Weekend Cabin

A wooden cabin overlooks a misty lake from a pine-covered shore. A canoe lies beside the near dock, its narrow bow pointing toward the water. Light glows around the cabin's porch and windows, while low sunlight reaches the opposite end of the lake. Mist blurs the reflected trees but leaves the foreground boards and rocks distinct.

The canoe's red-brown curves stand apart from the straight boards of the dock, so the two make an easy start in the lower corner. The cabin comes next, with its lit windows, porch rails and rows of timber. Mist lies low over the water beyond them. The trees on the shore have sharper branches than their reflections, which fade into that pale band. Toward the sun, the lake turns warmer and lighter than the shaded water near the cabin, which helps sort the many gray pieces.