Before my grandparents moved to their cabin in Chetek, Wisconsin, they used it for a vacation home. My grandfather typed up a set of rules for when friends and family visited the cabin. I remember the rules hanging on the wall in the hallway that led from the garage door to the kitchen.

I know for a fact that my grandfather typed this on a big, black, heavy typewriter with round keys — I know that because I learned to type on that very same typewriter by copying poems from my grandfather’s books when I visited them many summers.

I found the framed rules when I was going through things at Mom’s house in February. Here’s the scan so you can read it more easily.

Green’s Point Reminders

We hope your stay will be a pleasant one, and that you catch such a big fish, and so many, that you won’t have to stretch the truth when you go home and tell about them.

Use whatever we have here, but think of the next ones who are going to use the cottage. If you eat it or drink it, replace it so there is at LEAST as much here when you leave as there was when you came.

If you break something, or it goes haywire while you are here, replace it or have it repaired. If there isn’t time to do either before you leave, report it so we can have it taken care of. Don’t take a chance on having someone drive 340 miles expecting to have everything in order, then have to have something repaired that was out of order when you were here.

Before you go: Defrost the refrigerator and leave the refrigerator door open, unless someone else will be up within a week or so.

Shut the gas off at the tank and hang the key with the others.

Pull the plugs on all appliances.

As an added precaution, pull the main fuse in the switch-box and put it where you found it, so if lighting should strike the line outside, it can’t go farther than the box. Disconnect the radio aerial and let it hang outside the cottage.

Bring the motor, oars and other fishing equipment, etc., and put them in the basement. Lock up the boat and put the keys where they belong. Clean up before you leave, especially garbage and refuse, so the next ones won’t have to wade through it. Don’t leave anything edible in the containers that field mice or other rodents can get into and be attracted, unless it is inside a cabinet or can they can’t get into.

It is going to take all of us to get the place the way we want it, so you see anything that needs doing give us a hand.

We believe the foregoing to be only fair to all concerned; and we hope the place will always be ready so we can unlock the door, turn on the lights, and start to enjoy the time we are able to spend here. We hope you have the best vacation ever.

Lois and Walt Green

Two Fishermen

“Hiyamac. Lobuddy Benearlong? Cuplours. Ketchaneny? Goddafeu. Kindrthey? Basanacarp. Ennysiztuem? Cupplapoinds. Hittinhard? Sordalite. Wahuoozin? Gobbawurms. Fishmonahboddom? Rydonnahboddum. Igoddago. Tubad. Seeyaround. Yatakidezy. Guluk.”