“What A Woman” *
*Adam’s comment when he walked into the Grok Hill cabin for the very first time.
Hi Michael….again sorry for the long delay. I actually got out of bed the night I sent you my email to see if you responded because I was worried that my feelings about the cabin would upset you. Well, not upset really…but topple some image of me…or just your romance with the cabin! I was so relieved to get your email back, but, I didn’t have the energy to write back then because I had some dang stomach flu that just hung on and on. Now, Eric’s got it. Brother!Â
Anyway, I laughed at your friend Adam’s comment. I’m happy to accept the compliment, however long ago it was made. You probably don’t remember that I cried when I first saw the cabin (after the hour or so digging out of the ditch, just minutes from our destination).
Really, the shelves probably still have spices Peter and I had stocked. And the white containers on the top shelf are Lic’s ice cream containers from Evansville ( I think) that probably still have 20 year old rice and beans in them. Of course, as Peter reminded me today, those replaced the black containers emptied of rat poison that Ed had reemployed as food storage containers. It took quite a few weeks as I recall for it to dawn on Peter and I (Peter, I believe) that they were indeed originally rat poison containers.Â
I guess I thought from your descriptions of going up there from time to time – reading the journal, etc – that there would be some system in place: fresh water left and dated, some supplies for the weary traveler – crackers, cookies, etc. Maybe closed in shelves (for those items) …and at least one comfortable chair! Two preferably! I couldn’t believe there sat the same broken down lawn chair with some remnant of a pillow and the white metal & canvas chairs Peter and I “sprung” for on our large budget. At 51, I was looking around for some sort of comfortable place to sit down! There was none! What a life! Geez there wasn’t even a log to sit on at the camp fire site.
What happened to Ed’s sewing machine? I couldn’t figure out what was missing under the bunk bed…but I think it was the sewing machine. That’s where Peter sat with his typewriter! Amazing.
Eileen
Rat Poison? Gaak! If I had known that, I’d have thrown the canisters out long ago. The last time I was up at Grok Hill, the sewing machine was still there, but out in the atrium. There were also two relatively comfortable chairs. What could have happened to them?
Some of the stuff in the Grok Hill refuge (not to be dignified as a cabin) actually dates from 1973 when the first couple, Beth & Bob, moved in. They were true refugees, without a pair of wooden nickels to rub together.
Comment by rakkity — November 21, 2006 @ 10:15 am
rak, the way I read it is that the containers REPLACED the rat-poison containers.
Comment by Jennifer — November 22, 2006 @ 4:01 pm
What a Woman? What a Guy! These are lovely recollections…thank you for sharing.
Comment by La Rad — November 23, 2006 @ 8:25 pm