Over 40 years ago, my wife and I decided we wanted to raise our children with a cabin and outdoor experience. We found a cabin which was perfect for our family yet unique to anything we had seen. We found a former highly rated resort. It was being developed and its individual cabins were for sale. A homeowners association for Shingwauk Village, on Little Pine Lake south of Aitkin, Minn., was formed in 1978 and united 25 cabins.

The amenities of the former resort were a delight: a swimming pool, hot tub, community center, sauna, tennis court, and playground. These features, coupled with a clear lake navigable to Farm Island Lake, make a playground for our family and our guests. Another benefit is the camaraderie of our owner-neighbors and getting to know their friends and relatives.

Nearly all of the seasonal cabins of the former resort have been remodeled. Our swimming pool and hot tub have been upgraded with a marvelous hilltop setting overlooking the lake. We have upgraded our community center, the setting for dances, dinners, wedding receptions, family reunions — and homeowners association meetings.

No matter the season, the cabin is enjoyable as we experience Minnesota's seasons. There is nothing more enjoyable than building a fire on the thick ice of winter, bringing our chairs and fishing gear out onto the lake, and enjoying the winter serenity of the outdoors. This contrasts greatly with the activity of summer on the lake.

We enjoy the time we are able to spend with our family at the cabin and watching our children, and now grandchildren, experience the life we imagined 40 years ago. Our dream and enjoyment lives with the many smiles and laughter cabin life brings.

Tom and Cheryl Tucker, Eden Prairie