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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 7:10:42 GMT -6
Cal picked up the supplies and went by the limber yard and gave them a materials list to be delivered to the ranch. He had a lot of shelves to build and liked to keep a bit of lumber on hand for unforeseen projects. On the way back, he decided to stop by the Circle B. He didn't see anyone at first, but then found Jimbo and Joanna down at the barn unsaddling horses.
"How's it going?" Cal asked.
Jimbo looked at him and blushed. Joanna turned around and blushed also.
Cal grinned. "I guess that answers that question,"
"Cal I…"
"No need to explain. How are you fixed for ammo over here?"
"We're good. I wanted to give you one of our GPS units so you could consolidate the data."
"Good. We don't have any updates so everything should be good when I reprogram our units. Hey, why don't you two come over for dinner Friday night?"
Jim looked at Joanna and she nodded.
"We'll be there Cal."
Cal turned and left and went back to the Ranch.
Cal unloaded the canning supplies in the Processing Building and walked into the cabin. Siobhan was frying chicken. She turned to see him smiling.
"What?"
"I stopped by the Circle B. Looks like those two are getting along all right."
"Good, they make a nice couple."
"I invited them to dinner Friday night. Let's make sure we invite Cheryl and Curt also."
Siobhan nodded. "You want to grill steaks?"
"Sounds good."
Cal went in and played with the kids until dinner.
Cal woke up the next morning, spooned behind Siobhan. He reached and gently rubbed her swollen belly.
"Hmmmm. You can stop that next week," Siobhan said softly.
Cal moved closer and kissed her on the neck.
"Alanna, if it's a girl, Daniel if it's a boy?"
"If that's what you want. I don't care. It's our child. That's what is most important.
Siobhan rolled toward Cal and kissed him. "Our child."
They heard Evan babbling to himself, so they got up and got ready for the day. While Siobhan got the kids ready, Cal started breakfast. Amy was next into the kitchen, so he fixed cereal and buttered a piece of toast for her. Cal waited for Siobhan to finish breastfeeding Evan before he cooked her eggs. When Siobhan came in with Evan, Cal began poaching her eggs. Siobhan sat Evan down in his chair and Cal gave him a strip of toast to chew on. They had finished breakfast when Jonah knocked and came in with Martha.
Cal greeted them and poured coffee for both.
"Ready to put up some plum jelly?" Martha asked Siobhan.
"I'm looking forward to it. Will anyone else be helping?"
"Everyone except the college girls."
Jonah and Cal went out on the porch.
"The girls want a root cellar."
"Sounds reasonable. When you want to get started?"
"I figured I would dig it out today. As soon as I get it level, I'll get a floor poured. I'm going to use cinder blocks for the walls and pour an arched roof. I want enough arch so condensation will run down to the walls and not drip from the ceiling."
So, Jonah and Cal dug the cellar and leveled the floor with shovels. Cal called the concrete company and they agreed to send out a truck the next day.
The guys framed the pit for the floor and a ¼ wall. Rebar and mesh was added along with the plumbing for a floor drain. The pouring of the concrete didn't take long, and Call had enough time to run into town and pick up the concrete blocks and more mortar. They would pour the roof themselves. Once the concrete was cured, Jonah and Dave started laying the block and Jim, Cal and Andy were working on the arched roof form. They finished the form fairly quickly, so they pitched in helped Jonah and Dave. This speeded up the operation significantly and left time for Cal and Andy to build the door. The door was built thick, two layered, with insulation recessed between the layers. The layers were glued with construction glue and clamped together to dry overnight. Cal had heavy-duty hinges constructed to support the door. Once the door wall had been laid, the next day they set the door in. The only thing left was the roof. Andy and Dave heated and bent the rebar to strengthen the roof. Cal attached the cement mixer to a Bobcat and he and Jonah mixed and poured the roof. They waited 3 days before removing the roof forms. Everything looked good. Attaching the loader bucket to a Bobcat, Cal started covering the root cellar with 12 Inches of dirt. The other guys were taking old barn wood and building shelves inside the cellar. Dawn and Ellen had purchased bales of peat moss and bins to store the vegetables. The cellar was ready.
Helen and Mary showed everyone how to braid the garlic and the onions to be dried so they could be hung in the cellar. One-third would be held back for ranch consumption and the rest would go to market.
The Clan Ladies decided the chicken coop needed to be expanded. The "order" was given. Cal looked everything over, and not wishing to do a patch job, just built a new coop that would hold 50 chickens, Once the new coop was built, the old one was dismantled. He added the necessary waterers and feeders and the chickens seemed to like it. The run was tripled and fenced off. When a run wasn't being used, it was closed off and the chickens had access to a fresh one. Alfalfa was planted in each run and before a run was eaten down, the chickens were moved to a run that was being allowed to grow. Eggs were a big thing at the farmer's market, so the extra eggs would be a big hit. The girls even had plans to start freeze-drying eggs. They would let 3 chickens at a time brood and have plenty of meat year-round.
It was time to butcher a few cattle for ranch use, so they separated 3 steers out and processed them. The half carcasses were hung in the cooler to age, and when ready, cut up and packaged. Some of the steaks were freeze-dried and packaged in mylar bags and stored with the long-term storage foods.
The excavation was going smoothly. They ran into a couple of major seams of gold and Cal was kept busy processing the pay dirt, along with whoever wasn't busy that day. Cal had reclaimed over 1000t oz of gold, so far. That was in the neighborhood of $2,000,000. Another trip to Denver would have to be planned.
Cal called in Andy, Dave, and the "Four Horsemen" for a security meeting.
"Guys, I'm getting ready to cash in a couple million dollars in gold. What do we need as far as security enhancements?"
Andy immediately spoke up. "Quad-rotor UAVs with cameras. We need a minimum of five. Four for security purposes and one for livestock observation. They have a range of 15 miles, and it would be faster than vehicle or horses to check out a threat."
Clint spoke next. "Ammo. You can never have enough ammo."
Mike was next. "Body armor. I've got a feeling we're going to need the edge someday."
They all discussed what had been brought up and Cal made a decision.
"Andy, give James the specs on the UAVs. Let's get 8 so we have some spares."
"Clint, find out about the ammo for everything we have. Also, I want to get a couple of Barrett M82 or M107s with day and night vision scopes. The best out there. Add .50 caliber ammo to the list. Add reloading supplies for the .50 caliber also." "Mike, we need sizes for every adult on the ranch for helmets and body armor."
"I want all of you to work through James, our comptroller, for all purchases." Cal turned the channel selector on his radio to the Circle B channel.
"Joanna, are you on?"
"Yeah Cal, what's up?
"I want you to start marking areas for cattle tanks. We should be getting even more snow than we did last year. The tanks we put in greened up the range pretty good."
"Roger, Cal. I'll have the hands looking for likely locations."
"Roger, out."
Jonah rode up on a UV34.
"Morning, Cal."
"Morning, Jonah. I was just about to contact you. I'm getting ready to order the winter hay bales. How many bale feeders do you think we would need?"
"I'd say about 10. If you get the type on skids, we can move them wherever they're needed."
"You got time to ride with me over to the Circle B? I want to talk to Joanna, and I want you two on the same sheet of music."
"Sure."
Cal and Jonah rode to the Circle B in the Suburban, calling Jimmy on the way. Jimmy met them as they rode up.
"How's it going Jimmy?"
"Fine, Cal. What brings you over this way?"
"We needed to talk to Joanna about winter feed."
"I think she's in the office. It's over this way."
They walked into the house and Jimmy led them to the office.
"Hi, Cal. What's up?"
"I wanted to talk to you about the winter hay. Have you ordered it yet?
"No, not yet."
"Well, I had on hand last year, 250 large bales. We used 175, so that was our magic number. I'm going to have on had the same plus enough to deploy in movable hay feeders to areas where the cattle gather in bad weather. We can pre-load them and cover them with tarps. And move them out before a snowstorm."
"Sounds like a good idea. I was looking at the long-range forecasts and it looks like we're going to get worse weather than we got last year. "
"Let me know what you need, and we'll get them ordered. As soon as we hear of a storm this winter, we'll move in the feeders a couple of days before and the cows will head that way."
"Is your Security Manager giving you any problems?"
Joanna glanced over at Jimmy and blushed.
Jonah grinned at Cal.
Okay, Joanna, Jonah and I will get outta your hair. Don't forget dinner Friday night!"
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 7:13:20 GMT -6
Cal smoked Baby-Backs on Friday. Siobhan made steak fries and coleslaw. Mike, Ariel, Cheryl and Curt walked up to the grilling area. "Drinks are in the cooler!" Call said. "We girls will go up and see if Siobhan needs any help." Cheryl said. "STOP! You go up there and she'll be all over me. If she needs help, she'll tell you." Cheryl and Ariel shrugged and got a wine cooler. Jimmy and Joanna drove up and the party was complete. Siobhan came down with the kids. "I was going to set the table inside, but it is so nice out here, does anyone have any objection to eating out here?" Everyone agreed, so the girls went up to bring everything out. "Cal?" Mike said. "We ran more pay dirt today and you're accumulating a hell of a lot of gold." "Yeah, I've been waiting for the price to jump again. Guys, the world situation is not going to get any better. Iran is looking like it is going to move to add to its territory and areas of influence. When the price of gold has reached that level, I'm going to sell and take most of it in bullion coinage and spend the cash as soon as we can. I want you guys to start making lists of the things that will be hard to get once the economy starts crashing. Which brings me to a point."
"Mike, Curt, how are your relationships with the girls?" "Uh…Cal" "Look, I'm just trying to think ahead. Curt, if you are thinking of tying the knot in the future, I want to get a cabin built. No, wait, I'll build one anyway for you. You just get Cheryl to help you set everything up. Tell her you need a woman's perspective." "Cal, I was thinking of asking her." "Guys, I'm not going to B.S. you. Things are going to get tough. I'm calling a meeting on Saturday for the High Top personnel. I'll expound to the rest what I've told you today. They had a nice little dinner. Cal watched Siobhan observing the couples. When everything was cleaned up and everyone had left, Siobhan came and sat beside Cal. "A lot of love radiating out there tonight." Cal smiled. "I was counting on it. I'll get another cabin built. I feel we're almost running out of time, for some reason. I'm calling tomorrow and having more fuel tanks delivered, doubling our fuel storage. I want a meeting Saturday with all High Top personnel to get everyone's input on other things we need to store." Siobhan nodded. "I think we're good on personal items. We've got a 3 years supply for 50 people. Food is not a problem. I just don't think we have enough protective space for all the cattle if we have ash-fall." "Yeah, you're right. The first inkling of an eruption, we need to butcher the beeves we won't be able to save. We're going to lose them anyway." "What about meat storage?" "I'm getting a couple of Reefer trailers we can store in the shelter bay. That will keep most of the meat, other than what will be in the cabins." Cal and Siobhan sat for a while and went in to get ready for bed. "I wanted to get everyone together to give everyone my vision of what I want for this ranch. When I first inherited this ranch, I dreamed of it a-farm and as a hobby-farm and a place to relax. Well, with the events in my life, that kind of steamrollered. So much has happened that changed my perspective that my vision has changed. The people that have meant so much to me in my life have come together and now my vision has changed. Somehow, we've come together as a group that can support the whole, no matter what. Every one of you has something to offer, even you that are still in college. You offer the future. With what's happening in the world, I don't know what kind of future we'll have. At the best, things will go on and we'll live great lives. At the worst, things will get extremely bad and we'll still live great lives, as long as I have anything to do with it. With your help, we will make the best of a bad situation. Two of the greatest threats are economic collapse and natural disasters. Not a lot that we can do about either, but I have a plan. Economic collapse, we can endure. We have the assets to ride that storm out. The only natural disasters that I see facing us at this time are global cooling and an eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera. We are entering a period of natural cooling that hasn't taken place for almost 300 years. This is natural. There is no defeating it, just adapting to it. We've taken steps with food storage and the greenhouses. These will make our lives easier. We still have other things to do though. I'm calling on all of you to help us fill in the blanks on what else we need or to do. There are no stupid questions or answers. Whatever you come up with will be taken under serious consideration. One of the things I want you to think about is bartering. In an economic collapse, our current currency will be worthless, but material goods needed by others, priceless. We need to procure those items and store them to trade for those things we will need, at least for a time. There is also a security aspect. Others will want what we have. We must be able to protect our assets. Each of you will have to be armed at times to protect our assets and each other. Any ideas you have, please relay them to James or Cheryl. We'll go through whatever you have and have another meeting to discuss further preparations," "Cal, do you have a preferred supplier for cold weather gear?" James asked.
"Check out Refrigiwear. You have the sizes for everyone. Get head-to-toe gear for everyone."
James took a note and nodded. "I have the compiled list of barter items for you to go over."
"Okay. I'll go over it. Everything approved, pick ten different suppliers and divide the orders out between them." Cal sat and went over his list of things to do. The construction of the steel building over at the Circle B was complete and the over-pressure unit was installed. They could now house 300 cattle head under ash conditions. He could house 100 with no problem.
James had ordered the barter items and they were filtering in. To alleviate any storage problems, Cal purchased four semi box trailers. They would store items that were not susceptible to heat and cold. He bought more to store feed for the chickens, horses and cattle. Cal made sure the Circle B was set up the same. The cold weather clothing came in and was distributed out to everyone. The spares were stored in General storage. Every cabin was outfitted with a gun safe with weapons and ammunition for everyone. Andy and Curt had done a good job getting everyone fitted with tactical equipment and spent many hours on the range. Cal called Sheriff Dan Masters and invited him out at his convenience. Dan said he'd be out the following day. When Dan arrived, Cal poured Dan a glass of iced tea and they adjourned to the picnic tables. "Dan, I called you out here to voice some of my concerns about what's happening these days." "Cal, I know what you mean. Something's in the air that doesn't feel exactly right." "Dan, yesterday, there was a 6.8 earthquake in Yellowstone. I've been watching the situation closely and it doesn't look good. If that caldera blows, it could mean only a few days of ash-fall, or it could be months. The way the jet stream is moving, we would get lucky, but that changes frequently. We could get anywhere between 3 and 12 inches of ash. I've tried to prepare the High Top and the Circle B for natural disaster contingencies, and it might not be enough. I do want you to know you and your wife are welcome here if things get bad. "Well, I appreciate the offer, but I'd probably be needed closer to the office if things went bad. Is there anything I can do to prepare for something like that?"
"In the case of Yellowstone, not breathing the ash is of prime importance. Get some good dust masks and goggles. To keep the ash out of your house, get a broad-spectrum overpressure air filtration system. You can get those from American Safe Room. That will over-pressure your house and keep the ash out. Lay on a stock of food for you and Jane for at least a year. Any help you need, let me or James know. He has a list of suppliers." "Cal, I appreciate it. Things could go downhill in a hurry. If in the worst case, can I send Jane out here? I know she'd be safe with you folks." "Any time, Dan. Why don't you and Jane come out for lunch Saturday. I'll smoke a pork butt and we can get greasy." "Sounds good. Jane would enjoy that." "Okay then, we'll see you Saturday at 1:00 PM." Cal needed to clear some freezer space, so he smoked four butts. Getting up early Saturday morning, he had the meat in the smoker 5:00 AM. This was something he really loved to do. He would have enough meat left over; he could package smoke pulled pork to last them a while.
Dan and Jane showed up on time. Jane started helping Siobhan get the sides together. Dan and I grabbed an ale and chilled for a bit. "You have a nice operation going here Cal. I'd say you could supply all your own food." "Most of it, we do. We sell a good bit at the farmers market, but our main objective is to feed our families. I want us prepared as well as possible."" "I checked on that overpressure air filtration system. Got one to fit the house. Thought I might as well replace the windows too. I'll seal those well also. I guess we need to store up food too." "Dan, you can buy food units for a family for a year easily. Also, if there is an ash-fall, the electricity is going to fail. You may want an alternative source of electricity." "I'll look into that." "Boys! Lunch is ready!" They had a great lunch. Cal took Dan and Jane on a walking tour to the greenhouses and gardens afterwards. Siobhan packed them some pulled pork to take home with them. "Siobhan, Cal, it's been a lovely afternoon!" Jane said. "I envy you both for the gardens. I've missed growing things since we moved to town. Maybe when Dan retires in three months, we can get a place outside of town to have a garden and some animals." "You're retiring Dan?" Cal asked. "Yeah, with my combined pensions, I'm ready to settle back and enjoy life a little more. We've been looking around to see what's available for land. I want to build a house and set something up like you have, only on a smaller scale." They said their good-byes and Dan and June left. "They're a nice couple." Siobhan said. "Yeah, they're good people." "It would be nice to have them out here." "I'm thinking."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 7:16:14 GMT -6
More earthquakes were happening in Yellowstone. Cal kept his eye on the situation. In the meantime, the worked on the excavations and processing gold. He had a sizable amount to he called and arranged for another sale. He had almost $15 million. Cal decided to get ¾ of it in bullion coins and the rest in a check. He planned on spending the cash on filters, lubricants, and spare parts as soon as possible. The value of the dollar was falling fast.
Cal and Curt made the run into Denver. Before they left, they grabbed as many of the filters and parts as their two vehicles could hold. Each drove a truck with an attached bx trailer. They got back late and left the unloading in the morning.
The next day the trailers we unloaded and added the parts to the inventory. Cal, Siobhan, Mary, and Jim took the vehicles and trailers into Grand Junction and started filling them with staples and spices. When almost full, they went around to gun shops and bought reloading supplies; just enough at each one not to be obvious.
When they got back to the ranch, everything was unloaded and stored. Cal got on the internet and ordered more ammo and reloading supplies.
Cal drove into town to order another two UV34s. While he was at the dealer, Dan drove up.
"Good to see you Dan. You got time for a cup of coffee?"
"Sure thing. I'll meet you at the diner."
Dan already had a booth in the back when Cal got there.
"Dan, I want to hit you with a proposition. You've seen what we've got out at the ranch. There's actually more to it than you realize, but that's for another time. What we've done is built a place that will keep our families safe through pretty much short of a direct nuclear attack. We are pretty much self-sustaining. We all pitch in when there's work to be done and share the profits. We'd like for you and June to consider moving out there with us instead of moving out somewhere by yourselves. We'll provide the cabin and utilities. You and June just have to pick out a floor plan. I know you need to talk it over with June, and if you two are interested, come back out and you can look at the different cabins already there."
Dan thought a moment. "Oh, I'm interested. I'll talk to June tonight. Maybe June could come out sometime this week. I could care less about the floor plan. As long as she is happy, I'm happy. I'll call you later."
Cal returned home and found Siobhan in the kitchen. He walked up behind and wrapped his arms around her.
"I think Dan and June might bite."
"Oh, good!" They are such a nice couple!"
"While I'm thinking about it, I've got a job for you and the rest of the ladies. I want you all to start putting together Tyvek kits for everyone. Each kit will have a full suit, goggles, mask, gloves, and a roll of tape. These should be sealed in a 5-gallon Mylar bag using an impulse sealer. You can get a list of sizes from James."
"When do you want this done?"
"The sooner the better. There's been more 6.0 + earthquakes in the Yellowstone area. That thing could pop any time."
There was a knock at the door. Siobhan greeted Helen and Mary. They immediately sensed something was wrong. Siobhan stood at the counter, slowly caressing her swollen belly, tears misting in her eyes.
Stunned, Mary asked, "What's wrong, Honey?"
"Am I good enough for Cal? The man is bigger than life and I don't know if I am strong enough to be the wife he deserves."
Mary walked over and hugged Siobhan.
"Siobhan, the hormones are talking. You came into Cal's life at the most critical time. Your love for him has strengthened Cal as a man.
Most people never go through the kinds of things a soldier does. Most people don't go the different phases of military training in order to be trained for their job. Most people don't carry a gun and load of ammunition, looking for an enemy to take down. Most people, for that matter, don't have the kinds of enemies who require more than a verbal put-down now and again. And most people don't worry about whether or not they can make it to the next doorway without getting shot. You go from days where you are either bored to tears or scared out of your mind, to the depths of despair as you lose a teammate, to more of that special kind of boredom that makes a man feel only inches tall and which looks like it might never end. There's something special about Cal. He wasn't just lucky to bring out the guys he did. He learned to switch, off and on, the mindset he needed in combat. After he got the 'Dear John' letter from Angela, they say he had a death wish, but I don't think that wasn't really so. He just numbed his feelings and continued doing what he was trained to do, all the time hiding his anguish."
Helen stood by Siobhan, rubbing her back.
"Siobhan, most people wouldn't be able to bear the strain of losing two women they loved in that short of a time. It would crush them. But most people also never get that third chance at love either. I think that's how Cal feels. His world, which up to a point had been pretty miserable for so long, was suddenly filled with sunshine, cool breezes, and good smelling women. Well, one good smelling woman, anyway. Siobhan, you were his lifeline in the middle of a horrible, perfect storm. The feelings you two have kept buried over the years, that burst out at just the right time, is what kept that man sane and made him even better. Yes, Cal carries a great weight of responsibility, but your love strengthens him to be able to do so."
Siobhan sniffled, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"I love him and our family so much. I just want to be the wife he deserves."
Mary, her eyes misting also, held Siobhan's face in her hands.
"Helen and I love you like our own daughter. We are here for you anytime, for anything you need. You just keep giving us grandchildren and loving Cal. That's your main duty."
Helen cleared her throat.
"Let me fix us some tea." And began filling the kettle with water.
That's how Cal found them, drinking tea, giggling, and talking baby things.
"Cal, I have a doctor's appointment in the morning. Will you go in with me?"
"I can't think of anything, in present company, I'd rather do."
Siobhan blushed and Helen and Mary grinned.
"We need to pick up another crib some time." Siobhan said.
"Good. We'll do the doctor's, have lunch, and go furniture shopping."
Mary glanced at Helen.
"Let us keep the kids. We'll spoil them a little for you."
Cal grinned. "Thanks Ladies.
Siobhan rubbed her stomach.
"Little Kaitlin will need some clothes too."
"Oh!" Helen cried. "Let's you I and Mary go tomorrow and do baby clothes shopping! We can make it a 'Ladies Day.'"
Cal shook his head.
"Just buy her some jeans and shirts for now. We can save money on clothes when you give me a son."
"We will not!" Siobhan cried.
"But I have so much fun trying!"
Siobhan blushed. "Not that, you chooch! Go grade the roads or something."
"Yes Ma'am."
Cal grinned, picked up his hat and headed toward the hangar.
Cal had just reached the hangar when his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Cal, it's Adam Dunn."
"Adam! It's been a long time. What are you up to these days?"
"Just drifting. I tried to get hold of Jim Shaner but I was told he had move up there near you."
"Yeah, he's on the same ranch with me. Where are you now?"
"I'm at a little place called Cochiti, New Mexico."
"Well, why don't you and Patty come up and visit?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Patty…Patty passed away."
"Oh God! Adam, I'm sorry. Still, come up and visit a while. I'll text you the directions and coordinates."
"I'll do that, Cal. I'll call when I get near."
Cal got on the radio and rounded up Jim, Andy, Bill, Mike and Clint. They all met him at the hanger.
"What's up Cal?"
"Another Wild Goose is flying in. I just got a call from Adam Dunn. He's down in New Mexico, headed this way. He told me his wife Patty had passed away. I don't know the specifics, but if he is just wandering around, I want to get him busy. What do we have we can put him on?"
Andy immediately spoke up. "I could use some help on the UV patrols."
"Cal nodded. "Sounds good. Let's make sure the bunkhouse is in order and stocked. He should be here this evening or tomorrow."
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Post by sniper69 on Aug 4, 2021 7:36:23 GMT -6
ncsfgm - I'm really enjoying this story and the chapters you've posted. Thank you for sharing and can hardly wait to read more of this excellent story.
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Post by paulk on Aug 4, 2021 8:24:09 GMT -6
This is sooo good! I keep hitting refresh hoping for more.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 9:30:07 GMT -6
Adam arrived at 6:00 PM that evening.
"Hello, Cal."
Cal shook his hand. "Adam, it's good to see you. Come on in and rest up. Dinner is almost ready."
Adam went in and Cal showed him where he could wash up.
Cal went into the kitchen.
"How is he?" Siobhan asked.
"Not real good."
Adam came in they all sat down to eat. Siobhan had made Saucy Meatloaf with green beans, mashed potatoes and dinner rolls.
"This is good!" Adam said. "I don't think I've ever had meatloaf like this!"
"Siobhan is a great cook." Cal admitted.
"I just followed your recipe, Cal."
"Cal was always a good hand in the kitchen." Admitted Adam.
When they finished, Cal and Adam retired to the porch. After putting the kids to bed, Siobhan joined them, bringing iced tea.
They sat in silence until Adam started talking.
"I left the Army and things seemed great, until one day Patty went to the doctor and said she had to be tested for tumors on her pancreas. I was worried sick.
Patty was the center of my universe. I took her to the hospital for them to take their tests. She got a call two days later. It turned up positive for cancer. She would have to have the tumors removed if she were to have any chance at all.
Patty asked the doctor what her chances of a normal life were if she had the surgery. They told her she had maybe a twenty-five percent of making it if she had the surgery.
Patty looked at me and said that it was hardly worth getting cut open for.
She asked the doctor how long she had if she just let it go. They told her maybe four months. I asked about the pain. The doctor said they had pain killers that would help a lot. Maybe the last two weeks she would feel it much worse. They would have her admitted to the hospital and give her morphine, or whatever else she needed so she wouldn't feel the pain."
Siobhan was crying and Cal's eyes were misting up.
"I wanted Patty to take the chance, even if it was only twenty-five percent, have the surgery. I didn't want her to give up.
Patty looked at me. 'It's not giving up. It's just letting go. I don't want all the pain and suffering when it's almost a sure thing I won't make it. I believe in God and I believe he does have a better place for me. It says he has a mansion already prepared for me. Let's just take these last few months and make the best of them.'
She lived her last few months to the fullest. We had a wonderful Christmas and celebrated her birthday, her last one. We spent all our time together.
I heard the death rattle one morning a month ago. She wanted to be cremated and her ashes spread around the shore of Lake Keowee. After I had done that, I liquidated everything and have just been wandering here and there since."
Cal started telling Adam his story about ending up there at the ranch. At the end, everyone had tears in their eyes.
"Life doesn't want to go easy on people like us, does it Cal?"
"I guess not. But I guess it all balances out. I was extremely lucky Siobhan was here to catch me when I fell the last time." Siobhan squeezed his hand.
"Adam, I've got a place and position for you if you'll take it. We're doing incredibly good here and could use another good man."
"Cal, I'd appreciate that. I'm not used to being without something to do. I've been at odds too long and need something occupy my time and mind."
Cal and Siobhan took Adam down to the bunkhouse and got him settled. Siobhan invited Adam up for breakfast in the morning and he accepted. They said their good nights and returned to the cabin.
When they got inside, Siobhan hugged Cal and sniffled.
"Sometimes women forget that men can feel as much pain as any woman."
"Siobhan, your love has been better than any medicine to dull the pains I've had. Thank you for being here for me."
They walked to their bedroom and closed the door. Cal and Siobhan were feeding the kids when Adam knocked on the door.
"Come on in Adam!" Cal yelled.
Cal poured Adam a cup of coffee and told him to have a seat.
Siobhan started a pan of ham frying and started heating up another pan for eggs. Cal sliced some bread for toast.
"How do you like your eggs Adam?" Siobhan asked.
"Scrambled is good."
Cal and Siobhan plated the food and sat down to eat.
After breakfast, Cal called Andy on the radio and had him meet them at the bunkhouse. Cal introduced Adam to Andy and gave them their marching orders. Since Andy currently ran UAV operations out of the bunkhouse, he started briefing on the UAV patrols. Cal left them to do their thing, but quickly turned around and went back in.
"Andy, I need you to give me a floor plan and square footage for a UAV operations building."
Andy nodded. "Good. I can use Adam to bounce some ideas off of."
Cal left and found Jonah at the barn.
"Jonah, how many cattle can we maintain in the big barn under ash-fall conditions?"
"Ehhhh… probably around 50."
"That's a lot of cattle to lose. Okay, say we have an ash-fall, and we get enough notice. We've got 275 cows right now; we'll butcher 10 so that leaves us 265 cows. How much floor space do we need to maintain 265 cows?"
"You're going to need around 60,000 square feet, not including hay storage."
"Ok, I'll get a steel building erected and an OPU ordered."
The new barn and UAV building got built and more solar and backup energy components added. The cows were occasionally herded into the new building to get them used to being there.
Adam got very proficient at the UAV patrols. He and Andy would work different sides of the two ranches and work their way toward the center. Anything relevant to the Circle B was passed on to Jimmy and Joanna. Since the UAV would return automatically when the battery power reached a certain level, another was on standby. When one started to return, its replacement was sent out before it returned. Thankfully, the only threat that was observed was a cow stuck in the fence over at the Circle B.
Siobhan was now 8 months pregnant. She is as beautiful as ever. Cal hoped her flaming red hair and emerald, green eyes were passed down to their daughter. Yes, they would have a little girl.
Siobhan received a call from her cousin, Sonia. She took the phone and left the room, leaving Cal to play with the kids. Cal played with them until their bedtime, then took them in to get ready. He got both of them baths and was ready to put them to bed when Siobhan returned. They both kissed the children good night and went back to the family room.
"Cal, Sonia is in trouble."
"What's wrong?"
"She's divorcing her husband. On top of that he was caught embezzling from the company he worked for and basically, they are bankrupt. Can she come and stay with us for a while, until she gets on her feet? She would be a great help when the baby comes."
"Where is she now?"
"She's in Chicago."
"Get her a ticket. Tell her to pack just what clothes and personal items she wants to keep and get out here on the first thing smoking. How far along is the divorce?"
"It's a done deal. There is just the 3-month period they're going through."
"Ok, get her what she needs and get her out of there."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 9:35:40 GMT -6
Sonia Kennedy, Now Sonia Connolly (going back to her maiden name), arrived in Grand Junction two days later. Cal took Siobhan to the airport to meet her. Cal was startled when she came through the gate. Sonia had the same flaming red hair as Siobhan, but her eyes were blue. Sonia and Siobhan hugged, and Cal followed them down to baggage claim. "Oh! Sonia, meet Cal…Cal, Sonia." Siobhan giggled. "Oh, don't mind me, I'm just the baggage boy!" Sonia laughed. "Cal, I'm happy to finally meet you. You have had Siobhan enthralled for years, and you are just as good-looking as she said!"
"Down girl, that's MY man!" "I'm sure that anything good she said about me was exaggerated," Cal said with a smile. "Don't worry. I'm pretty burned out on love and relationships for the foreseeable future." Everyone got quiet and they waited for her bags. Once they retrieved the bags, Cal had them wait inside until he retrieved the Suburban. He loaded the women and bags and they returned home.
Siobhan led them back into the cabin. She turned and looked at Cal who nodded. She opened the entrance to the shelter and led Sonia back. "My goodness!" Sonia exclaimed. "This is beautiful!" Siobhan led her to the guest bedroom with en suite, Cal following with the bags. "Are we underground?" "Yes, but the only way you'd know it is the lack of windows. It may seem a little cool, but you get used to it and makes you sleep like a baby." Cal let them get Sonia settled and went out to make them drinks. Helen knocked on the door and brought the kids back. Cal set Evan in his playpen and got some cookies and milk for Amy. "Daddy, where did you and Mommy go?" "We went to the airport to pick up your Aunt Sonia." "Who is she?" "She's your Mother's sister." Siobhan and Sonia returned then. "Daddy, she's got hair just like Mommy!" Sonia smile and squatted next to Amy's chair. "And you, my precious, are a beautiful little girl!" Amy got down from her chair and hugged Sonia's neck. "Daddy, she hugs good too!" "Siobhan laughed. "Okay, my little charmer. This is my sister, your Aunt Sonia." "I know, Daddy told me. "She turned back to Sonia. "I'm pleased to meet you. You are pretty and I'm glad you are here." Sonia chuckled and gave Amy another hug. "My goodness! I could just squeeze you forever!" "I have to eat my cookies now." And Amy crawled back into her chair. "Would like some coffee or tea, Sonia?" "No, maybe some water." Amy finished her milk and cookies and went to play. Siobhan sat down with a cup of tea. "So, Sonia, what are your plans?" "Gosh, Siobhan, I don't know. I just need to get my brain working again. The last year has been so messed up with Michael's adultery, embezzlement, his cruelty…I just need to rest." Siobhan patted her hand. "Well, you're in the right place. We work, but it's fun work. Everyone benefits from it. I think you'll be feeling better in no time." "I already feel better. The air is fresh, it's quiet…...and I'm with family again." "Siobhan, we need to have a cookout to introduce Sonia to the rest of the clan." Cal said. "That's a great idea! We could have it Saturday. It's only a couple of days away, but plenty of time. Come on, Sonia, let's go to the greenhouse and get some vegetables." "Take a UV34, Honey." Cal said. "I will. The long walks are getting tiring these days." Everyone was at the cookout, including Dan and June Masters. Before they started eating, Siobhan walked Sonia around and introduced her to everyone. Cal was over by the smoker with Dave, Jimmy, and Adam when Siobhan and Sonia came around to them. "Sonia, this is Dave Bannon, he's Dawn's husband; Jimmy Carlson, Joanna is sweet on him; and Adam Dunn. Guys, this is my sister, Sonia Connolly." Sonia shook each hand as she was introduced. She blushed when she took Adam's hand. Adam quickly shook her hand and looked over at Cal. Siobhan and Sonia moved on to another group. Adam looked over to a grinning Cal. "What?" Cal chuckled. "Nothing, nothing at all." Adam hurried off to refill his iced tea. Dave grinned. "Time to build another cabin, Cal?" "I don't know. Looks like there might be a spark." Everyone had a good time, and spent the afternoon visiting, nibbling and talking about everything under the sun. Cal took a chair and leaned up against a shelter post, just watching the others have fun. Sonia walk over and took a seat next to Cal. "Cal, what's with that guy Adam? He acted so funny when we were introduced." Cal rocked back in his chair and pulled his hat down over his eyes a little more. "You look at his problem every morning in the mirror. You are gorgeous, he's attracted to you, and he feels guilty that he's attracted to you because he lost his wife to cancer a few months ago. Give him a break. Like you, he's here, trying to make a fresh start." "Oh." Sonia said, sadly. Siobhan called to Sonia and asked her to get some more napkins and bring a knife out of the kitchen to cut the watermelon. Sonia left to do her bidding.
Adam walked over and took a seat. They sat quietly, taking in the activity. "What's the story on Siobhan's sister?" "Cal smiled to himself but didn't let it show." "Oh, the usual. Abused wife, divorced, scared, trying to make a new life." Adam sat quietly. "Adam, I need your help." "Sure Cal, whatever you want." "Siobhan and I need to shake Sonia out of her doldrums. We've got to give her something to do; something totally unfamiliar to her. I'd like you to train her on the UAVs and let her run a few patrols." "Cal, I…" "It would really help her to have something to do. She's not ready for some of the other work around here. Look how much good it did you!" Adam sat there for a few minutes, thinking. "Okay, I'll do it. But I want to keep it purely professional." "Of course! I wouldn't expect anything else. I'll have her come down Monday, and you can get her started on training." Adam wandered off. Siobhan came over, sat down and sighed. She looked over to a grinning Cal. "What have you done?" "Nothing. But I've come up with an idea to get Sonia out of her rut." "What?" Cal told her of his idea to do something totally unfamiliar. "So, you want Andy to train her up on the UAVs?" "No, Adam." "Cal, you're interfering again." "No, I'm not. Trust me, I used to work for the government." "Yeah, right. If it blows up, you're getting all the blame." Cal kissed her on the cheek. "You just worry about giving me a beautiful daughter." After everything was cleaned, and put away, Cal, Siobhan, Sonia and the kids were relaxing on the porch, watching the sun set. "Sonia, I've got a job for you." "I want you to get trained on the UAVs we use to make aerial patrols." "Cal, I've never done anything like that before." "That's not a problem. You'll pick it up quick. It's really easy. They practically fly themselves. All you have to do is program the route you want to use. Look, it will keep you mind off things and you'll have an important duty in keeping the ranch safe." "Well, I can give it my best shot." "That's all I ask." Cal stayed away from the training. He discretely watched Adam showing Sonia how to set the UAVs up and even fly them manually around the compound. What they did inside the facility, he hadn't a clue. Siobhan noticed a happier Sonia, and she was delighted. One morning at breakfast, Siobhan was bursting with curiosity. "How is the training going Sonia?" "It's great. Today, Adam is going to let me program a UAV, using coordinates from Google Earth, and let me run my own patrol!" "That sounds great! So, I guess you are enjoying it, then?" "I'm having a wonderful time. It makes me feel better that I can do something to help out the Ranch." "You go on salary today." Cal said. "Cal! You don't have to pay me!" "Nope. Everyone who works for the Ranch gets paid. After breakfast, get with Cheryl and give her your information." "Okay." Sonia was doing great. Adam and Andy added her to the UAV team, and she was running patrols by herself. She even caught a trespasser cutting wire on the Circle B. Joanna's crew quickly policed him up, but not before destroying his Jeep engine with an AP round. Everyone praised her for her quickness.
Siobhan went into labor. Cal took her in, and she had a relatively short labor. There was a stream of visitors and flowers. There were so many flowers Siobhan had the nurses distribute the flowers to other wards and rooms. Little Kaitlin was a doll. She did have her Mother's hair and eyes. Cal was one proud papa! Mother and baby came home two days later. Sonia fell in love with her niece and hovered over her every chance she got. "I hope someday to have children." She spoke. Siobhan smiled. "I'm sure you will. You are still young." At Siobhan's request, Cal set up a changing table and bassinet in their bedroom. When she laid Kaitlin down in her bassinet, Cal put his arm around her. Siobhan started sniffling. "Cal, it seems I've been waiting for this day all my life. I love you so much and I could only dream to have your child one day." The just stood there quietly for a few minutes and watched their daughter sleep.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 9:40:16 GMT -6
Dawn had Dave and Andy building boxes in the greenhouse to grow potatoes. She was satisfied after they had built a dozen for her test. She wanted to be able to grow potatoes in the winter along with the rest of her crops.
All in all, everything was going well. Yellowstone had calmed back down, crops were good, but the economy was still down. Cal got a call from Sam Calbert.
"Cal, how are things?"
"Going well, Sam. How are you?"
"Struggling, Cal. I'm going to have to lay people off if we don't get some business soon. Do you have anything you need done? I'll give you a good deal."
"Let me get back to you Sam. I may have something."
"Okay, Cal. Talk to you soon."
I went back to the cabin and found Siobhan nursing both Evan and Kaitlin.
"What's with the twofer?" Cal asked.
"Evan is just about weaned, but he comes back for a little comfort once in a while. It works out because Kaitlin doesn't take much sometimes."
"I just got a call from Sam Calbert. He's going to have to start laying people off if he doesn't find some work soon."
"Maybe another cabin?" Siobhan said.
"Sonia and Adam have been getting cozy lately."
"Ya think?" Cal asked. "Well, maybe. It probably won't go to waste if it doesn't work out between them." "I would like to expand the family room in the cabin for when we have gatherings." Siobhan said.
"Okay, that's what we'll do. Sam will probably send his architect out to look over the cabin to get an Idea of what you want done. It's your project."
Cal snapped his finger. "I want to build a wood workshop too."
Cal called Sam back.
"Okay, Sam. I need another 3-dedroom with basement and Siobhan wants an addition to our cabin. Plus, I want a 30x60 wood workshop."
"Great Cal! I'll send Gary out to survey your cabin to start drawing up the plans. Thank you, Cal. You don't know what this means with the holidays coming up."
"No problem, Sam. You just need to make my wife happy."
Another load of hay was delivered, and their hay shed was filled to capacity. Cal ordered more square bales from 2H Farms to fill the other barns. He had bulk feed bins installed on the protected barns to cover supplemental feeds. Things were looking up.
Cal was sitting at the picnic table, writing notes when Adam walked up. He took a seat and waited for Cal's attention. Cal stopped writing and looked up at him.
"Cal, I need to go back on my word."
"What?" Cal asked, puzzled.
"I said I'd be professional, but I want to ask her out on a date."
"Adam, we're all grown-ups here. I, myself, think you could handle a personal relationship and be professional at the same time. You want to take her out, I don't see any problem with it."
"Thanks, Cal. We will still do our jobs professionally."
Cal tucked his notepad in his coat and went back to his cabin . Siobhan and Gary Morgan, the architect, were going over renovation plans.
"Cal, come here." Siobhan ordered.
Cal walked over and looked at the plans laying on the table.
"Gary drew these plans up with the expansion of the Family Room. It's going to make the cabin look off-kilter."
Cal looked at the plans for a second.
"Well, why not make the same sized expansion on the other side of the cabin. You could make another Master Bedroom or even a playroom for the kids."
Siobhan's eyes widened. "That's a great idea!" She turned to Gary. "Can we do that?"
"Sure, no problem. It's just going to double the cost of what you intended, though."
Cal chuckled. "Spend the money. Happy wife, happy life. I don't care about the costs."
"Okay, then. I'll get right on it." Gary gathered up his materials and left.
"You don't really mind, do you?" Siobhan said, with pleading eyes.
"Of course not. It would have looked kind of goofy without the mirrored addition."
Cal grinned. "Guess what?"
Siobhan smiled. "Sonia and Adam are going out on a date."
"What? How did you know?" Cal asked, surprised.
"Sonia asked me this morning if I thought you'd have any problems with that."
"Geez…I'm starting to feel like everybody's grandfather, with all the asking permissions and stuff."
Siobhan laughed. "They all respect you, that's all."
"Well, I wish they'd quit sneaking around like teenagers."
Siobhan hugged him. "Oh, hush. You know you love it!"
"What do you want for lunch?" Siobhan asked Cal.
"A sandwich would be fine."
"BLT okay?"
"That's good."
Cal checked on the kids and sat with Amy and watched her color while Siobhan made lunch.
That afternoon, all the men went down to the hangar and pulled maintenance on the vehicles and equipment. With that many people the maintenance was done quickly. They even topped off all the vehicles and greased all attachments.
When they were finished, they sat around talking.
"Cal, last winter I noticed you only used one snowblower. Why can't we use both Toolcats and the tractor and we can get the area cleared a lot quicker?"
"Sounds fine to me. You know, I've been thinking of building a tank upgrade from the gardens. If we could channel the snow melt to that tank, we could irrigate the gardens and greenhouses most of the year out of it. We could dump snow near it and channel the melt to the tank."
"If I were you Cal, I'd use a pond liner instead of bentonite on the tank. That bentonite will clog a pump."
"Yeah, good idea. I'll get hold of the City water department and find out where they get their liners for the evaporation ponds from."
They broke up and went their separate ways. Cal headed back to the cabin and called the construction company that did the other tanks. The field manager said it would be no problem digging the tank and they could get and install the liner. Cal went ahead and gave them the job and was told they could start on it the next week.
Cal called Jonah and they met at the gardens. They walked around picked the best place to dig the tank. Cal went to the equipment hangar and brought back stakes and a hammer to mark out the perimeter. It was going to be good sized, but both he and Jonah thought it would be worth it.
Now, Cal had to find something else to do… Cal went to the shelter excavation and checked on the progress. It was looking good, with both machines going, but there was a lot of pay dirt to be moved. He started loading carts and took them to the sluice. Starting the water running, he began filling the hopper. He saw several glints in the shovels he was dumping in the hopper. It took him a couple of hours to move all the dirt before he checked the sluice mats. They were almost yellow with the gold embedded in them. The mats were almost too heavy to move, and he knew they would be a pain to wash so he called Curt to see if he was busy. He wasn't, so between the two of them, they got the mats washed.
"Dang Cal, these mats were heavy. There must be a hell of a lot of gold here."
"Yeah. This might be the best day I've had."
Once they had run the mud through the Gemini Table and dried the gold there was a little over 1093t oz of gold. That was around 75 pounds. No wonder the mats were heavy!
While they were on a roll, Cal fired up the furnace and started melting the gold down to make ingots. Finished, they had 15 ingots. $2,054,840 at spot prices. Cal wanted to get this sold ASAP. This time he would only trade for bullion coins. He called the gold buyer and told him his estimate.
"Curt, are you busy tomorrow?"
Curt wasn't and they planned to leave at 4:30 AM.
That was a whirlwind trip. Cal and Curt were in and out of there in half the time they usually were. They had no pressing business in Denver, so they returned to the Ranch. They had returned by the end of the day, so Cheryl was still around. Curt and Cal hauled the gold coins to Cheryl's office.
"Here you are Baby-Doll, take care of this." Curt said.
Cal was right behind him and put down the second satchel.
"Cheryl, lock this up for the night, please. We'll get everything sorted out in the morning." Cal said.
Cheryl was stunned. Inside the bags were a LOT of gold coins. She was able to get it into the safe, but it was tight. "Where did all of this come from," she thought.
The next morning, Siobhan called Cheryl down for an early breakfast. She arrived to the usual hectic Coleman breakfast. Cal and Siobhan were tending to the kids and then Siobhan had to break away to breastfeed Kaitlin. Cal gave Cheryl a cup of coffee and asked her how she liked her eggs.
After things had settled down, and everyone was enjoying their breakfast, Cal cleared his throat.
"Cheryl, how much longer do you have to complete your CPA?"
"Cal, I take my final test next week."
"Well, it's time we let you in on the rest of the story, here."
Cal told her the whole story. All the ups and downs, the gold, and the dreams they had. When he finished, Cheryl had tears in her eyes. Siobhan went over and rubbed Cheryl's shoulders.
"Cal, you are even stronger than I ever imagined. I don't know anyone who's gone through what you have and come out as positive as you have."
"Cheryl, it was because I was surrounded with good friends who looked after me and a woman who loved me and stepped in and guided me."
"Cheryl, you are an important part of our family here. You are not only our CFO, but a friend a family member. I'll need your guidance and friendship to make this family strong."
Cheryl look over at Siobhan. Siobhan smiled at her.
"Cheryl, we are a family here, a team. Everything Cal and I do, is for the benefit of the family. We've gathered together a unique group here and we want to extend an invitation for you to become a part of something special."
Cheryl nodded. "I do love it here, the job. Cal, Siobhan, thank you. I will do my best to make you proud of your invitation."
Cheryl gave both Cal and Siobhan hearty hugs. Then she and Cal sat down and discussed current and future endeavors.
When they had finished, Cheryl and a solid grip on how things would mature around the two ranches. She was ready.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 9:47:11 GMT -6
Sonia and Adam continued to date. Cal noticed a little "stiffness" in the relationship and asked Siobhan about it. "Cal, she likes him a lot, and I mean a LOT. He is so timid she's afraid he doesn't feel the same way about her." Cal nodded. "Well, let's wait and see." Adam and Sonia had a date Saturday morning to take her for brunch. Cal hung around and waited for Adam to arrive. Sonia was still getting ready and Adam came in to sit with Cal. Cal offered him a cup of coffee, but he declined. Cal said, "Adam, before Sonia comes out, I wanted to tell you that she likes you a lot. She tells me that you are great guy that is very nice and caring. She says she feels safe when she is with you, sometimes maybe too safe. Sonia is scared that you may not have the same feelings for her that she does for you. I know I don't have a dog in this fight but you either need to be very nice and let her go or pick up the pace and show her that you desire more with her. She is in that in between stage where she is not sure of your intentions and she seems to be nervous a lot. I told her that you cared about her, but she is insecure." Adam thought a couple of seconds. "I am not sure what she told you, but I understand what you are saying. She had a bad divorce, and I was taking things slow. I really like Sonia. I will think about what you said and try to see what I can do to help her feel more comfortable," he said. "Adam, Siobhan and I are taking the kids out for a few hours. We should be back around 6:00 or so if you and Sonia need a quiet place to talk things out." "Thanks, Cal, I will talk with Sonia at brunch and then we may come back here and talk some more." Sonia came out, ready to go. When they left, Cal told Siobhan what was going on. She packed a diaper bag for Evan and Kaitlin, and they took the kids to town for a day of shopping. Cal and Siobhan had a great time with the kids. They'd done a little shopping, mostly for the kids, and had gone to a park. When they returned home, the kids were worn out. They put the kids to bed and relaxed in the Gathering Room in the shelter. The cabin was under construction with the new additions.
As they cuddled on the couch, Siobhan sighed. "Well, I guess no news is good news." Cal kissed her cheek. "Just let them have their space. They'll work it out." They watched TV and cuddled. Around 11:00, Sonia came in. She had that certain glow. She came in and sat down in one of the recliners. Siobhan grinned. "Well, looks like someone had a good time." Sonia blushed. Cal poked Siobhan in the ribs. "Quit it!" Sonia fiddled her fingers in her lap for a bit. "Siobhan, Cal, I think I'm falling in love with him," "And what does he think?" Siobhan asked. "He's still working through the pain of losing Patty, but I think he's coming around." Siobhan got up and knelt next to Sonia. "Sonia, you need to let him know that you are all right with him having love for two women, that you want to just make him happy. You know that Patty will always have a piece of his heart and that you don't want to replace her but strengthen him. If you believe you can do that, you'll have a love that cannot fail." Sonia nodded, tears scrolling down her face. "I know I can do that. He makes me feel like no other man ever has." Sonia excused herself and went to bed. "Well," Siobhan said, "At least their cabin is ready." "You girls need to start furnishing it. You know what she likes, so you girls get to it." Sonia was flying a UAV patrol when Cal got a call on the Tact 2 channel. "There's a group of heavy trucks on the southwest side of the ranch. There are cattle grouped there." Cal grabbed his gear and met the other guys at the barn. "Jonah spoke. "Cal, it would be faster to that location with the 34s." The all headed to the hangar. Mike and Andy caught up, both toting the M82s with a can of Raufoss Mk 211 rounds each. "Okay, guys. Let's get in position and you guys with the .50s take out the heavy haulers. Everyone else take out the other vehicles. On the second squelch break" They took off in twos in the UV34s and were in place in 15 minutes. The rustlers were barely ready to start loading cattle when Cal broke squelch. The 18-wheeler tractors' engines exploded at the same time. The smaller trucks were smoking. Cal called the Sheriff's office and gave them a situation report and their coordinates. The rustlers were milling around, not sure of what to do. The Ranch group kept them under surveillance until the Deputies arrived. Cal went down with Jonah while the rest stayed in overwatch. Cal met with the Chief Deputy and told him they had aerial video of the rustlers cutting the wire and attempting to load the cattle. The Deputy said he'd go by the ranch and pick up a copy for their evidence. A couple of engine fires had to be put out with extinguishers, but that was it. As the Deputies were leaving, Cal told everyone to return to the Ranch. When they got back, everyone praised Sonia for her diligence. She had a huge grin on, and Cal even saw Adam give her a hug. Things were looking up. Thanksgiving was the next week. All the ladies were in heavy planning for the celebration and meal planning. The guys just stood by, waiting for orders. Siobhan and Helen had decided they needed 3 turkeys this year so, another roasting pan was in order. The Thanksgiving meal was a real pig-out! There was more food there than any of them could eat. Two great things happened. Adam asked Sonia to marry him and Curt asked Cheryl for her hand in marriage. The ladies were thrilled, and the guys broke opened another beer and teased the two guys. Both couples wanted to get married before Christmas, so a civil ceremony was held at the Ranch with the Magistrate officiating. But the Ladies had their say. Nothing was going to be simple and they kept the men jumping up to the day of the double wedding. Cal almost hoped no other stray geese drifted in. The day after Christmas it snowed. No, it REALLY snowed! It wasn't a howling blizzard, but almost three feet, of very large flakes, fell. Once the snowfall slacked off, Cal, Adam and Mike were out clearing the roads and paths to the major buildings. They were done by noon, but the weather report called for another system in a couple of days that may add another two feet of snow. Checks were made of the livestock and snow moved away from the hay feeders and snow was removed to areas on the drainage ditches to the garden tank. Amy set out feeders for the birds, but most of the time everyone stayed inside. Sonia and Adam came down for dinner. "Cal, we ran patrols all over both ranches, and it looks like all the cattle are okay." "Good. Did you notify the Circle B of your actions?" "Yes, they appreciated it and I told them we'd be running patrols each morning and early afternoon each day." "Sounds good. Right now, I guess everything has shifted to security of the livestock." "That's not a problem. Sonia and I can cover two drones at a time each and cover a large area. However, in this weather, I don't foresee any problems." "Well. I think you could run one major patrol a day with a follow-up on anything curious you see after." "We'll do that." Cal had 40 cords of wood delivered in the fall, so everyone had plenty of heat. He fired up the wood furnace at the hangar and that kept the hangar comfortable. Checking the greenhouses, he found Dawn and Ellen busy working harvesting potatoes from the boxes Andy and Dave had built. They cleaned them off and put the potatoes on drying racks, to be later stored in peat moss filled crates. "Looks like your idea was successful, Dawn." "Yes, it worked great! We are almost getting a good of yield as we got in the garden!" "Well, I guess the guys have some more boxes to build while we are snowed in. How many more do we need?" Dawn looked around and thought for a minute. "We could do another 50, without being crowded." "Tell Andy to call in the order for the lumber and hardware needed and we can pick it up in the Unimog before the next storm." Andy called Cal a couple of hours later and told him the lumber order would be ready in the early afternoon. After lunch, Andy pulled up in the Unimog and Cal boarded. They picked up the order and returned home. Andy and Dave started to unload everything by hand, but Cal stopped them. "Be a lot quicker to use a Bobcat with forklift blades." "Andy grinned. "Yeah, I guess it would." He was quickly back with the Bobcat and unloaded everything in the workshop. Cal returned the Unimog to the Hanger and stoked the furnace, "Andy, if you two could set up the saws for the right length cuts, we could get more of the guys down and knock everything out tomorrow morning." "Dave and I can go ahead and cut the pieces today and all that has to be done tomorrow is assembly." "Sounds like a plan." Cal went back to the greenhouse to talk to Dawn. "Dawn, do you have enough medium to fill all those boxes?" "With the bags we have and by mixing in compost, we will." "Well, we should have the boxes finished tomorrow." "Oh! That's quick!" "Yeah, Andy and Dave are cutting out the pieces today and I'll get some more guys down here tomorrow morning to assemble them." "That's great. We'll really increase production with the additions." "Well, we'll get them built in the morning for you."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 9:54:06 GMT -6
As Cal left the greenhouse, he noticed the clouds darkening. The next storm was on the way. He made his way back to the cabin and found the kids in the new playroom. Siobhan was sitting with them, nursing Kaitlin. "The storm should be here before long." Cal said. "Well, everyone is safe and cozy, so I won't worry about it." Siobhan replied. Siobhan finished nursing and put on a pot roast to cook and made bread. Cal played with the kids for a while and went in the family room and turned on the TV to the weather station. It wasn't looking good. Green River, Utah, which was less than 100 miles to their west was already reporting 18 inches of snow. Cal was glad they didn't have anything pressing to do. They were pretty much caught except for checking the livestock. They ended up with another 30 inches of snow and the temperature was holding at -20 degrees. The men met in the wood shop and assembled the potato boxes. Siobhan made soup and sandwiches and Dawn and Ellen brought it to the men. The guys helped fill the boxes with medium under the observation of the greenhouse experts. The project was completed by 2:30, and just awaited the planting of potato eyes by Dawn and Ellen. They had two more snowstorms before the end of January. Both less than 3 feet, but the weather took a toll on the communities. The Unimog, with its snowplow, made several trips to Grand Junction to carry food packages to the Sheriff's office, the police department, and several churches. Frank was pleased with the even larger variety of vegetables being raised. They had recovered a substantial amount of gold during the excavations to put in sleeping areas and bedrooms for everyone on the ranch. Bathrooms had been added to each family area and more washer and dryers installed. Each family furnished their bedrooms, and they were finished out to each family's desire. If needed, they could house everyone on the Ranch for an indefinite period of time. It was good they did. Mid-March, they felt a large tremor. Cal went into the family room and turned on the TV. The Channel 7 out of Denver was reporting an eruption in Yellowstone Park. It didn't seem to be the big one, thank God. Cal got on the internet and went to the NOAA site and checked the local wind currents and the jet stream. If they continued as they were, any ash would head northeast from Yellowstone in the direction of Bismarck, North Dakota. Everyone kept their ash gear close at hand though. The eruption fizzled out and they got hardly any ash. Everyone ran their overpressure units and wore surgical masks though none were affected by the ash. There was a fine coating on everything, but the tanker truck was used to wash everything down. The last of the ash was all washed away during the first spring rains. All the cattle tanks and garden tank were full. They set up the pumps and filters to irrigate and tied in the irrigation pipes to the existing system to have on-demand water from two sources. Using lessons learned, each building was fitted along the ridgeline with water pipes that would spray to wash the ash off the roof. Even the greenhouses were fitted.
When the Farmers Market opened back up, the girls were more than ready. More trays had been purchased and all filled. They knew they might have too much, but they had to find a "happy medium" to see how much to bring. Andy and Dave went in with them to help out. They brought very little back of the fresh produce. They had some dried spices remaining, but they would keep. Cal would have James order more paper bags with handles. Other than that, Dawn and Ellen had the marketing down to a science. Cal, Andy, Dave, Dawn and Ellen sat down and discussed the operation. Dawn brought up they really could use a Point-of-Sale system. They could either package the produce and bar code it, or using plastic tie wraps with bar codes on them, bundle the items. When purchased, the seller would scan the item and print out the receipt. Cal told Dawn to get with James and see what was available. No one else came up with any real changes, so they would run everything as they had been doing. They needed to butcher three more steers. This time, they loaded them in a horse trailer and hauled them to the abattoir to be processed. Cal request the hides and brains be brought back for tanning. The meat would be packaged, and flash frozen for pick up. Cal and Curt worked on the roads for the rest of the day, conditioning and laying gravel where needed. Andy had scheduled another range day for the people to refamiliarize with their weapons. He took them in groups and had the college students scheduled for Saturday. Sean and Aedan wanted to try out the M21 systems. Andy said they were both surprisingly good shots and he had them firing out to 600 meters. He was going to start working with them to improve their marksmanship during the summer. Andy and Jim had been working with Sean and Aedan with the sniper rifles, having great success. The we hitting targets, with potentially killing shots, out to 1200 meters. Andy went to see Cal.
"Cal, Aedan and Sean are hitting targets out to 1200 meters. I'd like to get them on the M107A1s." Cal shrugged. "If you think they're ready, do it. I'm going to order two more, complete. Check what we have and if it's not up to the standards, update the equipment. I want all four guns the same." Andy left to get Sean and Aedan, so they could see how he did the inspection. Siobhan invited Sonia and Adam for dinner that night. She made a great Shepherd's Pie that Evan liked. When they finished their dessert, apple cobbler, Cal rubbed his stomach. "Bhí sé seo níos fearr ná mar a fhaigheann tú in Éirinn." ( "This was better than you get in Ireland.") Siobhan's eyes got large. "Cathain a d'fhoghlaim tú an Ghaeilge a labhairt?" ( "When did you learn to speak Irish?") "I mo thaisteal, i nGaillimh agus sa Chlár den chuid is mó." Cal replied. ( "Mostly in my travels, in Galway and Clare.") Adam sat there with his mouth open. "What the hell was that?" He asked. Sonia answered. "Cal said the Shepherd's Pie was better than in Ireland. Siobhan asked him where he learned the Irish language to which Cal answered he had learned it in Galway and Clare." "Why haven't you ever spoken Irish before?" Siobhan asked Cal grinned. "Nobody ever brought it up." Siobhan popped him on the arm. "Just so you know, I'll be teaching our children Irish also!" "That's fine with me." Cal said. "You can't start them early enough; although you'll have to play catch-up with Amy." Cal and Siobhan stood up. Siobhan wrapped her arms around Cal's neck and kissed him. "Is breá liom tú. Damh mór." Siobhan said. (" I love you. Great ox.") "And this big ox loves you right back, Máthair de mo pháistí." Cal replied. ( Mother of my children) "Hey, you guys speak English. Adam needs to learn more of that lovey-dovey stuff. Sonia said. Everyone laughed and the women cleared the dinner dishes. Cal and Adam retired to the porch. "Adam, do you speak any other languages beside Urdu?" "Yeah, I speak Italian." "Oh! Dove hai imparato l'italiano?" ( "Oh! Where did you learn Italian?") "Quando ero nel decimo gruppo." (" When I was in the tenth group.") "Bene, dovremmo chiedere agli altri e trovare una lingua comune diversa dall'inglese" ( "Good, we should ask the others and find a common language other than English") "Okay, guys. Either English or Irish within our earshot!" Sonia said as she and Siobhan joined them on the porch. "We were just practicing." Adam said. "Cal, are you planning a trip to Denver anytime soon?" Siobhan asked. "Well, I wanted to wait until until this last room was excavated so I could process the gold. Why?" "We ladies wanted to do some shopping" Sonia replied. "Well, then go." "You don't mind? We wanted to go Tuesday and come back Thursday. That would give Dawn and Ellen time to get back to prep for the Market on Saturday." "Who all is going?" "Sonia, Dawn, Ellen, Mary and myself." Replied Siobhan. "Helen wants to keep the kids." "That's fine. Just make sure you go armed.. We can get the produce ready so the girls have a day of rest before the Farmers Market. Siobhan, I want you to talk to Dawn in the morning. Get a copy of her loading list. We can work on that and she can fine tune it on Friday." Dawn was already ahead of Cal. She and Ellen had shown Dave and Andy how to package each item on the load list, and posted a copy of the list in the Production House. The girls left out at 5:00AM on Wednesday morning. Helen and James came down at 8:30 so Helen could be with the kids. They planned to just stay in their bedroom in the shelter until the girls got back. James brought his laptop and would work out of Cheryl's office. Jim went in to a gun shop in Grand Junction and picked up the .50 calibers and associated equipment. He and Andy would start training the following week.
The girls made it back, loaded down with bags. Luckily, they had thought to mark the bags to tel whose was whose. All were in good spirits. Cal had dinner cooked and invited everyone to eat. The beef stew was enjoyed by all, but they called it a night. The girls needed to rest. Siobhan wrapped her arms around Cal. "Thank you, for letting us do that. We had such a great time!" Siobhan said. "Anytime. I know you ladies need to get out and do lady things. Just make sure you come back." "Cal, I would walk back here barefooted if I had too, you big goof! "Is breá liom tú." ( I Love You.) "Is breá liom tú freisin." ( "I love you too.") Cal and Siobhan were making their breakfast the next day. She had just finished feeding Kaitlin and sat Evan in his highchair and Amy was seated in her booster seat. "Mommy, can we go riding horses today?" Siobhan looked at her and said. "Now, ask me in Irish." Amy thought a second. "Mamaí, an féidir linn dul ag marcaíocht capaill inniu?" ( "Mommy, can we go horse riding today?") Cal turned from the stove. "Wow!. You did really good! I am very proud of you." Amy grinned. "Mommy has been teaching me. Was I really good?" "Yes you were! Can you count to ten in Irish?" "Aon dó Trí Ceathair Cúig Sé Seacht Ocht Naoi Deich." ( "One two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten.") "Very good! Yes, we'll go riding after everything is loaded for market tomorrow."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 9:57:11 GMT -6
Saturday morning, Mary and Helen needed the children to cuddle so Siobhan went with Cal to the Farmers Market. They had everything set up by 8:30. There were a lot of early customers. Most people came early to get the freshest produce, but because their products were always fresh, there was really no advantage for the customers being there early. But, they the produce was moving quickly. For the last two market days, Dawn's square melons had been a big hit. She not only grew square watermelons, but also square cantaloupes. All those were gone by mid-morning. The sweet cherries, pears, plums and nectarines were going quickly also. Siobhan took out a few of each, sliced them and served out samples. That sped up sales immensely. They had disposable plastic baskets of one pint, one quart, and half-gallon sizes that had the fruit heatshrinked inside.
By 3:00, everything had been sold. Not even a single potato. Tired, the crew packed up and headed home. When they arrived, Sonia had ale, Iced tea and wine waiting in the picnic area. They all sat down and relaxed.
Cal spoke first. "Siobhan, when you use small potatoes for a meal, how many do you use?"
"Oh, about 2 to 3 pounds."
Cal looked at Dawn. Her eyes suddenly showed recognition of what he was getting at.
"Yes! We could trim down the packaged quantities to meal size for a family of four!"
Cal said, "Also I'd look at getting some 5 pound ventilated bags for the larger potatoes."
Dawn was hurriedly taking notes.
"Also the Parsley and Cilantro, bundle them up like the bigger supermarkets." Siobhan suggested.
"I'd take a look at all your products and see how you can containerize them. Less likely of bruising, and really,more sanitary." Cal added.
Others added suggestions and Dawn ended up with a sheet full of notes. The get together had been illustrative.
The group broke up and everyone returned to their homes. Sonia and Curt helped carry the empty containers back to the house.
"Cal, if you fry up some bacon, I'll make BLTs for dinner." Siobhan said.
"That would hit the spot. I don't feel like a big meal."
"Sonia, Curt, why don't you two stay and eat with us?"
Sonia looked at Curt and he nodded.
"I'll help you get everything together, Siobhan." Sonia said.
Siobhan went to the freezer and pulled out a bag of french fries and prepared the deep fryer. Sonia prepared the toast and sliced tomatoes and Cal fried the bacon. Their meal was soon ready.
As they were finishing their meal, Helen and James brought the kids home.
"They've been fed. Amy and Evan pigged out on chicken and dumplings and I gave Kaitlin a bottle." Helen said.
Siobhan took the kids in back and prepared them for bed.
"How did it go today?" Helen asked.
"Very, very successful. It also brought out some very good ideas for improving and streamlining operations." Cal answered.
They talked about the Market until Siobhan returned.
"Cal, would play us a song?" Helen asked.
Cal looked at Siobhan. "Only if Siobhan sings."
He got up and retrieved the guitar from its stand and checked the tune. Pulling over a chair, he sat down next to Siobhan. "The Lovely Rose of Clare."
Cal played through the melody and Siobhan began to sing. Oh, my lovely Rose of Clare, you're the sweetest girl I know, you're the queen of all the roses, like the pretty flowers that grow. You are the sunshine of my life, so beautiful and fair, and I will always love you, my lovely Rose of Clare.
On the second verse, Sonia picked up in harmony. All the sun it shines out like a jewel on the lovely hills of Clare as I strolled along with my sweet lass one evening at the fair. Her eyes they shone like silver streams, her long and golden hair, and I have won the heart of one my lovely Rose of Clare. Oh, my lovely Rose of Clare, you're the sweetest girl I know, you're the queen of all the roses, like the pretty flowers that grow. You are the sunshine of my life, so beautiful and fair, and I will always love you my lovely Rose of Clare. As we walked down by the riverbank watched the Shannon flowing by and listened to the nightingale singing songs for you and I. And now to say "farewell" to all you true and fair, for I will always love you, my lovely Rose of Clare. Oh, my lovely Rose of Clare, you're the sweetest girl I know, you're the queen of all the roses, like the pretty flowers that grow. You are the sunshine of my life, so beautiful and fair, and I will always love you, my lovely Rose of Clare.
As they finished, in walked Cathleen, Aileen, Lilly, Sean and Aedan.
Cal looked up. "Guys, go get your instruments. We're going to play a little Irish."
They hurried out and were back in 10 minutes.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 10:00:02 GMT -6
The group moved into the larger Gathering Room in the shelter. After getting their instruments ready, Cal wanted Aedan to sing "Grace."
Cal led off with the guitar and the rest picked up.
As we gather in the chapel here in old Kilmainham Jail I think about these past few weeks, oh will they say we've failed? From our school days they have told us we must yearn for liberty Yet all I want in this dark place is to have you here with me
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger They'll take me out at dawn and I will die With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
Now I know it's hard for you my love to ever understand The love I bare for these brave men, the love for my dear land But when Pádraic called me to his side down in the GPO I had to leave my own sick bed, to him I had to go
Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger They'll take me out at dawn and I will die With all my love I'll place this wedding ring upon your finger There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
Now as the dawn is breaking, my heart is breaking too On this May morn as I walk out, my thoughts will be with you And I'll write some words upon the wall so everyone will know I loved so much that I could see his blood upon the rose
Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger They'll take me out at dawn and I will die With all my love I'll place this wedding ring upon your finger There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye For we must say goodbye
Tears were in Helen's eyes.
"That was so beautiful!" Helen sniffled. Play another.
"Sean, can you sing 'And the band Played Waltzing Matilda'?"
Sean nodded and began picking out the tune.
Now when I was a young man, I carried me pack, and I lived the free life of a rover From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback, well, I waltzed my Matilda all over. Then in 1915, my country said son, It's time you stopped rambling, there's work to be done. So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun, and they marched me away to the war.
And the band played Waltzing Matilda, as the ship pulled away from the quay And amidst all the cheers, the flag-waving and tears, we sailed off for Gallipoli And how well I remember that terrible day, how our blood stained the sand and the water And of how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay, we were butchered like lambs at the slaughter. Johnny Turk he was waiting, he'd primed himself well. He shower'd us with bullets, And he rained us with shell. And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell Nearly blew us right back to Australia.
But the band played Waltzing Matilda, when we stopped to bury our slain. We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs, then we started all over again. And those that were left, well we tried to survive, in that mad world of blood, death and fire And for ten weary weeks, I kept myself alive, though around me the corpses piled higher Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse overhead, and when I woke up in my hospital bed, And saw what it had done, well I wished I was dead. Never knew there was worse things than dyin'.
For I'll go no more waltzing Matilda, all around the green bush far and free To hump tent and pegs, a man needs both legs-no more waltzing Matilda for me. So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed, and they shipped us back home to Australia. The legless, the armless, the blind, the insane, those proud wounded heroes of Suvla And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay, I looked at the place where me legs used to be. And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me, to grieve, to mourn, and to pity.
But the band played Waltzing Matilda, as they carried us down the gangway. But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared, then they turned all their faces away And so now every April, I sit on me porch, and I watch the parades pass before me. And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, reviving old dreams of past glories And the old men march slowly, old bones stiff and sore. They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war And the young people ask, what are they marching for? And I ask myself the same question.
But the band plays Waltzing Matilda, and the old men still answer the call, But as year follows year, more old men disappear. Someday no one will march there at all.
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? And their ghosts may be heard as they march by that billabong, who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
"Don't you know anything but sad songs?" Helen cried.
Cal chuckled. "Let's do 'Will Ye Go Lassie Go' guys. Cathleen, lead us off."
Cathleen started up with the fiddle and the rest followed.
Cal started singing, and nodded at Sean and Aedan. They started singing in harmony.
Oh, the summertime is comin', And the trees are sweetly blooming, Where the wild mountain thyme Grows around the blooming heather
Will ye go, lassie, will ye go? And we'll all go together to pick wild mountain thyme All around the blooming heather. Will ye go, lassie, will ye go?
I will build my love a bower By yon pure crystal fountain And around it I will place All the flowers of the mountain.
Will ye go, lassie, will ye go? And we'll all go together to pick wild mountain thyme All around the blooming heather. Will ye go, lassie, will ye go?
If my true love e'er should leave me I would surely find another Where the wild mountain thyme Grows around the blooming heather.
Will ye go, lassie, will ye go? And we'll all go together to pick wild mountain thyme All around the blooming heather. Will ye go, lassie, will ye go?
Oh, the autumn-time is comin', And the leaves are gently falling, Where the wild mountain thyme Grows around the blooming heather
Will ye go, lassie, will ye go? And we'll all go together to pick wild mountain thyme All around the blooming heather. Will ye go, lassie, will ye go?
"Now that was very good. But it still gave me chills." Helen said.
"Quit being such a music critic, Dear." James chuckled.
"Okay then, a love song. Where's the banjo?"
Aileen handed Cal the banjo. "When You Were Sweet Sixteen."
Cal turned toward Siobhan and played a course with Sean and on the guitar and Cathleen on the Violin, Lilly on the Penny Whistle and Aileen on the mandolin.
Cal started singing to Siobhan.
When first I saw the love light in your eye I dreamt the world held naught but joy for me And even though we drifted far apart I never dream, but what I dream of thee I love you as I never loved before Since first I met you on the village green Come to me or my dream of love is o'er I love you as I loved you When you were sweet When you were sweet sixteen Last night I dreamt I held your hand in mine And once again you were my happy bride I kissed you as I did in Auld Lang Syne As to the church we wandered side by side I love you as I never loved before Since first I met you on the village green Come to me or my dream of love is o'er I love you as I loved you When you were sweet When you were sweet sixteen
"Now that was much better." Helen said. "There were no tears."
Siobhan leaned to Cal and kissed him.
"But there have been over the years. I first fell in love with this man many years ago. I wasn't sixteen, but 18, but I knew what I wanted. But fate finally brought us together, finally.
They played a few instrumentals and finally called it a night.
Siobhan was extremely friendly that night.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 10:03:42 GMT -6
It was fall and they were going to take three steers to the abattoir that day. Siobhan and Cal headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Amy trotted in soon after. "Maidin mhaith, Daidí, Mamaí" (" Good morning, Daddy, Mommy") "Maidin mhaith duitse, mo lómhar" Siobhan replied. ( "Good morning to you, my dear") "Good morning, Sweetheart. What do you want for breakfast?" "Pancakes and sausage! Oh, how do you say that in Irish, Mommy?" "Pancóga agus ispíní" (" Pancakes and sausages") "Pancóga agus ispíní, Daidí" ( Pancakes and sausages, Daddy.") "Is é mo mhian mo ordú!" Cal replied. Amy frowned. "What did he say, Mommy?" "He said 'Your wish is my command" Siobhan replied. "Okay." Cal started the sausage and pancakes while Siobhan went to gather their other two children. When the children had been seated and food had been placed in front of them, they began eating. There was a knock at the door and Jonah came in. Cal poured him a cup of coffee. "As soon as Terry gets here we'll load the steers." "Good. How many calves did we have born this summer?" Cal asked. "Fifteen, and no problems. Well, there was a little trouble with coyotes at first, but Andy and his sniper training took care of that." "That's good. I'm going to have the UAV crew be on the watch for coyotes and let the guys practice their sniping. I need to pick up a game caller and let them do some night work." Jonah finished his coffee and Cal helped Siobhan get the kids dressed. "Martha mentioned about having a quilting frame. I asked her to teach the women how to quilt.." Siobhan said. "Well, that's out of my bailiwick. I'll work on the roads." Cal grinned. "Silly. Martha , Mary and Helen are picking up the materials today. We'll set the frame up in the Gathering Room." "Are you going to need a sewing machine?" Cal asked. "Yes, but I don't know which one. I'll let Martha pick out the one we'll need." "Okay. I'm going to work on the roads. I'll have my radio." Cal hooked the gravel master with an edge blade and began working on the roads. No one bothered or called him the rest of the day.
That evening, Martha and Jonah came over, bringing the quilting frame. While Siobhan and Jonah set up the frame, Cal took Martha to the storage room for her to point out the right sewing machine she needed. Once they found the machine, Cal pointed out the other sewing equipment and accessories. If she needed anything, just come back and get it. Just let him know what was taken so he could replace it. Cal carried the sewing machine up in the Gathering Room and He and Jonah got out of there. They got a couple of Irish Ales and sat on the porch. "This has been a good year, so far." Jonah said. "Yeah, it has. You see anything in the future we need to take care of?" Cal asked. "Just the normal stuff. You know, ordering hay and feed and that kind of stuff. We'll need to tag those calves before much longer." "Let's do that next week. How can we get them together?" "I'll have Terry put out some sweet feed for two or three days in one of the outer corrals. They'll come to it like bees to honey. We just shut the gate." Cal's radio broke squelch. "Cal, I've got a situation down here." It was Curt. "I'll be right down." Cal answered Cal and Jonah walked down to the UAV building. "Cal, we spotted this car about a mile down the main road earlier this afternoon. At that time, the warning flashers were on. I did a quick fly-by 15 minutes ago. The car is still there and the lights are off. There was at least one person observed." Cal looked over the videos and asked Jonah to go with him. As they walked to the truck, Cal loosened his pistol in the holster. Driving up to the car, Cal saw a woman's head and a couple of other heads. "Do you need some help, Ma'am?" The lady rolled down her window. My car just stopped. We are on our way to Colorado Springs from Phoenix and I got lost, plus my phone is dead." "Why don't you come up to my house and wait while I arrange to get your car fixed." Cal said. She looked at Cal with a frown. Cal pulled out his phone and called Siobhan. "Siobhan, Jonah and I are down here on the main highway with a lady and her kids. Her car broke down and I invited her up to wait while we arranged for her car to get fixed. Talk to her." Cal handed the phone to the lady. "Hello? This is Siobhan Coleman. Who am I speaking with?" "My name is Sandy Martin." "The man there is my husband, Cal Coleman, and his friend is Jonah Daley. Have you eaten yet? "No, we haven't." "Well, come up with Cal and we can give you some dinner and give you a chance to freshen up. You won't get a car fixed tonight, so bring whatever you need, and we can put you and the kids up for the night." "Well, okay. I really appreciate this." "Not a problem. I'll see you in a few." Jonah loaded the bags in the truck and Cal helped Sandy into the back of the dual cab. "Sandy, you sure you have everything? You probably won't see it for at least a couple of days." "Yes, everything we have is in those bags." When they arrived at the cabin, Siobhan came out to meet them. "Hi Sandy, I'm Siobhan. Come on in and welcome to our home. I just got dinner on the table." Siobhan showed them where to wash up Cal and Jonah took the bags back to one of the Jack and Jill bedrooms and placed their bags there. They went back out to the kitchen. Jonah excused himself and left. When Sandy came out with the kids, a girl about Amy's age, and a boy probably a year younger, Siobhan got them seated and began dishing bowls of beef stew and homemade bread. "Oh, this is good!" Sandy exclaimed. The kids showed they enjoyed it too. They ate, mostly in silence. When they finished, Siobhan brought out pie a-la-mode. Everyone was stuffed. Siobhan got up and started collecting dishes. Sandy got up and helped. "Oh, Sandy you don't need…" "Please, it's the least I can do." Cal collected all the kids and took them into the family room and turned on the TV to a cartoon channel. "So, Cal told me you were headed to Colorado Springs." Yes. My husband is in the military. The kids and I were staying with my parents while he was in Afghanistan. His unit just got back, and we are going to join him. I've got to call him and get some money to get the car fixed and finish our trip, but he's in the barracks and I don't know how to get hold of him." Cal, just entering the kitchen heard what he said. "I can tell you now, you won't have much luck tonight. Why don't you wait until in the morning and I can get in touch with his First Sergeant.?" "Okay. I really appreciate your hospitality. I was scared to death out there waiting on the road." "By the way, I called and have had the car towed to the Chevy dealer in town. We should know by 9:00 AM what needs to be done." "Thank you Mr, Coleman." "Call me Cal, and, as you know, this is my wife Siobhan." "Okay, Cal." "Would you care for a glass of wine?" Siobhan asked. "That would be nice." Replied Sandy. Cal left the two to talk and went back to the family room. The boy was laying on the couch sleeping, and the girls had disappeared. Cal walked back to Amy's room and found them there playing with dolls. Cal walked back to the Family room and changed the TV to the weather channel. A while later, Siobhan and Sandy came out to the Family Room. "Where is Cloe?" "She and Amy are in Amy's bedroom, playing." Cal answered. Sandy picked up her son and Siobhan showed her the way to the bedrooms. Once they had the kids bathed and in bed, Siobhan and Sandy returned to the Family Room.
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Post by sniper69 on Aug 4, 2021 14:25:44 GMT -6
I wonder if Sandy and her husband will be coming to the Ranch to live/work?
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Post by texican on Aug 4, 2021 16:27:42 GMT -6
ncsfgm,
Limber Yard - where one goes to buy limber lumber that is pliable and easy to form. Hard to find limber lumber today. A liberal coating of Viagra solution will harden up the limber lumber once formed to shape.
Ash will coat solar panels where they will produce very little or not at all. Wind turbines can also have problems with ash. Is there a secondary source of electricity that feeds the ranches? Another project for Cal to spend his gold for.
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 4, 2021 16:32:01 GMT -6
Adding water flush for ash to the solar panels should work - same concept as the water flush for the roofs. Need the water for lubrication as dry ash is VERY abrasive and trying to sweep or blow it off might damage the glass of the solar panels (scratch it enough to partially block the sunlight).
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 17:23:52 GMT -6
"I can't believe this place! I never would have guessed there were more rooms than just in this cabin." "Yes, Cal just keeps working and improving all the time. We're not on the power grid and we produce most of our food." "That is impressive! I'd like to do that someday. Barry only has a year left in his enlistment, so I'm going to start looking. But he may want to go back to Kansas." "What does your husband do in the Army, Sandy?" Cal asked. "He's infantry, a sniper in the 1/12 Infantry. He was wounded twice in Afghanistan, but not bad enough to come back to the States." "Where did you grow up, Sandy?" "I grew up on a farm outside of Hesston, Kansas. Barry lived outside of Moundridge, Kansas. We met at a barn dance." Sandy replied. "So, he's decided not to re-enlist?" Cal asked. "Cal, he's tired of the politics. He says the rules of engagement are killing as many men as the hajis. He loves the Army, but he's frustrated. I want him to do what he loves, but I also want him alive." They had one more glass of wine, Siobhan and Cal talking about the Ranch and their activities. Sandy had a dreamy look in her eyes. Sandy finally yawned, and said she should get some sleep, so they all turned in. When Cal shut the door to the bedroom, Siobhan grabbed his arm. "Cal, I don't think she has the money for the car." "Don't worry, I'll handle it. There's something special about her. I hope her husband is as good." The first thing the next morning, Cal called Ft. Carson and got the number of the Command Sergeant Major's office. The phone was picked up on the first ring. "Command Sergeant Major Albert. This line is not secure." "Command Sergeant Major, this is Sergeant Major, Retired, Cal Coleman. I need some help from you." Cal told him about Sandy breaking down and if he could, relay a message to her husband that she would arrive later that day. "SGM Coleman, if you could have her call this number at 0915, she can talk to him herself." "Thank you, Command Sergeant Major, she anxious to make the call; have a good day." Later on, while they were preparing breakfast, Cal's phone rang. "Is this Cal Coleman?" "Yes, it is, how may I help you?" "It's about the car you had towed in. The engine is completely shot. Even if I get another engine, you'd get more to sell it as scrap." "Can you connect me with the Sales Manager?" "Sure, hold on." "Sales, Hugh speaking." "This is Cal Coleman, do you remember me?" "I sure do!" "Do you trust me?" "Depends on for how much." Cal told him the story of the stranded Army wife, and if her car couldn't be fixed, he was going to buy her one. Preferably an SUV. The Sales Manager was silent for a second. "I tell you what. I'll let you have a Tahoe for less than list price and throw in a gas card for 100 gallons." "Do you have it a forest green-like color?" "As a matter of fact, I do." "How long will it take you to prep it and fill it with gas. I live about 20 miles outside of town." "If you left now, it would be ready when you got here." "Well, they haven't eaten breakfast, so It'll be a little while. "You paying with a card again?" "Yep." "Good, Then the paperwork will go quick." "By the way, make out the title to Sandy Martin, and use my mailing address, oh, and install the kid's car seats also" "Will do, we'll see you later." Cal hung up and grinned. The Martins were just sitting down. Siobhan sat out a platter of pancakes, a bowl of scrambled eggs and another platter of bacon. Everyone dug in. Sandy asked if he had heard from the mechanic. "Everything is taken care of. As soon as you've talked to your husband at 0915, we can go pick up your vehicle." They quickly ate their breakfast and Sandy gathered her kids and went back to the bedroom to pack. "Get $5,000 dollars out of the safe and put it in an envelope." "And because you didn't say that the 'car was fixed' but that 'everything is taken care of,' means you also bought a car." "You're getting too smart, woman!" Siobhan went and got the money and gave it to Cal. Cal went and pulled the Suburban out of the garage and went in to get the Martin's bags. When they arrived, the Tahoe was out front. The Sales Manager came out and opened up the Tahoe and Cal started loading the bags. "Wait! Where's my car?" Sandy asked. "Sandy, that car is shot. I want to present you this SUV in appreciation for your husband's and your service to our country." Tears started rolling down Sandy's face. "You can't do this!" "Yes, I can, and proudly too. Come on, you need to sign the paperwork." The Sales Manager's secretary watched the kids while they did the paperwork. The Sales Manager had the paperwork laid out and Sandy, with tears blurring her vision, signed on the dotted line. Cal handed the SM his credit card and he in turn handed a shaking Sandy a gas card for 100 gallons. "Are you through crying now, Sandy?" "Yes, but this unreal!" Cal pulled out the envelope and handed it to Sandy." "Here's a little something for travel, and help your family get settled." Sandy opened up the envelope. "Oh No! You can't be doing this!" "Sandy, listen. Since I retired, I've been very lucky. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for men like your husband protecting me when I was in Afghanistan. I always pay my debts." Sandy hugged Cal. "Thank you. I can't believe this." The SM came back with Cal's card and they turned to leave the office. Cal helped strap the kids in and showed Sandy how to use the phone and OnStar.
"Thank you again Cal, we won't forget this." "Well, if you feel like getting out of town for a long weekend, run down and visit us. I'd like to meet Barry." She started the engine and pulled out of the lot. "Siobhan, I want to show you something." Cal said as he rolled a set of building plans on the kitchen island. "This is my upgrade to the BBQ area. The main beams and support will be wood, but the glass walls can be closed in the winter. It would have a full outdoor kitchen, smoker, pizza oven and a fireplace with a heat-a-later built in. It's twice as big as we have now." "I like it. That would be big enough for everyone to be under cover during bad or cold weather." Siobhan said. "I'm going in and talk to Sam this afternoon," "Can Helen and I and the kids go in with you? We need to pick up a few things." "Sure. Let's plan to leave at 1:00." Cal dropped of the girls and kids at the mall and went to see Sam. "Cal, good to see you! What can we do for you?" A smiling Sam said. "Is Gary in? I think he should be in on this." "Yeah, let me get him." Gary and Sam came back. Cal rolled out the plans. "I want a party/BBQ area. Post and beam construction with foldable glass walls on the southeast wall. I've got the components to equip it listed on the margin. Can you do this?"
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 17:26:35 GMT -6
Gary looked at the plans. "Sure. I know just the walls you're talking about. As a matter of fact, they are manufactured in Denver. The other stuff we can quickly get. Yeah, we can do this. I just need to fine-tune the plans." Cal shook their hands and went to find his family. Cal called Siobhan and she said they were in the grocery store. He found them in the cereal section with Amy looking around. She picked out her favorite cereal and Cal added four more boxes. Siobhan wanted to pick up some hot chocolate. When she found what she wanted, Cal added four more boxes. That had what they wanted so they went to check-out. "Cal, we left some bags at the sewing store that we need to pick up." Siobhan said. That's only two stores down. Why don't you take the kids and get them, and I'll finish checking out and load the groceries?" "Okay, see you in a bit." With everyone back, and the groceries loaded, they headed back to the Ranch. Cal unloaded everything and Siobhan began putting everything away. Cal took the extras and put them in the pantry. "Cal, you need to order more oatmeal." "Already have; 50 pounds. I'll have to repackage it when it comes in. Should be in within a few days." Jonah drove up as Cal was headed to the hangar. "You have 40 cords of wood coming in tomorrow. It's on pallets, 1 cord per pallet, so it'll be easy to off-load. I was coming up to attach the forklift tines to the Toolcats." They continued to the hangar and attached the forks and checked fuel and oil. They would be ready. The next morning when the wood was delivered, they off-loaded the pallets and began delivering a pallet to each cabin. The surplus was stacked under the barn overhang and covered with tarps. Two pallets of oak and hickory was stacked separately for use in the smoker and BBQ. Cal had the guys help disassembling the picnic shelter. They saved the wood and roofing for future projects. Pulling the corner posts was the hardest part, but they got it done. They used the landscape attachments to the tractor to level the area, 75 feet by 90 feet, and prepare it for the concrete floor. Gary sent out the crew to put in forms for the floor and lay rebar and wire. By the end of the day they were ready to pour the next day. The weather stayed good and they were ready for construction. The truck with all the wood arrived and the crew, with the help of a crane. On the second day, the rock fireplace was built with the heat-a-lator and a pizza oven built in. The smoker and kitchen were vented through the roof area and water and electricity buried and connected. On the third day, the glass walls were delivered, and the steel roof was laid. Once the hardware was installed, the walls were set in the runners. The last step, several of the crew cleaned the glass and they were finished. Jonah walked up the finished construction, carrying a set of andirons. "Cal, I found these in a shed down at the Manager's house. Thought you could use them." Jonah walked over to the fireplace and place them inside. They were a perfect fit. Siobhan, Hellen, Martha, Mary, and the kids walked in. "Oh my! Martha said. This is very nice!" "Now we have room to get everyone together in one place." Siobhan observed. "Well, even with the picnic tables, we don't have enough comfortable chairs and seats in here." Helen replied. All four of the ladies looked at each other. "SHOPPING TRIP!" They shouted. Cal grinned and Jonah started chuckling. "Okay, make sure to figure out what you need and get it." Cal said "We'll go tomorrow." Siobhan said, looking at the other ladies. "Can you have someone drive the big truck in for us? Siobhan asked. Jonah looked at Cal. "I can take it in." Jonah said. "Well, we need to have a party to christen this thing." Cal said. About that time, Siobhan's phone rang. "Siobhan? This is Sandy Martin." "Hi Sandy! Did you get settled in okay?" "Yes, we did. I was wondering if we could come down this weekend; Barry wants to meet you all." "Absolutely. What time can you leave on Friday?" "Barry has a three-day weekend so we can leave anytime." "Well then, be here at 1:00 and we can have lunch." Siobhan said. "Okay, we'll be there. Until Friday, good-bye." "Barry and Sandy are coming Friday for the weekend." Siobhan told Cal. "Good, I'm looking forward to it." Cal replied. "I'll make sure their rooms are ready." Siobhan said. "Well, let's have a cookout Friday afternoon. We can have a light lunch, maybe BLTs and fries, and have burgers and dogs for the cookout." "Perfect." Siobhan said. "I'll spread the word." The rest of the Ranch personnel drifted down and ooohed and awwwed the finished area. Cal went to the shelter and brought back oil lamp sconces to hang around the room on the posts. The ladies took on that chore and Cal went back to get the lamp oil. The ladies couldn't wait to light the sconces. With the overhead lights dimmed, the sconces gave the room a nice ambience. Sandy and Barry Anderson and their kids arrived on time on Friday. Sandy introduced Barry to Siobhan and Cal. When Cal shook his hand, Barry looked him straight in the eye. "Cal, I don't know how to thank for helping out Sandy and the kids. I didn't know people like you all still existed." "We'll talk about that later, Barry." Cal said. They took them into the cabin to their bedrooms and left their bags. Amy and the rest of the kids went to the playroom and the adults went to the kitchen.
Siobhan finished preparing lunch and they sat down to eat. While Siobhan and Sandy cleaned up, Cal took Barry on a tour of the Ranch in a UV34. Cal started with the gardens and greenhouses, on over to the hanger, then to the Production Building. Cal could almost see the wheels turning in Barry's head. They went to the BBQ area and sat down. "You've got a nice place here Cal." Barry said. "How's Army life treating you, Barry?" Cal asked. "It's kind of a mess after redeployment but things are tightening up." "So, you're going to make it a career?" Cal asked. "I don't think so, Cal. Things are changing. It just doesn't seem the same." "Yeah, I know what you mean. You just gotta know when to fold your cards and look for another game." Cal said. "What's it look like for you the next few months?" Cal asked. "Just training, rebuilding the unit; but in a couple of months I start Transition Training. You know, training that will help me get a job when I get out of the Army." "What are planning to train for?" Cal asked. "I don't know. I think I might train to be an electrician. I like that kind of stuff." Barry said. "Come with me, let me show you our power setup." Cal said. Cal took him around and showed him the solar, hydro and wind turbine systems and the battery bank. "You're totally off-grid?" Barry asked. "Yep, and adding as we need it." "This is nice." Barry said. "Let's go back up to the cabin. I need to haul the groceries down here for the cook-out." "They took the 34 back up to the cabin and started loading. Siobhan and Sandy had been busy loading coolers with everything. It took three loads, but they had everything. Cal pulled out a couple of ales out of a cooler and handed one to Barry. "Hey, this is pretty good. 'Smithwicks,' never heard of it." Barry said. Cal took a swallow. "It's from Ireland. It's pronounced 'Smiddicks'." Made by Guinness. The original brewery was in Kilkenny, Ireland. I'm not much for the brews here in America." People started filtering in, so Cal got the grill fired up. After most of the people arrived, he started cooking. "Siobhan came over to Cal. "Did you offer Barry a job?" Siobhan asked. "Well, I think they'd be good here. He wants to study to be an electrician and we need someone to handle the power systems." "I agree." Siobhan said. "I was hoping you had something like that in mind. Sandy is aching to work in the gardens and greenhouses." "We need to sit them down with the plans book this weekend. We won't have to worry about a rush job, but they would have their own place when they came down on the weekends." Cal said.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 17:28:30 GMT -6
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Sandy and Sergeant Barry Martin. Barry, having just returned from Afghanistan, is serving our nation at Ft. Carson. They are visiting for the weekend, so if so see them around, they are honest." At one time or another, the people worked their way over to Sandy and Barry. Andy came up to Cal. "Have you had time to talk to Barry?" Cal asked. "Not yet." Andy replied. "He's a sniper; he didn't tell me that, his wife told me." Cal said. Andy worked his way over to the couple and engage them in conversation. Ellen joined them. Andy came back later. "He admitted he'd been a sniper, but doesn't like to talk about it. "You still going to take Sean and Aedan to the range tomorrow?" Cal asked. "Yep." "Take an extra gun." "WILCO." The next morning, after they had finished breakfast, Cal asked Barry if he wanted to go to the range to observe Andy's training. "Sure." Barry replied. Cal led him to the gun room and they each picked up a pair of shooting glasses and electronic earmuffs. When they got to the range, Andy was just raising the red flag. Cal and Barry listened to Andy's instructions to the two shooters and watched them get off their rounds. Barry walked over to the bench and viewed through the spotting scope at the targets. After they had fired off three rounds to heat the barrels, the fired for score. Barry watched them through the scope. Once the rounds were complete, Andy called "Cease Fire!" "You want to come with me to pull the targets?" Cal asked. "Sure." So, they jumped into a UV34 down to the 800-meter target stands. They looked at the targets before taking them down. "Pretty good. But this one looked like he flinched a bit on this round." Barry said. They went back to the shooting line and handed Andy the targets. They listened to Andy's critique and went and hung targets for the next round. After the shots were done Cal and Barry went and pulled the targets and put up two more. Barry looked at the targets. "Better." Andy spoke to the two shooters. "Now, you see the difference between shooting with a cold barrel and a hot one. Next week, you will start off for score with a cold barrel." Andy walked over to Cal and Barry. "You want to give it a try, Barry? I've got an extra gun." "Sure." Andy pulled the gun out of its Pelican case. Barry looked it over and got down in his shooting position. Andy gave him 5 rounds and gave him permission to load. Barry took his first shot and took a long pause. The next 5 shots were quicker, but controlled. Barry cleared the weapon and stood up. Sean and Aedan jumped into the 34 and went to retrieve the target. When they got back, their eyes had grown bigger. Sean handed the target to Andy and Andy's eyes got bigger also." "Damn, he shot the center out of the 10-ring at 800 meters!" Cal looked at Barry. Have a little experience, do you?" Barry grinned. "Yeah, it's been a few weeks, but I could probably do it at 1200 meters too." Andy said, "Okay, lets wrap this up." They all pitched in and gathered up the equipment and put it in the UV34s. On arriving back at the shelter, they wiped the guns down and stored the equipment. Cal and Barry went out to the kitchen and Cal poured them glasses of iced tea. Both men sat at the kitchen island. "Barry, you said you were going to take electrical training. I could use someone to take care of our power systems. If you are willing, you've got a job when you get out. The job comes with a house too." Cal said. Barry stared at Cal. "You hardly know me. Why would you offer me a job?" "Barry, I spent a lot of years reading people. I think you are a good team member and would be an asset to the Ranch. You and Sandy could build a life here. And you would definitely make more money than you are getting now." "Well, let me talk to Sandy. I kind of know she'll go for it. She's done nothing but talk about how beautiful it is here. I wonder where she is." She probably went to the Farmers Market with the women. She'll get a little taste of what goes on around here. "Cal, could we go over the power systems again? I want to see where I need to focus first, so I can spot when there are any improvements." "Sure, come on." Cal led him to the main battery bank, the hydro system, which at that time, was off-line, the wind turbine and finally, the diesel generators. About that time, Andy, Dave and the women arrived back at the ranch. Sandy and her kids went over where Cal and Barry were standing. "Oh Barry! That was so much fun!" Sandy said. They got everything put away and the Martins and the Colemans retired to the cabin. The women pushed them out of the kitchen, so the men grabbed an ale and headed for the porch. "So, when are you starting your transition training, Barry?" "Anytime within the next 6 months. I have to submit the paperwork in the next two weeks." "If I'm not mistaken, you can apply anywhere for what classes you want. Western Colorado Community College has a program for Construction Electrical. You could get in the program and move the family here early. You'd have to work it out with your First Sergeant on reporting requirements though." "I'll check it out. Sounds like a good idea." Barry said. "Get on-line and check the program out for the information to fill out the forms." "I'll do that. Thanks, Cal." They walked back to get another ale. The girls were seated at the kitchen island talking. "Hey, Babe. Cal may have thought of a way for us to move here early!" "Oh! I would love that!" Sandy said. "This seems more like home every day." "Andy and Ellen's cabin has the same floor plan as your cabin. Do you want to go take a look?" Siobhan asked Sandy. "Yes! We have some planning to do." Sandy replied. Siobhan grabbed a notebook, and the guys heard the UV34 drive away. Cal grabbed them two more ales. "Come on, I want to show you something." Cal said. Cal led them into the shelter. They came to a large wooden door. Cal turned to Barry and said: "Everything past this door is confidential. I'd appreciate it if you never spoke of anything you see except members of our ranch." "You have my word, Cal." Barry responded. Cal unlocked the door and into the newer excavation area. Barry heard some kind of machine working in the distance. When they came into the dusty area, Cal went over to the machine, flipped a switch, and it stopped. "This what I use to excavate the tunnels and rooms. When I started, a few years ago, I had no idea what I was going to find." Cal picked up a handful of pay dirt and sifted it through his hands. "See that?" Cal asked Barry. Barry looked closer. "Is that gold?" "Yes. So far, I've recovered around $18.75 million dollars out of the excavations. That's what has paid for all the upgrades we've made. And I've only excavated a little under one quarter of the bluff." "Jesus! I won't tell anyone about this, honest!" "Good. Then I don't want you squawking when we buy the furniture for your cabin. And I don't want to see cheap stuff either." Barry blushed. "You know I feel uneasy about you doing that." Cal grinned. "Humor me. I've got more money than Carter has pills and I enjoy spending it on friends." "Thanks, Cal." Cal took him to the sluice and to the smelting area and show Barry how things worked. They eventually went back out to the cabin. The girls had returned.
"Oh Barry, the cabin is going to be beautiful! They are ready to put windows in our cabin and it should be completely finished next week." "Then we need to see about furniture." Siobhan said.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 17:34:56 GMT -6
Sandy bowed her head. "We don't have much." Siobhan laughed. "You will when I get through with you!" Siobhan looked at Barry. "You think you could do without Sandy and the kids for two or three days?" Barry, looking confused said "Sure, I guess." "I want her and the kids to come back next week and we'll pick out furniture and stuff. Helen will babysit while we spend some money. Cal, you were going to make a trip to Denver next week, aren't you?" "Yes, I could schedule it on Friday, pick Barry up, and we could be back here Friday afternoon." Siobhan nodded. "Good. Then that's the plan." Siobhan turned to Sandy and Barry. "Any questions?" They both shook their heads saying no. Siobhan thawed out some schnitzel and she and Sandy began preparing dinner. Siobhan called Cathleen and asked the girls if they were up to some music. She said sure, as long as she'd feed them. So, Siobhan got more meat out. So, they had the Martins, O'Malley, and Grady clans for dinner of Schnitzel, fries, gravy and salad. Groans could be heard when they finished. The girls cleaned up the dishes and all wandered to what Amy called the "Party House," so the name stuck. The girls and guys had put their instruments there when they came down, so they pulled them out of the cases and checked the tune. "Cal, would you do "Last Parade?" Cal started playing through one verse and the rest started playing, 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 paradeSandy looked at Siobhan, tears in her eyes. "That was beautiful!"
Siobhan nodded. "Beautiful, but sad."
Cal looked at Siobhan. "Will you do Caledonia"
Cathleen began with the fiddle and the other players ease in as Siobhan began to sing.
I don't know if you can see the changes that have come over me In these last few days I've been afraid that I might drift away So I've been telling old stories, singing songs, that make me think about where I came from
That's the reason why I seem so far away today
Let me tell you that I love you and I think about you all the time Caledonia you're calling me and now I'm going home But if I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad Caledonia's been everything I've ever had
I have moved and I've kept on moving, proved the points that I needed proving Lost the friends that I needed losing, found others on the way I have tried and I've kept on trying, stolen dreams, yes there's no denying* I have traveled hard sometimes with conscience flying somewhere in the wind
Let me tell you that I love you and I think about you all the time Caledonia you're calling me and now I'm going home But if I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad Caledonia's been everything I've ever had
Now I'm sitting here before the fire, the empty room, the forest choir The flames that couldn't get any higher well they've withered now they've gone But I'm steady thinking, my way is clear and I know what I will do tomorrow When the hands have shaken and the kisses flow
then I will disappear
Let me tell you that I love you and I think about you all the time Caledonia you're calling me and now I'm going home But if I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad Caledonia's been everything I've ever had
Sandy and Barry and the kids clapped. "That was beautiful!"
Lilley started playing an instrumental on the mandolin and the others followed her.
When they had finished Lilly tapped Cal on the shoulder.
"Daddy, will you sing 'Galway Bay'?" Cal nodded to Cathleen and she started playing the fiddle. If you ever go across the sea to Ireland than maybe at the closing of your day you can sit and watch the moon rise over Claddah or watch the sun go down on Galway Bay
Just to hear again the ripple of the trout stream the women in the meadow makin' hay or to sit beside a turf fire in a cabin and watch the barefoot gossoms as they play
Oh the breezed blowing o're the sea from Ireland are perfumed by the heather as they blow and the women in the uplands diggin' praties speak a language that the strangers do not know
Oh the strangers came and tried to teach us their ways they blamed us just for bein' what we are but they might as well go chasing after moonbeams or light a penny candle from a star
And if there's going to be a life hereafter and something tells me sure there's going to be I will ask my God to let me make my Heaven
in the dear old land across the Irish Sea
Amy spoke up. "Daidí, cad is 'pratie' ann?"
Cal smiled at her. "It's an Irish name for a potato."
Sandy's eyes got big. "What language is she speaking?"
Siobhan smiled. "Cal and I have been teaching her Irish."
"That is so beautiful; the language and the idea." Sandy replied.
"Aileen, will you sing 'Irish Lullaby'?" Cal asked.
Lilly started off on the mandolin.
Too ra loo ra loo ral too ra loo ra lie too ra loo ra loo ral hush now don't you cry Too ra loo ra loo ral too ra loo ra lie too ra loo ra loo ral that's an Irish lullaby
Over in Killarney, many years ago my mother sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low just a simple little ditty in her good old Irish way And I'd give the world if she could sing that song to me today Too ra loo ra loo ral too ra loo ra lie too ra loo ra loo ral hush now don't you cry Too ra loo ra loo ral too ra loo ra lie too ra loo ra loo ral that's an Irish lullaby
Oft' in dreams I wander to that cot again I hear her softly hummin' to me as when she did back then I feel her softly huggin' me as in days of yore when she used to rock me fast asleep outside that cabin door Too ra loo ra loo ral too ra loo ra lie too ra loo ra loo ral hush now don't you cry Too ra loo ra loo ral too ra loo ra lie too ra loo ra loo ral that's an Irish lullaby "This is so beautiful." Said Sandy. "I hope we have get-togethers often, like this, when we move here. "Oh, we will. We don't need much to make us get together for food or song. Now that we have this 'Party House,' as Amy likes to call it, we'll be doing this more often." Siobhan said. They played and sang until the kids started to nod off. Everyone called it a night and returned to their homes. Siobhan and Sandy put the kids to bed and Cal opened a bottle of wine. When the girls came back, they sat and talked, drinking their wine. "How did you and Cal meet, Siobhan?" Sandy asked. Siobhan told the whole story, from the night Cal killed the hajis, to Hope's death. Sandy sat there in silence, her eyes watering. "Cal, I'm sorry. That was together, the most horrible, and most beautiful story I've ever heard." "It's okay." Cal said. "Life has thrown me a few bad pitches, but Siobhan won the game for me."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 17:44:13 GMT -6
Cal got up the next morning and made coffee. He was staring out the window when Barry walked in.
"Even on my time off, I still wake up early!" Barry said.
"That won't wear off for a long, long time" Cal said. "Do you like blueberry pancakes?" "Love 'em." Barry replied.
"Good. I'll do the pancakes; you do the bacon. We'll do breakfast for the ladies."
As they were finishing up the pancakes, bacon and eggs. Siobhan and Sandy, with the kids in trail, came into the kitchen. They got the kids seated and Cal and Barry set out small pitchers of butter and syrup and served the food.
Sandy smiled. "We've trained them well, haven't we?"
Siobhan giggled. "I wouldn't let them do this too often. We'd be big as blimps!"
Cal took a sip of coffee and leaned back in his chair.
"You're not going to eat, Cal?" Siobhan asked.
"In a little bit. I'm just enjoying the moment."
There was a knock at the door. It was Andy.
"What's up Andy?
"You want some more ammo?" Andy asked.
"Same group?
"Yeah. About the same load. They'll deliver it at the same field."
"Okay, do it."
Cal went back and started eating.
Once breakfast was over and the dishes in the washer, Siobhan and Sandy took the kids for a walk to the Martin's new cabin.
"Cal, can I borrow your computer for a little bit? I want to get the info for the electrical course. That way I'll be ahead of the game."
"Sure, follow me."
"Barry, just know, if this doesn't cover what you need to know, I'm going to send you to wherever we need so you're up on all the systems."
"Okay, Cal. Whatever it takes to support the Ranch, I'll do it."
The Martin family returned to Fort Carson. Cal got busy doing more excavation. He started running both machines again and with the help of whoever wasn't busy with other projects, kept up with the pay dirt. They were getting a better and better recovery.
Barry had called. He got approval to attend Western Colorado Community College and because he already had a job, would be able to attend and only call in to check with his First Sergeant via telephone. They would be able to move to the Ranch before the semester started.
All the furniture that Sandy had picked out had been delivered and arranged the way Sandy wanted and Helen, Martha, Mary and Siobhan and gotten linens, cookware, and everything else that filled out a home. Cal had their long-term food stored in the basement. And wood in the wood rack. They were set to start their future.
When the Martins arrived, everyone was there to welcome them. Sandy felt like they were truly family.
Ranch work continued on. It was time to butcher more steers, but this time they did four. Jonah and Terry took them to the abattoir on a Wednesday and they would receive the meat on Friday. When Barry had finished his course, he had only a few days before his enlistment was up, so he went back to Fort Carson to out-process. Upon his signing out, he returned to the Ranch, and a new life.
Cal immediately sent Barry to school for diesel powered generators.
The ammo came in on a Twin Otter and again had a few surprises. There were 2,000 rounds of .50 cal. Mk. 211 Raufoss anti material rounds, along with several thousand rounds of AP shotgun rounds along with 5.56, 7.62, 9mm and .45 ammo.
"What the hell were these people up to?" Cal thought.
They loaded it up and went back to the homestead. Cal went back to running both excavators. With the last rooms finished, there were now enough bedrooms to house everyone on the two ranches and their families. He was going to ask Jimmy to work out an evacuation plan for the Circle B to shelter in what Siobhan called the "Catacombs." Cal next wanted to work on a tool/storage room in the garage area in the shelter. This would require disassembly of the two excavators and moving them to the garage. Cal called for help and Andy, Curt, Dave and Barry showed and hauled the components over and helped Cal reassembled the equipment. Cal showed them on the plans what he was going to do, and they set the machines up. When the excavators were placed into operation, they went back and helped him move the pay dirt to the sluice and piled it up. They would run it at a later time.
The ladies of the Ranch decided there needed to be a change in the Party House, they had arbitrarily changed the name to the "Gathering House." They wanted the picnic tables removed and purchase folding tables and chairs for 75 people. The men got to work. Siobhan and Mary went to Sam's and got the tables and chairs while the men did the disassembly. The wood was taken and stacked next to the Wood Shop for use in future projects. When Siobhan returned, the tables and chairs were unpacked, and they estimated the storage area requirements. Jonah and Terry started hauling up wood to build a storage shed on the side of the Gathering House. It didn't take long for the men to finish the shed. While the men were moving in the tables and chairs, Andy and Terry were installing flashing and shingles on the roof. Mike and Dave found some deck sealer and painted all the bare wood.
Cal broke out the beer and ale and the guys relaxed for a bit; that is, until the ladies returned.
"Cal, we need some more storage area in here for party supplies." Siobhan said.
"Party supplies?"
"Yes. You know, napkins, paper towels, paper plates, bowls, dessert plates, plastic ware, cups, disposable wine glasses, etc."
"Well, why don't you go get, out of storage, what you want to have on hand, and we can determine how much room we need."
The women wheeled about and headed for the cabin. They soon returned with the supplies and stacked them on the floor like they would in a cabinet. When they had that done, Cal took another sip of his ale and handed Siobhan a tape measure. She gave him the evil eye and measured the dimensions. Cal asked them whether they wanted vertical or horizontal cabinets. They opted for horizontal, so Cal called the cabinet shop where they had gotten the other cabinets to place another order. The manager told Cal he already had a unit that had a butcherblock top that was a foot longer than Cal's dimensions. Cal told him to send it out. The manager said they'd have it out that afternoon.
Cal took another sip of his ale and snapped his fingers. "Next!"
"Smartass!" Siobhan said, with her fists on her hips. The guys laughed.
"You guys are already into the beer. What about we girls put together the makings of pizza and cook them here in the pizza oven?" Siobhan asked.
Everyone agreed on that, so the women left to gather the ingredients. Cal got up and built fire in the oven.
Having finished their shifts for the day, Ben and Maria walked in.
"Grab a beer! The rest of the women are up at the cabin gathering ingredients for pizzas."
Maria turned and went out the door and Ben grabbed a bottle of tea out of the refrigerator.
"So," Ben said, "What is the occasion?"
"We don't need an occasion. Just felt like getting together and got hungry.
"How's business? I hope it is down." Cal asked.
"Unfortunately, it is picking up. A motorcycle gang has moved onto a farm up around Loma and we've had to treat some of their 'fun'."
Cal glanced over at Mike and Andy. They both nodded.
The ladies returned with the pizza dough.
"Who likes Pepperoni, Linguiça, Italian sausage or combos?" Siobhan shouted.
"Where did you find Linguiça? I love a Linguiça pizza!" Cal asked.
"I found it at Whole Foods one day. I bought 5 pounds of it." Siobhan said.
Everyone put in their orders and the women were making sauce with tomato powder, Italian spices salt and water.
"Cal, where is the pizza peel?" Siobhan asked.
"It should be hanging around the corner of the right side of the fireplace." Cal said.
"I'll get it." Ellen said. "I used to work in a pizza restaurant that had a fired oven. Andy, I need a spray bottle with water in it."
"Andy, there's some empty spray bottles in that cabinet over there." Cal said.
The pizza was delicious. While they were eating, the cabinet was delivered. The deliverymen brought the cabinet in, stripped the packing material and placed it where Siobhan wanted it. They were offered some pizza and they accepted.
"I ate too much!" Terry moaned. "That had to have been the best pizza I've ever had! Dave said.
"You know, we need to designate one night a week for 'Pizza Night.' Cal said.
"I vote Thursday night!" Dawn said.
"Yeah. That sounds good to me." Ellen agreed.
"Everyone good for Thursday night? Siobhan asked.
Everyone agreed, so a tradition was established.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 19:55:29 GMT -6
ncsfgm, Limber Yard - where one goes to buy limber lumber that is pliable and easy to form. Hard to find limber lumber today. A liberal coating of Viagra solution will harden up the limber lumber once formed to shape. Ash will coat solar panels where they will produce very little or not at all. Wind turbines can also have problems with ash. Is there a secondary source of electricity that feeds the ranches? Another project for Cal to spend his gold for. Texican.... My proofreader shall be drawn and quartered!
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Post by gipsy on Aug 4, 2021 20:45:27 GMT -6
Sounds like a plan to me
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Post by bluefox2 on Aug 4, 2021 20:46:03 GMT -6
Adding water flush for ash to the solar panels should work - same concept as the water flush for the roofs. Need the water for lubrication as dry ash is VERY abrasive and trying to sweep or blow it off might damage the glass of the solar panels (scratch it enough to partially block the sunlight). I assumed that a "limber yard" was a training place for gymnasts.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 4, 2021 21:18:45 GMT -6
"Cal, Curt, Sonia and I are going camping for a couple of days."
"Okay, watch your 6." Cal said
Cal knew they were going to pull surveillance on the farm the motorcycle gang had taken over.
Two days later, The UAV crew returned.
"They're up to no good Cal. Let's go inside and I'll run the video."
They went into the UAV building and Andy set up to run the video. Andy showed parts of the video that showed suspicious activity, but the kicker was the IR video that was taken at night. The gang was unloading long boxes into a barn, located about 200 meters from the house, that no doubt were cases carrying weapons. They also unloaded boxes the looked like ammo crates.
"That was on the first night we were there. We checked the next day and night also. They feel safe enough not to even put a guard on it. Just a guard on the porch of the house who doesn't move very far." Andy said.
"We need to get rid of those weapons. Any suggestions?"
"Yeah." Andy said. "We use three drones. Two can carry two one-gallon milk jugs of gasoline. One containing gelled gasoline. Basically, a fuel-air explosive. It won't flatten the building but will quickly set it on fire. The third can carry some of the WP grenades that were in the last ammo shipment. That is backup in case the gas doesn't ignite. There are only two doors to the building. If the fuel bombs are successful, I'll drop the grenades between the house and target, to slow anybody down."
"Sounds like a plan. How soon can you be ready?" Cal asked.
"I can have it done in a few hours. We can launch tonight." Andy replied.
"Do it,"
That evening, Andy, Mike and Dave got within the launch distance of the target. Cal, Jim, Sonia and Curt were in an overwatch position covering the UAV team. At 0300 Andy launched the UAVs. Cal's team could monitor the video from their position. Within 10 minutes they watched the UAVs maneuver into position and suddenly there was a fireball on the horizon. They watched the video as the WP grenades were dropped. They saw one person change direction and run back toward the house. Andy hit the recall button on the controllers and the UAVs returned back to his position.
Cal watched Andy as they drove by, then pulled out and followed them back to the Ranch.
Andy sent out a UAV the next morning to scout the target from a distance. The telephoto ability of the drone came in handy. The building was completely destroyed, and it looked as though there had been several explosions. Debris was scattered all around the site. Andy set the UAV down where he could keep the camera trained on the area around the house and destroyed building.
Cal picked up his radio. "Andy, how long can you sit there?"
"Around 3 hours before I have to pull it back."
"Sonia, keep monitoring the video. If you see anything unusual, let me know."
"Sure thing, Cal." Sonia replied.
They heard no public news about the fire. Andy kept a drone planted to maintain surveillance. The only thing they observed were the gang members pulling rifle barrels and what could have been pistols out of the ashes and burying them. Getting rid of the evidence.
A couple of days later, Andy called Cal on the radio. "Cal, the whole crew is on the move. They've locked the door."
"Okay, I don't want to leave them anything to come back to. Keep the house under surveillance and we'll go in after dark. I'm sending Curt up there to relieve you. Sonia will monitor from this location."
When Andy got back, Cal had him set up the same bombs he had before. After dark, Cal drove to the house and knocked on the door. There had not been any sign of movement and no lights had shown. Cal left and radioed Andy to keep the same schedule.
At 0300 the support site for the gang went up in another fireball. They were never heard of again.
Everyone showed up for Pizza night. The women started cooking a little early, but the pies were going fast. Lilly was in heaven. She loved ham and pineapple pizza. Not many people liked the combination, so she had most of the one pie to herself. The instruments were brought out and mostly instrumentals were played.
Cal spent Friday sluicing. He ran the sluice for several hours, recovering a substantial amount of gold, a shade over 400t oz. He didn't bother smelting it, just put it into jars.
Once Cal had the storage room completed, he measured off the distance of the gallery and did some computations. He had room to store the 3 extra UV34s and the one allocated for his cabin. He wanted the 'mini garages' to be 15 feet wide by 20 feet deep. This would give ample room for maintenance and shelves for spare parts and accessories. Cal marked the wall and set up the excavators to run parallel. This would leave one last run of 3 feet wide to finish it. He checked his measurements against the chart again, then started the machines. Doing a final check on the generator powering the machines, he left them to do their work.
Cal went looking for Siobhan. She was down in the Milk House with Helen and Martha making butter. Mary was outside watching the kids. Cal looked in on them and went on to the greenhouses and found Dawn, Ellen and Sandy working on the planting beds.
"What's up, Ladies?" Cal asked.
"We're replanting the annual herbs. That bed over there will be all cayenne. People asked about it all summer. I want to have beds like that for those herbs that get the most requests." Dawn explained.
"Do you need a greenhouse just for herbs?" Cal asked?
"Well, we do make a lot of sales. Our prices are half of what they pay in the stores, and ours are fresher. There is a real good market." Dawn explained.
"Well what about packaging and storing?"
"If we freeze dry them, we can store them all winter with oxygen absorbers and they will be fresh as a daisy to package when the market season is here. I'm looking for ½ pint mylar bags that we can repackage the herbs in. We can repackage and still keep prices reasonable."
"Okay girls, come with me." Cal said.
They followed him outside and he spread his arms. "Where would you put your new herb greenhouse?"
Dawn and Ellen quickly pointed out an area they thought would be ideal.
"Okay then. I'll get it on order. Anything else?" Cal asked.
"I want to research using bees in the greenhouses for pollination." Ellen said. "Well, if you think it would help in increasing production, then let me know." Cal said. Cal was able to get the herb greenhouse constructed before the first snows. Dawn laid on enough potting material to do two greenhouses. The women freeze-dried the herbs and stored them in half gallon jars with an oxygen absorber. They would wait until later in the spring to do the final packaging. Lilly made them up a brochure of all the medicinal herbs they grew that Ben had recommended, to explain to the customers what the herbs were used for. She later made a booklet of all the other herbs and what foods they went with. Dave had built a rack for herb packets to be hung from with pockets for the brochures. Three days after Christmas Jonah caught up with Cal in the hanger.
"Cal we're supposed to get hard with this blizzard. I think we should get the snow equipment ready ahead of time. At least we can keep the main road between us and the Circle B open. If it's as bad as they say, none of the main roads will be cleared for a while."
"Cal nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. Let's take the tracks off the Toolcats and just go with wheels. They'll move faster and we can use the Unimog with the snowplow to break trail and the Toolcats to widen the trail."
Cal called the rest of the guys to come down to the hangar.
'Okay, guys. We've got a major storm coming. Curt, I want you and Sonia to do a sweep of both ranches and report cattle positions so they can be moved nearer the feeding stations, if needed. Jonah, you and Terry start putting out extra hay and getting the stock ready. We'll come help you when we're done here. The rest of us have work to do here. First, the Unimog and the Toolcats need to be fueled and oiled up. Attach the V-Blades. The snowplow needs to be attached to the Unimog. I want a cold weather survival pack to put in each vehicle. After the storm has settled down, we'll first clear the roads here then move to the main road and clear it down to the Circle B. I'll contact the Sheriff and put us on call to help where we are needed." Everyone nodded and went to work.
Siobhan and the women gathered thermoses and had them ready to be filled with coffee and hot chocolate. Cheryl went into town and purchased four 5-gallon insulated beverage dispensers. They were as ready as they could be.
At first, the storm hit with blizzard intensity. Then it slowed down and just dumped more and more snow. When the flakes quit falling, they had 3 ½ feet of snow. Curt and Dave manned the Toolcats and Mike and Clint crewed the Unimog. After clearing the compound area, the guys gathered back at the hangar. Mary arrived with the thermoses.and handed them out.
"Okay guys." Cal got their attention. 1 want all comms on channel 2, on headsets. Mike, you and Clint the lead, with the Toolcats taking the rear flanks to widen the trail. We'll take it to the Circle B and clear their area. If you have any problems, lets jump on it ASAP. If needed, I'll be hauling fuel and chow. As soon as you leave, I'm calling the Sheriff and see if we are needed. Be safe and let's get this done."
Cal called the Sheriff for any updates.
"Cal, 70 is closed all the way to Vail. DOT says they're having a lot of problems with avalanches and such and don't know when it'll get cleared to us. Highways 141 and 139 are also closed."
"Okay." Cal said." We're clearing the road between us and the Circle B. Once that is done, we'll start working our way to the National Guard Armory. It might be a few hours."
"They're only an infantry unit, but they have vehicles." The Sheriff said.
"Okay Sheriff, the guys have started so we'll keep you updated."
Cal grabbed a cold weather survival pack, 2 pairs of snowshoes and the rest of his cold weather gear and put it in the Silverado. He had parked it in the shelter garage the night before so there was no snow on it. He then went to the kitchen to pick up a couple of thermoses. Siobhan was there, just finishing filling a thermos with hot chocolate.
"Siobhan, I'm headed out to see how things are going. We're on channel 2. We may have to clear all the way to Grand Junction. DOT has its hands full and don't know when they'll get our way for clearing the roads. Be ready for some sandwiches and thermos refills if we keep going."
Siobhan came up and kissed Cal. "You guys be careful. I love you."
"Love you too, Sweetheart."
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