Dear Jennie
I am dessicated with mortification that I caused your irrational fears. Another manifestation of the law of unintended consequences. I’m so sorry.
But it didn’t spoil your whole holiday did it? I didn’t think so.
The spirit of Grandma hustling around is strong sometimes isn’t it. Not scary like ghosts but sweet like _________sweet.
I have been here 6 days and not one wild beast has appeared., not even the naughty squirrel. What’s going on?
I’m going home soon. I can smell the smoke from the “Proscribed Burn”. I’m not scared but it is smoky and stinky. Next week is deer hunting. Bang Bang.
Love to all,
Uncle Jim

Oct 5, 2003

Uncle Jim, that squirrel friend of yours is one bold little fellow! I chased him away from the door countless times, only to have him retreat a pitiful 3 or 4 feet away and plop down in the shade, waiting for me to turn my back. Jason finally took pity on him and and we’re now transfixed watching him eat more of those stale shredded wheat things from the cupboard. I’m sure we’re not doing him any favors. He’s fat as can be! But honestly, I’m just so greatful that is wasn’t the bear that came looking for handouts, that I think I’d be willing to make this little guy a sandwich. We appreciated the warning, and have kept track of all food, food smells and garbage. But I wonder if I might not have enjoyed the weekend a bit more had I not know there was a hungry bear in the vicinity. I sat awake making myself sick with fear (funny how those childhood terrors come back to haunt you) and counting the minutes until daylight so I could run to the outhouse. What a night! I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to see the sun in my whole life.
Besides our pesky and persistent little visitor and my unfortunate battle with irrational fears, we’ve had a truly delightful and refreshing weekend. The weather is just glorious! We’ve waited all year for these cool breezes and autumn colors. The flies are keeping us mostly indoors, but the peace and quiet and cool inside the cabin is wonderful. Jason and I took a walk yesterday to have a look at some of the new roads and other messes they’re making. What is it they’re putting in now – is that cable?! Of all the silly reasons to rip up a road! We did notice that some of the new cabin lots offer some spectactular views. None as lovely as ours of course and they can’t boast of being on the main wildlife thoroughfare to the water hole. Where exactly is Aunt Lu’s other cabin? I couldn’t remember when Jason asked me.

Its so quiet here! No ATVs, no chainsaws, no gunshots. Just the wind in the trees and the creak of the door. The last song the Tabernacle Choir sang today was “O Divine Redeemer”. I don’t know if I ever heard them sing it or if maybe I inherited the sheet music from Grandma and Grandpa Rogers. It seemed quite fitting to fill the air with music they loved in a place they loved. I’m so grateful for this wonderful place they built and that we enjoy so much. Do you think they had any idea how many people would retreat to this cabin to find fun or peace or relaxation?

Next time we come, I hope there are some little children here too. It’s wonderful and relaxing with all this peace and quiet, but somehow it seems more fitting to have a few kids around to make messes and make us all nervous and remind us of our own “first times” at the cabin. (Actually, it’s this crazy squirrel making us think of our rowdy nieces and nephews. He’s got a mischievous look in his eye just like Christian’s)

Thanks to all who made this cabin a possibility for us and have kept it up for all these years. We love it here and relish every chance we get to come! Hope whoever comes next finds everything in order. If not, it wasn’t us!

Jennie (Lee) Maestri

This is PATHETIC. We send you to the finest schools and give you the best education available and you write 7 lines in CRAYON. It is the end of civilization as we know it.

-Uncle Jim

This is the end of the ass chewing. I have events of more force and moment to report.

“A Bear” Sept 28, 29, 30 , Oct 1
This A.M. early I went out to collect faggots for the fire. I was mooching along when a man came out of the bushes holding a coffee cup. He spoke “Have you got your garbage covered up?” This seemed to be a curious thing to say to someone early in the morning that you had never seen before.
My response was – um!
He said, “there is a bear in the neighborhood.” “Whoa Nellie” what good news.
He said that two days ago a bear came to his cabin (Just behind Fox, it is new). The bear walked around a while and left, heading for the Rockin R. He followed the bear. The bear walked around the deck and faunched around a while and then went down the gulch.
He took me up the road toward Odin and there in the dust were bear tracks, as big as my hand. The man said that the bear was this high (a six foot tall man with his arm straight down and hand pointing out). I was very happy. The many went back into the woods.
A while later I was coming home with my faggots and I saw him with a huge fire in the fire pit at 9:00am in the morning. I also saw a monster pile of cut logs right there. He had an embarrassment of log and was having a fire just because he could.
I slowed down and hunched over to make myself look as pitiful as possible. A sorry old man with a miserable packet of faggots.
I wanted him to say “Just a minute old timer, let me bring a few of these logs over to your camp and split them up for you. No need to kill yourself”—it didn’t happen. He didn’t even look up, he just kept peeing in the fire pit.
A curious man, un-generous and no skills whatever in the mind reading department.

Interesting thing “B” – “Explosions”

When I got home yesterday and was reading my book I heard a series of explosions. I thought was the cable tv guys blowing up rocks. I had gone down the gully trail to Lemon Springs looking for bear/lion tracks. At the bottom of the gulch is that camp where no one has been since the last Millenium and at this deserted place was a huge pile of logs just the right length and well seasoned. I thought to myself, “If I were a thief I could take these home, no more faggot chasing.” If I was a thief I would be a lazy one and no way was I going to carry these logs two at a time all the way back up the gulch. I went on feeling very virtuous because I didn’t steal the logs when I could have.
I was just about to the park fence when the explosions began again. This time I knew what it was – black powder rifle deer hunters. They were just up the hill and out of sight. The blasts kept up and seemed to be getting nearer. The I heard rifle shots. Black powder is not scary they don’t go very far. Rifle fire IS scary. They go a very long way. I hustled myself out of the gully up onto the Pacific Coast highway and walked down the middle of the road whistling. I made it home alive. I went to the resort to get water and a cowperson at the water tap told me that her husband had taken out a trail ride and strapped on his side arm. She said the forest ranger had told them that the bear was around and was hungry because there were no berries, and to be careful.
I am presently laying on my chaise lounge and looking as delicious as possible. The plan is to chum the bear close enough to get a look. It takes me 6 seconds to get from the chair to the door. (I timed it) So I am in no (or little) danger – wish me luck.

Next day. No bear, no turkeys, no deer. I think all the explosions sent them scurrying to the park. — However, as the Marlin Perkins of the Ponderosa, I do have a wild kingdom tale to tell.
I was laying on my lounge (what else is new?) and a squirrel came to see me. I’m sure that it was the naughty squirrel of last year who ate all the candy and made a mess. Why I know this is when I went for a walk this morning I left the back door open – when I got back the first thing I saw was that someone had rummaged in the garbage can, but was no longer present. I discovered later that the little bugger had jumped up on the the counter and had taken several handfuls of my butter. The squirrel walked around and looked at me for a while. I had naught for him to eat but I remembered the thousand year old shredded wheat things in the cupboard. I got a handful and placed them on the deck. The squirrel picked one up and nibbled on it, then he jumped off the deck and ran into the fire pit and thrashed around sending ashes flying.
He came and got another wheat thing and jumped off the deck. This time he dug a hole, dropped it in and covered it up. He did this three times then his mother called him and he went home. I went out and marked the hiding places with an arrow on a white rock. The next person to read this can go look for the arrows out in front of the fire pit and dig a small hole and see what you find. Cover it back up though it is probably his winter stash.

Oct 1
I have written in here every day. See how easy it is.
I really like the Pagan Altar thingy out near the toilet. That took a lot of time and talent and skill. It took someone with fabulous parenting skills and a lot of little helpers. It is beautiful, thank you.

It rained much of the day big thunder bumpus and lightning. I feared forest fire until it began to rain no fire could live through that.

I have run out of food – so I’m going to make mac and cheese out of the cabinet. If I don’t die it is okay to eat. I might try some out on that naughty squirrel. He never goes away. I’m afraid to leave the door open at all.

-Uncle Jim

9/13/03
We came and played and ate and laughed –
The jim lee’s
The jon lees
The maestris &
The simmons

9/13/03
Bees! There are lots of bees this trip. Jon got stung twice. Keanon got stung too. Where do they come from?

The Lees, Simmons, & Maestris

Aug 15-20 2003
I have come here to decompress from the stressful life of a party animal. Ihave been on the road or in the air for a month or more. I am pooped. This is the place to re-group and meditate and set new goals and what kind of twoddle am I talking. This is the place to lay around and drink beer and read trashy novels. I you may be assured that I am doing my best to keep up the standard. Thank you very much! Everyone is gone now except for the wild beasts. Mamma turkey and five little ones came strolling down the driveway and down into the gulley. A pretty doe came down a while later but so quietly that I didn’t look up from my book (Harry Potter) until she was almost down the hill. It’s great that this place is on the freeway. I have been staking my delicious self out every day in hopes of attracting the lion who lives nearby. No luck yet. I did see a lion in the tushear mountain last week. I am happy that lions are becoming a presence here. The milky way hasn’t changed a bit in 37 years.

Uncle Jim

July 5 & 6, 2003
Michael & LuAnne Forrest stayed at the cabin. This was the first time Michael had seen the cabins and the first time LuAnne came with a partner! Last night sitting on the lounge chair with a blanket around us looking at the stars, the milky way and counting shooting stars is a memory that will last forever!

LuAnne Forrest

This is what we want to hear – thank you (Uncle Jim)

18 May 2003
There are four entries in this journal for 2002. You are not listening to me. Don’t put the journal in the drawer any more. Leave it on the table with a pen. Please not just a note or something, okay?
I was here once in March and froze myself. This is not the hot news. The hot news is Jonnie was here with Boy Scouts a week before me and spotted a lion. That’s right a lion. Tell about it Jon.
We need to do an update on what is up in the family.
Jon and Jolynn have a new baby. Hannah. Josh and Julie have a new baby. Eric. Jodi and Kyle* have a new baby. Kade. Jennie & Jason lost their baby, which was devastating to us all, but they are faithful, brave and strong and all will be well.
*this person’s name does not begin with “J”! How did he get in here?

14 August 2002

As you reported Auntie Nell, the no-see-ums are here. They have annoyed me but have not made me bitter.
A cultural note: The flowers in the washtub garden were dug up and scattered about. They were not eaten or harmed, just dug up. I cleaned up the massacre site and replanted the flowers. Two looked okay. Two looked not so okay. One was dead. I watered them for three days and I think they will live. To whom it may concern: this record is intended as a history of the cabin. If you look back you’ll see that most of it has been written by one person. This is not how history is done. The observations and comments of only one person skew the history in one direction. Comments by many people with differing viewpoints is what makes history what it is. Correct and encompassing, the history of all participants and not just the gabbiest one.

Uncle jim

July 21,22,23 2002
Important things first.
There was a whole heard of Bighorn Sheept strolling down the wash next to the road in the park. One big daddy, some mothers with small kids and a few teenagers. I got out and sat on the edge of the wash and watched them mooch along eating some nasty looking dry grass. For some reason the people in cars on the road couldn’t see them, so I had them all to myself.

There are a gazillion people at the resort but no one at all in the outback, just me and the lizards (so far).

I hiked down the draw to Lemon Springs and saw a remodel job near where you go through the fence in to the park. That raggedy old place looks almost as cool as the Rockin R. There is an outhouse not to be believed, a flush toilet, sink, shower and a really cool deck. But no water that I could see.

I went into the park (not to worry, I had bread crumbs this time). I got as far as the sawmill and it was so sad that I turned back, “Sic Transit Gloria.” The umpteenth re-incarnation of the cabin is really great, good for another 30 years at least. The only problem I had was that I needed grandma gear to pull out of the rock pile out front. Without 4 wheel drive I would have been doomed.

Day II
To whom it may concern:
This next observation comes under the heading “Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”
The last time the silverware drawers were cleaned out (in the early 90’s I think), they were cleaned out by me. At that time and under a different roof, mousepoop was a compelling entity. Everything was taken out and washed and fresh newspaper was fitted into the drawers. I do not wish to suggest that the drawer cleaner is un-hygenic but I do wish to complain that the person has no sense of history. What is more exiciting or compelling that reading 15 year old newspapers in the bottom of the forks? I am well aware that the information age is swirling all around me, and that machinery is where its at. And that the new yuppiescan see in only one direction – forwardd. It may be that you are missing something. I feel free in making this grumpy observation because I have known all of you since birth (spouses not included) And I know that you have been raised to respect your elders, no matter how annoying. You know that Uncle Jim loves you and will continue to love you although you behave in strange and incomprehensible ways.
-uncle jim

Wow! Holy Cow! Oh my gosh! I think I’m gonnna cry!
Came up to the cabin late last night because Jon called and said he’d left Dad up here and I needed to come get him. I didn’t even know they’d gone to the cabin.

What an incredible surprise to find the cabin chores from the 20 years Done! I mean everything was done! The drywall was taped and painted in both cabins, there was a stone firepit built in the backyard. A new deck built! Gravel in the driveways. A cover on the couch. The drawers in the kitchen cleaned out and re-organized. Cute new red, white and blue bed spreads in the main cabin, a new Barbeque, the toybox painted and loaded with toys. New pillows on the couch and even new moulding up in the honeymoon cabin. The carpet laid down in the teen cabin! A new king size bed, sand in the horseshoe pit and a new step by the back door signed by Travis! Did I miss anything? Gosh thanks everybody. I know you all care about the cabin, but it means a lot to us that you care enough to do something about it.

Love ya,
Mom and Dad