound. I've never actually been up here at night. Maybe........ well........I'm afraid we do have to go back down, but it's easier going back. Just watch your footing. It isn't really slippery, but it can get steep in places. We aren't going to go back the same way if that's Ok. The way back is a little shorter since we don't need to stop off at the lookout again. Hey......Max......come on boy.......time to go back." He called to the dog who came bounding over for a quick pat before tearing off again after something only he could smell. "If you don't mind following again.......I'd rather go ahead in case you do slip. There are so many more places I want you to see, but they'll have to wait for another visit I'm afraid. "

Molly wondered what he had been going to say about the night visit before he seemed to hestiate and change the subject. She wondered what it would be like up here with him snuggled under a blanket as they watched the stars and moon. She hadn't camped out since she had been a child but it was certainly on her mind now. She wondered what he would think if she mentioned it. Would he think she was rushing him into something that maybe he wasn't ready for or didn't want? She thought how safe she would feel with his arms around her and his breath on her skin. She felt a little warm as she thought of it and then tried to keep her mind on the footing as Dave led the way down the mountain back to the cabin.

By the time they got back she was thoroughly ready for a rest. She felt grubby and wanted a change of clothes. Thanks goodness she had put another outfit into the pack. She was hungry and thirsty again, to boot, and wondered what there was left to eat in the packs they had brought.

"Do you mind if I run in and wash up a bit? I did bring a change of clothes in case I got all grubby on the hike. Then I'll have a look at what we brought and see what I can rustle up for a meal."

Dave smiled....." Sure.......go ahead and I'll do the same when you're through. I keep a couple of changes here myself, just in case I come up and decide to stay over. After we eat, we can go down and meet Jack and Elisabeth. Max has already gone I see. I forgot to give him a message to return, but Elisabeth will check the pouch and see that I've at least read her's and will be expecting me to come down."