Papa's Cabin

Even though it was at least ten years between visits, the cabin still felt like home. Not the kind of home where there are smells and memories of childhood, but a home where you've seen someone's dream come true.
Dad first saw this beautiful, uninhabited lake and island (known to our family, friends and the pilots as Miller Lake) over 25 years ago; his good friend Terry (along with his youngest child Gretchen) happened upon it during an afternoon hike. My understanding is the group then camped out on the island for the next few years. It was Dad's dream to build a log cabin and this seemed like the place to do it. Even though the project was started 18 years ago and a few summers after that the cabin was "finished," there's always something to do - and Dad can never just sit still. He and Dave got the floating dock back in shape, repaired the second dock, and even built a boat ramp. For the cabin itself, Dad pulled out the sander one night after supper and took care of some worn spots with some sealer.


The inside of the cabin is just beautiful - most of the furniture including the kitchen cabinets, table and benches, bookshelf, coffee tables, and the four poster bed and its bedside tables were homemade. As you can see, from the pictures, one of Sophie's favorite places to read was perched on the ladder up to the loft where she, Lucy and Dad slept.

Last week during our visit a Game & Fish Warden and pilot dropped out of the sky for a surprise visit and Kurt, the warden, asked Dad if he'd ever built a log cabin before. Dad smiled his crooked smile, put his head down a bit and offered, "Well, haven't all little guys? I used to stack one Lincoln Log right up on top of another." Kurt, Hap (the pilot) and Dad all chuckled and Kurt said, "Well you did a mighty good job for your first one." We all agree.