Love Among the Pines

Jack and I were magnetized to one another from the night of Dutchie's birthday. We were never apart for long from that day on. I remember many nights of fun at the Los Ojos or with friends, going for drives, buying an iron over the mountain (his first gift to me), hanging out, going to the city down the mountain to a drive-in or to shop for something. I gave up the cabin on the hill and moved in to the motel then Dutchie moved in and slept on the little porch. Steve and Shirley moved on and soon it was all over. Dutchie left for Salt Lake City with a friend, Sandy Smith and soon it was getting colder. Jack's job was done and he wanted to follow the rig to Chalk Creek Location in Utah. I was torn. This mountain town was my dream in the clouds. How could I leave?

I tried to convince him to stay and he just said "No! You come with me." He was a worker and one of the first men I had been with who really liked to work and expected to do just that in order to make a living. 'You work if you live' was his motto. So I agreed and we rented a truck.

 Dutchie had came back from Salt Lake and decided to go with us so we packed it all, her dog, my son and my plants and off we went to Utah. The trip was a travel nightmare with mountain roads and snow. I remember her driving Jack's '59 Ford with a motorcycle on the front and Jack driving the u-haul truck. I ate a whole bag of chocolate covered raisins while wondering if we would plunge off the edge of the mountain as there were no guardrails and we couldn't see.

The first night all my plants froze in the u-haul and I had 50 of them. I cried but we went on and threw them away when we reached Coalville Utah on the 3rd day. We arrived on Mike's 5th birthday, November 25th. We soon found that the town had no room for us. I had now become "oil field trash".

 My revolutionary attitude was greatly irritated that the townies even charged us more for hamburger at the general store. The whole town was LDS or Jack Mormons. Either they were presently attending the Stake house services or hanging at the bar as Mormons that didn't attend. I had no idea I would spend 7 years in this no-mans land and become a Christian in a place where there were none. But that would come later.

Now was time to find a place to live.We stayed in the local motel for weeks while we searched. Nothing within 50 miles was available. I saw how quickly it was eating up the good paycheck Jack made as a chain hand on the oil rig. Eating out at the Cafe where we were treated like lepers and putting Mike in school where they considered his a less than worthy child was wearing on me. Finally I saw an abandoned house outside of town and I went to the owners and literally begged for them to rent it to us.

After much talk and pleading they decided to charge us $60 a month and gave me the key. I had to turn this sows ear into a place to live. Jack just shook his head at the space heater, 20 layers of peeling wallpaper in the kitchen and the sloping floor off the living room. I laughed and said "Well, the roof doesn't leak" and went to town to find someone who could loan me a bed.

I managed to get the local car dealership owner to loan me one though it was an old fashioned springs not a box springs and a less than thick mattress. Jack sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands. He said "Woman, you just don't like nice things!" I growled back..."and if I did you couldn't provide them 'til we live here awhile and get caught up."

I was happy as a clam at a clambake. This was my canvas to paint over and make mine. We lived there for two years and I still think about it now and then. Coalville was hard on us but the house became a warm and liveable home.