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Post by papaof2 on Mar 18, 2019 21:56:16 GMT -6
This tale is now up to 23 chapters but my muse has been so on and off - sometimes waiting two weeks between chapters - that I hesitate to start posting it. If the story runs out of steam early, you have been warned that it may never be finished ;-)
Chapter 1
Monday, 6 December, 1PM
"Daddy, I have a question about the…"
Ring!
"One minute, Em."
"OK."
'This is Jack.'
'Jack, it's Carl. Can you hear that small plane over my place?'
'Wait while I open a door…'
Roar! Sputter! Sputter!
'What the…? Yes, Carl, I hear a small aircraft in trouble.'
Sputter! Roar! Sputter!
'Sounds like it's coming from Baxter Field, Jack. You've flown small planes, even instructed if memory serves, so what's going on?'
Roar! Sputter! Sputter! Sputter!
'Maybe the rain and the 33F temperature are causing carburetor icing, Carl? That field has lots of student pilots and renters. Is this someone that forgot to turn on Carb Heat?'
'He was low but he's getting lower without power. He's about in line with the…'
WHUMP!
Flicker!
Groan!
'Carl, I think he crashed into the Rock Creek substation and did some major damage there because the LED bulbs here that are still lit are about three times their normal brightness and I hear the old freezer groaning. I'm headed for the basement to turn off the main breaker. You should do likewise and we should alert any neighbors we can contact before things start smoking in the houses.'
'Call you back on the cell, Jack. Do you think the cell tower at Norton Road and County 23 will survive?'
'OK, main breaker is off here. Carl, I'm almost positive that cell tower is solar powered. If we don't have cell service, try me on CB channel 17 or two meters on 146.52 simplex. I know you have both in your truck.'
'Main breaker off here as well. I'll call some folks out here while the cell lasts. I'm on my way to the workshop to shut it down.'
'My landline is working and I called 911. An off-duty deputy closer to the crash was already giving them details. Looks like Dawkins County Fire will be calling in all the help they can from surrounding counties because the deputy told them he had heard the ground conversations on his aircraft scanner and that plane had a full load of fuel.'
'So everyone will be without commercial power for weeks?'
'Remember what happened at the Riker Shoals substation two years ago, Carl? It took the co-op almost three weeks to get the transformer replaced when that trailer slid off the road and rolled a CAT D12 onto a transformer there. That was just mechanical damage. There was no fire. I'd say this could be much worse.'
'You planning to go look?'
'Probably can't get a vehicle in close but I can ride one of the sure-footed mules down along or in Rock Creek and get close enough for a good view. If the fire-generated wind isn't too bad, I'll put one of the drones up and get some stills and video. Oscar might even say "Thank you".'
'He might. Talk to you later.'
"Daddy, I'll go get Mugwump out of the pasture. You'll hafta do the saddle."
"Thank you, sweet girl. If I'm not back before your Momma is, tell her where I'm going."
"Yes, Daddy."
---
Ring!
'This is Jack.'
'Jack, it's Carl again. I notified my closest neighbors and they all had one side of the 220 out and the lights on the other side very bright. The Jamesons' washing machine was smoking but Bobby unplugged it and put the fire out with the extinguisher from their kitchen. He and Bobby, Jr., got the washer outside. I'm sure Chief Oscar Mannsur will be most pleased to be able to see the rest of the fire - just as sure as I am that you're probably already halfway there.'
'Closer than that so I need to check the wind, Carl. Then I'll either ride around the creek side of the fire or get the drone up and capture some images.'
'And you're using the Bluetooth headset that clips over your ear to have both hands free.'
'Of course, just as the phone is in the upper pocket of my SCOTTeVEST and the little .380 automatic is secured with the "water bottle holder" in the right front pocket. I see Oscar. Bye.'
---
"Jack, did you bring a …"
"Drone with still and video capability?"
"Yes."
"Let me tie Mugwump to a tree and I'll get out the Mavic so you can see the other side of the fire that was caused by ignorance or stupidity."
"You sound like you know what happened."
"Carl Thigpen and I were discussing it and decided that an inexperienced pilot forgot to turn his Carb Heat on and the rain plus near-freezing temperature iced the carburetor. No power means no flight. This close to Baxter Field and him headed north from there, he had just taken off, probably with a full load of fuel."
"And can you also tell me what clothes he was wearing?"
"No, Oscar. I could be totally wrong but I'm just putting the most likely scenario together. OK, drone's up. I'm using the VR goggles for flying but the images are also displayed and being recorded on this tablet."
"Good that you started where you did, Jack. The tail number starts with '82' so it could be the one reported stolen from northern Georgia a couple days ago. The GBI thought it was stolen from the plane rental agency by a meth cooker with limited flying experience. That could explain it being brought down by the weather."
"I HATE meth heads! This one being stupid will put lots of folks in the dark and maybe the cold for days - more likely weeks. Many of the rural folks won't have water, except for a few with an outside pump and most of them won't have heat - especially at the trailer park that's now become the county's unofficial 'Senior Community'."
"Well, the new immigration rules did make a lot of mobile homes available when the illegals were handcuffed and put on buses going to Mexico and Central America. And the local truckers and farmers stepped up to get all of those trailers moved to the old elementary school grounds and plumbed into its water and septic systems. Septic doesn't require power but water does for almost everyone with a well - except Jacob Williams who has a rainwater harvesting cistern as backup for his well - and heat does for all but the handful that have wood stoves or manual control LP convection furnaces in their trailers."
"Oscar, can your contact in the National Guard provide a generator and fuel? Maybe also encourage the folks in that 'Community' to share space if they want to stay warm?"
"I'll ask Major Albertson. She's usually very resourceful in finding things."
"You can tell the co-op we found what may be their biggest problem. The metal of the plane's wing shorted across the transformer it stopped on, connecting the 110KV incoming line to the 7400 volt distribution lines to the area. Excellent reason for appliances to groan and lights to get very bright. I expect you'll have some structure fires to deal with as well."
"Baxter Field sent their foam truck as it's the best tool for controlling even the 50 gallons of avgas the Cherokee was carrying. They think they'll have that part of the fire under control as soon as Alabama Power can get the 110KV line turned off. Then we can determine which parts of the rest are actually burning materials and which are just things being smoked by the continuous arcing."
---
"Oscar, I think the relative quiet tells us the power is off. You need anything else from me?"
"No, Jack. Thanks for being the techie nerd that we teased all through school and that we'd be hard put to manage without today. Will you, Karen and Emily be OK without power?"
"Oscar, do you remember being at our place for Thanksgiving last year?"
"Oh, yeah! The freezing rain and falling trees had half the county in the dark when we left your place around 6PM after having coffee and Karen's buttermilk chocolate pie."
"Were we in the dark?"
"Briefly, while you made a trip to the basement - but I never heard a generator. I'll assume that was some of your solar backup power. I guess you won't be in the dark even if this takes months, will you?"
"We'll drop back to limited use of some things - vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, microwave oven - but my 'Wait until daylight' solar generator can provide power for furnace, fridge, some lights and communications for about 16 hours at the current temperature. If we have a full day of sun tomorrow, there'll be enough solar power to recharge the battery bank and still provide limited power for the house. The backup well pump runs on DC so it's powered directly from the solar battery bank for the house. The barns and my shop have their own solar powered lighting. If more power than that is needed outside, we'll have one or more of the small generators in use where needed."
"Wouldn't it be cheaper to run that big diesel gen out back of the big barn to power everything?"
"Only if we had a need for everything electrical to be on at the same time. That's not likely, so we'll be using smaller generators that are sized to the task. Unless I'm welding - and I have a diesel welder/generator for that - the 3000 watt inverter gen is usually adequate for the shop or barn and we may not need more than the 1600 watt inverter gen for the house. We heat the house, heat water and cook with LP and I have two 500 gallon tanks. I own them so I buy LP from whoever has the best price. Both were topped off a month ago. I have a 500 gallon diesel tank and a 250 gallon gasoline tank and both were filled six weeks ago. If there's even a little sun, the inverter gen for the house won't need more than a couple of gallons of gas each day - could be much less if we have consecutive days of full sun."
"A couple gallons a day from a 250 gallon tank has you with limited power for three months, even with a lot of chainsaw use. I think you've planned well on backup power. Karl mentioned something about your Emily doing a report on how much of a farm can be run on alternate energy sources. He was impressed by how much she knew when Mrs. Larrigan was asking detailed questions. I was also. She's a smart kid for being nine."
"I like to claim that she takes after me and I do get away with saying that she's the pretty version of me…"
"Definitely your child, Jack, and also definite that no one will ever call you 'pretty'."
"Oscar, my face has 'character'."
"You might *be* a character but your face? I'm thinking a four letter word starting with 'u'."
"Then I'll give a copy of the video to the co-op and sell one to Dawkins County Fire."
"You play dirty!"
"No, Oscar. I play to win."
"OK. You win. If your face didn't have some decent bone structure, Emily couldn't have made it pretty."
"That may be as close to an apology as I'll get from you. Your copy of the video is on this thumb drive."
"Thanks, Jack. The 911 operators have reports of a number of minor electrical fires and several burning transformers on power poles. We'll have someone working on those and checking for hotspots here all night."
"Then I'll inform Karen that I'm on my way home."
Ring!
'Wilson residence. This is Emily.'
'Hi, sweet girl. Tell your Momma the fire at the substation is under control and I'm on my way home. Before you ask, I know the cause and I have video of some of the work extinguishing burning gasoline and other things.'
'What started it?'
'I said that I knew the cause, not that I'd tell you. I will give you the circumstances when I get there and you can work out what happened, Miss Sherlene Holmes.'
'Daddy!'
'Tell your Momma I'm about ten minutes away then go open the horse barn and get out some oats for Mugwump or you won't know what happened until you see the morning news tomorrow.'
'Yes, Daddy.'
---
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Post by texican on Mar 18, 2019 23:30:24 GMT -6
PP2,
A good start to another story that just may not get finished....
Texican....
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Post by 9idrr on Mar 19, 2019 21:23:33 GMT -6
Damn, boy, you already done set the hook!
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 20, 2019 18:09:23 GMT -6
Chapter 2
Monday, 6 December, 5PM
"Hello the house!"
"Hello, Sheriff Edwards. Why the 'Hello' and not a knock on the door?"
"So many people are without power and therefore without yard lights that I don't want to be greeted by a 12 gauge."
"You make the outage sound much bigger than the maybe 120 properties that are fed by the Rock Creek substation."
"It is bigger. The mismatched load on that 110KV line may have damaged the line all the way back to the distribution yard at the dam. Alabama Power hasn't finished testing everything back to the yard but they think there's more damage there so we now have four substations down because that line also fed the Riker Shoals, Big Cat and Crawdad substations. Big Cat and Crawdad feed some of those McMansion subdivisions they built 'way out in the country' so the newly rich folks working at that recently created investment company in Cullman can have a house that's not 'cup of sugar' close to their neighbor…"
"'Cup of sugar', Bill?"
"As in knocking on the neighbor's kitchen window and handing them a measuring cup from your window to their window so they can loan you a cup of sugar."
"OK. I've seen lots of those. Really scary when one of them has a fire and the neighbor nearest the fire gets to share in it."
"We can expect those folks to not be prepared for anything as almost all those houses - 120 for Big Cat and 70 for Crawdad - were sold as 'simplified utilities' because they are 'all-electric'."
"Damn! Where you gonna put them up?"
"Best idea so far is to use Dawkins County High and Middle Schools and have the people bring bedding, extra clothing and non-refrigerated foods. We can get some cots from the Guard but I don't yet know how many. We'll also probably have people from Green Acres Mobile Home Park…"
"That'll make for some strange 'neighbors' at the schools."
"I'm sure it will but both groups can learn to deal with it. I will have deputies armed with shotguns there. The one bright spot is that the County water purification plant and the County sewage treatment plant are fed from other substations. They will have water, although the water heaters at the school gyms probably aren't big enough for folks to take their sometimes leisurely showers. They'll be timed and either pushed or dragged out after ten minutes."
"That'll make for some not-very-happy campers."
"Their other option is to find someone to move in with or provide their own. If any of them have your 'ready-for-whatever' mindset, there might be a few that can take care of themselves."
"We can hope. Why are we having this discussion?"
"First, I wanted to speak with someone who wasn't going to start down a long list of 'When are *you* gonna…' about things I couldn't affect in normal circumstances. Second, I need to know how much water will be needed for bathing, hand washing, diaper changing and whatever else while those people are at the schools. The piping to the schools is undersized because of budget constraints at the time they were built and they cover that during daily school use by filling some 5000 gallon tanks during the night and using from them during the day."
"Starting rule of thumb is two gallons per person per day, plus whatever is needed for a shower or bath on some schedule you set up. I'd suggest finding some of the solar shower or camping shower bags - they hold about five gallons - and allowing people two bags of warm water for a shower once a week. Plus whatever the kitchens need for cooking, washing pots and dishes, cleaning counters and tables and whatever the custodial staffs need for cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors. Determine what the gallons/hour flow is at each school, how much water storage is available at each school and how many people of each age group will be there. When you have those numbers, I can help you work up a spreadsheet to know how many people can be handled at each location, how much 'personal water' (drinking, shaving, contact lens care, whatever) they can be allocated, how frequently they can shower and how much water they can have for that shower - plus I need to know the size and recovery rates of the water heaters in the gyms at each location to know how closely together people can be scheduled for warm water for a shower. And you need to check the level in the LP tanks at the school if they cook with gas because they'll be cooking more than lunch and you need to know whether the water heaters are LP or electric."
"Sounds like you've done this for an army, Jack."
"In a place often called 'The Sandbox'."
"I'd forgotten that you took on other responsibilities because none of those officers knew enough about the situation to make things work."
"Nice way of saying they were 'book soldiers' and damned near useless in the field, Bill."
"I'm here because I need some 'field useful'."
"Get me the numbers I asked for and I'll get back to you. Can you get books and toys for the kids who'll be staying there?"
"Major Albertson is checking whether the Guard's 'Toys for Tots' collection can be distributed at the refugee centers if that's what the schools become."
"Very good. What about diapers, wipes, formula and the buckets of OTC medications needed in a place with kids under school age?"
"County General has a group of staff members looking into it. This thumb drive has the census of the county by ZIP code from two years ago. There will have been some births but very few deaths that I remember so the numbers are close. Just add two years to each age and maybe 5% to the number of children."
"I'll start on that spreadsheet and finish it when you get me the actual people count plus the water supply and water heater info from the schools. For now, I'll assume that all the people from the powerless areas will be in the refugee camps and we can adjust that number later. Any idea of how many of them will have other family members moved in with them because of the downturns in the economy?"
"The rental vacancy rate in the county is up 12% so that may be a reasonable number of 'other family members' to add in."
"I'll do that and make it an easily adjustable variable."
"Thanks, Jack. At least I leave here thinking that some of the job is do-able."
"Anything can be done, Bill. It's just a matter of available resources. I sometimes dig graves for big animals, but only when I have a skidsteer or tractor with a frontloader or I have a backhoe."
"I'm making some of this project out to be impossible, ain't I?"
"Yes. I'd offer you a cup of chamomile tea and a scone with pear preserves but I don't think I could get you to sit long enough for the tea to brew."
"You're right, Jack. Ellen is always on my case to slow down and back away but I just can't do it."
"Not that you 'can't'. You won't. The voting public will not think less of you if you take some time for yourself occasionally. You're on call 24/7 and you need to remember to put the work down for just an hour occasionally."
"Ellen's been talking with you?"
"No. I'm just seeing the signs of burnout in you. Been there; done that. No tee shirt but I did get some gray hair - and I see more of that on you than on me."
"Ouch! You're five years older and I'm ten years grayer. Maybe I do need to put the gauntlet down sometimes."
"Sit. I had put the tea on to brew before you got here so it's ready now. One lump or two? If you say you're leaving, those lumps might be on your head."
"One and I'm sitting. You put me where I'd be looking out at the bird feeder, didn't you?"
"You do have a thing about cardinals and we have a pair that visit on a regular basis."
"Did you manipulate your COs like this in the Marines, Jack?"
"Sorry, Bill. That's classified above your pay grade."
"I think that's a 'yes'."
---
Author's note: Some power substations have location-related names, some are historic and some leave you wondering. These are from Georgia:
Annewakee, Battlefield, Browns Farm, Buzzard Roost,
Dabbs Bridge, Groovers Lake, Hwy 120, Mason Creek,
Mill Creek, Ono
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Post by 9idrr on Mar 20, 2019 19:29:24 GMT -6
Sounds as though one of 'em should be named Dead Short. How about Magic Smoke Leak?
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Post by gipsy on Mar 20, 2019 21:23:12 GMT -6
I was always told in electronics classes to never let the smoke out or the part would stop working, and surnuff it was always true.
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Post by spazzy on Mar 21, 2019 14:42:52 GMT -6
It was always:
Chief: "What happened?" Sailor: "Factory installed smoke escaped."
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 21, 2019 18:56:45 GMT -6
The magic smoke is powerful stuff but some of the containers are fragile...
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 22, 2019 15:44:35 GMT -6
Chapter 3
Monday, 6 December, 8PM
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Emily?"
"In the phone call you recorded, the motor on the plane doesn't sound right."
"The engine?"
"Yes, Professor Wilson. 'Engine' because it creates the power to do the work and not a 'motor' that does work using power supplied from an outside source like an electric motor does."
"Very good. You're also correct that it doesn't sound right. What's the temperature outside?"
"33F."
"At what temperature does water freeze?"
"32F."
"Do you remember the animation of how the carburetor on a gasoline engine works?"
"There's a place where the air speeds up and pulls the fuel into the air so the engine will get fuel."
"Does anything else happen there?"
"The air expands and gets colder… How much colder can it get?"
"Why?"
"If it gets just one degree colder, the water in the air might freeze. I don't think an engine can run on ice."
"Brilliant deduction, Miss Holmes. That's what Mr. Carl and I think caused the crash. It's called carburetor icing and can easily happen with today's condi…"
"But airplanes have been flying for over a century. They gotta have a way to fix that!"
"Another good deduction. They have a control to direct some of the heat from the exhaust…"
"Which gets really, really hot."
"It does and they can direct some of that heat to the carburetor to keep it warm enough to prevent icing from occurring. The control is labeled 'Carb Heat'."
"Will we ever know whether it was on or not?"
"The NTSB has a crew on the way to investigate the accident. They'll learn all the wreckage can tell them. Remember that the impact plus the fire could have caused so much damage that they won't be able to tell whether that control was on or off."
"So they may just do a 'best guess' based on what they can learn about the plane and the pilot?"
"Correct, Miss Holmes. Sheriff Edwards said the plane might have been stolen and that the suspected thief was not an experienced pilot."
"And that could explain why he crashed. Now I know why the lights went out at school and they sent us home early - but I probably won't be able to tell the other kids because schools are closed tomorrow."
"And possibly longer than that, unless they double up and have an early session and a late session at the other schools…"
"The two that still have power?"
"All that was on the news?"
"Just that two of the elementary schools had closed early because of a power outage and the Dawkins Electric Co-op didn't think they could have power back to those schools tomorrow."
"You're getting better at analysis, Miss Holmes."
"Daddy! My name is Emily!"
"When you do this level of collecting, sorting and evaluating information, you're Miss Sherlene Holmes."
"You goof!"
"It got me a hug."
"You make learning fun!"
"That's what my Dad did."
"That's a very good thing."
---
"Jack, how do you do it?"
"Do what, Love?"
"Tap Emily's curiosity and aim that energy at learning?"
"Just me being me and I guess seeing things as my Dad did. In his words, 'The world is full of magic'."
"Your kind of magic, based on knowing and understanding things that pique your curiosity or that look like a challenge."
"Do you not see magic in Emily assessing a situation when given three sentences of input, even though it might take her half an hour to explain how she connected those things together?"
"I see incredible intelligence coming out to please someone who puts intelligence above wealth and beauty - and her comfortable little smiles of 'I know how' and 'I can learn to' enhance her natural beauty."
"I might like her a little bit."
"I think she sensed that from the moment we met you. After all the physical, mental and emotional hurt she experienced from her biological father, she ignored the similar features between you and your late brother and just accepted who you were and what you did. How can you love a child that isn't yours as much as you love her?"
"She's my child in the only way that matters: she wanted me to to be her 'Daddy' when we told her we were thinking about getting married. She was five when she asked 'Will you 'dopt me so I can have a real Daddy?'"
"There is that. I guess she's always been smarter than I gave her credit for. Back to things I understand: how will the power situation affect us?"
"Not much in some areas and more than I can adequately predict in others."
"You want to explain that in more detail?"
"Explain what, Momma?"
"How the power outage will affect us."
"That's easy, Momma. If there's enough sun, we use the solar stuff but we can't use the vacuum, the hair dryer or the microwave. If there's no sun, like today, we get about half a day and them we hafta run a generator. I can start the little one if you need it!"
"Not yet, sweet girl. We need to plan for many days without power because some of the damaged power lines and equipment could be as far away as the dam…"
"How?"
"Pencil and paper, Miss Holmes."
"Already have it for you, Daddy."
"Em, do you remember learning about a transformer with your 50-in-1 electronic kit?"
"Un huh. A transformer can match between things that need different voltages. The kit has a little one that takes 120 volts from the wall outlet and gives 12 volts for the experimenter board."
"So how much voltage change?"
"120 in and 12 out so ten to one step down."
"How much power?"
"I think it's marked '6 watts'. The transformer at the substation is the same?"
"It does a similar function but the voltages and the power are much higher."
"How much higher?"
"110,000 volts in and 7400 volts out. I don't have a power figure but something over 200,000 watts might be in the ballpark."
"That'll light up a lot of houses!"
"And heat them and do cooking and …"
"And a bunch more 'cause there's TVs and toasters and well pumps and stuff. That's gotta be a BIG transformer."
"Here's a picture of one of the transformers at the Rock Creek substation. The man beside it is the Fire Chief."
"It's BIG! They'd hafta take down some fence to get a crane truck in there to remove that one and put in a new one but you said they hafta investigate the crash and that gets done before any evidence gets moved so… We'll be in the dark a long time, won't we?"
"Remember that you've already covered how WE will deal with the power outage. We'll have light, heat, a fridge and a TV but a lot of people will NOT have any of that. They might be OK 'camping out' inside their houses for a day or two but how will they feel after a week?"
"Hungry and cold."
"Why those two, Em?"
"So many of the kids I ride the bus with talk about someone going to the store every few days or getting takeout because they don't have anything in the fridge and only Junior Edwards and Molly Taylor have wood stoves."
"What happens when those people get hungry or cold or tired of being in the dark?"
"Will it be like that power out movie on TV where people went crazy after a few days and started stealing stuff from other people or trying to eat what was left in someone's garden?"
"It might be. Where's your rifle?"
"The .22 is in the rack by the door. The loaded magazines are beside it. There's a brick of .22LR on the shelf of the rack. The key for the trigger lock is on my necklace with the house key."
"And your pistol?"
"In the gun safe. Are things gonna get so bad that I'll have it on me all the time?"
"We hope not, but we want you to be aware of possible problems because…"
"Knowing more keeps you safer - and you might like me a little bit."
"Correct on both."
"Can I get a hug?"
"You may."
"You're gonna be on my case about word usage even if it's TEOTWAWKI?"
"Yes. Accuracy in description and directions are important and I think our situation might be more correctly described as TTEOCAWKI."
"What's that?"
"The Temporary End Of Civilization As We Know It instead of The End Of The World As We Know It. The world hasn't ended for everyone, but civilization here got a kick in the teeth because the power will potentially be out for several weeks so I think we can expect at least a few people to go 'crazy'."
"Yes, sir, Captain Wilson, sir!"
"A snarky answer when I have my arm around you always gets you some tickles…"
"Not my ribs!"
"Yes. Your ribs and under this arm…"
"Stop! I gotta go!"
"Go, but remember that we're flushing by color."
"If it's yellow…"
"Correct. You want to get those little red 3D printed signs out and hang them when you finish?"
"Un huh. It'll be easier to remember if the sign is hanging on the flush thingy."
"Thank you, Em."
"You have good manners and you do pretty good 'Daddying' a second hand kid."
"You're my first choice kid."
"And that's the best part of being in this family. Be right back."
"Jack, she really did need to go this time instead of it just being an excuse to get away."
"I thought she was concentrating on something from the lines on her forehead so I let her loose with minimum tickles. It might have been a good thing that I did."
---
"Daddy, we need the 3D printer."
"Why?"
"I went to the other bathrooms and the 3D sign for the basement flush thingy got pushed to the back of the drawer and now it looks more like red beads."
"Any other signs we need?"
"I've been keeping a list of things we mentioned. We need signs for the vacuum, the hair dryer, the microwave and the coffee and hot chocolate thingy."
"The Keurig?"
"Un huh."
"Because your preference for the Café Mocha - the maroon topped pod that's hot chocolate with a little coffee flavor, instead of coffee with a little chocolate flavor - might have you forgetting that it's only-when-a-generator-is-running?"
"Well, uh… un huh."
"I love my honest and truthful girl. That's something all of us might forget about so let's go start the 3D printer warming up and you can help me make the signs - unless you're needed in the kitchen."
"Momma?"
"Go make signs. Supper is a roast, potatoes and veggies in the slow cooker, which something I won't be doing that way again soon."
"Won't be doing? Oh. The slow cooker doesn't use a lot of power but it runs for a long time. You'd do the big pot on the little burner at the back of the stove instead."
"Yes, daughter. We might even get out the solar cooker you built for a school project if we ever have sun again. And maybe I should let you do more of the cooking."
"Pancakes for breakfast tomorrow, Momma?"
"Ask your Daddy. He's the pancake and waffle chef."
"Tomorrow, Daddy? I don't have school so we'll have time to enjoy them."
"Sounds good, Em. Plain or strawberry or something else?"
"What kind of 'something else'?"
"Here's your great-grandmother's cooking notebook. See what she has under 'breakfast'."
---
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 24, 2019 15:59:28 GMT -6
Chapter 4
Tuesday, 7 December, 7:30AM
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
"I'm not a … My alarm didn't go off! What time is it?"
"It's more than an hour later than you usually sleep on a school morning, so I think we'll be adjusting your bedtime a little earlier so you wake up about the time your alarm goes off."
"What alarm? This one doesn't work without power."
"This one that I use when I'm traveling. It has a fresh AA battery in it and should be good for a year."
"It doesn't light up."
"It doesn't, but you have that Fenix E12 that lives on the table by your bed. It'll light the clock…"
"And the room if I point it at the ceiling and click it up two levels."
"So maybe you're covered for light and clock for a while?"
"Un huh. We can make the blueberry waffles I found in that cookbook?"
"When you're dressed. Sheriff Edwards dropped Junior off because his Mom is working this morning. He hasn't had breakfast either; it seems he also had a hard time waking up this morning… Is your E12 so dim because the two of you were sending Morse code messages with flashlights past midnight or something?"
"Only 'til 11:30."
"Thank you for being honest with me. How would the morning have been if you had been going to school?"
"I'd be missing the bus about now, you or Momma would hafta take me and I'd be cleaning out the mules' stalls all week. Your expression tells me I may be cleaning the stalls some anyway."
"Excellent deduction, Miss Holmes. We'll discuss this more later. You need to be dressed to greet a visitor and cook breakfast. Remember that Junior already thinks you're smart and pretty. If you impress him with your cooking, you might get more than a very nice card next Valentine's."
"Maybe. He told me one day on the way home on the bus that he wanted to marry me someday but he'd have to wait until we're in high school to ask me."
"I think he has a bad case of 'first crush' but there are the few early schoolyard romances that work out. I had a crush on your Momma when we were in fourth grade."
"It took a longer than high school, but it did work out for y'all - and me!"
"We might like you a little bit. Up and dressed for working. After breakfast, you and Junior can help with the chores."
"You'll be watchin' us in the barn?"
"Do I need to be watching you?"
"Well, uh …"
"So you've discovered or plan to discover if you might be 'kissin' cousins', even if you're not actually related? Remember that the security system - including the cameras - has solar-charged battery backup."
"You didn't say not to!"
"And I didn't say 'to', either. Adults have been trying to keep kids from trying these things for thousands of years. You know the 'where and how' of babies from having worked with the animals on the farm - how babies are started and how difficult it sometimes is to get them into this world. I don't think you'll do anything stupid today or five years from today, but I'm a lot more laid back than most fathers because I understand how mature and intelligent my 'little girl' is."
"You're probably in the top five candidates for 'Best Daddy Ever'."
"Thank you, Em. For the fourth - or is it fifth? - time, up and dressed. Junior will be here until 2PM or so, which means he'll be eating with us twice. You asked to cook breakfast so we're all waiting on you."
"Clothes in my hand, Daddy. I'll be out of my bathroom in five minutes or less."
"Your Momma and I will get out the things you can't easily manage…"
"The stovetop waffle irons?"
"And the griddle for sausage and bacon."
"Be right there!"
---
"You're not cooking, Mrs. Wilson?"
"Not this morning, Junior. Emily asked last night if she could fix waffles for breakfast this morning so she'll be doing the cooking. We're just getting out the big and heavy pieces."
"You cook with wood?"
"It's our backup cooking arrangement and we practice doing it occasionally. I think Em will need a little help with checking and controlling the cooking temperatures, as it's not as easy as turning the knob for the burner on the LP stove."
"She's smart and pretty and she can cook. Wow!"
---
"The waffles are good, sweet girl. Thank you for cooking this morning."
"They sure are, Emily! They're better than my Mom… Oops!"
"We won't tell anyone, Junior. You just be sure not to let that slip out anywhere your Mom might learn about it."
"I'll be careful, Mrs. Wilson."
"I'm sure you will."
"Em, you have stalls to muck when you finish eating. You can put Mugwump and Tucker in the pasture and there's an empty wheelbarrow in the barn."
"Emily, I'll help you."
"Thanks, Junior."
---
"Well, Jack. Is it just a 'first crush' or a genuine 'schoolyard romance'?"
"Karen, if he's willing to muck stalls, I'm thinking it might turn out to be longer lasting than a crush between nine year olds."
"Me, too. Scary that someone's already thinking marriage for my little girl, but reassuring that it's another nine year old who is willing to muck stalls. Kinda reminds me of the two of us."
"It does at that. Let's just hope they get a working marriage together the first time."
"Amen."
---
"Emily, uh… do you… do you…"
"Do I what, Junior?"
"Wanna try what we did the last time we were in the barn?"
"Just the hugging?"
"The kissin' too."
"OK, but just once. I'm already in trouble with Daddy for staying up so late last night."
"How'd he know? You can't hear the light and only your window can see my window?"
"Power's off, so my alarm didn't go off. He came in an hour after the usual time to wake me up. He gave me a battery alarm clock to use and when I said it didn't light up he used my Fenix to light it up and saw how dim the Fenix was."
"I guess you can't hide anything from a private investigator. Sorry I got you in trouble for staying up too late - but it's so much fun having our private communications!"
"Not your fault. I coulda said '73' any time, but your code test for your General ham license is in a week and you need the practice."
"Yes, 'Elmer', but I'd rather you said '88'."
"Daddy was my 'Elmer' when I was studying for my license so I knew you'd need someone to help you with yours. You need to practice with him if you want to get your code speed up for the Extra exam - he carries on conversations at 20 words per minute copying in his head, just making notes about callsign, handle and location for his log. I don't think I'll be saying 'love and kisses' where someone else might 'hear' me for a long time. If you want a hug, open that door and we can step in the tack room for a minute 'cause it doesn't have a camera yet."
"Just a hug?"
"We'll see."
---
"Junior!"
"Emily! It's your Daddy!"
"Wipe your mouth dry on your sleeve and answer him. I'm not wearing lipstick so there's nothing to show."
"Back here, Mr. Wilson!"
"Junior, you can leave the wheelbarrow here. Your Mom just drove up and she'll be taking you home to do your chores."
"Yes, sir. Bye, Emily."
"Bye, Junior."
---
"Em, go wash and dry your face before you go inside."
"Why?"
"So your Momma won't see you blushing - probably from your bellybutton to the roots of your hair."
"But…"
"I'm just telling you about the red face and neck I see. Go wash with some cold water."
"Yes, Daddy."
---
"Junior mentioned marriage again, Em?"
"How'd you know?"
"Your face, his face, my conversation with your Momma when we were in fourth grade."
"Will his Mom know?"
"Maybe, maybe not. I told him to leave the wheelbarrow here but he took it out to dump it. She might think his face is red from the work he was doing."
"Will you tell Momma?"
"I think you should tell her. The two of you need to talk about 'kids too young to know what love is' - except that a few of them do know. She can help you decide which category you and Junior are in."
"I think you might be in the top two for 'Best Daddy Ever'."
"Maybe I like you…"
"A little bit. And sometimes you're really patient with a kid who doesn't know what she's doing."
"Life is like that, sometimes. That's what family is for - to be there when you don't know what you're doing."
"Y'all always are."
---
"Mom, I thought you were working 'til 2."
"Junior, Alabama Power has found so much possible damage that they've had to shut off power to most of the county. Without power, we can't work. Most of the people I work with live in apartments or condos so they don't have an alternate way to cook or a well for water or a place to build an outhouse or even bury their end product…"
"Junior, now that you've stopped laughing enough to answer me, what's so funny?"
"'End product' - bad pun, Mom."
"I guess it is, but it avoids using four letter words which would be frowned on in the church offices."
"That's a bummer."
"What?"
"If the church you work at doesn't have power, neither does one of the elementary schools they were gonna use for doubling up. Where will we go now?"
"Maybe back to home schooling? I'll be home and so will you."
"And have Emily in class part of the time?"
"For learning or because you like Emily?"
"Well, uh … both, I guess. Emily's really smart and she's pretty and her blueberry waffles are better than your… Oops! Mrs. Wilson told me not to mention that."
"I think you and your Dad need to have a talk about 'kids too young to know what love is'. The adults said that about him and me but we proved them wrong."
"You're not mad at me about the cooking?"
"Junior, your Dad makes better waffles than I do. Remember that I make pies as a side business, not waffles. So your red face when you got in the car wasn't just from mucking stalls and moving that wheelbarrow of 'end product'?"
"I asked Emily if she'd marry me when we're 18. She said 'You're sweet', cried a little and then she really kissed me. She said she'd hafta talk with her Momma before she could give me an answer."
"She's a smart girl."
"And she can cook!"
---
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 26, 2019 20:14:14 GMT -6
Be warned that I'm posting finished chapters. After a late session one night last week, my muse seems to have deserted me completely - no chapters, not even outlines. I'll let you know when I post the last chapter or maybe just move it all to "Completed Stories" at that point so no one will be waiting for the non-existent next chapter :-(
Chapter 5
7 December, 9:00AM
Ring!
'This is Jack.'
'Jack, Sheriff Edwards. Alabama Power has found so much damage that they've had to shut off power to most of Dawkins County. What do we do with the additional people who won't have water or heat or…"
'Calm down, Bill. Call your contact in the Guard. See if they can set up tents, showers, cooking, latrines and all the other things for a big field exercise. If they don't have enough equipment, have her check with the Army. The Army has a training facility at Fort McClellan in Anniston, a supply depot in Bynum and then there's Fort Rucker. I know that Rucker housed 40,000 people during WWII so there's space to set things up even if they don't have a lot of currently usable housing. There's also Gunter AFB at Montgomery and Redstone Arsenal but I don't think either of them has much housing.'
'I'm making notes, Jack. I'll call the Major. Best numbers I have right now are about 6,000 total people in the county affected by loss of power, water or sewer.'
'Also ask her about generators for the schools and any portion of the water and sewer systems they can power. I'm still waiting on some info from you about water status at the schools and then we can work out how many could be cared for there if power and water can be restored. Then you'll know how many others you need housing for. Talk to the Governor about keeping those generators supplied with fuel and feeding these people and the Guard troops providing them with food and lodging.'
'Are you sure I can't persuade you to take the post of Logistics Officer in my department?'
'You can't. You're married to the best logistics officer in the state. If your department didn't have such ridiculous rules about nepotism, she'd be a shoo-in with approval from the Governor down.'
'You're right but I don't think I can get those rules changed in time to handle our immediate problems. I'll call the Major and get back to you when I have more info. Just be aware that 90 percent of the gas pumps don't pump anything, 90 percent of the ATMs don't dispense cash and EBT cards don't work because 90 percent of the stores don't have power.'
'There's a reason I wear a money belt and carry a useful amount of cash with me.'
'But you're one in 10,000 so there's only one of you in this county.'
'Go make your calls. Come by if you need a cup of chamomile tea.'
'Thanks, Jack. You might see me soon.'
---
"You look down, Jack. What's up - or maybe that should be what's not up?"
"Nice try, Love. Alabama Power thinks damage to the power lines may extend back to the distribution yard at the dam so they had to cut off power to 90 percent of the county while they do additional testing. That includes the schools that were to be the 'refugee centers' and at least one of those that would have been doubled up on to take the kids from the closed elementary schools. It also drastically reduces the portion of the County water and sewer systems that have power."
"SHTF?"
"Probably close and just waiting for the spark that triggers the rioting and looting in the densely populated areas, such as Green Acres Mobile Home Park. Where's Em?"
"We had a long talk about life, love versus like, maturity, responsibility and the ages at which people make life-changing decisions. She's out in her 'thinking place' in the treehouse. She did take her 72 hour bag and the .22 rifle; 'just in case' in her words. She's been listening to the one local radio station that has generator backup and I suspect she's more prepared for what's likely to happen than most adults."
"Nine going on 25 or nine going on 40?"
"Maybe nine going on ten chronologically and nine going on 30 mentally?"
"I can't argue with that. I sometimes wish she didn't see things as clearly as she does."
"Want her dumb and happy?"
"No, I'd just like for her to enjoy a few years of joyful innocence before adult responsibilities rear their ugly heads."
"I don't know that she's ever enjoyed much innocence - most of it was probably beaten out of her before you came into our lives. She has found joy in being in a family that loves her without question and encourages her to try almost anything that strikes her fancy."
"I did say 'No' to the bungee jumping but that was OK because they had the big sign: 'Must be 18. Photo ID required.'"
"But you have encouraged her in areas from soccer to sewing to shooting."
"I might like her…"
"A little bit. Except that I'd need a 50 cubic yard dump truck to carry that 'little bit'. I'm very aware of how much you've helped her overcome - and I'm reasonably sure she is too."
"She did tell me earlier today that I was in the top two for 'Best Daddy Ever'."
"When you were talking about 'kids too young'."
"She told you?"
"She was in tears about how much you love her and the many ways you take care of her. You are the best thing that ever happened to the both of us."
"I feel that way about the two of you."
"We know."
---
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Post by 9idrr on Mar 26, 2019 20:55:04 GMT -6
Thanks, sir, for another good chapter. As for your muse, I got no suggestions at this time. We'll just be happy with what we get, whenever we get it. There're almost always several good stories goin' on here at any one time, and we have some really good writers from whom we haven't heard in good while.
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Post by misterjimbo on Mar 26, 2019 21:11:46 GMT -6
Thanks papaof2. If your muse takes a vacation maybe you can also. When you come back you can reevaluate how much pleasure you receive while schoolin us.
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Post by texican on Mar 27, 2019 20:10:19 GMT -6
Be warned that I'm posting finished chapters. After a late session one night last week, my muse seems to have deserted me completely - no chapters, not even outlines. I'll let you know when I post the last chapter or maybe just move it all to "Completed Stories" at that point so no one will be waiting for the non-existent next chapter :-(
PP2,
Guess we have been warned, unless you imbibe and sauce your Muse to bring your Muse back to life....
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 27, 2019 20:45:07 GMT -6
My muse takes holidays without warning and to unknown locations. Sometimes not even steak for supper and some type of decadent dark chocolate dessert can lure her back.
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 28, 2019 21:25:25 GMT -6
A somewhat longer chapter...
Chapter 6
7 December, 2:00PM
"You OK, Jack? You're fiddling with your prosthesis again."
"I think I've been up on it too long and probably stomping around as I pace the floor. I'll let you check the stump and make a recommendation as you did when I was in the hospital, Nurse Karen."
---
"You're right, Jack. There's a broad area of irritation and a small blister on the inside edge. You need that tapered insert in this shoe to reduce the pressure on the blister when you're standing. For now, I'll prescribe an hour soak in this medicated liquid, followed by toweling dry and a 30 minute air dry, then some lotion and then adding that insert to your shoe. I'll put your crutches by the chair but you're only to be up in case of an emergency."
"I see that 'or you'll sleep on the sofa' look. I promised the Sheriff a spreadsheet on water needs for the people that might be billeted at the middle and high schools and I can work on that while I'm sitting down."
---
Ring!
'This is Jack.'
'Mr. Wilson, I'm Tom Bryan of the NTSB. Chief Mannsur told me that you had analyzed the circumstances of the crash and might be able to provide us with some information.'
'I also recorded a phone conversation I had with someone who was in the path of the plane. Even my nine year old daughter said "That plane doesn't sound right" when she heard it.'
'We absolutely want to hear that and to get a copy if we can!'
'Come on over. I'm having a minor problem with my prosthesis and I'll be chair-bound for another hour. If you have my address, your GPS will find me or Oscar can draw you a map that uses fire roads that will get you here in half the distance.'
'We'll check with the Chief and be on our way.'
'See you in 10 minutes, then.'
---
"Heard your conversation, Jack. We have visitors?"
"NTSB wants to listen to my call from Carl and ask me what I think happened. Can we offer coffee and something Southern and tempting?"
"Emily was at loose ends after we spoke so I suggested baking doughnuts. Yeast raised, even some with chocolate icing."
"Excellent! The NTSB folks may decide they want to live in the sunny South where it's always warm."
"Always warm my curly tail! It's 33F out there! Emily did have the -5 degree mummy bag on her pack when she went out, so she'll be warm."
"Well, the hospitality is usually warm."
"That it is."
---
"Hello the house!"
"Yes?"
"I'm Tom Bryan of the NTSB and this is Carla Brown. I spoke with Jack Wilson earlier."
"I'm Karen, Jack's wife. He's in there. Could I get you coffee and some freshly baked goodies?"
"I'll take the coffee. Carla?"
"Ma'am, I'll take the coffee and anything a southern cook describes as 'goodies'."
"Our daughter helped me with the oven baked doughnuts a little earlier today."
"She's not in school?"
"As of about an hour ago, 90 percent of the county is without power. The arcing at the substation may have caused power line damage all the way back to the distribution yard at the dam. We could be looking at weeks to months for full power restoral."
"But you still have power."
"No. We're far enough out that we expect to have outages of a day or more several times a year. The substation the plane hit feeds this area and we can expect a long time for that to be repaired. We have limited power because we have solar and generator backups. Go talk to Jack. He could use some distraction from 'sitting and doing nothing'. Jack, it's Tom Bryan and Carla Brown."
"Pleased to meet you. You'll excuse me if I don't stand but my nurse wife said for me to stay in place for an hour and a half so I'm staying. How can I help you?"
"If you don't mind my asking, how'd you lose your foot?"
"IED in The Sandbox. Medicaled me out of the Marines and now I'm a small farmer who does occasional corporate security consulting and some private investigations."
"Thank you for your service and your 'job' is an interesting combination. Back to the reason we're here. First tell us what you heard and your conclusions."
"The plane's engine was running poorly. Based on the temperature of 33F and the rain, I'd say the problem was carb icing because the pilot didn't turn on the Carb Heat before taking off."
"That might be the most concise report I've ever gotten. Could we hear the recorded conversation?"
"Certainly. And it's on this thumb drive to take with you."
---
"Carla?"
"Tom, unless we find something else in sifting through the wreckage, I'll have to agree with Mr. Wilson. The sounds and the sequence fit perfectly with his diagnosis of carb icing."
"I agree. The audio evidence is very strong. I'd like to know the setting of that control but the level of damage may make that impossible to determine. We will let you know if we find a different cause of the crash. Thank you so much, Mr. Wilson."
"And thanks to your wife and daughter for these incredible doughnuts. I never knew the Krispy Kreme® style doughnuts could be baked in an oven - and they did it in a wood-fired cookstove!"
"Cooking with wood is just part of a long term commitment to being ready for whatever happens. If you run out of LP when there's ice or snow on the roads out here, the truck won't be out to fill your tank until the roads are clear. We have woods 100 feet behind the house so we can cut wood any time. We usually start the winter with two or three cords, although most winters we don't even burn one cord. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."
"And you probably gas up your vehicles at the 1/2 mark as my grandfather did."
"Correct. Better to have the tank full than to have today's damp air in the tank and condensing out water in the gasoline."
"So that's why he did it!"
"That and always having enough gas to make a trip to the emergency room when someone gets hurt."
"You said 'when', not 'if'."
"It's a working farm. People use tools and work with animals. You get scrapes and bumps and cuts and scratches and sometimes something bigger that needs more than soap and water and a sticky bandage."
"You seem rather comfortable with someone getting hurt."
"We're not 'comfortable with', Carla, we're 'aware of'. We use axes and chainsaws in collecting firewood. That in itself is reason enough to plan to care for an injury. The best we can do is ensure there is adequate knowledge and training and then require the use of safety equipment."
"Question for you, Tom. Is everyone who plans for the unexpected 'a hysterical, wild-eyed survivalist'?"
"Maybe not, Carla. I've just never met people who were so practical about being ready to stay alive."
"I'm enjoying listening to you two, but staying alive is the basic definition of survival and being practical about being ready usually means being prepared. It's not something we *do*; it's something we *live*. Our daughter Emily is out in her treehouse…"
"In this cold and the rain? She'll catch her death of cold or pneumonia!"
"Not so, Tom. She's dressed for the weather, she has a backpack with some water, a thermos of hot chocolate and some high food value snacks and she has her sleeping bag which is good down to -5 degrees and that's -5 degrees sleeping in your skivvies, not dressed for today's weather. She'd be sweating if she got in the bag with her coat on."
"But what about the animals? The Chief mentioned coyotes and foxes."
"Most of them will run from a human unless they're in a large pack. If there's a pack, Em has her rifle and…"
"A gun? You let a child have a gun? Guns kill people!"
"Are you from New York or California?"
"New York. Why?"
"You're so uninformed about staying alive. On a farm, a gun is a tool the same as a chainsaw, an ax or a pitchfork is a tool. Many tools must be sharp and have some weight for them to function but that means they also can be used as weapons. Maybe you've heard the rhyme 'Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her father 40 whacks'?"
"That's some fairytale."
"No, that's a real person who was prosecuted for the murder of her father. Pull out your iPhone and look up Lizzie, spelled l-i-z-z-i-e, Borden, Fall River, Massachusetts, August 1892."
---
"Her father was killed with an ax! She was acquitted. That means she really existed! How'd you know I had an iPhone?"
"The iPhone was obvious with your sheeple following of the 'Guns kill people!' mantra. You also probably spend too much buying lattes on your Starbucks card. Back to our nine-year-old and her rifle. She knows what to watch for and how to protect herself. If she doesn't think she can get back to the house safely, she'll either call on the radio or fire three shots - three of anything is the universal 'Help' sig…"
Pop!
Pop!
"Love, to the back door with your rifle while I get my foot back on."
"On my way."
Pop!
"What's going on?"
Pop!
"Carla, Emily saw targets worth shooting. Could be coyotes or dogs, maybe wolves. We'll see what's happening and how much help she needs."
Pop!
Bang! Bang!
Pop!
Bang! Bang!
"Love, where did ten pit bulls come from?"
"Remember the Sheriff mentioning a dog fighting investigation a week or so ago? Maybe some of those got loose because the power is off?"
"Could be if they were using an electric fence. We need to check on Emily. Em! Are you OK?"
"I'm fine, Daddy. I tried to call you when the dogs came into the yard but my radio isn't working. When they tried to climb the ladder, I started shooting."
"Are there more dogs out there?"
"I think there were two or three more but they ran off when Momma started shooting."
"Her .223 is a bit louder than your .22. Nice shooting, Em. I see six for six."
"And Momma got four for four."
"You stay up there while I come out with a shotgun and verify these are all dead. Your Momma will cover me."
"I'll be up here."
"Love, I'll start next to the house and work my way out to Emily. I'll poke them in the head with the 12 gauge and pull the trigger if they move."
"I'm watching the others."
---
"That's number nine of ten. One more, Em, and I'll carry you back to the house."
"Yes, Da… BEHIND YOU!"
Snarl!
Chomp!
Boom!
Bang!
"Wrong foot, you dumb mutt! You might have made a hole in my boot but not in that foot. Now where was I? I was about to get a hug from a pretty girl. You've already packed your sleeping bag, Em?"
"Had to have something to do while I was waiting for you to get here, slowpoke."
"Then come down and hold on. I'll get your rifle when you're secure."
"I'm good."
"Yes, you are. Most of the time."
"Who's in the black SUV?"
"People from the NTSB…"
"Asking about the crash."
"Correct, Miss Holmes."
"Daddy!"
"When we're inside, your Momma will check you over for any nicks or scrapes or cuts from you going in and out of the treehouse."
"But…"
"No buts. I'm confident you weren't bitten or scratched by any of the dogs but that doesn't mean you weren't scraped on your hands or something as you moved about quickly. Nurse Karen is in charge."
"Yes, Best Daddy Ever."
---
"Mr. Wilson…"
"Call me Jack."
"Jack, can you explain how a little girl can be attacked by a pack of pit bulls and be laughing and smiling ten minutes later?"
"To begin with, she wasn't attacked. They were trying to attack her but she was in a safe place because they couldn't climb the ladder. She's observant enough to see that and to see that she could stop them one at a time as needed until we came to her aid. She also had enough ammunition to kill all of them herself. She's been taught proper and safe gun handling and she practices enough to shoot accurately. The dogs were in much greater danger than she was, as evidenced by the bodies. She didn't panic when the radio wouldn't work because she knew we'd hear the shots and come to see what she was shooting. Note that I didn't say 'shooting at' because that implies she wouldn't hit the target. Emily killed four dogs before Karen got to the door. She killed another one before Karen was in position to shoot. Karen then killed two, Emily one and Karen two more. One came after me when I was checking that the downed dogs were dead. It was shot twice: a load of 00 buckshot in the head from me and a round of .223 in the heart from Karen. Yes, we taught our 'little girl' to shoot. You tell me how a nine-year-old girl would have fared trying to run from that tree to the house?"
"They'd have killed her!"
"Correct. The only certain solution is to have her able to protect and defend herself."
"'Protect and defend'? Isn't that a Police Department motto?"
"Some places, Tom. Out here, it's a way of life. Always remember that when seconds count, the police are minutes away. I expect that time would be much longer today with power off over 90 percent of the county because I also expect the cell towers to soon start failing as either their batteries run down or their generators run out of fuel. The County Public Service Radio System probably has some repeaters down because of the outage so there are areas of the county with no radio coverage."
"Won't someone be upset about their expensive dogs being killed?"
"Maybe, but the public's outlook here is that any animal that would attack a child is a dangerous animal and should be put down. If someone wants to lay claim to these dogs, they'll be explaining to the Sheriff why they're keeping fighting dogs - and they'll be there for a long time. State law is very specific, prosecution is strict and the punishments are severe. Practically, the owner won't admit the dogs are his, let alone try to claim damages. If someone breeds and trains these dogs, he's a target for every parent whose child has been injured by a loose pit bull and there just might be some shoot, shovel and shut up."
---
"Jack?"
"Yes, Carla?"
"Are there any properties for sale out here?"
"What kind and how big?"
"A farm big enough to feed yourself from."
"Then at least five acres, maybe ten. There are several available. Power would be from the Dawkins Co-op or your own LP, diesel or gasoline generator or a solar power system - there are pros and cons to all those and you might find some combination is the best option for you. Water will most likely be from a well or rain collection in a cistern - and there are some very good filters available if you collect rainwater. A very few properties may have natural running water from a spring or creek. Spring water is almost always much cleaner. Sewer is a septic tank - or an outhouse, in which case you might irrigate your garden with the gray water you produce washing dishes and showering - and you'll have to learn how to properly care for those things. Don't have a heart attack! You're not shoveling it out, just being careful of what and how much you put down the drain to the septic tank. Your heat would be wood, LP or electric. Cooking is the same. The water heater would be LP or electric - or heating pots of water on the stove for bathing, unless you have a wood cookstove with the water tank option. 'Cable TV' might be Dish, DirecTV, or OTA/FTA as wired cable is only available in or near the bigger towns. Internet might be slow DSL or expensive satellite internet. You might be better off to get an unlimited data plan for your phone and use it as a hotspot for computer internet access - if you have cell coverage at your property. There are also cell booster systems if the cell signal is poor at your location. You'll want some type of backup power year round as you can expect tornadoes in the summer and freezing rain in the winter, both of which take out trees and power lines. That means you'll want backup heat of some kind if your primary heating requires power for a fan or thermostat. Backup power is needed in the summer if you have a fridge or freezer or an electric well pump. You'll need to own and be proficient with a shotgun and a .22 rifle as a minimum so you can take care of predators - coyotes, foxes, sometime wolves and occasional two-legged predators. You may want a handgun as well so you're always armed when you're outside."
"Anything positive about living on a farm?"
"Several things, Tom. During the Great Depression, the people who lived on farms had no more money than those who lived in the city but they had land for growing food. Even using horses or oxen for plowing, they could feed the family that lived on that farm and have a little surplus to trade for other things: eggs for eggplant, melons for milk, pickles for pork or chickens for chuck roast. Using only heirloom seed - the kind that grows true, so the seed from this year's corn can be planted next year and produce more of the same corn - you only need to buy seed once and you let some plants go to seed each year so you'll have seed to plant 'forever'. If you grow more than you can eat during harvest, you preserve it - canning, drying, maybe freezing, whichever is appropriate - and you'll have food during the winter. If you have free range chickens, they don't need a lot of feed to keep you in eggs and chicken meat. Pigs can be pastured for much of their growth - if your fences are good enough - and your pork will be almost free. You probably won't be making money but you won't be hungry. It's also mostly quiet out here and the air is clean."
"Isn't a fence a fence? What's this 'good enough'?"
"'Good enough' to meet the rule of thumb for keeping your animals inside that fence: horse high, bull strong and pig tight. Some horses will try to jump a fence, some bulls will try to push it down and all pigs will try to dig und..."
Ring!
"Excuse me, it's Sheriff Edwards."
'This is Jack.'
'Had a couple reports of shots fired over your way. Any problems?'
'Not really. Had about a dozen pit bulls come into the yard and try to get to Emily in her treehouse. She killed six of them with her .22. Karen killed four and both of us shot the one that tried to take off my fake foot.'
'Is Emily OK?'
'I sent her with Karen for a scratches and scrapes check and other than a splinter in her hand from her in and out movements, she's fine.'
'Do you know whose dogs they were?'
'Haven't taken time to check for collars or tattoos. Thought it more important to get Em inside where she couldn't see the bodies and the NTSB people are still here. We can check the dogs later or you can come get them if you want. I doubt that the County radio system could contact Animal Control today.'
'Your description of the status of the radio system is scary accurate.'
'I thought it might be. Any restoration timeframe from Alabama Power?'
'Not yet. Maybe tomorrow for an estimate. They have some folks driving - more likely ATV'ing - the right of way and we'll have that report tomorrow, maybe.'
'What can the Major do for you?'
'Between the Guard and the regular Army, they can get power to the schools and for water and sewer. The rest of the county is on their own for power. They will set up some heated tents at the County Fairgrounds and they can set up more tent capacity at Rucker if we can get the people there. Those with farms will likely stay in place. Those working at any of the businesses without power will probably be willing to ride a bus to the Fairgrounds or Rucker to have food and shelter. The Governor is arranging fuel and food. He's also written an executive order overriding nepotism rules for the duration of the emergency. My new Logistics Officer will be in place tomorrow.'
'Tell Ellen we said "Congratulations!"'
'I will.'
'No, paleface. You Bill.'
'I give. Too much pun-ishment. Talk to you later.'
---
"'Paleface?'"
"Inside joke, Carla. Bill and I both enjoy tracing family history and we had DNA tests done. Like many people in the South, we have some Cherokee ancestors. However, I'm 7% Cherokee to his 3% so he's 'paleface'. We acknowledge and appreciate our Native American heritage but we still kid each other about 'how much' Cherokee we have."
"So your 'rain dance' would be washing the Chief's Cadillac?"
"No, the Chief is much more practical. It's a Mercedes AMG G63."
"I'll have to look that vehicle up. Back to local things. Someone called 911 about the shots?"
"Someone called the Sheriff about shots at a neighbor's place. Probably more out of curiosity. Although three different weapons were used, the weapons are all typical for the area. More of a 'What's Jack shootin' at?' than 'Who's shootin' at Jack?'."
"People know what's being shot by its sound?"
"Anyone that's been around a farm out here for long does. The .22 goes 'Pop!'. The .223 goes 'Bang!' and the shotgun goes 'Boom!'"
"I think I need to listen better."
"Carla, will you be taking Tom to a shooting range when you get back?"
"If I can get him past that 'Guns kill people!' mantra."
"Perhaps you should walk him around the room and introduce him to all those guns just waiting for an opportunity to attack someone."
"More guns? In here?"
---
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Post by accountant on Mar 29, 2019 8:48:44 GMT -6
Just a slight correction, papaof2, sheeple don't use a Starbucks card to pay for lattes, they use the Starbucks app on their iphones to order their fancy drinks which is linked to their credit card.
Otherwise, loving the story as usual.
A.
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 29, 2019 17:41:54 GMT -6
Just a slight correction, papaof2, sheeple don't use a Starbucks card to pay for lattes, they use the Starbucks app on their iphones to order their fancy drinks which is linked to their credit card. Otherwise, loving the story as usual. A. But sheeple do gift each other with Starbucks cards. He's almost guaranteed to have at least one of them ;-)
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Post by texican on Mar 30, 2019 1:43:59 GMT -6
"Perhaps you should walk him around the room and introduce him to all those guns just waiting for an opportunity to attack someone."
Mantra for the left....
Thanks for the chapter PP2....
Texican
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 31, 2019 15:13:58 GMT -6
Chapter 7
7 December. 4:30PM
"Jack, I know we found it funny, but weren't you and Carla just a little bit hard on Tom?"
"No, Love. We had a knowledgeable person talk him through how each gun functions and how to load and shoot it. Our 'knowledgeable person' being not quite ten years old was immaterial."
"Or it was the primary point. She knows the damage firearms can do - she had just killed six dogs - but she's aware of the proper usage and handling of firearms so she doesn't have that knee jerk 'Guns kill people!' reaction when she sees one. And he did agree to go to a range with Carla to have some hands on instruction."
"And Emily's 'You'll be glad you did' followed them out the door."
"That's how you make progress with a small number of the 'Guns kill people!' crowd. Others simply aren't smart enough to see beyond the constant barrage of brainwashing they've experienced. Score a victory for one of the youngest members of the NRA."
"She really destroys the stereotype of the male, 40-ish, wife-beater-shirted-redneck that the 'Guns kill people!' group wants you to see as the typical NRA member."
"Em isn't typical of anything except Em. I kinda like that."
"It's your fault, Daddy."
"What's my fault, sweet girl?"
"That I'm not typical. I hafta to watch who I tell about the things you let me do 'cause some of the other girls just go 'EWWW!' about me hunting or field dressing the game I shoot. Some of the boys want to know what rifle and ammunition I used and what kind of knife and they just treat me like another boy."
"Typical for their ages and genders. I like that you're not typical and that you could have taken care of yourself without us today."
"Me too! I feel good about me. That's something I got from you."
"I might…"
"Like me a little bit. And you give good hugs when I need one."
"You need one now?"
"A long one. Today was scary."
"Just the dogs?"
"The dogs - especially the one that went after you 'cause you're the only Daddy I got - and a little about Mr. Bryan. Are there a lot of adults who are that ignorant about guns?"
"Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are that ignorant. You improved that today."
"I did? How?"
"There's one less ignorant person because you took time to educate him."
"I guess I did."
"Ya done good, kid."
"Daddy, not more of the redneck stuff!"
"Weren't you a redneck a few hours ago?"
"Not that kind of redneck!"
"But it's so much fun to tease you."
"Fun for you."
"If it's just fun for me, why do you have that big grin?"
"Maybe I am having fun too. A little. Maybe."
"Maybe? Maybe I should count ribs on this side…"
"Not my ribs!"
---
Bleep! Bleep!
"Which camera, Jack?"
"Out front. Four people I don't know. From two Escalades that stopped and then went on. Both of you armed. I'll take the 12 gauge to the doo…"
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Hey in dere! Open da' do'!"
'Emily to the kitchen gunport; the monitor there is on the rear camera. Karen to the one on my right as the vehicles went that way.'
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"Don't matta' who I is. I got a G-lock and I'll kill yo' white azz if you don' open dis do'!"
"There are two 12 gauge shotguns in here, one loaded with slugs and the other with 00 buckshot. You fire one shot and you'll leave here in a bag."
"You talkin' big, Homey! Open da' do'! I see lights so you's got power and food and me and my boyz gonna move in!"
Bleep! Bleep!
'One coming around the house on your side and one in back.'
"I said open da' do'!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
'I'll return fire from this port. You take the one on that side.'
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Pop!
'Any more of them, Jack?'
'None of the cameras show motion. Give them five minutes. I don't care if this group bleeds out before we get out to check them. Em, you OK?'
'I never shot a person before. I think I'm gonna be…'
'I'll carry you to the throne!'
'Jack, I'll make the inside cir…"
UURP!
"It burns!"
UURP!
"And it tastes bad!"
UURP!
"Think you're done?"
"Still a little squirmy down there."
"Let's get the bad taste out of your mouth. Here's a glass of water. Get a mouthful then swish and spit. Again. Now gargle. Again. Here's your toothbrush and toothpaste. It'll help."
"Tastes better but it's still a little squirmy and my tummy hurts."
"Most people have a hard time with the aftermath of shooting someone, even someone that was trying to harm them. Do you remember that we talked about this?"
"Even the 'UURP' part. But it's lots worse when you're doing it than when you're talking about it."
"Need some lap and shoulder time?"
"Un huh."
"Five minutes while I check the people outside and your Momma covers me. You stay here and stay down."
"Yes, Daddy."
---
"None of them alive, Jack?"
"No, Love. They were all either dead immediately or bled out before I checked them. I used my phone for pictures and I'll send those to Sheriff Edwards with my report. I have their weapons in this box. Checking their pockets, I found two sets of car keys with remotes and both vehicles are just up the road from the 'beeps' the remotes get. I'll use the drone to check whether anyone is with the vehicles. Emily needs her lap time."
"Me too."
"Then you in my lap and Em in your lap."
---
Ring!
'This is Edwards.'
'Bill, it's Jack. Check your texts and your email. We had six try to take the house a little earlier…"
'Any survivors?'
'Not on their side.'
'Then write it up and I'll be by - maybe before dark so I can see the scene. You have pictures?'
'Included with my writeup.'
'Weapons?'
'In a box. Also two vehicles, both white Escalades. I have the keys.'
'I think I know who then. I'll check the pix and get back to you. Emily OK?'
'Going through the typical body responses for her first time shooting a person. Karen's in my lap and Em's in hers.'
'Good places for them. See you later.'
---
"I'm hungry!"
"That's a good sign, Em."
"Me too."
"Same for you, Love. How about one of our home-grown frozen-dinner-in-a-bag one skillet meals?"
"Shrimp, Daddy?"
"OK by you, Love?"
"Yes."
"Then if you'll let me up, I'll go stir up supper."
"Not another pun!"
"That's how you cook stir-fry, Em."
"Daddy!"
---
"Hello the house!"
"Hello, Bill. If you can find a path between the dog and semi-human bodies, come on in. You're in time for supper."
"It's shrimp stir-fry!"
"Sounds as though you might like that Emily."
"It's yummy! Grab a plate and come sit by me."
"Jack, Karen. These guys were the leaders of two of the local gangs, along with their lieutenants and drivers. When they couldn't provide food or heat, they had to search out both or be out of power. No more light than you have showing, I'm surprised that they stopped - it looks like just another farmhouse with a kerosene lamp for light."
"My thought also. There are probably at least a dozen houses of similar size and with similar lighting closer to town. Any idea why they'd be out this far?"
"No idea what makes these people tick. FYI, all of these have active felony warrants so my report will simply state that they were killed attempting yet another home invasion and that will be the end of it. I didn't recognize the tattoos on the dogs' ears but I did get pictures and I'll have someone run that down. I'm in my truck so I can haul the bodies off if you help me load them. Keep the ammo except for one round from each box and consider it the spoils of war. I want the weapons for ballistics tests on several unsolved shootings. When we have someone available, I'll send a couple of deputies to drive those vehicles to the impound lot for a thorough search."
"Let your supper settle and then have some pie and coffee, Bill. After that, we can work on garbage collection."
"Daddy, I like that pun."
"I thought you might, Em."
---
"Bedtime, Em. No 'secret messages' half the night."
"We did about 30 minutes earlier. Junior's almost as good as I am."
"Already at 13 words per minute?"
"Close. Is there a way I can do short range 'broadcast radio' so he can hear it instead of seeing it - and he'll be the only one hearing it?"
"Ask me tomorrow and I can connect a code key to one of the FRS radios. It will be much easier to use for sending code than the push-to-talk button plus the 'call' button on the radio. Just remember that anyone on that channel can hear what you're sending, even 'mushy' stuff."
"Daddy! I might say something when we're using the lights for code because you can't see my window unless you're in the right place but NOT EVER on the radio. Some things are private."
"Then jammies, brush and floss. Is this a night for a bedtime story and being tucked in?"
"Un huh."
"'All the Way to the Moon'?"
"Un huh. You're pretty good at this bedtime stuff."
"I had a 'pretty good' reason to learn. Go change and brush and so forth."
"On my way."
---
"She's asleep in your lap? That hasn't happened in a long time."
"She hasn't has this much excitement and fear in a long time."
"Animals and people who would hurt her if they could reach her. This might be a night for multiple nightmares."
"Put some of those soft wool socks on her feet so she doesn't have bad dreams from cold feet as she sometimes does. Tonight she has way too much material available for manufacturing bad dreams."
"Already have them out. Much easier to get her in them after she's asleep - she's only able to argue 'I don't need them' if she's awake."
"I'll carry her to bed and tuck her in. She asked for that, although she may not remember me doing it."
'Goodnight, sweet girl.'
'G'night, Best Daddy Ever.'
---
"Jack, will today be typical of the weeks without power?"
"I hope not and I don't think it will be like this every day but there may be more days like this before things settle down. If not for the smell and the mental effects on Emily, I was tempted to leave the dogs and the semi-humans in the yard. If we have another shooting event, I think the road out front will begin to resemble the roads into Rome with bodies up on stakes or crosses."
"Brutal but probably effective. I doubt that any gang member would be eager to enter a gate flanked by the bodies of former gang leaders. Do we do 'bad dream watch' tonight?"
"It's rare for Em to have a bad dream other than in the first two or three hours she's asleep. I'll take the first two hours and then you can sleep with her the rest of the night as any unusual motion or noise will wake you."
"I love you too."
---
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Post by 9idrr on Mar 31, 2019 21:40:36 GMT -6
Ah, just another typical, quiet day at Jack's place, huh?
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 3, 2019 15:10:08 GMT -6
Chapter 8
8 December, 6:30AM
"Daddy?"
"Yes, up-before-sunrise-daughter?"
"Why are you walking around the whole place so early and touching that little orange light to the fence?"
"It's a neon bulb and it lights each time the electric fence is pulsed. Remember that the fence spits out very short but painful spurts of electricity that aren't fatal but they hurt enough to keep animals away from the fence and people from being able to hold on long enough to climb over the fence. The neon bulb isn't very bright when used this way, so checking the fences before the sun is fully up means the bulb is easier to see."
"I remember backing up into the fence when I was trying to see how the gate worked. It really stings on your butt! Why aren't you getting shocked?"
"Do you remember insulators and conductors from that 50-in-one electronics kit?"
"Stuff like glass that electricity can't normally flow through and stuff like copper wire that it can flow through real easy."
"Very good. The neon bulb is made of glass and typically would have power applied across the two electrodes inside to light the bulb. However, a high enough voltage can energize the neon through the glass but it's not able to pass enough current that way to shock you."
"So every little 'blip' causes the bulb to light?"
"Yes."
"There's no spark like you get when the grass grows up to the bottom wire."
"There's no connection through the glass. The neon atoms are excited by the intensity of the electric field on each pulse. The grass that gets too tall is trimmed back down by the power of the fence charger - look at the end of this stem and you can see that it's been zapped off. Remember that this fence is intended to keep horses and cattle inside, which takes a strong shock. It really hurts on smaller animals, especially the two-legged kind. I see you rubbing your lower cheek."
"I just remember how much it hurt. You're making sure all the fence is working to keep people from coming onto any part of the property?"
"Correct, smart girl. The cameras and motion sensors will detect motion at a distance from the house and other buildings but it's even better if unwanted visitors never get inside the fence."
"We sure don't want them on the porch again!"
"Which is why all the electric fence sections are active and the power gates are closed."
"Can the gates shock you too?"
"You want to give them the finger test?"
"Un uh! I see the little light flickering when it touches that gate."
"Feel better about being here?"
"Un huh. And even better when I'm with you."
---
'Breaker, breaker 17! You there, Jack?'
'I'm here, Sheriff."
'Before you ask, I'm using CB because the cell phone network is rapidly going away. I asked Bob Green at the telco office and he said most of the cell towers started with no more than 48 hours of backup so they have very little remaining. That would be OK if the pumps at their vehicle depot had power and they could pump gas for the generators and diesel for the trucks but they can't do either. While the telco exchange that serves landlines has two weeks of fuel for their generators, that's no longer the majority of their customers. Cell calls still go through the local exchange so that part of the network is up but the towers are losing power.'
'Can the Guard help?'
'All their three phase generators are in use at the water and sewer facilities. The local telco doesn't have any portable three phase gens as someone seems to have assumed that only the telco offices need three phase power and they have big, permanently installed generators so no portables were provided. Guess they didn't know that some of the fuel pumps need them.'
'OK. Very soon, fewer than half the people will have working phones and only a small number still have CB radios so communications will be spotty at best and 911 won't be available to half the population. Maybe ask if the local ham club can set up communications points every few miles in the dark parts of the county? I don't remember how long the backup power lasts at the two meter repeater site but I think it's several days. If the repeater is up, someone with a handheld radio can access it over about 80% of the county. Could you get them fuel for the generator at the repeater site if needed?'
'Roger Smith is my contact?'
'He was president of the radio club a couple years ago but he's still active. If you can't get him on his landline phone - the number ends in 426 which spells 'ham' - let me know and I'll try the ham frequencies he monitors.'
'How many people can they deploy?'
'Between 12 and 20, depending on who might be at work but that could be limited by who has enough fuel on hand - they can't exactly fill their vehicle tanks on the way to a post.'
'Kinda thin coverage.'
'Pretty good for the price and the circumstances. Think payphone spacing before most of them went away a few years ago. Maybe near the major housing blocks? Say the main entrance of each McMansion neighborhood and at Green Acres? Announce on local broadcast radio that for emergency communications people should first try to find a landline phone that works and only if they can't do that should they look for one of the volunteer communications vehicles. Tell all the comms people to be visibly armed and include the fact that they are armed in the public announcement.'
'I guess it beats not having any communications.'
'It does. Go make some calls. Get back to me if you need me. Emily and I are walking the fence line checking the electric fencing with the neon bulb. She's still sufficiently fascinated by it that I might have company for the entire circuit. I have my backpack of fence tools and thus far I've had to repair two breaks in the fencing from limbs that fell.'
'With the fence hot?'
'No. I'm using a handheld radio to tell Karen when I need a section of fence deactivated and then reactivated. All the fence chargers are monitored and controlled from the house so we'll know if one of them fails or is disabled by someone from the outside.'
'I might have known you'd have a solution.'
'Go back to work. Stop by if you need a cup of chamomile or some time watching the cardinals.'
'Will do.'
''No, paleface. Bill do.'
'I give.'
---
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Post by texican on Apr 3, 2019 23:26:23 GMT -6
Thanks PP2 for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 8, 2019 19:50:50 GMT -6
I'm posting completed chapters faster than I'm being inspired to write new chapters so there may be an end to the posting before there is an end to the story :-( If you see a green-haired muse with orange eyes, less than five feet tall and looking about ten years old, please send her back to me.
Chapter 9
8 December, 9:10AM
"Do you understand what we did with the wiring, Em?"
"Un huh. The wires from the little headphone jack we added go to the 'call' button on the FRS radio. The code key plugs in the new jack and it now does the same thing - with the push-to-talk switch locked in transmit, I can key the tone a lot faster than using the 'call' button!"
"Correct. You mentioned having some new code practice material for Junior?"
"I wrote up how you got shot in the gunfight that saved the millionaire guy in Huntsville - the one that sells rocket parts - by jumping in front of him and taking the bullets meant for him. He said giving you a cash reward would just be a one-time thing and be taxable so some company he owns buys farm loans from banks and they bought your loans on the farm and the tractor and stuff and he gave you the papers forgiving the loans."
"You can tell Junior about the gunfight and saving that man but not the about the loans. He told me it was all legal and is something members of Congress do regularly but I don't think it should be public knowledge. I didn't learn about it until after I was out of the hospital - the lawyer came by the house with the completed paperwork - so there was nothing I could do to change it. On the positive side, we will always have a place to live as the property is in an inter-vivos trust that ensures it will go to you - and any future siblings you might have - if anything happens to your Momma and me."
"Siblings? You and Momma are gonna…"
"We're talking about the possibility of more children. Just remember that their very mature and responsible 'big sister' might be our first choice for a babysitter if we needed one."
"I'll hafta think about the babysitting part."
---
Ring!
'This is Jack.'
'Jac… Bil… ice …'
'Bill, you are breaking up. I say again, you are breaking up. Use CB channel 17. CB Channel 17.'
'CB cha… 17.'
"What's going on with your phone, Jack?"
"The cell network is failing, Love. Batteries in the solar-powered towers, such as our closest tower on Norton Road at County 23, are running down with neither commercial power nor sun available for multiple days and the batteries being colder than usual. The towers with generator backup won't fade as the tower that call came through is doing - when the gen runs out of fuel, the tower shuts down completely. As I mentioned earlier, half the people in the county will be without communications very soon. I think Bill got the reference to CB chan…"
'Breaker, breaker 17. Jack, it's Bill. Can you hear me?'
'I'm here, Bill. Hear you fine. There's a lot of value in having a 50 foot silo to mount antennas on.'
'One of my radio techs wishes we had that much height for the Sheriff's Dispatch antenna farm. I was calling to warn you about the ice storm that's coming our way.'
'Ice storm? Last I heard was a cold front and a 30% chance of sleet. The NOAA weather radio is on the backup power feed and its internal batteries are only a month or so old.'
'DOT and law enforcement have gotten word via our own networks. The storm just suddenly intensified - think a tropical storm that changes to a Category 3 hurricane in two or three hours. The local weather prognosticators - for the few who can still see or hear them - probably haven't gotten the word yet. Anyway, expect sleet, changing to freezing rain with 1/4" to 1/2" ice accumulation on trees and powerlines overnight, the temperature dropping to the teens as the storm moves out and staying there for several days. With two days notice, we'd still have people die from weather like this. With no good way to broadcast this info, expect many people to not be prepared. Even if they hear about the storm, where would they get food or supplies with most stores of all types closed for lack of power?'
'You plan to have the Deputies out with a canned message on the cruiser PA systems?'
'Already taped that message and sent them out. They're starting at the southwest edge of the county as that's where the storm will hit first. Estimated arrival time of the first of the freezing rain is about four hours so we might get all the major roads and more than half the secondary roads covered before I have everyone refill their tanks and then park in covered space so they can get out again in 16 to 18 hours to work on the cleanup.'
'16 plus hours? 1/2" could be the low end of the accumulation possibilities. We're OK, other than probably getting some tree damage - having spent the extra bucks to have all the power and communications wiring underground means those things are protected. I will make sure that the animals are OK for at least 24 hours without further attention. Does the Guard have dozers that can be used to just push the big limbs and small trees off the roads? There will be more road blockages than the DOT and the prepared locals can clear. A tracked vehicle can also break up the ice on the roads and bridges.'
'I'll ask. We'll be limited to the Guard contingent that's already here as there's a wide swath of this coming through the state and we can expect similar conditions over a 100 mile or longer path. Parts of Georgia and Tennessee are also in the path but they at least are starting the process with power and communications - and they are setting up "warming centers" in various places. If the Guard had those heated tents up at the fairgrounds, I'd be commandeering school buses and taking people there but they're already stretched thin working on power for water and sewer plus power for the middle and high schools. If they get the tents up, I might be driving a bus.'
'If I can help with something, let me know - I can also drive a bus if needed. I'll be listening here and on the local two meter repeater, plus the Sheriff's Office dispatch frequency. Meanwhile, we'll take care of our animals and ensure that the backups to the backups are available.'
'You go do that. If I can't get home, I'll stop at your place.'
'Plenty of room in the barn.'
'The apartment out there from the days when horses were a cash crop and someone was always out there if a mare was nearing delivery beats the heck out of sleeping in my office.'
---
"Freezing rain, Jack?"
"Major ice storm, Love. Remember hearing about Atlanta in 1973 when places inside the city were without power for more than two weeks?"
"Worse than that?"
"If Bill's info is accurate, much worse. Other than some possible tree damage, I think we'll be OK. We do need to ensure the animals are in warm enclosures and that they have food and water for at least 24 hours. Still nothing on the S.A.M.E. weather radio?"
"I pressed the 'Listen' button and got a forecast that's about four hours old so they are still on the air. Not sure why it isn't updating."
"I wonder…"
"You talking to me or thinking aloud, Jack?"
"Thinking aloud, Love. I wonder if one of the HAARP weather control experiments got out of control - whether ours, Russia's or China's - or maybe they got the coordinates wrong and we're getting weather that's usually expected quite a few miles to our north. My research tells me it is possible for those systems to have interactions and that none of the nations yet have a good handle on the degree of interaction they might experience. We may never know."
"We can hope it's someone we know and might be able to influence. I remember an old sci-fi short story where the invading aliens took control of the weather and that control was enough to defeat any army in the field - not even tanks can break themselves out of two feet of ice."
"So if the ice gets thicker than an inch or so, I should research sci-fi stories?"
"Jack, that research might be more interesting than watching the ice build up and listening to limbs breaking off the trees."
"That particular noise I'll file under 'natural firewood harvesting'."
"Unless it's pine?"
"Pine we can use to boil water for scalding hogs or plucking poultry or for heat when making soap. Just not in the stoves or fireplace."
"Did Momma really say 'aliens'?"
"Yes, Emily, but let me give you the background that led to that remark."
"OK."
---
"You have your notes, Miss Holmes. What do they tell you? Is this just a much-worse-than-usual spell of weather or weather control by some government or a group of aliens?"
"Daddy, your weather data goes back to 1905 and while we usually get the worst winter weather in January or February, it happens in December about once every seven or eight years. About every third time, that weather is exceptionally cold and nasty. It's been 23 years since there was a really bad ice storm in December - as in bad enough to close roads for several days and for people to be without power for weeks. Lots of people are already without power so this will just mean it takes longer to fix that - somebody will hafta clear the roads before the power crews can get to the wires and transformers to fix or replace them."
"So our resident consulting detective doesn't see a government plot or an alien invasion?"
"Not yet. Does this mean there'll be another baby boom like the year after that storm?"
"How do you know there was one?"
"This newspaper clipping tucked in the weather data notebook: 'County Birth Rate Up 23% in September and October' sounds like a boom to me."
"Brilliant deduction, Miss Holmes. It's possible people will again need to cuddle up under multiple quilts and blankets to stay warm when it's that cold - especially when the power is out so many places."
"'Cuddle up'. First time I've heard you use that unitarianism, Daddy."
"'Unitarianism'? You were thinking of 'euphemism'?"
"That's the word - meaning something OK in mixed company instead of some other word."
"First time we've talked about a population explosion, sweet girl. I'm certain that you know what might happen during that 'cuddle up' but while I might discuss that with you at your request, I wouldn't mention it to anyone else your age."
"Maybe Junior if he asked?"
"Only if his Dad wasn't available. That's family business and should be kept within the family."
"I understand."
"I also want you to remember 'euphemism' so I'll spell it for you and I want you to go look up the definition and then write the word 20 times - ten times in your best presentation printing and ten times in cursive…"
"Cursive? Do I gotta?"
"Do you want to be able to read and write the secret code the adults around you use?"
"I guess it is a secret code if you don't know it. Dictionary in the usual place?"
"Second shelf of the oak bookcase on the left, unless you want to work at your desk where the dictionary is probably on the wall shelf above your desk."
"In here, 'cause I don't wanna be by myself."
"Leftovers from yesterday or something new from the weather discussion?"
"Maybe both?"
"Then lap time while you work?"
"Yes!"
---
"Asleep in your lap?"
"She used an incorrect word so I gave her the correct one and its spelling and told her to look it up and write it 20 times. She didn't want to be alone in her room - things from yesterday and the weather forecast - so I offered her lap time to work. I think I counted 16 lines when she turned and put her head against my chest and snuggled in for a long hug. The hug seems to have worked as she's smiling in her sleep."
"I think an hour qualifies as a 'long hug'. You plan to wake her or just ease her down on the sofa?"
"Wake her so she can help with closing things up for the animals. She may already remember all of that process but I'll stay with her while she's doing things. From her count, there are still some dogs unaccounted for. I can close and secure doors with one hand but she can't - yet."
"Sounds good. Potato soup with toppings of crumbled bacon and grated cheddar OK for supper?"
"I hadn't thought of eating until you mentioned it but now I'm hungry! Need help with the grilled cheese sandwiches?"
"When you come back in. I'm sure Em will want to help cook."
"I'm sure you're correct. Hi, sweet girl."
"Hi, Daddy. I went to sleep? I just snuggled in for a hug and now it's almost dark so I musta been asleep."
"That's my marvelous young analyst at work again! Yes, you were asleep. We need to ensure the animals are ready for 24 hours without us. Then we can work on supper."
"We? I get to cook again?"
"We'll get the griddle out for grilled cheese on pumpernickel bread."
"Yummy!"
"Sweatshirt, jacket, poncho, rain hat and boots. It's wet out there and rapidly getting colder."
"Any ice yet?"
"On a couple of the outbuildings…"
"The ones with no heat."
"Another brilliant deduction!"
"Daddy, you're silly!"
"I made my favorite daughter smile."
"You did."
"Up out of my lap and dressed for chores."
"It's all in the mud room."
"Then we'll go mudding."
"Daddy, you're getting silly again!"
"Em, look closely at the path to the barn. What color is it?"
"Shiny brown."
"Does that mean it's wet dirt?"
"With it raining all day, yes."
"And what is wet dirt called?"
"Mud. You're right. We'll be 'mudding' just not in a truck with tractor wheels and tires."
"Do Tucker and Mugwump need food and water until we can get out to the barn again?"
"Yes, Daddy. We take care of the animals first because they take care of us - the mules pulling the equipment for working the garden and the chickens providing eggs and sometimes meat."
"And maybe have hot chocolate when we get back inside?"
"Un huh! It seems lots colder than earlier."
"It is. We had 38 degrees around noon but the thermometer on the wood shed is showing about 32…"
"That's ballpark for freezing rain."
"And what do you see on the clothesline?"
"It's gotten fat today. That's a lot of ice!"
"About 1/8 of an inch and we can expect four times that much ice - maybe more. Let's take care of the animals before your hat freezes to your poncho."
"Daddy, they don't…"
Crackle!
"There's ice on it already!"
"Watch your step in the slick areas and hold my hand if you want to…"
Growl!
Snarl!
Bang!
Pop!
"I think we just found the other two dogs you saw."
"Do we move them?"
"We take care of our animals and then move the dogs - remember that our animals might be spooked if we have the scent of blood on us and we want them calm before the storm. I'll bring out a plastic tarp we can roll the bodies on and then drag them behind the outhouse. I think the ice will control the smell."
"Do I hafta?"
"Isn't this like field dressing your own deer? You shoot it; you move it."
"I guess it's kinda like that."
"Let's finish what we came to the barn for, then I'll get the tarp and we'll move the dogs on our way back to the house."
---
"And the shots were?"
"You want to explain, Em?"
"The other two dogs I saw came at us. Daddy shot one and I shot the other one. We fed our animals and then put those dogs on a tarp and it's behind the outhouse."
"Good to know that we've stopped all of that pack. How bad is the icing?"
"Daddy said 1/8" on the clothesline when we went out but the forecast is for four times that."
"Then it will be bad. Jack, will we be able to get off the property if there's an emergency of some kind?"
"We have several options and we'll choose the best one if we must go elsewhere. When the ice gets thicker than 1/4", we can use the snowmobile and trailer I picked up at an estate sale last year. It's in excellent condition and we should be able to go at least 15 miles cross country on a tank of gas. We might take the tractor, as the frontloader could move some of the limbs that will be down in a few hours. Even better, we finish this warm supper then pop some popcorn and heat some cider and then we'll go sit by the fireplace just to watch the flames."
"I'm in!"
"Me too!"
---
'Break… 17 …u ther… Jack…'
'This is Jack. Is that you Bill?'
'Ye… off… Piney…'
'You're breaking up. Are you off the road at Piney Creek? Click the mic twice for yes.'
click click
'OK. I'll be on the tractor. Do you need medical?'
click click
'We'll be there soon.'
"Karen…"
"Checking my bag. Em, you're our lifeline while we go get Sheriff Edwards. Lock the door when we leave and keep your rifle close. Your Daddy got your pistol out of the safe. Check that it's loaded and a round is chambered and then drop the magazine and top it off."
"Yes, Momma. How long will you be gone?"
"I won't know until we check Bill and maybe not until we get him out of the car. You have tarps and a sleeping bag, Jack?"
"In the bucket of the tractor which is warming up as we speak. Em, remember that if we call you and mention 'ambulance', you need to be ready for shooting when we get back. Same if you need us."
"I remember, Daddy."
"That's my smart girl. To our green emergency vehicle, Love."
"Yes. Deere."
"Momma! Your puns are as bad as Daddy's!"
"Just keeping your mind sharp,"
"Maybe wearing it away."
"Remember to lock the door."
"Yes, Momma."
"Love, you need more face protection in this wind. Start with this balaclava and then bring your scarf up over your nose."
"I feel like a mummy but my face isn't as cold. How long to get to Bill?"
"Maybe ten minutes if I don't have to move limbs out of the road. Some of the smaller branches are starting to droop from the ice but none of the big ones yet."
"I noticed that 'yet'."
"The ice is building up very fast. On the bright side, the ups and downs through here are very small so no problem with slipping and sliding on the hills."
"That's a very good thing as there are limited places for hands and feet back here."
"Be glad the hydraulic pump is driven off the rear PTO so there's a small platform over it. Otherwise your foot space wouldn't be much bigger than a trailer hitch. Piney Creek is around the next curve…"
"How'd he get the truck there?"
"He must have hit ice coming down the little slope on the other side of the bridge and when he hit the brakes the truck did a 180 and parked its tail up on the guard rail. I wonder if the four jerry cans in the bed of the truck mean he needs gas at home for his little generator. Nothing we can do about that now as there's no place to put those on the tractor and he'll be in the bucket. It'll take both of us to get him out of the truck with it at that angle. The star pattern on the glass looks like he may have hit his head."
"You can get the bucket in place for us to lift him down into it?"
"Just a minute while I get it in position. Done. Now let's get him out."
"Why the crowbar?"
"First, he may not be conscious to unlock the door and second, the frame might be a little twisted from the truck's position and door won't open without a lot of effort."
"Then let's get him."
Knock! Knock!
"BILL! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
"BILL! IT'S JACK!"
"No response to either of us. I'll try the door."
"UMPH!"
"Either locked or jammed. Let me get the end of this four foot crowbar between the door and the doorframe."
"Ungh!"
"Count for us, Jack, and I'll help you with the crowbar."
"On three. One. Two. Three!"
"UMPH!!"
Screech!
"Grab the door and we'll get it all the way open. There's blood on the left side of his forehead. Maybe slammed his head into the side window when the truck went sideways? Any preference on which way he's in the bucket?"
"Injured side of his head to the front."
"That's how I have him. How much can you do here?"
"Basic stats. Temp. Heart rate. Blood pressure. Pupil responses. He took a hard knock to the head and I have to at least consider a mild concussion. Based on the trees that are now down in the direction he was coming from, we won't get him to a hospital unless we can get a chopper."
"You do what you can when we get back to the house and I'll check on an available flight. You riding back here or with him?"
"Back here. There's not room for me in the bucket. He's padded and strapped in as well as we can manage. Back home. It's much warmer, we have good lighting and I have more medications in the second medical bag."
"Hold on."
---
'Em, are you there?'
'I'm here, Momma."
'We'll need some boiling water for sterilizing instruments so can you put the silver pot on the big burner of the stove, use the Brita pitcher to fill the pot halfway with water, light the burner and then set it to 5 on the dial?'
'He's hurt bad?'
'We're not sure how badly he's hurt. The middle of an ice storm isn't a good place to put someone in a hospital gown so you can check for bumps, bruises, cuts, scratches and maybe something broken.'
'Better do that where it's warm.'
'Correct. Can you clear the kitchen table and put one of the small blue tarps on it and then a couple of sheets over that?'
'He needs surgery?'
'He needs some stitches. I'll know about other injuries after I examine him.'
'When will you be here?'
'Two or three minutes.'
'I need to tell Junior. He was flashing the light asking if we'd seen his Dad. He also asked if we had extra gasoline. I'll flash "radio" to him and then I can send from down here.'
'Very good, smart girl. You'll know we're close when you hear us. Go tell Junior and then come back to the kitchen. We may need your help.'
'Be right back.'
---
"Ohhh! The light hurts!"
"Then keep your eyes closed."
"Emily?"
"Yes, Mr. Edwards."
"How did I get here?"
"Your truck wrecked at the Piney Creek bridge. You banged your head real hard when it did. Momma and Daddy drove the tractor there and brought you back in the bucket. They got you into that gown thingy while I told Junior on the radio that you were here. Momma thinks you might have a coincushion - I think that's the right word. Anyway, she sewed up your head and gave you that IV and her and Daddy are washing up and changing clothes."
"How will I get home?"
"You won't for a day or two, Bill, on the orders of Nurse Karen. Not even the Guard's choppers are flying in this mess so this will be your hospital room for a while. Karen wants at least an Xray and preferably a CAT scan plus MRI but the roads aren't passable to anything but the tractor and I don't think you want to spend an hour or more strapped in that bucket."
"Staying here sounds like an excellent option."
"Wise choice. If you look on your left side, you'll find one side of your handcuffs around the bed rail, the other side open and Karen has the key."
"She is serious about me staying in bed."
"And you thought I exaggerated some of my PT experiences with her."
"I'll never question that again."
"Question what?"
"My experiences with you as my PT person."
"I just made you do what needed to be done, Jack. You showed Bill the handcuffs?"
"He did, Karen. I'm here for the duration."
"Good. It's much easier when the patient understands what's expected of him."
"Yes, Ma'am, Colonel, Ma'am."
"Bill, you're worse than Jack was!"
"Worse?"
"He never gave me a rank above Major."
"Ow! It hurts to laugh!"
"You have some bruised ribs. None give enough to be broken but one or two might be cracked - among other injuries. Your right ankle is sprained and you have some bruising on your left forearm in addition to the bump on your head. On the bright side, your stats look good and your pupils respond normally so you probably don't have a concussion…"
"So that's what Emily meant."
"What is?"
"'Concussion', which she heard as 'coincushion' which is what she told me when the two of you were washing up after 'surgery'."
"I guess that's pretty good understanding of what we said with us being in masks."
"I agree, Love. We'll correct that when we have the opportunity but she has been most helpful as a combination nurse's aide and candy striper."
"I can see why Junior's sweet on her. We had a long conversation the other day about…"
"'Kids too young'?"
"You've had that conversation with Emily?"
"Karen did."
"Well, Emily has certainly lived up to the image Junior painted. She's a very impressive young lady."
"We might like her…"
"A little bit - and why are you talking about me when it's the Sheriff you're taking care of?"
"He was just telling us that you lived up to the image Junior painted when they had a conversation the other day."
"Like the conversation I had with Momma?"
"Yes, sweet girl."
"Welcome to the family, Emily."
"Thank you, Mr. Edwards."
"Now my family needs to clear out of this room so my patient can rest…"
"But…"
"Do you want to wear those handcuffs, Bill?"
"No, Nurse Karen. But Ellen and Junior will need gas for the generator - it was in…"
"It's still in the truck. Choice was moving it or moving you. You're here; it's not. Emily can check with Junior on how they're doing in the storm."
---
"Em?"
"Yes, Daddy?"
"If you can contact Junior give him an update on his Dad. The Sheriff is banged up and has some minor bruising and had one cut on his head that needed stitches but not a concussion - that's c-o-n-c-u-s-s-i-o-n, not c-o-i-n-c-u-s-h-i-o-n which I know was difficult to understand through the masks. He has some bruised ribs and a sprained ankle but he'll be fine in a few days. Your Momma wanted an Xray or MRI of his brain but not even the Guard is flying helicopters in this weather. Also ask if they need gas for the generator as Bill had 20 gallons in the bed of the truck. If they need gas immediately, I'll try to get some there using the tractor. When the weather clears, we can get him home by tractor or maybe snowmobile but that could be several days…"
"Junior said something about 'siphon from the riding mower'. He can do that?"
"Much easier than from a modern car or truck. That might get them enough gas for a day or so. The last time I checked the ice accumulation on the clothesline was 3/8" - that's 75% of the predicted maximum and the rain hasn't slowed. Thank you for helping me get the tractor back under cover or I might not have been able to move it until the ice melted."
"Really?"
"Yes, 'really'. Look out at the clotheslines."
"They look more like the rope on my tire swing than a clothesline and they're sagging. Are the posts bending in some? They look different."
"You're correct. The ice weighs more than the clothes that are usually on those lines so they're sagging. I think I should go try to knock some of the ice loose before it does bend the posts."
CRACK!
Screech!
Twang!
"You don't hafta do anything about the clotheslines now, Daddy."
"I certainly don't, Miss Holmes. I will be doing a lot more about them when the weather clears - like cutting up a big limb, replacing at least one post and running new lines."
---
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 8, 2019 21:18:41 GMT -6
Thanks for the nice long chapter. No sign of anybody's muse around here. If I do see her, how much ransom will you pay?
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