Sept 4, 1998
Hey, this is Lyndy, Eddie & Kathy’s daughter & we just got here for our labor day vacation. I am missing four parties to come up here and go turkey searching and sliplining with my obnoxious siblings & let me tell ya, I am so looking forward to it. I will let you know how it turns out in a couple of days. So bye for now. Love ya much forever & always. Love Lyndy

Sept 6, 1998
“K” I can’t believe I have forgotten how much fun this place is. Yesterday we all played hid the soap bottle (we’re very creative). The boys aren’t allowed to bring the BB guns anymore because Kody shot Kyle two times. Ziplining and swinging is always a blast. But my favorite part of this trip was singing at the top of our voices around the campfire (even though we all lost our voices). Thanks Roland & Nellie for letting us have another great year at the cabin. Love ya much forever and always,
Love,
Lyndy
The cabin is “da bomb” chickchick ka boom. Shmooch!

9/6/98
Our family came up to the cabin for Labor Day weekend an it was fun. My dad caught a hornytoad but we let it go. We used the BB guns and my big brother shot me in the back and in the butt and it didn’t feel good. I went down the zipline a lot and it gave me a lot of blisters. We are leaving right now so goodbye.
Kyle Rogers

9-6-98
It has been a good trip to the cabin once again. Many memories of family vacations here I hope that my own little family is able to make some good memories of the cabin. I remember staying up with my dad 32 years ago before my 8th birthday tending the fire in the tree he tried to burn. I remember building the cabin with Grandpa – at least we tried to help. This is a quiet, peaceful place to come to get away from it all. Thanks Roland and Nellie for letting us continue the tradition and build my own family memories.
Eddie Rogers

June 2 1998
And so I have…Among the Inuit ancestors a custom prevailed whereupon the old, when they became non-productive, and were unable to contribute to the welfare of the community, were put – out on the ice.

As I enter this stage of the game I am quick to design activities which will postpone the inevitable – therefore I volunteerd to open the cabin.

It is as green as Ireland here and the cabin withstood the winter very well. I swept out enough mouse poop to fertilize a thousand acres. The last time that the newspaper lining the drawers was replaced was – August 27, 1982.

There was no butane to cook my dinner so I had a cheese san. After much very dirty work I wanted something good to eat.

I took all the sheets off the beds and the cover (very dirty cover) off the couch and drove to Mt. Carmel Junction to the laundry-matt and propane places, I bought a broom (teeny). I got the big cabin pretty ship-shape except for the windows.

I went for a long ramble to see what changes time had wrought. Not much, lots of flowers. The day was not wonderously warm because huge clouds so the bath water didn’t heat up. I awoke to the pitter patter of rain drops on the metal roof.

Rain is good. I don’t mind, but it is COLD. I mind that a lot. I’ll do the honeymoon cabin when it warms up and the kid cabin never, that is a LARGE job for a whole crew of coolies.

This is such a tranquil place so still and sweet smelling and out on the rim of the universe. If , while standing very still and concentrating (and your heart is pure) you may feel the earth turning under your feet.

Uncle Jim

Oct 10, 1997
Uncle Jim & Ricky Lennel came up for a U.E.A. break. It was beautiful and very cold at night. – We cooked steaks and baked potatoes after we got back from the Observation Point which was awesome in the fading light. That is to say it was getting dark and we still had to hike back. We made it in good order.

There were many people at the observation point who had walked up from the park and had yet to walk back down. I wonder if the darkness caught them? It got me once coming down from Angel’s landing. SPOOKY!

We would like to stay but Uncle Roland is having his “English Show” tonight and that is a compelling reason to go home early. Rick was here with his boys Bryce and Branden many years ago. The place has changed a lot since then. Auntie Nell’s picture book is a great record of past wonders and glories.

Thank you Auntie Nell

Baba leekee ko mame yannah – (I shall return — tagalog)
Love Uncle Jim

Sept. 26-28 1997
Earlier this summer our vacation plans got changed at the last minute due to the car breaking down. Shelley & the kids went on without me, leaving me with the car and the dog for a week. So we though it would be nice to do something all together as a family before summer ended. Again, Roll & Nell to the rescue! We were concerned about getting stuck in the mud because it had been storming due to “Huricane Nora”. It stopped raining the day we came and we decided to give it a try. Roland warned us where the worst spots of mud would be (as it turned out, I’m glad he did). It was worse than we imagined. It sure felt good to finally get here safely! I spent some of my time making mental notes of what we need to bring up maybe in the spring in the way of drywall to doll up the cabin.

Thanks to the Lees for their kindness,
Lorin, Shelley, Matthew, Mark, Melissa, Megan Reeder

Labor Day! Sept 1st 1997

Boy oh boy! It’s so perfect here! This is the first time I’ve been to the cabin this year (aside from a youth conference overnighter we had here in June) We’ve had all kinds of fun. Mostly consisting of some serious R&R. Last night, Mom, Jodi & I arrived to a lovely dinner of grilled chicken, beef, pork & veggies & other delicious delicacies fixed by Ash & Ruskin. We spent the evening playing a game called “Scrutineyes”. Ruskin is the reigning champion. Although Uncle Jim and Ashley came as close seconds. We gabbed into the night until us Lee girls retired to our beds in the honeymoon cabin. We slept in & woke up to a greasy but yummy cabin breakfast fixed by Josh & Julie. We all just relaxed today w/homework, books, scrapbooks, games, etc…

Ashley & Ruskin are leaving for San Francisco tomorrow to find a place to live. Ruskin just got a job there. Josh is living in St. George doing his new job at MB Broadcasting. Julie will be joining him in Southern Utah soon.

Jodi & Jon will be attending SUU this fall & I’m still at DHS keeping busy w/ work at Learnkey, school & volleyball. Life is good! & I hate to leave the cabin! I’ll be back…

Jana

Aug 31, 97 – Sept 1, 97
I came home today from flying my model airplane to find my wife at the end of her ropes. She has been holding down a full time job on top of being a full time student and mother of 5 of us and a dog. She exclaimed “take me away now!” Roll & Nell offered just the right medicine. The prescription, 1 night at the cabin. It had been so many years since we had spent a night alone together, neither of us could remember the last time. Lots of sleep & reading was just what the doctor ordered! We went home the next day ready to do the parent thing again. Thanks Roll & Nell for your kindness!!!

Lorin & Shelley Reeder

Aug 30, 1997

NEWS FLASH
At last it has happened!!! 9:00pm August 30, 1997. The day to remember.

A mom & daddy turkey
With their necks all jerky
Strolled across the drive.
Four fluffy chicks
With legs like sticks
Did the turkey jive.

This I saw and I will testify to as seen and dreamed of.
– Uncle Jim

August 11, 1997 Monday

Eddie, Kathy, Lyndy, Kody, Kyle and Lacey Rogers, plus 2 cousins, Jared Rogers (son of Jeff & Tina) and Kurtis Madsen (son of Darren and Elaine) and Ashley Frei (daughter of Dave and Debbie) all came to the cabin for food, fun & family time.

We arrived on Saturday, Aug 9th about 1pm just as Johnny Lee & his scouts were leaving. Saturday eveing was exciting – a terrific thunder and lightning storm kept Eddie & Kathy up all night in the “honeymoon cabin” worried about the 7 little children sleeping in the main cabin. We both said prayers all night that the kids wouldn’t venture out into the storm to where we were. Some lightning strikes were very close & the thunder was deafening. Sunday was off & on rain and we cooked our dutch oven dinner under a large piece of tin roofing. The rain & mud didn’t stop anyone from wearing blisters on their hands going down the zip-line 100+ times.

We pulled out around 12 noon on Monday – plan on stopping at the resort to swim and clean these kids up a bit. Another wonderful year at the cabin!

Thankyou Uncle Roland & Aunt Nellie and all other families.

Love,
Eddie & Kathy Rogers & Family

19 July 1997
It’s me again:
I am coming here to fetch the Union Jack. On Monday is Ashley’s wedding shower. She is to marry Mr. Ruskin Hartley, a citizen of the U.K. in Kendal, England on 16 August 1997. We need the flag to demonstrate our solidarity with our British cousins. Also is in a excuse to stay overnight in this excellent place. No turkeys spotted but a great deer with 6 points in velvet.

God save the queen.
Love Uncle Jim

4th of July, 1997

Josh, Julie, Ashley & Ruskin came up for the 4th of July as mandated by custom of long standing – They unloaded and scooted back down to Springville for the patriotic merriment. Dinner at the Pasta Noodle, fireworks at the city park, up close and personal. Then a downhome dance on he parking lit. A good time was had by all!
(– ???)

It has become important to note who won what games. Ruskin & Julie beat the socks off of Ashley and I in a pre 4th celebration Rook game. Then on the evening of the 5th, Ruskin again embarrassed Ashley, D.D. & myself in a rousing game of hearts. But the final and best victory would not go to Ruskin but a more worthy opponent. It was horseshoes. The teams were me & dad vs. Ashley & Ruskin. They were beating us 8 to 2 and we were playing to 10. Then D.D. & I went on a tear and emerged victorious, 10 – 9.

Also worthy of mention was a day hike to Cable Mountain. Ashley, Ruskin, Julie & I left at about 12:45pm due to much sleeping in (mostly by me). We had 8 bottles of water equaling about a gallon and a half. Plus sandwiches, binoculars & extensive camera gear. The round trip took a little over 4 hours. We had exactly enough water and not one drop extra.

Note: To all day time July hikers, take lots of water, more than you think you will drink, because you will.

On the hike we saw what we believe to to be a Gaws hawk & a Peregrine falcon, numerous lizards and that’s about it.

After the hike we roasted vegetables and some huge t-bone steaks, baked potatoes, and had corn on the cob. We thought we had severely overcooked but we ate every scrap. Julie and I drank a 12-pack of cream soda Shasta over 2 days. It was too sweet for everyone else and we were very dehydrated after the hike.

Sunday was for traditional cabin breakfast, eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. Then we sat in the shade as much as possible and played rummy and read books. We did fulfill Aunt Nellie’s edict to take photos of each couple on the swing. Mom & Dad were a reluctant couple but we took a lot of photos for posterity’s sake. Then Mom led us in a rock garden recooperation project. We tipped up all the tipped over rocks and then she raked some piles. It is time to depart. Another successful and hot 4th of July in the cabin heaven somewhere near Zion.
– Josh Aikens

Hope to see everyone on Labor Day.
– Uncle Jim