My grandparents had some land in the mountains of Utah, and in the early 1950's they built a cabin there. They did most, if not all, of the work themselves.
Now when I say "cabin" I am not talking about a one room rustic box. This was a two story, five bedroom, one bath log cabin on the river. It even had a dishwasher and garbage disposal. (It also had a Bat living upstairs at one point, but that's a post for another day).
After the first couple of years they realized they wanted a patio in the front (there was already a nice one in the back overlooking the river) so they tore out the bay window and built a covered patio. But they still had the problem of only one bathroom. They had large parties and a lot of family. One bathroom just wasn't enough. So they built an outhouse. Yes, an outhouse.
From the front patio they built a covered stone pathway to the "outhouse". From the day it was finished it became the "facility of choice" for every visitor. My grandmother had a wonderful sense of humor and designed the building herself. The fixtures were ornate gold, the chandelier crystal, and the flooring and counter top had real gold flakes suspended in them. And of course the room was quite large with a shower, two sinks and a toilet. But the fun part, and so typical of my grandmother, was the wallpaper. It was little drawings of a Victorian woman in an antique bathtub, or wrapped in a towel, painting her toenails, etc.
That's where I got my love of the country. I grew up in the city, but spent every summer at the cabin. Rivers, mountains, and Aspen trees. Hunting, fishing, and learning to shoot. Pot-guts, Chipmunks and Deer. And learning to drive the jeep. The pink jeep. (Someday I'll do a post just on that jeep!)
The picture above shows the original cabin in winter. I was never there in winter although my brother often was. Inside that large bay window was a seat with storage underneath it. The seat lifted up and on one side my Grandfather stored extra wood for the fire. The other side was filled with toys and games.
There was a large old player piano that we all learned to play and sing along with. That piano is now in my Mothers house and will someday belong to my younger sister.
This picture shows the new patio as well as the pink teeter-totter and wishing well. To the left of the cabin is the covered walkway to the outhouse. You can see part of it behind the teeter-totter.
This shows part of the outhouse building. Someday I will ask my Mom if she has any pictures of the inside. It would be nice to record them here for the family to share and remember. The cabin now belongs to my cousin, whom I have not spoken with in many years. Sadly, my grandchildren will never get to experience the cabin that holds so many of my life's memories. I would have loved to share it with them the way that my Grandmother shared it with me. Hopefully this blog will give them a glimpse into the past.
More to come!
