The snow was falling thick and fast as the man trudged through the forest, the familiar silhouette of his wooden cabin slowly emerging through the white haze. Snow had blanketed everything in sight, piling high—almost up to his knees. The quiet was absolute, broken only by the crunch of his boots and the gentle panting of his loyal dog trotting beside him.
He finally reached the cabin, its sloped roof and sturdy logs half-buried in snow. Without wasting time, he grabbed a snow shovel and began clearing a path around the shelter. The task was hard and slow, each movement met with resistance from the heavy, compact snow. But he welcomed the labor—it warmed his muscles and reminded him of the simplicity of life out here.
Once the area around the cabin was cleared, he turned toward the small outhouse a few meters away. The snow around it was even deeper, untouched since the last storm. He dug carefully, making sure the door could open fully, and then created a path connecting the outhouse to the cabin.
After the work, he whistled, and his dog—fur already dusted in snow—ran to him with excitement. They wrestled in the snow for a while, the man's laughter echoing softly through the trees. He threw a stick, and the dog bounded through the drifts to retrieve it, tail wagging, joyful and free.
Later, the man made his way to the nearby shed, buried almost to the roof in snow. Inside, he found his snowshoes and a large, wide snow flattener—a makeshift tool to press down the snow and form usable paths. He strapped the snowshoes onto his boots and got to work, flattening a trail between the cabin, the outhouse, and the shed. When he was finished, a neat triangle of walkable paths crisscrossed the clearing, giving the space a sense of order amidst the wilderness.
Back inside the cabin, he filled a large pot with clean snow and set it on the stove to melt. The flames crackled softly, warming the room as the snow turned to water. He poured some into a kettle and began cooking a simple meal—rice and stewed vegetables—with an extra bowl for his furry companion. As the scent filled the cabin, the dog lay by the fire, eyes half-closed, basking in the heat.
They shared their dinner quietly, surrounded by flickering lantern light and the soft hiss of melting snow. After eating, the man stretched out on a worn couch with a thick wool blanket, his dog curled up at his feet. Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, but inside the cabin, it was peaceful and warm.
Morning arrived slowly, with pale sunlight peeking through the frost-covered window. The man rose early and brewed a fresh cup of coffee. He sat beside the fireplace, warming his hands around the mug, and stared into the flames, appreciating the stillness of the new day.
Once he finished his coffee, he stepped outside, the snow now glistening under a clear blue sky. He split logs with a practiced hand, stacking them neatly for both the fireplace and the wood-burning stove. With the fire stoked again, he cooked a simple breakfast—fried eggs and toasted bread—and shared some with his dog.
As the day came to a close, he sat back with a full belly and a calm mind, knowing he had everything he needed: warmth, food, shelter, and the quiet beauty of life in the snowy woods.