❤️ One Log Short of a Full House (But Never Short on Love)
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There’s a stretch of road between Kalispell and Condon that most folks wouldn’t think much of. But to us? It was the road home—even if our name wasn’t on the mailbox. 🚣️
That winding, deer-dodging road 🦌 took us right to the front door of Dar and Les’s log house. Built with their own hands and a whole lot of grit. They cut the logs themselves, right off the land, and stacked them one by one until they ran short—literally. That house was one log short of being a full-sized place. Most folks had to duck under a beam that just didn’t quite clear the average forehead. 😅
In the beginning, they hauled water and the bathroom was out back—yep, the good ol’ outhouse days. 🚽 They kept the toilet seat right beside the wood stove — so all you had to do was grab it and hope it hadn't cooled off too much by the time you got there. 🔥😬 But let me tell you, it was still one of the warmest, most welcoming places I’ve ever been.
The house wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t big. And more times than not, it was filled to the brim with family. You’d find kids piled on the floor in sleeping bags, people parked on couches and even folding chairs if we ran out of space. 🛎️🪑 But somehow, there was always enough room—and more than enough love.
Dar and Les didn’t have a lot, but what they did have, they gave freely. ❤️ No questions asked. No need to impress. If you showed up hungry or tired or just needing to feel like you belonged, they had you covered.
Gary loved that about them. He didn’t just understand it—he fit right into it.
Every time we made the trip, we stopped in Kalispell first. Not just to grab snacks for the ride—Gary always insisted we load up on groceries. 🛒 Not because Dar and Les expected it—they never did—but because Gary liked to show up ready. Ready to pitch in, ready to laugh, and more than ready to stir up some fun.
That was Gary’s way. He wasn’t quiet or reserved—he was the spark in the room. The first one to get the kids riled up and the last one to settle down. 😄
Now, if you really needed help hauling the toilet seat out to the outhouse, well… you might get a smirk, a joke, and a flashlight tossed your way. But if something really needed doing, Gary would be there—probably cracking jokes the whole time.
I remember one night, the house was packed—Dorothy’s whole crew had come down from Kalispell, and you couldn’t walk two feet without stepping on someone’s pillow or somebody. In the middle of all that noise, Gary grabbed little Tracy and started dancing with her in the living room. 💃 Boots and blankets all over the floor, people chatting and laughing—and there he was, twirling her like they were the only two in the world.
The house was a two-story, with the kids tucked upstairs and the adults spread out across the living room floor once bedtime hit. 🏡 Once everyone had finally settled and the house had quieted down just a bit, someone started hollering out goodnights like we were the Waltons. “Good night, Mom.” “Good night, Dar.” “Good night, Les.” And then, Gary’s voice rang out, clear and proud: “Good night, John Boy.”
We all cracked up. That man had a gift for timing. He didn’t just walk into a room—he kicked the door open and brought the fun with him. ✨
Gary didn’t need to say how much he loved being there. You could see it in the way he lit up when he was surrounded by family. He played like a kid, laughed like a teenager, and teased like a brother. He made everyone—from the littlest cousin to the oldest aunt—feel like they were in on the joke.
Dar and Les gave love the old-fashioned way—loud and welcoming, like an open door and a warm fire. And Gary returned it the way he did everything—full of energy, full of joy, and all heart.
That house may have been one log short, but when Gary was there, it was bursting at the seams.
☁️ Wanda-ism:
He wasn’t just the life of the party—he was the party. And lucky for us, he never needed a reason to throw one.
Pull up a chair. I’ve got a story.
#WandasWonderfulWords