I recognize that this is a hard day for a lot of people here, everybody involved in the Will, for you know really literally most of our lives, I mean as if this is 80 years.

 

Over these last days and weeks and months, I've been thinking about our life together. Going back to when we were in children in Chappaquah growing up there when then were being with our family, in Rock

Castle Virginia, and helping take care of our parents.

 

And it was during the countryside, and really everything we ever did had to be with the outdoors and a love of the outdoors with a love of nature and beauty.

 

And I just, everything I see and felt about Will over the years.

 

But what is his essence? It's just a love of beauty and nature, of family and connections.
When I was young, when Will and I spent most of our time out in the woods, and there wasn't a vine in the woods that we would not look and say,, boy, we can cut this vine and we're going to swing. And we we found a lot of vines.

 

We also had a lot of rock outcroppings in the woods and we were always looking for caves, and you find a cave, and he turns into a little port.

 

And then, even later years in Virginia.I think, one of our last times together, where there's always been the story of the confederate gold, and Will was walking along the tracks and found the cave and the 2 of us right over here on our bellies, climbing into a cave. There was no Confederate gold. 
But also in our gardens, we were working up and trying to keep things orderly, but we were also in his mind designing a garden, taming the privet and turned it into little secret tunnels, where you could follow through into and he had dreams of this kind of magical garden.

 

And then, when we're in New Hampshire during all these years together every summer, just like most of us have been with him. I always remember whenever we arrive at Swamp, Will would be here. It was just open arms, wealth, welcoming of family and connections, and seeing people, and pretty much every year I come, and there'd be some surprise that Will had had for us, and when you go inside you'll probably see some of them like the rocking horse. The first one was made out of a I think it was a beam with big holes in it, and then some other pieces of wood. and the one that's in there now is a second one for the children, boys for the children.

 

And another year he would have built these wonderful ferries out of wood for the 1st 2 children, grandchildren, Cabelll and Sage for the matchbox boy, so they could play in the water, and we have some of those inside. And he painted a chair of the cowboy on his birthday, Here.
And often I come in another year, and there'd be these beautiful mobile of them hanging from the ceilings made out of wood from the lake and he really was very in love with his mobiles

 

In later years, often there'd be some treasury found in a bunkhouse like an old window, and put it into the both house to give light, and today the Boathouse is much more lovely as a place to sleep because it has this beautiful window, 

 

And there was always some special surprise for the family for creating the positions that we have here. and certainly in many years, with our grandchildren, and for us growing up, we would spend go to the Barnstormers after the season's amazing productions with Will in them, and when we were at the funeral in January, Katie Thompson came, and she said, Oh, yes, we always knew when the Cabells were coming, because we finally take up about 2 rows of seats, and then we'd all go out back to wait for Will.
And I think there are many people here that love the theater because of just great fun we have during those days

So I just to me being here It's a it's a sad, sad thing that has happened for this wonderful man. But it's a great thing to celebrate, and I think we're not only celebrating Will, but we're celebrating, you know, this place Amazing Lake and Woods.

 

But I know so much to him and his family and I'll have to admit, when we were here in January, when we were out on the lake in the ice and seeing the woods in a different light. You know, right away I learned more about my brother, and I just knew this would have been the most beautiful week of his life if he had been here with us.

 

So I just feel that it's a very special man. Amazing heart and just an incredible, gifted man! And when you go inside, we have some of his paintings that came from his studio in Ashland that Susan, and brought down for us. And then there's some displays in the dining room from the barnstormer productions and lots of wonderful pictures as well.

And we also got so many incredible comments and emails. And we typed up many of those. We put them on a board. And it's really just a wonderful thing to read some of the comments..

 

But I do have 2 things I wanted to tell you that I found just, you know, the last couple of weeks. I have a little but diary that my dad started when I was born the day he was born.

 

He did write in some of the early ages, because he had never really known his dad, and he just kind of hope that someday Will be able to at least know his dad, and how he felt when Will was born.
Sadly. It only goes through 4 years. Quite a bit of it is about me, because I was a 3 year old, and there was a lot to talk about.

 

But on the very last page my dad wrote, these are the things Will loves. 

 

Number one was his records player, and I'm sure it was one of his musical instruments to love. 
The second was playing doctor, and I believe that had a lot to do with me and our very best friends, who were all girls.

 

And the 3rd thing it says is, he loves waving his arms like he was a conductor, he waved his arms like he was a conductor, and then he would love marching to tune with his Dad. He would love marching with Will singing “I've been working on the railroad,” “Onward Christian soldiers,”and  “Yankee Doodle.” So I love that little diary that I found.