Sondreson Hall clean-up a big success

Every spring, the North Fork Landowners Association has a spring clean-up at Sondreson Hall that results in sparkling windows, scrubbed floors and an absolutely clean interior.

The interior cleaning, of course, is mostly the result of the efforts of a cadre of North Fork housewives who practice year-round on their own homes. This year was no exception, with great gals leading the effort.

The men do their part, too. While the crew inside attack every dust mote and moose turd, outside workers split kindling and fill wood boxes, cut back brush, remove dead trees and clean up the area outside.

This year, a truckload of black dirt was donated to landscape around the outhouse, which was renovated last year, and Richard Hildner brought his Kubota tractor to help spread the dirt, which president Debo Powers then spread with grass seed donated by Lee Secrest.

Duke Hoiland, who is not yet 80 years old, used his sharp chainsaw to expertly drop dead trees, limb them and cut the trunks into wood for the woodshed. There were enough laborers to quickly put limbs and brush on the burn pile and stack the blocks of wood by the woodshed.

Another special job was done by Bonny Ogle, who cleaned and polished the antique wood cookstove so that it looks almost new.

Altogether, more than 20 members combined to make the major clean-up a quick, fun task that was mostly complete in just a little over two hours.

Of course, hosts Gary and vice president Karen McDonough put in more than two hours. They arrived before 10 a.m. to start a fire, since the weather was cool, get the coffee started and organize the meal, which everyone enjoyed at noon. No doubt, they also spent time cleaning up after lunch, and Sondreson Hall is in tip-top shape for the June business meeting on June 1.

Most summer residents arrive in June, and we all look forward to greeting old and new friends. Already here from Nebraska is Nancy Hubble, who is back in the Ralph Thayer cabin on the banks of Trail Creek. Since the Wedge Canyon Fire in 2003, she has been tireless in thinning and working to restore the forest lost to the fire. She has been so successful that regeneration is much taller than other areas where thinning has not been done. She and her late husband, John, have always been great stewards of their portion of this special place.