The new issue of a magazine called "Cabin Life, Cabin Living" has arrived, and it is full of stories and ads for the upcoming season.

Why is it that I am interested in few of its features?

Granted, most of its stories are pitched to those whose cabins are on lakes.

I am on a river.

Activities can differ.

And the publication originates in Minnesota, which perhaps has different interests from those in Maine.

But I wonder why people who live in cabins would want such grandiose toys as featured in this glossy publication.

Pontoons are big this year.

You know, well-cushioned living rooms with smokey engines at the stern.

Also popular this year are fortified boat lifts, that will hoist powerboats of 20 feet or more.

And there are electronic incinerating toilets that cost more than $1,000.

Well, maybe that's the clue.

I have an outhouse, and am happy with it.

I am not part of the "Incinolet" set, which evidently appeals to the high end of eliminators.

What I did find interesting was the price of cabins in the Midwest.

Expensive!

Two bedroom log cabins (on water) list for at least $300,000 in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Many cabin properties in the Midwest or South list for more than $500,000.

So evidently it is not only Maine that is seeing huge runups on recreational properties next to nature.

Of the four dozen properties listed in an advertising section with photos, none were in Maine.

A two-bedroom seasonal cabin on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire was listed at $329,000.

This issue included features about the excitement of building your own cabin.

Log-home companies offered packages ranging from $52,000 to $97,000, though you could certainly find more elaborate plans.

These proposals call on the buyer to actually put together the cabin.

Because I am devoid of building ability (or even skill at processing instructions), I thumbed through these offerings without a trace of interest.

There was one tiny classified ad from Moosehead Lake, Maine, which was marketing cabins and lakefront land.

I plan to look it up at www.lizmunster.com, and see how Maine properties stack up with those in the Midwest.

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