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Post by gipsy on Mar 21, 2024 10:00:19 GMT -6
Keep up the preps. Thanks for the update.
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Post by rep1270 on Mar 21, 2024 16:04:16 GMT -6
Thank you. Ralph
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Post by sniper69 on Mar 21, 2024 19:15:23 GMT -6
Hope they take Jim up on his offer. Thanks for the chapter, looking forward to reading more.
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Post by iamnobody on Mar 23, 2024 12:33:32 GMT -6
Jim was looking at the stacks of ammo he had against the wall of his basement. His basement was dry but the ammo was in cardboard boxes. He had 14 cases of IMI 5.56 ammo, 5 cases of Winchester #1 buckshot, 2 cases of PPU .308 ammo and 20 cases of 22LR ammo. The people on the prepper forums all talked of storing ammo in military metal ammo cans. They said that on poor seals, they ran a bead of silicone caulking over the old seal, then closing the lid after putting the ammo in. He remembered seeing stacks of assorted size used military ammo cans at the gun / survival store, he would have to get some on his next trip.
The prepper forums talked of having spare parts for commonly used things, including weapons. Online he found a place called Brownells. He ordered another 50 of the 30 round AR15 magazines, several spare parts kits for the weapons he had, also kits containing assorted gun screws and springs. They also had tools needed to do the repairs. Jim also looked at other sites dealing with reloading ammo. He thought about getting into reloading but then decided against it. He would rather buy the loaded ammo.
Saturday he was back at the farm market. Ana and abuela showed up minutes later and helped him set up. It was a busy day because customers knew the market would be done in a few weeks. At the end he was sold out by 1PM and they packed up the empty crates. Then Ana told him they had talked about his offer all the past week. She asked if she could get an advance so they could buy clothes and other things they needed at the local Walmart. Jim told her he could do that but his offer of “room and board” included clothing, etc. Her eyes grew wide in surprise. She told him they could be ready to go home with him now if he was agreeable. Jim reminded them that his place was a very isolated rural area, winter time was snowed in for days at a time and it was a small farm. And he was a private man about things he did. They understood. He said they would stop at Walmart and they could get things they needed and then he had another stop to make.
At Walmart he told them to get what clothes they needed, supplies and foods they wanted, he would pay for it. They both bought several changes of clothes and supplies. They looked at shoes but Jim told them to get them next door at TSC, the footwear was better and he could pick up some animal feed too.
Then he stopped at the gun store. He said they could come along or stay in the truck, their choice. Abuela opted to stay in the truck but Ana went in with him. Jim held the store door open for her which wasn't something she was used to. Inside she stuck close to Jim. The employee saw him and came over to help Jim. He said he wanted some military ammo cans, the clerk leading the way. The clerk showed him the stacks they had, 30 cal cans, 50 cal cans and 40mm cans. The clerk said they were used military surplus and were sold “as is. To Jim they looked okay, inside and out. He asked the price and was told $12 for the 30s, $15 for the 50s and $25 for the 40mm. Jim asked about a volume buy, 50 of the 50 cal cans, 20 of the 30 cal and 10 of the 40mm cans. The clerk said it would be 10% off the price and Jim could pick the ones he wanted. Jim also bought another 4 cases of the IMI 5.56 ammo and 2 more cases of PPU 308 ammo. Ana was staying close to Jim and her eyes were wide in amazement seeing everything inside the store. She followed Jim out and helped him load the purchases into the truck.
It took another 90 minutes to get to Jim's place. Ana and abuela were looking at the scenery passing by the truck windows. The longer he drove, the more rural it became. They were on a dirt road surrounded by forests and few and far in between houses. Then he stopped at a gate, got out and unlocked in, drove the truck through and then re-locked the gate. They traveled a few more miles then came out into an open area. Ana saw a home with acres of field. Stopping, they all got out. Jim opened the house door and led them in. Ana and abuela saw an open area containing a living room and kitchen with a wood stove in the center. It looked like a bedroom and bath located at one end and 2 bedrooms at the other end. Jim told them they could choose which of the other 2 bedrooms they wanted. They also saw a gun rack holding assorted rifles and shotguns along a wall and another wall had shelves with about 30 books on them. Then he took them on a quick outside tour showing them the animals and crops. He helped them take their things inside and let them get settled in. He started working on making supper but abuela saw and quickly came and took over. Jim started unloading his things from the truck and stacked them in the basement.
After supper, he showed them the clothes washer. He told them to use what they wanted. Also their bedrooms had door locks, he would see them in the morning. Jim saw the light of daybreak slowly peeking in his bedroom window. He got up intending to feed the livestock and get breakfast started. Abuela was already in the kitchen and had tea and coffee hot and breakfast started. Ana would go with him to do the chores. He fed the chickens, pigs and fed the cow while he was getting ready to milk her. Ana was looking for the milking stool and pail to start milking but Jim showed her the portable milking machine designed for just a few cows. Ana cleaned the cow's udder and he showed her how to use the milking machine. Then they took the milk inside to be strained and put in the refrigerator. Abuela had a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs ready for them.
The week continued, doing the chores and talking. All 3 of them were getting more comfortable with each. This area was even more remote than where they had lived before but they were liking it. The only man-made noises they heard were an aircraft going overhead. On Friday Jim paid each of them their cash wages and said he was going to the farm market and would be leaving early. Abuela was staying behind to milk and do chores, Ana was going along to help him. Sales were brisk again, there was a slight chill in the air in the morning but warmed up to mid 70Fs by noon. Jim told Ana that he would be getting them winter clothing as soon as TSC put out their winter clothes and boots. He had also read on one of the pawfiction proboards stories about Rothco coats. He wanted to get a coat for each one of them and some Carhartt bibs, gloves and hats.
At the end of the day, they stopped at Walmart again and got some things they wanted. Then on the way to the gun store. Jim and Ana walked around the store, waiting on the clerk to finish up with a customer. They saw cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens made by Lodge. Jim knew from his reading that Lodge was a great brand. He grabbed several skillets in different sizes. He also got several Dutch ovens and tripods to hang them over the fire. In a different area they saw trapping gear. He selected a dozen each of #110 and #220 Conibear, #1 and #1 ½ leg hold traps. He also grabbed a dozen snares. They walked over to the IMI 5.56 ammo and he stacked 5 cases on the cart. The sales clerk was now free and after exchanging pleasantries, he asked Jim if he has considered getting any handguns. He could show Jim some.
Jim said that he had thought some on purchasing a handgun but was unsure whether he wanted a pistol or a revolver. Following the clerk, Jim and Ana went to a display case. The clerk looked at Jim as if sizing him up, then opened up the display case, and pulled out 2 handguns. The one was a pistol, a blued Springfield Armory 1911A1 semi automatic in 45ACP. It had a 5 inch barrel with fixed sights and had a detachable magazine that held 7 rounds. The 2nd was a revolver, a stainless steel Ruger GP100 in 357 Magnum which would also shoot the 38 Special. It had a 6 inch heavy barrel with adjustable sights and held 6 rounds. The cylinder swung out to the side to load and unload it. Jim asked to see the ammo that fit each handgun. The clerk set 1 round a piece of the 2 calibers on the display case top. With Ana looking on, Jim tried each handgun for balance and feel. The clerk said the 1911A1 was $700 and the GP100 was $800. Extra magazines for the 1911A1 were $25 each and they made speed loaders for the GP100 for $15. The clerk smiled and asked which one should he box up for Jim?
Jim looked backed and forth between the 2 handguns, then looked at Ana and then back to the handguns. Jim hefted both again and laid them back down on the display case. The clerk was watching him, waiting for Jim to make up his mind. Then Jim asked what if he took both, 10 extra magazines for the 1911A1 and 10 speed loaders for the GP100? The clerk smiled and said a 10% discount. Jim ended up buying 2 cases of ammo for each one. He went with Hornady 45ACP 230 grain jacketed hollow point XTP ammo for the 1911A1 and Hornady 357 Magnum 158 grain jacketed hollow point XTP ammo for the GP100. Jim paid the bill for his purchases and the clerk helped load the truck.
Starting the truck, Jim looked at Ana and asked her if she was having 2nd thoughts about accepting his job offer. She said no, its just she has only seen an odd rifle back home as she grew up. It was mostly single shot shotguns. Jim told her that if they wanted, he would teach both her and abuela how to shoot guns. With a surprised look, she said they would like that. He told her he would start soon on their lessons.
Back home, Jim found that abuela had already milked the cow and had the milk cooling. She also had supper ready, she had made some flatbread and the fixings to make burritos. Jim found it tasty and there was a peach cobbler for dessert. After the meal, Ana tended the chickens and pigs while he unloaded the truck. In the morning after tending to chores, with Ana's help he started putting all his ammo into the used military surplus ammo cans. The seals looked okay but he went ahead and put a bead of silicone caulk on each seal before closing the lids. For long term storage, he had read that it was recommended not to stack the cans over 3 high due to the bottom can seals being compressed and not being air tight over years of storage. Jim personally couldn't vouch for the accuracy of that but he figured better safe than sorry. He had put some wood pallets down to put the ammo cans on so they weren't setting directly on the cement floor of his basement. He had read that ammo cans setting directly on the cement would cause moisture buildup in the cans. When done, he stood back and looked. He had a good start on ammo. The large 40mm cans he would use for storage of spare parts, etc.
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Post by gipsy on Mar 23, 2024 13:14:48 GMT -6
Cool update
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Post by feralferret on Mar 23, 2024 14:55:57 GMT -6
Iamnobody, thanks!
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Post by rep1270 on Mar 24, 2024 7:29:40 GMT -6
Thank you. Ralph
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Post by iamnobody on Mar 24, 2024 14:16:51 GMT -6
Jim and Ana had the truck loaded for the farm market. They had a skimpy selection because the harvest season was winding down. Once they were set up sales were still brisk. The market owners came around and told Jim that there would only be 1 more market and then they would close til next year. He knew he had enough produce to add to the food he had to get all 3 of them through the winter. To be safe though, they stopped at Walmart on the way home. They both grabbed a shopping cart and headed for the food aisles. He bought full 12 can cases of assorted foods. Ana made a few suggestions of food to buy which he agreed to. He made a stop at the gun store. He didn't pick up much this time but the sales clerk was still polite and helped him.
After the end of the seasonal farm market, Jim, Ana and abuela were mostly staying home, only making a trip to the city every 3 weeks or so. He was running any extra produce through his freeze dryer. Ana and abuela were amazed at the process. Jim had the neighbor butcher the 3 pigs and start preserving the hams and bacon. The ones done last year tasted great.
With Thanksgiving now almost upon them, Li accepted Jim's offer to come out for a visit. Li made it with a borrowed truck he had. Jim had told him he had the 2 women in his employ but Li was still amazed that Jim had any women at his place. Jim assured him there was no romantic anything going on, just work. After supper, they all sat around and listened to Li talk about the goings on in the big city. Li told them that Jim's ex wife and the preacher, the “priest and priestess” of their Church of the Enlightened Ones had run all the people out of the church that wouldn't bow to and acknowledge Lucifer and Gaia as gods. The big city was also converting to the new religion and the mayor had a temple room made for it in the City Hall. People in the city that refused to convert to the new religion were being forced out of their jobs and being “socially canceled” until they saw the error of their ways and came to the true god. Li said that he had been spit on, things thrown at him and almost physically attacked several times. Jim and the 2 women shook their heads in disgust at what was going on in the big city. Li spent several days at Jim's place and then headed back. Jim had again offered him a place to live but Li refused.
Jim had been teaching Ana and abuela about guns. He had taught them the gun safety rules and then started them on the bolt action 22LR. They were fast learners and were quickly putting all their shots into a 3 shot cloverleaf pattern at 25 yards. Jim moved them up to learning the AR15 after what Li had told them about news from the big city. They grasped the principles of it but it was heavier than the 22LR and the combination of the weight and full size stock was too much for them. The trigger pull length was too long for them. Ana was only 5ft 1in tall and abuela was barely 4ft 10in tall. Jim looked online and ordered 3 collapsible AR15 stocks that he could put on 2 of the AR15s he had and then have the 3rd stock as a spare. The stocks should arrive at the city delivery company in a few days.
On the following Friday he got a text notification that his stocks had arrived. He told Ana and abuela that he was making a trip to the city tomorrow and he wanted them to come along. They would pick up the package, go to the stores for supplies, TSC for winter clothing and stop at the gun store. Saturday morning when they got up, with all 3 of them helping, chores and breakfast were quickly done and they got on the road.
At the package company he picked up the package of stocks. Also they had just got the Rothco arctic coats he had ordered for all 3 of them. He drove over to TSC and they went inside. He had them try on winter bibs and select hats and gloves. He bought 2 sets of bibs for everyone, including himself. 6 hats and a dozen gloves for everyone and 2 pairs each of winter boats. They stopped at Walmart and picked up food and other needs.
He swung by the gun store as their last stop. Inside, the clerk saw them and waved. Jim told him he wanted to see some rifles for smaller people. The clerk said he had just the thing for him. He showed Jim a bolt action Savage Axis XP Compact in 243 caliber. Jim motioned for Ana to pick it up and try the fit. She said it fit a lot better than the full size rifle of Jim's. He also had abuela try it and she said the same. The clerk said the rifle was $470. Jim told him he wanted 2 of them and Tasco 3-9x 40mm scopes mounted on them for Ana and abuela's eye relief. Then asked about ammo for them. The clerk showed him PPU 100 grain hunting ammo for it. Jim was familiar with the brand from his 308 ammo and liked it. When they left the store, Jim had bought the 2 rifles and scopes, 4 cases of PPU 243 ammo, 2 cases of PPU 308 ammo, 2 cases of Hornady 45ACP ammo, 2 cases of Hornady 357 Magnum ammo, 2 more cases each of the 22LR ammo he used and 10 cases of IMI 5.56 ammo. The clerk was mighty happy with the commission from his sale.
Following youtube videos online, Jim was able to replace the full size stocks on 2 of his AR15s with the collapsible stocks. They fit the women a lot better and they would still have the 20 inch barrels to give better bullet performance. Soon Ana and abuela were consistently hitting a 2 inch bullseye at 100 yards. They were very happy.
Ana was watching videos and reading the online prepper forums along with Jim. She was commenting on and making suggestions to Jim on bettering the farm and his preparations. They found Lehman's non electrical site in Ohio and Jim ordered some things from them including manual grain grinders and extra burrs. Ana suggested a greenhouse would help extend the growing season for him and could produce crops earlier and later for sale at the farm market. Those crops would bring premium prices and would also help him with his food needs. They looked at Grower's Supply site and Jim ordered 2 of their greenhouses that used clear twin wall polycarbonate panels. Jim had to do some quick talking, but the company final agreed to deliver to his place and set them up – for a hefty extra fee.
The weather was still fairly warm and the greenhouses were quickly erected by the company's workers. Jim was impressed and the women were oohing and aahing over them and talking about what could be planted in there. Ana found a seed company called True Leaf Market Seed Company. They sold many vegetable seeds by the packet up to 25 pound bags for green bean seed. So all three of them were making up a list of seeds to order and Jim placed the order. He also found Dixondale Farms for onions. He placed an order for assorted onion plants for spring delivery as onions were a good seller. At Ana and abuela's suggestion, he ordered apple and plum trees, along with assorted berry bushes and grape plants. He placed an order with Irish Eyes for seed potatoes.
Ana asked Jim if he had thought about herbs for medicine. She told him that back where they come from, doctors were not available in the rural areas. So people grew herbs or collected wild herbs for medical needs. Jim found a place online called Mountain Rose Herbs from Oregon. They sold dried herbs in packet size to herbs by the pound. Jim found a place in Canada called Richters Herbs that sold herb seeds and started plants. Looking at what each herb was for, a list was made up for ordering dried herbs to have ready and for seeds and plants to grow their own herbs.
Jim was reading the prepper forums and realized he had no means to get news if the internet went done. He already had come to realize that TV news was all fake and government propaganda including the famous TOX News that claimed to be so conservative. When a person looked behind the scenes, TOX was owned by a very liberal and pedophile pushing company. Jim had read in the stories about having shortwave receivers to listen in on HAMs and other stations throughout the world. He ended up ordering several shortwave receivers from Amazon. He would store the extra ones in a 40mm ammo can that would convert into an Faraday cage for EMP. He also ordered some FRS handheld radios for use around the farm.
The winter wasn't too bad. There were several snows of 10-16 inches but no bitter cold. Jim had bought a snowplow for his truck and had tire chains for on it. He had a load of fine gravel in the truck bed which helped for traction. He would keep the road clear out to where the government plowed the roads. With fewer chores to do, he spent more time reading and studying the bible. Ana and abuela were also reading the bible too. By early March they started planting seeds to start the crops. The greenhouse was in use with early greens.
With springtime here, Ana pointed out that if he wanted a self sufficient farm, he needed roosters to enable baby chicks to hatch out. She suggested that he raise more pigs this year to not only preserve but to sell. She said the hams and bacon of his she had ate, tasted wonderful and she was sure other people would buy them. Jim talked with his neighbor that raised the feeder pigs and bought 12 of them. He also got 2 roosters for his flock of egg laying hens. Jim and Ana were sitting on the porch one evening looking out over his farm. He could see his farm getting better and he blessed the LORD's name for providing all of this bounty.
The farm market started and with the greenhouses providing early crops, they sold at premium prices. At home, the freeze dryers were running every day. He ordered more mylar storage bags and oxygen absorbents several times. Ana helped him at the market while abuela stayed home. She wanted it that way because of her age. At a stop at Walmart, he noticed a small shop he hadn't noticed before. It was a coin shop. Jim and Ana went in to look around. The bell had tinkled when they entered and they saw an older man come out of the back room. He greeted them and asked how he could help them. Jim was looking around at coins displayed in glass showcases. Then he saw some silver and gold bullion coins on a bottom shelf. Jim asked the store dealer about the silver bullion and if he could look at them.
The dealer pulled a silver one out and laid it on a cloth on the glass top. He told Jim that it was 1 troy ounce of .999% pure silver round made by well known silver mining companies. It had serrated edges to prevent people from shaving silver off the edges. The dealer said they sold at “silver spot price” per ounce plus a premium of 10%. He said it was cheaper than collector coins which were very expensive. He told Jim that he also had pre-1964 silver dimes and quarters, also known as “junk silver.” He could sell the “junk silver” by the piece or by $1,000 face value bags. “Junk silver” had a lower premium than the silver rounds.
Jim asked what a round would cost right now. The dealer told him the current silver spot price was $20 plus 10% premium would make it $22 each. Jim thought a minute then asked what if he bought more, could he get a discount. The dealer said if he bought 50 at a time, it would be 9% premium and 100 would only be a 8% premium. He asked about a bag of the junk silver. The dealer said a $1,000 face value of junk silver, whether dimes or quarters had 715 ounces of silver. So 715 times $20 spot price = $14,300 plus a 7% premium = $15,301. Looking at the dealer Jim asked if he could handle selling a bag each of the dimes and quarters plus 500 of the silver rounds. The dealer was startled, than composed himself and said that he could. He wasn't expecting that large of a request from this “working class” man. Jim pulled out his card and paid for it. Ana backed the truck into the front of the shop and the silver was loaded in and then covered with produce crates.
Driving down the road, Ana asked him if he was worried about being robbed. Jim told her that the older looks of his truck and being under the produce crates would help him and then he opened his shirt to reveal the Springfield Armory 1911A1 in the waistband of his pants. He told her that is what every well dressed man had nowadays. He made a very quick stop at the gun store, having phoned his order ahead. The store clerk was waiting for his arrival and quickly wheeled the cart out. It carried another 10 cases of the IMI 5.56, 5 cases of PPU 308, and 4 cases of PPU 243. The clerk used a portable card reader and Jim was on his way without leaving the side of his truck.
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Post by kansasterri on Mar 24, 2024 16:39:41 GMT -6
Nice chapter! And, I liked the way you so-casually name dropped some reliable places to do business with. I have used most of the firms that you mentioned and they are pretty good.
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Post by gipsy on Mar 24, 2024 17:15:07 GMT -6
Thanks for the fine update.
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Post by ydderf on Mar 25, 2024 16:00:41 GMT -6
Nice update thanks
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Post by iamnobody on Mar 26, 2024 7:47:27 GMT -6
Jim was looking at what preps he had gathered up. Of the $17,000,000 he had gotten from his settlement against the police, he had well over $16,000,000 of that left. By now he had 5 years of food for him, Ana and abuela. He had 50,000 rounds of IMI 5.56, 5,000 rounds of PPU ammo for his 308 and their 243. He had buckshot for his shotguns, 1,000's of 22LR ammo, 2,000 rounds for each of his handguns. He had greenhouses and fields producing food. Ana had reminded him, he needed more how-to books for education so he bought about 1,000 books from Amazon. The house walls were lined with book shelves filled with books on numerous topics. He had years worth of clothing for him, Ana and abuela. They started as his employees but he considered them more now. He depended on their input on his plans.
Abuela made a suggestion to Jim. She said that when she was a teenager, her family had made outlying places to store food and things in cases of having to leave their home quickly due to banditos or government soldiers. How does the saying go? Don't put all your eggs in the same basket? Could he make some places scattered around his property where he could store things in case something happened to his main storage? Jim thought a minute and then said that he could build some places 6ft by 6ft to store things. He could rent or buy a backhoe and cement mixer.
And so another project completed by the beginning of summer. He rented the equipment and it was hard work but he now had 4 buried places around his place, 1 on each side of his property. He had dug the holes, mixed up and poured concrete floors, then cement block walls and concrete ceilings. Each were 6ftx6ft and were blended into the forest floor. It was impossible to see them unless you knew exactly where to look. Each one had enough food, clothes, medical and ammo to last them at least a month.
He had still set up at the farm market each week with Ana's help. Each week on the way home, they stopped at Walmart, TSC, the coin shop and the gun store. He had gotten closer to some of his neighbors. And they needed help. As he found out needs, he helped them. A box of food here, some clothes there, a box of hunting ammo, some cash to help on overdue bills. A lot of the neighbors, their grown children had split for the city when they turned 18, to get away from the “hick life” of their parents.
On a hot summer day it had started heavy raining from a chem-trail filled sky. Abuela had ran out into the field to bring the cow in, over Jim's objection. By nightfall, she started wheezing and had a hard time breathing. One minute she was running a fever and the next minute was shivering from cold. Jim bundled her into the truck along with Ana and headed the long drive to the city. Jim was going as fast as he dared in the heavy rain and the darkness. The emergency room doctor finally examined her and ran some tests. 2 hours later he got back with the results. He said it was multiple respiratory infections and would prescribe antibiotics for her. To take her home, give her the medicine every 2 hours and make her comfortable. He paid the hospital bill and they left. It was daylight now, Jim stopped at a pharmacy to get the medicine and Ana gave her the 1st dose of medicine while they traveled.
At home they got abuela tucked into bed and as comfortable as possible. They had her upper body propped up so she could breath easier. Jim did the chores and cooking while Ana tended her abuela nonstop. She had a chair right next to the bed. Abuela asked her to read from the bible to her and Jim was praying. Jim fell asleep sitting up on the couch in the living room. Sometime during the night he was awakened by a scream and sobbing. He ran into the bedroom and saw Ana hunched over abuela in the bed. He walked up to her and carefully checked for a pulse on abuela, there was none. He stood there with his hand on Ana's shoulder. She got up and buried her head against Jim's chest as her sobs shook her body. He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a long time til her sobs slowed down. Then he took her out and sat her on the couch. He quickly made her a cup of tea to help settle her, then sat down next to her. She slowly sipped the tea and then said that her abuela had been holding her hand, then squeezed her hand and then was gone. Jim took Ana's hand in his and told her that they would bury her out at the edge of the forest where she liked to spend time watching the birds. Ana had tears running down her cheeks as she said “thank you.” She rested her head against his chest while he held her. They were both awakened with the sunlight streaming in the window.
Ana would tend to getting abuela's body ready for burial while he tended the livestock and then dug a grave for her. They lowered her body into the ground, Jim read some bible verses over her and then filled the dirt back in. He promised to make a marker in the next few days. Inside, Ana went to her bedroom to rest and Jim got on the forums and youtube videos. He found a lot of talk about the things in the chemtrails and the harm it could do. He was firmly convinced that her trip out in the chemtrail laced rain is what killed her. Later Ana came out of her room and started some food cooking. Jim tried taking over the cooking but she said she had to do something to occupy her thoughts. As they were eating, she looked at him and asked “it was the chemtrail rain that killed her?” Jim nodded yes. That evening she sat next to him on the couch and asked him to hold her again. He did again, feeling her tears soaking his shirt. He held her throughout the night and covered them with a blanket that was on the back of the couch.
Ana woke up in the morning to find Jim's arms still wrapped around her and him looking down at her. She straightened up and told him that she would leave as soon as she could pack her things, so he would be free to find other employees since abuela was dead. He blinked in surprise and asked her what she was thinking about, he had no intentions of kicking her out. He wanted her to stay if she wanted to remain here. He told her he was going out to do chores. Shortly she joined him, it was now just him and her.
3 weeks after abuela died, the US declared a mandate that private gardens were now outlawed and illegal. Only government authorized and licensed commercial farms would be allowed. And there would be no eating of meat. That was all harmful to the goddess Gaia and had to be stopped. That ended Jim's selling at the farm market, it was permanently closed. People said that “this is America, that will never happen here.” “They” would never do that. “They” wouldn't let that happen. The government would never have enough police and soldiers to enforce that. Turns out that it was family, friends, coworkers and neighbors who enforced it by turning people in because the government told them it was the right thing to do. Back in the Appalachia, it was fairly safe except for when the liberated, woke children came home to visit and then turned their parents in for not obeying the government. Government enforcement squads would show up to destroy the private gardens and to arrest the parents. Often gunfire broke out with deaths on both sides.
Jim's parents tried contacting him via phone, leaving messages and sending emails. They wanted to know if he still lived in that rural place, what the exact GPS coordinates for it were and if he was still doing that gardening he had told them about. Jim showed Ana the emails and left her hear the voice messages. She said they sounded very desperate to find where he was. He agreed, saying they were very liberal. He finally emailed them back and told them that he had sold that icky place last year and had moved back to the city and wouldn't have anything to do with a garden now, they were illegal. It worked, they quit trying to get ahold of him.
One of the government enforcement squads attacked a neighbor of his. A phone call had been made and the Appalachia grapevine took over. Jim geared up with his AR15, vest, a small medical kit and water. He told Ana he had to go help fight against the tyranny. Ana grabbed her AR15 and said she was coming along. He wasn't going into danger alone, she would be at his side. He looked at her, then said “let's go.” They were the 1st ones to arrive. The goon squad was made up of 4 men, all of them acting brash and demanding the “hicks” to come out and be arrested. Jim and Ana settled in behind 2 large oak trees for cover. He yelled out for the goon squad to lay down their guns and back away from them. Of course the idiots weren't going to listen to any hicks telling them what to do. They turned and started shooting wildly into the woods, most of their shots coming nowhere close to Jim and Ana. The husband and wife inside the home took that chance to shoot at the exposed goon squad, killing 1 of them. Jim and Ana also both shot, catching the goons in a crossfire. Jim's shot killed another one of them and Ana's shot only wounded the man cause he had moved at the last second. By then other neighbors had arrived and the last goon was quickly killed.
Everyone called out that they were coming in, don't shoot and a search was quickly conducted to make sure there were no more goons. All was clear and the wounded goon was questioned. All he kept repeating was the hicks had defied Lucifer and his wife Gaia and they would have to pay for their sins. Finally a neighbor got tired of hearing the nonsense and put a round of buckshot into the goon's head, exploding pink and gray mist. Everyone pitched in and cleaned up the area. The bodies loaded in a truck and would be disposed of in a handy ravine miles away. Gear was kept from the goons. There were 4 M4 rifles with the selector switch on the side for automatic fire and two 9mm pistols. They found 12 magazines for the M4s and 4 magazines for the pistols. They would be divided up among needy families. A search of the goons truck turned up little more except for a bunch of empty beer cans, 2 full cans and a bunch of empty fast food wrappers. The husband and wife thanked Jim and Ana for coming. Jim said that is what neighbors did. The husband said “welcome neighbor.”
Back home, the adrenaline wore off and both Jim and Ana got the shakes. They had been in their 1st deadly firefight, had killed and could have been killed. Sitting side by side on the couch, he told her that this is the new normal. He told her he was sorry for dragging her into this trouble, she could have been hurt. Ana said that she belonged at his side, to help him in everything. Sitting there they both realized they were holding hands.
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Post by gipsy on Mar 26, 2024 9:47:07 GMT -6
A partner in the coming troubles is a good thing.
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Post by rep1270 on Mar 27, 2024 5:52:19 GMT -6
THANK YOU. Ralph
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Post by iamnobody on Mar 31, 2024 12:42:02 GMT -6
They smiled at each other and slowly released their hands. Jim told her this insanity had reached their area now, what more did they need to do and more importantly, what could they do now. Before the mandate against private gardens and meat was put in place, he had filled the two 500 gallon gas tanks he had for farm use and had them treated with Pri-G gas treatment so the gas stayed useful for several years. His tractor and truck ran on gas but he didn't think he would be driving the truck anywhere much any more. He had 2 propane cooking stoves on his enclosed porch for cooking and canning, that way the heat wasn't inside the home during the summer months. Also his hot water heater was also propane fueled. When he built his home, he had 4 of the 1,000 gallon propane tanks buried in his yard. He bought the tanks so he owned them instead of renting. He went with 2 different companies, each one selling him 2 big tanks and burying them underground. There were 2 tanks on opposite sides of the house. He had just topped all of them off in the spring. He also had a 100 gallon tank of clear kerosene for use in the lamps he had bought from Lehman's.
He had a Stihl chainsaw along with gear and spare parts for cutting wood for his cooking / heating wood stoves. He also had axes, splitting mauls and one man cross cut saws. He had used them some, removing dead or diseased trees on his property but had bought most of his wood delivered and already split. That way he was saving the wood around him for when needed. He had enough wood in the woodsheds to last 3 years. What more did they need. Jim didn't think they would be able to leave the farm or it could be attacked and burned while they were away. He told Ana that they were basically “stuck” on the farm. She said that wasn't such a bad thing.
Jim wondered how long his electricity would stay on. In his opinion, it was only a matter of time before TPTB would cut off his electricity when he didn't “toe the line” of obeying the government. All that had to be done was someone making a keystroke in the computer a 1,000 miles away and your power was shut off. No more having to physically come out to shut the electricity off. He had bought several 550 watt solar panels, power inverter, controllers and cables from Missouri Wind and Solar. All he had wanted was enough solar power to charge batteries to run his shortwave receivers and his handheld FSR radios.
His pond had filled and he had stocked it with catfish fingerlings. He would be able start limited harvests of them in another 3 years. The pond had been designed so the catfish would be able to breed. So he should have fish for many years. His vegetable seeds were open pollinated and he would be able to save seeds to keep his crops going. It would be more work but it would need done to live. He had a water well pump already on the well casing. It was installed when the well was drilled. There was also spare parts to rebuilt the pump several times.
And they would need to be armed at all times, outside or inside. Minimum of a handgun but preferably a AR15 and vest with extra magazines. Ana said that he had everything she could think of. It was in God's hands. The shortwave radio revealed that the attacks were all over the country but the goon squads were running into serious opposition once they were out away from the city and suburbs. The country people still believed in the one true God and refused to bow a knee to Lucifer and Gaia.
Jim and Ana continued to run the farm, tending to the many chores. They got up at dawn and went to bed in the evening. There was none of that staying up to 3AM watching TV or partying, then sleeping in til noon. God extended his hand of blessing over Jim and the farm was flourishing. The crops were producing bumper harvests which Jim and Ana freeze dried since the electricity was still on. He could pay that online with his card. The chickens were producing the eggs and some were being hatched out. Any extra roosters went into the stock pot. The 12 pigs were growing wonderfully but he had no market for the extra now. Jim and Ana were growing closer as a couple, they were still not sharing a bedroom. Jim told her he would wait til marriage but he wanted to get to know her better before asking her.
They were sitting on the porch one evening when Jim saw a dog in the yard. It was about 20 inches tall and he could see it was skinny and he could see its ribs showing through the skin. It looked to be a Heinz 57 breed of dog, a little of this and some of that. It started limping towards them, favoring its rear paw. Both Jim and Ana were now standing as the dog stopped at the base of the porch steps. Jim walked carefully down the porch steps, keeping an eye on the dog for any aggressive behavior. The dog just stood there, favoring its hind paw by holding it in the air.
Slowly Jim extended his left hand to let the dog sniff it. The dog sniffed it, then promptly licked his hand and wagged its tail. He scratched the dog behind its ears all the while talking to it. He asked Ana to find it some food. She quickly brought out some of their leftover supper, the dog quickly ate it. Kneeling down, talking to the dog, running his hands along the dog's body til they reached the dog's leg. Jim slowly lifted the paw higher and could see a wound on the pads of its foot. It looked like the dog had been chewing on it. Then he could see an embedded thorn in the pad that the dog must have been chewing at to get it out. Ana brought Jim the medical kit and set it open near Jim's hand. She knelt down next to the dog, petting it and talking to keep the dog soothed. Using the magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers, he was able to remove the thorn while Ana was holding the leg up. Then he cleaned and disinfected the wound, finishing with a makeshift bandage. Jim knew his work wouldn't qualify him for a doctor position but it should be good enough for this. The dog gave them both a big ole wet, sloppy doggie kiss, then limped up on the porch and laid down.. Jim chuckled and said “go ahead and make yourself at home.”
Weeks later the dog was still with them. Its paw had healed and it was following them everywhere. They named it Ralph since it was a male dog. The dog was helping with the livestock, several times alerting them to coyotes after dark. Once even chasing after a bear til Jim had been able to get outside. With fall coming on, the garden crops were coming to an end. Potatoes would need dug and corn, both field and sweet, would need harvested as it was dry on the stalks. With the potatoes, he used the tractor with the potato plow and rolled the potatoes out to pick up. He did part of rows at a time so that they could keep up with processing the harvest. Most would be freeze dried but some would be put in the root cellar he had. The same with the carrots and turnips he had planted.
When he had planted them earlier in the year, a lot of the harvest would have been sold at the farm market. Now it was all his and the freeze dryers were running 24/7 to preserve as much as they could. There was some trading with neighbors that walked over. Some he gave to the ones that needed food and had nothing to trade for it. He would do as commanded in the bible to provide for the poor that couldn't afford to pay. Harvesting the dried corn was hot sweaty work. They had to pull down and twist the ear of corn, then throw it into the wagon behind the tractor. He would drive the tractor and wagon to the corn crib and throw the corn ears in. But it needed done if they wanted food for the livestock and to grind for making their cornbread or tortillas. He loved the tortillas that Ana made.
It had been mostly quiet in their area since the attack on the neighbors. Occasionally the dog had alerted them to a low flying drone passing overhead, which enforced Jim's stance on always being armed. When any neighbor stopped in for produce, he reminded them to stay vigilant too. Jim was regularly talking with Li, who was telling him what was going on in the city. The Church of the Enlightened Ones was spreading fast. There was at least one of the churches in every decent sized town, corporate head offices were installing small temples to Lucifer and Gaia in their office buildings, most State governments had embraced the cult religion and the US government was fully onboard with it. Sin was running rampant, families were being tore apart because the new religion forbid family units. Jim reminded Li that he was always welcomed to come out to the farm.
At the end of October around 9AM the dog alerted and started barking and growling towards the forest. Jim thought maybe it was a bear or maybe a rare mountain lion. But then he caught sight of several people in uniform with guns moving through the woods.
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Post by gipsy on Mar 31, 2024 13:25:43 GMT -6
Time for "SSS"
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Post by cashless1 on Mar 31, 2024 14:45:46 GMT -6
like what gipsy said, plus waiting for MOAR
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Post by ydderf on Mar 31, 2024 18:16:45 GMT -6
aaahhhhh a cliff. Thanks for the new work iamnobody
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Post by feralferret on Apr 1, 2024 20:58:56 GMT -6
Thank you!
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Post by iamnobody on Apr 2, 2024 8:05:29 GMT -6
He backed up to his house, calling the dog with him. Then inside the house, warning Ana of what was happening. As he was watching, Ana was on the phone making a call to the neighbors in warning. Ana put on her vest and picked up her AR15 leaning against the kitchen table. They both double checked their rifles, insuring a round was in the chamber and feeling their vests for a full load out of magazines. While Jim was watching out the windows, Ana was bringing up several more ammo cans filled with loaded magazines from the basement. She crouched next to him near the window, saying they were as ready as they could be. Jim gave her a toe tingling kiss on her lips and told her he always wanted her at his side. She gripped his hand tightly.
The attack didn't come directly against them at first. They both heard “whoomps” and then the chicken coop and the pig pen exploded from grenades that had been shot into them. A lot of the chickens were outside free ranging in the fields but the pigs were confined in their pens. They heard the loud squealing of injured pigs. Then they felt the impact of bullets striking the walls of his house. He had the house built with safety measures added in the walls that would stop bullets up to 50 caliber. It had cost a lot to have that done but right this instant he was glad he had done it. They saw about a dozen goons come out of the woods 200 yards away and start running towards the house. Jim was at one window and Ana had went to another window. They opened fire, each seeing a man go down. The other 10 goons went to ground, shooting from there.
It was hardier to see them on the ground but the 1-3x scopes on their AR15s allowed them an advantage. The goon squad seemed to be just pointing and spraying the house with automatic rifle fire but Jim and Ana were firing single aimed rounds. Another goon flopped lifeless as a round took him in the head. They jumped up intending to rush forward but more rounds chewed into them, wounding 3 of them. One goon shot 2 rounds of grenade into the fish pond, another went into the open door of the barn. Then the goon started shooting full automatic at the cattle in the field. The milk cow and 2 beef cattle started bellowing, adding their noise to the pigs and the squawking of the chickens. Inside the house the dog was howling nonstop from the noise of rifles being fired so close.
The goons had went to ground again. One raised his head, Jim had it in the scope but before he could shoot, the head exploded. A gunshot had come from the wooded hillside. Ana shot another goon as he half raised himself off the ground, looking at where the sound had come from in the forest. Some of the goons shimmed around to face where the bullet had come from and started shooting towards it. With the lay of the land, Jim and Ana had a better view of the goons facing the forest. They each shot, seeing another goon go lifeless. Then more shooting from different areas of the forest as neighbors reached the area. Ana had to change out her empty magazine and slapped a new one in place and kept shooting. Then Jim had to do it too.
Shortly after that, there was no more shooting coming from the goons. Jim called out to cease fire. Then he and 2 other neighbors started slowly moving in on the goons with their rifles ready. As they got nearer, they could hear sounds of moaning. Out of the 12 man goon squad, 9 were dead and 3 were seriously wounded. They didn't look good and Jim doubted they would live much longer. He was right, as shortly he heard gurgling sounds and saw them go limp. Some neighbors were searching the woods for other goons and others were searching through the bodies. No sign of more enemy was found. The goon body search yielded 11 good M4 rifles, the 12th one was damaged but would be used for spare parts. Two grenade launchers were found and 3 pistols. There were several dozen loaded magazines plus many more empty ones laying on the ground. There were 5 grenades left. And on each goon there were 2 tattoos, the back of the right hand had a goats head representing Lucifer and the left hand had one for Gaia.
Jim and Ana were making a tour of their farm. Ana had got the dog settled down after the firefight and it was now walking with them. They first went to the pigpen to look at the damage. 5 of the pigs were dead, shredded would be a better description from the grenades. 3 more were withering on the ground. Jim called out a warning, then shot the 3 in the head, killing them and putting them out of their suffering. They moved on to the cattle. The milk cow had a large grazing wound across her chest, seeping blood. One beef steer was okay but the other had a bullet wound in its hind leg. To Jim it looked like a through and through wound but time would tell. The chicken coop was a disaster with 6 chickens laying dead and the nesting boxes gone. Walking to the pond, they saw dead floating catfish covering the top of the pond. Jim was unsure if there were any surviving catfish. They would have to scoop the dead ones off and wait to see if any more were living.
The neighbors helped clean things up. Jim told them to keep and use any of the livestock meat that was useful to them, there was no way Jim could preserve all that meat before it would go bad in these temperatures. And to keep the weapons and gear off the goons. Inside the home there was shattered glass from bullets hitting them. He would have to cover them with boards. It was late into the night when everyone had left. The goon bodies had been hauled off, the livestock meat butchered and carted off and the windows boarded up. At bedtime Jim said his prayers, thanking God for sparing them from harm. Jim looked at Ana and told her that he was thankful she was unharmed and for being there by his side.
Ana asked him what he was going to do now that his farm was destroyed. He said the farm was not destroyed, just damaged. It was like the story of Job in the bible, how Satan was allowed to hurt Job and take a lot of things from him but then God restored double what he had before. He said there was no guarantee that his blessings would be doubled but both he and her were alive with no injuries and that was a blessing right there. Jim told Ana that there was a lot of work to do to get the farm back into shape, would she work at his side as his wife to do it. She gasped, then asked how that would be possible since they would not not be able to go to the government and get a marriage license with the evil the government was doing. Jim spend several hours showing her in the bible and explaining how God does not require a license to get married. That a marriage license is a fairly recent thing. That for many 1,000s of years, a couple declared their intentions to be husband and wife, then made a vow to God to be so. Hopefully they could get a few neighbors to stand in as witnesses.
Then they had a serious discussion about their pasts. Ana said she had never been married but she had been with 2 men. Jim said the only woman he had been with was his ex wife. He asked if she ever had any children – no. He asked about STDs, saying that his ex had given him an STD but he had it treated and cured, and there has been no sex since then. Ana said she had no STD to her knowledge, never had seen any sign of it. Jim told her there was no way they could get STD tests done at a hospital now, he would accept her word to having no STDs. He asked if she wanted to get married tomorrow. Ana said she would love that, then blushing in embarrassment said it would be better to wait a few days as she was having her monthly cycle. Jim leaned in and tenderly kissed her lips, saying she was worth the wait.
A week later Jim and Ana were ready. Several neighbors had volunteered to witness their marriage. They announced their intent to be husband and wife, then vowed to God to be husband and wife. The marriage was entered in Jim's bible and they were now married in the eyes of God. The neighbors had left, the chores were done and they retired to their bedroom where they didn't get a lot of sleep that night.
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Post by gipsy on Apr 2, 2024 9:49:46 GMT -6
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Post by ydderf on Apr 2, 2024 20:27:05 GMT -6
Thank you
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Post by rep1270 on Apr 3, 2024 11:54:25 GMT -6
Thank You for the great story. Ralph
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Post by iamnobody on Apr 5, 2024 11:42:48 GMT -6
Over the next 2 weeks they spent every day cleaning up the farm from all the damage from the attack. They rigged up makeshift screens to clean the dead fish out of the pond. They spread the dead fish on the fields and Jim plowed them under to act as fertilizer. They saw a few live fish swimming around, so they had hope that in a few years they would again have a viable fish population. They fixed the pigpen for the remaining 3 pigs. The cattle were healing with no sign of infection. He put some Plexiglas over the broken windows from bullets. Jim was thankful that neither he nor Ana had been injured in the attack. And now she was his wife.
3 weeks after their marriage, Jim woke up. He let Ana use the bathroom first, so needing to empty his bladder he stepped outside to “water the bush.” Rifle slung over his shoulder, he stepped over to a bush. He noticed a discharge from his private parts, then when he urinated it felt like a piece of sandpaper being pulled through his private part, the pain was so bad. Going back inside he got on the internet. He thought he knew what his problem was but was verifying. Yep, it looks like he had an STD. He ate the breakfast that Ana had made for them. They both cleaned up the dirty dishes, then Jim said they needed to talk. Sitting on the couch with her next to him, he turned to look at her and said that he has an STD, he noticed it this morning when he was watering the bushes.
Her face turned white as she asked how, she hadn't been with anyone in years. Jim assured her he was not mad at her or blaming her. He knew from his reading that it is possible to have a STD and not be aware of it and no symptoms being seen. He held her in his arms as she cried, then she asked how they were going to cure it. Jim told her that he had checked online and found a small family doctor in a small town closer than the city. They would make the trip, get treated and back home. Holding her hand as encouragement, he called the doctor and got an appointment for early next morning, he told the doctor it would be cash payment.
Very early the next morning, they were ready for the trip. Jim estimated it would take 30 minutes for the 15 mile trip. They each were wearing handguns under a shirt and had AR15s with a full vest load out. The rifles would stay in the locked truck while they were inside the doctor's office. Each of them had a key for the truck, so either one could get into it if needed. The trip was uneventful with them watching for any trouble. Inside the office, it was an older man as the doctor and his wife was the nurse.
Jim told them they had recently married and neither knew they had a STD. Jim described his symptoms and the doctor said they would both need examined. The doctor would examine Jim and his nurse would check Ana. Jim said to do them one at a time so they could keep an eye on their truck and belongings. Yep, they had a STD. A shot in each of their hind side and a bottle of antibiotics and it would clear up soon. He warned them to take the whole prescription or it would not be cured and they would be back here again. The doctor told them that symptoms were often not seen and Ana was relieved that Jim wouldn't be thinking she had lied to him. The doc also said that having a STD for a long time was like having a ticking time bomb in your body, it would cause problems in your body if it was untreated. Ana's face drained of blood as she told the doc that the last man she had sex with was several years ago. The doc said she should be okay. Jim paid the bill in cash and the doctor was very happy for that.
Outside, with his head on a swivel, Jim noticed 3 rough looking men standing across the street in a parking lot looking at them. He warned Ana and had her get in the truck first and be ready, then to open his door so he didn't have to use his key and be distracted from the men. Inside the truck, both of them checked their AR15s and donned their vests as a precaution. He started the truck and pulled out of the doctor's parking lot. Looking in the rear view mirror, he saw the men jump in their own truck and start following them. He made several turns to be sure but there was no doubt they were being followed.
Jim told Ana to be ready. After they were out of the town he remembered a sharp turn and was planning to use that as an ambush for them. Soon he could see the turn and warned Ana to be ready. He would gun the motor to speed around the turn and then do a 180 degree turn to face back towards the enemy. And that is what he did and had his truck angled across the road to use as concealment. They jumped out to be behind the side of the truck with their AR15s ready and safeties off.
The 3 men in the truck came around the turn fast and then braked hard, coming to a stop about 40 yards away. The men jumped out and spread across the road. The 2 end men had pump shotguns and the center man had a handgun. He asked them what they wanted. The men said his truck, weapons, money and the woman. Jim told them to get back in their truck, turn around and go back the way they came. They laughed. Jim told Ana to take the man on her side, he would shoot the one on his side and then they would shoot the one in the middle since he only had a handgun. Jim quietly said on the count of 3 – 1, 2, 3. Jim and Ana shot and saw the men go down and sighted on the center man and put 2 rounds in him. All 3 were down. Jim cautiously approached the bodies while Ana kept overwatch. He fired another round into each of their heads to ensure they were dead, he wasn't going to leave an enemy behind. They got back into their truck, leaving the bodies and everything else behind. They made it home with no other problems.
His farm was safe with no problems since they were away. They both topped off their AR15s and magazines and did a quick cleaning of the rifles. They noticed their hands were shaking as the adrenaline wore off. Jim sat with her on the porch and held her til they both settled down.
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Post by gipsy on Apr 5, 2024 13:33:57 GMT -6
Good thinking. I would have taken the guns though, to keep them out of the hands of other bad people.
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