I will not fear the terrors that come in the night...

I am at the Frog House today, selling, reading and now, blogging this rainy cool day away. Fall has come as promised and with the dropping temperatures also comes the dropping income that is the promise of every tourist based economy world wide. When planning our business, we expected this. Having grown up in the north woods, I understand the days when, if there are fresh tracks running down County "K", I can look at them and say, "John is up early today", because I know the only car that may be traveling this road, heading that way... I have always loved so many things about this season when I get out my insulated carhart bibs,my Joan of Ark Sorels my little box of Swedish Pimples, and head out onto the lake with my dad to catch the last white fish and lake trout of the season. Racing off to the woods to collect pine cones, the tiny ones in particular, which can only be found in a few secret spots...picking princess pine to dry and gathering acorn caps- all the secret ingredients in my holiday potpourri and ornaments... Then there is the "harvesting of the boughs", trimming back the overgrowth on our back road to keep access open and also providing me with the ingredients for my fall-to- winter landscaping pots. But this year, we have a business, and business comes first. I am in awe of the many entrepreneurs of the north woods who have mastered their fears and found a way to survive through the long winter's night. I have a new appreciation for the notion of "shop local", though for many years I have purposed to do my first round of holiday shopping in Boulder Jct. I look at the parking lots at each establishment, hoping we all have cars because having cars means having a little more help in keeping the lights on and the doors open. While I understand the value of saving at the big box and the chain restaurant, I am more sad than ever that friends and neighbors seem to forget that every purchase put into those places is the purchase that could have truly helped the little guys next door. Fear is our new best friend. We knew the fall would come and with it a massive slow down to what has been an awesome first year. We have been told that the snow will bring a season nearly as good or better than summer if we just hold on and keep the faith. But in the night we hear the whisper that all the more established and seasoned small business owners of Boulder Junction must surely also be hearing right now, "what if". What if the snow doesn't come? what if there is snow, but no snowmobilers? What if there is snow and there are snowmobilers, but no one comes to our business? What if the money runs out? What if, what if, what if.... We are people of faith, so this comforts us to relax into the belief that we are trusting in the one who knows the future. But wow, I have a whole new appreciation of the risk taken by so many before us. In this season of shopping and giving, I encourage each of us to think twice about the big box holidays versus the small business owner holidays. Kind of like when we give a cash gift to a specific person we can know it was a gift well placed, when we shop with a small business owner, we can know that every purchase can change their future. We love Boulder Junction, we intend to stay. If you have not tried the Ale House before now, please come. If you have been before, please come, and please send a friend. I know if you read my blog you are already supporters, so thank you and know that every visit helps to ease the terrors that come in the night!