Team Building and a Treasure Box...

We spent another day at the cabin...  We are trying to do all that we can on the "demo" upfront, to help save a bit on cost.  And even though it is very hard work, I know we are going to look back on the experience and feel good about doing it this way.  We are making some good family memories - sort of a "team building" experience.  I know we will look at specific areas of the cabin (in the future) and say: "remember when we had to..." 

Today, we made the trek up while it was snowing (it was really pretty with a light dust of snow falling on the Salmon River.)  Grandma Bonnie was in town so she was able to go up too, and see what a "crazy" mess it is right now!  We finished getting all the tack strips out and also removed the river room carpet.  We found plywood sheets under the carpet in the river room and decided to get them out (getting rid of anything we can that will help improve it for the long-haul!)  Underneath that though, we found it was very black - at first thought it might be a tar/glue, but then ended up wondering if it had been part of the fire (it seemed sort of like charcoal and burned.)  Not sure...  I sure wish I could ask my dad about so many things...

We also got brave enough to open up a hole to view the space under the house (living room.)  We were searching for smells, the source of dirt, and whatever else we could find.  I have to admit I was a bit freaked out to open it up, but I took the vent off, removed the stair and Samuel and I just "went for it."  We really only found a pillow (?) that we pulled out of there!  Odd.

Anyway - in the mail, we also received a "treasure" box of papers from my mom.  Deeds, land plots, pictures, work contracts, etc.  I LOVE THIS STUFF!  I could sift through things for hours and read all the details:  people, addresses, family signatures, my dad's handwriting on so many documents, etc..  

She also found some of the old comic books!  We had 2 stacks (from my memory) of REALLY cool, old comic books.  My sister and I would spend hours reading through them.  They were a part of the "cabin history" and so neat that mom still had some of them.  They will be making their way back up to the mountain!

Also... she sent some pictures from the past.  Bitter-sweet, as my dad is in each one.  I wish we could be in this project together - it's how it probably should have been.  And maybe the reason this cabin adventure means so much to me - and why it has to be done absolutely right.

Ruby, Ann, John, Frank

John Frederick Wilkens

(Wow - it easily could be Luke Frederick Wilkins!)

John Frederick Wilkens

Dad and me...  maybe around 1995?  Dad was having trees limbed up at both cabins.

2/26/17:  River Room carpet/flooring removal

2/26/17:  Getting under the house to figure out dirt, smells, and whatever else we could find!

2/26/17:  No more carpet, so had to create a comfy spot with blankets!

President's Day Demolition!

When our weekend started, we had no intention of spending two days at the cabin...  but late last night, we decided we would give it another go.  We could either spend it at home, (on a rain-filled day) thinking of things to do to with the kids - or we could go to the cabin (on a rain-filled day) ripping out carpets.  So, given we are trying to "own this" project, and save as much money as we can by doing it ourselves - we decided to be productive. 

10-15 years ago, this would have been an EASY, no brainer-choice, but I have to say...  we are feeling the pain of the efforts thus far (the Tylenol, Advil and vino are a requirements by the time we get home!)  :-)

"If I was proud of the kiddos yesterday - I was even more proud of them today."

They are all earning their stake in this cabin, that is for certain.  The pictures were not "posed" - they were very real.  I just have to remember to grab my phone on occasion to capture the memories (this story is way too important not to do so.)

Today the kids and I ripped up the carpet/tack strips in the dining room, and ripped up the carpet in the bedroom, while Joe removed the "awful" stinky carpet in the "outbuilding."  I discovered a hole in the bedroom closet (foundation gap to the outside) so we got that boarded up, until we can permanently fix it.  We also came up with a creative way to fix a window (after making a quick trip to Thriftway for a box of screws!)  On the way, we drove past camp Arrah-Wanna... one day we will give the kids the full tour.  :-)

It was a good day.  We are thankful we are able to keep this cabin in the family.  Thankful for the opportunity to bring it back to life.  Thankful for something that gives us really good time together as a family (and that no one really cares - or can hear- when there are fights, yelling and "hangry" children!) 

Removing carpet in the outbuilding...  a tough job (not to mention gross!)

Ripping out the dining room carpet

Good Effort Day...

Very tired tonight (maybe exhausted is even the right word), but also feeling good about the effort we put in today.  I think my favorite part was that the kiddos truly wanted to participate too.  I kept getting the question "what do I do next, mama?"  So, we ALL gave a bit of sweat-equity today, and it felt good.  Joe worked on the roof some more (this is quite a project!)  And I tore out all of the living room carpet, and removed all of the staples/tack strips.  I also tested some paint colors, kept the "snacks coming" and killed a few more bugs.

I wish I would have taken more pictures of Joe on the roof.  It sounded like he should have a "spotter" next time, given he said it was almost comical - as he barely caught himself from falling off the roof - not to mention when a ladder almost hit our car.  (Samuel wondered what that loud crash was!)  😲  The pitch of the garage roof is pretty steep!

We took a break to take the kids down to the river - officially our "first" family walk to the river, so that was fun!  We searched for rocks, found some good walking sticks, and even had a friendly dog keep us company...  A nice break from the work.

On our way home, we stopped in Sandy and had pizza at Paola's Pizza.  I hadn't been there in so long - a great place.  Most of the crowd was stopping for dinner after a long day of skiing - but we didn't feel any less accomplished!  :-)

It is extremely hard to get things accomplished with efficiency, when there are three children along for the journey (and I won't say it's a walk in the park - they are competitive siblings, who cause our blood pressure to rise... often!)  But I also know this is all about family - and everything we do will impact their work-ethic, attachments, and memories. 

... And, when asked about the best part of his day, Samuel said:

"pulling up the carpet staples with mama." 

That put a forever-smile on my heart. 

Rachel - Clearing around the patio

Working hard!

Everyone contributed...

Walk to the river

Carpet, pad, staples and tack strip - GONE!  YAY!

Paola's Pizza (Sandy, OR) - Pizza Face Luke!  :-)

Saturday Thoughts... A few updates.

1983:  The Wilkens Four, Plus AJ and Becky (cousins!)

We are heading up to the cabin tomorrow.  This household is very excited about it...  we mention "the cabin" and the kiddos are talking non-stop about it.  So that warms my heart.

• We are going to head up after the 8am church service tomorrow, and spend the whole day up there.  We have lists upon lists - more roof cleaning, attempts at ripping out carpet, cleaning the laundry area, pressure washing, etc...  not exiting things, but the stuff that comes first.
• We received a card from my aunt in the mail this week.  In it, came some very special items, and helped validate this cabin journey.
• Received a folder from mom that had a bunch of history and data.  I LOVE being able to go through the documents, receipts.  I also love seeing my dad's hand-writing.  And he often used my grandfather's notepads to take his notes.  Pretty cool.
• We met with a contractor who has given us "hope" - given our skills are about 1% of what my dad could handle... (he was capable of figuring out and doing anything.)
• Joe and I dug through a "few" photo albums and found a couple of pictures that we thought would be fun to share (see below.)
• I will try to post more tomorrow, after our trip... 

Cousins:  AJ, Jill and Becky

Playing in the Salmon River:  Christy and Jill

Salmon River - Jill

Grandpa Fred's notepad - used by my DAD for note taking.

Cabin key chain sent from my aunt!

Clean Up Process: Not Sure Where to Start.

Today, 2/11/2017 – we spent the day at the cabin (as we did last weekend.)  Joe worked on cleaning the roof/gutters (a mega-job), removing cable lines, and trying to figure out priorities.  I cleaned nasty cob webs (but admit that I had to call Joe in to deal with a big spider), tried to keep "the fam" content with snacks (out of a cooler - because, keep in mind we have NO appliances up there.)  I got the bleach out and cleaned the bathroom, kitchen cabinets, dirty doors, and then decided to “go for it” and rip up some of the carpet in the living room, to see what was under there.  I was DELIGHTED to find the original hardwoods!  It looks like it is just in the living room area, but this means we have another “original” part of the cabin to cherish.  (And given Joe and I would choose hardwood’s over any other flooring – we were thrilled!)  We also met with a plumber, a locksmith, and a local contractor (who might be just the person we need to help us with this crazy don't-have-a-clue-where-the-money-is-coming-from project!)

Joe and I took some time to reflect on the day.  We are tired, but it was good.  We know we will make the most of this cabin.  It takes an hour to get there – and once we are able to stay the night, it will be pretty cool (the kids can’t wait!)  The river is beautiful…  We will have hiking, trout fishing, the alpine slide, sky chairs, huckleberry picking, Sandy mountain festival, Timberline lunches, breakfasts at the Tollgate Inn, visits to camp Arrah Wanna pizza at the ZigZag Inn, etc. 

And pretty cool, given these things have been a part of our family forever (we just had some gaps in the timeline.)  But this family is “all in!”

So… there was this little white cabin.

 It is nothing fancy.  It’s quite simple.  But I think that’s also what makes it so special.  It is calm.  Peaceful.  Quiet. 

... And this little cabin has given me enough inspiration to start a blog again.  And I think for me, documenting a story is important.  Maybe nothing will ever come of it, but maybe someday, someone will discover what was written - and find simple joy in it.  I wish that I had some more history about this little white cabin – the kind of stories that go deep, and help the walls talk.  I would immerse myself in journals, pictures, and memories of the past.

The funny thing is - it's our family cabin.  It was built by my great-grandfather, Frank E. Fortner, in 1948 (his wife was Ruby.)  It was the first of two cabins that were in our family, right next to each other.  As the story goes, my grandma Doris (dad’s side) and her husband (John Frederick Wilkens) + two kids (my dad, John, and aunt Carol) were somewhat cramping my great-grandparents style, and were told to go “build their own cabin… over there.”  And so my grandfather did, in 1952.  So there were two family cabins, along the Salmon River:  one white cabin, and one brown cabin – right next to each other.

The brown cabin brings back all sorts of memories for me – and it’s funny, as I haven’t thought about the depth in my mind, for years:  Amazing Christmas vacations, the smell of fire & must, the sound of the river, a small play area upstairs, knotty pine, coloring books, old comic books, and absolutely no TV.  We did a felt nativity story every Christmas…  We worked on puzzles, went on river walks, built dams (when no one cared that you were messing with the fish habitat), found slugs, skipped rocks, and enjoyed mom’s wonderful breakfasts.  For some reason, my dad “deemed” my sister and me old enough to make fires each morning, which was always a treat.  I studied for college exams, built a Christmas train set with dad, played for hours in the playroom with my sister.  We got stuck there during a “several day” power outage due to the ice storm one year, and I remember the candles, the fires, and dad working like crazy to get ice off of the roof and keep working to keep the pipes from freezing.

But even with my incredible memories, I am far removed from the memories of my dad, mom, and aunt, who could write a book of recollections up there.  My grandpa carved around each river rock on the fireplace, with a handsaw, for the mantle.  The railing on the balcony was a "W" for Wilkens.  My dad proposed to my mom at the brown cabin, and my dad even knocked out a wall one “evening” when they realized it wasn’t going to be big enough for everyone (the addition turned out to be the “sleeping room.”)  My mom remembers my grandma giving them the “luxury” of sleeping in – and being able to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee and music playing on the record player.   We kept a book up there and everyone who visited would write in it – pretty cool, pretty special, because EVERYONE took time to write in it.


The brown cabin was sold in 2004, after my grandma passed away.  Not an easy decision, but it gets pretty complicated with multiple families/generations are involved… and the upkeep isn’t easy when one sibling lives 6 hours away, and the other in Alaska.

So… back to the white cabin, which was purchased by my parents, when I was new to the world.  As the records go, I think it was in 1972.  My “savvy” dad used it as an investment – so it has been rented out since that time.  And that worked out great because my grandma shared the brown cabin with ANYONE who wanted to stay up there (which I think was pretty cool – now that I understand the logistics of that.)  So the brown cabin was the “hang-out” place.  While staying there, my dad would always go over and work on the white cabin – fix issues, clean gutter, etc.   Joe even helped my dad re-roof it one year.

In 1994 (I think) – the white cabin burned from the inside – but somehow put itself out (it was so air tight.)  I remember it was my first year working at Intel, and my dad called me.  Joe and I took the day off and went straight up there to see the damage.  It was so sad…   But, in the long run, I think it was a blessing, as it was completely re-done (plumbing, electrical, etc.)  But its bones and structure remained the same:  the knotty pine, old single pane windows, old river rock fireplace, and special river room.

This past winter (2016) it was time to make a choice.  One that wasn’t necessarily convenient, in the plans, or financially sound.  But it was the right time for mom to sell the white cabin (as it was intended – as an investment.)  And while Joe and I knew there would never be a “right” time to purchase a second home, we both felt like we needed to keep this little white cabin in the family (and do so according to market value, to ensure we fulfilled my parents’ intentions as an investment for them.)  And so on 1/13/2017, we became the rightful owners of the property. 

This little white cabin is now officially our project – and “labor of love.”  It needs a lot of TLC, as we were left with a renter who had let it go, over time.  We were a bit overwhelmed when we first gained access to it (last weekend) – but the negatives were quickly overcome with “what will be.”  We want to give the 5^th generation the opportunity to appreciate this place and make new memories.  We want to share it (once it’s livable!) with others and reflect my grandma’s attitude about allowing friends to have access to all that it has to offer.   

And remember, it is nothing fancy and it is quite simple.  But something that I think even Samuel, Luke and Rachel understand.  They cannot wait to get back up to “the cabin” even though their experience so far has been hanging out in an old, dirty, “tired” cabin.  But what I see are some wonderful memories about to be made… family time that will go by so quickly over the next few years.  I hope that we can help carry on the tradition of my great-grandfather and come appreciate this little parcel of property on the Salmon River more than we can imagine.  And that the memories and traditions will become a part of our children – without them even realizing it’s happening.

I am going to try and keep up this blog and document our journey… it’s going to be awhile before we can turn it into a place that we can stay overnight.  But I have a feeling it is a diamond in the rough and can’t wait to make some amazing new memories.  And can’t wait to share it with people who have been a part of its story… or people who want to become a part of the “new chapter!”

White Cabin, 1948

Brown Cabin

Frank Fortner and John Wilkens (grandpa and grandson)

Fred Wilkens and John Wilkens

John Wilkens and Sharon Welbes (Wilkens)

Sharon Wilkens (Welbes)

John Wilkens and Christy Wilkens

Christmas at the brown cabin

Dinner with Ziady's

Jeff, Kendra, Joe and Jennifer

Joe Wilkins, 2/17 - starting the roof cleaning

The white cabin - February, 2017

John Wilkens and Joe Wilkins - re-roofing. July 2003

John Wilkens, July 2003

Summer Lunch

Doris Wilkens (Fortner) - my grandma, in the brown cabin.  Mother's Day, 2003

Joe Wilkins and Carol Hand (Wilkens) - my aunt

Kristie - working hard on a puzzle! (Brown cabin)

Me, my cousin AJ and Uncle Dick

Me...  decorating for Christmas (brown cabin)

Linfield Friends!

Christmas 1994