The Cabin

The cabin was built in June of 1965. It's sole purpose was to be a place for the family to stay when they came to the ranch to work livestock. It didn't have electricity; the cookstove was propane, the refrigerator was propane, the heater was propane, and the lighting was propane. But it didn't need to be fancy, just a place to sleep and eat for the night or two a week that it was occupied. The foundation was concrete, the framing was pine, the walls were 1 X 12 cedar planks with cedar 1 X 4's nailed over the joints, and the roof was "V" drain tin. No insulation, gravity flow water from the storage tank that also supplied water to the troughs for the livestock, thus no bathroom facilities. That was found out back - the privy. There was a bathroom with a bathtub, but water was heated and hauled in to take a bath. 16 feet by 32 feet was plenty of room for two twin beds and a double bed - enough for the family- a table, four chairs, and a small kitchen complete with a single sink and metal cabinet. The cabin was set back against a live oak mott that provided summer shade and the low windows allowed ample air to circulate throughout. Winter was a little different, but thankfully winters are usually pretty short in Texas. The shutters were always closed when no one was there, steel wool was stuffed in the cracks so mice couldn't get in, and the sheep panels kept the cows from messing at the front door. What more could a person need?