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Post by gipsy on May 15, 2023 9:00:50 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 18, 2023 3:44:24 GMT -6
Chapter 9 - Building and Plowing
Don asked Paul, the next day, if he wanted to tear the heating and cooling ducting out of the walls, since Paul wanted radiant heating installed. Paul told him to leave it, because he was going to use a Provençal well cooling system. Provençal wells consist of underground pipes through which air circulates only for cooling. The same pipes pass through the house, so that the air in them can be used to cool the house naturally.
At 10:00 AM, Paul and Eduardo headed down to Russellville to look for a tractor.
Paul told the salesman what he wanted the tractor for and let him guide him from there.
The salesman wanted to take him in to custom configure a tractor, but Paul insisted he wanted to buy one off the lot. He didn’t have time to get a tractor built. He finally picked out a 6120E model that had a HVAC cab, and added a backhoe attachment. He also added a 6x4 diesel Gator for Eduardo, to the package, and a 6x12 utility trailer which Paul hitched to his truck and towed home that afternoon. It cost him over a hundred grand. They were things they needed, and soon. The dealer will deliver the rest of the equipment in two days.
When they got back home, the concrete for the bank house had been poured and Adam had a ditch witch digging trenches for conduit to the house, barn, and garage. Don told him the steel building company would start on the foundation and floor of the equipment building as soon as the trees were cleared. Don had a company bringing out a wood harvester the next day to begin clearing, and asked Paul where did he want the logs stacked.
Paul picked an area near there where he was going to build a woodshed anyway, and showed Don the area.
“You want us to build you a woodshed?” Don asked.
“No, I can do that, it will give me something to do.” Paul replied.
A little while later, a guy with a tilt bed recovery vehicle came in and began hauling off junk vehicles and scrap Paul had identified as to be gotten rid of.
After the scrapper hauled off the first load, Paul got his large tape measure and a spray can of paint and marked off an area to the northwest side of the house where Don was going to put a set of steps coming off the wrap-around porch, and near the exterior basement door.
“I’m going to need some hand tools to do this.” Paul told Eduardo. “Let’s head down to Meador’s. I might as well buy everything.”
“We had better hook up the trailer then.”
Paul sat and made some calculations and estimations of what lumber and equipment he would need, and they left.
When they arrived at the company located next to Exit 57 on I-40, they were quickly greeted by one of the employees attired in a dark gray apron with the company’s logo on the left breast pocket.
“Can I help you find something?” The man asked.
“I’m building a woodshed, or more or less a covered wood rack. I need to buy everything, including saws, hammers,...I mean everything.”
“Well, let’s start over here and let me give you some ideas.” The employee said, leading them over to a counter with a computer terminal. He had Paul scroll through illustrations until he found a design close to what Paul wanted to build, and added Paul’s dimensions. The program spit out a construction materials list that would be needed to construct the shed, including screws and nails.
“If this is what you want, I can send this back to shipping and they can start putting your order together.” The man said.
“Yes, of course, please do.” Paul said, lifting his eyebrows to Eduardo and smiling.
They then got carts and went through the store area picking out various saws, levels, hammers, drills, and everything a home handyman could dream of. When they checked out, Eduardo’s eyes bulged when he heard just how much everything cost.
“Boss, that was a bundle to have to spend!” Eduardo said as they loaded the truck and trailer.
“Well, whether all at once or piecemeal, it would be bought sooner or later.” Paul said. “Might as well have everything on hand. I’m not finished yet. I want to go back in and get more screws, and extra common nails, and nails for the nail guns for doing repairs.”
After their shopping was done, they headed back to the farm. The construction materials would be delivered later that afternoon.
Angel had put up a sign saying Shaner’s was closed for renovations, and was ready with empty boxes when the choir members arrived. She would be killing two birds with one stone; she would be getting help moving the merchandise into the warehouse area, and the choir would get their robes. Even Reverend Bowman and his wife showed up. The hardest part would be moving the coolers and freezer, but a couple of the men were bringing heavy dollies to move those. The electrician had run new circuits into the warehouse, and they could quickly reload the refrigerated and frozen items back into the refrigerators and freezers.
Adam and his crew were also coming that day to start installing the pole mounted sun tracker mounts for the PV panels. In a few days she would be completely off commercial power. After her helpers left, Angel sat down with Sheila and discussed paint color schemes.
Paul and Eduardo didn’t even get started building the woodshed that day. He wanted to use the tractor and the used auger to dig the holes, to check out the hydraulic hoses and such, and make repairs to the auger before they sandblasted and painted the equipment.
Paul and Eduardo unboxed the tools and arranged them in the shop area of the garage. One of the bays had an overhead door at each end of the bay, and had been set up long ago as a shop area. It even had pegboard on the walls to hang tools.
“You’re quiet, Boss. You have a problem?” Eduardo asked Paul.
“I don’t know, it seems like I’m not doing enough fast enough.”
“You can only do so much. It will come together. Stay the course. You’ve done a great deal already. It just takes time to put all the pieces together.” Eduardo said.
“Yeah, I guess. After we get the woodshed built, I want to start on a garden and get some land plowed. It’s still early enough.”
“Mi Madre and Cecilia will be happy. They are looking forward to growing vegetables again.” Eduardo said.
That got Paul thinking about the garden and how to irrigate it. He would ask Adam about a solar pump that could fill a large tank and run lines from the tank along the rows. He had seen drip irrigation systems work well in Wyoming.
Paul was half singing and humming as he hung things up on the pegboard,
“…Small and white, clean, and bright
You look happy to meet me…”
…and Angel walked in.
“I love that movie!” Angel said.
Paul froze and turned around.
“Well! Welcome to my humble farmstead.” Paul said. “How are things at the store?”
“The carpenters are carpeting, and the oil company is installing new pumps.” Angel said. “One of Adam’s crews is installing the solar panel supports. How are things here?”
“Busy. Don’s crew is busy, and Eduardo and I are going to build a woodshed tomorrow, hopefully.” Paul replied.
Angel stepped over to the bench, and began helping Paul take the tools out of the bubble packages and hang them up.
They finished getting everything in place and the trash bagged, when Paul asked Angel, “Want to go grab some lunch at Fat Dawgz?”
“Sounds good. Where can I wash my hands?”
Paul grinned. “At the well pump.”
Angel followed Paul out to the deep well hand pump. Paul pumped for her while she scrubbed her hands with a bar of Lava soap. He handed her a towel to dry her hands, then she pumped for him.
Fat Dawgz is a decent BBQ place in Clarksville. Angel ordered the Fat Dawgz BLT with a side of Mac & Cheese, and Paul ordered the Rib Platter Lunch with a side of Cole slaw and an order of fries. Both ordered half sweet, half unsweet tea. The people around there sure liked a lot of sugar in their iced tea.
Paul was quiet as they ate their meals.
“What are you thinking about?” Angel asked.
Paul grinned. “Everything I shouldn’t be thinking about probably.”
“You know, you need to slow down and appreciate what you are putting together.” Angel said.
“Oh, I am. I’m just fighting with a self-imposed timeline.” Paul replied. “Want some dessert?”
“I might try a slice of the Pecan Cheesecake. I can work it off quickly. I’ve lost three pounds since I started the renovation project.”
Paul ordered two slices of the cheesecake and they slowly ate them.
The John Deere equipment was delivered early the next morning. Paul checked that the oils were good, and the diesel tank was full. The backhoe attachment was mounted, so Paul and Eduardo dropped it with the rest of the equipment and mounted the auger.
Paul and Eduardo took turns digging the holes for the posts for the woodshed and got those emplaced. Running a couple of extension cords, they began cutting braces and beams and slowly the woodshed took form. The back of the shed faced the prevailing winds so they would use board and batten to cover the three sides exposed to weather and left the southeast side open. The shed type roof was a little different, allowing the stacking of the wood level all the way to the rafters. At the end, they decided to add a series of doors to the front to protect the firewood, because occasionally they did get storms out of the western Gulf, similar to nor’easters, which could blow rain to the northwest. The work wouldn’t take much, but it was getting late and they decided to add the doors the next morning. The oil company was scheduled to come the next day to install the diesel and gas tanks, and the wood harvesters were coming also. Nothing they had to be hands-on with.
However, that night he received a call from Brad telling him his stored boxes would be delivered the next morning.
“Sorry I didn’t call sooner but I got called out of town and it fell on my TO DO list.” Brad said.
“No problem. The house isn’t anywhere near finished, but I can store the boxes in the garage.” Paul replied. “At least I’ll have my tent here.”
“How is everything coming along?” Brad asked.
“Not fast enough for me, but it’s coming.” Paul replied. “I’ve spent a ton of money and things are slowly shaping up."
“Well good. You’ve got it to spend, and you can’t take it with you.” Brad said, laughing.
As they finished the call, Adam drove up with a crew and a load of concrete blocks.
“We’ll be laying block for the battery building today,” Adam said.
“Anything you need from me?” Paul asked.
“No, my men have it.” Adam replied.
Paul and Eduardo got their tools out and began working on the doors to the woodshed. They had everything, but the hardware, since they hadn’t initially intended to have doors. While Eduardo finished the door bracing, Paul ran into town and got hinges.
“When he came back, the delivery truck was there, and Eduardo and the driver were busy stacking boxes in one of the garage bays.
Paul pitched in to help and soon had got everything put inside. He signed the paperwork and the driver left. Paul and Eduardo installed the hinges and doors then made simple latches to keep the wind from blowing open the doors.
“Let’s hook up the disk and plow up the garden.” Paul said.
Eduardo grinned and jumped on the tractor, then drove it to where the equipment was laid out near the barn. Paul grabbed a bottle of CorrosionX to bring with him, as he followed Eduardo. After spraying the pins, Paul took them out while Eduardo manipulated the 3-point hitch. They got everything aligned and the pins back in, then Eduardo lifted the disc plow up and headed for the garden. Paul got in the Gator and followed Eduardo to the garden area, Eduardo so plowed the length of the ¾ acre garden and was coming back. Paul stood there watching Eduardo plow and thought about what he wanted to plant. They might not plant the whole area this year. Once the garden was plowed, Eduardo traded the disc plow for a harrow and smoothed the soil back down. Again, they traded the harrow for the raised bed maker, adjusted it for an 18” bed and this time, Paul drove the tractor to make the beds. Cecilia and Carmelita came up to inspect their work, and they were excited, talking about what they could raise.
It occurred to Paul they were going to take over the garden anyway, so he turned to them.
“I want you two to go with me tomorrow to pick out plants and seeds to plant, if you would.” Paul said. “I’ll go later and get the things to set up an irrigation system.”
The two women agreed and started jabbering excitedly. Eduardo rolled his eyes and whispered to Paul, “You’re losing control of your garden.”
Paul grinned. “I was going to eventually anyway.”
The women rode back down with Eduardo in the Gator and Paul drove the tractor and parked it in the barn alley.
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Post by gipsy on May 18, 2023 6:40:51 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by solo on May 18, 2023 13:19:02 GMT -6
Good stuff, thank you!
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Post by feralferret on May 18, 2023 21:25:56 GMT -6
Ncsfsgm, looks like things are rolling right along. Thanks for the update.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 23, 2023 0:58:42 GMT -6
Chapter 10 – And the Planning and Prepping Continues
Adam came up with a solar jack pump that pulled water from the creek, and filled two 275 gallon water tanks set up on stands that met their irrigation requirements. Paul and the women came back from a plant nursery with enough heirloom plants and seeds to plant half the big garden, but they figured it would be enough for that year. Paul bought mulch by the yard, and was determined to make his own mulch the next year. Why buy it when he had all the natural resources around him? His next big purchase was a mulcher attachment from the John Deere dealer. Paul only lived in his tent for a couple of weeks before the upstairs primary bedroom was complete with a bath, and they quickly finished out the rest of the house. Don pushed his crew to complete the bedroom, bath, and the kitchen so Paul could live normally, or at least with a roof over his head. Don deferred to Sheila on whatever color schemes she suggested. If it were left up to him the place would have looked more like a bunker, but he was pleased with what she was doing.
Angel’s convenience store and café were coming together nicely. It reminded Paul of a mini Cracker Barrel with all the antiques hanging on the café wall. She was already serving light breakfasts and had coffee and tea on all the time. Fresh brewed iced tea was always readily available. And pies. The cook she hired was a good southern cook that made pie crusts that melted in your mouth. They frequently sold whole pies for carry out. Angel had plans to expand the menu in the future to offer lunches too.
Angel also diversified the foods she offered. She added shelf stable freeze dried beef cubes that would store for a long time, at cheaper prices than they could get beef at Harps and Walmart in town. She chose that because a company in Texas began offering it, because the cattle hadn’t been vaccinated with gene altering vaccines the FDA was pushing cattle growers to use. She also carried an assortment of quick, but wholesome foods, that a farm wife could quickly turn into meals for their families. Paul suggested several other things she could stock up on a trial basis. And too, she listened to her customers’ suggestions and stocked what they desired if it moved quickly enough.
When the battery house was completed, two trucks rolled in weighted down with the heavy batteries. The weight was too great for just one of the trucks Adam owned. The crew manhandled the batteries and equipment into the building, and got everything installed within a couple of days. Adam ran a test for Paul showing him there was no drop in voltage in the house if they ran the electric clothes drier when the other major appliances were running also. Still, Paul put up a clothesline along the side of the house. He liked the smell of air dried laundry, especially the sheets.
Paul ended up hiring Carmelita as his housekeeper and cook, with the provision of giving her the choice of bringing in someone else to help her if needed.
When the space had been cleared for the equipment building, there were no less than 40 good sized logs stacked to the side of the cleared area. The limbs were ground up with the mulcher and a mulch pile started near the garden. The equipment building went up quickly and was painted in subdued colors. Paul and Eduardo went through the farm equipment, piece by piece, sandblasted it, applied a new coat of paint, and replaced hydraulic hoses. As each implement was finished, it was placed in the equipment building. Paul kept a set of coveralls in the building that were permanently stained John Deere green.
Paul and Eduardo buried the geothermal cooling tube using the backhoe attachment. The trench was five feet deep and fifty feet long. The intake pipe was placed near the grape vines opposite the corner of the barn. Paul went into the basement, cut the ventilator fan on, and checked the thermometer on the intake pipe. It read 56 degrees. He opened the basement foundation vents to help keep radon gas from accumulating in the basement. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Going outside, he placed his hand over one of the vents and felt the air being pushed out.
Sheila began gathering furniture for the house, and got no help from Paul who would have accepted furniture from Goodwill. Sheila enlisted help from Angel and Carmelita, and they picked out some nice, durable items to furnish the rooms. The only direction Paul gave was he wanted as much oak as they could get, because it would last for generations.
Don and Sheila held the Reveal on a Saturday, and it turned out to be one big housewarming party. The first room Paul wanted to see was the kitchen, so went through the back door. Carmelita waited there and Paul asked her, “Does this suit you?”
“Oh yes Señor Paul, it is wonderful!” Paul liked it. The kitchen was BIG! Bigger than some you’d find in the nicer restaurants. Paul could cook over a campfire when needed, but this was going to be a dream to cook in. Cast iron pots and pans hung on each side of the gas range, from custom iron racks made in town. The pantry was huge and could hold months’ worth of staples. The rest of the house was done nicely as well. Paul’s likes were eclectic, and he was looking more for comfort than anything else.
They had replaced the full size bed he had used prior to living in the tent with a "California King". The bedroom also had a small couch, and the shower had more nozzles than a car wash.
Pickled vertical pine shiplap covered many of the walls, brightening up what would have been a dark interior, even though large windows had been installed. Now, in a couple of rooms, you almost needed to wear sunglasses at times during the day. Sheila had tempered the rooms with more opaque curtains. The pine floors looked wonderful, and there were only throw and area rugs throughout the house. Paul didn’t want any carpeting. In the basement, shelves had been built and all the food that had arrived from Utah was neatly stored, by category. He still needed to make a run for spices and more canned goods.
They partied for a couple of hours then Don and Sheila had to go to Shaner’s. Paul studied the yard around him and decided he needed to spruce it up a bit.
“Eduardo, do any of your contacts do landscaping?” Paul asked. “I’d like the shrubs trimmed up a bit and the yard cut.”
“Yes, and there was something I wanted to talk to you about. The men I’m thinking of can do your yard work, but his little company also has the equipment to split firewood. They could come and cut up some of the logs to fill your woodshed.” Eduardo replied.
“That sounds good. Do they have their own mowers, or do I need to buy one?”
“They have mowers.” Eduardo replied.
“Good, contact them and get them here.” Paul said.
“Carmelita, do you have a driver’s license?”
“Yes, but it has been some time since I have driven.” Carmelita replied.
“I’ll be getting you a household vehicle to use. You can practice on the road between here and the main road until you feel comfortable.” Paul said.
Paul felt as if he’d reached a milestone. He needed to go down his preparations list and see what else he could do. He wanted to make sure he had enough food to last everyone from three to five years. Also he wanted to stock up on things they would normally buy in town most frequently, in case if worst came to worst and the town was off limits for a while. When everyone had left except for Carmelita, he began hauling in the boxes from Virginia with a set of hand trucks. Some would be stored in the attic, but several boxes needed to be unpacked.
The clothes he unpacked that were washable, Paul washed. He had kept a couple of suits, some sports jackets, and dress shirts, and laid them aside to take to the cleaners. After all the clothing had been unpacked, Paul began hauling boxes to his office/library, and began arranging books on the shelves. He moved his printer into the office and set up his computer there also. The desk was a beautiful old oak desk, Sheila had found, that had a wing on it for the printer.
Monday, Paul took Eduardo with him to Whitson-Morgan Motor Company in Clarksville, and bought a 2021 Chevrolet City Express Cargo Van for Carmelita to run errands in. After getting it registered and plates put on, they went back to the farm and Carmelita gleefully jumped in the vehicle and began driving up and down the road. She wasn’t having any problems, so Paul went inside, but Eduardo kept an eye on her.
On Wednesday, Carmelita and Cecilia took the van, Paul and Eduardo took Paul’s truck, and they took a trip to Little Rock to go shopping at Sam’s and COSTCO. Paul was taking his truck, also, so he could stop and buy an enclosed cargo trailer from a dealer that was on the highway they used to get to Sam’s in North Little Rock. Paul gave Carmelita a wad of cash to get a membership and to start shopping, while he and Eduardo picked up the trailer.
Paul purchased a 6’x12’ trailer, and they met up with the women a couple of hours later. The women had already filled and checked out one flat cart and loaded it in the van. Paul took the list that Carmelita had made to see what was left to get. Paul and Eduardo concentrated on the heavier cases of canned goods, while Carmelita and Cecilia went to the spices area. They filled and rearranged the van, and moved the heavier cases to the trailer, keeping the lighter things in the van.
It was an hour and a half back home and Paul was hesitant to buy any frozen foods without some way to keep them cold. They did buy fresh vegetables though. Paul asked one of the employees where he could purchase dry ice, and the man was able to tell him about a nearby company. Paul and Eduardo left the women to keep shopping, went and got a 125 quart and a 75 quart cooler, and checked out before putting them in the trailer. They bought several blocks of dry ice and went back to Sam’s Club, then turned the women loose to buy meats. They bought a box of a dozen chickens, several beef tenderloins, roasts, twenty pounds of ground beef, several pounds of bacon and sausage, cheeses, salted and unsalted butter. When they packed the coolers in the trailer, there was a little room left in the coolers, so Paul went back in a bought enough smoked Gouda and cheddar cheese to fill the spaces.
They finished up their shopping at Sam’s and headed to COSTCO, about two miles down the road. The first things on their list were toilet paper, food storage containers, ZipLock bags and foodservice size rolls of foil and food wrap. They also picked up jugs of hand soap, dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, and batteries of all sizes. Carefully packing the trailer, they had it completely stuffed with everything until the leaf springs were extended about as far as they could go. The trailer only had a 7,000 pound capacity.
Paul kept his speed down on the way back, especially over a few of the rougher areas they’d encountered on the way to Little Rock. Everyone was tired when they finished unloading the van and trailer, so they just cooked up burgers on the grill.
Jeremy watched the two 40’ containers being loaded on the freighter, then turned and got into the truck that was taking him back to Hewanorra International Airport where the Gulfstream waited for him. He could get some rest now on the long flight home.
Paul stood, pushing the solid wood chair back from the desk with a slight screech. Walking out onto the porch, he leaned on the railing and stared around the yard, compiling his thoughts. When the harvests came in this year, he wanted to buy his grain directly from the mill silos. He had placed an order for enough food safe plastic barrels and five gallon buckets to hold enough grain to feed ten people for a year, plus enough to store the rolled oats he was ordering again. He was going to need more storage space. He liked the Quonset building and it was working out fine. It didn’t take long to erect, and a 40 foot hut would be about the right size. There was a steel building supplier in Clarksville he was going to check with, to see if they could put one up for him.
Paul was busy but wasn't really happy. In the place he decided to settle in, even with the satisfaction of what had been accomplished, he was lonely. Loneliness was at the heart of the dissatisfaction that plagued him. Selfish devotion to himself and preparing for the uncertain future, hadn't brought joy. His ability to create wealth through hard work, to at least equal the trust fund his parents had left him had given him short bit of satisfaction, but not happiness. One day Carmelita mentioned to Paul there wasn’t the joy in his eyes she should be seeing.
“Carmelita, you get that way when you have sacrificed companionship in your all-consuming drive to be independent.” Paul admitted.
“Is that what you want for your future?” Carmelita asked. You need to take out that nice woman Angelina down at the store. She looks at you with some interest.”
"Ah. Sr. Paul. There you are," Carmelita said with a smile, pouring Paul a mug of coffee and placing it on the island in front of him. “This will help you to think about where you will take the nice lady out to dinner."
Paul grunted his thanks and sipped, the elixir of wakefulness burning its way down his throat, and studied Carmelita as she pulled out another pan.
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Post by gipsy on May 23, 2023 8:26:33 GMT -6
Fine update, Thanks
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Post by feralferret on May 23, 2023 18:56:50 GMT -6
Funny you should mention this: "Angel also diversified the foods she offered. She added shelf stable freeze dried beef cubes that would store for a long time, at cheaper prices than they could get beef at Harps and Walmart in town. She chose that because a company in Texas began offering it, because the cattle hadn’t been vaccinated with gene altering vaccines the FDA was pushing cattle growers to use."I saw this headline earlier today: Beef Company CEO: “I’ll Shut Down the Company Before We Ship a Single Bag With mRNA-Injected Meat” It was the CEO of the company that produces the freeze dried beef chunks in real life. I went to their website. Nice food, but way beyond my fixed (or should I say broken ) income. Thanks for the chapter.
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Post by CountryGuy on May 24, 2023 9:13:10 GMT -6
Funny you should mention this: "Angel also diversified the foods she offered. She added shelf stable freeze dried beef cubes that would store for a long time, at cheaper prices than they could get beef at Harps and Walmart in town. She chose that because a company in Texas began offering it, because the cattle hadn’t been vaccinated with gene altering vaccines the FDA was pushing cattle growers to use."I saw this headline earlier today: Beef Company CEO: “I’ll Shut Down the Company Before We Ship a Single Bag With mRNA-Injected Meat” It was the CEO of the company that produces the freeze dried beef chunks in real life. I went to their website. Nice food, but way beyond my fixed (or should I say broken ) income. Thanks for the chapter. Curious as to the name of the company. Might be the sort of people to try and send a little business towards to help keep them healthy in the onslaught of the Gov't incursion.
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Post by gipsy on May 24, 2023 11:09:15 GMT -6
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tzr
New Member
Posts: 10
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Post by tzr on May 24, 2023 13:59:56 GMT -6
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Post by feralferret on May 24, 2023 16:24:25 GMT -6
Close but no prize. It was Whole Cows. wholecowstgp.com/They actually make the freeze dried beef chunks. They are not just a reseller.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 29, 2023 21:12:44 GMT -6
Chapter 11 – Gunning Up
Paul was tying up grape runners when an 18 wheeler drove up on the driveway. As he started to go over to talk to the driver, a plane landed at the airfield. The trees blocked observation of the runway so he couldn’t identify the plane. Paul yelled to Eduardo to check who had landed at the airfield and went to talk to the truck driver.
“The driver said he didn’t know what the cargo was, he was just told to deliver the two 20’ containers to this address, and where did Paul want them offloaded. A few minutes later, Eduardo drove up with Jeremy in the passenger seat.
“Looks like I got here just in time!” Jeremy said, grinning, and pointing at the containers.
“What is this?” Paul asked.
“Just a few things that might be of use to you.” Jeremy said, handing Paul an inventory list.
Paul unfolded and read the list:
75 sets BDU assorted sizes. 2K MRE Full Meal assorted including vegetarian and kosher meals 10 complete First Aid Kits 10 sets NBC gear 100 US Military spec gas masks 5K NBC filters for masks 10 Sets Portable Radiation Detection gear and Calibration equipment 100 sets batteries for RD gear 50 Sets LBE (Alice) gear 50 MR556A1 5.56 rifles 350 20-rd magazines 100K rounds SS-109 ammo 50 Colt 1911 pistols with holsters and pistol belts 200 7-rd magazines for 1911s 10K rounds .45acp FMJ ammo 25 AA-12 12 ga Shotguns 100 8 round AA-12 magazines 50 AA-12 drum magazines 10K rounds 12ga 00 Buck 10K rounds 12ga Slugs 10K rounds 12ga FRAG-12 100 Small Alice Packs 500 Sets boots assorted sizes 100 sets 90-day E&E kits (in Alice Packs)
“What am I supposed to do with all this?” Paul asked.
Jeremy shrugged. “Secure your and your neighbor’s property, keep a little on hand for a few of my people who might stop by to resupply.”
“This is a lot. It’s like you’re going to war.” Paul said.
“Paul, we have been, and are in the middle of a war for the future of this country right now. There are people determined to destroy the America we know. They’ve been attacking from within for generations. They're using asymmetrical warfare to attack socially, economically, and ideologically to compromise our system of governance and bring about a new vision for America. Unfortunately, they try to use identifiers that hide their real intent, but we’re weeding them out. If you look back on their written material, they are nothing but Communists.
A ‘liberal’ is someone who stands for liberty. That is literally the opposite of what present day ‘liberals’ stand for. They use cancellation and censorship to quiet disagreements. They distort the law to crush dissent. They use moral relativism to break our sense of right and wrong. They don't deliver liberty. They deliver oppression and corruption.
‘Progressives’ aren’t much better. A progressive is supposed to be a person who values progress. But those operating under the progressive banner have created conflict in the name of social justice, destroyed our prosperity in pursuit of ecological justice, and used wildly out-of-control spending to buy our way out of problems that actually require human development.
In the name of ‘progress,’ they have delivered social strife, criminal chaos, and economic collapse. They haven't delivered progress — only regression. We have been carving out their support mechanisms by surreptitiously confiscating their financial assets and using them against the communists. One day they are rich, the next day we’re using their money against them. Some of the worst, we selectively eliminate them. Some of the ‘accidental’ deaths of prominent people in government and industry in the last few years haven’t been so accidental.”
Jeremy had known. He had told them, his friends, family, and coworkers. He had been telling them for years that this would happen. None of them had listened. They all laughed, acted like he was delusional, crazy. Jeremy had stockpiled weapons, food, and water. He had fortified his home place and brought in believers to try and curb the stupidity and corruption. He had brought in others, who opened avenues for them to get supplies and raid financial assets of the enemies of the country.
“So, for what do you need me? I don’t do that stuff anymore.” Paul asked.
“Keep your eyes and ears open and be sort of a resupply base for some things for us.” Jeremy replied.
They placed the containers next to the hangar.
Once Jeremy left, Paul unlocked the containers and got out two of the 5.56 rifles, two of the AA-12 shotguns, and magazines with ammunition to load a basic load of magazines for the weapons. He and Eduardo test fired the weapons and took them home.
Jeremy definitely knew more than he was saying, so Paul sat down and went over his notes for preparations for disasters. Paul had defined several types of situations and emergencies into three types: mild, moderate, and extreme. Mild emergencies were those experienced with some discomfort from our normal routine for no more than 48 hours, but it is not life threatening. For example: The power goes off for a day or two. Moderate was when you experience a large change from your normal routine, either natural or man-made, which is not immediately life threatening but has the potential to become so if not dealt with, and/or it continues. For example: the power goes off for five days or more. Your car slides off the road in a remote area and you are trapped inside. A powerful hurricane is approaching. A large earthquake strikes. An extreme situation was when a catastrophic natural or man-made event that immediately threatens our life and the lives of all around us, and if it continues, will be a constant threat. For example, A tornado destroys your home. Nuclear, biological, and chemical accident or warfare or terrorist attack. A powerful earthquake. The collapse of civilization. An economic collapse. A pandemic with a high transmission and kill rate. Until you can find out the facts, you have to assume the worst until the situation stabilizes. Of course, getting the facts from the government is a problem in itself. They have a propensity to lie and obfuscate to make themselves look as if they are in control and can fix the problem.
Paul believed if he prepared for the worst, the little things would be covered. He had a good bit done but would need to do more. He had accomplished enough to get through a rough spot, but he needed to fine tune his plans. He began an area assessment to find vulnerabilities and strong points of the community. He wanted to do that now before he bought too much more. He needed to find areas to disperse his supplies, so if someone took over the farm, they wouldn’t get all his assets, and he would have enough hidden out to fight back and possibly recover his farm. He needed to recon areas of egress to include the National Forest areas to his north and northeast.
Over the next few weeks, between the construction of the storage hut and maintaining the garden, Paul studied hydrographic and geological data to ascertain flood danger (although precipitation only averaged around 50 inches a year) and possible cave systems within the area, slowly checking off items on his list. He also packed a few drums with weapons and supplies to cache throughout the area along possible escape routes. He was surprised at some of the things he had learned. His mindset changed in a couple of areas, and he added new contingencies to his plan.
Paul verified the radon gas hazard and found areas of Johnson County had a moderate danger, with an average indoor radon screening level between 2 and 4 picocuries per liter. If he found any cave systems, he’d have to emplace radon detectors to test them before utilizing them for anything. Paul put radon detectors on a list of further things to purchase. Other than that, the area was free of brownfields, Superfund sites, leaking fuel tanks and relatively free of crime. There was just one 58 year old sex offender registered in the county. There were no registered polluters, nor health hazards in the area. The only downside was the temperature was seven degrees above average. That was why he put in the geothermal cooling. It was something with which he could deal. Arkansas was at a high risk category for tornadoes, but the latest in the area was back in 2014, with the average of one per year and no deaths. Plus, all of them had traveled farther to the west of his location. Still, he determined it was the most likely natural disaster to occur, so he was going to put in a shelter attached to the basement. All in all, the farm was still a pretty good area to establish roots.
The landscapers came and got everything looking good and cut the firewood. Eduardo used the loader on the tractor to carry the split wood to the woodshed, and Paul paid Eduardo’s son, Jose, to stack the wood.
The foreman of the wood cutting crew told Eduardo it was too bad they didn’t have a sawmill nearby. The remaining logs would make a lot of lumber. Eduardo spoke to Paul, and Paul thought about it. He searched and found a man who was selling his saw and other equipment associated with a small milling operation he had up in Harrison. Paul had Eduardo contact the foreman to Take a ride with them up there to take a look at the equipment.
The small milling operation was located on a 4 acre plot on a farm outside of Harrison. The saws were sheltered under a steel roof with open sides. The saws included a Peterson Automatic Swing Blade, a chop saw, and a large table saw. They had a small tractor, with loader, to remove sawdust and for moving logs. Paul had seen Peterson ASB saws in Alaska, and knew they were relatively easy to use, and could handle up to 20’ logs with the extensions. As a demonstration, the old man and his sons ran a log through, cut different dimensions of lumber, then put on the slabber, and then the planer and planed the slab.
“Why did you decide to sell your equipment?” Paul asked Mr. Simmons.
“This takes three people to do it right without wearing yourself out. I got one boy going off to school and the other has a good job lined up. It’s time for me to slow down too.”
Paul bought the whole bundle which include the tractor, the saws, attachments, and spare blades.
“Do you mind if I left everything here until I can get a shelter put up?” Paul asked Mr. Simmons.
“Nope. It will be here when you get back. My boys can help you take it apart, and ride back with you to get everything assembled correctly too.” Mr. Simmons said.
“I’d appreciate that.” Paul replied.
Paul got a tape measure out of his truck and measured the floor. He liked the layout they had so he would just duplicate it. After taking a few pictures with his phone, they returned to Crooked Creek.
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Post by ncsfsgm on May 29, 2023 21:14:17 GMT -6
Chapter 12 - Sawmill and a Big Step
Paul and Eduardo dropped the foreman off at his home and went directly to National Steel Buildings in Clarksville to order a cover for the mill area. They really didn’t have anything like that, and to custom order the components was more expensive than a double wide barn they already had on hand. It was wider and a little longer than Paul needed but Eduardo suggested they could use the extra space to dry out the newly cut wood. Paul paid a little more for them to do the dirt work too and bought the building. The company would bulldoze the area, set up the forms and pour the concrete. When they got back to the farm, Paul picked out an area that was 100 feet wide by 260 feet long up past the barn that had only eight trees on it that needed to be cut. It would be an ideal area to put the sawmill building in.
Eduardo called the Sanchez brothers to come over and cut the trees down, they came over in a couple of hours and did the job. After limbing the trunks, and cutting them in 16’ lengths, Paul moved the logs to an area where they would be near the sawmill site, but out of the way of the construction. They would relocate the rest of the logs later. Paul next attached the chipper to the tractor, then chipped up all the limbs, and added the chips to the mulch pile.
Paul squatted and half leaned his back into the maple tree as he watched the concrete workers float the last of the floor and embed the bolts that would hold the trusses. He had called Mr. Simmons and told him where they stood on getting the sawmill shelter completed. Eduardo was using the tractor to complete the conduit trench from the powerhouse to the new building. Standing up, he walked over to Eduardo, who stopped working to hear what Paul had to say.
“I’m going to run down to Cecil’s and get more pipe dope.” Paul said.
Eduardo nodded and continued digging. Paul got a drink of water and headed to Clarksville. When he rode by Shaner‘s, it looked like Angel had plenty of customers, at least in the store. Two cars were at the pumps and two cars were in parking spaces. He drove on by and headed directly for the hardware store.
At Cecil’s, he got two cans of PVC joint compound and a big bottle of wood glue he saw on a shelf. On the way home, Paul stopped to see Angel. Angel was behind the counter checking out a customer while Keira was re-stocking a shelf.
“Hello!” Angel greeted him when Paul walked in.
“It looks like you’ve been busy this morning.” Paul replied.
“Yep. We’ve had a steady crowd.” Angel replied.
“How’s the restaurant coming along?” Paul asked.
“Not bad. Right now, I’m waiting on some equipment before we complete the counter. Maggie Archer is looking for some vintage counter seats for me and a new griddle and stove are on order. Sabrina is over there making a list of things to keep in the pantry. By the way, can I borrow your enclosed trailer when we get ready to stock the pantry? I want to pick up all the staples at Sam’s Club. They’re cheaper there than through the distributor.”
“Sure! Anytime. Just let me know. Listen, sometime when we have time to breathe, I’d like to take you out for dinner and maybe take in a show at the Repertory Theatre in Little Rock.”
“That’s a long drive for a date.” Angel said.
Paul grinned. “We can fly down and I’ll rent a car for the evening.”
“Okay, I’ll free myself up some weekend.” Angel said.
“Why not make it Saturday?” Keira asked. “I can close for you.”
Angel looked at Paul, “Saturday?” She asked.
“I’ll set everything up.” Paul said.
Paul and Eduardo spent the rest of the afternoon weeding and watering the garden. Eduardo went down to the garden center and picked up some tomato cages. The tomatoes took a tremendous growth spurt and were blooming like crazy. When the tomatoes were planted, they dropped a fertilizer tab in the bottom of the hole and planted the plant over it. Next year, they would use manure compost to do the same thing instead of commercial fertilizer. They plucked about half of the blooms off a couple of beefsteak tomato plants so their first tomatoes would grow larger. Paul was getting ready to head for the equipment shed when Angel drove up.
Paul invited her in and led her to the kitchen. He introduced her to Carmelita and Lourdes and said, “I’ll leave you three to chatter. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to talk about, and I’ve got lots to do.”
Paul left them to it. Escaped might be the more appropriate term. He sensed Angel was there to check up on the women here at the farm. Lourdes was pretty but he was more interested in pursuing a relationship with Angel. He had expected it. At least she was interested.
Paul walked out and Angel blushed.
“I heard there were a couple of women living here, and I wanted to meet you.” Angel said.
Carmelita smiled. “And you wanted to check out the competition?”
“Oh no! It was nothing like that!” Angel contested.
“Well, by the way he acted, I believe that is what Señor Paul thinks.” Carmelita replied.
“You have to trust him. He is an honorable man and likes you very much. Señor Paul is….how do you say?... intensamente masculine.” Carmelita asked, looking at Lourdes.
Lourdes looked at Angel and said, “Tia Carmelita says Señor Paul is intensely male.”
“Si!” Carmelita said. “He moves lazily, fluidly, as if in no hurry to go anywhere, relaxed, smart, but aware like a Pantera. He reads people like a book. He makes me uncomfortable at times when I can’t make sense of him. I have to make sure we communicate effectively, or I could misread him. You don’t have to worry about him running around like un perro en celo.” (dog in heat). He is only interested in you.
“You need to have no concern about the women here.” Lourdes said. Tia Carmelita is the cook and housekeeper and I help her out when there’s too much for her to do, and I already have a boyfriend. Go find your man and tell him a little white lie and say you wanted to get a recipe from Tia Carmelita. We will look after him for you.” Lourdes said, smiling.
Angel walked out and saw Paul near the equipment shed. One of Eduardo’s friends was restoring the old John Deere tractor. She sauntered over to him smiling.
“I wanted to get a recipe from Carmelita for a dinner for my mother.” Angel said.
“What’s the occasion?” Paul asked.
“We’ve been talking.” Angel began to explain “She’s coming in from Little Rock to see what I’ve done here, or basically to check you out. She’s worried you are just another rogue after my money and body.” She said as they walked toward the grapevines.
“No, no. Certainly not!” Paul said. “ I don’t need your money and as for the other, you don’t have to do anything like that until we’re married. Not if you don’t want to.” Paul realized that that hadn’t come out just right. It could have been put much better. In fact, it couldn’t have been put much worse.
“Are you asking me to marry you?” Angel asked.
“I-I-I-I, yes,” Paul replied, and then more formally. “Angel, will you marry me?”
She looked at Paul. “I’ll give it some thought,” she said, went to her vehicle and left.
Paul watched as she left, standing there stunned. “What the hell did I just do?” Paul thought.
Carmelita peeked out the door and smiled. They might be gaining a señora de la casa.
She quickly picked up her phone and called Shaner’s and told Kiera to have Angel call her as soon as she got back. A few minutes later, Carmelita’s phone rang.
“I go to my room at 8:30 in the evenings.” Carmelita said.
After dinner that evening, Paul worked in his office for a while, then poured a drink, and went to sit on the patio. Around 8:30, a vehicle came down the drive and parked in the parking area. It was Angel.
“I’ve thought about it,” she announced. “The answer is yes, and I don’t want to wait,” she paused. “I want you to make love to me.”
And Paul did. And they did. And then did it again.
The next morning, Carmelita was up early, preparing breakfast and humming. They would be muy hambriento, so she was preparing several items and lots of coffee.
The smell of coffee pulled Paul from a deep sleep. The unfamiliar sensation of a warm body spooned in front of him snapped him further awake. Then he remembered the night before. With his bladder telling him he had better move, he began to ease out of the bed on his side when Angel’s hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled it back to where it had been.
“And where do you think you are going?” Angel said softly.
“If I don’t get up, Lourdes is going to have to change the sheets.”
“She probably will have to change them anyway.” Angel said, giggling.
“My bladder is hurting.” Paul said.
“Oh, okay. Hurry, I need to go too.”
Paul got out of bed, used the bathroom, and Angel went in quickly after he was finished. Paul fished one of his terrycloth robes out of the closet and laid it on the bed. He let her use the shower first and they were quickly bathed and dressed, then made their way slowly downstairs.
"¡Buen día!" Carmelita said, smiling, as they entered the kitchen. She already had two coffee mugs sitting on the island and filled them with coffee. Between the settings was a small plate of Mantecadas, a Mexican muffin.
Paul took a sip of coffee and a bite of the muffin.
“Wow! I need to have guests over more often. This is delicious!” Paul said.
“Only for Señorita Angela! Carmelita said firmly.
“Thank you Carmelita for the muffin and the admonition.” Angel said, smiling.
“Hey! I didn’t mean….” Paul stammered.
“Señor Paul, you are about to eat your foot again!” Carmelita said.
Angel giggled. “I think she means you are about to put your foot in your mouth again.”
“Women!” Paul grumbled.
Carmelita cooked sausage, bacon, and omelets, then poured large glasses of orange/pineapple juice. The happy couple were stuffed when they finally pushed away from the breakfast bar.
“Oh! I need to call Keira!” Angel said, panicking.
“I called her earlier and told her you might be a little late. She said she would open up.” Carmelita said.
“Thank you.” Angel replied.
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Post by feralferret on May 29, 2023 21:50:35 GMT -6
If Jeremy has a couple more containers he needs someone to look after, I would be happy to volunteer.
Thanks for the excellent chapters.
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Post by kiwibutterfly on May 30, 2023 4:00:44 GMT -6
Thank you, you spoiled us with two chapters
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Post by iamnobody on May 30, 2023 8:08:26 GMT -6
Jeremy had known. He had told them, his friends, family, and coworkers. He had been telling them for years that this would happen. None of them had listened. They all laughed, acted like he was delusional, crazy.
Sadly, I am all too familiar with that response from extended family and others.
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Post by gipsy on May 30, 2023 9:12:37 GMT -6
The container line starts behind me so wait your turn. Thanks for the update.
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Post by 223shootersc on May 30, 2023 11:24:17 GMT -6
Thanks very good chapter!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 3, 2023 7:05:51 GMT -6
Chapter 13 – Are we doing enough, Fast Enough?
Paul, at one time, had watched as many of the news stations as he could, kind of balancing the results to get a clear picture of what may be the truth. He was so disgusted with what was being reported he had switched over to a couple of lesser known conservative stations to view.
For decades, the liberal media had attacked conservatives and provided cover for democrats and their big-government, pro-abortion, gun-grabbing, culture-destroying allies. Now, they have big tech helping them censor conservative viewpoints on the internet on behalf of the democrat party and administrations.
Now it looked like the present administration was going after small conservative businesses and farmers through the EPA. Thoughts of Stalin’s Holodomor, also known as the Great Famine, a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians came to mind. All it takes is one wrong policy, no matter how well-meaning, to destroy the country. However, this seemed deliberate. The communist agenda in the United States was on a roll.
Concern and doubt entered Paul’s mind when he wondered if he was doing enough, fast enough. He knew he was behind the curve on preparation, but he wanted to make sure he had large quantities of the basics anyway. He ordered more LTS foods from the companies in Utah, and more ammo after checking AmmoSeek for the best prices. He found a good deal on 22LR ammo and ordered two cases. After seeing how ammo prices were climbing, Paul made several more purchases of 7.62x51, 22 Mag, and 12 gauge hunting ammunition.
The steel building company would be in this week to start installing the barn. The only thing extra they needed to do was to run electricity from the powerhouse to the sawmill for the electric saws. They wouldn’t be installing insulation, so that was a day’s work that wouldn’t need to be done. He’d need to call and prepare to bring the sawmill down. The building installation would be quick.
In the background, Angel and her mother were planning the wedding. All Paul had to do, at the moment, was shut up, stay out of the way, and pick a destination for the honeymoon.
When Paul was notified the concrete would hold the trusses, Paul hired an independent trucker to haul their sawmill equipment to the farm. The trucker followed Paul, Eduardo, and Juan, the wood cutting foremen, to Mr. Simmons mill works near Harrison. Mr. Simmons’ sons were on hand to help them disassemble the sawmill and helped load the gear with the small tractor. It took close to three hours to get everything loaded and strapped down. When they got back to Crooked Creek, the trucker dropped the trailer for them to unload as they could. He had another haul to do the next day with a reefer, so he didn’t need the flatbed trailer soon.
Paul decided to spend the afternoon getting everything they needed to put together the sawmill the next day. The assembly would be just as easy as the disassembly. The instructions Mr. Simmons had given him from the manufacturer were clear cut and he didn’t foresee any problems. They would be able to contact Mr. Simmons’ sons should they have any questions. Paul and Eduardo got their tools together and decided to start drilling holes in the concrete to mount the bases. With tape measure and chalk line, they laid out the holes to be drilled and started to work with the hammer drill. By supper, with the help of the lights they had wired in, they finished drilling the holes and vacuuming up the dust. They could begin bolting down the equipment in the morning.
Paul cleaned up and went to see Angel. She was grumpy because the countertop she had ordered wasn’t coming in. She was still missing her griddle, but it was promised to be delivered that week.
“I’ve got a suggestion.” Paul said. “Why don’t you put a live edge oak top on the counter? I can cut it on my sawmill and plane it. All the installers have to do is sand and put a finish coat on it.”
“I think I’d like that. When can you have it ready?” Angel asked.
“We can probably do it in a couple of days. We can go ahead and cut the angle and have it ready to assemble when we bring it. I’ll go ahead and remove the bark and it’ll be ready to install.”
The next morning, Paul put the slab attachment on the saw and he and Eduardo loaded a 16’ log on the saw bed. They cut a 2 inch slab, then installed the planer blade on the saw. After planing the top of the log, they cut that slab, and planed the surface of the next slab, then cut that slab off. They ended up getting a total of four slabs out of the log. Paul used an electric hand planer and cleaned up the backs of two of the slabs, then while Eduardo planed the next two slabs, Paul ran to the hardware store to get biscuits for his biscuit joiner. When he got back, he used a drawknife to peel the bark off the live edges and gave them a light sanding. They ripped the slabs and joined them together to give them the 30 inch deep countertop Angel wanted. They made a ten foot long top then a 6 foot left hand extension. When Paul called Angel and told her what they had done, he then messaged her photos, and she was very pleased. After showing the carpenters the photos, they said they could easily install it and put on a couple of coats of polyurethane.
The men glued and clamped the live edge top together, cleaned up the sawdust and shavings and called it a day. Paul returned to the house and found Carmelita cooking fried beef liver for dinner.
“Señorita Angela is going to make such a beautiful bride! A marriage made in heaven!” Carmelita said, flipping the liver.
Paul sighed. “Well, I’ve heard that said but so are thunder and lightning."
Paul got reservations for a 6-day cruise out of Norfolk, Virginia that stopped in Bimini, Nassau, Freeport, then back to Norfolk. He checked his credit card accounts and saw that they were all paid off. Julia was on top of things. Paul went to his office, poured a drink, and browsed a few sites he had bookmarked looking for things he didn’t know he needed. He did order four Super Hogster Thermal weapon sights and four PVS-14 NVGs with bump helmets and mounts. He’d seen some hog tracks near the garden.
Paul and Eduardo began practicing with the swing blade saw cutting different sizes of lumber from the yellow pine logs. They had some good size logs, so Paul wanted to cut some wide, thick, boards to use as support on a couple of shipping containers. He wanted to bury them above ground, but He would box the containers in to keep the soil from pushing the sides pf the container. They cut 8x8 timbers to use as support posts and overhead cover, and enough 10” and 8” boards to wall the containers in. Paul wanted to get this done before he got married. He had two shipping containers delivered, and when they had all the lumber cut, Paul went and got several 5 gallon buckets of waterproofing sealant to protect the wood. After sealing the wood, Paul and Eduardo laid lines and marked where postholes were to be dug. While Paul dug holes with the auger, Eduardo took some day laborers to the creek and hauled gravel back to put in the bottoms of the holes.
Paul had a feeling he was running out of time. Once he got the containers buried, he could fill them with supplies. The tornado shelters should be here soon, and he needed them in ASAP. There was no “Tornado Season” in this part of the country. The could hit in all four seasons, but they were in the middle of what was considered the peak of the season. They’d already had a couple of tornadoes over in Oklahoma. The shelters could accommodate up to 15 people for a short period of time, but he was adding 10 tornado emergency kits for two to each shelter in backpacks containing recommended supplies. He had the shelters modified with an added on escape hatch on one in case they couldn’t use the main entrance. The shelter he was putting up next to Eduardo’s wouldn’t be in any danger of being blocked. The shelter at Paul’s could be entered through the basement or the escape hatch. As soon as he got word the units were on the road, he would hire an excavator to dig the holes.
Eduardo used the tractor to tip the containers on their sides enough to paint the bottoms with ArmorRoof roof coating to waterproof the metal container. Once the containers were painted, the they slowly slid the containers between the lines of postholes and set the posts and began screwing the planks on the posts. Once the sides and back walls were finished, they roofed the two containers with more of the treated 8x8 posts set side by side over the top and stapled three layers of 6 mil plastic sheeting over the wood top and sides before they began covering everything with dirt. Once everything was covered up and tamped down, Paul hydroseeded the mound with a kit he got from Home Depot. They had left plenty of space around the sides of the containers to let the air circulate, plus put in two rotating roof ventilators, so he didn’t worry about moisture buildup. However, he would probably have to set out bug bombs occasionally to keep spiders out. Maybe covering the ventilation spaces with screen wire would help.
Molly had turned out to be a good dog. She would alert Paul when someone was coming down the driveway, and stayed by Paul’s side all during the day. If Paul went back into the house in the daytime, she would wait on the porch for him. She especially like to go to Shaner’s with him because Keira would always give her a small cup of ice cream from the freezer. Molly would carry the ice cream cup in her teeth out on the porch of the café and slowly enjoy her treat, followed by a bowl of water offered to her.
Two days later Paul got the call telling him his two shelters were on the way. He arranged for the excavator to come out and ordered several truckloads of gravel. The holes were dug, and the gravel laid by the time the trucks arrived. While Eduardo was dumping and spreading the gravel, Paul was inside the basement with a rented jackhammer busting a hole into the wall for the basement entrance to the shelter.
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Post by gipsy on Jun 3, 2023 9:25:53 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 9, 2023 12:37:38 GMT -6
Chapter 14 – In-laws and Outlaws
The big news circulating on the conservative TV news channels, that night, was that Big Pharma and the government actually had committed massive fraud against humanity. Another so-called “Conspiracy Theory” coming true. Scientific studies were taking place, and they were finding that the Covid shots contained large amounts of DNA and from multiple sources, which are able to permanently change your DNA. Once changed, your DNA cannot be changed back. The potential result is life-long chronic illness or death. Paul was suspicious when the government had been pushing an untested vaccine on people. It looked like his mistrust was well placed.
Paul was finally being read in on the wedding plans. He had to get fitted for his tux and they would be getting married at the Hagarville Baptist Church by Reverend Bowman, even though Angel was Lutheran, and Paul hadn’t attended an organized religious service, except for funerals, in 15 years. He didn’t care as long as they came out with a marriage certificate.
The Beaver was coming up on its 100-hour inspection, so Paul called the FBO Flight Services at Little Rock International Airport and scheduled his inspection for the day they were leaving on their honeymoon. That would give the mechanics plenty of time to finish it, by the time Paul and Angel returned from their honeymoon.
Paul received the Geneverse power units, and he and Eduardo installed them in the storm shelters. Now they would have power in the shelters. With the power units, a toilet, six cases of MREs, along with the emergency packs and 110 gallons of water stored in barrels with a hand pump, it would let them occupy the shelter if they had to stay for longer than a few hours.
Eduardo and Paul watched as Jorge and his crew cut floorboard slabs with the saw. They had been training the men to take over operation of the saw, freeing up Eduardo and Paul to do other things. During their training, the last two hours of each day was used to cut up the bark slabs into firewood. The shed was filled now, so they had built an outside wood rack and began stacking the wood on the rack. Paul made the decision to buy a separate planer and bought a Grizzly industrial 15-inch planer with a helical head. It also had a tongue and grove attachment. It would manage almost any job they would have and was faster than the sawmill planer blade. They were almost through cutting up the stack of logs they had been accumulating, with the wood drying in the barn structure wings. To help the wood dry quicker, the roofing on the wings was replaced by the men with clear polycarbonate roof panels to allow the sunlight in. It would get up to, and sometimes above 100 degrees in the wings, allowing for quicker drying times.
Paul had the idea to build what was basically a bunk house for up to eight temporary workers. He had an architect draw him up plans with a materials list and had been cutting by the list to get the lumber required.
The figs and plums were starting to ripen in their little orchard. One of the chores of Jose and Rosa each day was to go and gather the fruit. The women would wash the fruit, remove the plum pits, and dry the fruit in dehydrators Paul had bought, which was less trouble than the sun drying Carmelita was accustomed to doing. The dried fruit was stored in glass jars with an oxygen absorber and a desiccant pack, then placed in a dark area of the basement.
Paul hired a home improvement outfit to build the bunk house. Either he or Eduardo were with them all the time, but mostly it was Eduardo. Paul did the running to gather the stuff to outfit the building. It was to have a kitchenette, washer and dryer, shower, a bathroom, a bunk bed area and two bedrooms, plus Paul helped Angel and her mother with some of the wedding preparations the women would allow him to do.
Eduardo was reluctant, but he finally agreed to be the best man and Keira was Angel’s Maid of honor. The lady at the flower shop in town set the flowers up in the church on the morning of the wedding.
The church was filled that afternoon They had sent out a few invitations, but church members all had open invitations, and it looked like they all came. Paul and Angel stayed at the reception for two hours then left to change clothes to fly to Little Rock. They took off on time and made it to the FBO in time to turn the plane keys over to the mechanic then headed to the terminal. Their flight to Norfolk was at 7:30 PM. Upon landing that night in Norfolk, they at once went to the Marriott, near where the cruise ship docked. The hotel would provide transportation to the dock the next morning.
They had dinner at Mission BBQ that evening and got to bed early. They were at the dock early, and got their bags checked and shown their cabin. The upper deck cabin had a balcony, and the porter opened a bottle of champagne for them, so they sat drinking on the balcony watching the other passengers board and the crew prepare the ship to get under way. At 3:00 PM the ship got under way and headed up the Elizabeth River, making its way to Hampton Roads and the open Atlantic.
Eduardo signed the tickets for the deliveries and used the tractor with the forks mounted to place the pallets in one of the shipping containers. According to the invoices , there were four completely stocked Tasmanian Tiger First Responder bags, three cases of 6.5 day candles, Six Aladdin Lamps with spare mantles, a 55 gallon drum of Pri-G and a 55 Gallon drum of Pri-D fuel preservative. Paul would get it sorted out when he got back. More vegetables were coming out of the garden, and the women were busy canning two days out of the week.
After the champagne and later Mimosas, they didn’t make it to dinner that night and just ate some sandwiches the porter brought them. Breakfast the next morning was another thing. At breakfast, Angel almost embarrassed herself with the amount of food she put away. Paul satisfied himself with three eggs, bacon, hash brown casserole, three tomato slices, a large glass of milk, two six-inch waffles, and at least three cups of coffee. Paul grinned as he watched Angel put her food away. She noticed him watching her and blushed.
“I’m hungry!” Angel vehemently said.
Paul held up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying, if you eat like that, three meals a day, you’ll have to start getting on the treadmill.”
Angel looked down at her thighs. “I’m not getting fat!”
“I’m not saying you are. It’s just on these cruise ships, it can sneak up on you. We’ll work out an exercise plan.”
Angel grinned. “I already have one in mind.”
Paul grinned back. “I imagine you do. Let’s check the ship out and walk this off. We’ll get water bottles at the gift shop. Proper water intake is key in making sure your metabolism is functioning at its highest ability and helps burn the calories off.”
Angel huffed and led Paul to the promenade deck. They walked around the ship and got two insulated water bottles at a gift shop. After washing them out, a bartender filled them with ice and water. They went back to the room and changed clothes to go sit by the pool, where Paul lovingly rubbed sunscreen oil on her as much as was decent. Next time Paul decided he would do the good parts before they left the room.
The honeymoon went very well and they both had a good time at every port. Paul took lots of pictures or had someone take pictures of them with his camera. Angel looked like a model off Sports Illustrated and tanned like a native Hawaiian. She was so beautiful. Paul took tons of candid photos of her in various settings.
At the beginning of the cruise, they met a couple from St. Louis at the dinner table they were assigned to. Both couples had similar interests and hit it off. John and Diane Maples were a 38-year-old couple who lived in Clayton, a nice suburb of St. Louis. John was a General Practitioner and Diane taught at the Whitfield School, a highly regarded private school.
John and Paul held many of the same political ideas and John was especially interested in Paul’s ideas on preparing for a calamity. It would be an interest that would draw the two families closer together in the future. Before they left the cruise, the couples exchanged contact information and extended invitations for visits.
Paul had set their return tickets up so they could stay in Norfolk the day they arrived back and leave on their flight home the next day. They were both anxious to go home to start their new lives together, but Paul wanted to be able to land the plane back at Crooked Creek in the daylight.
They arrived in Little Rock at 3:30 in the afternoon and once they got their bags, caught a taxi back to the Marriot. They had a seafood dinner, shared a bottle of wine and turned in early for the evening.
The next morning at the FBO, Paul talked with the mechanic, who he had spoken with on the phone earlier. Paul signed the paperwork, paid for the inspection and slipped the mechanic a tip. The mechanic helped them load their bags. Paul did his walk-around and soon was given instructions from the tower. Paul took off and set course for Crooked Creek, staying at 5000 feet AGL. Paul called Eduardo on the FlightCell and told him they would be landing in 30 minutes.
Paul came in from the northeast and had plenty of light to land without the lights. There was a ten knot crosswind but he didn’t even have to crab that much. Eduardo met them with the truck and helped Paul tow the plane into the hanger after unloading the baggage.
“You got some shipments in. I’ll brief you in the morning.” Eduardo said.
“Yeah, thanks. It’s been a long day.
When they got to the house, Carmelita had salads and hot roast beef sandwiches waiting for them. Paul took the bags to their bedroom and Angel decided to take a shower. Paul went back to the kitchen.
“How was your cruise?” Carmelita asked.
“It was nice. We’re lucky we didn’t gain 50 pounds with all that food we ate.”
“Oh, you’ll never get fat, you are like Eduardo and work too much.” Carmelita said.
Angel came in wearing shorts and a light blouse and they had lunch. Paul told Carmelita he would do the dishes so she left to go over to Cecilia’s. Angel actually washed the dishes while Paul went to take a shower. He came back wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a T-shirt.
“Did you call your mother?” Paul asked Angel.
“Yes. She wants to talk to me about buying my place and moving here.” Angel said.
“Probably to give you a place to run to when you get tired of me.” Paul said, thumbing through a magazine.
“Be nice! And I’ll never get tired of you, and my mother thinks you hung the moon. I think she’s getting nervous about the rising crime in Little Rock. There have been a number of home invasions recently in the Little Rock area.” Angel said.
“Well, we could build her a cabin here if she wants.” Paul offered.
“I don’t think I want here THAT close.” Angel replied.
“Well, the offer is open. I could show you a couple of sites that would be far enough away. You ARE the last of her family left.” Paul said.
“You’re sweet. I’ll think about it.”
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Post by gipsy on Jun 9, 2023 15:44:37 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by iamnobody on Jun 9, 2023 16:10:30 GMT -6
Being a widower still young enough to think about a woman, I am VERY leery of even kissing a woman nowadays. I am hearing that DNA changing "vaccine" is also passed through body fluids. I didn't get the thing before, I don't want to get it now by being stupid over a woman who got it or has been with a man who got it.
How does one nowadays know if a partner has it?
Is there any way to check?
Or am I going to live the rest of my life celibate?
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Post by kansasterri on Jun 9, 2023 16:31:33 GMT -6
As a retired RN, I believe you would be safe.
I do not believe that we are advanced enough to guide a DNA changing chemical into what somebody could pass from one person to another after the original chemical was no longer in the first person's body.
Straight forward damage is easier to do. Assassins have been poisoning people for centuries, and not all of the victims dies of it. They are damaged but they survive. Guiding the damage so that it could be passed to another months later? I do not believe that the science is there, yet.
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