May 21, 22,23 and perhaps forever (see notes)
My car broke down and was towed away to Orderville. I have not seen it since. The wind has blown for three days it has rained one day and it has been cold ALL days. There was no wood in the wood box. There was no wood anywhere. Roald Admonsen had it better. The door fell off the oven, the wind destroyed the shower, the naughty squirrel ate my last piece of candy. I am a bitter old man.

Uncle Jim

4/7/02

Here writes engaged couple number 3 in attendance at the cabin this weekend. Jana & Phil, Jennie, Jason, Annalee, Tim & our fearless chaperones, Nellie & Roland are here this weekend enjoying sunshine & the good word as we listen to conference. We have been treated to fabulous food as usual, but the funnest treat was having Jim, Barbara, Kayson, Christian, and Keanon join us for the weekend. Saturday afternoon, we payed our dues by doing a work project… moving rocks to spruce up the driveway. Saturday night the boys left for Springdale to attend the Priesthood session and be treated to dinner at the Switchback. We women had ladies night in and played Frisbee, Pass the Pig, discussed more wedding details and then all konked out on the couch waiting for our boys to return. Wild Bunch! Oh! One forgotten event. Friday night dance festival in the big cabin, accompanied by Dad on his guitar. We were favored with the Roland and Nellie Cha Cha and the Rockin R Waltz and a Toe-stomping (literally) attempt at line dancing by Jennie, Jason, Jana and Phile. I think Phil had a good initiation to cabin life and craziness, complete with pictures on the swing. Jason too.

Jana Lee

November 5th, 2001

I have been here for 3 days. I brought my painting clothes to finish the deck. I didn’t.

It is very peaceful here. There is nobody anywhere. – Not exactly true. I went to the resort to get water and there was a car parked in front. Later I was mooching down the Pacific Coast Highway and the resort bus came up. The man had taken hikers out to Observation Point.

He was very nice, he said that he was the whole winter staff and if I needed anything or any help he lived down by the horse corral and I could find him there. I guess I looked a little elderly and feeble to be wandering around alone.

What I saw!—
A ton of deer. When I came out the door this morning, a spike buck was coming down the road. I have seen many does and fawns. I am thinking that it may be because all the leaves have fallen. They may have been going by all around but the thickets around the cabin are very deep. Two things I saw that were strange. Walking down towards the park entrance for Cable Mountain, I saw three turkeys, except one of the looked very different. The same general shape, a long neck and a small head. The same size as the turkeys but a much lighter color. I thought at first it was a mutant, but it was too different. And I didn’t get that good a look. After while it came to me. I think it was a pea hen. I made up this romantic story about how the beautiful pea hen fell in love with a macho tom turkey and ran away from her family at the Fly-in Ranch into the wilds with her lover. It was a sweet story. Something else that I saw was not so sweet. Last night at about one hour after dark (I have no clock so I don’t know time) But it gets dark early in November. In the east (I guess) sky before the moon rose the sky was bright red. Like a huge pool of red light, the sky shimmered and waved. The color faded and came back, the stars shone through it. It got very large then faded slowly away. By moon rise it was gone. Spooky things like blood red skies make a powerful impression if you are alone in the forest and nobody within miles around. But I am not such a scaredy cat. So what if I went to bed early and pulled the covers up over my head.
Uncle Jim (Aikens)

October 27, 2001
Today we celebrated the first annual Roland Lee Family reunion. We all arrived Friday evening and had a yummy fajita dinner provided by Jodi & Kyle (Simmons) & Jennie. Jon, Jolynn, Travis, and Alyssa slept in the newly fixed up teen cabin. Grandpa Roland & Gramma Nellie in the honeymoon cabin, and Jim, Barb, Christian, Kayson, Jodi, Kyle, Jennie & Jana slept in the main cabin. Saturday morning we woke up to a great cabin breakfast and the smell of bacon provided by Jon and Jolynn. Jana made a huge “Lee Family Reunion” banner and we all put our handprints on it and signed our names. Then we hung it up along the east side of the main cabin and took family photos. Gramma was in charge of the fun and games. We played penny-toss, neckin’ apples, life saver pass, egg-spoon relay, hanging donut chow, and a special festive torch relay. We also did a “pledge allegiance” to the flag. The kids had fun eating treats, playing in the back of grandpa’s truck, swinging on the swing & playing in the hammock. Then we had lunch provided by Jim & Barb & then Jon & Jolynn had to head home to get ready for the rest of our festivities there. Tonight’s plans include Travis’ birthday party, pumpkin carving, and a BYU football game.

Other events of great significance: We had a rummy tournament Friday night and the winners were: 1st game – Gramma Nellie, 2nd game: Jon – this is the first time anyone can remember Jon winning a rummy game, so we felt it needed to be recorded.

Jim Lee

October 2001

We (The Lee Family and Friends) have been here several times this month – not to relax and enjoy – but to repair and renew. Let me list for you the things we done this month:
1. Trimmed windows and soffitt on teen cabin (Jon and Roland did that one Monday afternoon)
2. Put in threshold and seal up door on teen cabin
3. Add furring strips and finish up trim
4. Spackle and seal trim joints – (that was taken care of by Jodi, Jennie, Jana and friend Jason)
5. PUT NEW GREEN METAL ROOF ON TEEN CABIN (Hooray for Roland, Kyle, Jon, Jason, Jennie, Jana and Jodi)
6. Replace facia on Honeymoon Cabin
7. Added trim to seal up inside Honeymoon Cabin
8. Leveling, raking, wall building, and general beautification of entrance (Nellie, Jana, Jolynn & Travis)
9. Fixed door on outhouse – covered with plywood.
10. While we had the generator here, we took the opportunity to vacuum everywhere

Now, other than a few paint jobs, we feel confident that the cabins are ready to stand another winter. Next time we come to the cabin, we can relax and enjoy!

Nellie 10/23/01

I Kyle Simmons with my partner Jodi Simmons witnessed a family of four wild turkeys migrating eastward through camp on the 17th day of August, 2001. I tried to approach them for a more thorough inspection but was unable to catch them.

Kyle Simmons

10 July 2001

When you come to the end of a perfect day. I got here last night at about 6 o’clock. Unloaded. Ate a cheese sand. Laid the fire and went to bed.

11 July. I woke up at daybreak and went about my assigned duties. I got water from the resort & washed my face. Got the paint and roller and brush and dived in. I surfaced several hours later, sweaty, painty, and triumphant. The deck was painted (almost) 3 gallons didn’t quite make it. Sorry Rol. Freshly showered and rested (I took a long nap). Dinner is coming up. Wild rice salad from Katarina’s birthday party, grilled chicken breast, rye toast, Pot a fu and milk.
*of special interest to Analee: My wildlife buddy. Today a turkey family crossed the road ahead of me. The babies are getting big but still look like gangly teenagers. A large grey raptor that I did not recognize came barreling across the yard about a foot from the ground. He could have been chasing something. I don’t know, but he pulled up in a Ponderosa close to the gully and sat for a while. When he flew off he made a sound like Kreeeee. Grey with a black tail, white breast, and white under his wings.

I had set the table for my dinner. On the table was bread and butter. I had gone back around to see how the chicken was coming on the charcoal cooker. When I returned that bad boy squirrel who ate the candy and made the mess was scarfing down the butter in huge mouthfuls, He loved it so much I practically had to swat him off the table. He is way tame and very brave.

It was almost dark I could hardly see the page. I just happened to look up. There was a turkey family. Mom & Dad and two teenagers ambling down the road under the swing and down the gully. Cool as you please.

The milky way is dazzling. There is no moon at all but I can almost see by the astounding starlight. I got up several times last night to view the stars, and other reasons best left undisclosed.

Having completed my tasks I moved a few rocks and read “P is for Peril” which was exciting and scary and as usual, I didn’t guess who dunnit. I also have a biography of Hitler. It is a daunting 115 pages. If I get my nerve up I might go for a walk tomorrow if I can round up enough white pebbles. It’s still scary our there.

I walked to the corner of Cedar and Oden that was far enough. I took the wheelbarrow with me and picked up fire wood. The new configuration of the cabin is…austere.

The new rock entry is fabulous! The taper didn’t make it I’m sorry we were on a roll there. I hope it doesn’t hold things up too much.

Note. At least 1 more gallon of paint for the deck and many many for the bunkhouse.

Love Uncle Jim

4 July 2001
To continue our family tradition of spending July 4th at the cabin, Roland, Nellie, Jon, Jolynn, Travis, and Alyssa packed up and headed up the mountain. With flags taped to his toy tractor, Travis led Alyssa in a little parade around the cabin. We also had a great “cabin breakfast.”

Jon and Roland turned their day of peace and relaxation into one of sweat and hard work. The made major progress moving big rocks at the entrance, and building a rock wall. It was amazing to see the big rocks they could move with a tow rope and a truck. Thanks guys – way to go!

-Nellie

Fathers Day Project
June 23 2001

What a wonderful Fathers Day gift from my kids!! My dear children wanted to help me fix up the cabin and came up with a wonderful present. They all pitched in and gave me a check for $1650 and a solid day’s labor. I about cried because it really opened the door to getting a lot done this year.

We decided to invite all the cabin lovers to join us for a work day, and had the most wonderful experience together. Nellie and I went up Friday and me the delivery truck from Kanab which was loaded with sheetrock & insulation to finish both the main cbain and the teen cabin. My truck was loaded from a trip to the rental store with a generator, scaffolding, and a sheetrock hoist.

Saturday morning we got started before 7am, waking everyone up for the long day’s work! Kyle and Jodi, Jennie, Tim, and Jana all pitched in to start pinning up insulation. I had already finished the framing work on Friday so we set right in. Daniel was our human calculator.

Soon Jon arrived, then Jim, Aunt Barb and Joshua. Everyone worked their hearts out all day long and I was beaming with euphoria all day. In the spirit of an old “barn raising” we got so much done I couldn’t believe it. When the day ended, we had completely insulated both cabins, and had most of the sheetrock screwed to the walls and ceilings. Uncle Jim headed up the painting crew and completely finished the main cabin so it shined with its new coat of fresh red paint.

Nellie & I went back up Monday and worked for a couple more days finishing the windows and details work on the sheetrocking.

I am a HAPPY MAN!
-Roland

Our good friends Joe & Evy Braun from New Jersey visited the cabin along with their son Joe B. and his girlfriend Michelle. Avid Zion lovers, they had planned a hike to Deer Trap Mountain. They met us at the Ponderosa Resort that morning and we had a good visit, along with a tour of the cabins before they left on their hike.

We took them to the trailhead at the park boundary and sent them off for their day’s adventure and we drove them down to Orderville to church. Afterwards Nellie & I enjoyed a peaceful quiet afternoon resting at the cabin. We met them later that night at the hotel in Springdale for a wonderful dinner and a couple of hours “catching up” on the news and sharing some good laughs.

It’s a wonderful time to be able to share the gift of the cabin with our good friends as well as so many family members.

-Roland

5 June 2001
This is not the first cabin trip of the season. I came in late April and the fami-lee came and painted. This journal was misplaced and only recently surfaced. I pulled in at about 4:00. The air was warm & still. I unpacked my stuff, tidied up. I put the chairs outside, cut wood for a breakfast fire, filled the shower and now I am on the deck looking out across Cedar Breaks.

The clouds are backlit and stately and white.
Sailing from blue day to
Star spangled night
Conquistadors ships bearing
Rich Inca treasures
To decadent kings
With decadent pleasures

Since I have been inducted into the “pretty nearly dead poets society of St. George Utah” I have been thinking in metaphor. It is interesting and more fun than “really pretty” and “awesome”. These poets are old. I’m pushing 70 and they call me Gen X. I sat on the deck for a long time like Madame Butterfly behind the screen, waiting, watching. No sight no sound of beating wings no gobbles or chirps. Dark, darker, darkest nothing. Went to bed unhappy.

6th of June – A day of infamy:
I cannot believe that I did it again: I am calmer now and collected and ready to speak. This A.M. for my walk I steered away from the havoc of the machines of incredible destruction. The rape and pillage of my beloved forest made me cry. I took the high road. Up the Pacific Coast Highway where the earth as God made it.

Going along I saw a track that made me leap backwards. I thought it was Tyrannosaurus Rex. (Remember Jurassic Park) but upon closer scrutiny it turned out to be a turkey track, a big one, really big. It was near a little family enclave with rocking houses and play houses a place with children. Anyway, I saw a movemenet out of the corner of my eye so I crept down the drive. I didn’t see anything at first, but old Uncle has learned turkey ways. I saw him hunkered down in the brush. I tippy-toed a little closer, but I forgot the bells on my shoes. That bad boy burst out flapping and thrashing he flew straight over my head. He was so huge that he blanked out the sun for two minutes. All the birds began to to go to sleep. He could hard haul his massive self up and he glided down the gully and out of sight. That pumped me up and I hustled right along. Soon I came to the Observation Point gate. I looked around and then came out heading home. I went back as far as the “Nuckles” sign. Then I had to go the bathroom (this is news?) and I could see an empty tootie-wah in a camp just down the road. I knew the people wouldn’t care if I availed myself of the facilities. It was a cool place. It looked like a dutch windmill, eight sides with blue shingles and and windows on all sides. And toilet paper. I came back out to fir road. I knew fir road, it came out near coes so I went down past Nuckles. There were a lot of Nuckles. 4 trailers and 5th wheels and pickups. A clothesline and an accursed generator. No one was in sight. They were all in air conditioned comfort watching (probably unsuitable) television. A pox on this trailer trash. Why don’t they stay home and watch tv. We come here to hear the wendigo walk on whispering moccasins through the treetops, not NNNNNNNNNNNN of generators.

I kept on walking and there was much to see. A whole field of yellow tulip-like flowers that I had never seen before, yellow daisies and tons of blue lupin, this was a good road through beautiful country, a black and white snake sleeping in the dusty road, but I began to get this itchy feeling, there were no signs, no cabins, no nothing. But it was a good road going somewhere so I kept on. I was getting a little tired and thirsty.

After a l o n g time I came over a hill and saw something that I had never seen before. This place looks pretty much like this place all over the place so it is hard to know if you have been here before. Well, I knew that I had never been here. It was a large building fallen to ruin. It was made of wood, sawn wood, the big thick kind of boards from a long time ago. It had fallen in upon itself but I went down to look closely. The nails were square, all around the place were old rusty tin cans, and broken bottles, I brought a bottle home. I had never been here before I could not guess what the building had been used for. Now I am alarmed. I had started out at 8:00 according to my boy scout clock it was now 12:00 by my boy scout clock and I was thirsty and my feet hurt and I was LOST. I had not gone through the fence, I never had left the road. I had no idea where I was. However, this was a good road with tire tracks it must go somewhere, so I kept on for a while longer. The you can never guess what I saw, can you? No. A round-about. That is correct, a round-about. It went down the hill, around a very large ponderosa and right back up the road that I had just come down. My heart sank. I walked out through the trees away s and came to a huge, red cliff, which dropped about a hundred feet. There is no place like this near the Rocking R.

I had to go back up this road. I was very hot. No shirt, thirsty, no water and delusional. No drugs (that is another story). I thought Mother Nature mistook me for the jerk with the generator and led me out here to die. If I die, the generator dies, BIG WRONG MOM. Then I thought, if I die and the wild beasts drag my bones away I will still be identifiable because of my titanium steel knee which will survive until the galaxies flicker out and grow cold. Archealogists in the year 2525 will be perplexed by me. The prospect of immortality did not cheer me up. I was practically hysterical. Then I saw something that cleared my head. Turkey tracks. Big turkeys and all around and all over little turkey tracks. A family outing going down the road ahead of me. I knew I could go on. I was watching my own tracks in the dust so as not to wander off some dangerous byway. I looked up and there was Observation Point sign. I went the way from there that seemed entirely wrong to me and I ended up on the Pacific Coast highway.

I can do up and down, left and right are hard but I can figure them out. North, South, East and West are impossible. I got home at last. I drank all the water in the house, took off my heavy, sweaty boots, and everything else, drank more water, fell on the bed and slept until just now.

Some time has passed. I have now had a warm soapy shower and a cool rinse in the fabled shower with a view. I washed my hair and cleaned my teeth and I have a fresh clean lava lava. I am presently preparing my dinner. Food is a big item at the cabin.

Mi sie tonight we have sausage and cheese omelettes with catsup garnish and sourdough toast points (with the crusts cut off*). For dessert, cantaloupe chunks with peanut butter, honey and chocolate dipping sauce and a large flagon of cold milk.

“I have received of the Lord, that which I also delivered.” (Corinthians 11:23). I was lost and now I’m found. I’m well aware that my excellent life and the fact that I endure is due to the grace of God. I am eternally grateful.

I also know that due to circumstances I am also the weakest link.

Goodbye

*the four major food groups in real time are:
sugar
salt
chocolate
and grease
I’m gonna live forever!

Uncle Jim