By Barb Bergman
It was the last week of September. Our family had been planning for a month – a four-day work party to my in-laws’ cabin in Star Valley, Wyoming, near the mountains outside Afton. Our goal was to stain/seal/restore the siding of the 2 ½-story cabin, tackle the half-acre raspberry patch (produces raspberries through the month of August every year) by cutting out old canes, and other tasks around the property including chopping and stacking wood from a couple of downed trees, giving attention to the firepit, large yard area and more.
Three of our adult kids, Erica, Brittany, and Matthew took time off from their jobs. Scott, my husband had time off and I can be flexible with the work I do and Scott’s dad is retired (he owns the cabin and 13 acres). My father-in-law, 89 years old had purchased paper, tape and all the supplies including 6 gallons of stain/paint/sealer that Home Depot assured him would be enough for the cabin. 2 cars and 4 people with supplies went up Wednesday evening. We rented a large lift and sprayer from Alpine 35 minutes away that they would deliver Thursday morning. Brittany and Matthew would drive up Thursday evening.
The extended forecast a few weeks before showed 1-2 days would be rainy and windy. As time got closer the weather looked like it may cooperate with only one day or part of a day of rain in the forecast. The cabin is very close to the mountains and in an area/pocket that has an almost every day occurrence of wind gusts in the afternoon that last 20 minutes and often up to 2 hours. I asked God for nice weather with no rain or wind and for several committees or teams of angels to assist with painting, the raspberry patch and other tasks we wanted to accomplish. I asked for unseen help that we would all be safe and work efficiently and would have the strength, energy and patience needed. A couple of days before we arrived the forecast changed to sunny skies and 80-degree temperatures for the high and in the 40’s at night for the duration of our stay. But we knew the unpredictable Wyoming wind gusts could still pose a challenge. Especially as we planned to tape all windows and doors on Thursday and paint/stain on Friday, Saturday and if needed finish touch up and trim on Sunday.
Thursday began bright and calm and the lift arrived as scheduled. Erica and I taped most all the windows and doors using the lift. Work in the raspberry patch and area around the cabin and even some staining on the lower parts of the cabin with a brush was all going well. By late afternoon it was obvious the stain used on parts we could reach with a ladder would not be even close to enough stain for the whole cabin (6 gallons). Erica volunteered to get up at 6 am Friday and drive 2 hours to Idaho Falls, Idaho and go to Home Depot and get three 5 gallon buckets of stain/sealer. So 15 more gallons totaling 21 gallons. Surely that would be enough.
Friday began with now 5 of us working (6 with my father-in-law who could only help a little as he is frail and unsteady). Erica was back by 10:30 am with more stain. As the girls did the majority of the spraying/staining on the lift, three of us tackled the raspberry patch, cutting out old canes and clearing the way for new growth. I spent 10 hours in the patch on Friday with only a brief lunch break, while Scott and Matt divided their time between the patch and other tasks. Notable was the fact when I have cut canes wearing gloves and using fairly sharp shears, after a few hours my hands would ache and often a blister would start to form between my thumb and forefinger. My hands and body were tired but no blisters the first night.
A surprise miracle/blessing/angel arrived Friday night, just before midnight. Erica’s new friend she had met on a dating app a week prior, a professional painter, had taken her up on a teasing invitation to join us Saturday and Sunday. He grabbed 3 more gallons of paint at Home Depot in Provo, Utah Friday night and drove the 4 hours to the cabin arriving very late.
Saturday morning, our crew of six, plus our unexpected new recruit, tackled the cabin and other tasks with renewed energy. Erica’s friend with his skills worked magic on the remaining staining and some of the trim. By dusk, we were nearing completion – maybe a few more hours of work left. The raspberry patch was transforming before our eyes, the chopped wood was stacked and ready for winter, the firepit area revamped and many other tasks worked on or completed.
Sunday brought a well-deserved break for our painter friend, who joined Scott and Erica on an early morning 5-hour fishing trip to the Greys River just outside of Jackson, WY. 3 big, beautiful trout were caught, 2 kept to eat later. While they were gone, the rest of us finished cutting canes out of the raspberry patch and washed windows using the lift. When they returned, we finished up the staining and repaired a spot on the roof, one more door trim was done and then we cleaned up and started to pack up. The sliding glass door and one more door did not get the trim done as well as a few other little things but I feel we got about 10 or more days work done in 4.
As we packed up to leave, we marveled at the miracles that we felt happened from planning/coordinating, dealing with the problem of not enough stain, weather –no rain, gorgeous, warm weather not typical for Wyoming the end of September, and just a bit of wind only on Sunday afternoon as we were finishing up (a wonderful extra miracle!). We marveled at all that had been accomplished. The outside of the cabin looked amazing, the raspberry patch was ready for winter, and we had done more than we thought possible in 4 days. Who could have even dreamed that Erica would connect on a dating app and go out with a professional painter who then a few days later came and spent 2 days with us? We thanked Erica’s painter friend with reimbursement for the paint he purchased and his gas and some extra for his hard work and time. He said he had a blast getting to know us, fishing and going on a couple of 4-wheeler rides with Erica. Working together as a family, conversation at the dinner table with yummy food and also around the firepit late at night created many memories we will always treasure.
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