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Post by papaof2 on Apr 8, 2019 23:23:00 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? Ransom? Perhaps the better question is 'How badly do you want to see this tale finished?' You can send her back via Priority mail, maybe the biggest Flat Rate box if you fold her up before you stuff her in? (You'll understand if you see her - she's a skinny thing even after giving her the big jar of Nutella, a spoon and a box of Nillas for dessert.) And warn her that the next time she might end up in a 5 gallon Mason jar. ;-) She'll more useful immediately if she's treated a little better than that (coach air fare is fine), but the USPS box might make her appreciate the 6 foot by 15 foot dog run here. I let her have an upstairs bedroom but she kept skipping out via the window so I followed through on my threat to pen her up. I just need to weld the corner where she gnawed through the wire holding the top on the dog run - probably Wednesday when it's not raining. You didn't know they could chew through things? Their teeth can handle plastic and some of the softer aluminum wire alloys but not steel wire (as in chainlink fencing) and copper wire only if it's not hard-drawn. There are at least 17 species of muse and most of those include several sub-species. If you follow a muse's genealogy, you'll find that male eye color and female hair color are normally the dominant genes - something like 97% of the time. The occasional "non-standard" muse has a 4 to 1 chance of having one eye of each color and both hair colors. There are two specific lines where the hair/eye dominance is reversed. Muse genealogy charts are usually done in color to track the inheritances. Aren't you glad you asked so you could get a lesson in muse genealogy (and biology)?
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Post by bluefox2 on Apr 9, 2019 16:37:13 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? I don't know if papa will pay but I can find some help from other readers of his stuff to come get that muse so he can write more.
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 9, 2019 18:12:41 GMT -6
"Aren't you glad you asked so you could get a lesson in muse genealogy (and biology)?" I always seem to be learnin' something from your stuff. Now, what about the elusive, almost never seen three-eyed muse? Are they bald, or multi-hued hair? BTW, that Large Flat Rate Game Box wasn't quite big enough, so I'm sending half of her today and hope to get the other half sent by Friday. Hope that helps. I believe they go to: That anonymous guy General Delivery BFE, Texarkana (AKA Baja Oklahoma) or somewhere like that.
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 9, 2019 19:37:06 GMT -6
This will not get her home but might get her to someone who's seen her before:
Crazy Old Man at the End of The Road General Delivery Elko, Ga
If Elko sounds familiar, an author you're probably familiar with used the one in Nevada as the setting for some of his stories.
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 9, 2019 19:50:56 GMT -6
Yeah, that's just over the hill and down the road. Ol' Will of "Shadow" fame hangs out in that area, too, I believe. That poor boy is still lookin' at some more snow in the Reno area this week.
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 11, 2019 17:25:01 GMT -6
Chapter 10
8 December, 10:30AM
"Nurse Karen?"
"Yes, Bill?"
"I doubt that there's anything on broadcast TV other than weather 'news' and I don't think my head could handle the God-awful noise of some of the commercials so what do you have in the way of reading materials?"
"From Agatha Christie to Arthur C. Clarke to 'Raising Healthy Turkeys' to Jerry D. Young to 'The History of the Ziggurat of Ur'. However, while the metal frames of your glasses survived, the lenses didn't. Our resident candy striper might be persuaded to read to you - she's currently working her way through 'The Annotated Sherlock Holmes' which is almost too big for her to manage."
"Emily has a very pleasant voice. I might enjoy listening to her read."
"Do be prepared to pronounce the words she doesn't recognize. She'll probably ask 'How do you pronounce', spell it and finish with 'and what does it mean?' She's less likely to do that when she's at her desk because there's a dictionary in arm's reach but in here she'll ask before she goes to another room to look it up."
"Considering Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's command of the language and the century since the original story was written, I might need a dictionary."
"You don't have glasses to read that dictionary."
"Oops. Bring me a dictionary and I'll offer it to her if it's a word I don't know."
"That'll work."
---
knock. knock.
"Mr. Edwards?"
"Yes, Emily?"
"Momma said you wanted me to read to you?"
"I'm bored out of my mind counting the flowers on the wall and my head hurts too much for the flashing images of TV - if there's any TV available…"
"Daddy said he could get one satellite on the big dish but he won't try to move that dish to another satellite with all the ice on it."
"I probably couldn't watch it long anyway. I can't read because my glasses were broken in the wreck so yes, I need someone to read to me - and you have a very pleasant voice."
"Is a Sherlock Holmes story OK?"
"Emily, I think almost every LEO…"
"What's a lion have to do with reading?"
"'LEO' is an acronym for Law Enforcement Officer. The term fits police, sheriff, marshal, detective or any other official."
"I understand. If you're the primary LEO in the county, does that make you the leader of the pride?"
"'Pride'? You sharp kid! LEO to lion to pride of lions. I don't think Junior knows how much trouble he may be in."
"Trouble, Mr. Edwards?"
"How much smarter you are than he is - and most of the other kids your age. Please read."
"OK. This is Mr. Doyle's number three favorite of all the Sherlock Holmes stories he wrote. 'The Dancing Men' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 'Holmes had been seated for some hours in silence with his long, thin back curved over a chemical vessel in which he was brewing …'"
---
"Bedtime stories for the good Sheriff?"
"Something to relieve the boredom for him and Emily. She does read with feeling and she's asked about very few words - other than LEO."
"No lions in the story I've been hearing."
"Em asked if a Holmes story was OK and Bill said 'almost every LEO' only to be interrupted by 'What does a lion have to do with reading?' whereupon he defined the term for her."
"'Whereupon'? You've either been reading or listening to Doyle's writings too long."
"Possibly both. Emily really gets into the stories she reads aloud and I let other things slide so I could listen to this one. Bill has asked for 'A Study in Scarlet' as the next story."
"I might like that girl…"
"A little bit."
"Yes, Em, at least that much. I thought you had another story to read."
"Momma gave him some painkiller in the middle of the first story. He made to the end of that one but only one chapter into the second one. He needs to rest."
"What was that hug for, Momma?"
"Being a good nurse's aide and candy striper."
"'Nurse's aide' I can figure out as someone maybe getting food and water and changing sheets but what's a 'candy striper'?"
"Some hospitals have a volunteer program for teenagers who do things like run errands for patients - maybe a magazine from the little store in the hospital lobby - or read to them or fluff up their pillows or just sit and talk to them. Their uniforms have red and white stripes so they look like candy canes…"
"And 'candy striper' fits. OK, I'll accept both titles. Which one does keeping Junior informed about his Dad fall under?"
"Usually, the official medical staff imparts that information to family members. Today, you're either 'official medical staff' or you're 'family' sharing information with other family members."
"He did tell me 'Welcome to the family' so it's family sharing with family."
"You also need to check whether they have enough gas for the generator or if they have other options for the couple of days before anything other than a tractor or dozer will be able to move on the roads."
"Daddy, I have a sched with Junior in another hour."
"Would our candy striper like a brownie and some hot chocolate while she waits?"
"Sounds yummy, Momma!"
---
"Didn't Daddy say he'd wash the dishes last night?"
"He did, Emily. However, he didn't use any of the frequently used cookware so that skillet probably won't be used again for several days and he's doing his usual 'I'll get to it' on the dishes. He'll probably do them tonight and then also clean the sink. Most men aren't big on washing dishes. Your Daddy is never in a hurry to do it, but he gets it done - and does an excellent job of it. I won't fuss about it being put off a day when I'm not the one washing the big, heavy skillet he prefers for stir fry."
"Easier to let him do things on his schedule?"
"Several pounds easier."
---
"Nurse Karen?"
"Yes, Bill?"
"Am I allowed to sit up for a while? I'm tired of being in bed."
"Up and in a rocker/recliner so you can either get gentle motion or go horizontal if needed. You only move with someone supporting you or using the walker in the corner of the room."
"No arguments there. I'm a little dizzy…"
"But he was never a blonde."
"Enough from you, Jack."
"Just having fun at your expense, Bill. Good to see you trying to be up. You had us very concerned when I had to lift you out of the truck and into the tractor's bucket."
"Good to have capable friends nearby when needed. Karen, when can I go home?"
"When the roads are cleared. Things may start to thaw in two or three days, but until someone either drives the road or flies a drone down the road to your house we won't know if it's clear. Jack, when can you check with a drone?"
"After the rain stops, Love, and then only if the wind is below ten miles per hour. I'll only take the drone out a quarter mile or so. If that much is passable with the tractor doing some minor clearing, I'll take the tractor out farther. If big trees need to be moved, it could be several days before I can get that much work done. I don't expect there to be any help available out here."
"Jack, that is one disadvantage of us having enough land for animals and crops - your nearest neighbor may be a half mile or more away. Or, using one of your bedrooms as a hospital room until you can get him home."
"So five or six days?"
"Possibly, Bill. One positive is that Emily and Junior have communications so he and Ellen know your status. In spite of the circumstances - ice, no power and more - they know you're OK, you know they're OK and Em and Junior can pass any needed messages. Em, have you been making notes about this?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Maybe you can write up an article on emergency communications for QST Magazine and/or the local paper?"
"QST? The big ham magazine? But I'm just a kid!"
"By the time this ends, you and another 'kid' will have been reliably passing health and welfare traffic in severe weather conditions and by non-traditional means for several days. I think other people should know about the system you worked out."
"If I hafta."
"Mrs. Larrigan might consider it extra work that gets a grade."
"An 'A'?"
"Probably."
"You'll help me with the big words?"
"Which big words?"
"The ones that I can't spe… but I can spell them 'cause I had to know the spelling to tell Junior by code!"
"I think you might have this covered."
"You're the Best Daddy Ever!"
---
'Breaker, breaker 17. Guard to Sheriff Edwards.'
'Guard from Jack Wilson.'
'Yes?'
'The Sheriff was in an accident on an icy road. He's staying with us until my nurse wife gives him a clean bill of health. Unless you have something tracked, you'd probably have difficulty getting here.'
'This is Major Albertson. I have some updates for the Sheriff if he's available.'
'This is Edwards.'
'You do sound a bit under the weather, Bill.'
'I say hello and she hits me with a bad pun. It's like talking with Jack.'
'The news is a little better than the pun. Alabama Power will need to replace several sections of damaged line and they think each section can be done in a day or less so the incoming power will be up completely in a week, possibly less.'
'That's very good! What about local repairs?'
'The Dawkins Co-op doesn't have a replacement transformer but one of the Southern Company subsidiaries in South Carolina does. It was for a new subdivision that has been cancelled so the transformer isn't needed there. It will be on a truck tomorrow but transit time could be three days or more. By then, the NTSB should be finished with their on-site work and the damaged transformer can be removed, followed by repairing any not-yet-visible damage. Then the transformer can be installed. Alabama Power should have their line work done about the time the transformer is in place.'
'What about the schools, water and sewer?'
'The middle and high schools will have power around noon tomorrow. Power for water and sewer should be in place later in the day. I understand your co-op has been first in line to go help neighboring areas so they expect to get help as soon as the roads are clear enough. Damage is massive and some of the more remote areas might not see a repair person for three weeks or longer.'
'The school news is excellent and the prospects for outlying areas are about as I expected.'
'That's all I have Sheriff. I'll contact you again when we have more progress to report. Guard out.'
'Thank you. Edwards out.'
"You look better, Bill."
"I feel better, Karen. They've made very good progress considering the weather conditions."
"What I see looking out this window is a shiny white desert so the fact that they're able to move equipment and get work done borders on the miraculous. Now that you have something positive to think on, back to bed."
"Yes, Ma'am, Colonel, Ma'am."
---
"Bill's asleep, Love?"
"Jack, with all the energy he's been burning worrying about things he can't do or do anything about, I'm not surprised that getting him back in bed after a bit of positive news has him asleep again. Best possible thing for his body - rest and self-repair."
"Agreed."
---
"Emily, what are those beeps from your radio?"
"It's code, Momma. Need my pencil and pad."
u t-h-e-r-e e-m-i-l-y-?
"It's Junior!"
f-i-g-u-r-e-d o-u-t k-e-y w-i-r-i-n-g o-n f-r-s
"He connected a code key to his FRS radio."
h-o-w-s d-a-d-?
"Gotta get my key. Be right back."
h-e-s a-s-l-e-e-p g-u-a-r-d w-i-l-l p-o-w-e-r s-c-h-o-o-l-s t-o-m-o-r-r-o-w
m-o-m s-a-y-s w-e n-e-e-d g-a-s t-o-m-o-r-r-o-w
"Daddy, when can you get gas to Junior?"
"After the rain stops. Maybe tomorrow. When do they need it?"
"Tomorrow."
"Tell him tomorrow afternoon."
d-a-d-d-y s-a-y-s t-o-m-o-r-r-o-w a-f-t-e-r-n-o-o-n
c-o-d-e- s-l-o-w c-a-n w-e t-a-l-k i-n-s-t-e-a-d-?
n-o-t u-n-t-i-l y-o-u s-e-n-d f-a-s-t-e-r
o-k e-l-m-e-r
"You're being hard on him, Emily. I'd say you're sending faster than 15 words per minute."
"He needs to practice under pressure so the 13 words per minute test will be easy."
"OK, Elmer."
"That's you made me do and I passed the test the first time!"
"I know. I just enjoy teasing you. Tell him 'bye' and we can go care for animals."
"OK."
8-8
8-8
"What if someone else hears that?"
"Out here in the middle of the frozen desert, Daddy? We barely can hear each other."
"How about a hug to go with the teasing?"
"I'll take that."
"Back in our 'mudding' gear except this time we're going 'icing' but without a cake."
"Daddy!"
---
"I like these chain thingies on my boots! I could walk without sliding everywhere."
"They're called strap-on cleats - like the shoes for some sports have cleats. They do help. Hang them over the bucket so the drips from the melting ice wind up in the bucket and not on the floor."
"Got it."
---
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Em?"
"Ice is made of water and water kinda conducts electricity. Will the ice stop the electric fences from working?"
"Good question. It could. Come with me to the control panel for the fences and gates. The individual strands on the fence are powered separately and there are status lights for each strand in each fence section. If there's ice or snow up to the bottom strand, we get the yellow 'Problem' light on that fence controller…"
"We have four of those."
"When that happens, I switch that fence charger to 'Standby' and that strand is no longer hot. However, all the other strands are still hot. Someone who sees ice on the bottom strand and thinks the fence is safe to touch will be disappointed."
"And their hands and shoes might be wet which means the shock is stronger?"
"Certainly possible."
"You planned a lot to keep us safe."
"I might like you…"
"A little bit. 'A little bit' has a whole different meaning in this family. I like that."
"I think I might be able to tell that from your hug."
---
"Can I go with you when you take the gas to Junior?"
"Should that be 'can' or 'may'?"
"I'm not sure because the tractor doesn't have multiple seats and I don't think you could drive it with me in your lap."
"You've put some thought into this."
"I tried to sketch it out starting with this picture of the back of the tractor but I don't see a good place to hold on."
"There's not a good place for a kid to hold on. Your Momma just did manage to hold on but she's taller than you and her arms are longer."
"Bummer. I'm almost ten but I'm too little."
"If the bucket had some place for you to hold on, it's big enough to hold some gas cans and you, but there's nothing for you to hold on to. 'Can' was the correct word because you physically can't ride the tractor. Sorry, sweet girl. I know you wanted to go. Think about how much Sheriff Edwards wants to go there."
"You'd move him in the bucket if it's life or death but not on a 'wanna'."
"Correct. You go ask if he'd like for you to continue reading 'A Study in Scarlet'."
"That way we both get to be with 'family'."
"Yes, Miss Sherlene Holmes."
"This time that gets you a hug."
"I love you too."
"I know."
---
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Post by darkwolf on Apr 11, 2019 20:48:58 GMT -6
It seems the board software does not like my version of FF (older) so I can not mark chapter as liked.
Thanks for the new chapter.
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 11, 2019 21:08:54 GMT -6
Lordy, was I ever young enough to learn Morse? Can't remember much of it now. Hopefully, these two will keep up with it. And when to they pick up semaphore?
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 11, 2019 21:40:07 GMT -6
Lordy, was I ever young enough to learn Morse? Can't remember much of it now. Hopefully, these two will keep up with it. And when to they pick up semaphore? Keep reading ;-) There's a reference to flags and lanterns from a tower - but that's a few chapters away... There are some perhaps better ways to learn code these days. See what's offered here: cq2k.com/index.htmlI'm in that small number of hams who took their General (and Advanced) code and written tests at an FCC field office. Does that date me?
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 11, 2019 21:47:00 GMT -6
It seems the board software does not like my version of FF (older) so I can not mark chapter as liked. Thanks for the new chapter. Mozilla Firefox 52.9.0 for XP works fine most places. The last version of Chrome for XP 49.0.2623.112 still works here (I'm using it to type this). Not sure about any other OS.
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 12, 2019 19:25:28 GMT -6
Lordy, was I ever young enough to learn Morse? Can't remember much of it now. Hopefully, these two will keep up with it. And when to they pick up semaphore? Keep reading ;-) There's a reference to flags and lanterns from a tower - but that's a few chapters away... There are some perhaps better ways to learn code these days. See what's offered here: cq2k.com/index.htmlI'm in that small number of hams who took their General (and Advanced) code and written tests at an FCC field office. Does that date me? Sure would've been smart of me to get a license back in those days, when I knew Morse. Had a friend who passed about 5 hears ago, just about the time he was talkin' gettin' a practice key to get back into radio again. He'd been USAF, a good part of the time runnin' a Collins on C119s and C130s. It's nice to know that Emily wants to keep the old ways goin'.
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Post by gipsy on Apr 12, 2019 20:05:16 GMT -6
Being an OLD Navy airborne radio operator. I copied code on a portable typewriter. Sent and received around 30 wpm. Then they said I had to train others how to do it so I got up around 35 sending and 45 copying. We had paper tape machines to do the sending for lessons. Someplace in one of my boxes I still have one of the old big knob keys. Then they went and got me a TTY setup, took all the fun out of it.
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 12, 2019 22:02:31 GMT -6
My hand probably wouldn't last 30 minutes sending with a standard key these days :-( Keyers are much easier and the uBitX $129US semi-kit SSB/CW transceiver (500KHz to 30MHz receive and 80-10 meter ham bands transmit) includes a basic keyer. The uBitX is the most expensive ham gear I've purchased in years, so you can guess the age of my existing Heathkit tube-powered equipment ;-)
After many years of just VHF/UHF operation (no good place for an HF antenna) I'm finally getting back on the HF bands. I'll be using CodeQuick to get my speed back up to an acceptable level - I'm more interested in being able to casually copy in my head again than in doing any serious CW work but it is another backup option. I'd much rather pass information by voice or a computer-assisted digital mode but CW is basic and reliable.
This will be a "hands-on" ham rig, as I've put the kit together and calibrated it, wound a toroid coil to interface the antenna I'll be putting up and modified my existing homebrew antenna matcher to work better with that antenna.
I'm also resurrecting an older IBM Thinkpad laptop to use with some of the digital modes now available to hams. Yes, I could power everything from solar if needed.
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 15, 2019 15:07:09 GMT -6
Chapter 11
8 December, 11:20AM
'Breaker 17. Guard to Jack Wilson.'
'Wilson here.'
'Sir, the Major needs to talk with you about billeting people at the schools. She said something about a spreadsheet you have?'
'I started working on a spreadsheet that gives the number of people who could be supported by the water available at each school but Bill was injured before he got that information for me.'
'One of my troops says his uncle works for County Water and can get that information for you today. Can we get to your property by road?'
'The shortest route is County 23, starting behind the Sheriff's Office. However, you would need to clear some trees before you get to Piney Creek and the Sheriff's truck is across that bridge and will need a fairly large wrecker to get it off the guard rail.'
'Registration lists Crew Cab Dodge Ram with dual rear wheels. Is that still correct?'
'Correct.'
'We have a CAT D-8 and a large wrecker available. We'll head your way and you'll hear those vehicles when we get close to you. Maybe a couple of hours?'
'Maybe longer. We'll be here.'
'Guard out.'
'Wilson out.'
"Love…"
"You want to feed them?"
"Your sausage bean chowder recipe makes a good bit and everyone seems to like it…"
"I can make the cornbread!"
"That you can, sweet girl."
"How many people, Jack?"
"Probably fewer than 20, but also probably hungry for any home cooking."
"Recipe has 'Serves 10-12'. I should triple that?"
"The chowder freezes well, doesn't it, Love?"
"It does."
"Then triple it and we'll freeze any leftovers."
"Three dozen corn muffins, Momma?"
"Yes, Em. Do you need help with the measur…"
"Got it, Momma. Cooking measurements are easy arithmetic."
---
"Jack, I hear mechanical growls coming towards us from Piney Creek."
"One growl is the CAT. The other is the wrecker. I think they brought something that could move a semi. I'm sure it had no problem lifting Bill's truck off the guard rail and putting it back down on the road."
"Should I wake Bill?"
"Love, he'll be disappointed if he's not included in the discussion. Not that I expect him to stay awake long after a good lunch."
"Maybe the Major will have information that keeps his attention."
"We can hope, especially information on getting the roads clear for the power crews to get to work. Since they have the CAT to clear the road, I'll ask them to take Bill's truck home for him. He won't be tempted to use it as he would be with it parked here and Ellen will have plenty of gas for their generator."
"And you get this road cleared at least down to Norton Road so you can go check on the cell tower there."
"You know me too well. It's one of the solar powered towers and needs to have the ice melted off the solar panels so its batteries can get charged again."
"You'll only be on that tower with a harness and me handling the rope."
"No argument there. I don't relish a fall from or onto anything coated with this much ice."
"Exactly how will you melt that ice?"
"I have some flexible 3 inch insulated duct. I'll connect it under the solar array and then connect the other end to the truck's tailpipe and just let the engine run for a while."
"You'll be sitting idle for an hour?"
"No, I'll have the various scanners going in the truck and be making notes on any radio activity I hear. I'll also be checking the shortwave bands as there was some odd activity in the mid-East that got lost under the local weather emergency."
"More Taliban or al-Qaeda?"
"Possibly. Maybe another similar organization. Unlikely to affect us directly but ground burst nukes in the bigger cities to our west could cause us fallout problems."
"Nuclear war?"
"More likely nuclear terrorism. Not much we can do here except verify that the shelter is ready and be prepared to hunker down for weeks."
"I don't like 'weeks'."
"Me neither. Probably even less so for Emily - she did need that mild tranquilizer when we did the one week trial run there last year. However, we still need to be prepared for the possibility."
"I'll get the checklist and have Emily help me with it."
"It's been about 3 months since we did a weekend test run in the shelter. Tell her it's the regular quarterly check, but this time we're just doing the checklist and not staying there."
"I think she can handle that."
---
"Mrs. Wilson, this chowder is excellent! Would you be interested in an appointment to the Guard so you can cook for us?"
"Major, it's Karen and no, I'm not interested in being your full time cook."
"Five of my troops have asked if I could get you to cook for us, so I had to ask. Your recipe?"
"No. It's one I got from a cookbook some years ago and I've modified it to be more to our tastes."
"Could my cook make it with standard military foods?"
"The sausage, onion and green pepper - if you use it - are best fresh but everything else can be from a can."
"You grew and canned the tomatoes and chopped them for this?"
"We can and sometimes do, but this batch is grocery store canned diced tomatoes, canned beans and canned diced potatoes for the time it saved. If we buy those things on sale - especially if they're BOGO - it's sometimes cheaper than we can do it. The flavor is different as we use no preservatives in what we can and we use much less salt than the commercial canners do."
"Can I get a copy of the recipe? I saw one soldier turning the pot up on edge to get the last bit out of it. I think he would have tried wringing that pot for the last few drops if it hadn't been such a sturdy pot. I'd have said you had enough food for twice the troops I brought but I guess I'm basing that on their response to mess hall food."
"Jack suggested that we make twice what we would for the same number of civilians and that we could freeze the leftovers - if there were any. Leftovers are no longer a concern. I copied the recipe to an index card."
"This is all there is to it? But it has such rich flavor! I guess I've been influenced by the TV cooking shows and their 30 item recipe lists with three hours of prep time."
"Two people can get this on to simmer very quickly. One chops the onion and opens cans while the other browns the sausage. Then everything goes in the big pot and it gets brought to a boil, then the heat turned down to simmer and your stir occasionally during the hour it cooks. For the people who don't eat green pepper, you can put the chopped pepper in a cheesecloth bag and still have it in the pot for flavor. When you remove the bay leaves, you also remove the bag of pepper. You will need to adjust the salt, pepper and other spices for a larger number of servings as they don't multiply the same way for more servings as the sausage, beans and potatoes do."
"Two people. You and Emily?"
"No. Jack and me. Emily was busy with the cornbread."
"Maybe I can recruit her in a few years?"
"Doubtful. Because of some things that happened when she was much younger, she has difficulty with people standing over her and yelling at her. The time Jack's spent doing unarmed self defense training and proper firearms handling and use with her has helped but I don't think a typical Drill Instructor would get out more than two sentences of their usual humanity-debasing commentary before she decked him…"
"That gentle, soft-spoken creature?"
"She's far from gentle when threatened. She was in her treehouse a few days ago when a pack of dogs came into the yard and headed for the treehouse. She shot six of them before we got outside to help her finish them off. When we had six people try to take the house this week, Jack and I got five of them and Emily got the sixth one."
"I think I should caution my troops to say 'Ma'am' to this young lady."
---
Recipe - from my wife's collection, not mine ;-)
Sausage Bean Chowder serves 10-12
1lb bulk sausage (pork, turkey, mild/hot to your taste)
2 (16oz) cans kidney beans (undrained)
2 (15 1/2oz) cans diced (or finely diced - sometimes marked "petite diced") tomatoes (undrained)
4C water
1 medium onion, chopped (adjust to taste - we like a little less onion)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste - we use very little salt when cooking)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 chopped green pepper (optional)
1 C diced potatoes (increase if you like potatoes or need to stretch the recipe)
In a large pot (there's about 12 cups of "stuff" in that list) cook sausage until brown. Pour off fat. (You may find it easier to cook the sausage - especially if it's the paste-texture turkey sausage - in a large skillet. You will still need the big pot for simmering everything.)
Add kidney beans, tomatoes, water, onion, bay leaves, salt, garlic salt, thyme and pepper to browned sausage.
Simmer covered 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and green pepper. Cook covered 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Remove bay leaves (and green pepper if bagged) and serve.
---
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 19, 2019 20:04:42 GMT -6
I'm posting chapters about 3 times as fast as I'm writing new chapters - this is Chapter 12 and I've written 4 chapters in the weeks it's taken to post 12. We will run out of chapters soon.
Chapter 12
8 December, 2:00PM
"Bill, the Major's information on the school water situation is in my spreadsheet and it looks like you can feed and house 350 people at the middle school and 650 at the high school. If you were only preparing and serving food you could handle more people but these people need space to sleep. The Army has enough tents for 1500 people on the way to the fairgrounds and those come with generators whose waste heat can be piped to the tents for heating them. That's shelter for 2500 people but it's way short of the 6000 people you mentioned a day or so ago."
"Jack, Rucker is setting up a camp for 3500 to 4000 more. They have the materials on-site and are working on it now. Every available bus in the area will be coming through the more populated areas of the county starting in the morning at 6AM. There will be a convoy of six buses leaving every 15 minutes until all the buses have been used or all the people have been moved. With the driving time to Fort Rucker being about four hours each way, each of those buses can make two round trips a day. The ones going to the fairgrounds will be looping back much sooner. People will be limited to one piece of luggage and a carry-on but we will have a pickup with a box trailer for each convoy of buses to handle any overflow."
"Not a deuce and a half, Major?"
"The pickup can go faster and it uses less fuel."
"Makes excellent sense."
"No joke about 'military intelligence', Jack?"
"No, Major. Been there; done that. I know it sometimes exists and it sometimes matches the jokes."
"Major, what are the criteria for staying locally versus going to the fairgrounds or Rucker?"
"Bill, we'll keep people who may be needed locally either in the schools or at the fairgrounds where we can logically expect their skills to be needed: doctors, nurses, etc. We'll send some of those with the group going to Rucker but they've put together a mobile health unit which should be able to care for at least some of those people. People who are employed locally in jobs that won't exist without power will go to Rucker. I doubt that we'd be able to pry any of the farmers away from their farms because many of them are better prepared for this than the military is. I'll consider the lunch we had today an excellent indicator of that and I'm aware you're not the only family that we need more than you need us."
"Is there a bus schedule or any assignments?"
"Lists are being given out on the local AM station that's running on generator and also sent out by reverse 911 to the working landline phones and as both a weather alert and an Amber Alert to the working cell phones with a request that each person who hears about the evacuation tell those who don't have access to any of those sources."
"So we'll be able to notify maybe 80% of the people?"
"At best, Sheriff. If roads were more passable, we'd have your deputies out again with a recorded message. By the way, that was a good way to notify many people. With a couple more hours notice, you could've covered 95% of the county which is better coverage than local radio and TV had before the power went off. For now, we'll hope for the best in people notifying other people."
"Karen, can the Maj…"
"No, Bill. You're staying here another night. The dizziness when you stood up earlier is still a cautionary symptom and you'll be released when I think you're OK."
"Yes, Ma'am, Colonel, Ma'am."
"Major, I will ask that you get Bill's truck down the road to his place so Ellen and Junior will have gas for their generator."
"I was going to ask about that, Jack. Lawson!"
"Ma'am?"
"You'll be driving the Sheriff's truck on down to his place. That's about a mile, Jack?"
"Correct."
"Then about another mile to Norton Road and the cell tower out here that's dead?"
"Correct. The cell tower is one of the solar powered ones and the panels are covered with too much ice to produce a useful amount of power."
"And you're planning to go melt off that ice?"
"Yes."
"Do you have climbing gear and someone to hold the rope?"
"Karen and I have already discussed it."
"Then we'll clear the road that far, deliver Bill's truck and clear the parking area at the cell tower. Thank you for the spreadsheet and stay safe."
"He will."
---
r u t-h-e-r-e j-u-n-i-o-r-?
y-e-s
g-u-a-r-d o-n w-a-y t-r-u-c-k a-n-d g-a-s
d-a-d-?
d-i-z-z-y s-t-a-n-d-i-n-g m-o-m-m-a s-a-i-d a-n-o-t-h-e-r n-i-g-h-t
i-l-l t-e-l-l m-o-m
8-8
8-8
---
"Thank you for telling them, Em."
"You were listening?"
"My FRS radio is almost always on scan."
"Oh. I forgot about that."
"Just don't use the FRS to plan to elope or anything else I shouldn't know about…"
"Daddy!"
---
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 19, 2019 21:12:34 GMT -6
I'm certainly torn over this. I want more, I want faster, I want everything. I think this is just bein' done to teach me patience.
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 19, 2019 22:27:02 GMT -6
One prayer not to pray: Lord, give me patience - and I want it right now!
That could be answered by you being the teacher of a preschool class of two-year-olds tomorrow ;-)
If you'd like, PM me and I'll delay future chapters to whatever threshold drives you crazy ;-)
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Post by texican on Apr 21, 2019 16:35:06 GMT -6
WeeelllllPP2,
You do know how to string this bunch along with help from your muse....
LMAO....
Been out of action in ND for 8 days a week ago and did miss the snow that swept thru SD and the south edge of ND.... Got cold, but bought some better winter underware.... Thought about the red long johns, but the wife probably would not like me walking around in them and they would disappear.... Now working on the reports and will be in and out for 3 pus weeks to get the reports done....
May everyone have a great Easter and remember why we celebrate Easter....
God bless all....
Texican....
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 22, 2019 20:20:56 GMT -6
One prayer not to pray: Lord, give me patience - and I want it right now! That could be answered by you being the teacher of a preschool class of two-year-olds tomorrow ;-) If you'd like, PM me and I'll delay future chapters to whatever threshold drives you crazy ;-) Aw, you'd do that for me? I've been told that crazy ain't that far a drive. Some years ago, when I worked for the Post Office in an out of the way area, I used to tell folks that they didn't wanna set me off, 'cause I might could go postal at any time and I might also be one of them-there crazed Viet of the Nam vets. Amazin' how easy it is to get some folks to leave you alone. :^)
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 22, 2019 21:23:59 GMT -6
Just to keep 9idrr from going postal, another chapter ;-)
Chapter 13
9 December, 6:45AM
"Ma'am, you're next."
"There is no way I'll ride a bus with that cheap whore from the trailer park and her bastard children! Where's my car?"
"No cars, Ma'am. There's not enough fuel. You ride the bus or you stay here and freeze."
"You just wait until my husband hears about this! He's State Senator Bryant and you'll be fired!"
"Lieutenant!"
"Yes, Corporal?"
"There's a lady says she won't ride the bus."
"Which one?"
"In the fur coat."
"Ma'am?"
"It's about time someone in charge got here! I'll have you know…"
"Hello, Rachel 'Roundheels' Riddick, whatever your last name is now."
"How dare you…"
"Remember Cabin Nine at the Senior Boy Scout Camp? Cabin Nine because you said you could 'take care' of nine boys in one night?"
"Who…"
"I'm Harris Wheeler. I made the audio and video tapes that night. That 'whore' from the trailer park is my wife of 15 years and we have four legitimate kids who are doing very well in school. We don't have much but it's all paid for, which is more than you and the Senator can say since he just filed for bankruptcy - for the third time. You will shut up, get on the bus, be pleasant, polite and helpful to all the other people - or the best 30 minutes of that night's video will 'accidentally' be on the camp's 'information' channel tonight. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Harris."
"Apologize to my wife where I can hear you."
"Walk me on the bus."
---
"You hear that, Deputy?"
"Enough of it, Corporal. The Sheriff had commented that some people might get 'interesting neighbors' if they needed a place to stay warm. If your Lieutenant has no qualms about dressing down the Senator's wife, I don't think he will put up with much crap from anyone."
"He rarely raises his voice but he always seems to know exactly what to say."
"Good man to have in charge here."
---
'Breaker 17. Guard to Sheriff Edwards.'
'This is Edwards.'
'The first convoy of buses is on its way to Rucker as well as the first convoy to the Fairgrounds. Six buses in each convoy times 52 people each for a total of 624 headed for food and shelter. Next convoy should be on its way in less than an hour. If things continue at the same rate, we can get all the people who've shown up moved out today.'
'What about supplies?'
'Fresh food trucks from Birmingham and Montgomery will be at Rucker before the people are. Food truck also headed for the Fairgrounds. Timing should have the mid-day meal ready at Rucker when the buses get there. The people going to the Fairgrounds will be there before the food because of the short trip. Other than some grumbling from the McMansion folks about riding buses with "trailer trash" - but that grumbling stopped when they were given the option of riding the bus or staying here cold and hungry.'
'Thank you. Things seem to be working well. How are you on fuel?'
'Tanker ready to refill the buses at this end.'
'Very good.'
'We'll keep you informed. Guard out.'
'Edwards out.'
"Enough good news, Bill. Time to eat and maybe send you out to feed the animals."
"What, Karen?"
"She got your attention, didn't she, Bill? Emily and I will finish the outside chores after we eat. It's a little later than usual but she's not riding the school bus and I don't plan to go anywhere but the cell tower and that not until it warms up to almost 32 later in the afternoon. Come enjoy the blueberry waffles that Junior thought were so good."
---
"Emily, those waffles were good! Thank you for cooking. Jack, how bad is the ice?"
"Almost an inch. The edge of the woods out back has a new 'fence' of downed limbs and branches. I went out and cleared ice from the TV antenna and the ham antennas before dark last night and it looks like I might be doing that again today. The 16 to 18 hours of freezing rain you heard initially was closer to 24 hours and there's more in the forecast."
"Can I get home today?"
"When Karen and I go out to clear the solar panels at the cell tower, we'll drop you off at home - along with the Do and Don't list that Karen has written up so Ellen can watch you for the next few days. If I didn't have chains for all four wheels of the truck, we probably wouldn't be out - it's just too slick, isn't it, Em?"
"Un huh! Momma says I didn't break anything but I'm gonna have a really big bruise on my butt and my back where I went down and slid halfway to the barn! I'll listen good next time Daddy tells me to be sure the cleats are tight on my boots! Can I go with you Daddy?"
"Not this trip, Em. I need your mother to be on the rope and we need someone to watch the house. You're our available 'watcher'."
"Like when you went to get the Sheriff."
"You don't seem excited about 'being in charge'. A year ago you just couldn't wait for us to find a reason for you to be here watching the place."
"A year ago it was new and fun. Now it's gotten kinda scary."
"How about a hug to help with the 'scary'?"
"And some lap time?"
"That too."
---
"Sit, Bill."
"But Ellen…"
"Sit! I can read your medical report just fine and you squeaked by on having a concussion and all its associated aftereffects. You'll be Sheriff by remote control for a couple more days. The Guard gave me the keys to your truck when they dropped it off and I also dug out the spare set so I have both hidden - and no, Junior won't tell you where."
"I give."
"Good. Glad you're home and almost walking normally. Better a sprained ankle than a fractured skull."
"I guess I did luck out."
"Luck, the seat belt and having a nurse 'next door'. Did Emily also make waffles for you?"
"She did. Probably some of the best I've ever had."
"I'm not surprised. Junior told me they were from Emily's great-grandmother's cooking notebook. I remember my mother telling me of the ribbons that lady's cooking won at the County Fair."
"You're not upset?"
"Not in the least. Having Emily in the family means I'll finally have access to that cookbook."
---
"How much longer, Jack?"
"Maybe another 20 minutes, Love. I have a couple more shortwave stations to check and then I can let the flexible duct down and stow it."
"That station's not English."
"It's Arabic. There are a couple of mid-East stations that broadcast to the US at this hour but not in English. I have the digital recorder running in case he's speaking faster than I can translate."
"How do you know it'll be a 'he'?"
"Arabic from a Muslim-oriented state will be presented by a female?"
"Oops!"
---
"That's … interesting. The Ansar Dine** are … Damn! He's so into the jihad rhetoric and hysteria that I can't keep up with him in real time. I'll let the recorder run and play it back at reduced speed later. I might see if Dragon can translate his particular accent."
"Did I hear Los Angeles?"
"And several other cities that are to be 'targets' for some things I couldn't translate fast enough. It can wait until we're home and I have better tools for analysis. I'll go disconnect the flexible duct from the truck's exhaust and then let the other end down with the rope."
"You'll be climbing the tower again?"
"Not today. I'll take the knots out of the ground ends of the ropes and let them run through the pulleys. The pulleys can stay up there in case we need to do this again."
"There's enough ice in the forecast for that?"
"Another 16 to 24 hours. I'm thinking the roads will be very difficult to clear until there's been significant thawing."
"So power repair is pushed back another day?"
"At least. Maybe two or three days."
"If this weather is staying over us, what's it doing elsewhere?"
"The limited weather map access I have online shows this band of weather spreading out in all directions instead of moving on to the north and east. Not normal weather or normal movement. The online weather sources are NOT mentioning the storm's behavior as being unusual, which bothers me. It is warmer than the teens that were originally predicted but the ongoing freezing rain is rapidly creating a landscape with very few movable pieces - including gates, doors and vehicles."
---
"You're parking in the equipment shed?"
"So I can use the kerosene shop heater to thaw the ice from the truck. The floor here has a little more slope than the garage floor and that will be needed to get all the water outside when the ice on the truck is melted."
"Just on the body?"
"No, I plan to get everything above freezing - including the chassis, tires and chains. If we need to go anywhere, I want the truck ready without question."
"So you'll have the big generator running out there?"
"No more power than the ignition, fuel pump and fan on the 180,000 BTU heater use, maybe 350 watts total, one of the little inverter generators will be adequate. I'll also connect the chargers for the workshop and barn battery banks to the gen because we're getting very little power from the solar panels. That will ensure that they are topped off for use if needed. Since we have the little generators and a good supply of fuel, I won't try to de-ice the solar panels here - not yet, anyway. I might change my mind after I translate that Arabic harangue."
"You think it will be bad?"
"I think that 'bad' is one possible description and it might not be the worst one. Go inside and hug Emily. When she asks whether we 'fixed' it, tell her this cell tower is working but very few others are. Let her call Junior to reassure both of them and so Bill knows that we have cell service out here."
"I hear an 'I love you' in that, Mr. Wilson."
"You'd be correct, Mrs. Wilson."
---
Ring!
"The cell phones are working again, Dad?"
"Why don't you answer it and see?"
'This is Junior.'
'Hi, Junior. It's Emily. Daddy said I should let you and the Sheriff know that the cell tower out here is working - at least until the ice gets too thick again.'
'Thanks, Emily. Dad said the waffles were really good.'
'Tell him I said thank you. Gotta go do more chores.'
'Bye, Emily.'
'Bye, Junior.'
---
"Ellen, now that Junior's back in his room and studying for the written part of his ham test, I can tell you that if Emily talked to him for a minute every two hours we wouldn't need any other source of light."
"I noticed that he 'lit up' when he heard her voice. Will we have a problem with them being so close when they're still so young?"
"It worked for us so we'll just give him guidance similar to what our parents gave us. They both know the 'how' of making babies from working with the animals and they've seen the problems that too-young mothers can have with delivery. We'll watch, but we'll stay out of the way."
"I will push you to talk to him when needed."
"As you wish."
"Do we have enough gasoline to make tonight a 'movie night' with that movie?"
"My laptop is charged and it can play a movie at least that long."
"Then I'll get out the stovetop popcorn popper and let Junior turn the crank."
"It only takes a couple of minutes."
---
** Author's note: In spite of it sounding like a dead fish, Ansar Dine (read it aloud as "an sardine") is an actual splinter group of Islam that is more fanatically "true" to their version of Islam than almost any other group. They destroyed some old (as in many centuries old) Islamic historical/religious sites in Timbuktu - something discovered by changes in satellite images. You should watch "What on Earth" on the Science Channel.
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Post by gipsy on Apr 23, 2019 6:15:42 GMT -6
Talk about a cliff
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Post by 9idrr on Apr 23, 2019 20:46:12 GMT -6
Ah, thank you, sir. I guess the world'll be safe for a little longer, anyway. I'm just a little too tired to chew through the restraints today as it is.
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Post by texican on Apr 24, 2019 11:06:16 GMT -6
Thanks PP2 for the chapter...
Now what else is in store?>?>?>?
Only another chapter will reveal....
Still working 15 plus hours per day on my reports.... Will have one completed Saturday or Sunday or Monday and off to the client.... Then on to the next report....
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 27, 2019 19:56:22 GMT -6
Chapter 14 9 December, 5:40PM "Your prosthesis is bothering you again, Jack?" "Probably too much time on the ladder but I'll let you check." "Hmmm. I'd guess too much weight on that leg for too long while reaching out to do things. Let's get you back soaking again and then use the tapered shoe insert to shift the load off the irritated part of the stump." "I need to do some listening and translating anyway." --- "That seems odd." "What seems 'odd', Jack?" "The list of 'Allah's Targets'. It includes Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Pittsburgh, DC and the NY/NJ business complex. However, they mentioned no 'targets' in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Hawaii, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest or the North Central US." "Government, banking and some shipping but not oil refineries or major cropland areas. That's a pattern for taking over a country and using its resources." "It is, Love. Seems very unusual that they would announce something so obvious." "We'll need to be in the fallout shelter?" "Perhaps; perhaps not. Depends on how big the nukes are, how accurate the terrorists are with their targeting and what the winds are doing those days. This area might not see any fallout even if there were ground bursts in many of those locations. Also depends on whether the powers that be see this as the threat level it could be and pre-empt the strikes by cutting off the head of the snake." "Which country's capital?" "At least three of them, plus some of the retreat areas favored by the leaders of those countries. Then there are the countries who might take exception to our pre-empting the announced attacks." "Russia and China?" "Strictly because of the oil fields. They really don't care who is in power there, as long as they can scare them into selling oil cheaply." "How do we handle them?" "We can hope it will be done very carefully." --- "Daddy, did I hear you say 'fallout'?" "Yes, sweet girl. One of the countries in the mid-East broadcast a list of 'targets' for 'the fiery wrath of Allah'. The most likely tool for delivering 'fiery wrath' is a nuclear weapon of some type." "We gotta be in the shelter for a long time? I don't like being there." "Come here for a hug. I know you don't like being in enclosed places with no windows because they remind you of being locked in a closet. First, we don't know that this will happen. Second, if it happens we don't know if our area will be affected. Third, our shelter is almost the size of the main level of the house and we have the lighted graphics* for the 'windows' down there." "I know, but I don't like being there." "We know you don't like it, which is why we added the 'windows'. We also have the medication that helps you deal with being 'in' all the time." "I remember, but sometimes the medication leaves me feeling a little 'fuzzy'." "Remember that it's been almost a year since we were in the shelter long enough for you to need the tranquilizer. How much have you grown since then?" "I'm at least a size bigger in everything." "But your medication is still the same size. Do you think there's a possibility it won't make you 'fuzzy' now?" "It's possible. Maybe staying there wouldn't be as bad as before." "That's my girl. Now that Junior is ready to take his General license test, the two of you might be able to communicate using QRP** on a wide range of frequencies and almost no one would know." "Can we set that up?" "As soon as my soak is finished. And you can tell Junior what we did after we get that equipment ready and the antenna up." "The new uBitX*** radio kit?" "Yes." "I get to do the soldering?" "If you show me you can do it carefully." "Now?" "When my soak is finished." "How much longer?" "About 30 minutes." "OK. I'll go watch the soldering video and the uBitX assembly video again." "You saved copies? Remember that we don't have fast enough internet for video today." "I used 'Airy' to save them from Youtube." "Very good." --- *When it appeared that a "work from home" job (real job 15+ years ago with 1099's and $50/hour - nice to be a contractor to the Joint Chiefs ;-) might have me buried in the windowless end of the basement most of the day, I found a graphic that could be mounted on a frame covered with plexiglass and illuminated from the back to give me the feeling of a "real" window ("frosted" plexiglass spreads the light well). I even went so far as to design a timed light control system so the backlight would vary during the day. On the brighter side, I got the job but didn't wind up spending my days down there. However, I am aware of the availability of the graphics and that some (not all) can be illuminated from the back to look like a "real" window. The graphic I chose came from what was then Tatouage Designs but is now House of Tatouage. The now discontinued image is 25.5" wide x 43.25" high. www.houseoftatouage.com/inc/sdetail/373Link to small image: www.jecarter.us/files/horsefarm.jpgOther examples can be found at Amazon: www.amazon.com/wall26-knotted-winding-leaves-verdant/dp/B01A8FQGYAMouse over the various thumbnails to see what is available - from trees to beach to snow to lighthouse to cows. You can also search for "fake window" or similar and find many others. There's even an Instructable on making an openable "window" with your favorite view behind it: www.instructables.com/id/Faux-Window-With-Your-Favourite-View--- **QRP - low power operation. While hams can use up to 1,000 watts of transmitter power, QRP operation is often done on one watt or less and sometimes powered by a few AA batteries. It's definitely an art of doing more with less ;-) --- ***uBitX - more correctly µBITX - www.hfsignals.com/index.php/ubitx/Their description: "The µBITX is a general coverage HF SSB/CW transceiver kit with features you demand for operating ease, convenience and versatility. It features digital tuning, dual VFOs, RIT, CW Keyer and more." HFSignals is a company in India producing a QRP (10 watts or less, depending on frequency) transceiver kit that receives from 500KHz (AM broadcast band) to 30MHz and transmits on all the ham bands from 3 to 30MHz for $129US plus shipping. It requires 12 volts DC, a speaker or headphones, a key for CW and an antenna. There are many videos on Youtube about the assembly - which is just the wiring between assembled and tested circuit boards and the various connectors: power, antenna, code key, microphone, etc. - then doing the simple tuning and on-air operation (and loading another version of the Arduino software if you want something other than the basic firmware). You can either buy or build a case - lots of online links to both. If you order a µBitX, remember that things in India move on IST - India Standard Time - which is sometimes slower than the slow, laid back reputation of the southern US in August ;-) ---
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Post by papaof2 on Apr 29, 2019 19:32:34 GMT -6
Chapter 15
9 December, 11:40PM
Open the panel at the back of the rolltop desk. Key in my 14 character password. Radio powers up on the calling frequency. Default 2048 bit encryption ON.
'DIA17 from Footloose.'
'Last four digits of your location?'
'Four, three, niner, seven by three, five, four, three.'
'GPS can't confirm closer than 300 meters.'
'Verify my location's ice accumulation from reported weather and then correct for approximately 30mm on the antenna.'
'Ice accumulation verified. Location confirmed. Your message?'
'To: Colonel Thomas Brady, Alpha Tango India Uncle Sierra. Have you evaluated Ansar Dine broadcast six hours ago on 7425KHz? My opinion is prelude to invasion. Reply this channel.'
'I replay your recorded message: "To: Colonel Thomas Brady, Alpha Tango India Uncle Sierra. Have you evaluated Ansar Dine broadcast six hours ago on 7425KHz? My opinion is prelude to invasion. Reply this channel." Confirm?'
'Confirmed. Footloose out.'
'DIA17 out.'
Leave things in standby.
"You called ATIUS, Jack?"
"With the unexplained weather conditions and zero info about it online, those messages have me a little spooked about 'Armed Terrorists in United States' when the 'Armed' in that description means a nuclear weapon.
"'Spooked'? That's a very bad pun from a DIA 'spook' but I agree. We up the levels of information for Emily and for Bill tomorrow?"
"Depends on what Colonel Brady has to say. If ATIUS is on top of it and has remedial plans in place, perhaps nothing more than commenting on Ansar Dine making serious threats. If ATIUS is not already on it, we do our equivalent of upping DefCon here and tell Emily and Bill more of what might be."
"Sounds good. Your stump OK now or does it need attention before I force you to bed?"
"Let me verify that the message recorder is ON and I won't need to be forced. I'd like a good night's sleep before I hear the Colonel's response. Done. Panel back in place and locked. You can check my stump when I take my foot off in the bedroom."
"Will do."
---
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