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Post by kiwibutterfly on Feb 4, 2024 13:06:33 GMT -6
Again, thanks for the new chapter, I read it having breakfast now I have to close my laptop and get on with some jam making and preserving.
Kiwi
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Post by prepguy on Feb 4, 2024 21:44:46 GMT -6
Really enjoying this. The characters have depth and I'm one of those that doesn't 'read' per se. As I read my brain turns the words into a mini movie and this one is very much worth watching.
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Post by imahic on Feb 4, 2024 23:20:52 GMT -6
Great story so far. Thanks for your work.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 5, 2024 6:36:02 GMT -6
Chapter 6
After putting his pack away, Don checked his watch. It was 10:00 PM in Spain right now. He would have to wait until the morning to make the call.
As he sat down at his desk, he could hear Naomi in the kitchen. Turning on the computer, he pulled up his bookmark list and scrolled down to the alternative energy folder.
Naomi smiled as she thought about the puppies. Don needed a companion, and the brindle female would be perfect for him. Naomi just needed to get Don over to Pineola to see the puppies.
The next morning, Don adjusted the temperature in the shower and stepped in. He washed his hair with Head and Shoulders shampoo, then finished up scrubbing his body, and finally turned the hot water off and rinsed his body with the cold water. After drying his body off and dressing, he pulled on socks and carried his boots into the kitchen. After setting the percolator up, he sat down at the table and pulled his boots on.
While the percolator heated up, Don went into the study and turned the laptop computer on. After checking the satellite connection and running a speed test, Don unplugged the power cable, carried the computer into the kitchen, and set it up on the kitchen table.
He didn’t feel like much for breakfast, so he toasted a couple of slices of bread, spread butter and blackberry jam on them, poured a cup of coffee, and browsed the internet. He was down to one full loaf and a part of a loaf of bread. He’d have to take time to bake tomorrow.
As Don was browsing the NOAA weather site, there was a knock at the back door.
“COME ON IN!” Don yelled.
The door swung open, and Naomi walked in with a grin a mile wide.
“Let’s go!” Naomi said.
“And just where do you want to go?” Don asked.
“You’ll see! Come on!” Naomi said.
Don sighed, took a final drink of coffee, and began to shut the computer down. He carried the computer back into the study and plugged the power cable back in. Don pulled on a vest and his Akubra. “Wait, I need to make a phone call first.” Don said. Selecting “Vortex Bladeless” from his contact list, he selected the number to dial.
"Buenos días. Llamo para preguntar sobre su generador eólico sin aspas. ¿Tiene un distribuidor en los Estados Unidos?” (“Good morning. I'm calling to inquire about your bladeless wind generator. Do you have a distributor in the United States?") Don wrote down the contact number for a company in Columbus, Ohio and placed the sticky-note on his computer.
"Muchas gracias por su ayuda." Don returned. He rejoined Naomi in the kitchen, pulled a Klean Kanteen of cold water out of the refrigerator, then followed her out to her Jeep. Naomi shot down the drive and headed toward Pineola. Near the batch plant, Naomi pulled into a long drive and over the noise of the Jeep’s 4BT engine Don could hear dogs barking. As they pulled up beside a house, a lady came out.
“Hey Naomi!” The lady greeted her.
“Good morning Alice. This is Don Glendennon. Don, this is Alice Martin.”
“Pleased to meet you ma’am.” Don said.
“I guess you want to see them?” Alice asked.
Naomi grinned and chuckled. “Of course!”
Alice went over to a kennel and opened a door, and six big puppies came running out. Five of them were brown and one was a beautifully colored brindle. The brown puppies, which were all males, were running around in rough and tumble play with the brindle (a female), was just standing and looking at Don. She finally walked slowly over, sniffed Don’s leg, raised a paw, and ran it down Don’s leg. Naomi watched the puppy and grinned.
“I knew she would pick you!” Naomi laughed.
“Pick me?” Don said in surprise. “What’s going on?”
“I’m getting you a dog to take care of you when I’m not around.” Naomi explained.
“What kind of dog is this?”
“A Boerboel, (Pronounced bur-bull) a South African bred Mastiff and Bulldog mix.”
Don squatted and scratched the puppy behind the ears. The puppy’s ass waived back and forth in absence of a tail. It had been cropped.
Don stood back up and said, “Well thank you, I guess.”
“What are you going to name her?” Naomi asked.
“I think I’ll name her ‘Sabra’,” Don replied.
“But she isn’t Israeli born!” Naomi said.
“No, she isn’t, but every time I look at her I’ll think of you.” Don replied. It sounded a little pathetic, but she was beginning to make Don’s heart flutter.
Naomi stood on her tip toes and kissed a surprised Don on the cheek.
Don’s brain quit working. A dead fish inside a wet newspaper was thinking better than he was right then.
Alice guffawed and went inside the kennel, returning with a leash. She clipped the leash to the puppy’s collar and handed the leash to Don. They walked back to the Jeep. Don picked up the 30-pound dog and placed her in the back seat but held onto the leash to make sure she didn’t jump out. “Sabra, Stay!”
Naomi turned the jeep around and went back out to the highway but didn’t head the way home.
“Where are we going now?” Don asked.
“She needs puppy food, a bed, and food and water bowls.” Naomi replied.
"Oh yeah, right.” Don replied.
They went to a farm store and Naomi did all the shopping, filling the cart with food, snacks, a medium sized bed, a raised water bowl, and a food hopper. Sabra stayed right by Don’s leg and sniffed everything. Once back in the Jeep, Don unloaded his purchases while Naomi took Sabra over to a strip of grass to pee. Naomi headed back to the lodge. When she pulled to a stop at the rear of the lodge, Sabra seemed excited, as if realizing she was home.
“You need to take her for a walk around the perimeter” Naomi waved to the open area around the lodge. ”So she starts getting an idea of what she has to protect.”
Naomi began to unload the Jeep as Don took the dog on her inspection tour, marking her territory in a dozen different places. When they returned from their walk, Naomi had the water bowl set up and the food hopper filled.
“Tell me about this dog breed." Don said.
“Well, the breed descends from an old colonial crossbreed of mastiffs and bulldogs by the European settlers of South Africa, used both as a guard dog on remote farms and estates, and for hunting leopards and baboons in packs.” Naomi explained.
“Well, so far, I haven’t run across any baboons or leopards around Lost Cove.” Don said dryly.
“That may be true, but you do have political and melanistic criminals in abundance.”
“That is true,” Don agreed.
Don looked around and Sabra was laying on her bed next to the soapstone stove.
“It won’t be long, I don’t believe, before I’ll have to replace that bed,” Don said. “How big do they get?”
“She can grow up to 61 cm and weigh 68–91 kilograms.”
“Whoa!”
Sensing they were talking about her, Sabra got off her bed and walked over to them. Naomi took a dog treat out of the jar and squatted down.
“You’re such a sweet thing, aren’t you?” Naomi said, scratching Sabra’s ears and rubbing her head while feeding her the treat.
While browsing the internet for bulk food providers, Don bookmarked ‘beprepared.com’ and opened it up. There was a lot of freeze-dried foods which Don had eaten on hunting and fishing trips. He ordered ten 1-Year Emergency Food Kits, a case of their emergency food ration bars, two of their MEGA fruit kits, The Mexican food kit to try out, and a #10 can of refried beans. Most of the individual items he ordered extra weren’t included in the 1-year kits and he wanted to try them out.
Around 9:00 PM Sabra pawed at the door and whined. Don got up and walked her out and waited for her as she did her business. She came scurrying back and pranced into the lodge, like she was proud of herself. Don laughed at her as she curled back up on her bed. After spending another two hours browsing the internet, Don shut everything down, added more wood to the stove, and headed to bed. Sabra followed in his footsteps, and when they entered Don’s bedroom she stood and stared at the tall bed.
“Oh no you don’t!” Don said. “You are sleeping here.” He said, pointing to a rug next to the bed. Sabra slinked over to the rug and laid down. Don scratched her head and went in to brush his teeth. Sabra didn’t raise her head, but her eyes were on Don as he stripped off his clothes and slipped between the sheets.
Around 0530, Don was awakened by Sabra trying to lick the stubble off of his face. He had gotten close enough to the edge of the bed she could stand up and lean in. She needed to go out. Don pulled on his pants, moccasins and a coat and let her out, standing on the deck as she finished leaving steaming pee spots in the yard. She came prancing back and Don opened the door for her as she scrambled through the door, heading for the food hopper. Don gave her a treat and refilled her water bowl, then set up the percolator. He turned on the TV and selected the Weather and listened to the National Weather as he began preparing breakfast. Sabra took up a watch position on her bed as Don fixed and ate a breakfast of bacon, fried eggs, and toast. When Don finished and had cleaned up the kitchen, he slid on his jacket and Akubra, took the leash down from the coat rack and turned the doorknob. Sabra bounded off her bed and came to a stop by Don. Don grinned and snapped the leash to her collar, and they headed for the pond. Halfway there, Don unclipped the leash and let Sabra roam. She did what was almost a search pattern but stayed near Don, stopping occasionally to look at him. Don stopped at his “Thinking Stump” while Sabra ran over to the pond and took a long drink of water. The sun had just crested the eastern ridge and it looked like it would be a fine day.
Don sat there and contemplated the events that had brought the country to the current atmosphere it was now experiencing. For decades, the liberal media had attacked conservatives and provided cover for democrats and their big-government, pro-abortion, gun-grabbing, culture-destroying, election stealing allies. Now, they had big-tech helping them censor conservative media. They were allowing a 92-year-old Democrat (read Marxist) Sugar Daddy, billionaire who associated with Nazi collaborators in Hungry in WWII fund District Attorneys and prosecutors who ignored the rule of law and common sense. It just goes to show only the good die young. After about thirty minutes Don stood and called to Sabra. She was laying about fifteen meters away and was quickly by his side. Don and Sabra walked down to the underground storage shelter and Don unlocked the entrance door. Don took down a headlamp hanging next to the door, placed it on his head, and walked down to where the books were stored. Among the eclectic collection were copies of The Anarchist’s Cookbook by Keith McHenry and Chaz Bufe, a small pamphlet copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights , Where there is No Doctor, by David Werner, SAS Survival Guide, SF Medics Handbook, a New King James Bible, a printout of Unintended Consequences by John Ross, Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants by Thomas S. Elias and P.A. Dykeman. Don had a lot of books he could add here and would, or at least copies of them.
Sabra alerted and turned toward the open door.
“Hello?” Don heard Naomi call out.
“In here Naomi!” Don called out.
Sabra started doing her version of the Tahitian tāmūrē dance, sending Don into a fit of laughter.
Naomi came through the door smiling at Don’s laughter. “What’s going on?”
Don grinned and pointed at Sabra, who was still shaking her ass like a rattlesnake’s tail. Weak with laughter, Don sat down on a wooden crate and took off his hat. “I need to get her a belt of bells, so she warns me when people she likes comes up.”
Naomi squatted down and Sabra moved in and licked Her face.
“She’s such a sweet dog!” Naomi said. Sabra licked Naomi's face then moved back to Don’s side and sat down.
“What are you doing here? Naomi asked.
“Thinking, planning, making my lists and checking them twice.” Don said, grinning.
“I was headed to Boone to Lowe’s Foods and maybe up to west Jefferson to Ashe County Cheeses and wondered if you needed anything.” Naomi said.
“Yeah. I was looking through my pantry and there are a lot of spices I’d like to have on hand. A lot of them no longer have any taste or smell.” Don replied.
“Well, make me a list and I can pick them up for you.” Naomi said.
“I’d better go with you. Cheese sounds good too.” Don said.
Naomi grinned. “Well, let’s get going then!”
Don hung the headlight back up by the door and they headed back to the lodge, Sabra scampering along and making side detours along the way. Don got in his truck, backed up to the cargo trailer, and hooked it up.
“Just how many spices are you planning to get!?” Naomi asked.
Don chuckled. "The trailer is just in case I see something along the road I want that’s for sale.”
Don pulled out his radio and keyed the mike. “Gabe, Naomi and I are heading into Boone and probably on to West Jefferson to do some shopping.”
A few seconds later, Gabe answered. “Okay, be safe.”
“Roger that!” Don replied.
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Post by gipsy on Feb 5, 2024 7:44:46 GMT -6
A fine update. Thanks.
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Post by feralferret on Feb 5, 2024 15:10:46 GMT -6
Thanks, ncsfsgm.
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Post by NCWEBNUT on Feb 5, 2024 16:57:57 GMT -6
Great story, but dang I wish I had 20,000 grand to drop on freeze dried foods on a whim.
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Post by prepguy on Feb 5, 2024 20:31:44 GMT -6
Nice update
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 6, 2024 10:49:06 GMT -6
Chapter 7
As they drove up 121 to Boone, Don glanced over and saw Naomi grinning.
“What’s so funny?”
“I just had a visual of you driving down the road with a trailer load of little containers of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.”
“Ha-Ha! Funny. I want the big dispensers like I used to get at COSTCO. I should have stocked up in Illinois, but I didn’t know what was at the lodge.”
“Well, the major towns around here cater to the hoity-toity vacationers.” Naomi said. “Big containers are more a proletariat thing for people who want to save money. You’ll have to go to Asheville or Bristol to find a Sam’s Club or COSTCO. And from what I’ve read, The Tri-Cities area doesn’t have the population density COSTCO currently requires locating in an area and build a new store, so you’re stuck with Sam’s Club. Why don’t you take 221 up ahead and let’s go to Johnson City to pick up I-26 to Bristol. It will be just about the same time it would take for us to go to West Jefferson.”
“What about your cheeses?” Don asked.
“I can get cheese another time. I won’t completely run out.” Naomi replied.
Don picked up 221 and they headed to Bristol.
As they drove along, Naomi was searching on her phone for stores in the Bristol/Johnson City area they would want to visit. On of the places was the location of a medical warehouse retail outlet. Don purchased four large OSHA first aid kits, Analgesics, Pain Relievers, Antacids, Allergy Relief medicines, Cold, Cough & Sinus medicines, and stuff for Diarrhea & Cramps.
At an auto shop, Don purchased four gallons each of PRI-D and PRI-G, cases of motor oil, several different serpentine belts, and spark plugs for the vehicles that used them.
When they got back to the lodge, Don drove straight to the storage shelter, Sabra running beside the truck, and they unloaded most of their purchases there and set aside other things they wanted to take to the lodge or to Gabe’s house. When Don plugged in what they had purchased to his database, he printed out a report of what else he had to buy to complete his storage desires. The next thing he needed to work on was his power needs.
Don wanted to move the batteries to the storage shelter and pair them with the bladeless wind generators he was having put in. To take care of the rest of the place, he was going to order an ESS Energy Warehouse for his battery needs. It was a 40’ container that had the batteries, controllers, and inverters co-located in the container and had a 10-year warranty and a 25-year life. They system’s patented electrode design and control system allowed the Energy Warehouse to run at high efficiency over an unlimited number of deep charge and discharge cycles with no degradation or capacity fade. He was going to order a backup hydro generator and store it in the storage shelter and spare inverters also. He’d like to get this all done before the summer was over. He had a lot to do.
That evening, while listening to some news segments, he was appalled at what the news readers were saying. We had 19 terrorists that took out the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon and almost brought the country to its knees. What if it’s ten percent of the people who got away at the border were forming terrorist cells? If they can get all those drugs over the border, why can’t they get explosives and weapons also? When reporters write their stories, they are practically printing a roadmap for a group of resolute terrorists. It made Don even more determined to drive forward in his preparations.
Don began looking over his list of over-the-counter medical supplies he should store and had Naomi check it to see if there was anything else she thought of to add. She added four cases of Athletic Tape, five cases of Emergency Trauma Bandages, and four cases of N-100 filter masks.
“I can order you the trauma bandages. They’re the same as we used in the IDF and are superior to anything you can get here. The N-100 masks can be used to filter virus and gas particles and the athletic tape is kind of the Duct Tape for medical use.” Naomi explained.
“That’s another thing,” Don said. “I need to find a supplier of large amounts of 100 mph tape. There is nothing 100mph tape can't fix. Want to take a ride with me to Johnson City Saturday morning?”
“Of course!” Naomi replied smiling.
Don invited Naomi up for breakfast Saturday morning so they could get an early start. Nothing heavy, but enough to hold them until a possible late lunch. They didn’t go on a large buying spree, but mostly window-shopped with their minds on long-term storage and practicality. Don did manage to buy a case of the military duct tape from both of the Walmart Supercenters in town. Then got a few cases of different soups at Aldi’s and several containers of popcorn on sale also. Mostly, it turned out to be a recon mission to keep in mind where things could be purchased. To their surprise they also found a Sam’s Club and bought another load of paper products, wine, butter, and frozen orange juice concentrate.
Don began setting aside two days a week to gather firewood. He had bought the excess stock from a couple of local dealers who were really as poor as church mice and sold firewood to make ends meet. There was no real hurry, but his goal was to have 20 cords stored by winter. What he cut and split this year would be seasoned by the following winter. Don hired a man and his two teenage sons to build him a large woodshed and he began harvesting deadfalls first, then trees damaged by the winter and spring storms.
Naomi went with Don to a garden center to buy plants for the garden, some of which Don wanted weren’t available because the growing season wasn’t long enough, which pointed Don to another thing he wanted to check out.
Two men from a Solar/wind company in Columbus came down and examined the area Don wanted to put the wind generators and to see about his needs. They praised the hydro setup and made recommendations on where to locate the telephone poles the wind generators would be mounted on to get them above the wind eddies at the tree line. Don contacted a utility company to buy two ten-meter utility poles and have them installed. When the poles were in place, he called to have the wind generators installed. Meanwhile, Don moved the batteries to the storage shelter and built shelves out of 4”x4” timbers for them.
The damn press was still stirring the cesspool on possible terrorist targets and blaming the Republicans for the lack of concern. Not that Republicans weren’t concerned, but the democrats wanted to spend more money on social programs than on the security of the country. Political roadblocks were put up all over to stop the Republicans from investigating members of Congress who apparently were or had been in collusion with foreign governments for pay. Nothing was getting done in Washington, even so, Don, Gabe, and Naomi continued their preparations.
When it came time for harvesting vegetables, what they couldn’t eat within a week was canned or frozen. Between Don and Naomi, they bought up every lid and jar ring in the surrounding area for current and future use. It still bothered Don they had a limited growing season and decided to look into a greenhouse to grow their vegetables in.
Don finally asked for a quote from a greenhouse company in Columbia, South Carolina and was pleased with what they could provide. Of course, he’d have to erect it himself, but he could hire help. He would just have to get the grading work done. The 28’ x 100’ tunnel would allow them to grow vegetables year-round.
The first of August, the wind generator people were back to install the bladeless turbines on top of the utility poles. Don had installed a WI-FI extender so the battery controller system in the storage shelter and the ESS container could be monitored from his office. No sooner than the wiring had been connected, the battery bank in the storage shelter began charging. The guys stayed around for a while to run tests and were satisfied with the way things were working. The storage shelter wouldn’t need that much power and the battery bank was more than adequate to handle their needs. Don decided to eventually replace the deep-cycle storage batteries in the storage shelter with sodium-ion batteries to match the ESS container, but Don had bigger fish to fry right now.
Naomi began coming up and going to the basement with Don every morning to exercise. When they finished up Don let Naomi shower first while he fixed breakfast. It wasn’t long before she switched that around and they compromised by taking turns.
Don and Gabe continued using and rotating food out of the survival supplies and replenishing them from their main suppliers; Emergency Essentials, Rainy Day Foods, and Augason Farms.
As the weather grew warmer, Gabe and Don could usually be found sitting by the fire pit, enjoying a drink at the end of the day. Naomi sometimes joined them with a glass of wine. They had just settled into their seats, Don was poking the fire when Gabe cleared his throat and said, "Look, I can see you and Naomi have something going on between you. I'm not blind. I just want you to know you two have my blessing.”
When Sabra heard Naomi’s name, her head snapped up.
Don stiffened up. “Gabe, it’s nothing like that. She’s like no woman I’ve ever met before, but I don’t think she has any feelings like that for me.”
Gabe snorted and took another drink. “Yeah, right!”
Don had been hesitant about opening a relationship with any woman. he just had no enthusiasm for the vulnerability involved in risking any close relationship. Therefore, he dwelt in his magnificent hilltop home in relative isolation, with rocky hills and misty forests as buffers from the disappointment he had in his failed relationship with Carrie. All that changed dramatically on a trip to Winston Salem.
Don and Naomi decided to go to Winston-Salem for a 3-day weekend and take advantage of there being not only a Sam’s club, AND a COSTCO buyer’s club, but there was also a nearby REI and a Bass Pro only a few miles down the road where they both wanted to buy new winter gear.
“Don, I need to go back to Israel next week for a time.” Naomi said softly.
Don grunted and thought to himself. ”No matter the plans you might make, the outcome may not be what you would wish for. It was like skydiving or having a forced ejection out of an airplane, The landing can be fatal or at least hurt a bit. No matter how much you scream, cry, or piss on yourself, the inevitable descent can’t be prevented. It all depends on if your parachute opens successfully.”
“I hate to hear that.” Don said. “I certainly didn’t want you to just flit into my life like a ray of sunshine for a time and then leave.”
“I love you, Don. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way or you are not ready. I just wanted you to know how I feel. I won’t be gone that long. There are some things I need to do, but I have to go there to get them accomplished. I’m coming back here as soon as I can.”
At least she had given him a decent parachute.
“Well, if you are looking for something more, we’ll have to take it slow." Don said. “After that mess with Carrie I am still a little gun shy about letting myself get too involved with another woman. I don’t know if I can be the man or maybe lover you need.”
“Pull over at the overlook up ahead.” Naomi said.
Don pulled over and as soon as he’d stopped, Naomi jumped out and walked over to the overlook guardrail. Don got out and walked over beside her.
“Don, I’m not like that.” Naomi said, looking over the valley below. “Once I make a commitment, I will stick to it to my death, especially for you. My father and mother raised me that way. It’s ingrained in me; in love of my people and in my love for you. As far as being a good lover, this weekend you’ll have to prove that to me. Besides, I would never want to disappoint Dodi Gabriel. He thinks the world of you.”
“Then why do you have to go back to Israel?” Don asked.
“You will understand when I come back. Please trust me. I will tell you then.” Naomi pleaded.
Don pulled into the Ramada Inn and went inside to get a 2-bedroom suite, so Naomi could have her own room in case she had a change of heart. When he made his request at the desk, Naomi squashed his request and told the girl just to give them a room with two queens.
“That way, if we mess up one bed we can switch to the other one.” Naomi explained. The clerk giggled and said, “You go girl!”
Don blushed. Naomi got the key cards and headed down the hallway. Don picked up their bags and followed her. Naomi reached the room and slid the key card into the slot, unlocking the door and stepped in. She turned to Don and asked, “Is this okay?”
Don sat the bags on the low dresser. “Yes, this is fine, but I’m not sure what to do.”
Naomi smiled, reached up and took Don’s Akubra off, tossing it on the dresser. “Don’t worry, it’s like riding a bicycle.”
“Are you sure about this?" Don asked.
Naomi just grinned and started unbuttoning her shirt and took off her boots.
When they arrived at the Sam’s Club store the next morning, Don was pleased to see the building was situated between a Rural King and a Walmart Supercenter, a shopping man’s dream. Both Don and Naomi got shopping carts and headed for the spice section. Some spices that he would use a lot of, Don got three large bottles: one for the pantry and two for storage. Others, he picked up only two bottles. They filled their shopping carts and checked out. They went back in, and this time Naomi selected a shopping cart and Don grabbed a flat cart. Don was going to have to get 4 gallons of oil for each one-year food unit he had purchased, which would be a total of 40 gallons. They had oil in 4.5-gallon containers, so he loaded nine of them on his cart. He added 25-pound bags of salt and sugar to the cart, bags of self-rising and bread flour, until he could barely push the cart. Naomi found cheeses she liked in the dairy section and loaded them up. They checked out again, loaded the box trailer, and went back inside. This time they concentrated on paper goods, toilet paper, paper towels, tissue paper, and napkins. They bought enough to almost fill the trailer. They went next door to Walmart and mostly window shopped. Don was taking notes of different items and prices. Next, they went over to Rural King where Don also took note of what they had on hand and prices. Tired of shopping, they went across I-40 and had lunch at the Cracker Barrel. That afternoon they loaded up on more paper goods and feminine hygiene products. Don supposed she planned to come back from Israel after all.
Don bought two large coolers at Walmart and layered the cold items and dry ice to keep everything cold. They decided to stop shopping for the day. There were still items left on their lists but they would have to go to other stores. They went to Cheddar's for an early dinner and to a Party City nearby and purchased a sleeve of disposable wine glasses. They stopped at a Harris Teeter, bought a bottle of Chardonnay, and went back to the hotel.
When they got to the room, Naomi pulled some things from her bag and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Don took the trashcan from the room, placed the wine bottle in it, and went to the ice machine and placed the ice around the bottle. Don pulled the cork from the bottle with his Swiss Army knife and gathered his clothes for his shower. When Naomi was finished, Don went in to get his shower and shave. When he got back, Naomi was in bed, propped up on an elbow, sipping wine.
Naomi was wrong, it wasn’t like riding a bicycle; it was better.
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Post by cashless1 on Feb 6, 2024 11:36:18 GMT -6
some men have all the luck
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Post by gipsy on Feb 6, 2024 12:59:25 GMT -6
I tell you it's in the water. Fine update. Thanks.
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Post by feralferret on Feb 6, 2024 18:55:43 GMT -6
Ncsfsgm, thanks!
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Post by prepguy on Feb 6, 2024 21:42:23 GMT -6
Outstanding update. Curious what the trip to Israel is about
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Post by gipsy on Feb 7, 2024 7:52:32 GMT -6
I am sure we will find out soon.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 7, 2024 7:55:07 GMT -6
Chapter 8 Three days later, Don was up before dawn, as usual. The mist swirled by the porch as Don drank his coffee. He felt a little discombobulated; Naomi was leaving to go to Israel that morning. He saw the lights on down at Gabe’s, so he finished his mug of coffee and drove the Gator down to say his goodbyes.
“Shema Yisrael Dodi Gabriel.” “Adonai Eloheynu, Adoni Echad, my sweet Yalda.” Gabriel replied to his niece. Naomi moved to Don, kissed him then hugged him closely. “I will be back soon, my love.” Naomi whispered. Sabra sat by Don and whined lowly. “Please be safe.” Don said. Naomi squatted down next to Sabra and scratched her ears. “You take care of my men, Sabra.” Don and Gabe stood and watched as she got into her vehicle and drove out of sight. “I’ll be at the possum-trot.” Don said to Gabe.
“Take a radio with you. I’ve got another SP phone but never got around to installing it.” Gabe replied.
“Okay. I’ll make time next week to run the wire.” Don replied.
Don got back into the Gator and picked up the box of food he was going to put into the cabin. When he arrived at the cabin, He placed the box on the trestle dining table and walked through, Sabra by his side, checking things over. The beds weren’t made but he could take care of that later. It would make the cabin too hot to start a fire in the cook stove, so he went over to the kitchenette his grandfather had installed for summer cooking. A microwave had been added later. The kitchenette must have been manufactured back in the 50s. It had two electric burners, a small Kelvinator 2-door refrigerator-freezer and an oven. Grandpa might have salvaged it from a motel renovation. Everything was built into one unit and slid into a corner of the kitchen area. Don flipped the switch that powered the unit, and he heard the compressor pump turn on in the fridge. Don checked the power gauge on the battery bank, and it was fully charged, the thin solar roof panels keeping the batteries charged. Looking through the cabinets, Don found a six-cup stovetop percolator in a cabinet, filled the pot with water from the faucet and filled the basket with coffee grounds from his food box. When the compressor turned off, he placed the percolator on the burner and turned the burner on. Taking a straight-back chair from the table, he took it out and sat in the possum trot while the coffee was brewing. A gentle breeze was blowing through the breezeway. Don wiggled a little in the chair, thinking the chair was good enough to sit on to eat but he needed to get more comfortable furniture for the possum trot. A couple of comfortable cushioned chairs and maybe a lounge to take naps on would be nice. Grandpa had once laughed and explained the straight-backed oak chairs were made to be uncomfortable and get you up from the table quicker, saving food. Don remembered an Amish furniture store down below Tweetsie Railroad on 321 South that sold Adirondack furniture. He could probably buy cushions for them at Lowe’s Home Improvement. He decided he’d take a ride up in the morning to check them out. Don heard the coffee perking and went inside to pour a mug.
Don poured his mug full of coffee and emptied the rest into a carafe, then turned the burner off. Heading back out to the breezeway, he glanced at the wall and saw the guns in display boxes hanging there. In the lower Hickory display case was a pair of 1858 Remington New Army .44 caliber revolvers with elk horn grips in Confederate cavalry holsters, a belt mounted cap box, powder flask, and bullet box. The holsters were stamped with “CSA” so they were probably repops. The upper display case held a Winchester Model 1866 44 Cal. lever action carbine. The ammo wasn’t interchangeable because the carbine fired a rimfire cartridge, but they looked good together. His grandfather had done some horse trading to get those guns years ago. The guns looked in excellent condition, except the brass frame of the carbine was a little tarnished. Don had no idea what the guns were worth, but he suspected they were worth a great deal to a collector these days.
Don took his mug back out to the breezeway and sat back down in the chair, then quickly moved to the steps. Hell! The steps were more comfortable than that chair! Sabra stretched out on the floor beside him. With the slight breeze and the distant sound of the waterfall, Don was almost lulled into a doze.
Gabe spread the pine shavings in the brooder room and put up the brooder guard. After adjusting the brooder height and turning it on, he began gathering up the chicks and placing them within the enclosure. He set out watering jars and feed troughs once he had all the chicks corralled. There was a nesting pair of Merlin Falcons that were scouting the chickens and he wanted to protect not only the chicks, but also the falcons. They could be injured trying to snatch chicks from the run. Gabe checked the battery monitor next to the door and he had a full bank. The Tesla solar roof was doing its job.
As the sun was going down, Don turned on the 12v DC sconces in the breezeway then the lights in the big bedroom to make the bed. He’d decided to sleep in the cabin that night. Finishing, he took a CD player, loaded a blues CD, and poured a glass of bourbon. Sitting on the steps, he sat late into the night on the steps listening to the music and thinking.
As he was getting ready for bed, Gabe received a text message from one of his contacts. Naomi had reached New York. A few minutes later, Naomi sent a message that she had reached New York and had a room at the Hampton Inn at JFK International.
The next morning, Don was up as daylight was breaking and made a pot of coffee. Looking at his watch, Don figured if he left for Boone in the next few minutes, he would have time to stop at the Sunny Rock diner for a hearty breakfast. On the way back home, he would stop by the Publix in Boone and pick up some breakfast and sandwich stuff. Making a quick inventory of what food was available in the pantry, he drank his coffee and took the Gator down and got his truck. The Sunny Rock was a little crowded, so Don sat at the counter and ordered a ham, tomato, and cheese omelet, toast, coffee, and a glass of orange juice. By the time he left the diner, people were waiting to get a seat. No more diners for him during tourist season. That made a stop at Publix a must.
His next stop was Lowe’s where with the help of one of the lady attendants found some decent cushions she guaranteed would fit. The Amish craftsman had just what Don had envisioned. He bought two Adirondack chairs with footrests, an occasional table, and an Adirondack chaise lounge. The cushions were a little more colorful than Don would have liked, but they were comfortable.
Publix wasn’t too busy. And Don quickly went down his list, filling his cart. After he’d gotten everything on his initial list, he browsed to see if there was anything he needed to have to munch on. He was searching through the Pop-Tarts, looking for the unfrosted ones, When a lady with a baby in the baby carrier attached to the cart stopped nearby. Two men came down the aisle and stopped next to her.
One of the men was almost as tall as Don and wore jeans, a jean jacket, and a wide brim hat with a flat crown like Tom Laughlin wore in the movie, Billy Jack. He stopped next to the lady and ran the back of his hand down her right shoulder.
“Hey there sugar! I know a place nearby where we can get to know each other better. Let’s go.”
The lady shrunk away from the man, a disgusted look on her face. Before things escalated, Don pushed himself between the woman and the wannabe Billy Jack.
Billy Jack took two steps back and assumed some kind of “martial arts” stance with a big grin.
“I’m a third-degree black belt and you don’t scare me.” Now he was really smirking and stepped closer to Don. It had been a while since Don had been in a fight, but it was to his advantage that Billy Jack was slow.
Don didn’t know what BJ was thinking. Maybe his martial arts training gave him confidence, maybe he thought showing Don he wasn’t afraid of him would make Don back down or maybe he was just showing off for his buddy.
BJ went for a sternum strike and Don at once blocked the attempt, grabbed BJ by the throat and kneed him hard enough in the crotch for BJ’s feet to leave the polished floor. Not very sporting Don knew, but life had taught him to do whatever was necessary to win. BJ doubled over and Don grabbed his right ear, lifted his head, and hit him with his fist. BJ hit the floor and his buddy quickly kneeled down to check him. The woman squeaked out a half-scream as Don knelt down to Billy Jack and picked his head up.
“One thing they must not have taught you at the dojo Billy Jack, every once in a while you run into somebody you shouldn’t screw around with. I’m one of those guys.”
Don dropped BJ’s head, stood up, looked at the lady and said, “Sorry for the inconvenience, ma’am. You have a nice day.” Don quickly went through the self-checkout and headed for home.
Don unloaded the groceries and put the eggs and such in the fridge. Unloading the furniture, he set it up in the breezeway, placed the cushions in the chairs and on the chaise, went inside, warmed the coffee back up and brought his filled mug out to test the furniture. The chairs were comfortable, and the chaise, he could see a few afternoon naps on that thing.
Gabe received the message that Naomi had reached her destination. She would arrive at her parent’s kibbutz in the late afternoon. She would probably message or Facetime him when she got there.
Don spent the rest of the day in the storage shelter and added a few items he had picked up on sale at Publix. Two cases of Dole Pineapple juice in 6-ounce cans, and two cases of Mott’s apple juice in 6.75-ounce cans. It was hard to find apple juice in cans these days. They had gone to packaging it into boxes and pouches for kids.
Don printed out a list of things he wanted to order and went to the lodge. He wanted to place the orders this evening so they would arrive the next week.
Don wanted more dried fruit but looking at the prices, looked at the Harvest Right freeze dryer and decided to buy one of the large models with the oilless vacuum pump. He could buy fruits and freeze dry his own. Apples were abundant and during peach season, trucks came up from South Carolina selling peaches off the back. There were two dehydrators in the lodge summer kitchen, and he could place the freeze dryer there. It hadn’t been used as a kitchen, just another quiet sitting room. He ordered Mylar bags of various sizes and a vacuum sealer for them. He was led off on a tangent reading about home storage of food and ended up ordering 5-gallon food buckets with screw-on lids also.
From Emergency Essentials, Don ordered cases of #10 cans of whole egg powder, sour cream, butter powder, flours, cornmeal, sugars, buttermilk pancake mix, quick oats, 9-grain cereal, and a case each of freeze-dried fruits; strawberries, peaches, apple slices, raspberries, banana slices, pineapple, and mangos. As far as the fruits go, that would get him started and he wouldn’t order any more unless there was a sale. Fruit stands were abundant around the area in the summer and fall and he could dry his own. From Augason Farms, he ordered six cases of instant milk, two cases of Teriyaki Rice & Vegetables with Freeze-Dried Beef, two cases of Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Freeze-Dried Chicken, two cases of Corn Chowder Soup Mix, three cases of Cheesy Broccoli Soup Mix, cases of Orange Delight drink mix, and three cases of #10 cans of hot chocolate mix. He made a note to stock up on Kool Aid, tea bags, coffee, and Gator Aid also. He found that Rainy Day Foods sold popcorn in 50-pound bags so he ordered three bags. He would repackage them in Mylar bags and store the bags in a 55-gallon drum.
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Post by gipsy on Feb 7, 2024 12:33:40 GMT -6
Filling the pantry for hard times. Fine update. Thanks.
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Post by sniper69 on Feb 7, 2024 17:28:29 GMT -6
A definite nice update to an excellent story!
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Post by prepguy on Feb 7, 2024 22:28:53 GMT -6
Smart shopping, he's planning and then acting on his plans.
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Post by kiwibutterfly on Feb 8, 2024 13:46:14 GMT -6
Chapter 8 posted twice. Enjoying this story, many thanks
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Post by gipsy on Feb 8, 2024 13:50:03 GMT -6
I was thinking the same thing, that I had read it before.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 8, 2024 16:27:48 GMT -6
OOPs!
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remembergoliad
Member
if you send friend req on FB, message me too. I won't accept if I don't recognize you.
Posts: 158
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Post by remembergoliad on Feb 8, 2024 22:33:52 GMT -6
Chapter 8 posted twice. Enjoying this story, many thanks Maybe it's so important that he wanted it to be read twice! Thanks for the stories, NC!
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Post by gipsy on Feb 9, 2024 15:45:47 GMT -6
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Post by jpr9954 on Feb 9, 2024 17:23:30 GMT -6
Outstanding update. Curious what the trip to Israel is about I was wondering about this as well. Fortunately, Yad Binyamin was not one of the kibbutz attacked by Hamas and is not that close to Gaza (nor Lebanon).
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 10, 2024 13:23:18 GMT -6
Chapter 9
Don decided to make another run to Winston Salem since Naomi was out of the net. There were a lot of little things he wanted to get, well, maybe little, but he had left them off his lists and decided to fill them out. Early the next morning, he left just at sunrise.
Gabe had taken to planting chestnut trees down the edge of the drive to the driveway’s junction with the dead-end road. He had been using the tractor-drawn brush cutter to trim between the trees when an unfamiliar car parked at the junction and a man and woman were waiting.
“May I help you?” Gabe asked as he shut down the tractor.
“Are you aware it’s illegal for transgenic chestnut trees to be released for planting without prior approval of the USDA?” The woman asked. “I belong to a garden club in Cincinnati, and we have been unable to get the seedlings to plant.”
The woman wore a white blouse and a pencil skirt, something Gabe didn’t think a tourist would be traveling in. Her shoes did look sensible though.
“I’m sorry to hear that but these trees aren’t hybrids.” Gabe replied. “They are grown from a single old-growth tree that has been here on this land for hundreds of years and has natural immunity from chestnut blight. The tree and seedlings grown from the nuts of the tree have a ‘non-regulated’ status.”
“I don’t suppose you could sell me some seedlings, could you?” The woman asked.
“Gabe frowned. I’m not sure. I don’t get involved with the trees except to harvest the nuts, eat some, sprout some, and leave the genetic studies to the experts. I would probably have to get some type of official certification for the seedlings, so no one got into trouble with the interested authorities. I’ll check into it and see about getting approval. If you can leave me some contact information, I could get back to you if we have permission for sales. My niece, who is a botanist and more familiar with such things, is away for a week or two and she would know who to talk to in order to pave the way for retail sales.”
“Would you please?” The woman ask, handing Gabe a business card. Gabe looked at the card and replied, “Very well, Mrs. Kellerman. I’ll contact you as soon as we find out anything.”
“It’s Ms. Kellerman, Cynthia, if you like. And this is by brother, John.”
Of course, Ms. Kellerman…uh… Cynthia. Good to meet you John,” Gabe said, shaking John’s hand.
“Thank you so much. Is it possible to see the old-growth tree?” Mrs. Kellerman asked.
“If you would follow me back up the drive, I can take you right to it.” Gabe replied, unlocking the gate.
John and Cynthia followed Gabe back up the drive to the house where Gabe parked the tractor. They walked the last 100 meters to the tree.
“My goodness! This thing is huge!” Cynthia exclaimed as they walked up to the tree.
“It’s slightly larger, I’m told, than any other of the 900 something chestnut trees that are found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.” Gabe explained. “They measured this one at 6 meters in circumference and 31 meters in height. So far, it has been immune to chestnut blight and ink disease. The scientists are pulling their hair out trying to figure why that is so. Some think it is the soil, so they have taken tons of soil samples and are planting seedlings all over the Appalachians to see if they remain immune. Perhaps, if your garden club were to become a member of the American Chestnut Foundation, and offered up your area as a test area, it might smooth the way into getting some seedlings.”
“Yes, of course.” Cynthia said.
Gabe walked them down the rows of planting buckets filled with seedlings and drove them to the chestnut grove in the Gator. When they had seen everything, Gabe took them to the house and served coffee. Gabe did present Cynthia with about 2-pounds of chestnuts when they left. He had no idea if she would try to sprout them, but she would have her chance.
Naomi had been considered a wunderkind of the CICC of the Israeli Ground Forces on her own merit, not because of her relationship to high-ranking members of the Intelligence Directorate and Sayeret Matkal. She held the rank of Séren in the Reserves. There wasn’t a lot she had to do on her contact mission for Dodi Gabriel. Everything was laid on. She spent as much time as she could with her parents, showing them pictures of the areas of the mountains she had been working in, but she also took time to visit old friends. Naomi called Don when the time was right for him to be able to talk for a while and told him she would soon be coming back.
Don loaded the cart at Sam’s with canned coffee and coffee creamer. A case of Texas Pete and several gallons of popcorn oil were added, as well as boxes of tea, and he went to COSTCO. There, he bought more coffee and tea, some of it in bags this time. He would have to seal them in Mylar bags with an oxygen absorber to keep them relatively fresh, but he wanted to have coffee for as long as he could. He could always collect chicory roots to extend his coffee supply, but he didn’t want to do that if he didn’t have to. Hopefully, things would straighten out before he had to do that.
A couple of days later, Gabe drove up to the lodge and went in. Don was working in his office, ordering more supplies when Gabe walked in. “Are you real busy?” Gabe asked.
“Not really. Nothing that can’t wait,” Don replied. “I’ve got the trailer to unload but there’s no hurry.”
“Well, come on, I want you to check out something.” Gabe said. “We’re taking a long ride through the woods.”
Don grabbed his day pack, filled his camelback, and holstered his G-21.
They drove down to the main road, went south for a quarter of a mile then headed west on a partially overgrown logging trail. Soon they paralleled Harper’s Creek, passed the falls, and came upon the ruins of an old cabin. Next to the cabin, covered with vines was a large piece of machinery. Gabe stopped next to it and pulled some of the grapevines away.
“What is this?” Don asked.
“It’s an old Garrett Cable Skidder,” Gabe replied, “Unlike a skidder with a grapple on the back, it had been replaced with a Braden 20k lb. Hydraulic Winch to drag the logs out of ravines.”
“What’s it doing here?” Don asked.
Gabe shrugged. “Hardly anyone really knows. I checked with the Forest Service and all they could find was there was a small contract around ten years ago for clearing deadfall but was never completed. I guess the skidder broke down and they just left it. Dave Britton said he could get it started.”
“After ten years out in the weather?!” Don exclaimed.
“Dave can get anything to run. He’s coming up tomorrow. Let’s see….24-volt battery, fuel tank’s clean, though the fuel is old, and it’s going to need tires.”
Naomi silently slid the Lotar Beaufort out of its sheath and cut the melon, placing the slices on a plate.
“Naomi, could you bring the platter of rice?” Her father asked. “The Kabobs are done.”
Naomi carried the platter of rice over to her father who began stripping the meat and vegetables off the skewers with a meat fork, dropping the lamb, tomatoes, and squash on top of the rice.
The day started early and quietly, just the way Don liked it, except he felt a twinge of loneliness. But according to Gabe, Naomi would be back within the next two weeks. He got up and made a pot of coffee and put water on to boil for some oatmeal, then went out to the possum trot to enjoy the predawn quiet. He jumped when he walked out on the breezeway, startled by the sudden movement of a raccoon scampering toward the back of the breezeway. He called Sabra back when she took off after the coon.
“Little Shit,” Don grumbled as he stepped around the sloshed coffee on the floor. He went over and sat down in one of the Adirondack chairs and did what he usually did…planning and frequently thinking about Naomi. He had started staying more nights in the possum trot because the Lodge was too full of memories for him to stay there alone. She’d called the night before and said she was on her way home. She was calling from the Tulip Inn in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Don got another cup of coffee and went back out to watch the sun rise. Afterward, he made his oatmeal with maple syrup then took the empty plastic milk jug to throw it into the recycle can, then stopped. He went back into the bedroom and came back with his Ruger Mark IV 22/45 and a box of sub-sonic rounds. Tossing the jug into the yard, Don began shooting at the jug’s handle until he had completely shot it away then began unscrewing the cap. When he had shot all 50 rounds, he went out and picked up the pieces of plastic and tossed them into the bin, got his trekking pole and his day pack, iPad, radio, and satphone then hiked up to his meditation spot. When he reached his destination, Don took out his flask, took a swallow then paired the iPad to the phone for internet access. Looking at international news, people were beginning to bitch about another virus that was spreading from China. That was bad Juju. One of these days they would come up with something they couldn’t effectively fight. What was more troubling was terrorists could do the same. They could kill off half the world before we developed an antibody against the virus, assuming we could develop an antibody.
On the other hand, one of the reasons biological attacks are infrequent is the preparation complexity needed to create an actionable weapon. Don guessed they had some time. He hoped the government was getting prepared also, but probably only enough to save the government bureaucrats.
Don sat propped against a rock wall for two hours, then shut the iPad and phone down. Taking another taste of the Redbreast, he packed the flask away and let his thoughts run, wondering what Naomi was doing right now. Sabra growled briefly when a fox came down the upper trail, quickly scampering off the trail into the underbrush.
Naomi was watching the electronics being loaded into the 20’ container and secured with packing material. After the locks were engaged, and custom seals affixed, she watched as the cargo high loader carried the container to the KLM cargo 747 and loaded it into the plane. She kept the plane in sight until it took off. With relief, she wheeled her carry-on bag to the gate and soon boarded the plane that would take her to Curaçao International Airport.
Don returned to the lodge and refilled his flask, placed it back into his day pack, and placed the pack into the hall coat closet. He was working at his computer later in the evening when his phone buzzed with an incoming message. It was from Naomi, a selfie with a sign in the background that read “Curaçao International Airport.”
”What in the hell was she doing there?”
Don walked into the Red Onion Café and took a seat at a booth. The waitress took his Reuben sandwich, fries, and iced tea order and quickly left, Don took his iPad out of his day bag and used the free WI-FI to cruise the news. The waitress came over with his tea and when he took a sip on the straw and winced, she giggled.
“Too Sweet?” She asked.
“It’s ice cold but a lot sweeter than a mother's love.” Don replied, smiling. "I like my tea closer to a mother-in-law’s kiss.”
“Oh! Cold and with only a hint of sweetness. I’ll make you a half and half,” The waitress replied laughing.
Don pulled up his portfolio app and browsed through it. Dividends from his stock portfolio and about three million in US Treasury bonds gave Don an income he would never be able to spend, unless he tried very, very hard. As the bonds matured, he converted them into gold and silver coins. He would soon have a group of bonds maturing in the next two months that would supply a huge cash influx. He needed to arrange with the gold company for his gold coins to be shipped to him. He might as well get a ring now to seal the deal with Naomi if she would have him.
The ring ended up costing him the equivalent of a fully equipped Barrett M107A1, but he thought Naomi was worth it. If things didn’t work out, well, an education was expensive too.
Don stopped at the Mustard Seed Market and bought a selection of fruit and a bag of organic dog biscuits for Sabra.
Gabe grinned as the engine turned and coughed a few times blowing little smoke rings out of the exhaust before catching in an uneven rhythm, slowly evening out and in a few minutes purred at an even pace. Folding up a tarp to make a cushion, Dave took a seat and managed to get the skidder into gear, slowly moving it from the tangle of vines. Slowly, Dave drove the skidder back to the old road, changed the tires, then drove up to Gabe’s Equipment barn, where they loaded the skidder onto Dave’s low-boy trailer.
Naomi boarded the American Airlines flight to Charlotte and requested a bottle of water when she was settled in her 1st class seat. Flying always made her throat dry. Before setting her phone in airplane mode, she sent Dodi Gabriel a message confirming her flight and arrival time. She had reservations at the airport Hampton Inn & Suites and would be picked up the next morning for her flight to Lost Cove, arriving there around 11:00 AM local. She was glad to be getting back. She loved her mother and father, but Lost Cove felt more like home, and she had missed Don a lot.
Don walked into the Tin Trout and the waitress showed him to a table in the corner. He requested a half and half iced tea. He was looking at the menu when two middle-aged ladies walked in, glanced around, and headed for his table. Don stood, greeted them, and pulled out their chairs to seat them.
“As always, the considerate gentleman.” Senator Daniels said.
“Nice wig, Alice!” Don said in sotto voce to Senator Daniels’ head of security.
“Shut up! They better have some decent food here.” Alice said.
The waitress brought over a basket of fried corn fritters with jalapeño cilantro dipping sauce.
Mary and Alice looked over the menu and gave the waitress their orders. Don ordered grilled trout with mashed potatoes and collards.
“So, to what do I owe this visita incognito?” Don asked.
“I want you on my staff in Washington.” Senator Daniels said.
“Not on your life!” Don replied. “The District of Crime? I wouldn’t come closer to that place than Smith Mountain Lake. I hope you didn’t drive two and a half hours just to ask me that! I still think you should turn that island into a seaplane base and fly the good people out on the weekends to get the taste and smell of Washington bullshit out of their systems. The lake air would do them wonders.”
Senator Daniels chuckled. “You’re probably right, but this country is in a mess. Besides, I want to tell you face to face about some things I’m sending you."
“And the voters reap what they sow.” Don said.
“My, you’ve become cynical!” Alice said.
“Hard not to be with the things the way they are.” Don replied.
“I can keep you on speed-dial, can’t I?” Senator Daniels asked.
“Of course. It would be helpful to know when to send flowers after your carjacking, but call me on the satphone. Cell phone coverage is dubious at times hereabouts.” Don said, spreading dip on a fritter.
“Are you getting settled in?” Senator Daniels asked.
“Yep, stocking up and digging trenches. I hope you’re doing the same,” Don replied.
“Yeah, we’re preparing the island. If you need anything, let me know.” The Senator said. Here’s a list of what I’m shipping to you.
Don read down the list.
M193 - 5 cases M855 – 5 cases Tactical 00 Buckshot, 12 gauge - 5 cases Tactical 1oz Slug, 12 gauge - 2 cases .308 MATCH, 175 gr - 2 cases 40mm M - 406 HE grenades - 300 40mm M - 651CS - 460 40mm M -1029 Crowd Control - 460 40mm M - 576 Buckshot - 340 40mm M - 680 White Smoke Canopy - 120 M84 Stun Grenade – 225
Where in the hell did you get this stuff?” Don asked.
“Borrowed from the IRS.” Alice said, smiling. “Do you have grenade launchers?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a couple of H&K M320s.” Don replied.
When Don left the restaurant, he stopped at a roadside stand and bought six gallons of fresh apple juice. It was sold mostly to tourists, but some locals bought it to harden it into cider. Don knew where the airlocks were kept in the kitchen cabinet that screwed into the plastic jugs so he could allow the juice to ferment. He liked a cold glass of cider on the porch in the fall evenings. It gave you a slight buzz without losing your senses.
Naomi worked her way into the queue of passengers disembarking the plane. She got her baggage and made her way through customs. Naomi caught the hotel shuttle to the Hampton Inn and checked in. It felt good to be back in the States. She made a call to contact the pilot and he said he would have someone pick her up at 09:00 in the morning. She then sent text messages to Don and Dodi Gabriel.
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