The Cabin - Part 4

Activities Around the Cabin

Swimming AND diving happened all summer long for many years until the diving board cracked and had to be removed. The dock ladder often became slippery and was scrubbed regularly. The dock finally gave way to a new one, that was built by my daughter and grandson in 2004. The float, a wooden structure mounted on metal barrels, was anchored to the bottom of the lake with an iron chain attached to a huge metal wagon wheel. The float was taken in to the beach bank before winter and then re-launched in the spring. Our family men took care of this maneuver yearly until several years ago when it was too much to handle by the one who did most of the duty alone.

Fishing still is a main activity, done by almost every family member - big or small. An old flat-bottom row boat with an electric motor was in service until a new "V" hull one took its place. Just throwing a line from the bank or dock results in a nice catch often. Fishes caught are: pickerel, largemouth bass, bullhead catfish, perch, crappie, bluegill sunfish and longear sunfish. A long time ago walleye, northern pike and trout were stocked and caught, but were fished out.

Boating is our recreation in water through the use of rowboats, canoes, kayaks, sailboats, paddle boats, pontoon boats - all human-powered or electric-powered watercraft. Then there are the non-boat floation items used for drifting, paddling and moving about: tire tubes, rafts, noodles, and inflatable or foam lounge chairs. What fun!

Picnics, steak bakes, pig roasts, birthday and graduation parties and holiday celebrations such as 4h of July and Memorial Day, were mustered and enjoyed by family, friends and guests. Once there was even an outdoor poultry processing demonstration, put on by my mother to educate an assemblage of youngsters and adults. What an experience that one was! Exclamations of "yuk!" "phew!" and "wow!" rang loudly several times. A barbeque chicken dinner followed, of course.

There are the quiet activities and pastimes: Walking, running, dog walking, bicycling, stroller pushing, ice skating, tenting, reading, and porch sitting. Go carts, quads, snowmobiles, a powered ice boat, the "ice-screamer" horses and ponies, motorcycles, tractors, mowers, saws, weed wackers, snow blowers, generators, and commercial vehicles are the noisemakers. I almost forgot to mention the target shooting before hunting season and horseshoes clanking against the old iron posts!

Cabin Tranquillity is not tranquil all of the time!

Mom & Pop had no idea what they started!

The Old Diving Board
The Old Dock
The Old Float on Tilt

The Old Float Repaired

The New Dock

Grandson & Son
Daughter
Husband
Grandson
Flat Bottom Boat
New "V" Hull Boat
Floating & Lounging
Daughter's Inflatable Friend
(Me) Grilling Hamburgers in Tire Rim

Granddaughter's Birthday Party
Blue Ribbon Hand Made "Pig-Rig"
Skewered Pig Cooked
Removing Skewer
Removing Chicken Wire Wrap
Picking and Tasting
Poultry Plucking
Poultry Processing
Son on Motorbike
"Dune buggy Gang"
Brother on Motorcycle
Trail Riding
The "Ice Screamer"
Granddaughter on Quad
My Kids and Husband Snowmobiling
Mom Mowing
Husband Blowing Snow
SC Friends Camping
Brother & Pop First Sign
Husband Replaces Sign

The Cabin - Part 3

A Few Questions and Answers

(1) How many uses did the clothesline have besides for hanging wet bathing suits, beach towels, wet rags and laundry? (Once there were two lines, until the rear tree had to be cut down.)

A. Some are: It once displayed a spray can painted sheet I made as an anniversary banner for a gathering in 1994. It also stored bead and plastic canvas home made "twirlies" I made to be given away to each couple attending the anniversary celebration.

It has shown off a pair of crocheted blankets I designed and made in 1977, using 32 different colored skeins, for my two youngest children after first receiving a blue ribbon award at the regional fair. It is still, and always has been a landing spot for assorted types of birds to rest between flights. Old line is always reused for tying down "things."

(2) How many logs have been split over 37 years as firewood for the original fireplace, and then later for the firebox barrel insert? (ash, oak, beech, birch, hickory, maple, apple, cherry)

1962

A. Tons of logs were made into an exceeding number of cords, all then stacked neatly, of course.

(3) How many bare babies' butts were placed in the old porcelain sink or on its built in porcelain corrugated drain board for bathing the little ones?

A. Six that I have personally placed there. Several others who I can think of were also subjected.

(4) What other uses does the bathroom ceiling (covered with random tongue and groove knotty pine planks) provide?

A. It provides a loft floor. Sleeping up by the rafters was a place for friends when there were too many visiting overnight for the overflow of beds such as the sofas, porch swing, and floor cots. Once it held four fold up cots for my kids when they were young; they loved to all go up there, but only the older four were permitted to sleep there. It has always been a source of storage space.

1968

1969

(5) Why do I live here?

A. Just because. (Re-read all of the above.)

The Cabin - Part 2

Construction Elements (essential features)

Living Area:

Wooden logs placed directly on concrete floor. Logs are flat on three sides and round on one.

• Floor: Concrete, covered with tile adhesive, covered with 9 x 9 inch asbestos floor tile. throughout.

• Ceilings: Exposed log rafters and random width rough cut knotty pine planks; bathroom ceiling covered with random tongue and groove knotty pine planks.

floor

living room ceiling and bathroom ceiling and wall

• Interior of outside walls: Flat side of stacked logs.

interior wall & gable

• Interior room dividing walls: 76 inch high, random width finished to 3/4 inch thick, knotty pine planks.

• Closet and bathroom doors: Random width, 3/4 inch thick knotty pine planks, hinged, "Z" shape cross braced interior side.

• Side and front doors: Constant width, 5 1/2 inch thick knotty pine planks, hinged, "Z" shape cross braced interior side.

• Kitchen cupboards: Three above sink 12 inches deep - doors random width tongue and groove, hingedand varnished. Five below countertop 24 inches deep - doors 3/4 inch solid plywood, hinged and varnished.

• Kitchen countertops: Above lower cupboards 24 inches deep, 3/4 solid plywood, varnished. between kitchen and dining area, 72 inches long, 16 inches wide, solid plywood, varnished and 2 shelves below, also plywood and varnished.

• Windows: Total 14. Six panes each, swing in type, flat installation, hinged.No interior sills. Locations - 3 in kitchen area, 1 dining area, 5 living area, 2 master bedroom, 2 small bedroom, 1 bathroom.

• Closets: Total 4. Locations - 1 in small bedroom, 1 utility storage in dining room, 1 linen in bathroom, 1 small in master bedroom.

• Fireplace: 66 inches wide by 28 inches deep, yellow brick, continuing through roof to top of chimney. Hearth - 24 inches wide by 66 inches long, comprised of several flat bluestone slates. Mantel - 70 inches long by 10 inches wide by 3 inches thick (front singular slab ) plus more on surround and back.

There is no garage. A roofed open sided carport is attached to side of building

A roofed open sided porch is attached to center front of building

Additional Interior Elements Contributing to Comfortable Livability

• Electricity: All original wiring exists and is exposed, running along top of log walls. Circuit breaker box holds 13 breakers consisting of one main, seven 220, five 110.

• Plumbing: 50 feet deep well with submersible pump. Underground pipe (plastic installed within past ten years) leads to a pressurized storage tank in an insulated wooden shed under the carport. Electrical heat tape protects all outside plumbing. Copper piping comes out of shed, across carport ceiling, into cabin through hole in small bedroom log wall at a height of 72 inches. It feeds both the bathroom and the kitchen by running along the upper log walls, stopping at the tin shower stall. Mandatory hook up to sewers occurred two years ago even though septic system functioned properly for many past years.

• Appliances: Electric stove, electric hot water heater and refrigerator all were replaced recently, only due to absolute necessity when old ones failed. The stove and water heater are almost exact replicas of the 50 year old ones. There is no dishwasher, clothes washer, or clothes drier. There is a small dehumidifier for the summertime because the pipes sweat, and there is a small humidifier for the wintertime because of severe dryness. There is a propane gas fireplace insert as the only heat source in use. Several old and original electric baseboard heaters are in existence, but not ever used for possible safety issues.

The Cabin - Part 1

The Cabin - Part 1

It started as a dream retreat, a log cabin in the mountains of Pennsylvania, on a private lake, a peaceful place and an escape from the working world. Location: one hundred thirty five miles from their current home near another lake in northern New Jersey. My parents planned to call the cabin, "Tranquility." They met in a church and were married in 1934 in a town called "Tranquility."

In 1999 my mother (PFN) wrote about its name. She was 85. It was the year of their 65th wedding anniversary.

This is her writing:

TRANQUILITY ........by PFN 1999

It's just a word, isn't it? Funk and Wagnalls says "tranquility" whether it is spelled with one or two "L"s means the state of being tranquil, rest or quiet.

But to a certain writer, it was, and is so very much more. First of all, it is a small country village not far from here where a beloved aunt taught school in a little one-room building. Later the same building became a community center. She retired after many years and was later to marry the man she would meet in almost the same location. This happened, would you believe it, in the village cemetery where he had come to place flowers on the grave of his first wife. After they were married they lived in a home just a few feet from the community center and the little white church just across the road.

Another chapter began when this writer and her parents came to celebrate a mortgage burning ceremony in the same former schoolhouse. It was now enlarged and became the gathering place for chicken and waffle suppers, harvest homes and other affairs put on by the church. This time a large group awaited a concert that was planned.

The uncle had invited a gentleman from a nearby farm where he was working as a state milk tester, to be the soloist. At the conclusion of the performance, the young man (tall, dark and handsome, of course) asked to be introduced to one of the young women in the front row of the audience. This he did and so began a new era of "tranquility." The girl had come to the evening meeting to drive for her parents and to practice her recently acquired driver's license.

The young couple dated for a couple of years and found they had a number of things in common. The next step was an engagement and soon a marriage. Inside the wedding ring the word "tranquility" was engraved as a fitting motto; now, after almost sixty-five years, it is barely visible.

Soon a family came along. First there came a daughter who was baptized in a beautiful large church in another small town. The next child was a son who was baptized in the little white church just across the road from the spot where so much had started.

As the family grew it moved to an urban town nearer the father's business needs. Soon twin daughters came along to complete the growing family. They were baptized in the large stone church on the green. All the children developed many interests and another diversion seemed to be in order.

A little log cabin in another state provided rest and recreation with new friends and interests. Of course, the cabin had to be named "Tranquility." The signmaker had erred and spelled it "Tranquillity." It became quite well-known around the little country lake that had been built by a cousin. This relative had generously offered the family the privilege of choosing a building lot wherever they liked. An ideal spot near the dam and spillway provided a choice view of the whole lake including watching the many forms of wildlife.

On the porch of the cabin hangs a framed article entitled "Tranquility," apparently the sentiments of another writer had written and published many years earlier as evidenced by the yellowing newspaper article.

Many things were happening around the world, the foremost of which was the landing on the moon by the astronauts. Was the "Sea of Tranquility" just another coincidence?

Two more minor things added to this strange saga when the oldest daughter began selling articles of jewelry put out by a famous company that specialized in home party sales. One very popular item was a silver pendant depicting the moon landing and was called "Tranquility." It sold out quickly and everyone in the family has tried to find this special piece but has had no luck so far, Another company that made cosmetics, took advantage of the publicity and put out a skin fragrance also called "Tranquility." This was purchased and is enjoyed still. How strange that a single word could be the focus of so many happenings!

The little country village, the community house and the tiny white church remain there still today. Perhaps our story will have its ending in the neat Tranquility Cemetery where it had all begun so many years ago.

The Tranquility United Methodist Church, was built in 1870.

Put My Boots On

When I woke up this AM it was snowing lightly and, even though it was the start of a cold and dull winter day, I was inspired to trek along the unplowed road to see what magical art could be created and captured with my camera.

I'm always befuddled as to how to protect both the camera and my eyeglasses from wet drops so both were tucked into my sweat jacket and extracted as I saw something to shoot. Cardinal red pants tucked into high black rubber boots, and uncombed mop were a wacky sight to behold for any onlookers in the area.

The results weren't as awful as they could have been, especially since my fingers grew very numb from the 20° air and weren't functioning properly.

The good news is that the snowplow didn't appear as I took over the roadway on my approach and retreat for the project.

Ah! Winter!

James Starts The New Year 2011

His new scarf fits just right! The old hat will just have to do until spring when I can make him a more creative and happy one - with flowers or such! (...oh, and he will need some sunglasses, methinks.)

This is "January James" AKA Jim-Dandy!