Way back in the early eighties, my brother, Peter, and his then girlfriend, Eileen, lived in Ed’s cabin on Grok Hill in Gilsum for four years, through three winters. They’ve both moved on, but here’s Eileen recounting her first visit back in eons.

“We borrowed a motorcycle from his friend, Bob, and biked all around the Keene area that I used to know. It was just wonderful…those windy country roads covered with trees in Fall colors. One of those two days we biked into Gilsum and then into Gilsum woods.

It was just as I remembered it…..Beech trees with yellow leaves covering the roads. It was such a good feeling to be able to point the way….know the way without thinking about it. The road into Grok Hill looked a little different because of the shed and tires, etc of the guy who bought the place at the main road there…and the old truck gone in the corner of where we always parked. We did meet the guy who lives at the main road there and talk to him on the way out. He seemed like he knew of Peter and Eileen – that was nice.

The cabin looked great from the outside….clearly you all have kept it in good shape….but I hate to say it…I was really taken aback at how dirty and unchanged the inside was. The cabin just cried out for occupants…it was hard for me to see the remnants of Peter and my life still occupying the shelves…unadorned, unchanged…mostly dirty and forlorn looking. The tiny-ness of the interior didn’t really surprise me…but the rest did. I found Peter’s recorder still there, odd books and shells and pictures….I felt like I wanted to come back for a week and scrub the whole place down and breathe some life into it. But, then I felt it wasn’t possible…it needs some occupants…or it needs to be made into a tool shed and a new cabin built. I hope that doesn’t sound terrible!

The guy at the bottom of the hill told me that he heard that Ed was moving to Colorado. Is that true? You should buy Grok Hill, Michael, if that’s true. You should buy it and build that house in the woods that you dream about! You could build at the old garden, if it is too difficult to get up to that knoll with any equipment. And you should bring in a propane tank for a cook stove and water from the well – with many filters! You don’t have to make it too “normal” with electricity, etc….but you could certainly build a more livable, usable space for you and Di and Matthew in the years to come.

It was sad for me to see Peter’s platform overlooking the orchard, fallen down…going back to the earth….also the garden fence and the shower. It was mostly sad for me….it all looked bereft of life…when it held so much life…and for me still some of my most vivid memories. Though as I said, clearly you’ve kept the cabin standing! And, I couldn’t remember for sure, but it seemed like the outside looked more finished. But even the out house looked sad. I don’t know…I really felt like going back for a week by myself and cleaning it all up…but….as I already said, I think really it needs a new young hopeful couple to breathe in new life. And I know it doesn’t take long for the mice and chipmunks to move back in with it unoccupied….but somehow I wished it was changed some….me who doesn’t like change! And, probably if it had been, I would have had my feelings hurt! Ha! ha!

So…that was my experience of Gilsum… “