Cabin’s 40th Birthday Just Around the Corner

In the summer of 1971, our parents decided to build a cabin up in the mountains of Groom Creek, Arizona.  I remember that Mom, Dad and Grandpa Richens spent a chunk of the summer up there getting the basement excavated, the log walls up, and the roof on.  While we were there this summer, I was noticing the massive logs that cross the length of the inside of the cabin and how high up they were and wondered HOW IN THE WORLD did my parents and my Mom’s 80-year old father accomplish this without the help of cranes and other equipment. 

 

Mom wanted a front porch.  Grandpa and Dad didn’t.  Without them knowing, Mom ordered the logs for the front porch anyway, and we have all been extremely grateful for her foresight ever since.  It has been THE place to hang out and relax, read, visit, eat or (my personal favorite )--  watch thunderstorms.

Going on walks through the forest every day was an accepted part of life at the cabin – except for Dad, who acquired a certain aversion to such activities.  This picture is of pre-aversion-to-exercise days.

I loved the cabin, and spent time there every summer of my life except for when I was on a mission and later when Mom and Dad were in Winnipeg on their mission.  I brought many friends there over the years, but the most exciting one was my newly acquired fiancée in July of 1983.

Back then I wrote in my journal that we spent hours at a time on the motorcycles and that we would wear out before they did.

Had I known then how much my future husband loved to ride motorcycles, I might have wondered if he was marrying me for myself or for my Dad’s unique collection of lovingly maintained motorcycles.

 

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Here’s Dad lovingly maintaining one of the mini bikes.  This is a position I remember seeing him in many times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1152 Wagon Wheel Drive this summer.   Mom has been busy over the years planting all kinds of trees, bushes, vines and flowers.

 

Mom has a unique collection of lovingly maintained chairs – My personal favorite is the yellow and orange striped one.  I’ve collapsed on that chair after many a long fast four-mile walk through the forest.

 

Growing up, there was nothing on the other side of the back door--just a 10 to 12 foot drop to the ground below.  About 11 years ago, Jim was recruited to design the back deck and the construction began.  Many of the extended family helped swing hammers that summer and before long the cabin had expanded significantly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is me being proud of my exquisitely placed nail.

This is Dallin at 13 just before he learned to work with his tongue out the corner of his mouth just like his Grandpa.

  

It was always impressive when you could entice Devin away from his books.

 

I always wondered whose face Darren was visualizing as he pounded that nail.

 

Caryn and Marci helped with the clean up.

 Grandpa’s had this little bee in his bonnet for some time about putting a roof on the back deck.  This summer the little bee prevailed.

 

This was Nathan’s proof of prior experience that secured him the position as Assistant Cabin Deck Roofer.

There must be something that hits Grandpas at 80 that makes them want to do dangerous things in high places.

Loved the view from the deck.

It didn’t take Nathan long on a rooftop in the Arizona sun to remember why he loved summers in Seattle.

 

This is the magical red hat that never dies—note its presence in the picture when he was building the deck 11 years ago.

I have such wonderful memories of breakfasts on the back deck.  Mom always had something good to eat.  One of our favorites was corn meal mush and this was the only place we got it.  Of course, nothing topped “THE CABIN BREAKFAST,” which included eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, and hash browns.

It’s weird to think that when I was this age, I was sitting in that very same nogahide rocker.  It was a point to consider . . . how many noggies had to die for Dad to reupholster that chair?

Pay special attention to the safety-code compliant ladder being used in this picture.  The old wooden steps were decomposing, the nails were rusting and the legs were not even the same length causing it to lean at an angle, but it did classify as “antique.”

 Mike, the policeman next door, must have had a long day at work and didn’t much feel like dealing with another accidental death.  He very graciously insisted they use his ladder as Dad worked three floors up or perched at precarious angles on the edge of the roof.

 

 Nathan actually learned how to smile in the heat.

Temperature-reducing dark clouds were  a beautiful sight to behold.

 

 

Mom is usually right up there working with Dad.  How many nearly 80-year old women have you seen lately nailing boards up on a roof?

 Jamie is nearly 14 and the age that I was when we built the cabin.

When I grow up and get a cabin, I want a piano in it as well.  Jim only had a day or two with us at the cabin this year.  I REALLY missed him.  He flew back home after driving us down.  He didn’t actually just sit there and play the piano while the roof was going up.

 Oh, there’s a lot of history with swings at the cabin over the years.  This is the second one Dad put up in the back  after the famous tire swing in the front was retired several years ago after having lived a long and fruitful life. 

 Rhonda and Art made it down to the cabin recently and were able to get some shots of the deck roof that we never saw completed.  Thank goodness for the Smith men who came up from Mesa and helped Mom and Dad finish after we left.

 Mom says it’s like having another huge room added on.  No more mad dashes for the inside of the cabin with your meal and dishes when it starts to rain.  Ah, nearly a half century of wonderful cabin memories.