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Post by 2t2crash on Aug 2, 2021 12:34:01 GMT -6
I was hooked from the first chapter! More please.
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Post by iamnobody on Aug 2, 2021 13:28:36 GMT -6
You wrote such a believable, detailed description of Cal's pain when his wife betrayed him. Are you writing that pain from personal experience?
Hope is always hungry for food. Is it possible she is pregnant by her ex husband?
You described such a wonderful connection between Cal and Hope. Some on here have said they have a great relationship with their spouse. I would like such a connection with a woman but being a widower and experiencing what woman are like, that connection doesn't look like it will happen for me.
How soon before Hope's ex husband finds out about her new life and leads a bunch of his dope buddies to come get it?
How soon before Cal's ex wife finds out about all his wealth and comes after her “fair share”, for the daughter of course?
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Post by paulk on Aug 2, 2021 13:56:19 GMT -6
Wonderful! Love you writing and character development.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 2, 2021 14:55:08 GMT -6
You wrote such a believable, detailed description of Cal's pain when his wife betrayed him. Are you writing that pain from personal experience? Hope is always hungry for food. Is it possible she is pregnant by her ex husband? You described such a wonderful connection between Cal and Hope. Some on here have said they have a great relationship with their spouse. I would like such a connection with a woman but being a widower and experiencing what woman are like, that connection doesn't look like it will happen for me. How soon before Hope's ex husband finds out about her new life and leads a bunch of his dope buddies to come get it? How soon before Cal's ex wife finds out about all his wealth and comes after her “fair share”, for the daughter of course? This story, except for the fact that it’s totally fiction, is 100% true. The people, though the names are changed, are representative of some good people I knew in my life and some of their life experiences.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 2, 2021 14:56:26 GMT -6
"Jim, Mary, it's time to let you two in on the big secret. This cabin is just the tip of the iceberg. This cabin was purposely built here to take advantage of a cave system at the base of the bluff. When the construction crew left, I connected the cabin and cave with an underground pedestrian tunnel. Over the years I've done improvements as time allowed. I've had a couple of close friends, not from around here, continue the improvements in my absence when I couldn't be on site. The big thing is, while initially excavating some of the cave, I found gold, a lot of gold, several millions of dollars' worth of gold. It was supposed to be a surprise for Angela. Cal looked at Hope and smiled but she showed her true colors and never knew."
Cal looked at Mary. "Mary, Hope wasn't supposed to happen. I thought Angela had destroyed me. I'd never felt anything that hurt so much before. I tried to fight it, but Hope opened a door in my heart I never knew existed. I didn't want to fall in love with her, afraid we were both on the rebound. When I realized that I just didn't want to live without her, I opened my heart and accepted her love."
Cal looked over at Hope. She had her chin cupped her hands, tears in her love-filled eyes. He got up and went around the table and drew her into his arms. "I'm sorry, I guess I could have said that better…"
She looked up into his eyes, "No! No! I'm crying because I love you so much."
Jim waved his hand. "Enough of the kissy, kissy stuff. Tell us more about this gold mine!"
Cal squeezed Hope. "Better yet, why don't we show you."
Cal went over to the cabinet in the pantry and flipped the hidden switch. He opened the combination door and led the group through the tunnel to the cave. They went through each room with Hope and Cal explaining the contents. Jim ran his hand over the walls. "This wasn't done with pick and shovel. How did you get the walls so smooth?"
Cal motioned to the group and led them down another tunnel. They came to a partially excavated room, a strange contraption against the far wall. "A guy built this for me. It uses grinding wheels they use on a tunnel borer, only on a smaller scale. I have to shovel away the debris, but I run it through a sluice and extract any gold. If you look right here, you can see a small seam of gold. So far, I've extracted around $12 million. The largest vein, by far, has been in the bedroom area."
Jim grinned, "Yep that's where I usually find my gold too."
Mary slapped Jim's arm, "Behave yourself!"
Hope led them to the bedroom hallway, and they toured the sleeping areas.
Mary frowned, "This looks too much like a dungeon. Hope, we need to do some fixin' up around here."
Hope laughed, "All in good time. We have shopping to do for the wedding first."
They returned to the kitchen for more coffee.
"Okay guys. Now the $64,000 question. Would you two consider relocating out here?"
Mary looked at Jim. "We'll need to talk a little. Can we give you our answer tonight?"
Cal smiled, "Sure, no hurry. I'm going into Grand Junction to pick up some building materials. Hope, you want to ride with me and give these guys some quiet time?"
"Sure, let me change my shirt first."
Cal hooked the trailer up to the Suburban up and they started their drive into Grand Junction.
"What do you think? Do you think they will move? Cal asked Hope.
She smiled, "I'm sure of it. Didn't you see that look in Mary's eyes? She's got a mission to turn that cave into something special. That old Mother Hen feeling is creeping back into her bones."
Cal nodded. "Well, if the answer is 'Yes" we'll get the specs on what they want for their cabin and we'll get it ordered. As a matter of fact, let's stop by the builders and get some brochures of the different layouts and bring them back for Mary and Jim to go over."
They picked up the materials and stopped by and saw Sam Calbert at the builders.
"Cal! Good to see you! Anything wrong?"
Cal shook his hand.
"No, Sam. We wanted to stop by and pick up some model brochures. Friends of ours might be considering relocating out here and we wanted to give them an idea of the log home models available."
Sam frowned. "Well, I don't have brochures for all the models but…wait a minute. Here's a copy of our master plan book. I'll let you borrow it, and they can see what's available. Any changes they want, our architects can accommodate them."
"Thanks, Sam. I've got a feeling we'll be talking to you soon."
They started to return home. "Cal, can we stop by Franks and pick up some BBQ to take home for lunch?"
Cal nodded and turned left to go to Franks. They went inside and sat at the counter. Frank came out to greet them.
"Cal! Hope! Why don't you sit at a nice table?"
"We're just picking up some food to take home for lunch. We have a couple friends visiting and we wanted to introduce them to your fine cuisine."
"Then allow me to assemble your order. I'll feed them the finest food we have."
Sarah brought us both iced teas. Twenty minutes later, Frank came out with 3 large bags.
"Frank! We're only feeding four people."
"I know, I gave you a sampling of everything."
Cal got up and pulled out his wallet. Frank held up his hand, palm facing Cal.
"No! I ask that you honor my wishes!"
Cal pulled out a $10 bill and laid it on the counter. He grinned, "Then this is the waitress's tip."
They picked up the bags and headed home. Cal let Hope off at the front of the cabin and parked the truck and trailer. He walked in the cabin and Hope and Mary were unpacking the food.
"This smells delicious!" Mary said. Jim was on the verge of drooling. They filled their plates and stuffed themselves. No one talked for the next 20 minutes.
Finally, Jim groaned and leaned back in his chair. "Now that is some good BBQ!"
"We won't have to cook dinner. There are plenty of leftovers!" Hope commented.
They took their iced teas out on the porch. Mary and Jim sat in the rocking chairs and Hope and Cal in the swing.
Mary glanced over at Jim. Jim cleared his throat. "Cal, Hope, Mary and I have talked it over and decided we'd love to move out here." Mary smiled and nodded. "I can't wait to spoil my nieces and nephews!"
Hope blushed and Cal smiled. "We'll have to work on that."
Cal walked out to the truck and got the plans book. He walked back to the porch and handed it to Mary, knowing Jim didn't care what they settled on, as long as Mary was happy.
"Pick out what you want. If you want or need any changes, the architects can make the changes. Don't scrimp. I'm paying for this."
"Cal, we can't let you do that!" Jim exclaimed.
"Yes, I can. I'm using found money. If it sits in the bank, I'll have to pay taxes on it. With inflation, it is worth less. It might come to a time when paper money isn't worth anything at all. Think of it as an investment in all our futures. That's why I've done all this work here. It isn't a matter of if, but when things are going to get bad. Hope and I are preparing for a comfortable future and want you to be part of it."
They all stood up. Mary came over and gave Cal a big hug, Jim shook his hand.
"Okay" Jim said. "Once we get settled, you've got to let us 'invest' in your plans too. We've got quite a bit set aside also."
"Agreed" I said.
Mary and Hope sat in the swing going through the plans book.
"Come on, let's take a walk, Jim."
Cal took Jim up to the site he had considered. Jim liked it and knew Mary would love it because of the view. Cal was going to have a well drilled here. Because the elevation was higher, they would use a wind turbine, along with PV roofing and diesel backup generator to charge the battery bank. This cabin would also have a basement.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 2, 2021 14:59:15 GMT -6
That afternoon, the girls went shopping and Jim helped Cal construct the 4x8 garden tool shed next to the garden. Cal dug a 4x8 trench and then used the tractor auger to dig the holes for the corner posts. Jim looked puzzled.
"Why are you doing that?" "Snakes. I want the shed about 8 inches above the ground to keep it above any moisture. I'll place ½ inch wire mesh around the base to keep snakes from under the shed. I'm sure Hope would appreciate not have snakes bite her when she pulled tools out."
"Reckon so."
They were finished with the shed by the time the girls got back.
"I found it!" I found the perfect dress and it didn't require ANY alterations!" Hope said excitedly. I also got the rings!"
Down the drive came Martha in the UV34, driving like a bat out of hell, Jonah holding on for dear life. They got out, Jonah shaking his head. Cal introduce everyone and the ladies went into the cabin jabbering. The men went and sat at the picnic table. Jonah related news from the other ranchers, and they talked of various other topics.
Cal told Jonah about Jim and Mary moving to the ranch.
"Be nice to have more neighbors."
"Jonah, I've been thinking. That Ranch Manager's house is mighty big for you and Martha. What would you think if we put you a cabin next to that old spring just down the road? We could lease the manager's house to someone who needs all that room.
Jonah scratched his fingernail along the top of the picnic table. "You know, I was talking to one of the hands on the Circle B yesterday. He has 5 kids and lives on the far side of The Junction. The commute each day is tough on him. And the house is a lot for Martha to keep up, but I need to talk to her."
"That's fine. I just want to make things easier if I could. Sam Calbert loaned me a book of house plans that Jim and Mary are looking at now. If you all are interested, you and Martha could pick something out and we could get started."
Jonah went into the cabin to speak to Martha, then we heard a squeal, "Oh God Yes!"
Cal smiled at Jim and he laughed and shook his head.
"What are you doing, Hoss, starting a MAG?"
" No, not consciously, but it's not a bad idea. Kind of like being on the teams. Surround ourselves with good, reliable people. No, not a bad idea at all."
Jonah came back out, grinning. "That didn't take much thought or talk." The girls are writing down their own lists of what they want. I hope you have a thick wallet!"
"Nothing but money."
While the girls were oohing and aahing over the plans and making their lists, Cal started preparing chicken breader for fried chicken, Jim started peeling potatoes and Jonah came out of the pantry with canned corn and green beans. He then searched the cabinets and started making biscuits. They had the meal done in 40 minutes.
Martha giggled. "I told you girls we could get them to fix dinner without asking."
Cal smiled, "Yeah, but the ladies get to clean up."
They all ate heartily and settled down after dinner for drinks.
"What have you got planned for tomorrow" Jim asked.
Cal looked over at Hope. She shrugged, "Shopping, of course."
He turned back to Jim. "Well, the floor will be cured in the hangar. I need to start arranging the equipment in there. I want to measure out an area near the garden plot for two 30x60 foot greenhouses. Plus, I want to get started on the tool room in the hanger."
"Sounds like a good day's work. "What size tool room are you going to build?"
I thought for a second. I'm going with a 12x12x10 right now. I can add on later if needed."
Jonah slapped his knees. "Martha let's go. We have a big day tomorrow. You'll need plenty of energy to help Hope spend all Cal's money."
The ladies giggled and they all said their good-byes. Cal brushed his teeth and got into bed. Hope was soon to follow. She snuggled up to him and played with his chest hair.
"Cal."
"Hmm"
"'I'm scared. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up in Tennessee and all this has been a dream,"
Cal embraced her tightly. "I know, Hope... "He lulled her, holding her head squarely against his shoulder. "I know."
He bent down and kissed her softly. "If anyone is in a dream, it is me. I constantly fight to keep from pinching myself, but if it is a dream, I don't want to wake up."
She hugged him tighter and they fell asleep. Jonah and Martha drove up as Cal and Hope finished cleaning up after breakfast. The girls climbed in Hope's jeep and headed to Grand Junction. Jonah turned to Cal and said, "There's only three of us. Why don't you take Jim and stake off the greenhouses? I'll start taking in the equipment in with the tractor and a sling. I'll arrange it from front to back in the left side, with the least used equipment toward the back."
Cal nodded, "Sounds good. That way, we can all work on the room."
Jim and Cal were finished fairly quickly. It was a good area to put them with the minimum amount of grading to be done,
"You going to put the greenhouses up yourself?"
"No, the greenhouse company will do it. I just need to call and see if they install the slabs also."
They walked over to the hangar and Jim started helping Jonah finish up. Cal walked over to his truck and pulled out the greenhouse brochure and sat at the picnic table. He dialed the company and talk to a salesman. They went over his needs and told him what he wanted. He recommended Cal use a local company to put the slabs in. It would be cheaper, but their crews would install the houses. Cal asked him to write an estimate with everything from heaters and coolers to control equipment and tables and the specs for the slab. Also, that he wanted to set one of the greenhouses up for hydroponics and aquaculture.
They started laying in the toolroom. The walls went in quickly. The outside walls were covered with ¾ in plywood as well as the lower half of the inside wall. They used screws and conical washers to attach pegboard. A table/shelf was built on two walls. Cal left the other walls for storage and parts cabinets. They finally got the electricity connected to the panel box and tested the outlets and lights. Thank goodness, everything worked. Finally. they hung the door. He'd paint the outside of the room later. They put away the tools and swept up the sawdust. Cal decided right then to purchase an Industrial Walk Behind Vacuum Sweeper.
They finished cleaning up and retired to the picnic table. I went in and returned with Irish Ales for everyone. We were one our third ale when the girls returned. The girls got out of the Jeep laughing. They were all lugging bags and Cal could see more piled in the back.
<"Good Grief!> He mumbled. Cal shouted out, "Need some help?"
Mary yelled "NO! You aren't supposed to see some of this stuff!"
Cal looked at the guys, "I guess none of that stuff has anything to do about painting the tool room."
Jonah laughed. "What size greenhouses are you going to get?"
"They are 30x60 and 25 feet high. They'll have automatic heaters and evaporative coolers. I'm going to set one up for Hydroponics. I'm looking to put a fish tank in and put tilapia in to fertilize the water."
Jim nodded. "I've heard of that. If you can keep them from freezing in the winter, you should be set."
"Yep" I said. "I'm going to run a quarter capacity this winter for a test run. Then I'll know if I have enough heaters. I have to keep it at a constant 80 degrees for the fish to live, so I'm having twice as many heaters installed as recommended, just in case. That reminds me. I need to see if Will Harrison has a small diameter trenching attachment for the tractor. I'm moving too much dirt making these trenches for the water and gas lines."
Cal's phone rings. He let it go to voicemail, then listened. The call is from Dave Bannon, one of his old team members. One hell of a sniper. He called him back. "Hello Dave." "Cal!" I've been looking all over for you. No one know where you went to. I tried calling your phone several times but got nothing."
"Yeah, I know" he said. "I had to go off grid for a while. How are you doing?"
"Personally, not so good. My in-laws have turned in to out-laws and I'm sick of their crap. Dawn is tired of the tribal politics too and we're just looking to get out of here.
Cal thought for a second. "Where are you now? "We're living in our RV on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Dave said. 'Okay, pack your stuff and come on down to Grand Junction. When you get near, give me a call and I'll come and meet you. Have you got money?"
"Yeah, I've got plenty," Dave replied.
"Okay, I'll see you when you get here."
Jim chuckled "The MAG is forming."
Confused, Jonah looked at us and said "Hunh?"
Cal shook his head and grinned at Jim. "MAG is the acronym for "Mutual Assistance Group, Jonah."
Jim added, "It's when a group of like people with common goals get together to support one other."
"So, what does this guy coming here have to do with a MAG?" Jonah asked.
Cal shook his head. "I don't know. In reality, we have the nucleus of a MAG now, with all our families. Adding one more family only strengthens us."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 2, 2021 15:05:32 GMT -6
The ladies had prepared a dinner of pot roast and homemade bread. Jim groaned as they walked out on the porch. "I gotta pick up on my PT. These women are going to make me fat!" Jonah grunted. "Those women sure can cook!" They sat around and chewed the fat until everyone decided to call it a night. Cal was finishing his coffee after breakfast when Hope took his hand. "Cal, I invited some people to the wedding tomorrow; I hope you don't mind." He smiled, "Whatever you want, Honey." She smiled and turned away. Well, they were coming down to the wire. He wouldn't have believed he'd where he was today. He'd envisioned wandering around in a daze and maybe end up here some time to lick his wounds. He'd been tired and dispirited. Hope had turned his world upside down. She was busy at the counter when he wrapped his arms around her. Cal held her for a second and kissed her on the neck and whispered "Soon." Cal took his notebook out to the picnic table and called a recommended concrete company about putting in the slabs for the greenhouses. They would be able to start on the following Wednesday. That worked for him. He called the greenhouse company and scheduled the construction to start the following Monday. Things were falling in place. Cal's phone rang and it was Dave. Cal told him he'd meet him at Frank's for lunch. Cal told Hope where he'd be, and she opted to stay home with Mary and Jim. Cal fueled up the Suburban and headed into town. As he arrived at Frank's, he saw an RV pull in behind him. Perfect timing! Getting out, he waited by the truck as they got out. "Cal, it is great to see your ugly mug!" He grabbed Cal's hand gave him an embrace. "I don't think you've met my wife, Dawn." Cal shook Dawn's hand. "Let's go inside and get some lunch." They went inside and Cal heard Frank shout and Sarah hurried over to seat them. Frank came over to and put his hand on Cal's shoulder. "Tomorrow, you are no longer a free man. You will be chained to the obligation of ensuring the woman you love is secure and happy, for the rest of her life." Cal grinned, "Frank, meet my friends, Dave and Dawn Bannon." "I am pleased to meet you both. Any friend of Cal's is an honored guest in my establishment!" Loudly, he placed theirr orders and hurried into the kitchen. "Jesus Cal, what the hell did you do to that guy?" "Eh, I helped his daughter out one time," Sarah brought them over iced tea and Cal took a sip. "So, Dave, what's going on with you two?" "Well, we've been living on the Reservation for a while. We had no trouble with anyone. Then, some radical cousins came in. Dawn is Shoshone. They didn't think she was good enough for a Paiute. They have been doing little things to hassle her. It has come to a point that I was going to take them out. But they aren't worth going to prison for." Frank and Sarah brought out their food and left them to eat. "The owner busses tables too?" "Dave, I think that means he's not going to let us pay." "Well, I think being your friend around here is a bonus!" They ate their meal with little talking. Once they were finished, Cal signaled for the check. Sarah looked at Frank and he shook his head. Cal did the math and gave Sarah a 25% tip. As they walked back to the vehicles, Cal told Dave to follow him and they'd finish their talk back at the Ranch. When they got to the Ranch Cal showed Dave where to park. They went into the house and introduced the Bannons to everyone. After things settled down, Cal asked Dave to come with him. Sitting down at the picnic table, He asked Dave if he was working. "I haven't worked since I was medically retired. I don't really need to. We live quite well on the retirement and disability." Cal nodded, "Then that's covered. Dave, for some reason, fate has decided to bring my friends together here. Jim has started to call it a MAG, a Mutual Assistance Group. I won't go into the specifics yet, but we have almost unlimited resources. I'm building off-grid cabins for everyone, and I want to include you and Dawn, if you agree. My goal is to be as self-supporting as we can get in food, water and energy. If the economic or political situation gets too bad, we can pull in our ramps and maintain on our own." Dave nodded. "I'll need to talk to Dawn, but I think she'll want to stay here. We both are tired of the B.S. and just want to be left alone."
"Sounds good. Let's go see what's on for dinner." It was their wedding day. They all gathered at the church early. Cal was surprised that the church was filling up quick. So much for Hope's invitation to a "few" people. He really didn't care. She was the one who wanted a "small" wedding. Anyway, they said their vows, exchanged rings, swapped spit and walked out of the church under a hail of birdseed. He guess rice wouldn't work. Then Cal and Hope were told about the "reception." Hope and Cal had not planned for one. Mary smiled. "Martha has everything set up over at the Grange Hall." They drove over to the reception and it looked as though half the town was there. Martha greeted them at the door, showed them the cake and led the two to their table. Everyone enjoyed the festivities, and the cake was delicious. Hope and Cal stayed the appropriate amount of time, then drove back to the ranch and locked themselves in the Shelter for the next two days. Even while Hope and Cal were "busy," the work continued. The concrete slabs were poured, the tool room was painted, and Jonah seeded the garden with alfalfa. Hope was all smiles, flashing her rings. She, Mary, Dawn and Martha were deep in conversation. Cal poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the counter. "What are you four cooking up?" "Hope grinned. "Martha is going to teach us how to can vegetables and meat. We're going down to the Farmer's Market to see what we can pick up," Dave, Jim and Jonah came in and got coffee. Cal took Dave out and he picked out a building site. It was in a good location; one that could well cover all the cabins." "This is good" Cal said. "I need to call Sam Calbert and lay everything on, to include the power systems and septic systems. I'm going for complete dry-in. I'll get a well drilled above the cabins and each cabin will connected to a 50,000-gallon storage tank fed from the well.. There is a huge aquifer below us, and you could drill a well basically anywhere. The water is about 230 feet down." "I'll need you guys to stake out where you want your cabins and garages." Cal stood up and tapped his cup on the table a couple of times. "Guys, years ago I envisioned this as a retreat from the calamities that could imperil my family. I want to bring our collective minds together and plan for every contingency we all can think of no matter how outlandish. We are literally sitting on top of a gold mine. I don't know how much longer it will last, but 70% will be put to getting us ready and 30% in gold and silver reserves. You all already know the supplies and equipment we have on hand, so if you have any ideas let's bring it before our group for discussion. I want to include the wives, also. We need everyone's perspective while in a survival mentality." Cal decided to get it all out in the open. "Guys, this is something that's been on my mind for years. I've been all over the world. And time after time, I've seen things fall apart. America has been very lucky. Lately, there seems to be a growing segment of our society that bends toward socialism. Their ideas may be under the guise of betterment of all, and equality and equity, but it is just thinly veiled socialism. Socialism doesn't work, has never worked, and only tends to bring about the destruction of once structured economies. When our economy fails, I want to be at the top, or near the top of the rubble. We, along with other small communities like ourselves, will be the base of a new economy. I will need all your help in establishing a safe haven for our families. I will need your work, your ideas, and your dedication." Cal looked around the table. Jim was the first to speak up "Cal, I think I can safely say we're all with you on this." Everyone nodded. "Okay. Periodically, I will hand out assignments. My first are, Jim, I want you to coordinate the construction of the cabins, with priority on Jonah's cabin. We need him out of the house so we can get that family in there. Jonah, I need your help getting the boring done in the cave. I'm backed up on sluicing and I need someone to monitor the boring machine. Dave, I need UV34s for our use around here. They need to be fully equipped, including lights. If you have questions on what I'm talking about, let me know, but think tactical." They finished their coffee and split up to begin their assignments. Cal ordered more freeze-dried food packs for people and called the well drillers. They could come out tomorrow. He looked over topo maps and aerial photos of the Ranch to get some idea of the physical security of the area. Okay. He needed to look at this more closely. He saw some positive aspects, but there were some negatives that would have to be addressed. His phone rang. It was Captain Morris "Cal, I need you and Hope to come in tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 pm. The Prosecutor needs to go over the disposition with you. It shouldn't take long." "Okay, Carl. We'll be there." Another thing to add to the "To Do" list. He probably needed to hold a confab every evening to keep track of what was going on.
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Post by texican on Aug 2, 2021 17:07:14 GMT -6
ncsfgm,
Good signature with meaning. de nobis fabula narratur Phrase Meaning: about us is the story told. Thus: "their story is our story".
So now,
What does ncsfgm stand for? nc - North Carolina?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
Interesting story. Would like to have my own gold mine.
Thanks for all of the chapters.
Texican....
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 2, 2021 17:19:44 GMT -6
ncsfgm, Good signature with meaning. de nobis fabula narratur Phrase Meaning: about us is the story told. Thus: "their story is our story". So now, What does ncsfgm stand for? nc - North Carolina? Inquiring minds would like to know. Interesting story. Would like to have my own gold mine. Thanks for all of the chapters. Texican.... Yep, I live in North Carolina. The gold mine was just a surprised benefit. Cal's interest is mainly to protect his family and friends. The gold is just a benefit.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 2, 2021 17:28:08 GMT -6
Hope and Cal arrived at the police station at 8:50. Carl met with them and they chatted for a few minutes. "You two come with me." They went out and got into his patrol car, thinking they were going to the DA's office. When they pulled up in front of the Grange Hall, Hope, puzzled took Cal's hand. He shrugged. Carl got out. "Come on in." There were around 100 people seated. Carl seated them in the front row and the Mayor got up and went to a podium. "It isn't often we do something like this, but when we do, it is with pride, and heart-felt thanks. We like to think we measure up to any community in the nation when it comes to the quality of citizens we are blessed with. We are even more blessed with the recent addition to our community of Cal and Hope Coleman.
On the 18th of last month, Cal Coleman risked his life to protect endangered citizens of this community, including a valued Law Enforcement Officer. There have been those connected in some way to the incident who did things to show their appreciation, but we thought we should do more. I approached Governor Maness about the incident. He was so awed, he took it to the State Legislature. Under unanimous acclamation, the State is presenting Cal Coleman with the Colorado Heroism Award. Cal, will you and Hope step forward." Someone handed Hope a dozen roses. The Governor and Officer Maria Callas stepped to Cal's left and right sides. They both took the ribbon and placed around Cal's neck as the Mayor read the citation: "FOR HEROISM IN CONNECTION WITH A CONFRONTATION WITH CRIMINAL ELEMENTS IN GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO ON AUGUST 18, 2018. CAL COLEMAN RISKED HIS LIFE TO ASSIST A WOUNDED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND PROTECT CITIZENS FROM RANDOM GUNFIRE. TAKING HIS PERSONAL WEAPON AND DISABLING A GROUP OF CRIMINALS, MR. COLEMAN QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY ENDED THE DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY.
SIGNED William J. Maness, Governor STATE OF COLORADO" Everyone applauded. Some cheered and whistled. The Mayor took Cal's arm and led him to the podium. He motioned toward the microphone for Cal to speak. Cal looked over the audience and spotted the Harriman brothers, Jonah and Martha, Jim and Mary, Dave and Dawn, Frank and Sarah, and many others he'd met since his arrival. Cal cleared his throat. "I had no idea. Seems as though my friends keep secrets from me, even the Harriman brothers." Everyone chuckled. "My actions last month were nothing more than a snap decision on my part. My fiancée, now wife, was in danger, a police officer was down, and we had bad guys who didn't care where they shot. I just did what I thought was the right thing to do. I'm sure there are dozens in the city who would not hesitate to do the right thing. I appreciate what everyone has done, and I will assure you, I will strive to be the best friend, neighbor and citizen of this community that I can be." Everyone applauded and the Governor approached the podium. Cal turned to walk off, but the Governor took Cal's arm and whispered, "Not Yet." "Cal, there is a little more to the presentation than I let on. On behalf of a grateful State, I happily present you with a check for $25,000." More applause. Cal thanked him and started to move away. He tugged at Cal's arm again, smiled and shook his head. "Also, at the request of Captain Cal Morris to the FBI office in Denver, they have behest on you and your wife, Federal firearm licenses." Cal took the envelope and approached the microphone again. He looked at Hope and pantomimed writing something and indicated "2". She smiled and nodded. She knew exactly what Cal was going to do and took the checkbook out of her purse to write out checks. "I want to thank everyone for these generous acts of appreciation. However, I'd like to share the wealth. Captain Morris, Sheriff Masters, could you both come up here? Captain, Sheriff, I'm uneasy accepting all these accolades of heroism, when we have many more heroes patrolling our city and county streets and roads each and every day. I know sometimes it is difficult to get the funds to equip your officers, so in appreciation of all your efforts to keep us secure, Hope and I would like to present both your departments, a check for $25,000 each." Hope handed over the checks to both officers. Everyone was smiling and applauding. Cal and Hope were finally able to get away from there and returned home. "We're going to need a bigger picnic table," Hope laughed. They'd decided to have a "confab" outside and the ladies wanted to participate. They let the ladies sit while the men stood around. Jonah nodded. "Yeah, about 16 feet long would do it. Wouldn't hurt to build a shelter over it to cover a grill area." "I can build you a killer multi-fuel grill" Dave said. "It can use charcoal, wood or propane." The women cut in making suggestions and Cal knocked on the table. "Okay, we'll talk about that in a bit. Dave, what's the word on the UV34s?" Dave nodded. "Being delivered tomorrow." "Jim, do you have an update on the cabins?" "Excavator will be out tomorrow to dig the basements; they'll frame on Thursday and start pouring on Friday. They're using quick set so the cabin erection can begin the following Monday. Someone else will need pick up the responsibility after that. Mary and I need to get back home and get the house ready to sale and get packed up. We'll hold off hunting until I get back." Cal was sitting at the picnic table working on the materials list when Hope brought out iced tea. She kissed him on the cheek, asking him what he was doing. "I'm…." His phone rang. "Hello Cal. This is Helen Hatley, we just admitted Angela to the Carolina's Medical Center in Charlotte. She's been having bad headaches, and it's not good" she said, emotion heavy in her voice. "What's wrong?" Cal asked softly. "She has what appears to be a huge mass on her brain stem. The doctors believe that is what's been causing the mood changes she has been having over the last while. They are going to have to do a biopsy tomorrow morning," she answered. Cal sat there stunned, this didn't seem possible. Angela was his age, surely there had to be a mistake. He really didn't know what to say, He was speechless. "Cal, you there?," she asked. "Yes Ma'am, I'm sorry. I just don't know what….," He started to reply. "I know.," she answered. "I am going to fly to Charlotte right away, as soon as I can get a plane," He told her. "Cal, there is nothing you can do right now. I will call you tomorrow after the test. We will know more then. You can decide tomorrow what to do," she urged. "What about Amy?" "She's with my sister. We thought it would be best not disrupt her daycare, to try and keep things as normal as possible" "Will you call me as soon as they have the results of the biopsy?" I pleaded. "Yes Cal, I will," she promised. She hung up. "Cal what's wrong?" Cal laid out to Hope what Angela's mother had told him. "Oh, that poor woman. Do you want to go there?" "Not yet. I'll wait until Angela's mother has the results of the biopsy. If I do go, will you go with me?" "Oh Honey, of course I will." Not having slept well, Cal was up early. He was making coffee when Hope came up behind and wrapped her arms around him. "Cal, I love you. I will support you in anything you want to do." "Thanks, Sweetheart. I'm really concerned about Amy." Hope laid her head on my back. "We'll just play it by ear,"
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 2, 2021 17:44:12 GMT -6
Cal called Helen just before lunch.
"Hey Mrs. Hatley, It's Cal. I'm just checking to see if you have found anything else out?" He said slowly.
"It doesn't look good Cal. It appears the tumor cannot be completely removed safely. And this morning, we found out the cancer has metastasized into her bones" she said softly, "We are waiting to see the specialist now. Can I call you back in a while ?"
"Yes Ma'am, I'll be here" He answered.
Cal tossed the phone on the counter and laid down. It was not even feasible to him that he had been gone from North Carolina less than 6 months and Angela was this sick. She had been fine just several weeks ago, or at least she appeared to be, although different. The phone rang, startling him. He reached over, looked at the number and answered it.
"Hey Cal."
He could tell by the sound of Mrs. Hatley's voice, the news was not good. He didn't think he wanted to hear what was coming.
"There's not a lot they can really do Cal. At least nothing that will help. The tumor is pressing into her brain stem, they have to keep her sedated to some degree. If they don't remove part of it, she is going to die. If they do remove enough of it to ease the pressure, we will have to watch her die slowly and painfully from the bone cancer" she said, sobbing softly.
"Now they are asking us to make a decision," she cried, "God help me Cal, I can't."
By this time the tears where streaming down Cal's face; he felt like he couldn't breathe. Hope laid her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry…… this is …." he choked up again.
"Cal, we have to make a decision now. If we decide to let her go, can you come see her?" she pleaded.
"Yes Ma'am. I can leave now" He replied.
"One of us will get back to you in soon" she answered, hanging up.
Cal decided not to wait. He called and made flight reservations and Hope went and started packing their bags. Thirty minutes later his phone rang again.
"Cal, it's James Hatley. You need to come quick son," he cried softly. They grabbed their bags and got in the Suburban. Cal dialed Jonah's phone and told him what was going on. Hope called Dawn and relayed the same.
Cal and Hope arrived in Charlotte at close to four in the morning; the airport was not very crowded. They rented a car and went directly to the hospital. They went in, asked for some assistance at the help desk, they were directed to Angela's room. As they got out of the elevator, he looked down the hall one way, then the other. Cal saw Mrs. Hatley sitting on a chair in the hallway, her head in her hands. He slowly began the long walk down to her; his stomach was in knots. As he approached her, she looked up and saw him, jumped up and ran into his arms hysterically crying. She held on to him tightly as the emotion shook her body violently. He was still holding on to her when Mr. Hatley walked out of the room to see what was going on. Cal reached over with one hand and squeezed his, his wife still crying uncontrollably. James stepped around him, gently pulling his wife's arms from Cal.
"Honey, it's okay. Let him go see Angela, he has come a long way," he urged with a smile.
She reluctantly let Cal go, wrapping her arms around her husband instead. He motioned with a nod of his head for Cal to go into room. Cal took a deep breath and walked into the room. Angela was lying in the bed, tubes and wiring all over her. She appeared to be sleeping comfortably, a content look on her face. There was a chair sitting right next to the bed, apparently where her Dad had been sitting. Cal pulled it out slightly, sat down and leaned over the bed. He reached out and took her small, fragile hand in his, once again the tears running down his cheeks. Mr. Hatley stuck his head in the door, speaking very softly.
"Cal, we are going down to get something to eat, we have been here all night. We will be right back, the nurse will be checking in from time to time" he said. Hope said she'd go with them.
Cal had been sitting there for maybe twenty minutes, just holding her hand, looking into her face. One of the nurses knocked lightly on the door and let herself in quickly. She moved around to the opposite side of the bed, her eyes scanning all of the equipment to make sure it was still properly working.
"I'll only be a minute" she said softly, a weak smile on her face.
Cal got up and moved over to the window, looking out over the city. He couldn't help but think to himself, all of these people, all of these cars, it's just a regular day for them. In here, the woman who he'd loved, and who had broken his heart, was dying. Out there, no one cared. The nurse finished up, then turned to him, once again trying her best to smile.
"You have to be Cal, I have heard a lot about you" she said.
"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Hatley are good people" He answered.
"Well yes, some from them. But most of it from her" she said, motioning to Angela, "You're all she has talked about since she got here, she adores you."
"We have been through a lot together," Cal answered.
"Well, she should be waking up in a little while, I backed off the medicine a little bit" she said, patting him on the shoulder as she walked out.
Cal sat back down in the chair, once again taking Angela's hand, leaned back and closed his eyes, it had been a long night. He sat there for a few minutes, the sounds of the hospital behind me, until he felt her hand move in his. He quickly opened his eyes, leaned forward slightly, looking into her face. She slowly opened her eyes, blinked several times, then slowly turned her head in his direction. It took several moments for her to realize he was there, but slowly a soft smile spread across her mouth.
"Hey baby, how do you feel?" Cal asked gently, his hand brushing the hair out of her face.
"I'm …. Better …. Now," she whispered, weakly squeezing his hand.
Cal leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips, his hand softly stroking her cheek. The tears were pouring from his eyes, He felt so hopeless. She slowly lifted her hand, extended one finger, and placed it across his lips.
"Shhhhhhh," was all she whispered.
He looked into her eyes, realizing that for the second time in his life, he was losing the woman he loved. Even though he could see she was weak, her body overwhelmed by this terrible disease, inside she was still strong.
"I'm sorry Cal, my mind has not been right. I hurt you. You don't have to be here. You should be…" she said.
"I have to be here with you," He replied softly.
"No, you need… to…be…." she replied.
"I'm not leaving you again, never again." He whispered to her.
Even though she was pretending to be protesting, Cal knew she wanted him there. She smiled again weakly, then slowly drifted off back to sleep. He had just gotten himself composed again when Mrs. Hatley walked back in. She placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently.
"Does she know you're here?" she asked, softly.
"Yes Ma'am. She was awake for a few minutes" he answered.
"Good" she replied.
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Post by gipsy on Aug 2, 2021 22:09:31 GMT -6
The unsurvivable disaster.
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Post by texican on Aug 2, 2021 22:12:22 GMT -6
n,
Poignant.
Thank you.
Texican....
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 3, 2021 2:37:10 GMT -6
For the next three days, they never left the hospital. They all took turns, eating, sleeping and praying, one of them always by her side. Sunday morning, the doctors told them, it was only a matter of hours. He told them, he could ease off the medication, allow her to wake up for short spells, let everyone say what they wanted, one last time. Her parents nodded to him; he told the nurse what to do. Cal decided to leave the room, let Angela be with her parents, he knew they had so many things they wanted to tell her. Hope and Cal walked down the hall, caught the elevator down to the first floor. They went into the cafeteria, got a cup of coffee and sat down at one of the tables. They had been down there for maybe an hour, when Mr. Hatley came walking in, you could tell he had been crying.
"She just fell back asleep. You need to go up there shortly, make sure you're there when she wakes up again. She was asking for you." he told Cal.
"Yes sir." He replied.
As they got back to the room, Cal told Mrs. Hatley that her husband was down in the cafeteria. She told him she would go down for a minute, grab some coffee, then be right back up. Cal sat down in the chair, once again taking Angela's hand in his. He had been there for maybe fifteen minutes when the doctor came back in, checking on her. Cal could tell from the look on his face, he was concerned. He looked over at Cal and smiled, doing his best to ease his pain.
"So, you're Cal Coleman huh?" he asked.
"Yes sir." He answered.
"Dr. Calbert, a resident here, told me you and he served together in Iraq. He's told many stories of your bravery?" he asked quietly.
"I would endure much more right now sir, to make her healthy." Cal answered.
The doctor didn't say a word, he patted Cal's shoulder and walked out. As Cal looked back down at Angela, he saw she was awake. She had this smile on her face, it was like the old Angela, the smile he knew.
"I love you…. Cal" she said in a whisper.
"I love you too Angela, I always have" he admitted, between tears.
By now her parents had quietly walked back into the room, although Cal hadn't realized it. He could see Angela's eyes begin to droop once more, He had so much more to say.
"Cal, Hope is a lovely woman, both inside and out. I want her to be the Mother to Amy that I won't be able to be. Just remind Amy that I will always be watching in on her. I'll be with you and her, baby…. I love you," she finished, exhausted.
She smiled weakly and pulled her hand from his, wiping the tears from her face.
"Cal, I need…my Mom and …my Dad now." she pleaded.
Cal got up from the chair and turned to her parents, both of them were in tears, the pain was unbearable. He walked past them and out to the hall, where he slumped down on the couch with Hope. They were out there for maybe twenty minutes, when he saw the nurses hurrying down the hall in his direction. They pushed hard on the door and ran in, Cal knew, she was gone. Several minutes later, her parents walked out together, Mr Hatley supporting his wife. He stopped for second, looked down at Cal and smiled.
"We're going to take her home now," he told Cal. Hope and Cal went to the Hatley's home the next afternoon. Amy came running up and Cal picked her up and hugged her tight, tears running down his face.
She looked him in the eye and said "Daddy, don't cry. Mommy's in heaven now, but I will take care of you."
Helen, James, and Hope stood there watching, tears in their eyes.
They all sat down and had coffee.
Helen wiped her eyes. "Remember that last time in the room, when Angela told you she needed us, when you walked out?" he asked.
"Yes Ma'am, I do." He answered.
"Well, her last wish was…….," she began, Cal could tell she was getting emotional.
"She asked that we not put her in the cold ground alone……she asked that we cremate her, that way she could always be with us, here at home." she choked out.
Once again, Cal felt the tears stinging his eyes, but he knew Angela, and that made perfect sense.
"I understand Helen." He replied, softly.
"We should receive her ashes tomorrow or the day after. You're welcome to come by here the next time you're in town, if you feel like doing so." she offered.
"I will Ma'am." He promised.
Cal was torn about how he felt at that moment. He had wanted to say goodbye to Angela, one last time. Even though seeing her in a coffin was not that last image of her he wanted in his mind, somehow, he felt cheated. But if that was Angela's last wish, he had to respect it. Cal and Hope stayed another three days in Charlotte. Hope and Helen packed Amy's things in boxes and enough clothes to tide her over for a while until the shipped boxes arrived in Colorado. Hope and Helen were constantly off somewhere talking. The night before they left, Cal and Hope had dinner with the Hatleys.
As they were finishing dinner, Hope placed her fork on her plate.
"Cal, Helen and I have been talking. Her sister is moving to Portland in a few months, and there won't be any family left in the area. They're going to miss seeing their granddaughter growing up. Both Helen and James have said they'd consider relocating to be near what family they have left."
Cal looked at Helen and James. "Are you sure?"
They both nodded. James cleared his throat. "Cal, I've just retired, and we no longer have roots in this area. Helen and I have no problem pulling up stakes and moving to Grand Junction."
Cal rubbed his chin. "Would you consider living in a 3-bedroom log home, with basement, on my Ranch. We are off the grid, but each building will have PV roofing. No electricity bill."
Helen and James looked at each other. Helen smiled. "We'd love to!"
Cal explained to Helen and James, basically, what they were doing at the ranch and they got excited. Hope started telling Helen about the area. James and Cal talked about the community they were forming and who they had there so far. Tentatively, they planned to move out to Colorado in the next 90 days. Helen and Hope would coordinate by phone on house furnishings.
They let Amy stay one more night with her grandparents. Cal and Hope would pick her up in the morning on the way to the airport.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 3, 2021 2:59:16 GMT -6
Back on the Ranch, everyone was delighted to meet Amy. She took right to Jonah. As Cal was introducing her, she looked up at Jonah.
“Can I call you “Gramps?” You could see his heart melt. From then on, all you had to do was mention her name and Jonah’s eyes would twinkle. She didn’t have to go far to find someone to give her love. The cabins were almost finished. The guys had been busy trenching for the water and gas lines. The alternate power systems were complete. They next thing was to get the cabins furnished. Jim and Mary weren’t moving furniture across country, except for a few of their things. Hope stayed on the phone “coordinating,” so she knew what Mary needed. So, Hope, Martha and Dawn set off to furnish the cabins. Cal contacted Sam Calbert and ordered a 3-bedroom cabin with garage and basement for the Hatleys. The Hatleys showed up in October. They’d driven cross-country, sightseeing and just taking their time. As they pulled up, Amy went out shouting “Grandma! Grandpa!” It was late afternoon, so they all went in and relaxed before dinner.
James had traded in his town car and purchased a Tahoe and a 6x10 enclosed trailer. All of the household goods they kept for immediate use were stored in the trailer. They were going to stay in Cal and Hope’s guest room that night and move into their new home tomorrow. The greenhouses are finally completed. Dawn has decided she wanted to be “Queen of the Green.” She took charge when everything was complete. At her direction, Cal got growing medium and another couple of loads of manure from Harley. She would work 12 hours a day, every day, until she had her first plantings in. Then, she started working on the hydroponics. She must have complained to Dave, but soon her sister Ellen, (Morning Star) soon arrived to live with them and help out in the greenhouses. They all pitched in to help when they could, but she was the “official” manager of the operation.
They were growing strawberries, potatoes, carrots, and several types of herbs. In the other greenhouse, they had potatoes, lettuce, cabbage, green beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots. Andy Murray showed back up one day. He drove up in a brand-new Chevrolet Silverado.
“Cal, how’s it hanging?”
Cal smiled, “Andy, it’s good to see you. How’s work going?
“Cal, I’m through. I’m tired of the politics and corruption. I’m going to find somewhere and settle down; Maybe find a little woman and have some kids.”
Cal just looked at him, his mind getting ideas. “Let’s go in and get something to drink.”
They settled down in the den with a couple of ales. “Do you have any idea where you want to settle?” Cal asked.
“Haven’t made up my mind. I’m just winding down.”
Cal cocked his head, “Maybe you could consider settling here. I told you there was a place here for you.”
He nodded, “Yeah, you did.”
“Let me give you a tour what we’ve done since you’ve been gone.”
They went out and got into a UV34 and started at the farthest cabin and worked their way back. Cal took him to the barn, the equipment hanger, and finally, the greenhouses. Andy was impressed. They went into the hydro greenhouse and Andy came to a stop. Ellen was working at the far end with some plantings.
“That’s GOT to be somebody’s wife!”
Cal grinned, “Nope, as a matter of fact, that’s Dave Bannon’s sister-in-law. She’s single.”
“Where do I sign up Boss!”
Cal took him back to the cabin and they went to the Gun Room. He pulled maps and aerial photos of the Ranch.
“Andy, I’d like you to be my Head of Security. I’ve drawn in the structures we’ve added. I want you to look them over and give me some security recommendations for a SHTF scenarios. I will provide you with fully furnished 3-bedroom cabin with basement, off-grid alternative power and a year’s supply of long-term storage food for a family of four. I can pay you a salary also.”
“I don’t need a salary; I’ve got enough tucked away to last me the rest of my life.”
Cal smiled, “Well, you WILL get a salary and possibly bonuses. Are you in?”
Andy took Cal’s hand, “I’m in.”
“Look at the maps and photos. Pick out your cabin site.”
Cal gave him a bedroom in the cave to use until his cabin was ready, then left him to move his gear in.
Cal called Sam and ordered another cabin, with “the works,” as he called it.
“Cal, I don’t see any big weather patterns moving in. We’ve already got what you want on the yard. We can be out day-after-tomorrow for excavation They can frame in the basement foundation the same day and begin the construction by the end of the next week. We can be dried-in by mid-week next.”
“Make it happen Sam.”
Cal logged in to the internet and ordered the long-term storage food and more sample packs. Cal called a confab the next morning where he introduced Andy to everyone. Ellen immediately locked eyes with Andy. Hope looked at Cal and grinned. He just shook his head and grinned back. Amy looked up from the table at Andy and asked, “Are you my Uncle Andy?”
“I sure am Peanut!” Andy replied.
Cal laid out Andy’s responsibilities and that any security concerns should be directed to Andy.
Everyone broke away and Andy pulled Cal aside.
“Cal, what type of comms do you have set up?”
“Well, we have cell phones right now, and I have 25 business-band handy-talkies in General Storage. What do you have in mind?”
Andy scrubbed his foot on the ground.
“Well, I know where we can get a wireless intercom system that will cover all the cabins and the major outbuildings. We can put up a booster on the side of the bluff. In certain coded situations, everyone should be carrying radios. Also, we need to get everyone range time and qualified on individual weapons.”
“Sounds good Andy. Get me the information on the intercom and make a tentative schedule for comms and weapons training.”
Cal went to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. Helen and James were sitting at the table drinking coffee and watching Amy drawing pictures.
“What are you drawing Pumpkin?” he asked Amy.
“A pony.” Gramps said He would get me one.”
Cal looked at James and Helen and they just shrugged.
“Hope!”
Hope came into the kitchen and laughed. “I heard. What would it hurt? We have the barn space.”
“Okay. I have no problem.” Cal replied.
James stood up. “Call, I was in Purchasing for over 30 years. If you need me, I can ease some of your burdens. I really need something to do.”
“Okay, James, you are now the official Purchasing Manager for the Ranch. I’ll square it away with the bank for signature cards and such.”
“Hope, I need to run into town. You want to come and do a grocery run too?”
Hope turned to the table and asked, “Amy, Mom, Dad, do you all want to ride into town?”
Cal’s head snapped around and Helen spoke, “Cal, Hope can’t ever replace our Angela, but more and more she’s feeling like a daughter. James and I asked her to call us Mom and Dad.”
He smiled. “No problem. Let me go move the child’s seat back into the Suburban and we’ll be ready.
Cal had them drop him near city center. Most of what he had to do was in that area. First, he stopped by to see Carl Morris to inquire about the bank robber’s trial. Carl greeted him and offered up a cup of coffee.
“Carl, what’s going on with the bank robber’s trial?”
Carl leaned back in his chair. “Hell, that was over with while you were gone. It never went to trial. He pleaded guilty and got 70 years.”
“Well, I guess it saved the taxpayers some money.”
Carl chuckled, “Yeah.”
Carl got up. Cal, I’m getting some reports of isolated ranches being burglarized, sometimes with people at home. Just be careful out there.”
“We’ll keep our eyes peeled. Keep me posted if you start seeing a pattern. We’re working to upgrade our physical security now.”
“No problem.” Carl answered.
Cal stood up and shook Carl’s hand. “I’ll check in with you later.” Cal walked down to the bank and added James to the ranch account. All he had to do was come in to sign the signature cards.
Hope called and asked if he wanted to have lunch at Frank’s. Cal told her he’d meet them there; he was just down the street. He reached the restaurant just as Hope pulled in. They entered the restaurant and were greeted and seated by Frank. Sarah took their drink orders and Cal introduced Helen and James to Frank. They chatted for a bit and Frank offered a delicacy for them to try. Elk steaks. Cal knew it would be good, but Hope, Helen and James had never eaten elk meat.
Needless to say, the meal was excellent. Everyone thought it was delicious, even Amy! As usual, Cal left a large tip for Sarah. Out in the parking lot, Helen asked Hope about not paying for the bill and Hope explained. James just stared and shook his head. They stopped by the bank on the way home and James signed the signature cards.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 3, 2021 3:15:50 GMT -6
When they got back to the Ranch, Andy asked Cal to meet him out by the picnic table. They finished unloading groceries and Cal took a couple of glasses of tea out. Andy laid out a topo map and showed him some changes they could make for physical security. The big thing was a cattle guard. "Cal, this is the cattle guard between Jonah and Martha's cabin and the main road. If we make it that so we can raise the cattle guard and lock it in, we can slow or stop any high-speed vehicle access to the main area. One sniper can hold them off indefinitely." They discussed it and decided a frame with a battery-powered remote-control winch would work. All you would have to do was hook the cable to the cattle guard and press the remote and the trap was set. The cattle guard was the width of the road and went over an 8-foot ditch. If anyone tried to cut the cable, they could be deterred with rifle fire. All other avenues of approach by foot could easily be protected by rifle fire. Cal approved the plan and Andy started to make up a component list. Cal told him to turn it over to James when completed. Frank Callas built another restaurant; well, not exactly a restaurant. Kind of a restaurant, dinner theater and honky-tonk all rolled into one. Frank invited the ranch clan to the grand opening on Friday night, so the Colemans, The Hatleys, and the Daleys made plans to go. They didn't plan to stay late so they took Amy also. They drove into the parking lot and when Cal saw the tour bus he muttered "Shit!" Hope asked, "What's wrong?" "Ahhhh, you'll soon find out." They went in and Frank rushed over to greet them. "Welcome my friends!" He escorted them over to a large table near the dance floor and stage. They were just getting seated when they heard someone squeal. Everyone turned toward the stage and a young woman came running toward Cal and launched herself into his arms. "Uncle Cal! Where did you come from!" She cried. " Hey cupcake. Long time, no see." "Everyone, this talented young lady is Lilly O'Malley." Everyone introduced themselves. "Does Mama know you're here?" "She does now!" A beautiful red-head lady came over to the table. "Hello Cal." "Everyone, I am pleased to introduce Siobhan O'Malley." He individually introduced everyone to Siobhan." "Cal and I go way back to…" "Siobhan, don't you have a show to get ready for?" "Oh hush, I've got secrets to tell your new wife!" "We'll visit later. Right now, we're starving."' "Okay, but you BETTER NOT LEAVE until we talk!" "I promise, we won't leave." "You had better not. You owe me. I'm collecting tonight. I've got a couple of numbers that are perfect." "Come on, Siobhan, it's been a long time!" "Yeah, too long, but you're going to do it!" She and Lilly walked off. Amy took a sip out of her cup and said, "Daddy, that lady is pretty!" "Cal, what was that all about?" Hope asked. "I'm sure, before the end of the night, you'll find out. Siobhan has a gift for gab." Hope looked at him suspiciously. The place was filling up fast. They ordered drinks and dinner which both were delivered quickly. "Siobhan…what a beautiful name. Irish isn't it?" Helen asked. "Yes, her grandfather was right off the boat." They had finished their dinner and the plates were cleared away. No one wanted dessert except Amy, so Hope got her a small piece of Strawberry Cheesecake. The girl who brought it over wasn't a waitress though. She placed the cheesecake in front of Amy and kissed Cal on the cheek. "Hi Uncle Cal!" "Hi Cathleen." "Momma sent me to get you ready." "Okay, just don't be too rough on me." Hope looked at Cal, puzzled. "Just wait" he said. Hope watched Cal go on stage. Helen asked, "What's going on?" "I don't know," Hope replied. She looked at the program brochure that the waitresses had handed out: Siobhan O'Malley - Vocalist, guitar, mandolin, harp Lilly O'Malley - Vocalist, mandolin, harp Cathleen O'Malley - Vocalist, fiddle, cello, harp Aileen O'Malley -Vocalist, keyboard, accordion Sean Grady - Vocalist, guitar, bass, bodhrán Aedan Grady - Vocalist, Banjo, guitar, bass, bodhrán These seemed to be some talented people! She looked back up and Cal and Cathleen were handling some instruments at the back of the stage.
Then, Cathleen started playing the fiddle, Cal began picking the banjo along with her. The others picked up the tune then Aedan started singing the lyrics: Summertime is past and gone And I'm on my way back home To see the only one I ever loved Now the room is shining bright It lights my pathway tonight Back to the only one I ever loved Oh I know she waits for me Back in ol' Tennessee She was sent to me from God above Now the moon is shining bright It lights my pathway tonight Back to the only one I ever loved When they finished, there was thunderous applause and whistling. When the applause died down, Siobhan stepped up to the microphone. "Good evening everyone. We are so honored to be here for Frank's grand opening. We got invited here in purely a round-about way. A friend of mine from Tennessee told me about the event, and a couple of other secrets that were being held from me…" She saw Cal try to sneak off the stage. "GRAB HIM CATHLEEN! DON'T LET HIM OFF THE STAGE!" Everyone started laughing. Siobhan continued, "Anyway, I was told that Cal Coleman had moved to your area. So, I invited us to be Frank's first act." Siobhan looked down a second, "Years ago, many more than I want to admit, a group of musicians were touring overseas, entertaining the troops. They were taken hostage by terrorists. The night of their captivity, the door to the room they were being held hostage in, suddenly burst open. A man came through, with a pistol in each hand, and made sure the terrorists would never be able to take hostages again….at least on this side of hell! The man, in a soft. but firm voice, said 'Ladies and gentlemen, would you follow me, please?' They were led outside to armored vehicles and taken to safety. I can attest that this actually happened because I was there. Some of you recently observed a similar act of bravery. Our rescuer was none other than Cal Coleman."
The place erupted with applause. Cal's face was a bright red. "I'm sorry Cal. I had to spring this like I did, otherwise you would have sneaked off and not let us acknowledge the good things you do." Someone shouted "Hip, Hip, Hurray!" Once the crowd quieted down, Siobhan continued, "I tried to find out who our handsome rescuer was, but he disappeared. I asked one of the guys in their headquarters and told me who he was. He told me that Cal did that 'crap' all the time but didn't want any recognition. I finally ran in to him a couple of years later, and we've been friends since; although, if he'd been interested, my last name could have been 'Coleman.' Over the years, Cal has been a frequent visitor to our home in Nashville and my kids love him to death." Aedan handed Cal a guitar and took a seat on a stool, while Lilly stepped up to the microphone. "I asked Uncle Cal to help us out with the next song. A few years ago, Uncle Cal was visiting our home. I was in our studio when he came in. There, on a table in the studio, was a stack of sheet music that I hadn't gone through yet. Uncle Cal was thumbing through the sheets and pulled out one sheet, a song recorded by Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers. He read through it for a second, then picked up a guitar off the stand and started playing. The tune sounded so sad I went over behind him and started reading the lyrics. I couldn't help myself, I started crying." She paused, wiping a tear from her eye. "I guess it's kind of silly, crying over a song, but when Uncle Cal finished playing, he looked up at me. He had tears in his eyes also. If you, or a friend or relative have lost a friend or loved one in their service to our country or community, this song may affect you also." "Ladies and gentlemen, The Last Parade." Cal began playing through one verse then Aedan started singing:
Didn't know the boy but I had to go. Knew his mom many years ago there were hundreds there and I was one come to pay respects to a fallen son. As I left my home, I took my flag and I took my place on the towns' main drag There were little kids and bikers there for a single cause to show they care
Thank you, son, for how you fought that day. Thank you, Mom, for the son you gave The least I can do is let old glory wave as the tears rained down on your last parade.
Grew up next-door to a friend of mine he played football offensive line Had a real good job for several years and he felt the need to volunteer
Thank you, son, for how you fought that day thank you, Dad, for the son you gave the least I can do is let old glory wave as it tears running down on your last parade
He married well on a summer day his anniversary was only weeks away Now he's laid to rest by his grandpa's grave as the veterans played Amazing Grace
On the other side of Heaven's Gate a horse rolled up with a brand-new saint and another son had met him there for his first parade in his New town Square
Thank you, son, for what you did that day Thank you, Lord, for the son you gave the least I can do is let glory wave as we gather around for the last paradeCal ended the song, playing the first six notes of the Star-Spangled Banner. Hope looked around, the room was dead silent. There were a lot of people with tears in their eyes, even grown men. All of a sudden, the silence broke with the crowd exploding with applause and whistling. It took a while for them to calm down. Cal placed the guitar back on its stand and made his way back to his table, but every few feet, someone would get up and shake his hand or give him a hug. Siobhan stepped back up to the mike. "I'm sure Cal's family had no clue to his musical talents, but I'm going to reveal another little secret to his wife. Cal can play any musical instrument on this stage, and then some. Don't let him fool you. He won't lie to you, but sometimes he won't tell you everything either. You've gotta squeeze him like a lemon! " The crowd laughed. A few songs later Siobhan sang a song written by Mary Black and recorded by Dolly Parton and also by Nanci Griffith. Siobhan's eyes we on Cal the whole time, or from her seat, that's what it looked like to Hope. I found your letter in my mailbox today You were just checkin' if I was okay And if I miss you, well, you know what they say
Just once in a very blue moon Just once in a very blue moon Just once in a very blue moon
And I feel one comin' on soon
No need to tell me, you'd like to be friends And help me get back on my feet again If I miss you at all, it's just now and then
Just once in a very blue moon Just once in a very blue moon Just once in a very blue moon
And I feel one comin' on soon
There's a blue moon shinin'
When I am reminded of all we've been through Such a blue moon shinin' Does it ever shine down on you? You act as if it never hurt you at all Like I'm the only one who's I' up from a fall Don't you remember? Can't you recall?
Just once in a very blue moon Just once in a very blue moon Just once in a very blue moon And I feel one comin' on soon Just once in a very blue moon And I feel one comin' on soon ... just once ... in a very... blue moonThe show finally ended at 11:00 PM. Siobhan and the band came over. They pulled a bunch of tables together so they could visit. Between Mary and Hope, Siobhan had the full story up to this point. Siobhan leaned into Cal and said low, "Cal, I'm sorry about Angela." He just nodded his head. They talked about this and that and he asked her what was going on with the O'Malleys. "Well, it looks like this tour we just finished will be the last for a while, if ever again." "What do you mean?" "The boys and Cathleen will be going off to college so that kind of breaks up the band. That just leaves Lilly, Aileen, and me. Besides, I'm tired. Since Jeff passed away, I just don't have that spark anymore. Besides, Nashville has gotten so cutthroat, it's not as fun as it used to be. I'm looking to move away from the scene, somewhere near where the kids go to college." "Well, where are you planning to move to?" Grinning, she poked Hope and said, if this chickee hadn't wrapped up your heart, I would be moving here!" Hope laughed. "Don't let that stop you! It's taking more than me to ride herd on him to keep him out of trouble. Still, he manages somehow." Siobhan thought for a minute. "I guess I could start looking for a house." Hope poked Cal. She looked at him like she was saying "Go ahead!" "Siobhan why don't you and the crew come out to the Ranch and stay with us for a couple of days. I want to show you around and you can make your decision then." "Do you even have room for all of us?" Siobhan asked. Hope chuckled, "I think we can accommodate you."
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Post by texican on Aug 3, 2021 6:54:12 GMT -6
ncsfgm, Good signature with meaning. de nobis fabula narratur Phrase Meaning: about us is the story told. Thus: "their story is our story". So now, What does ncsfgm stand for? nc - North Carolina? Inquiring minds would like to know. Interesting story. Would like to have my own gold mine. Thanks for all of the chapters. Texican.... Yep, I live in North Carolina. and sfgm: Soldiers for God Ministries sfgm.org Texican....
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Post by gipsy on Aug 3, 2021 7:06:37 GMT -6
Couple of great songs there
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Post by texican on Aug 3, 2021 7:19:55 GMT -6
Helen wiped her eyes. "Remember that last time in the room, when Angela told you she needed us, when you walked out?" he asked.
"Yes Ma'am, I do." He answered.
"Well, her last wish was…….," she began, Cal could tell she was getting emotional.
"She asked that we not put her in the cold ground alone……she asked that we cremate her, that way she could always be with us, here at home." she choked out.
ncsfgm,
Your story comes from your heart for it is touching beyond most other authors that I have read and are currently reading.
Thank you for sharing.
Regards,
Texican....
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 3, 2021 8:44:51 GMT -6
Amy was about to fall asleep, so they decided to call it a night. Hope and Cal and the Daleys took Amy back to the Ranch. Helen and James waited for the band to pack up and led them out about 30 minutes later. Cal opened up the shelter and Mary went through and made sure there were towels and such ready for them. Hope put Amy to bed.
"Mary, you're in charge of getting them assigned rooms."
Hope came in and said, "I'm going to get drinks and some snacks together."
They all returned to the cabin and waited for the tour bus. When the bus arrived, Cal recommended they just bring in what they needed for the night, and they could get the rest of their things tomorrow. Everyone's jaws dropped open when we took them into the shelter. Mary took charge and got them assigned sleeping quarters. They dropped their bags in their rooms and returned to the cabin.
Siobhan grabbed Cal by the arm, "Cal, what the hell are you doing here?"
Hope laughed, "He just gets these ideas in his head of how to care and protect those close to him and he's off on a run. He's not satisfied until that project is complete, then it's something else."
"But…"
"Siobhan, if you decide to move here, I'll fill you in on everything." Everyone was listening, so he addressed them also. "I'd appreciate it none of you mentioned anything about the shelter outside of this group and the people on this ranch. There really isn't anything special about it. I just utilized what resources were available."
"Siobhan, where are the kids going to college?"
Each one spoke up and said they really hadn't decided. They had planned to go to a local college in Tennessee.
"Well, Siobhan you do decide to relocate here, there are several fine colleges in the area, and you'd all still be together. I can almost guarantee you'd have gigs at Frank's place on the weekends if you wanted."
Siobhan looked at the kids, then at Cal. "We'll have to discuss this."
"Okay but let me sweeten the deal. If you decide to move here, I will pay for half your new home we'll build here on the Ranch. You just need to pick out the design, that is, if you're willing to live in a log home. We can have it built in about a month."
"Oh yes, Momma!" Aileen and Lilly both cried.
Siobhan smiled, "We'll retire to the catacombs and discuss the matter."
"No" Cal said, "Hope and I were just going to bed. You all can stay here. We'll see you at breakfast."
Hope and Cal started breakfast; she doing ham and eggs and Cal doing blueberry pancakes. It wasn't long before sleepy, hungry faces started appearing. Amy came trotting in.
"Momma, can you help me in my chair?"
Hope snapped a look at Cal, tears welling in her eyes.
"Sure baby, you want some juice?"
"Yes, please. "Amy smiled, "I love YOU and Daddy!"
Hope blinked back more tears and walked over and gave Cal a hug.
Siobhan and her gang showed up and everyone took their seats.
Everyone ate their fill and the girls and boys started helping clean up. Cal grabbed another cup of coffee and went out to the picnic shelter. It wasn't long before everyone else came out and sat down.
"Cal, we all talked last night and decided we wanted to move here. Cathleen and the boys want to check out the colleges and see about applications. We may need to stay a few days longer to get that accomplished."
"Fine with me. We'd love having you here" Cal said.
"I want to pick out the floor plan for the home, but it is going to be HUGE with enough bedrooms for all of us. And you don't have to pay for half of it. I have enough money from Jeff's life insurance."
Cal thought a second, "Why don't you pick out a 4-bedroom design for you and the girls and I'll build a three-bedroom design for the boys. That way, if they don't want to stay here after college, we can use it for the Ranch."
"Well, that would solve that" Siobhan said.
"Okay, you get with Hope and Mary. I'm sure they have some tips for you about log home living. You college pukes can take the Suburban in and start checking out colleges. Get on my computer and get the addresses. I just upgraded the GPS maps in my truck, so you shouldn't have a problem finding them."
Everyone took off to do their thing. Amy and Cal took a UV34 and I checked out building sites.
Andy stopped Cal as he was putting the UV34 back in the hangar.
"You up for some ammo?"
"How much?" I asked.
"Fifty thousand 5.56, twenty-five thousand 7.62x51, fifteen thousand 9mm, and ten thousand ,45. 5,000 .50 and 1,000 .50 caliber MK 211 Raufoss anti material."
"Jesus! This stuff hot?"
"Nah, leftovers, but they can't keep it around."
"How much is the bill?"
"Nothing. It is already paid for and the books have been wiped clean."
"Where do we pick it up?"
"They'll fly it into Pinyon Airfield."
"Okay, just tell me when."
Cal went back to the cabin. Hope, Siobhan, Mary, and Martha were all pouring over the house plans book.
He got a glass of iced tea and went over to them.
"Find anything you like yet? He asked.
Siobhan looked up and smiled. "Oh yes! Hope said it would have a basement."
"Yes, I want to make sure everyone has enough storage. I'll put in a year's supply of long-term storage food for a family of four, like I have for all the other homes."
"Right now, I'm just making a list of what furniture of what I want to ship from Tennessee. I won't have a problem selling the place. Realtors are always up with an offer. The only thing is, we've got so much stuff in the studio…"
"Siobhan, I'm also putting a 30x50 studio in between the cabins."
Siobhan jumped up and hugged him. She looked over at Hope and said, "Sorry Hope."
Hope laughed. "That's all right. He has plenty of hugs to give out'"
Cal just shook his head and went to the Gun Room. With no one to bother him, he pulled out a note pad and started to work on a current "To-Do" list. He wanted to get more gravel on the drives before bad weather hit, which should be soon. They really needed a 2 ½ ton farm truck, and he could probably use a pick-up truck. Cal thought about the ammo. Where to store it? He walked out of the Gun Room and went to the empty room next to General Storage. Yep, this would be big enough. Nothing else came to mind, at the time, so he tore the sheet off the pad and went back to the cabin kitchen.
Cal refilled his iced tea and picked up his phone. The gravel company would be able to get the gravel out tomorrow. He wrote on his list to attach the road conditioner to the tractor to even the roads out when the gravel was spread by the dump trucks.
Hope and Siobhan came into the kitchen. Siobhan handed him a sheet of paper that listed what she wanted.
"Cal, this is the model and specs I want. Hope knows the tidbits, so she can answer any questions the architects have."
Cal looked at Hope, "Why don't you take Siobhan down to talk to Sam while the kids are at the colleges? Take Amy with you. You can drop me off at the Chevrolet dealer on the way. I'll meet ya'll at Frank's for lunch at 1:00." Hope and Siobhan dropped Cal off at the dealer. One of the salesmen was immediately on him like a duck on a June bug. Cal told the salesman he was looking for a 4-wheel drive Silverado. He walked with Cal over to a line of pick-ups. Cal looked at each one with 4-wheel drive, even though he'd already seen what he wanted. Cal looked at them all and went back to the one he wanted. He looked it over and checked the sticker price.
"I'm not paying that."
The salesman said, "we could make you a real good deal on this."
"Well, the price would have to be a lot lower than what I see on that sticker."
The salesman nodded. "Let me go in and see what I can do for you."
He left and Cal walked over to the stake beds and checked the price on a couple. Pretty much the same. He also saw a single Unimog sitting in the corner. The salesman came back and quoted a price. Cal told him to drop the price $2,000 more and they had a deal. The salesman rubbed his chin a second. "Why don't you come into the office and see if we can work a deal."
So, they walked in. He got Cal a cup of coffee and was writing on a notepad, like he was doing something.
"I can knock off $1250."
"Get your Manager."
With a surprised look on his face, he left the office, returning with the manager.
Cal introduced himself. A look of recognition appeared in the man's eyes.
"This is the sticker price of the Silverado; this is what I'm willing to pay. I also need a medium truck. Tell me about the Unimog you have sitting in the lot."
"The Unimog was an order for a developer, who went bankrupt. It has a snow blade and a snowplow. Everything, together, would be around $65,000."
If you knock off $6000 of the Unimog package, and sell me the Silverado for what I want, I'll pay cash for both today."
The manager looked at Cal, then at the salesman.
"Write it up."
Cal handed the salesman his credit card. He looked at Cal like a hog at a wristwatch. Cal told him he needed the pick-up as soon as they could get it prepped. He'd pick up the Unimog after lunch. The salesman called the bank and ran the card.
"I've never had anyone come in and buy two vehicles with a credit card."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 3, 2021 8:45:51 GMT -6
In thirty minutes, Cal was driving out of the lot and headed to Frank's. He was early, so he sat at the counter. Frank went over and shook his hand and placed a glass of iced tea in front of him.
"So, where is your lovely bride, Cal?"
"She's on her way." Cal explained Siobhan's desire to move here and their talking to Sam Calbert.
"That's great! Maybe she'll play in the club again. The customers really liked the show!"
Cal explained about the band members going to college, but that he should talk to Siobhan about playing on the weekends.
Hope and Siobhan arrived, and Sarah escorted them to a table.
Frank walked over. "Cal, from now on, this table is reserved for you and your guests."
"Frank…"
"Don't say anything. This is my wish and I ask that you to honor it."
"Frank, I am humbled."
Siobhan stared at Cal. "Jesus, Cal, what the hell do you have over him?"
He just shook his head and took a sip of tea. Hope began telling Siobhan about the incident.
"Cal, you've got to stop going out of your way to save people. Look around, there aren't any telephone booths for you change in anymore."
She looked at Hope. "I see why you need help to keep this knucklehead under control."
Hope giggled.
They had a nice lunch. Siobhan drove Hope's Jeep and Hope drove the Silverado to the Chevrolet dealer, where Cal picked up the Unimog and they all drove home together.
Cathleen, Sean and Aedan all decided to apply to Colorado Mesa University. They had already turned in their applications and the Registrar said they were 99% guaranteed to be accepted.
Siobhan and the kids packed up the tour bus and left, before a weather front came in. It wasn't going to be much, at least not enough to hinder excavation for the basements.
Just before the weather front moved in, Jonah, Andy, Dave and Cal met the aircraft with an 18-wheeler and box trailer, borrowed from a neighbor. There was a lot more cases than they expected.
"Whoa!"
Cal looked at Andy, "What's up?"
"Buried under all this rifle ammo are four cases each of M14, M16 and M18 mines."
"Jesus! Well, load it. Might come in handy someday."
They took everything back and stacked it in the storeroom. Andy had set up a firing range and had been giving pistol and rifle instruction. Helen loved it! Dawn was a natural, however, Dave had range time with her before.
The cabins were finished, the long-term food packs stored, and Hope had purchased and received the furniture Siobhan wanted to flush out the cabins. They didn't do anything to the studio. Cal figured they would set it up the way wanted when they got there. Siobhan called as they left Nashville. It would take about three days for them to make the trip if they didn't push it.
The Nashville gang made it in late Thursday. Hope set them up in the shelter bedrooms because the rest of their furniture wouldn't arrive until the next day. The next morning at breakfast, Amy came in, rubbing her eyes. She looked up and squealed "Auntie Siobhan! You came back!"
Siobhan scooped her up and kissed her on her cheek. "Yes, baby doll, we're going to live right here on the Ranch from now on!" Siobhan placed Amy in her chair and got her a cup of juice.
After breakfast, Cal tapped the side of his juice glass with a spoon. "Okay, sports fans, we've got some unloading to do."
Siobhan's group had arrived with the tour bus, an Escalade pulling a trailer, and a Tahoe pulling a trailer.
"Siobhan, since you have a sense of what is packed where, I'm going to ask you to be the Director. The rest of us will be at your beck and call. Let's attack one vehicle at a time. We can get this behind us and be ready to do the rest of the furniture this afternoon when it arrives."
"Hope, can you coordinate with Siobhan and the boys on what groceries they'll need in the short term? We can do a major grocery run Saturday morning. Get a list together and pick up what they need."
They went at it like gangbusters. Everything was unloaded by 11:00, so they broke for a lunch of sandwiches and chips. The household goods arrived around 2:00 PM. They finally were finished unloading at 5:30 PM. The group was starving so Hope called and ordered pizzas and went to pick them up. The sated, but tired, crew slept one night more in the shelter.
The next morning, Cal took his coffee and did an inspection walk, ending down by the garden and greenhouses. He went into the hydroponics house and it was nice and warm. Dawn was keeping a constant temperature of 80 degrees. The Tilapia were growing well, and the plants looked healthy. He saw Andy in the back. Hope and Siobhan walked in on their own inspection tour. Hope nudged Cal, pointing her chin at Andy and Ellen at the end of the greenhouse.
"Do you need to get another cabin ready?"
Cal smiled, "I don't know, looks promising."
Andy walked over. "Cal, Jonah, Dave and I will be putting in the frame today for raising the cattle guard."
"How high are you building it?"
"Thirteen feet. If we get anything through there higher, we can lift the top beam off with the tractor gin pole, temporarily."
"Sounds good. Let me know if you need any help. By the way, I want to break out the radios and make sure all crews have at least one with them. I'll start carrying one also."
Andy nodded, "Already had them charging and programed. I want to have a confab this evening and go over the programing and operation again.
"Where's Amy?"
"Helen and James took her with them to Grand Junction."
"Okay. Do you two mind taking a UV34 and look for a good location for another 3-bedroom cabin between here and Jonah's? If things don't develop further between Andy and Ellen, I'm sure we'll be using it in the future."
Hope smiled. "Just in case, we'll get Dawn involved in the furnishings planning."
Cal frowned at her. "Just don't let on to what you're doing. I don't want to push them. I just want to be ready in a timely manner."
Cal went back to the cabin and brought out a couple of radios and one base. He sat the base on the counter and plugged it in. He did a radio check on both radios and clipped one to his belt. He'd issue out radios to each cabin this evening.
Sam was happy to hear from Cal again so soon. He should be. Cal was basically funding his retirement. Cal told him we wanted another 3-bedroom floor plan with their usual setup. James would be getting back to him this afternoon with the order.
Cal called everyone on the phone and notified them of the meeting that evening. The rest of the day was filled with grading the road and other little chores.
At the meeting that night, Andy went over the operation of the radios.
"Is something going on that we are now going to need radios? Helen asked.
"Just a matter of security. Things aren't getting any better and the economy is getting even worse. There's been an increase in property crime and the weather is going to be a factor also. We just want to keep everyone safe. I also want to make sure you get with Andy and get some range time with the weapons. We've been gradually upgrading the security here but there's more that can be done."
"What's the weather have to do with security?" Aedan asked.
"We are at the beginning of a solar minimum. To us, that means colder winters. On the average, we only get about sixteen inches of snow here a year, max. We will probably see that triple in the next five years. Rain won't increase that much, so I plan to dig more stock tanks to capture the runoff from the snow. The colder weather means increased crop failures, so food prices will increase and food scarcer. That's why we put in the greenhouses. This solar minimum could last for years. The increased stress on people tends to bring out the criminality in some. So, we want to be prepared. I want you all to look up the effects we're facing and think of things that would make our lives easier." Everyone nodded. They switched from the more serious talk to discussing Amy's birthday party the coming weekend. Cal woke up the next morning with Hope snuggled close to him. Laying there, he went over in his mind what all that they had done and any possible thing they could do to make our lives better. He started to get up.
"Nooooo…please stay a few minutes and hold me."
So, he settled back down and enjoyed the time.
"Cal…. I'm pregnant."
His eyes flew open! Cal sat up and looked down at her.
"Are you all right?"
Hope chuckled, "I'm more than all right. I'm going to have a son for the man I love."
'You already know it's a boy?"
"No, but I have a feeling."
Cal lay back down and pulled her into his arms.
"I love you so much. Sometimes, I feel lost when you aren't near."
"I feel the same Cal. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
They just lay there, sharing each other's warmth and the peace of the morning.
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Post by gipsy on Aug 3, 2021 10:28:30 GMT -6
That is great news for sure
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Post by paulk on Aug 3, 2021 11:16:11 GMT -6
Love it!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 3, 2021 15:22:25 GMT -6
They were eating breakfast with Amy when Helen and James came in. Hope got up and poured them coffee.
"Mamma's going to get me a baby brother!"
Helen's eyebrows shot up. "What!"
Hope smiled, "I'm pregnant."
Helen jumped up from her chair and ran around the table to hug Hope. James grinned, "Congratulations!"
"Oh! I'm going to be a grandmother again! I mean…"
Cal grinned, Yes, you ARE going to be a grandmother again."
Helen, tears forming, took her seat.
"Ohhhhh…wait 'til the girls hear about this! We've got some serious planning and shopping to do!"
Cal rolled his eyes. Then he thought about diapers and stored a couple of thoughts. Cal needed to run the sluice to recover any gold from the last room excavated. Jonah came up to help. Cal had constructed a raceway to carry the water and silt to a shaft that was so deep he never found the true depth. Each of them grabbed a shovel and started loading the hopper. They worked for a couple of hours and checked the sluice. Yep, there was gold filings there. They went ahead and pulled the mats and washed them in the tank. Cal wouldn't continue the process today. They'd finish the dirt and start the excavator on another area.
When Hope called that dinner was done, they were just finishing up. Pulling the mats a final time, they washed them in the tank and called it a day. They'd finish the recovery tomorrow.
Cal was back at it again the next morning. This time he would run the sludge from the mats through the separator. He dried and weighed the gold while Jonah disassembled the excavator and reconfigured it for the next boring. In all, they had recovered 96 ounces of gold. Not bad, considering what they had to do relatively little to get it. Jonah and Cal reassembled the excavator to a 48 inch by 9-foot grind. This would bore a hallway to the next room, connecting the two. He was going to do the same for Hope and his bedroom, connecting to the next room that she wanted to convert to a nursery.
They set the excavator for a slow grind. It would automatically walk itself forward so all they had to do was keep the debris shoveled once in a while. This boring should only take 4 hours. The borer would move at a pace of about a foot per hour.
They went back to the cabin for a cup of coffee. James and Helen were there with Hope.
"Good" James said. "I wanted to update you on some things. The new cabin is almost done, and the girls want to start getting furnishings bought."
Cal looked over at Helen and Hope. "What do you have in mind?"
Hope began, "We want to fully equip this one. Everything from silverware to pillowcases. After all, we don't know where Andy and Ellen are headed."
"They look pretty cozy to me!" Helen added.
"Well, you two handle it. They both came here with very little."
"James, did you order the long-term food for the cabin?"
James nodded, "Yes, you also need to upgrade the grain mills. It's hard for the women to turn the flour grinders when you aren't around.."
Cal slapped his forehead, "I completely forgot!"
James pulled out a sheet of paper. "Helen and Hope did some calculations, and this is what they came out with on how many diapers the baby will need until potty-trained."
Cal whistled, "maybe we shouldn't feed her so much!"
Hope slapped his arm. "It's going to be a boy!"
Cal laughed, then asked, "When is your doctor's appointment?"
"Thursday. Are you going with me? They're doing the ultrasound."
"Of course, I am!" He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
Cal looked over at James. "I can start buying them at Sam's and BJ's. Give the list to Hope and she can keep me straight."
Hope pulled out a sheet of paper with the sizes of diapers, quantity, and a checkbox to be filled in when each size and quantity had been purchased.
"Boy, you're on the ball!"
Hope smiled, "We can take the trailer with us when we go to the doctor's office and start filling out the purchase then."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
Everyone else showed up for a confab. Jim started off.
"Cal looks like we may have some bad weather coming this weekend. The weatherman says we could get 8-12 inches of snow."
"Well, we should be okay. I'll attach the snow blower Friday, just in case. We don't usually get that much, but we are at 6500 feet above sea level and anything could happen."
Dave was next. "The fencing for the pastures has been completed and the three beef cattle will arrive Wednesday. I built a couple of wind/weather shelters and have enough hay and feed for the winter stored in the barn."
"What about a milk cow?"
"Hurley said it would be a couple of weeks. He's weaning a calf off her."
"Okay. We've got hay, so I'll go ahead and pick up some sweet mash feed for her."
"Cal, Hope cut in, "I think us girls will make a run in to pick up some things. I want to get it out of the way before people start reacting to the coming storm," Cal nodded.
Next, Dawn spoke up. "I'm ready to harvest lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and radishes. Anyone who want salads, it's there for the taking. We're going to have a lot of tomatoes. I was thinking of cooking them up and freeze-drying them to make tomato powder. You can make most anything from that. And while we are on the subject, Cal, we need to get various sizes of mylar bags and a sealer or we need a #10 can setup to store our food."
Cal thought a second. "Let's go with mylar bags. Plastic totes to store the filled pouches are easy enough to procure. We'll build some shelves in the new room we bored and can use that for food storage. However, once you have enough, give one package to each cabin, we can store the rest. Just get with James and tell him what you need and where to buy it."
Andy spoke up next. "I would like to get everyone who hasn't had weapons familiarization out on the range in the morning. Any of you that want to practice more, Jim will be available to help you. Cal, once we get everyone qualified, I'd like to have everyone keep their weapons in their cabins."
Cal looked over at James. "James, Let's get 12-gun gun safes for each cabin. Andy, Jim, I want you to make sure everyone is rigged for pistol holsters …better yet, let's get tactical vests for everyone. See what sizes we need and get with James."
Cal took the Silverado in to pick up the cow feed, along with chicken feed, and a couple of salt blocks. As he was paying for the feed, Carl Morris came in.
"How's it going, Cal?"
"I'm doing well, Carl. How about yourself?"
"I was just talking to Sheriff Masters about an hour ago. Someone killed Jeff McDonald and his wife over in the west part of the county. Not much to go on just yet, but you folks need to be watchful. It smells like a gang to me."
"Thanks Carl, we'll keep an eye open. They may not want to mess with our spread though."
"Maybe not but be careful."
Cal left the farm store and drove over the Sheriff's Office. He went in and asked to speak with Sheriff Masters. A Deputy escorted him into Dan's office.
"Cal, how are you?
"I'm well Dann. I just wanted to stop by and see your side of the McDonald murders. Carl talked to me a little bit ago."
"Well, we don't have a lot to go on right now. The investigation is still being conducted. We've been notifying people in the area to be on the watch for any strangers. That's about all we can do right now."
Cal nodded, "Yeah, I guess so. Well, we've upped our security posture. If we spot anything, we'll let you know."
Cal went back home and unloaded the feed into the feed-room in the barn. After parking the truck, He went into the cabin.
Hope and Amy weren't back, so he went back into the shelter to check on the excavator machine. It was about ¾ of the way through. Cal went and got a wheelbarrow and shovel started moving pay dirt to the hopper area. After he cleaned that up, he figured it would be another hour and a half before the machine had bored as far as he wanted to go. Cal went and got the gold they had recovered so far and started heating the pots to melt the gold and pour ingots.
Jonah came in as he was pouring the last ingot.
"Jesus Cal! You've got to come and see this!"
Jonah followed him back to the excavation. He reached over and shut off the machine. Backing it out, he and pointed a flashlight into excavation. There was a huge golden spot in the wall, almost four feet square.
Jonah looked at Cal. "Depending on how deep this goes, there's got to be at least two million in gold here"
Cal looked at it and looked at Jonah.
"Yeah, could be. We'll see when we start excavating the next room. There could be several millions of dollars in the next room."
They started the machine back up. They would excavate until the shaft would intersect with door excavation. They'd know how much they had at stake then. They let the machine run a little longer than was needed. It didn't make any difference. They shut down and disassembled everything and moved to the main tunnel. After careful measuring, repositioned everything for a six-foot cut. After assembling all the parts, they started cutting again. Jonah and Cal went back and started moving pay dirt. Cal even brought in the shop vacuum and got everything off the floor. They went ahead and loaded everything in the hopper and begin sluicing the run. In that small run, they recovered 1100t oz ounces of gold.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 3, 2021 15:23:35 GMT -6
The snow came Saturday night. It turned really cold on Friday night and didn't let up. By the time the snow started, it didn't melt one bit. It just fell and fell. Cal got up a couple of times during the night to check things out. By 5:00AM, the snow was level with the porch deck. He got showered and Hope started preparing breakfast. He pulled a pair of snowshoes out of general storage and pulled out a set of cold-weather equipment out of his closet. After breakfast, Cal went first to the chicken coop to gather eggs and check on the feed and water. Everything was fine, so he took the eggs back to the cabin and had another cup of coffee. By 8:00, he redonned his gear on and went to the hangar and cranked the tractor up and let the heater warm up. While the tractor was warming up, Cal took the time to build a fire in the wood furnace to warm the hanger up. Thank goodness he had attached the snow blower previously. Once everything had warmed up, he started moving snow off all the drives and around the fueling station. He cleared a path to the barn also. Once that was done, he went down to the main road and started clearing back toward the cabin. He cleared Jonah and Martha's drive along the way. Cal cleared access to all the cabins and their drives also. This only took a couple of hours. After cleaning everything up as well as he could, he put more wood into the furnace. What snow and ice that couldn't be removed would melt and would have to be mopped up.
Amy wanted to go out, but she didn't last long. The snow was too deep and too dry to make a snowman. The family just stayed inside the rest of the day. Cal used their "shut-in" time to do more planning. Cal had Hope, Helen and Martha to go through the storerooms and see what was needed to add or get more of. When the roads cleared, they hooked up trailers and went into town and picked up more supplies. Mostly, this consisted dry goods, like paper towels, toilet paper and feminine hygiene products. When the trailers were stuffed, they returned home. They stored the merchandise temporarily. After this next room was excavated, Cal would start on another storeroom.
The excavator had gone in about ten feet. Jonah and Cal sluiced the pay dirt and It looked like the seam of gold got a little smaller, but there was still a lot of gold. They still recovered around 800 ounces of gold. There was still had a lot more of the room to excavate. There could be as much as $20,000,000 worth of gold in this room alone. "ROCKSTAR, ROCKSTAR, CAMBRIDGE, TWO, FIREPLACE" came blasting over the radio. Cal grabbed his coat and told Hope to lock herself in the shelter. She immediately grabbed Amy and left the kitchen. Ranger went out with Cal.
The message was from Andy telling me someone had them under surveillance from the. Entrance to the main road. Cal grabbed a vest and AR-15 and jumped in his truck and drove slowly down the drive. He was a quarter of a mile away from the road entrance when Andy stepped out from behind a rock. Andy walked up to the truck as Cal stopped.
"They took off. Looks like they were casing the joint." He got in and they went down to where they had been parked.
"I'd say they'd been here a while. No one, to my knowledge has left here this morning" Andy said.
Cal looked around. "Yeah, they were probably trying to get a count of the people here."
"Put out the word about what's going on and have everyone carrying. What do you think about raising the cattle gate tonight?"
Andy looked at me. "Probably a good idea. I've got a couple of surprises for them. We need to keep our people away until I disarm it though."
"Okay, I'll let everyone know." Two nights later, they heard an explosion in the direction of the cattle guard. Cal drove down and Andy and Jonah were already there.
"Cal, just as I thought, someone came across and attempted to lower the gate. I had placed three M-14 toe-poppers around and someone stepped on one. I've disarmed the rest."
They looked around and saw a lot of blood.
"They probably won't go directly to a hospital. I doubt if hear from them again" Jonah said.
"And too, if they see we have this kind of firepower, they may be curious as to what else we have," Cal replied. "Let's keep this up for another week and see what happens." Cal went into town to do another dry goods run. Sheriff Masters pulled up in the parking lot as Cal got out of his truck.
"Hey, Cal, how's everything going?"
"Fine, Sheriff, hope you aren't staying busy."
"Busy enough. Some campers found a body over near Gateway. Head, feet and hands were cut off. Looks like somebody didn't want the body to be identified, but if he's in the database, we'll be able to identify him through DNA."
"That's a far piece to go for an investigation."
"Well, Mesa is a big county. 3,341 square miles takes a bit to cover."
"Yeah, I imagine. We've beefed up security on the Ranch and got everyone qualified on pistols and shotguns. Haven't seen anything unusual lately, but we're prepared."
"Who's doing your training?"
"Andy and Jim. Andy was a Weapons instructor at the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg and Jim taught room clearing."
"Hmmmm. Think I could talk them into giving my deputies some additional training?"
"I'm sure they'd be willing to help. I'll have them contact you."
"Good. Well, I'll get going and let you go back to your shopping."
"Okay, Sheriff. Have a good day."
Cal went into Sam's and loaded up a flat-bed cart with toilet paper, paper towels and feminine hygiene products using Hope's list, paid for it and packed it in the trailer. He kept going back until he had the trailer full.
Leaving Sam's, Cal stopped by Franks for a cup of coffee. Frank sat down with him and they chatted for a while. "Can you have Siobhan give me a call? I want to schedule her band to play in the club."
"Sure, hold on a minute. Cal pulled out his phone and sent her information to Frank's phone. "Now, YOU call her."
Frank chuckled, "You always want to do it the easy way."
Cal said his good-byes and left for home. Cal unloaded everything into the shelter storage room and went to check on the excavation. It was almost 18 feet deep. Next, he'd cut to connect to the opening in the adjoining room. Then start cutting parallel cuts 18 feet deep. After that, cut out columns to stabilize the ceiling. In all, the room would be 18 feet by 18 feet with 6 supporting columns. It would take about 3 hours to get. to 18 feet, so he'd wait until then to remove the pay dirt and then move the machine.
Cal found Hope and Helen in the Family Room going over plans for the nursery. He sat down with them and they showed him what they wanted to do. "Okay, but figure this in. I'm going to cut a doorway through to the bathroom to turn it into a Jack and Jill Suite. So, figure on having 36 square feet less of wall space in that corner" Cal said.
"Helen looked at the schematic, "That won't be a problem, where are you going to make the doorway?"
"I'll do it after I finish the current room. It may take a couple of weeks before I can get started. Also, that floor needs some more grinding in places so the tile lays evenly. Cal replied." "Are we going to use the same tile?" Hope asked.
"Yes, unless you two can figure how to transition another pattern to fit the bathroom and our bedroom."
"No" Hope said. "The white will work fine."
Cal left them to do their worst and walked down to the greenhouses, Dawn and Ellen were working planting new plants where vegetables had been harvested. "Cal! Hi!" "I want to try something different. I want to try growing watermelons."
Cal frowned. "Don't they require a lot of space?"
Dawn smiled. "Normally they do. But the Japanese grow icebox varieties on trellises with the melons growing in plexiglass boxes that support the weight. When the melons are ripe, they are square, Easy to stack in the grocery store."
Cal nodded in understanding. "Sounds like a plan. You could sell them at the farmer's market. Well, it's your project. Try it out."
'I'll have to order the boxes," Dawn replied.
"Get with James and give him the quantity and the vendor information."
Cal turned to Ellen. "I see you've been out on a few dates with Andy. You two becoming an item?"
Ellen blushed.
Dawn laughed. "She's sweet on him. She only shuts up talking about him when someone but me is here.
"Ellen slapped Dawn on the arm. "I do not!"
Cal laughed. "Hey, no problem. However, we do have an empty cabin just laying around."
Startled, Ellen replied. "Oh no! I won't sleep with a man unless I'm married!"
"Whatever," he replied, and left, chuckling. "I was just throwing out a little information."
He left shaking his head. Cal went to the barn and found Andy and Dave there setting up a stall to milk the cow. They were just about finished, so he just watched. They finished and began collecting up the tools. Cal walked with them to the tool room in the hanger. They talked about a few small projects they were thinking about when Andy spoke up.
"Ah, Dave, do you think it would be all right if I asked Ellen to marry me?"
Dave snapped Cal a look. "Well, I guess it depends on whether she'd even want to hitch up with your ugly butt!"
Andy blushed. "I think she will. I just hope she doesn't say 'NO!'"
Cal chuckled. "When are you going to ask her?"
Andy scuffled his foot around a bit. "We have a date tomorrow night. I thought I'd ask her then. I already have the ring."
"Cal, do you think it's too soon to ask her?" Andy asked.
"Andy, these days, you've got to take what happiness you can, when you can."
Andy shook Cal's and Dave's hands.
"Oh, Andy, I want to remind you, there IS an empty cabin the needs a couple of newlyweds to occupy it."
Andy grinned, "I'll keep that in mind."
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