Summer at the Cabin

Summer at the Cabin

The cabin was built in the 1950's when my Great Grandpa rode up there, and it looks like not many repairs have been made since that time. The cabin is about 15 feet by 20 feet, and is made out of pine logs. There are places where you can see between the logs because the chinking is falling out. The cabin faces to the east. It has a small porch that was made by leaving the first four logs of the cabin about six feet longer than the rest. There is a small set of corrals in front of the cabin. There is an old shed to the north of the cabin, and the outhouse is behind it.

The porch has a hole in it where a horse stepped through it when someone forgot to put the chain across the doorway. In the rafters hang old horseshoes that we tack on when one of our horses loses a shoe. Half the porch is cluttered with tools, shovels jacks, chains, shoeing equipment and an axe. The other half is full of firewood.

The only electric thing in the cabin is the phone. Propane or wood runs everything else. There is only one propane light in the cabin. To light the rest we use Coleman lanterns. There isn't any running water in the cabin so we have to haul water.

The floor to the cabin is made out of scrap lumber. It used to be rough, but has been worn smooth with time. There are places where it has rotted out and has been patched. There are also places that have been burned by sparks from the two stoves, and people spilling the ashes. Inside the cabin, behind the door, is a long bench we stack pop, canned stew, and many other things on. In the corner is the dog food, which we keep inside so the squirrels and birds don't get it. However that doesn't stop the mice. At night you can hear them run across the floor and into the sack. We trapped mice for three weeks before we stopped hearing them at night.

A large hand made table is pushed against the left wall of the cabin. This is where we eat and play cards. I also sleep under the table at night because it is the only open space. At each end of the table is a homemade chair, and for the length of the table is an old bench.