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Post by ncsfsgm on May 4, 2023 8:25:43 GMT -6
COUNTRY BUG-IN
Chapter 1
Paul Austin opened up his Signal Account and browsed through the emails, stopping at one that was marked “URGENT!” Paul read the email and quickly replied to it.
Jeremy was notifying him about a Sheriff’s Auction and a specific property that would be available. Paul’s reply was a simple “Tell me more.” Paul had told Jeremy what he was looking for and Jeremy had had his people spend countless hours in the last six months studying the official notices and performing due diligence on the properties that he thought might serve Paul’s purposes. Paul didn’t expect an answer to his reply until probably tonight. He logged off the system and went to get a drink of water and some lunch.
When Paul checked Signal that night, he found an email from Jeremy that had been sent just minutes before.
“The farm is located approximately three miles northeast of Hagarville, Arkansas. The 350 acres is bordered on two sides by national forest and has around 10,000 feet of frontage on Little Piney Creek that borders the other two sides. There is a barn, garage, and a two story log farmhouse with two stick built additions with log siding. The well is good and there is 69 acres open area.”
Paul typed back, “Is the creek navigable? How much taxes are owed and what is it worth?”
A minute later Paul received a reply. “Creek could be navigated with hovercraft. Thirteen thousand is owed on the land you might be able to grab it for $500,000 BUT I’D GO AS HIGH AS $650,000. The sale is on the 29th in Clarksville. The open fields are big enough to land your plane in if you want to fly down.”
Paul answered. “I’ll fly into Little Rock and catch transportation to Clarksville.”
Jeremy wrote back, “Let me know your itinerary and I can pick you up in Little Rock.”
Paul had no intentions in flying the 1955 De Havilland Beaver from Alaska to Arkansas. It would take him a minimum of 5 days with good weather. No, he would let the big boys fly him down. Plus, he had floats on the plane right now and that was a lot of drag over 2600 miles.
Paul went over to his partner’s travel trailer and knocked on the door jamb.
“Yeah Paul, what’s up?” Bill asked.
“I need to go down to Arkansas to see about some land.”
“Well, it’s a good time since we’re changing out the equipment. We can get it done without you, probably take a week or two, is that going to give you enough time?”
“It should, I’m going down for an auction.”
“Can you fly the next shipment out?” Bill asked.
“Sure. I’ll sell it and post it to the account.”
Paul owned a 1955 De Havilland/Canada Viking conversion DHC-2T Beaver equipped with Wipline 6100 amphib floats. He would need to fly into Hood Lake Seaplane Base and arrange to get struts and wheels when it was time to fly it to the lower 48. Friday would be a good time to fly down to Anchorage. It would give him time to get the gold sold, talk to Percy, and get him to look for struts and wheel assemblies for the Beaver. He should probably just sell the plane, but he had grown fond of it and would really hate to get rid of it.
Paul had made up his mind long ago he would not settle in the arctic state. He liked Alaska, but when the winter came, it was not a hospitable place. He wanted a more temperate climate with four seasons. After he left the service, he landed a good job in Herndon, Virginia as a consultant. He quickly became a daily drudge once he started seeing the political machinations going on. He had needed to get away from the speeding treadmill and headed to Alaska, actually the Yukon first. He knew a guy who owned a gold mine and went to work as a rock truck driver. As a member of the crew, he got a percentage of the lucrative mine and turned his profits back over and bought a portion of the mine. As the percentages piled up, he bought a 33% slice of a mine in Alaska and went there. His partner was from California and had a lot of experience in gold mining but not a lot of funds. He had gone in cheap and bought used equipment, which was always breaking down. Paul talked him into replacing essential equipment and taking a lesser percentage of the profit. It was hard to convince him at first. They only had a third of the year to mine, but eventually they had everything replaced and were bringing in a lot of gold. Then the trommel was beyond repair and they had to upgrade that. A new one was coming, and Paul was using the down time to continue his search for a forever home.
Paul knew Jeremy Cassidy from a couple of projects they had worked on and occasionally Jeremy steered him to other lucrative jobs. He had been to Jeremy’s place down in Arkansas and loved the area. When Paul got serious in looking for some land to settle down on, he asked Jeremy to keep an eye open for some suitable land or farm.
Hopefully, Jeremy had steered him to something good.
Paul and Bill loaded thirteen five ounce bars of gold into a box and nailed it shut. After loading the box into the Beaver, two other men got in, catching a ride to Anchorage during the work break. Paul set up and took off from the lake and flew directly to Hood Lake, next to the Ted Stevens International Airport. He taxied up a ramp to Percy’s aircraft maintenance facility and parked. The two men left after helping Paul load the crate into the truck the company kept there. Paul told Percy he would be back in a couple of hours and went off to the company they sold their gold to. After getting the transaction taken care of, Paul went back to Percy’s shop and took him to Percy’s favorite Korean restaurant. There, Percy chowed down on Kimchi and other delicacies while Paul told him what he wanted done.
“I can find you the wheels and struts, even if I have to order them from Canada. You’ll only need a 200 gallon fuel bladder that will almost double your range and will keep you under your weight capacity. When are you going to need this done?”
“Hopefully, the middle of next month.” Paul replied.
“For good?” Percy asked.
“If I get what I’m looking for, probably.” Paul replied. “I’m headed for more temperate climes.”
After lunch, Paul went to the airport and made his reservations then went to the Marriott and got a room. His flight left at 08:00 the next morning. Before he took a hot shower, he sent Jeremy a text message giving him his itinerary.
After getting cleaned up, he went down to the bar, sipped Irish whiskey and watched a boring soccer match.
Two days later, Paul’s plane landed at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock. Jeremy was waiting for him in baggage claim then went to get his truck. After picking Paul up, Jeremy headed west northwest on interstate 40.
“I figured we’d be flying there.” Paul said.
“I thought about it, but I thought it would be better to drive so you could appreciate the remoteness. You’re going to like this.”
An hour and a half later, they stopped in Clarksville and got bottles of water.
“We’re getting off the main roads now. Much of what we’ll travel over will be just plain dirt roads.” Jeremy said.
“Suits me.” Paul replied.
They finally turned off the paved road onto a dirt road and traveled around two and a quarter miles down the road to a locked gate and beyond that turned into what looked like a driveway. By its condition, it hadn’t been graveled in years.
The house was two story with a wide door and windows.
“I though you said this was a log home.” Paul said.
“Oh, it is. It has been sided. It was originally built around 1840.” Jeremy replied. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
They walked into a foyer that had steps going upstairs and what was probably a sitting room off to the left. To the right was a common room, more than likely used as a den or great room in later years. It had a through and through fireplace with the other side in the kitchen. The kitchen was big and still contained a wood cookstove. A large pantry was accessed via a door in one corner of the kitchen along with an entry to the cellar. Jeremy pulled a penlight out of his shirt pocket and turned it on.
“Look at this.” Jeremy said, shining the light on the joist above them. “These are hand hewn. The only milled lumber I’ve found is the tongue and groove wallboard.”
The went through the rest of the downstairs which contained a large bedroom and what looked to have been a library.
A later renovation had changed what might have been another bedroom into a bathroom and a laundry room. They went upstairs and found it only contained four bedrooms, and surprisingly, built-in closets. Those were something that had been added in later years.
They went outside and went to the garage. There were a few old tools hanging on the walls but basically the three stall garage was empty.
“What happened to the family that lived here?” Paul asked.
“The last of them died about five years ago. The lawyers didn’t find any kin so it’s going to auction.”
The barn was in good shape and didn’t leak. An old tractor sat idle in the barn alley.
“That thing work?” Paul asked.
“Probably not.” Jeremy replied.
“Well, I hope I can pick this up.” Paul said.
“If you want it, it’s yours.” Jeremy said. “I know some guys that owe me.”
Three days later Paul was handed the deed in a packet with maps and aerial photos and he and Jeremy sat down to plan. The first thing Paul wanted to do was measure the area he might be able to land the Beaver on. Under a life or death situation, he could do it with the Turbo Beaver, but he didn’t want to have to do it each time he took off and landed. He could land a lot shorter, given the right winds.
“I tell you what, if you allow some of our planes to use it now and again, I’ll build you an airfield across these two pastures.” Jeremy said. “How much room do you need?”
“Balanced Field Length: 1030 ft, Landing Distance: 870 ft., by the book.” Paul replied. “I’ll just build it to 1100 feet then.”
“I’ll pay if you can get me a hangar built and a 100LL tank put in.”
“I’ll put Andy Mills on the project.” Jeremy said. “When are you planning to come back?”
“Probably at the end of next month. It depends if I can get the struts and wheels in to remove the floats.” Paul replied.
A beam of sunlight sneaked around the edges of the heavy curtains, shined on Paul’s face and woke him the next morning. He and Jeremy checked out of the motel and had breakfast before heading back to Little Rock.
“How Long will it take you to fly down here?” Jeremy asked.
“Maybe five days, if I don’t have any maintenance or weather problems.” I’ll have a fuel bladder installed to almost double my flying distance. I try not to fly more than six hours a day.” Paul replied.
“We can have the airfield done by then. I’ll have the same people do that construction that did mine. I’ll go ahead and order the runway lights also.” Jeremy said.
“Okay, thanks.”
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 4, 2023 8:47:37 GMT -6
Chapter 2 - Transition
Paul asked Jeremy to stop at an office supply on the way to the airport. He picked up a spiral, multi-subject notebook, and a pack of gel pens. He had a lot of planning to do. During his layover in Denver and between plane changes, Paul called his old ex-next door neighbor, Brad Collins who was also his lawyer and Brad’s wife was his accountant. He made some requests for them to do then got a bite to eat before continuing on to Anchorage. It was past midnight before he got to Ted Stevens, so he got a hotel room and took it easy. He had a lot of work to do in the next 30 days.
Percy was supervising an engine overhaul when Paul found him the next morning.
“Ah! You’re back! Hey, I found the parts down in Vancouver. I’ll check them over and touch them up. What kind of tires do you want?” Percy asked.
“Put on tundras.” Paul replied.
“You got it.” Percy replied.
Paul called Bill and asked if there were any supplies or people heading back that way that he could bring up. Paul picked up some fuel and air filters for the equipment and flew back to the mine site.
Bill met him at the dock on the lake and they loaded the boxes and Paul’s bag into the truck.
They unloaded the boxes into the tool trailer and Paul took his bag to his travel trailer.
“I’ll be in to talk to you in a bit.” Paul called out to Bill.
Bill was pouring each of them a cup of coffee as Paul walked in.
“So, dd you find anything?” Bill asked.
“Yep. Three hundred plus acres butting up against a National Forest. It’s almost as remote as this place but near civilization, unlike here.” Paul said.
“What’s gotten into you?” Bill asked.
“Bill, I’ve been bumping around for a while. I saw what was happening in Washington and working in the times and all the regulations, there is just too much government involved in every aspect of our lives. I’m not out to make a lot of money, I have enough already, and it only increases the taxes I pay each year for the government to waste on feel-good endeavors. I want to settle down on a little farm, plant a garden, keep to myself, and mind my own business. You need to mine as much gold as you can now because the dollar won’t be worth a damn in the future, not that it is right now and it won’t be long before the environmentalists come after you.”
“Do you want me to buy you out?", Bill asked.
“No, let’s stick with the original deal. If I left, I get 15% of the profits over three years. We’re pulling in a lot right now and the next area looks like it’s going to be even better. I’m sure you can’t come up with the money to buy me out right now after upgrading the equipment.”
For the next three weeks Paul continued operating excavators and driving rock trucks when needed.
When Percy let him know he had the plane parts in, Paul packed his things, loaded the plane, flew to Hood Seaplane Base, and turned the plane over to Percy to work his magic. Paul rented a vehicle and got a room at the Comfort Suites.
Percy had told Paul it would take three to four days to get everything installed and tested, so Paul had some time to do some shopping for his trip. Once he got started, he didn’t want to do any stopping except for lodging. The stormy season was on its way, and he wanted out before something big blew in. With the fuel bladder installed, his range was extended to a little over 800 nautical miles and he had plenty of airfields he could land at in route, if necessary, but he was targeting major airports as much as possible. If he could maintain his schedule, he would be in Arkansas in five days.
The next morning, Paul went to Cabela’s and bought a 64 oz. stainless water bottle with drinking spout for water to drink while in flight. Paul added a 3-gallon water container to the cart. He looked at their selection of Jerky and decided to buy that at a local game processor that was less expensive and tastier. These big companies think if they brand a product and stick a high price on it, then people will think it is better. Paul guessed there were a lot of people that thought that, otherwise they wouldn’t be selling the stuff.
At the game processor, Paul bought three pounds of venison Jerky and a pound each of caribou and bison. They also had a trail mix using imported nuts but also dried blueberries, nagoon berries, and elderberries. He bought two pounds of that. Paul went by Percy’s Service building and took his Travel Berkey out of the pile of his things they had unloaded to install the fuel bladder. They already had the plane up and had removed the floats. After tasting jerky and trail mix that morning, he wasn’t hungry at lunch, so after filling the Berkey to begin filling his water containers, he got out his Panasonic Toughpad and used the hotel’s free WIFI.
Percy called Paul the next morning to tell him they would be running flight tests the next afternoon. It looked like Paul would be able to leave earlier than he had thought.
He went back over the route he had picked out, each leg between 750 and 800 nautical miles. First leg would be to Ketchikan International Airport. He would refuel and overnight there. Then the next day he would reach Bellingham International Airport to rest and refuel. The following day he would hopefully reach Salt Lake City International Airport. He decided to spend a couple of days in the SLC area before heading to Grand Island, Nebraska. The last, and shortest, leg of his trip would be to Bentonville, Arkansas. He could reach the farm easily, but he would be close to dark before he got there so he decided to overnight in Bentonville and finish the trip the next day. He might even stop in at Jeremy’s if he was going to be around.
The next morning Paul went to a bank he held an account at and drew out all but $1000 from the account in cash. He went to a couple of Walmart stores and bought Visa debit cards that could be reloaded so he could use a debit card that wasn’t tied to a bank account. The $1000 dollars he'd left in the bank was in an interest bearing checking account, and it could sit there for possible pocket money in the future should he return. He went and watched the test and even took the Beaver up for a quick flight himself. He observed no problems and the plane had flown “sleeker” than it had with the floats. This was with a full bladder installed and all of Paul’s boxes he had packed in the plane. Everything was balanced. Paul went to flight operations and filed a flight plan for his first leg to Ketchikan the next morning.
Paul went with Percy to the office and Paul paid his bill.
“Do you want me to hold onto the floats for you, just in case you change your mind?” Percy asked.
“I won’t, see if you can get a good deal for them.” Paul replied.
“Oh, I can, dumb asses are always punching holes in floats. I’ll give you a good price for them and take it off your bill.” Percy said.
“Sounds fair.” Paul replied.
When they had settled up, Paul went back to the hotel and emptied the Berkey into the three gallon container and refilled it. He would call Jeremy in the morning and tell him he was on the way.
Paul got up and finished filling the three gallon water jug then took everything down to the rental car and loaded it up. On the way to the airport, he stopped to have breakfast at a diner and had a thermos filled with coffee. Percy was in when Paul got to the plane and helped him store things in the plane. Paul did his pre-flights and in a few minutes called for taxi instructions and opened his flight plan. He rose off the runway in the early morning light and felt the weight slip from his shoulders. He was getting away just before a big storm front, and had partly cloudy skies ahead of him as he flew over the fjords and bays of the Chugach National Forest. He opened a vent a little to breath in the fresh, clean air and raised the heater temperature to keep the chill down. As he was flying by Yakutat, he opened the thermos and poured a cup of coffee into his travel mug, let the plane fly itself and monitored the instruments, radio, and checked for nearby aircraft. The winds were calm at 10,000 feet and so far, it was an easy flight. As he was flying over Glacier National Park he checked his fuel status and calculated he was in good shape to make it to Ketchikan. If he were running close, he could put down in Sitka. He was pleased with the aircraft's performance and fuel usage.
His landing in Ketchikan wasn’t bad. Sometimes the winds coming through the Inner Passage caused powerful eddies that caused some pilots problems. He did have to crab slightly under light rain, but it wasn’t too bad. He rented tie-down space and got the plane refueled to be prepared to leave the first thing in the morning. Paul got lodging on Creek Street with nearby restaurants. Ketchikan had become a real tourist town with the cruise ships coming through. Prices were high on everything. Paul really wanted a crab dinner but for what they wanted in a lot of the restaurants he could eat for a week. He finally caved, since he may never be this way again, and walked to Annabelle's Keg and Chowder House where he had had a couple of beers and stuffed himself with Dungeness Crab.
After a hearty breakfast, Paul was soon off again for Bellingham, Washington on the misty morning. Once he was above the clouds, the sun was bright, and the only sign of other humans were the jet contrails heading northwest and southeast. Paul set up the KAP 140 Autopilot and began making notes of things he needed to do when he got to Arkansas. First, he wanted to get the driveway graveled and he needed a vehicle, preferably something he could go to Herndon, Virginia and back in comfort. He had some stored items there he wanted to get out a well as talk to a couple of people face to face.
This leg was only a little over 600 nautical miles, it was still an easy flight, and he soon began seeing more and more larger settlements and towns. Once he reached Sechelt, he got Bellingham on the radio to get wind information so he could set up correctly, without too much maneuvering in the pattern to land. Paul had no problem setting up and landing, got instructions to taxi over to the aviation services area where he got tie-down space, got refueled, and gathered his gear. He called an Uber to take him to the Holiday Inn next to the airport. He asked the Uber driver for somewhere to get a couple of beers and some good food, and was given a couple of options. Paul checked in, set up the Berkey, took a shower and changed clothes. Taking his Toughpad with him, he went to the bar in the hotel and used their WIFI to browse some ideas.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 4, 2023 9:26:58 GMT -6
Chapter 3 – In the Beginning…
Paul was enjoying the scenery as he flew. The fall colors were just now reaching this far south. The hills and forests were so beautiful. The vistas of occasional meadows and streams seemed to refresh him deep inside. It was going to get even better the farther south he went.
Four Years Previously….
Paul went back to his condo and slammed the door in disgust. Why in the hell do they hire a consultant if they don’t want to take his advice? Why waste the money?
Paul took a shower and packed his travel pack, filled a cooler with the partial bucket of chicken he had bought the evening before, added bottles of water, and a jar of sweet gherkins. He took the cooler out and secured it in his travel trailer. He backed the Jeep up to the small trailer and headed west on I-66 until he got to Winchester and began working toward his favorite camping areas. Frustration usually drove him up here when work put a little too much pressure on him and he had to relieve it. He did his best to advise the military departments but like he had found many times when he was in uniform, most of the leaders were closed minded and had little common sense. They all touted their experience but what good was experience if you didn’t learn from it? The only people who showed one iota of sense were the guys and gals over at DARPA. They would grab onto something and make it work and not consider political or future job prospects. He didn’t want to be like these people and he didn’t want to be around them.
That weekend Paul started formulating a G.O.O.D. plan (Get Out of Dodge). When he was ready, the next time they pulled some stupid crap, he would pull the plug and walk away. He had an open end contract, and it was coming up for resubmission, son he wouldn’t suffer if he broke it. He didn’t even have a boss, just a contract supervisor down in Indianhead, Maryland he might see or talk to a couple of times a year. He would start turning his portfolios into cash and make it so he wouldn’t have to come back to this area ever again. Of course, he would be burning his bridges with government contracting but he didn’t plan to ever enter that arena ever again. He could solve problems, but he couldn’t fix stupid.
For the next nine months Paul fine-tuned his plan, then finally left one day after sending the contracting manager an email on his office computer saying he was quitting and the reasons why. He wasn’t upset except for the fact that the red tape was just making wheels spin and going nowhere.
Paul called Brad and told him he was pulling the plug and would be leaving as soon as he got his final things packed, probably by that weekend. He went by his bank and drew out $5,000, bought loadable Visa debit cards and would do that until he left town. Paul had upgraded his camping trailer to a travel trailer a few weeks before and had the majority of what he was taking already in it. He just needed to load his guns and ammo up.
By Friday night, Paul was ready to leave and had dinner with Julia and Brad.
“So, you’re really going through with it?” Julia asked.
“Absolutely! I’m tired of the urban drudge and the useless idiots. I’m headed out to Wyoming to breathe fresh air. I’ve bought in on a little enterprise out there and I’ll breathe some new mountain air for a while.” Paul said.
“A ranch?” Brad asked.
“No, a mining operation.” Paul replied.
“Sounds like hard and dirty work.” Julia said.
“Not as hard and dirty as working around Washington, except the dirt is cleaner in Wyoming.” Brad replied.
“I’ve got a cleaning team coming in Monday to do your condo. The realtor will start showing it next week. It should move quickly” Julia said. “Are you sure you want to sell at that price?”
“Yes, I will make little to no profit selling for what it appraises for, and I don’t have to suffer any penalties on any unforeseen profit.” Paul said. “You have my satellite phone number?”
“Yes, but why are you switching? The phone can still be traced.” Brad said.
Paul nodded. “Yes, but they can track the call to the ground station, and I can be anywhere in North America. They don’t record ground transmitter locations, just Mac addresses. My email works the same way. I’ll only be using Signal for email.”
“How do you send email via satellite?” Julia asked.
“I have a BGAN terminal in the trailer that uses an L-band frequency which is unaffected by weather conditions..” Paul replied.
“That’s got to be expensive!” Brad said.
“Not really, the equipment is expensive, but it will cost me only $75 a month to keep in contact with all the sane people I know and you two are only two of 35 people I’ll stay in contact with.”
Paul had slept four hours that night and was on the road before the sun rose. Taking I-66 to I-81, he traveled until he was tired and found a place to park the trailer and rested. He did this all the way to Wyoming only to find his plans had changed for his final destination.
The flight to Salt Lake City was helped along by a good tailwind. He could have gone farther but he had some things to check on in the SLC area.
In Alaska and the Yukon, a lot of their food, especially vegetables, was freeze dried. It came in cases of six #10 cans. Paul had written down information from the cases for future reference because of the light weight and long term storage. Once he got better at researching for things he needed for his new home, he realized, from his notes, that a good bit of the freeze dried food came from Utah. He was stopping at SLC for a day or two to research further. If he could find someone to truck it down in one truckload, he could take care of much of his food for a year.
Paul landed at SLC with no problems, tied down, refueled, rented an SUV and got a room at the Double Tree near the airport. Jotting down some information and addresses from his notes. He started visiting some of the manufacturing facilities.
Paul’s first stop was a freeze dry processor down in Spanish Fork. They only processed foods for growers. They didn’t have much to sell, except some freeze dried egg products from their plant across the road, but Paul gathered a lot of information on who did sell LTS foods in the area. Paul told the manager he wanted to buy at least a year’s supply of food. The guy kind of chuckled when he told Paul just how little space that would take up. Paul changed direction and asked him if he knew of any trucking companies that would receive his orders then ship them to Arkansas. The man said he did and gave Paul the information (probably a brother or some other relative). That was Paul’s next visit. He managed to arrange for the trucking company to act as his receiver and when the trailer was full, ship it to Clarksville, Arkansas. He got their warehouse address to give to the sellers and went. He went back to the processor and told the manager what he had done and ordered several pallets of freeze dried egg products. The manager gave Paul the website address for the LDS food planner app so Paul looked at the amounts for one person for one year and decided to up his requirements to five years of food for one person. Paul took a break for lunch and used the time to go over the food planner app at the same time. After lunch, Paul went to the first distributor in the recommended list and purchased Hard Red Wheat, Hard White Wheat, White Flour, Apple Slices, Carrots, Onions, Potato Flakes, Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Lentils, White Beans, Rolled Oats (both Quick Oats and Regular Oats), White Rice, Sugar, and Nonfat Dry Milk. At Lehi Mills he bought bread, and cookie mixes by the case. At Honeyville, he purchased cases of dried fruits, masa flour, dairy products, brown sugar, and granulated honey. At Augason Farms, Paul doubled up on some items and got dried fruits the other places didn’t have and loaded up with baking mixes, flavored drink mixes, soup mixes, and freeze dried beef and chicken.
Paul bought MREs and cases of Mountain House entrees at the Ready Store. All the places said they would have the products to the receiving warehouse the next morning so Paul had to wait to purchase any more until he knew how much space was left on the truck.
With nothing much left to do that afternoon, Paul sat down with the Toughpad and did a search for Solar Installers in Arkansas. There were power lines running to the farm, but he wanted to go off-grid and not be a part of the Electric Co-op.
He found a company in Russellville and made an appointment for the next week. As soon as he got back, he needed to look for a vehicle, preferably a GMC 4x4.
The next morning, Paul went to the receiving warehouse and waited until all the shipments had arrived. There was still a little room left in the trailer, so the manager told him he would have a driver take the trailer to any distributor Paul wanted and have them finish filling the trailer. Paul called The Ready Store, told them what was going on, and they were happy to fill out the trailer. He hurried back to the airport, turned in the SUV and got a shuttle back to the General Aviation area. He loaded his bags and did his pre-flights. He was quickly given permission and instructions to taxi to the threshold and was quickly on his way to Grand Island Nebraska. It was less than 700 miles, so he had plenty of time to get there before dark.
The flight was uneventful. After the tiedown and refueling, Paul took a taxi to the Best Western to stay the night. He showered and the desk got a taxi to take him to a recommended restaurant. Paul had a couple of beers with his dinner and went back to the hotel to call Jeremy and to do more planning before turning in.
After the meager “free” hotel breakfast the next morning, Paul headed to the airport and checked in. After getting the weather and filing his flight plan, Paul untied the plane and did his pre-flights. By 0800 he was in the air heading southeast to Arkansas. Jeremy told him to fly on down to his place. Paul’s strip was ready, and the fuel tank put in, but Paul wanted to talk to Jeremy about a few things.
Three hours and fifty minutes later, Paul flew around to land from the southwest at the Lodge airstrip. A jeep pulled up beside the strip and the driver gave him the “Follow Me” signal and went to a parking area beside a little house on a knoll. Jeremy came out of a hangar.
“Welcome back to the Lodge, Paul!” Jeremy said, smiling.
“Good to be back. A few changes have been made; I see.” Paul replied.
Jeremy grinned. “Well, you know, improving the foxhole and all that. Come on in and get something cool to drink.”
The got into a 4-seater and headed to the Lodge.
“How was the flight?” Jeremy asked.
“A little longer than I initially intended.” Pau said. “I stopped off in Salt Lake City and did some LTS food shopping.” “You are getting into the game.” Jeremy said. “There are quite a few doing the same as you if I read you right.”
That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.” Paul said. “I know you’re probably in touch with a lot of those people that are thinking like I am, and I wanted to pick your brain and not learn after the fact that I was doing it all wrong.”
“You want some iced tea or maybe a beer? Jeremy asked.
“Iced tea, please.”
Jeremy added ice to a glass, poured the glass full of tea from a pitcher then set the pitcher on the table.
“So, what is it you think you want to do and what have you accomplished so far?” Jeremy asked.
“Well, I’m limiting my profile and of course I have my farm. I’m getting food in until I can grow my own and not have to go into the urban areas to depend on stores. I’ve got a few weapons and ammo but will be looking to upgrade in that area.” Paul said.
“Is there anyone after you? Federal, state, or private?” Jeremy asked.
“No, of course not, but I have pretty much burned my bridges in most areas except for the mine in Alaska. I’ve got nothing they can shine a spotlight on to come back to bite me in the ass.” Paul replied. “All I want to do is build my foxhole of freedom while the arrogant bastards are building their bastions of power.”
“What do you know about raising your own food?” Jeremy asked.
“Not much. Just what I’m learning on the blogs.” Paul replied.
“Have you thought about maybe getting a farm manager to leave your hands a little free?”
“That would be helpful, if I can find someone trustworthy.”
“I have someone for you. The man is trustworthy and loyal, has a wife and two kids, plus his mother and sister-in-law with him.. If it comes to a fight, he can fight like the devil to protect the farm and his family.” Jeremy said.
“Well, it might come to that if the economy collapses. Everything I’ve been hearing on the news is constantly pointing to a bleak future.” Paul replied.
“And that’s not even the worst of it. The media is toning down a lot of the problems.” Jeremy said.
“I figured that. They are so biased I haven’t believed much of what they’ve said in the last few years. I also monitor financial and political trends.” Paul said.
“Well, I think I have a rope around what you are wanting to do.” Jeremy said. “We have to get you prepared for the coming storm. I can get you set up with the farm manager and get him to you ASAP. I’ll send him down to you so you two can get the logistics started.”
“I’ll have to figure out where they can live. I’m going to renovate the house.” Paul said.
“Actually, there is a pad northeast of the barn that has the hookup for a double-wide that used to be there. The septic might need cleaning out, but there is already water and power lines running to it.” Jeremy said.
Paul frowned. “I’ve decided to go off-grid. I’ve already called a solar company in Russellville.
“That shouldn’t present a problem. You might have to run off generators for a few weeks. Talk to the solar people. Usually, once you are locked into a contract, they will provide means of temporary power for you.” Jeremy replied.
Paul took a sip of tea. “Well, I’ve got a lot on my plate. I’ll need this guy…”
“Eduardo Fernandez.” Jeremy cut in.
“…Eduardo to get with me as soon as possible. I’ve got to get a vehicle and go to Herndon, Virginia to pick up some things.”
“That’s a long drive and like you said, you have a lot on your plate. If you trust me, I know a few people around that area. I can get you a flight into Manassas, you could buy a vehicle up there and haul your stuff back down here or have it shipped. We could have you up and back in a couple of days or it might take you a week just driving.” Jeremy said.
,Come to think of it, I could fly up myself, have the stuff shipped down and fly back. I need a face to face with my friend for some other instructions.” Paul said.
“Understood.”
“Well, if you need any help, you’ve got my number.” Jeremy said.
“Thanks Jer, I really appreciate it.”
Paul was anxious to get to the farm, so Jeremy gave him a ride back to his plane and Paul did his preflights.
Paul took off easily and set course for his crooked creek farm.
“Hmmmm good name for it.” Paul thought.
Paul was hoping this was likely a place that would be overlooked at the beginning of whatever was coming.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 4, 2023 10:20:24 GMT -6
Chapter 4 - Getting It Together
Paul pulled out the aerial photo of the property before he set up at the end of the runway, checked his GPS and started his takeoff. He lifted off and climbed to 2000 feet, set the autopilot, and let the plane fly to Crooked Creek while studying the aerial photo. Once he picked up the Arkansas River and Clarksville, he started referring to the aerial photos and flew around the perimeter of his land as he drew nearer. He had 50 foot trees on the southwest end of the field but that wouldn’t be a problem. He came around the perimeter of the property and set his flaps and throttle. Paul came over the trees and floated down t the runway and reversed props, bringing the plane to a stop. He taxied to the far end of the runway then using the turnaround, went back to the other end and the hangar. Shutting the plane down in front of the hangar, Paul got out and walked around, seeing a gas powered taildragger dragger tug on the inside of the hangar, HE moved the plane inside. The hangar had solar powered lights, which suited him just fine. There was a Polaris Ranger quad sitting to the side in the hangar. He’d need to talk to Jeremy about that. Paul went outside and called Jeremy on the satellite phone.
“Yes Paul.”
“Jeremy, what is this quad about?”
“I thought you needed a little transportation to get around the farm. That would be a long walk.” Jeremy answered. “Oh, and you can burn 100LL or 100VLL in it.”
“Well, I appreciate it.”
“By the way, I’ll be up in the morning, and we can go find you a vehicle. Between Clarksville and Russellville, you should be able to pin something down.”
“Sounds good.” Paul said.
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning then.” Jeremy said.” “Oh, and Eduardo should be there today.”
“Okay, see you later.” Paul said.
Paul shut the phone down and went to the house, or rather he rode the quad to the house. Going inside, he went to the bedroom he had used the night before and changed into boots. He had set up a cot and sleeping bag the night before and had slept quite comfortably. There were a lot of supplies he needed to get, but until he had a vehicle, there wasn’t much he could do. He got his notebook, went through the house room by room, making a list of the renovations he wanted to do. He would find a company that specialized in renovations to handle the work. Hopefully, the work won’t take more than three months.
When Eduardo got there, Paul showed him around and discussed his plans. Eduardo offered a few suggestions which Paul took notes on.
“Paul, what is your final goal with this farm?” Eduardo asked.
“O want to be as self-sufficient as I can get. I want some chickens, maybe some beef cattle, plant a garden, basically raise as much of my own food as possible. I want to stay away from the mess that is happening in this country and mind my own business.”
Eduardo grinned. “Don’t we all? What are you going to do with the junk vehicles?”
“Sell them for scrap, if I can.” Paul said.
“I can take care of that.” Eduardo replied.
Well, If you can drive me, we need to go find a double-wide for you. You’re going to need at least four bedrooms, right?”
“Yes, with my mother and sister-in-law and the children…”
They went to the pad that had previously held a double wide then drove into Clarksville. At a mobile home dealership, they found a double-wide with four bedrooms, but it seemed cramped to Paul. The salesman suggested a 32’x80’ modular home that they could get in the same amount of time as a double wide. The shells were already built so all they had to do was select the furniture.”
“That model would be sufficient, but I would like my wife to have a say in the furniture.” Eduardo told Paul.
“How far away is she?” Paul asked.
“Fifteen minutes.” Eduardo replied.
“Then why don’t you go get here and we can be working on the paperwork while you are gone.” Paul said.”
Eduardo left to pick Carmelita while Paul and the salesman went back into the sales office.
Eduardo was soon back with Carmelita. She and Eduardo sat down with the salesman to pick out the furniture and appliance package.
Paul tapped his index fingernail on the table and told them, “Don’t pick out the cheapest package!”, turned and went out to a vending machine to get a bottle of water.
Paul talked to one of the other salesmen out in the lobby and asked him if there was a Chevy dealer in town. The man gave him the directions and Paul went back outside and used his satellite phone to call Julia Collins.
“Julia, be prepared to transfer around $80,000 plus from one of my accounts to a bank down here. I’ll call you back in a few to give you the banking information.”
“Wow Paul!” Julia said. “Are you buying up the rest of the county?”
“Just a modular home for the farm manager.” Paul replied. “There will be another transfer soon for a vehicle. Make it from a different account.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting for your call with the transfer information.” Julia said.
Paul went back inside to the little conference room/office and Carmelita and Eduardo both had smiles on their faces.
“We about done?” Paul asked.
“Let me print some paperwork then I’ll need your signature and a down payment.”
“I’ll be doing the full payment by bank transfer. I’ll need your banking information to arrange the payment.” Paul said.
“Of course, I’ll write that down for you.” The salesman replied.
Paul got the information and called Julia back and passed it on. Less than an hour later, they were walking out of the dealership and getting into Eduardo’s truck.
“I’ve got one more stop to make.” Paul told Eduardo. There is a Chevy dealership down near the intersection of I-40 and 103. Let’s go check and see if they have anything I like.”
Eduardo went on down the street and turned left, going south on 103. They saw the big dealership sign and Eduardo pulled in.
“Eduardo, if they have anything I like, you two can go on home and I’ll drive back myself. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay.” Eduardo replied.
Paul walked over and started walking along the row of pickup trucks, occasionally looking at the price stickers. A salesman hurried out of the building and came up to Paul.
“See anything you like?” The salesman asked.
“Not yet. I’d like to see something in a crew cab, 4 wheel drive, and a nice package.” Paul said.
“I’ve got one on the floor you might be interested in.” The salesman said.
They went into the building and sitting there was a brand new green Silverado crew cab.”
“This thing is loaded. It was custom ordered, and the man had to file for bankruptcy.”
“ I know it is green, but wat do you call the official color?” Paul asked.
“The color is called ‘Harvest Bronze Metallic.” The salesman said smiling.
“Funny how they come up with names that some paper shuffler decides on that has nothing to do with the true color.” Paul commented.
“This truck is not only beautiful, but also loaded.” The salesman said. “It has the high country package, heavy towing package, heated and cooled seats, 22" Carbon Flash Metallic wheels, off-road suspension package, dark essentials package, max trailering package, and the technology package that includes a Rear Camera Mirror, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Head-Up Display. Included is the EZ Lift Tailgate assist, power lock & release.”
”
“Work up you best price and I’ll be right back.” Paul said.
Paul walked over to the showroom door, opened it and waved to Eduardo to go home.
He walked back over to the salesman’s cubicle and sat in the customer’s chair.
“Sir, the total comes to $73,570.”
“You can do better than that! I’ll give you $70,000 and I want to be able to drive it away this afternoon, with one stipulation. If there is ANY deal decals or whatever on that vehicle other than the license plate frames and maybe a key tag, the deal is off.”
“I’ll need to talk to my sales manager.” The salesman said.
The salesman took some papers and got up from his desk.
The salesman returned with a stout man; his white shirt collar yellowed with sweat.
“Sir, how do you plan to pay for the truck?” The Manager asked.
“Bank transfer. You’ll have the full amount within the hour. I just need the information to transfer it and the use of your phone.”
The Manager frowned, not being able to hook him into a financial company.
“Go head and sell him the truck.” The Manager said to the salesman, initialing the paperwork.
The salesman grinned and gave Paul a card with the banking information.
“May I use your phone?” Paul asked.
The salesman slid the phone over to Paul who then called Julia back and gave her the information for the next transfer.
“This is coming out of your C-1 account.” Julia said.
“That’s fine.” Paul replied.
“Are you buying out anything else soon? Julia asked.
“I want to buy some farm equipment and I need to get started restoring the house, but I don’t know when that will be. Things have been slow with no transportation.” Paul replied.
“Okay, buy something that’s a tax write-off.” Julia said.
Paul chuckled. “Farm machinery should be. I don’t know about home restorations.”
“I’ll look into it. You may have to incorporate.” Julia replied.
While Paul waited for the truck to be prepared and the transfer to be completed, he talked to the salesman about local businesses, specifically home restorers and small construction companies that could do his driveway upgrade. He got a couple of referrals of each and finally the bank called to report they got the money transfer. It wasn’t but a few minutes later he was given the truck keys and a $100 fuel card. Paul checked the fuel gauge he saw it was full and turned right to make his way back home. The truck had plenty of power and had a nice rumble from the exhaust. Paul took the roads through the county to go through Hagarsville and saw a little country store with two gas pumps in front of it and pulled in. It wasn’t that far from the farm so decided to see what they had to offer. For basic stuff, it would be closer than having to go all the way into Clarksville. Paul whistled when he saw the Land Rover Defender sitting next to the side of the building. Someone with some money lived around here.
Paul got out of his truck, opened the screened door then walked into the moderately cool interior and there was one of the most beautiful women he had seen in a long, long time, wiping down the counter. He walked down the first aisle, browsing to cooler boxes on the left and the shelves on the right. They had all the mainstays, milk, butter, luncheon meats, cheeses, bread, household products, chips, sodas, beers, bug spray, dog and cat food, grilling products like charcoal and lighter fluid, just a simple country store.
“Is there something you are specifically looking for?” The pretty woman asked.
“Not really.” Paul replied. “I just find it amazing someone like you is working in a little store like this.”
“Oh, been there, done that.” The woman said. “My name is Angela Shaner. My grandfather used to run this store. I left here years ago to find fame and fortune and finally realized my real fortunes were right here. I’m re-opening the store and hopefully will make it better than ever before.”
“I apologize.” Paul said. “My name is Paul Austin. I just bought a farm near here and was scoping out the mercantile prospects in Hagarville so as not to have to go into Clarksville for simple needs. My initial impression was that someone like you would be better suited in Chicago or New York.”
“Well, you got it partially right. I was once a model in New York, but things aren’t always what they are made out to be.” Angela said.
“Then I am pleased someone at least once had an appreciation of your beauty.” Paul said. “ What brings you here to be in this store?”
“My family has owned this property for generations. My grandfather ran this store until he died, and I’ve come back to re-open and make it what it once was.”
“And what was it once?” Paul asked.
“Well, he had this store, and the building next door was a country café that the farmers would come in and have breakfast or just a cup of coffee on the porch with their friends to start the day. Many years ago, the place served dinner and they’d have dances on Saturday night.”
“I will wait to see your efforts. It would be nice to have a place to gather on the weekends, Angela.” Paul said.
“Please, my friends call me Angel.” Angela said.
“And what friends I have call me Paul.” Paul replied.
“So, you don’t have many friends?” Angela said, smiling.
“None near here.” Paul replied. “Are your fuel pumps working?”
Angel frowned. “Unfortunately, no. They and the tanks are being replaced next week.”
“Well, I’ll keep this place in mind.” Paul said.
Angel smiled. “I certainly hope so.”
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Post by gipsy on May 4, 2023 11:41:55 GMT -6
What a great start. Thanks
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Post by cashless1 on May 4, 2023 11:49:54 GMT -6
keep going it looks good
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Post by danielsga01 on May 4, 2023 15:28:54 GMT -6
Great start,thanks
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Post by prepguy on May 4, 2023 18:58:47 GMT -6
Great story so far.
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Post by feralferret on May 4, 2023 19:10:40 GMT -6
Wonderful story so far. Lots of potential.
Thanks.
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Post by cavsgt on May 4, 2023 20:47:35 GMT -6
LOVE it Keep it coming
Phill
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Post by CountryGuy on May 5, 2023 18:44:10 GMT -6
Another excellent start. Can't wait to see where all it goes.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 6, 2023 17:22:37 GMT -6
Chapter 5 – Back to Herndon
The next morning when Eduardo showed up, he told Paul about a man that owned a small construction outfit down near Illinois Bayou. The man showed up around 10:00 AM with a “Carpenter’s Construction” decal on the truck doors.
“You Mr. Austin?” The man asked.
“Yes sir, Paul Austin.” Paul replied, holding out his hand to shake.
“I’m George Carpenter. Pleased to meet you.” George said, shaking Paul’s hand.
“What did you need doing?” George asked.
“I wanted to get the driveway leveled and graveled from the county road down to here and spread some around this area for parking. And I also need a road built from here up to a hangar through those trees.”
“Yep, I glimpsed it coming down the drive.” George said, nodding. “Well, this won’t be so bad, I have a large land plane for the drive that can loosen up and level the surface, we can haul in the rock, use a compactor on it, and get it almost like pavement. Do you want limestone or slate?”
“I’d like slate.” Paul replied.
“$3500.00 sound okay to you?” George asked.
“Sounds good.” Paul answered.
“Well, I best go track down my crew and we’ll get started on this first thing tomorrow.” George said.
“Okay, I appreciate you taking this on George.” Paul said.
“Not a problem. It’ll keep taters on the table.
“Eduardo, I need to go down to Russellville to talk to the solar people and also a company that I might be able to get to restore the farmhouse.”
“Okay, do you want me to go ahead and mark a road to the hanger for George?”
“Yeah, do that. I might be the rest of the afternoon, so unless you see something that needs done right now, go ahead and go home and I’ll see you in the morning.” Paul said.
“Okay then.” Eduardo replied.
On his way to I-40, Paul felt a little thirsty so decided to stop in at Shaner’s to get something to drink. Angela grinned broadly as he walked in.
“Well, hello!” Angela greeted Paul.
Paul smiled; his brain almost shut down. “Dammit, I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with anyone any time soon.” Paul thought to himself.
Of course, Paul sometimes backslid at taking his own advice.
“Good morning! Paul said, heading for the cooler and taking out a bottle of water. Then seeing a rack of cakes and pastries, picked up a honeybun and went up to the checkout counter.
“I’ve got a fresh pot of coffee if you’d like one with your honeybun. No charge.” Angela offered.
“That would be nice.” Paul said, paying for his items. “Thank you.”
Angela came back with two Styrofoam cups of coffee and set them at a small café-like table near the front window.
“Let’s sit here. “ Angela said.
Paul sat down, opened his honeybun, and took a bite.
“So, are you getting settled in?” Angela asked.
“A little, I’ve got a long way to go.” Paul said. “I’m renovating the old farmhouse and have to find someone to do that. I’m headed to Russellville to see a solar installer to work up a plan, and also, to see a renovation company.”
“I didn’t think of looking in Russellville, I’ve been looking for someone to fix this place back up.”
“So, you are going to bring the café back?” Paul asked.
“Yes, this part of the building was cut off and walled up A lot of people miss the old café and would like to see it back. I want to try to do that. My grandmother used to cook breakfast and lunch here. A lot of the farm hands and farmers coming into town for business used to stop in to have a cup of coffee or to just shoot the bull.”
“I’ll let you know if I find anyone.” Paul said.
“Going off-grid, hunh?”
“Yes, I don’t want to be beholden to any power companies.” Paul replied.
“I’d like to do that, but I don’t know how long I’d be able to keep the refrigerator and freezer boxes running.” Angela said.
“Well, I’m going to have them overbuild me a system. I’m sure they could design you something Angela.”
“My friends call me Angel.” Angela said.
“Well, I hope you’ll consider me a friend then Angel.” Paul replied.
“The solar guy mentioned on the phone that he would want to come out and inspect my layout to help them better understand my needs. I could bring them by here and let them do you an estimate.” Paul said.
“Would you?!” I would really appreciate it.” Angel said.
“Not a problem.” Paul said, finishing his honeybun.
“I’d better get going. I'll stop by and let you know what I've found out.” Paul said.
“Thank you so much Paul. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Paul took a swallow from his water bottle and headed for the door.
“I’ll see you later. What time do you close up?”
“I’ll close at 6:00 PM.” Angel replied.
“Okay, I’ll try to be back before then.”
Paul was pleased with the meeting with Adam Jones. Paul had made sketches of the farmhouse rooms with dimensions and the farm layout and explained he wanted the system overbuilt. He didn’t want to have to turn something off to run the washing machine or run the well pump.
“No problem Paul.” Adam said. “The inverters we use are industrial grade and of the highest quality, not those you find in the systems they sell as DIY kits. Your system will be practically maintenance free. There will be some test you’ll need to do once or twice a month or whenever to feel like it. Most dealers will guarantee you four days of battery use without recharging, but we will guarantee a full seven days. Of course, there is little chance that will happen. If the PV panels aren’t charging enough and you have a little wind, the system will begin using the vortex wind generators to produce power to the charging system. If there isn’t enough wind, then a propane 5Kw generator will kick in and charge the batteries. Our system is EMP proofed using an EMP shield system that will protect it from lightning strikes, HEMP attacks or solar storms. Some people will think it is a little overkill, but it’s like insurance. You don’t ever need it until you don’t have it.”
“What all do you provide?” Paul asked.
“Of course, the PV panels, wind generators, EMP shield systems for the electrical system and your vehicles. We also will provide a selection of 12-volt lighting that replaces your normal lighting in the house. You’ll have 110 and 230 volts for your appliances and outlets. We will work with your restoration electrician to correctly install those.”
“How much is this going to cost me?”
“I won’t be able to give you an estimate until I do a property inspection, but with an overbuilt system, it could run from $20,000 to $50,000 dollars.” Adam replied.
“That sounds good.” Paul said. “By the way, I may have a customer for you.” Paul told Adam about Angela.
“Well, I would certainly like to meet her. If she becomes a customer, you’ll get a 20% discount on your system.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll definitely try to persuade her!” Paul said, grinning. “When do you want to come up and look over everything?”
“Will you be free Friday morning?” Adam asked, looking at his planner.
“Of course. Looking forward to it.” Paul replied.
Paul was almost as pleased with the restorers. It was a man and his wife, and practically every member of the team was a relative. They had excellent reviews and had every aspect of restoration covered, even a designer who happened to be the man’s daughter-in-law. They were just coming off a project and could come up and check the house out. They agreed they would come up Friday afternoon. If he timed it right, Paul could be in Manassas, Va. early Saturday morning. He told them About Angela and They promised him they would go by to speak to her.
Paul arrived back in the Hagarville area at 5:30 PM and caught Angel before she closed up shop. Angel was excited and Paul could see the dreamy look of her vision in her eyes.
“Angel, I don’t mean to get too personal, but do you have the funds to pull this off?” Paul asked.
“Oh yes! Paul, I was a model for years in Europe and here. I would still be a model if the price for getting the big gigs hadn’t included sleeping with the men and women in charge. Nope, I packed my bags, walked out of my 600 square foot apartment in Manhattan and came home. It was expensive to live in New York, but I didn’t squander my money like a lot do. They end up sleeping with people, just to get a higher paying gig, which basically makes them whores. I wasn’t going to do that. No, I have more than enough money.” Angel said, slumping in her chair.
It was quiet for a few seconds until the door opened and a man walked in. Angel got up and smiled.
“Paul, this is Reverend Bowman. He’s the Pastor of Hagarville Baptist Church down the road.”
Paul stood up and shook the proffered hand. “Pleased to meet you Reverend.
“Are you visiting or a new neighbor? The Reverend asked.
“New neighbor, I guess.” Paul said.
“Well, good. We need some new blood around here.” Reverend Bowman said, smiling. “Keep your seat Angel. I just need to pick up some milk.”
“I’ll meet you at the register, Reverend.” Angel said.
“When the Reverend walked up to the counter, he whispered to Angel, “Are you all right here Angel?”
“Oh sure, Reverend! Paul bought the old Tyson place and we’ve been talking renovations.”
“Very well, then.”
The Reverend left as Angel got up to begin shutting down he store.
“I’ll bring the solar and restoration people by Friday.” Paul said.
“I’ll be waiting.” Angel replied.
Paul waited outside in his truck until Angel locked up and drove off in her Land Rover.
The first thing the next morning Paul was on the computer sending Brad explicit instructions of things he wanted accomplished before he met with them. The shipping of his storage contents was simple. The account manipulations were not as simple. Julia worked as close to the letter of the law as possible. Some of the things he wanted to do might raise some eyebrows but weren’t exactly illegal.
Friday would be a long day. He would have to juice up on caffeine to get to Brad and Julia’s. Paul contacted a Fixed Based Operator (FBO) at Manassas Regional Airport and arranged for tie-town and refueling as well as applying for a gate card to get access to the area, paying for everything online. Paul still had the empty fuel bladder installed and that would get him there easily enough. Hopefully, the winds would be in his favor, otherwise he’d have to land at Roanoke-Blacksburg and refuel. The last thing he did was arrange for a rental to be at the FBO so he could drive himself to Brad and Julia’s.
When the Carpenter Construction trucks got there, Paul got up and before going outside, made sure the Coleman camp stove he was cooking on was turned off and not leaking. When he got outside, they were already unchaining a big tractor and some other equipment on a lowboy trailer. Paul later found the other piece of equipment was the land plane/road conditioner. The big piece of equipment was more than the scraper type land plane that you found on farms to level fields. This one had fixed spikes and rotating tines to break up the soil, then as the frame was dragged along and the soil was redistributed, filing in low spots on the road.
“So, how do you go about doing this, George.? Paul asked.
“Well, we’ll get the roadbed prepared then start laying convex layers of different sized crushed stone, with each layer a smaller sized stone than the lower one. Each one is packed in. Now the top can be covered in a layer of concrete and aggregate or sprayed with a film of asphalt, tar, or asphaltic oil. This gives the road flexibility. Concrete doesn’t.”
“Won’t that allow potholes to develop with the flexing?” Paul asked.
“Not if the sub-base is prepared correctly and the water is allowed to drain properly.” George said. “We’ll be putting in drainage ditches and culverts where necessary.”
“Can you add the tar to this job?” Paul asked.
“Sure, we probably won’t be ready to apply it until tomorrow though.”
“That’s fine. Another thing, I only want the tar applied beginning after the first 300 feet around the curve from the main road, so it isn’t obvious the road is improved. Keep the rest of the drive to the main road uncovered.”
Another truck pulling a lowboy arrived hauling a small bulldozer, a skid steer, and an earth compactor. Paul decided to go into town and look around. Eduardo walked George over to where he had marked the road to the hangar. That was where the bulldozer and skid steer would start working. Paul told Eduardo where he was going and left before the tractor tore up too much of the drive.
As he drove into Clarksville, he saw a sign that read, “Home Builder’s Discount”. He stopped and went in to check out what they had. Paul walked through slowly, noting what they carried, then left. Down the road on the left was the Johnson County Farmer’s Co-op. They carried a lot of necessities farmers constantly needed so he stopped in to see what they had for poultry. They had everything from brooder guards to automatic waterers and feeders. He went on into Clarksville and spotted a small fried chicken place housed in an old gas station and parked across the road was a taco truck. He drove past the laundromat and decided he’d soon need to make a trip there. Clarksville had its usual collection of insurance agents, auto parts stores and small fast food restaurants. There was a Harps grocery store and more churches than you could shake a stick at. That was probably because alcohol wasn’t sold in the county. Paul found a metal carport and building construction company on the other side of town and took note. When Paul reached the west side of town he turned around and headed back east. It was about 11:30 so he stopped at the Taco truck and tried one of their tacos. It was delicious! He ordered a half-dozen more and the man boxed them up. Paul figured he might as well share with Angel. He also got a sampler box of everything they served and headed for Shaner’s.
Angel was talking to a couple of delivery drivers when he walked in. Placing the boxes on the café table, Paul retrieved a bottle of water out of the cooler.
“I’ve got tacos Angel. What do you want to drink?” Paul asked her.
“I’ll have a Coke, please.” Angel replied.
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Post by gipsy on May 6, 2023 18:05:13 GMT -6
Best stay away from that water or Paul is done for. Thanks for the update.
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Post by kaijafon on May 6, 2023 18:29:22 GMT -6
"I have a large land plane for the drive that can loosen up and level the surface, we can haul in the rock, use a compactor on it, and get it almost like pavement. Do you want limestone or slate?”
“I’d like slate.” Paul replied.
“$3500.00 sound okay to you?” George asked."
Ok, I REALLY would LOVE for this person to be REAL cause I need a road made (.9 miles) and I would LOVE to pay that price!!!!!
Send me his number!!!!!
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Post by gipsy on May 6, 2023 19:11:52 GMT -6
Remember this is fiction.
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Post by bluefox2 on May 6, 2023 20:37:56 GMT -6
Angel has already set the hook and Paul just hasn't realized it yet
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Post by freebirde on May 6, 2023 22:19:55 GMT -6
He should try to go by the Chamber of Commerce on N. Johnson in Clarksville to pick up a local map, yellow pages, and if they have one, a business directory.
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Post by CountryGuy on May 7, 2023 9:15:14 GMT -6
Angel has already set the hook and Paul just hasn't realized it yet I don't think she was even fishing or trying to set the hook. Seems more like he threw himself hard onto the hook. LOL
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on May 8, 2023 16:02:29 GMT -6
Looking good Thank you
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 11, 2023 7:00:09 GMT -6
Chapter 6 – Back to Virginia
“Did these come from the food truck parked up on 64?” Angel asked. “I’ve been meaning to stop by there but was always in a hurry to do something. I love food truck food!”
They savored the food and discussed the visit of the solar and restoration people the next day.
“Are you going to have them rebuild the place back to the way it was originally configured?” Paul asked.
“Yes. I need to find a cook and a waitress though. I’ve got time, but I need to start looking soon.” Angie said.
“Tomorrow afternoon, I’ve got to head for Herndon, Virginia to take care of some business.” Paul said.
“How long will you be gone?” Angel said, frowning.
“”I’ll be back late Sunday.” Paul replied. “I’m hoping Edward’s Restorations can get started on Monday or Tuesday.”
“Oh, okay.” Angel replied. “Paul, what are you really doing here in Johnson County?”
“The exact opposite that you are doing.” Paul replied.
“What do you mean?” Angel asked.
“Well, you are taking memories from the past and building for the future. I’m building to have a saner future. I was looking for a place to plant roots and build something that can survive what the left wing zealots are working for. I’ve experienced enough to know it is going to get nasty before it gets better. There isn’t any one thing good about those people who lie, manipulate, cheat, destroy and try to shame people into following their agenda. The problem is they are drawing politicians and big businesses into their schemes, and it is going to get rough for everyone. I’m going to stock up, lock and load, and wait until the dust settles then start taking names.”
“So, you are going to just hide on your farm, pull the dirt over your head and just wait until it all blows over?”
“Oh, I’m going to be a part of their downfall. I can’t tackle them all. No one but the government owns that much ammunition to get the job done. One razor cut is not that big of a problem, but a thousand cuts can do some damage. The administration won’t enforce laws in a number of areas for ideological reasons. So, I will in my little slice of the country.”
“You’re actually going to shoot people for their ideological beliefs?” Angel asked.
“Only if they come after me first. No, there are a number of ways to take down the criminals and traitors of this country.”
Paul went to the house and sent Brad an SMS text. He passed by the soil compactor on the driveway, and the road already seemed smoother than it had before. Trucks were still lining up and spreading gravel.
Near the house, Eduardo was walking around with a man marking the junk vehicles with yellow spray paint. There were about 9 vehicles, along with a 23 foot box truck. The back of the box truck was open showing it was empty.
Paul walked over to them and listened as Eduardo and the man talked. When they went back to the man’s truck, shook hands and the man left, Eduardo explained that the man would move the derelict vehicles out as soon as the driveway was finished and would pay Paul $1500.00.
“Come with me.” Eduardo said. “I want to show you something.”
They went around to the back of the garage and amongst the weeds and brambles were ten pallets of landscape paving stones.
“I wonder what these were for?” Paul said.
Eduardo shrugged. “It could have been they had a project in mind or had bought them somewhere for resale, but I wanted you to be aware of them for possible use in some plan for landscaping.”
Paul gathered up his dirty laundry, grabbed a bag of change, then headed to the laundromat. When he’d done his laundry and came back, the construction trucks and equipment were gone but Eduardo was still hanging around.
“They said they would be back in the morning to spray the asphalt down and spread sand over it..” Eduardo said.
“Okay. As soon as the people from the solar and restoration companies leave tomorrow, I’m flying to Virginia. I’ll be back late Sunday night or early Monday morning.”
“Okay, is there anything you want me to be doing?”
“Check around for used farm equipment, in good shape. I need something to plant small crops, mowing, etcetera. You probably know more about what I’ll need than I do.”
“I’ve been keeping my eye open and have a couple of ideas.” Eduardo replied.
Paul went inside, hung his pants up and stacked the shirts on a closet shelf. He wanted to be moving quicker on getting everything in place and the restrictions on time grated his nerves. He realized that what he was trying to do would normally take years, but he really wanted to move faster.
The next morning, George arrived at 0700 and Paul brought him out a cup of coffee.
“Good morning!” George said, “The spray rig and sand trucks will be here in a bit. They’ll start at the other end of the drive and work their way back to here.”
“Well, come on, we’ll take the four by and head up there.” Paul said.
The spray rig was already there, the burner on, melting the asphalt blocks and keeping the nozzles warm. After about 20 minutes, the rig was towed down the driveway, spraying the asphalt and a tractor with a broadcast spreader backed down the drive spreading sand over the soft asphalt. When the hopper was empty, the tractor pulled behind the sand truck and the hopper refilled. It took around an hour and a half to complete the job. The tractor went back and spread more sand over the driveway.
“You won’t need to do that again for a few more years.” George commented.
“Good.” Paul said, handing George a check for $5000. A water truck pulled up, the driver and another man got out, then started a pump and started hydroseeding the roadside and banks. George had previously called Paul and asked if he wanted it done to prevent erosion and Paul agreed to it. Still, it was a pretty inexpensive job.
Donald Edwards called for clarification on the location of the house and Paul got him straightened out. They arrived twenty minutes later.
Paul greeted them in the parking area.
The first thing after they had all shaken hands was Sheila handed Paul a folder with
Non-Disclosure Statements signed by all the workers that would be on the project, which impressed Paul.
“Why non-disclosures, Don?” Paul asked.
“We like our customers to understand we don’t talk about what we’ve done here or what we’ve seen. This is more for the personal security of the property owner than our people. Our employees all understand that if they get loose lips, they will immediately be fired even if they might be relative.”
“Well, I appreciate that.” Paul said. “What would you like to see first?”
“Why don’t we just walk around out here first and take a look to see what you want done outside the house.” Donald said.
“Well, Don, I’d like to see the front porch wrapped around the house on three sides.. This looks like it was a double pen house, and I’d like the old breezeway brought back but with the openings having double or triple pane glass windows with screens and doors to bring in more light.
They had only taken a few steps when Adam Jones drove up. Paul introduced everyone then Adam basically followed and listened as Paul explained what renovations he wanted done.
“We’ll know more once we’ve got the siding ripped off the house and uncover the logs to look for rot and insect damage on the outside. Is there anything else you want to add out here?” Donald asked.
“Paul, you need a building out here to house your battery bank.” Adam said. “I recommend you place it between the house and the barn. The barn roof seems to be the best place to put your solar panels.”
They went inside and walked through each room. Donald talked about removing some walls to free up space and making the house more open. And making bathrooms bigger. Paul wanted an office area, a great room, master bedroom, laundry room, large kitchen, and large pantry on the first floor and four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sitting room on the second floor. Sheila was continuously snapping pictures with her phone camera as they did the walk-through and talked. Adam took notes on the number of outlets they should have in each room, what type of power would be used and where. When everyone had the information they needed, Paul took them up to Shaner’s to meet with Angel. After their introductions, he headed back home and prepared to head to Virginia.
“”I’ve got a lead on some farm equipment we can talk about when you get back.” Eduardo said.
“That’s fine. Give me a ride up to the hangar and I’ll get out of here.” Paul said.
Eduardo took Paul and his trave pack up to the hanger and watched as Paul did his pre-flights. Twenty minutes later, Paul taxied out to the runway and set up. Paul contacted regional and got clearance for 10,000 feet then began heading to Hawkin’s County Airport outside of Rogersville, Tennessee to refuel. He had taken the fuel bladder out of the plane, so his range was cut back somewhat. It would leave him only 290 nautical miles from Manassas. He selected 082-52-46.8610W Longitude, 36-27-34.8590N Latitude he had programed into the NAV computer and set the autopilot. As he flew along, monitoring the control frequencies and watching for other aircraft, his mind drifted through what was going on in the country. He caught himself several times just shaking his head at the stupidity. The pure arrogance of people never failed to amaze him.
Few understand their relative insignificance in this world. Even if every human on the Earth died, the planet would go on. The earth and nature will rejuvenate itself without anyone’s help. Eventually, all of the things that we have built will be torn down by the inescapable march of new vegetation, or by wind, water, and weather. Some new species will eventually achieve dominance over the others, and perhaps develop their own form of intelligence and technology. Only our spirituality holds things together, and in this present time that seems to be fading rapidly. Three hours and 15 minutes later, he was lining up on runway 7 at Hawkins and set the plane down then taxied over to the FBO pumps. Twenty minutes later, after refueling and making his checks, Paul lifted off and punched up the settings for Manassas Regional Airport, two hours away. Paul called Brad’s house and Julie answered, so he gave her his ETA at Manassas. “Oh good! I’ll go ahead and call in an order in to China Star for pickup on our way home. Brad and I will meet you.” “You are a doll. I can taste it now!” Paul said. “I’ll see you in a few.”
Paul had called the APP Jetcenter earlier to arrange tie-down space and refueling but the tower had him land on the shorter 34L runway which put him across the airport from the Jetcenter, which meant he had to pass over the threshold of the longer runway. Paul didn’t even need half of 34L so he sat down long and did a fast taxi to the end then turned right to cross the 16L threshold and taxi to the Jetcenter area and then was directed to the Base Apron where he would tie down. A guy in a golf cart came out and made sure Paul had his tie-down equipment, then helped him. Then he gave Paul a ride to the Jetcenter where Brad and Julia waited for him.
“Welcome back!” Julia said, giving Paul a hug.
“It feels weird to be back here after I said I was through with this place.” Paul frowned.
“So, do you like your new place?” Brad asked.
Paul grinned. “It is a treasure beyond anything I could find anywhere else. The place is rough right now, but the potential is beyond belief.”
“Well, let’s get going. Julia ordered a late dinner for us to pick up.” Brad said.
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Post by gipsy on May 11, 2023 9:57:08 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 13, 2023 4:48:54 GMT -6
Chapter 7 – Tying it all up
Over Singapore Stir Fried Rice Noodles, Egg Rolls, and Egg Plant in Garlic Sauce w/Pork, Paul described his property in Arkansas and what he was planning.
“Sounds like you have everything under control.” Brad said.
“Not exactly.” Paul said. “I’m behind the curve right now. I need food, water, shelter, and security. I’m at the crawling stage right now. The restorers will be at the house on Monday to get started. That’s going to take several weeks, but I am getting things started. I needed to come back here and get the things I have in storage and get the condo on the market. Brad, I want you to use the power of attorney to finish that.”
“Oh, I got the things you requested.” Brad said.
“Good. Pickings are slim down in Clarksville. They only stock the low grade stuff because that’s what sells.”
Paul had sent Brad a text message requesting two cases of Redbreast 15 Year Irish whiskey, a case of Single Pot Still Whiskey, a case of Bailey’s Irish Cream, two cases of Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon, two cases of Hangar 1 Vodka, a case of Corralejo Tequila Reposado, and a selection of wines.
“That’s a lot of alcohol. Are you taking that back in the plane?” Brad asked.
“Oh sure. I can carry a ton and a half cargo.” Paul replied.
“Well, leave enough for a medium size kennel cage.” Julia said.
“Why? What’s up?” Paul asked.
“I’ve got you something to keep you from getting lonely.” Julia said, grinning.
“I don’t think there’s any danger of that. I’m too busy.” Paul replied. “Well, where is it?”
“She’s at the kennel. I’ll pick her up in the morning.”
“She? What is it?” Paul asked.
“A female Belgian Malinois. She’s guard trained and the sweetest thing.” Julia replied.
“And what am I going to do with a guard dog?” Paul asked.
To protect you from those corn fed country gals with Macromastia.” Julia said, grinning.
“Spare me. I haven’t even met anyone like that yet.” Paul said. “I don’t even know that I’ve seen any under 250 pounds I’d mess with. I did meet one nice girl who runs a store nearby, but she doesn’t have that big in the chest department.”
Paul went into a narrative of what he was planning and what he had accomplished up to that point, asking the two to tell him where he was going wrong.
“So, you are going to be one of those crazy-ass survivalists?” Brad asked.
“Well, I don’t think I‘m crazy, especially if what I think is going to happen comes to pass. But yes, I guess you could say that I am a survivalist. And there is room for you two when the SHTF.” Paul said.
“I wouldn’t even know where to start or when to know when to get out of Dodge.” Brad said.
“That's the thing," Paul said. "We will all look at the collapse of America differently, and that's why I wanted to buy a farm. The first visible shortages will include food. I plan to grow my own or trade for it. Eventually, I will grow my own meat. No matter how we look at things, the collapse has been happening for years. There probably won't be one defining moment where you can say, 'There it is,' because it's happening to us right now, in slow motion. You have to make up your mind. I’ll be in touch to give you a nudge. We just need to get you ready to make that move.”
“First, you start by preparing on getting away from here at a moment’s notice.” Paul said. “I’ll help you to start putting something together before I leave.”
The next morning Paul went across the river at Arlington to the Planet Traveler store in the CityCenterDC Mall, and purchased a 50 and a 65 liter backpack. He then traveled to REI and Capitol Hill Outfitters stores, purchasing components to build Bug Out Bags for Brad and Julia. Some of the things he’d leave for them to purchase.
Paul, next, went over to his condo to pick up the things he had stored there. He loaded what was in the storage room into Brad’s truck and took it to the storage place to combine all the packed boxes there. When he had boxed everything up, much of what he had, had gone into the category of 'never going to use it again'. That stuff he gave away or carried to a local charity's thrift store. The rest of his truly useful items, including selected clothes, he boxed up in discrete packages with coded labels. Brad only had to ship Paul’s things from one location.
That evening, Paul gathered all the components he had purchased that day, laid them out, and gave them a brief class on how to use them.
"You can put anything you want in here, but be careful about the weight. It should not exceed 25% of your body weight, or you’ll just get tired. You need to add a change or two of clothes and food for at least three days. I recommend freeze dried meals because of their light weight. Check out REI, they have a good selection. They are filling and with the energy tabs I included, you could stretch out your food for a couple of weeks, if need be.”
"But it won’t take that long. If something happened on the way down, if something happens to your transportation, for instance, all you have to do is press this button on this radio. It’s actually more than a radio, It’s a satellite beacon/GPS/GMRS radio. If I don’t hear from you in 12 hours, I’ll fly up and find you. All you need to do is find a straight road or an open pasture I can set down in, and I can pick you up. I’ll time it so I can pick you up at night. You might lose your truck and trailer, but you’ll still have your lives. No matter what, keep your B.O.B. with you. Oh, and include in each of your packs a duplicate notarized set of your most important papers. The situation may not last forever, and you could be coming back here.”
“Well, let’s hope nothing happens.” Brad said.
“Remember, man plans, and God laughs.” Paul said. “I don’t care if He, or She, laughs at me, but I just don’t want you two to get caught short.”
Paul called Eduardo that evening to check in, and Eduardo told him that installers were at Shaner’s replacing the fuel tanks, and asked him if he had planned to put in a fuel tank or tanks at Crooked Creek Farm. Paul hadn’t thought about it before and asked Eduardo what he thought.
“Well, if you can afford it, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a gasoline and Diesel tanks installed, just in case.” “Go down and talk to the installers, and find out if they can do it and who to contact.” Paul replied.
“They are working tomorrow to get everything done for a fuel delivery on Monday, so I’ll go talk to them.” Eduardo said.
“Oh, and I found a lead on some farm equipment that is going up for sale.” “Great, get me the particulars and we’ll take a look when I get back.” Paul said.
Paul, Brad, and Julia went out for a casual dinner, and when they came back, sat and talked more about how to be ready for a quick change of conditions.
“Brad, you should probably get a couple of boxes of ammo for your pistols and keep them in your bags. Things could get hairy pretty quick, and things can get exciting.”
Paul said. “If you do a Google search for ‘Bug Out Bag Contents’ you’ll find lists of things recommended. It’s not necessary to have every little thing. You have the basics already. Just remember ‘Food, water, and shelter.’ Customize your bags for what you want. Again, watch the weight. If you buy new boots, make sure you break them in beforehand. Try them out on the Occoquan Trail a few times with your packs.”
“Will we really have to hike?” Julia asked.
“Hopefully not, but you need to be prepared to go at least far enough to get to a pickup site.” Paul said. “You’ve got a little over 1000 mile trip to there, but if you take the route we discussed, I’ll find you. If you get the chance to call, say you’re going to Muskrat Park, and I will know you’re getting ready to ditch the vehicle.”
“I’ll start moving some accounts around to make access to funds easier, if you want.” Julia said.
“That’s not necessary.” Paul said. “Let’s just keep things as they are for now. I’ll contact you if I need any more funds.” “Well, is there anything else you need to know?” Paul asked. “I’ve got to get some rest tomorrow for my return trip.” “If we need any more information we can pick up the phone.” Julia said.
“Okay then, I’m going to hit the rack.” Paul replied.
Brad and Julia watched as Paul went up the stairs.
“He really is intense about this.” Julia commented.
Brad grunted. “Yes, but I’ve found him right more times than wrong. He has a sense, I never developed, that's uncanny. He would have made a hell of a detective.”
Brad and Julia carried Paul, Molly, and the whiskey to the airport and got a pass to drive onto the apron. They loaded the cases and cage into the plane while Julia took Molly to do her business while the men strapped the cage and cases down. Paul made sure the plane had been refueled and did his preflight checks. He said his goodbyes to Brad and Julia, and they left the ramp. Paul started the plane, and got his instructions from the tower to taxi to the threshold. He was told to keep a certain altitude, so as not to interfere with Dulles traffic, until he was 20 miles out. Once he was at that point, he was given permission to climb to 10,000 feet. Setting the GPS and auto pilot he headed to Hawkins. He would watch his fuel consumption because of the load he was carrying. He might have to refuel again between Hawkins and Crooked Creek.
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Post by gipsy on May 13, 2023 7:25:32 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on May 13, 2023 19:05:33 GMT -6
Thank you good update
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 15, 2023 7:31:13 GMT -6
Chapter 8 – Rebuilding the farm
The fuel truck rolled right up as Paul pulled up to the apron at the FBO. Less than 30 minutes later he was in his taxi for takeoff. Two and a half hours later he was setting up to land at Crooked Creek. The flight seemed faster than when he flew up. Eduardo brought the truck up, helped unload the plane, and put the booze in a storage closet in the hangar; minus one bottle of Irish whiskey and one of tequila. Molly ran around in front of the hangar playing, as they finished. Paul got out her feed and water bowls, and gave her a drink and a dog biscuit. She peed about 15 times, and ran to Paul when he called her. When he opened the truck door, she jumped in and onto the seat so she could see out the windshield as they headed to the house. Eduardo pulled a couple of old lawn chairs up under the trees in the yard and they sat and drank shots for a while, talking about the coming week.
“What time do you expect them tomorrow?" Eduardo asked.
“Early, I hope. I’m anxious to get started.” Mark answered. “Tell me about this farm equipment.”
Eduardo took a sip from the shot glass. “The tractor is old. I think you will be better off getting a new one, but you will save some money on the implements. He has a disk harrow, bottom plow, Box blade, ground plane, sickle mower, rotary mower, hay rake, tiller attachment, cultivator, seed drill, hay tedder, auger, and square baler. All you need is a tractor with a bucket loader.”
“Okay, tomorrow, once the crew gets to work, we’ll go take a look at it.” Paul said. “We’re going to need somewhere to store the equipment. I don’t want to pay good money then have the equipment rust out in the weather.”
“Maybe Mr. Edwards will have some ideas.” Eduardo said.
Yes, perhaps.” Paul replied.
Don Edwards showed up the next morning with his crew in bobtail trucks pulling equipment trailers. They were followed by Adam Jones in a heavy pickup truck towing a portable 30 Kw generator.
Don was giving out orders to the crew, then came over to Paul.
“Paul, these guys will get started gutting the inside, while I take this other crew over to Shaner’s and get them started.”
“That’s fine. When you get back, I need to talk to you about something.” Paul said.
Don nodded. Okay, I’ll hunt you down in a few.
Don and the other crew left, and Paul and Eduardo helped Adam position the generator and set up the power box with receptacles. After Adam connected the grounding cable to the stake. The restoration crew began running extension cords inside the house.
Eduardo dove Paul in the four by up to where he thought they could start a garden by the creek, it was a nice five and a half acre open area that already had a small, established orchard of peach trees and damson plums. They would be able to have a sizable garden in the area. A plus was they had ready access to water from the creek and shouldn’t be bothered by the occasional dry spells the area went through. Adam came over to look, and said they could irrigate with solar pumps.
When Don came back, he talked to three men who were framing the forms for the 10’x16’ floor for the battery bank building, that was situated between the house and barn. Once he had given them instructions, Don went over to Paul, and Paul told him about the farm equipment he wanted to purchase and his desire to keep it out of the weather.
“What about a Quonset hut type building?”
“Those big shiny half-round metal buildings?” Paul asked.
“Yes, but we can place it so it’s not so noticeable.” Don said. “I saw one at a golf course they used to house 75 golf carts that you would have to really look to see it. It was set back in the trees, and the trees hid most of it. A paint job did the rest. That grove of trees over there would be a nice place to put it. We can cut out a swath, put in the foundation and allow the trees to overlap it. The trees look to be around fifteen meters tall, and the building is seven meters tall.”
“Two and a half stories. That would work.” Paul said. “Do you have a company’s information that can erect one?”
“I’ll take care of it.” Don said. “They sell a 40’x80’ model with end walls included that have 16’x 12’ overhead garage door and a walk-through door at each end.”
“That sounds good. We can enter from either end.” Paul said.
Don had part of the crew stripping the inside of the house and tossing the debris into a construction dumpster, part of the crew going over the garage to get it prepared for pressure washing and roofing, four guys working on the barn roofing, and three guys working on the battery bank house.
“Let’s go take a look at that farm equipment.” Paul said to Eduardo.
When they got to Hagarville, Eduardo went left and drove a few miles and turned onto a farm road. They came to four poultry houses on the left side of the road with four more under construction on the right side .
“This guy is a poultry farmer?” Paul asked.
“He used to raise a little bit of everything, then a prominent poultry company gave him a deal he couldn’t turn down. They offered to build the houses, provide new, any equipment he would need, then guaranteed him a price for each pound of poultry he raised. He currently rolls over a new flock every two months. All the equipment he wants to sell is excess; he has brand new equipment to replace it. Of course, he doesn’t have any use for the haying equipment.”
They met with Mr. Albertson, and he showed them the equipment. Paul inspected the lot and decided with a little sandblasting and a new coat of paint, the implements had a few more years in them. When Mr. Albertson quoted a price, Paul backed off a little.
“I don’t know, Mr. Albertson.” Paul mused. “I’ve got to figure the price of getting someone to move this stuff to my place and…”
Mr. Albertson immediately dropped the price several hundred dollars and Paul shook his hand. When they left the Albertson farm, Eduardo said, “I know a couple of guys that can move the implements for less than you saved on it, poor-talking Mr. Albertson.”
Paul grinned. “Let’s go down to that tractor place down next to the Executive Inn.”
“Okay.”
They walked around the yard and looked at what they had to offer.
“I’ve never heard of LS tractors.” Paul said, which was overheard by a salesman who immediately launched in on his spiel.
“LS tractors are manufactured in South Korea and the parts shipped here for manufacturer. LS tractor corporation also builds tractors for Long and McCormick. We offer a six-year limited powertrain warranty, including parts and labor, on most of the tractors we sell—along with the two-year bumper to bumper protection that comes with every LS. There’s no deductible, and few exclusions.”
The model they were looking at was a cabbed MT7. It had the most power of all their models. They looked at the different models and their inventory of ATVs. Paul and Eduardo finally left, and when they were in the truck, Paul said, “It just didn’t feel right. I may be prejudiced, but I’m partial to John Deere. I know the nearest dealer is down in Russellville, and if it needed repair, I’d have to haul it a ways, but I think I’d feel better. Besides, the implements fit on Mr. Albertson’s John Deere.”
“You’re the boss.” Eduardo said.
“We’ll take some time, and go down to Russellville to take a look.” Paul said.
When they were back at the farm, the demolition and construction teams were going full tilt. The second story of the house was completely gutted, and they were just finishing up the kitchen. “You said you wanted to keep the stoves?” Don asked.
“Yes, just put them in the garage for now.” Paul said.
Adam was extending a ladder at the barn to measure the roof surface to calculate the number of panels that could be installed. Eduardo climbed up to help him. When they came back down, Adam wrote some more in his notebook as Eduardo collapsed the ladder.
“With a little reinforcement to the roof structure of the barn, we can mount sufficient panels on the barn with sun tracker panel mounts. This will give you maximum capture of the sun’s rays. We will use 480 watt First Solar Series 6 Plus photovoltaic (PV) modules; made in the USA, not in China. Now, for your wind generator, we combine a couple of things. First, the masts are auto extended above the trees at dusk and retract at dawn, controlled by light sensors. The generators are vortex bladeless wind generators which are bird friendly, and have less maintenance. They are made by the company, Vortex Bladeless S.L., out of Avila, Spain. It’s new technology but works quite well. We have installed a few of them, and the customers are all happy. “Oh, I have the EMP protection modules for your vehicles with me.”
“I’m getting ready to purchase a tractor. Will they work on it?” Paul asked.
“I don’t see why not. If you have problems, give me a call and I’ll put you in touch with our best technician.” Adam replied.
Don worked his crew by what got accomplished in stages, not by time. It was close to 5:00 PM when they began gathering their tools and loading them in the tool trailer, then locked it up.
“Paul, we put the things you had in the bedroom upstairs in the great room.” Don said.
“Okay thanks. I’ll be living out of a tent for a while.” Paul replied.
“We’ll get started on the electrical and plumbing as soon as we get the downstairs completely gutted.” Don said.
“No problem. I’ve roughed it before.” Paul replied.
After everyone left, Paul took a ride down to Shaner’s to see what had been accomplished on her project. Nothing had been done to the main store that he could see. Angel was behind the counter refilling the cigarette rack.
“Good afternoon!” Paul said.
“Well, hi!” Angel replied, smiling.
“Did they get much accomplished here today?” Paul asked.
“Oh yes! They worked mostly in the warehouse area, reinforcing the doors and windows and rebuilding the hall connection to it from the store. I’ll close the store and start moving things back there so they can get started on this portion. They’ll finish up in back tomorrow, then start working on the café area. It’s really going faster than I thought it would.”
“If you need help moving things, just let me know.” Paul said.
“Thank you, but the church choir is raising money for new robes, and I offered to pay them to help me rearrange things. Twenty people will make short work of this.
“You should hire someone to help you out here.” Paul said.
“I have. She’s a young unwed mother that goes to the Reverend’s church. As soon as everything is back together, she’ll start working here every day. Right now, she is working three days a week.”
“Well, I’m still available if necessary.”
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