Cabin Life, Chapter Sixteen

Work

Because Trail Guy lives at our cabin almost fulltime in the summer, he is the go-to person when cabin neighbors need help. It is tricky and expensive to get plumbers and carpenters up the hill, so when Trail Guy is able, he comes to the aid of our friends. If I am around, I often serve as his assistant.

Earlier this summer, we opened a neighbor’s cabin. When we turned on the water, we discovered a leak in the pipe on the left.

The pipe leads to the cold water in the kitchen sink.

It was a hot day, and I knew we’d be working in the sun. Nope, not this little gray duck. I carried an umbrella stand from our cabin and borrowed another neighbor’s umbrella to our site. (That’s correct—our umbrella was harder to transport.)

Trail Guy got out his super-duper tool box, a gift from yet another cabin neighbor (MANY THANK YOUS, LOUISE!)

We removed the window screen in order to undo the faucet, or something. (I just work here. . .)

All this means something to Trail Guy. His explanations haven’t stuck with me.

Finally, the dresser coupling was in place, and the screen was replaced on the window.(“Dresser coupling?” We addressed this in a post last year, which I don’t expect you to remember, so here is the link—see item #2— in case you would like a refresher.)

As I thought over this repair job, something occurred to me: this was a group project. Trail Guy repaired the pipe with: A. My mom supplied the umbrella stand; B. Next door neighbor supplied the umbrella; C. Neighbor next to the leaky pipe supplied the dresser coupling when he cleaned out his attic a few years ago; D. Dear neighbor across the way supplied the tool box. 

And I helped!

P.S. Trail Guy is NOT a plumber nor a carpenter. If you try to hire him, he will say no. 

P.P.S. (that means P.S. #2) I can draw your cabin because. . .

. . . using pencils, oil paints, and murals, I make art you can understand, of places and things you love, for prices that won’t scare you.

 

Cabin Life, Chapter Fifteen

Cabins 

This post is just general photos of the cabins, some so you can see the settings, some so you can just enjoy them in all their rustic simplicity.

This isn’t a cabin—it is someone’s outbuilding.

P.S. I can draw your cabin because. . .

. . . using pencils, oil paints, and murals, I make art you can understand, of places and things you love, for prices that won’t scare you.

 

Another Interruption About Art

Painting to Country Music

Recently while stuck inside on a very rainy day at the cabin, Trail Guy had to replace the batteries in the radio. That erased the saved stations, and as he was resetting them, he found two classic rock and one classic country station. We entertained ourselves for an evening by hopping around among the three stations, and I was shocked, “SHOCKED”, I say, to realize how many voices, introductions, and songs I not only recognized, but could sing (poorly) to. 

I forgot how much I used to (and apparently still do) love country music. I don’t like the really old stuff and don’t know the new stuff, but the tunes from the ’70s and ’80s float my boat.

When we got home, I dug out a stack of my old CDs*, put them in my stereo (yeah, it is probably “old” too), and started painting while singing (poorly). Doesn’t this seem like an appropriate painting for country music? Here is the progression:

This is from a photo on top of Rocky Hill. At this time of writing, it is untitled.

*Steve Wariner (my absolute forever favorite), Emmy Lou Harris, Suzy Bogguss, Collin Raye, and Skip Ewing. (Only Steve Wariner showed up when Trail Guy and I were playing “Name That Tune”).

And you might be wondering about this: In the category of country, Trail Guy usually guessed Hank Williams Sr. or Johnny Cash, but he excelled at the rock station, whereas I thought most of those songs sounded alike with repetitious screaming guitars and scratchy yelling voices. (They didn’t play Toto or Little River Band, but they did play one Kansas—I love those tight harmonies.)

Cabin Life, Chapter Fourteen

Cabin Interior Details

Last post, we looked at a few cabin exterior details. Today, we will snoop inside a few cabins.

I feel less free taking interior photos of other people’s cabins than I do taking exterior shots. But, I manage to sneak in a few shots here and there. 

Cabin Life, Chapter Thirteen

Cabin Exterior Details

Most people are very curious about other people’s cabins, and always interested in seeing the interiors.

All of the cabins in Mineral King are visible to the public, but this doesn’t mean the owners are known. We have cabin numbers and names, but the names aren’t always indicative of the occupants. Because this is the World Wide Web, I have tried to shield my own cabin from too much exposure. Likewise, I won’t be giving away any names here, just showing you a few of the exterior details in today’s post.

 

 

Clearly, I have a thing for chairs, doors and windows.

 

Cabin Life, Chapter Twelve

Flags

Most cabin folks are patriotic. It is a regular practice to put out an American flag when one’s cabin is occupied. I can think of only one cabin without a flag at all, along with three cabins that only fly a California flag. (WHY??)

It would be tempting to segue into an entire post about patriotism, or the lack of it. I will restrain myself.

Instead, just enjoy these displays.(You may stand if you’d like, or even place your hand over your heart.)

Glory, hallelujah!

Cabin Life, Chapter Eleven

Cooking

We have looked at propane refrigerators and woodstoves for cooking. Many cabins have propane stoves with ovens, or perhaps a combination of wood/propane. Our oven would take half the forest, all day, and cook us right out of the kitchen while we tended to something inside, rotating every 5 or 10 minutes, and occasionally blowing ashes off the food.

How do I know this? Experience.

(Wow, do we ever miss Ted something fierce. . . sigh.)

I have learned to make English muffins on the stove top.

And, Trail Guy barbecues most of our dinners. Our favorite menu item is pizza on the Weber kettle barbecue.

Amazing what comes out of our one-butt kitchen without electricty.

 

Cabin Life, Chapter Ten

 Friends

Almost everyone with a cabin stops by our place to say hello. Some don’t pay attention to the fact that the front door is closed with a Do Not Disturb sign on the knob. (Trail Guy is known for his naps, but not apparently well-enough known.)

Cabin friendships develop over generations, summer after summer, year after year. Some of our cabin neighbors have become our closest friends. We look out for each other, and communicate throughout the year, particularly during crises such as wildfires, floods, collapsed cabins, snow slides, sinkholes, and washed out roads.

This neighbor thrives on greeting the public as they pass by. I think he might be bored this year.

Here are unidentified friends and neighbors. (If you hate finding your picture here, email me and I will delete it.) 

Ouch. Lots of friends shown here who are now gone. Better enjoy the ones remaining, because time is short.

Cabin Life, Chapter Nine

Events

Cabin life is very social. There are lots of meetings and annual events.

Some years our particular neighborhood holds a Labor Day get-together.

 

This was the year we used our neighbor’s front yard because it was bigger. He wasn’t there, and may not even know we did this.

The Mineral King Preservation Society used to hold a picnic in our neighborhood. It has since moved to the Ranger Station, and this year it was held in Visalia. Weird, I know.

One year Trail Guy and I were the speakers. That was also quite weird.

And there is an annual cabin owner’s meeting.

One year the superintendent of Sequoia National Park spoke to us. We miss Woody.

In an earlier post, I mentioned the annual concert by Mankin Creek, sponsored by the Mineral King Preservation Society. Here are a few more peeks at it.

I have many more photos of these various annual events, but some of them have photos of friends who have died and it makes me too sad to see them. 

We really love our friends and neighbors in our cabin community.

 

 

Cabin Life, Chapter Eight

Entertainment

The question remains: What do you do in a place without electricity, cell phones, internet, or even landlines?

Choice #1 is we go hiking. However, that is not something I want to talk about this year, since Mineral King is not open to the public.

We have talked about puttering and gardening. Now let’s look at a few other ways we keep ourselves occupied in the Land of No Electricity. These are random photos, gathered over the course of many years.

My neighbor sewed new curtains for her cabin on an old treadle machine. Another neighbor brought up her electric sewing machine, set it up on her deck with her generator running, and she made quilts.

Many years the Mineral King Preservation Society sponsors Mankin Creek for an evening concert in August. Not this year.

I knit. A lot.

My 5-year-old neighbor calls it “needling”, and she told me I should make her a sweater.

So I did. She picked the colors she liked best from the group above.(The colors look dull in this photo but in real life it is beautiful.)

My Hiking Buddy brought up a project to finish. It had something to do with a baby shower, or maybe a wedding shower. It was fun to help her (and not have to actually attend the shower).

Almost every cabin has lots of books. One neighbor brings 10 books for an 8-day stay, and last year she ran out of reading material. Good thing we had some books to share. I usually bring a box of books up and down the hill every time so there is a pile to choose from.

A friend that I have referred to in the past as The Girl used to bring Mancala to the cabin and make me play with her. She usually won. I loved the marbles and was fascinated to see that m&ms matched them (or maybe it was Skittles). I’m not much of a game player.

Many many many hours of Yahtzee.

Some people like to fish.

Some people like to commune with wayward and obstinate stock.

And hike. Hike with neighbors, hike alone, hike with one’s spouse or family. But we aren’t talking about that this year.