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Post by papaof2 on Sept 15, 2019 21:16:24 GMT -6
This story is NOT finished and it may never be extended beyond where it stalled a couple of months ago. It does stop at a good point (not a cliffhanger).
Requests for another chapter or "the next chapter" will be ignored.
================
Keep the Cool Inside
Copyright © 2019 J. E. Carter All rights reserved
================
Chapter 16
Monday, 5 July, 2:10AM
'Lily?'
'Yes?'
'Chickens and sheep both making noise. Possibly two or more unwanted visitors, whether two or four legs.'
'You're thinking the fireworks might have attracted two-legged attention?'
'Much noisier out here yesterday than usual, so very possible. I'll get out weapons and wake Sarah. You wake Melissa.'
'On my way.'
'Sarah?'
"Daddy?"
'Whisper.'
'It's still dark.'
'Noises near chicken house and sheep…'
'Visitors?'
'Correct. Get work clothes on and come with me to get your weapons. Your Momma went to wake Melissa and tell her.'
'We're up here?'
'You in back and Melissa in front until we know where all the visitors are.'
'Just like we practiced.'
'Lily, there's a truck out front but no motion there. Girls are armed and both are in the upper back windows.'
'I saw a light by the sheep pen and I saw reflections at the gate - so I assumed a vehicle, but you didn't mention an engine.'
'They might have coasted down the little rise to the east to have an almost silent arrival.'
'Your plan?'
'Triple S.'
'You told the girls?'
'Melissa's OK with it and you know Sarah's totally committed to protecting the sheep.'
'You'll give a warning?'
'Just one, from that window; then I move to shooting position.'
"In the yard! Weapons down and hands on your heads! You are outnumbered and already in someone's sights. This is a shoot, shovel and shut up location!"
"No way! I'll kill…"
Bang!
Boom!
"My shoulder!"
"My knee!"
"Weapons down or you'll be shot again!"
"No way!"
Pop!
Pop!
"My ear!"
"My eye!"
"Weapons down!"
"Doing it."
"Back up five feet."
"But my knee…"
Ker-chunk!
"I'm moving! Don't shoot me again! What about Doug? He ain't moving!"
"That shot to his eye may have been fatal. You just don't know how a little girl might respond to someone stealing a sheep that she needs for making insulin. She might consider that attempted murder and shoot you dead."
"A kid? A kid's that good?"
"You want her to demonstrate on you?"
"No! I believe you!"
'Daddy?'
'You need a shoulder and lap time?'
'Me too.'
'Stay on watch with your Momma while I secure things outside. You will get all the time you need.'
'John, I have this window but I don't think either of them will go anywhere.'
'Watch for concealed weapons. I'll have my 1911 in my hand and zipties on my belt. Five minutes.'
"Don't do anything stupid unless you want to die as the same shooters are still on watch. Hands behind your back."
"But my knee…"
"Can't be fixed in a world without power for the hospitals. Hands behind your back!"
"Now, Jake!"
Bang!
Bang!
Pop!
"Well, I guess you can't fix stupid. I had the 1911 in my hand and I warned them about the shooters still being in place. Lily, I'll put the bodies in the bed of their truck. I'll also look for ID when I do that. Hugs for the girls but no hot chocolate until they've had their crying sessions on someone's shoulder and have gotten past puking."
"Both in my lap. What about the vehicle?"
"I'll do a quick check now for evidence of anyone else and a more thorough search after daylight."
"Stay alert."
---
There are only two sets of footprints by the very new truck with a dealer tag on it. Some nice weapons with Cabela's tags on them and lots of ammo. Bags of gold and silver jewelry; two 60 inch TVs in the bed along with PS4 and Xbox controllers and two large boxes of DVDs. Any food? The four cases of beer don't count as 'food'; neither do the chips and cookies. Vienna sausage, potted meat, corned beef - that last one is 'food' and it has a long shelf life. Pork and beans, ravioli and Spaghettios but nothing that requires cooking - and I know the nearest Cabela's had dehydrated and freeze-dried camping and LTS foods.
If they don't have LTS or beans and rice type foods or anything to cook with, what would they have done with some sheep?
There's a scrap of paper on the dash with some poorly scribbled notes.
Dunkin Tatem wants sheep. Will fed yu for a wek for 1 sheep.
I need to know if that's from someone in Duncan's family or from scuttlebutt someone else heard at church. Think I'll be going to the Tatums' with Sarah today.
---
IDs are bagged. Bodies are covered in the bed of their truck. I need a shower and I'm not looking forward to a cold one.
knock knock knock knock knock
"Lily, it's me."
"I filled the water reservoir and fired up the wood cookstove. The girls helped me fill two sun shower bags. Looks like you'll need both of them."
"Thank you to all my ladies. Lap time for my girls when I'm clean enough to do that."
"I know."
"Me too."
I see the bucket for soaking my clothes is already in place. My girls do take care of me. Not exactly hot water this quickly but slightly warm is much better than cold. Out and dry quickly and into some fresh clothes then to my important task of helping my girls work out the stress of shooting someone.
---
"In my lap; heads on my shoulders."
"Yes!"
"I see you remembered the towel to protect your shirt."
"Lily, they had a hard time after putting down dogs they knew, even when those dogs came after them in the yard. They do understand 'must protect each other from wild animals' but this is the first time those animals have included ones with two legs. I think we'll be here a while. There is a bucket?"
"On your right. At least there's almost nothing for them to bring up."
"That's good and bad. Undiluted digestive juices can burn more than those diluted with food but there will be less to come up. Maybe they won't get that…"
"I think I'm gonna…"
"Sarah, here's the bucket."
"UURP! UURP!"
"I have you. You're safe now. Let me rub your back."
"Better, but it burns!"
"Your Momma has some water for you. Rinse twice."
"Still burns."
"Gargle."
"Still tastes bad."
"Little swallow to get the taste out of your mouth and throat."
"Better. You said this might happen if we ever had to shoot a person."
"This often happens when you shoot a person because your mind doesn't like doing harm to others and your body also responds to all the adrenalin that was pumped into your bloodstream to have you ready for 'fight or flight'."
"You talked about that, too."
"Part of keeping yourself safe is knowing how your body will react to doing the things that keep you safe."
"But I killed him!"
"You need to slow down and keep the cool inside."
"Keep the cool… Oh, yeah. Pay attention what actually is and not what being scared makes it seem like."
"Correct. Think back - did he move again after you shot him the first time?"
"He went for his gun when the other one yelled at him."
"So maybe he wasn't dead?"
"I guess."
"And how many people would they have killed if they had taken all the sheep?"
"Me!"
"You and Bobby?"
"You're right."
"So you stopped someone from committing a double murder?"
"Maybe a triple murder if he'd shot you."
"Very good thinking when you keep the cool inside. What's the punishment for first degree murder in this state?"
"We still have the electric chair!"
"While we may have been judge, jury and executioners, did we follow the law?"
"I guess."
"Good enough guess at 4AM. Your Momma or I will wake you this morning as I don't think the little windup alarm will be loud enough or run long enough after you being awake very early for a shootout."
"I think you're right. Missy's already asleep?"
"She has been for a while. I don't think she was as upset by the shooting as you were or maybe that upset just hasn't shown itself yet."
"She gets to puke later?"
"Maybe. Back in bed for the both of you."
"Tuck me in and kiss me goodnight?"
"And be sure Teddy is under your arm?"
"You're the best Daddy ever!"
"Maybe just the best one in this house and you'll be asleep before I get you back to your bed."
"Maybe."
---
"Who were they?"
"Jake Tilman and Doug Fields. I'm pretty sure I've heard the name Tilman in the area but the only fields are the kind measured in acres."
"You goof! You do know how to relieve the tension, though."
"Lily, I found this note in their vehicle."
"Do you think Duncan…"
"I don't know whether someone in their family started this or someone heard something at church and started a rumor, but I plan to go over there with Sarah this morning and find out."
"You get very scary when you speak softly."
"I plan to be as scary as needed to get truthful answers."
---
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 15, 2019 21:17:02 GMT -6
This story is NOT finished and it may never be extended beyond where it stalled a couple of months ago. It does stop at a good point (not a cliffhanger).
Requests for another chapter or "the next chapter" will be ignored.
================
Keep the Cool Inside
Copyright © 2019 J. E. Carter All rights reserved
================
Chapter 17
Monday, 5 July, 5:30AM
"Sarah, time to wake up."
"Daddy, I like being woke up with a kiss on my forehead. It makes the scary dreams better."
"That what Melissa said. Both of you had some real world scary during the night…"
"The people trying to steal sheep!"
"Those people won't ever threaten your life again but we don't know who else might have heard what's in this note."
"Melissa spells and writes better than that."
"She does. That might be a clue about who wrote the note. I'll go with you to the Tatums' this morning and ask where someone might have heard what's in the note and whether they know the people we stopped during the night."
"Hold me!"
"Still scary?"
"Un huh. And I killed someone!"
"Remember to keep the cool inside. You helped stop someone who was trying to kill you and Bobby."
"'Cause not having sheep means not having insulin."
"And if they didn't know that the sheep need to be kept alive until the insulin is needed, they might have slaughtered all of them because dead sheep are easier to move than live sheep."
"That's even scarier!"
"A little more lap time and then you head down to breakfast and then we go see the Tatums."
"OK."
---
"All the 'scary stuff' covered for both of them, John?"
"Most of it for Sarah. I think Melissa will need more time later today after she's thought about things some more. Sarah seems to be OK with being the Tatums' cook today but I'm going with her. I want to know where that note originated."
---
"Hello the house!"
"Is that John Adams I'm hearing?"
"Yes, Duncan."
"Where'd the truck come from?"
"Jake Tilman and Doug Fields didn't need it after trying to steal some of our sheep. I'm hoping someone can tell me how they got this note."
"Let me get my glasses on."
"Thomas, Caleb, David, Bobby to the kitchen now!"
"What's up, Dad?"
"Do any of you know anything about this note?"
"Uh… I'm not sure but maybe…"
"Maybe what, Caleb?"
"I mentioned in Sunday School that we were looking for sheep and that payment might be made in food."
"Who heard you?"
"Leroy, Robbie…"
"First and last names, Caleb!"
"Yes, Grandpa. Leroy Sims. Robbie Callahan. Alicia Baker. Jared Tilman and his little sister Della 'cause they didn't have a teacher for the first graders. George Tompkins. Wanda Sommers. Billy Weeks. Cara Wilkins. Jason whose dad is a deputy. Wally whose dad drives a wrecker - maybe it's Fox Wrecker?"
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Sarah?"
"Jared didn't write the note cause he's dyslectable and some of his letters come out backwards."
"You mean 'dyslexic'?"
"That sounds right. Anyway, he might've told Della to write it for him. She pretty much does whatever he says. I think she's afraid of him."
"The spelling might fit with a just-finished-first-grade writer. I'd like to return the bodies and get some answers but I'll need backup."
"I'll go."
"Me too, David. If Caleb did something that put others in harm's way, it's my responsibility to help make things right."
"Thanks to both of you. We need a plan, so can one of you sketch out the Tilman place and a relatively safe way to confront them?"
"John, they're about here on County 139. From the fences, their property is shaped like this. Drop me here so I can get to the back of the house. Wait five minutes and then pull in the driveway with David riding shotgun. With the sun where it is and the angle of that windshield, they'll be able to tell that there are two people in the truck but not who. Stop fifty feet from the house and yell for Zeke to come out and identify some bodies you found."
"Will do."
---
"Hello the house!"
"Why you yellin' at us, Doug?"
"Zeke, I'm not Doug and you need to see what's in the bed of the truck."
"Those are Jake's boots!"
"And the rest of him is wrapped in that plastic tarp. Doug is next to him."
"Why?"
"Is Della here?"
"Yeah, but what's this got to do with her?"
"Just listen."
"Della, did you write this on Sunday?"
"Jared said he'd break another finger if I didn't."
"Another finger?"
"He broke this one Saturday just being mean. He said he'd break the one next to it if I didn't write a note for him to give Uncle Jake."
"Zeke, you know anything about this?"
"Just that Della hurt her hand Saturday and was whining most of the day. Jake said he'd found some work that paid in food but not what it was. That ain't the truck I remember you having."
"It's the one Jake and Doug drove to our place around 2AM..."
"What for?"
"We were awakened by noise from the chickens and the sheep and when we looked out there were two people trying to get the sheep out of their pen. Among the four of us, we stopped them and I went out to question them. When Doug yelled for Jake to shoot me, the rifles on the second floor had the last word."
"Sorry, but I can't have word of this getting out in the community. Jared, I have the tall one!"
Boom!
Bang!
Bang!
"I'm hit!"
"Mister Adams, Jared's bleeding bad!"
"Anyone else inside, Della?"
"Aunt Laura. She's down in the root cellar under the house."
"Any guns down there?"
"Un uh. She just ran down the stairs."
"David, Thomas. See to Zeke if he's still alive. If Jared can yell, his injury may not be serious. I have a first aid kit and my 1911 is in hand."
"Jared, where's your weapon?"
"On the floor."
"Can you get to the door?"
"If I crawl. Too dizzy to stand."
"Come here."
"I'm coming."
---
"Mister Adams, Jared was bleeding a lot but you only put a little bandage on. Why?"
"Della, he was lucky that he only got a grazing wound on his forehead. That's a very vascular area, which means it has a lot of blood vessels in it, so it bleeds a lot from a small injury. I put two stitches in it to close the wound and, after some cleaning up, that little bandage is all he needs."
"Is he gonna go to jail for shootin' at you?"
"I've not seen any law enforcement people in months, so probably not going to jail. With Jake and your Grandpa Zeke dead, I expect Jared to be too busy with chores to get into much other trouble. I think he's also aware that he could have been killed today and being in a gunfight is no longer a fantasy he wants to live through."
"He won't hit me again?"
"If he does, you tell me and he'll answer to me."
"OK. What about Aunt Laura?"
"Let me put a splint on your finger so it doesn't hurt so much and then you can go tell her to come back up."
"OK."
---
"They're all dead, John?"
"Jake, Doug and Zeke are, Laura. Jared will have an interesting scar on his forehead but maybe seeing that in the mirror every day will remind him not to get in another situation with deadly potential - and also to be nicer to Della."
"How will we survive?"
"You and Jared can care for the garden. Della can feed chickens and collect eggs. You or Jared can feed and milk the cows. You might ask if someone is willing to harvest this year's crops for a share of them - I don't think you or the animals will go through 80 acres of corn this coming winter."
"Who would I ask?"
"David, Thomas or Duncan if they have tractor fuel…"
"I do."
"Then David should work out the details with Laura while Thomas and I do the burials."
---
"Are you OK, Daddy? We heard shots in the distance."
"Those shots were from David, Thomas and me. We stopped Zeke and his grandson Jared when they tried to fire on us…"
"Is Jared OK?"
"Why do you ask, Sarah?"
"Before his and Della's momma died and they went to live with their grandpa and uncle Jake, he was almost as nice as Bobby is. But then he started being mean like they were. I think their aunt Laura was too scared of Jake and Zeke to be able to change things."
"Jared got a graze on his forehead that needed a couple of stitches so he'll have a reminder every time he looks in the mirror. My stitching closes wounds satisfactorily but it's not as neat as your Momma's is. Jake, Zeke and Doug are in their family plot in the corner of the back 40. Doug's some kind of cousin so Laura said to put him there."
"John, can Laura and the two kids manage that place?"
"With some outside help, Lois. Laura and Jared can handle the garden, the pigs, milking both cows and mucking as needed. Della can feed chickens and collect eggs. David discussed using some of his fuel to harvest the 80 acres of corn this year and that should provide food for animals and people for the winter and they'll have something to barter. Laura asked if the old farmers' market could be restarted so people would have a place to get the things they can't otherwise get. David will take her and the kids to the Walmart trailer to look for things they need."
"Playing matchmaker, John?"
"Not me. That was David's idea. Lisa and Della are the same ages and, although Jared's a year older than Bobby, he's been decked by Caleb and he saw Bobby deck Caleb. Perhaps not the best possible relationship for step-siblings but at least one that starts off based on respect."
"Laura is a cousin to David's late wife so they've known each other for some time. That might work. Any law enforcement presence out there, John?"
"Not that we saw or heard, Duncan. The Sheriff's Office substation on County 139 hasn't had anyone there in a long time from the looks of the trash blown up against the doors."
---
"Sarah?"
"Yes, Mr. Tatum?"
"The blackberry cobbler yesterday was very good. Thank you for making it."
"You're welcome."
"Sarah, I want that recipe when you come tomorrow."
"I already wrote it out on this card, Mrs. Tatum."
"You seem to always be prepared for things."
"Like Momma and Daddy say, 'Being prepared isn't something you do; it's something you live'."
"That's a very good way of looking at things. We'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"To the truck, Sarah. You'll be on horseback tomorrow."
"Yes, Daddy."
---
"No bodies to dispose of?"
"Jake and Zeke Tilman and Doug Fields in the family cemetery on their property."
"So 'Triple S' as needed?"
"Just like today."
"Sarah's OK cooking for the Tatums?"
"Except for Caleb running his mouth inappropriately, they weren't involved in the incident - other than its resolution."
"Tell me the details."
"Me too."
"And me."
"OK. Have a seat, as this may take a while..."
"Is it gonna be scary enough for lap time?"
"Probably scary enough for you, Melissa, since you didn't get it all out in the wee hours of the morning. And maybe for Sarah. Both of you in my lap while I tell you what happened."
---
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 15, 2019 21:17:28 GMT -6
This story is NOT finished and it may never be extended beyond where it stalled a couple of months ago. It does stop at a good point (not a cliffhanger).
Requests for another chapter or "the next chapter" will be ignored.
================
Keep the Cool Inside
Copyright © 2019 J. E. Carter All rights reserved
================
Chapter 18
Monday, 5 July, 2:10PM
"Lily, if you'd fold out the sofa's bed and help me get these sleeping girls out of my lap…"
"Folded out and I have Melissa. This bed is a better choice than carrying them up the stairs to their beds. I think bedtime may be a little earlier tonight."
"I won't object to an earlier bedtime, although they might complain about 'Going to bed when it's still light'."
"I don't think that will be a problem, John. Now that Sarah's out of your arms, take a look to the west."
"You're right, Lily. I think those clouds tell me it will be dark early. If the thunder doesn't wake them, the cloud cover will help get them in bed early enough to make up for their very disturbed sleep in the wee hours today. I should also check the barometer."
"You said that Laura asked about the farmers' market. Is that something worth doing?"
"Reverend Bartow asked me Sunday if there was some way to distribute the produce from the gardens of those who have died from lack of medication, power for medical equipment or just the general unavailability of medical care. Maybe we could get with him and a few others and come up with a work schedule that covers caring for and harvesting those gardens and maybe trading food for time working in the gardens?"
"It would be a shame to have folks going hungry when there's food available for the picking but we only want those who know what's ripe doing the work. Other than fried green tomatoes, there aren't many unripe vegetables that people want to eat."
"That's true and I think I'll go pick some green ones for that right now."
"You're so easy to manipulate about some things."
"Yes, but that means I get them with your special breading."
"Are you trying to manipulate me?"
"As you wish."
"You goof!"
---
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 16, 2019 13:26:35 GMT -6
This story is NOT finished and it may never be extended beyond where it stalled a couple of months ago. It does stop at a good point (not a cliffhanger).
Requests for another chapter or "the next chapter" will be ignored.
================
Keep the Cool Inside
Copyright © 2019 J. E. Carter All rights reserved
================
Chapter 19
Monday, 5 July, 3:05PM
"You're going to do what, David?"
"Invest some fuel in the crops on the Tilman place, Dad. They don't need 80 acres of corn, but that could feed a number of people and animals this winter. The old farmhouse there was split down the middle to convert it to a duplex years ago, so there's a place for Bobby, Lisa and me to live while we help with the farm. Without Zeke and Jake to provide protection, I'm concerned about Laura living alone with two kids in the middle of nowhere."
"Well, I can't argue about the corn and they have some good pasture that we could move a few steers to. How will we keep in touch?"
"I've been talking with John and he said there's a house near there with a lot of solar panels on it. Somebody from the city bought that 200 acres when Elijah Mills' widow died three years ago and they built a big house with all the conveniences of city life but there's no one there and the grass growing in the gravel drive leading to the house tells me there's been no traffic on it. John said we might be able to take the pieces of that solar system and provide a little power for each house - enough for a few lights and a CB to talk to each other and I know there's a box of CBs in the basement, plus the antenna is still up here."
"Enough power to run a fridge or the well pump?"
"Depends on how that system is configured. John said he'd have to look at it to know whether it could be split into multiple smaller systems that could provide that much power."
"You taking the fuel trailer with you?"
"No. Just using the frontloader on the Case to move the older 100 gallon diesel tank. Based on how much fuel we use for similar things here, that should plenty until harvest and I can fill the transfer tank on the flatbed truck to take another 100 gallons over there as needed. At least we got fresh batteries for all the trucks and farm equipment from the Advance Auto trailer."
"How many of the unused batteries could we use for solar?"
"Most of the AGM batteries, as they're designed for more charge/discharge cycles than the older flooded batteries. John said our concern on solar power is whether there are enough solar charge controllers and inverters to split that big system into three smaller systems."
"If anyone can make that work, he can. Using the cold water from the spring to make the little 'cool room' for that small fridge so he'd have enough power to keep Sarah's insulin cold certainly worked out well. He originally told me he thought the little fridge would run less than two hours a day but it's worked out to about 70 minutes a day And that evaporative cooler for Bobby's insulin, with the small water-powered fan - I don't know what engineering school John went to, but he was obviously at the head of his class."
"Georgia Tech, from the hat he had on today."
"How will you get those panels off the roof there?"
"There's a bucket truck in the lot at the electric co-op. We could take some treated diesel, some Pri-D and a fresh battery to get it started. The biggest panels weigh maybe 60lbs so they could be strapped to the bucket and lowered that way or it might have a pulley system for getting things to and from the bucket. We can check Jones Roofing for the safety lines and harnesses for working on the roof."
"How soon to get it all working?"
"Week or two, depending on what John finds when we go explore that house - maybe tomorrow if the rain that's coming in is gone overnight."
"The sky is getting dark to the west. I better check the barometer."
---
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 16, 2019 13:27:08 GMT -6
This story is NOT finished and it may never be extended beyond where it stalled a couple of months ago. It does stop at a good point (not a cliffhanger).
Requests for another chapter or "the next chapter" will be ignored.
================
Keep the Cool Inside
Copyright © 2019 J. E. Carter All rights reserved
================
Chapter 20
Monday, 5 July, 8:10PM
"John, the wind's already taken some of the smaller branches off that old poplar tree. Do you think we'll lose it?"
"The root system is OK, Lily, so tree should stay up. I'm not as sure about some of the pines but they're far enough from the buildings to do no damage if they come down. I'm more worried about…"
CRACK!
BOOM!
"As I was about to say, I'm more worried about how much lightning we're getting. I think that strike hit the poplar so that tree is now on my list of things to check in the morning. I did disconnect and ground all the solar power wiring - which is why we're using this windup light - so we should still have power when I connect it back. I'm very glad I persuaded the girls to try the soft earplugs to keep out the noise of the storm because they're both still asleep."
"Speaking of solar, you mentioned that house with the roof covered in panels. Something we can use?"
"Maybe. David and I planned to check on that system tomorrow but checking will be put off until we've taken care of any storm damage at the properties. First, what you and I can do and we'll make notes about things that need more people or different tools or equipment for the repairs. Then I'll check with Duncan and David. We can then work out what needs to be done where - and in what order. I'm sure all the kids will be busy gathering the small blowdowns and separating compost from kindling. And they'll get to do that twice - once in the open areas around the buildings and again after we've taken down any damaged trees and cut up the pieces too big for them to move."
"You have fuel for the chainsaw?"
"Chainsaws, as in more than one. My 30 inch and the 24 inch and 16 inch that were in the woodshed. You need different bar lengths depending on where you're working and what you're doing. I also have spare chains for all of them plus the proper sharpening files and guides, along with bar and chain oil, 2 cycle oil, air filters, spark plugs and treated gasoline. And there's an assortment of wedges and other felling and woodcutting tools - even a two-man saw with a six foot blade."
"Isn't that an incredibly slow way to cut down a tree?"
"A well-sharpened and properly set saw in the hands of two experienced men can be almost as fast as a chainsaw."
"I hear all the conditions - which I think translate to 'if you know what you're doing'."
"You think correctly. There are still lumberjack competitions where all the tools are manual: axes, hand saws and the like. The rain seems to be lessening. Should we head for bed?"
"Lead on."
---
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 16, 2019 13:28:30 GMT -6
This story is NOT finished and it may never be extended beyond where it stalled a couple of months ago. It does stop at a good point (not a cliffhanger).
Requests for another chapter or "the next chapter" will be ignored.
================
Keep the Cool Inside
Copyright © 2019 J. E. Carter All rights reserved
================
Chapter 21
Tuesday, 6 July, 5:30AM
ringggggg!
"John, I don't hear Sarah moving."
"Lily, if those earplugs blocked most of the thunder, you know they'll block out that rather soft alarm clock. I'll go wake both of them."
"And they always like your 'alarm clock' on their foreheads."
"You are correct."
---
"Daddy, there's limbs and stuff on the road. Can I get to the Tatums'?"
"We'll take the truck and I'll put chainsaws and some other tools in the bed to clear things that are blocking the road. Some may need to be cut; others may only need to be pushed to the side of the road."
"So I might be later getting there?"
"Yes, but I think they'll understand. I expect they have similar damage to what we have and are already working on it."
"Mr. Tatum said they were out of honey yesterday when he got the last biscuit so I have one of the small jars of the honey you got from that tree."
"That's sweet of you, Number One daughter. I think he'll appreciate that."
"'Number One daughter'?"
"You are the firstborn of my two daughters so you must be my Number One daughter."
"You're OK most of the time, so I guess I can deal with your jokes from watching old Charlie Chan movies."
"Good to know that I'm 'OK'. I have another Charlie Chan movie on DVD if you’d like to do popcorn and a movie tonight."
“Yes!”
---
===============
Not a planned end, just where my muse left me (but that's another story). Sorry, that's all there is. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.
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Post by gipsy on Sept 16, 2019 16:41:54 GMT -6
Life goes on.
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Post by supermag on Sept 16, 2019 21:02:40 GMT -6
Another good one papa, can't wait for your muse to return
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Post by 9idrr on Sept 16, 2019 21:26:07 GMT -6
Okay... sniff... I ain't complainin'... nor whinin'... no not me. Thanks for the first part of this one. If we get more, great. If not, at least you didn't leave us hangin.
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Post by texican on Sept 18, 2019 23:50:22 GMT -6
Unless you die then your life stops, but life goes on for others....
Texican....
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Post by texican on Sept 18, 2019 23:51:31 GMT -6
PP2,
Thank you for the story even if unfinished....
Maybe your muse will turn again to this story....
Now on to the next one....
Texican....
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Post by ydderf on Sept 19, 2019 15:06:23 GMT -6
If you send your muse here I will have a talk with her! Thank you for the first 1/3. ydderf
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 19, 2019 18:06:03 GMT -6
Our 40-ish neighbor who often turns to alcohol when her significant other is on the road (he's gone several days a week, usually leaving Sunday evening or Monday morning)), came over snockered, stumbling, barefoot and saying "I think there's something or someone in the house" Monday after 10PM. Maybe she shouldn't leave the doors open for ventilation when she's drinking? Especially when the A/C is on? The two of us got her home (even with someone to hold on to, she went down hard once, skinning knee and forehead) and my wife did First Aid while I checked all the rooms and closets with the multi-D-cell flashlight (also makes an expedient weapon, if needed). That couple of hours certainly fouled my outlook for this week and it's possible the noise and falling down scared my newest muse away - maybe permanently, as I've not gotten ANY inspiration for several days. It's the feeling that my muse is just not anywhere near when I sit down to write.
I've been editing some older stories headed for Kindle publication but I've not done anything *creative* since early Monday evening. I was working on the sequel to "The Waif" just before that knock on the door, but that's now in Never-Never Land :-(
I did ask my wife if she'd agree to calling 911 and saying "There's a drunk woman on my porch" the next time. Would that level of Tough Love be in keeping with my promise to her father to "look out for her" because he's 1200+ miles away? I would be having someone in authority look after her.
Maybe my muse will turn back up - this one has been very creative...
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Post by 9idrr on Sept 19, 2019 20:27:27 GMT -6
I'm glad there wasn't any more excitement than that. Could said neighbor or facsimile appear in another story? Or maybe staked out as muse bait?
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 20, 2019 2:13:26 GMT -6
I don't handle other people's drama well - too much me wanting to describe them as "Stupid" and snatch them into next week - and not being able to do that cranks up my adrenaline level so I didn't get to sleep until after 5AM. Not one of my better nights.
Don't think I'd use her for muse bait - she'd scare all of them away :-(
I guess I should have kept a diary about the neighbor and made it into a psychological mystery/thriller - and at the end you learn that all the scary people and things are in her head and even the scars were caused by the bottles, as in "falling down drunk".
Maybe in the future? If my muse returns? I'd be quite happy to continue with Book 2 of "The Waif".
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Post by texican on Sept 20, 2019 15:53:58 GMT -6
PP2,
You definitely live in an exciting life....
Now you do know that taking a flashlight to a potential gun fight is not the smartest thing you have done recently.... But that could be a start to another story about taking care of your 40 something next door drunk female neighbor with your spouse in tow....
A little chardonnay with chicken fried steak, cream gravy and fried potatoes and a side salad with Italian dressing and Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos as topping might entice your muse back if not the pepto bismol.... If you are really wanting a little relaxation coke and JD Black would also work....
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 20, 2019 18:22:09 GMT -6
Still rebuilding the SSD on the laptop. Final analysis looks like a bad memory chip on the laptop trashed the boot area of the SSD. I'll know more in a couple of hours when the drive clone program finishes running on a laptop I stopped using almost a year ago because of a flakey power connector. It runs just fine if it's never moved :-(
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Post by 9idrr on Sept 20, 2019 20:36:43 GMT -6
Still rebuilding the SSD on the laptop. Final analysis looks like a bad memory chip on the laptop trashed the boot area of the SSD. I'll know more in a couple of hours when the drive clone program finishes running on a laptop I stopped using almost a year ago because of a flakey power connector. It runs just fine if it's never moved :-( Hmm... bad power connector... wouldn't be a Toshiba, would it?
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 20, 2019 21:06:32 GMT -6
No, it's a Dell that was bumped off the cooling stand and the power connector caught the full weight of the metal-cased laptop. It works if the power cord stays very still, so you can't use it in your lap except on battery. A small jiggle in the wrong direction and it goes off to Never-Never Land. It does fine sitting on the table and doing long processes - such as cloning an SSD.
I have new RAM (2 x 2GB) on order for the primary laptop (the one I use for writing) and maybe I'll be using it for that again - if my muse returns :-(
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Post by gipsy on Sept 20, 2019 22:05:40 GMT -6
Dropping off a full two pound box of Lady Godiva chocolates.
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 20, 2019 22:25:02 GMT -6
I have dark chocolate M&Ms, Hershey's Special Dark Nuggets and Hershey's Special Dark Syrup for the vanilla ice cream. No takers other than the better half and myself. I think my little muse has been scared away - far away - maybe permanently.
If I knew how to do a "Missing Muse" report with the Musian Embassy via spacemail, I would (no help with that online), but the spacephone (my previous muse left the number) charges are entirely too high to stay on the line and wait when their voicemail is "Thank you for calling the Musian Embassy on Alpha Centauri. Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line. You are caller 97 in a queue of 113. Estimated wait time is 47 centons." FYI: a centon is a little over a minute - maybe 68 seconds - and the cost is $0.33/second. Do the math - it's a little over $1000 to hold on until they answer...
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 21, 2019 15:06:08 GMT -6
After many hours, my writing laptop is back to normal with good memory (2 x 2GB Crucial chips) and a larger drive (1TB SSD so lots of room to store reference info for future books - when/if my muse returns :-( I still sit and try to write even if there's nothing there - maybe she'll find me again?
It's nice to have wired Gigabit Ethernet ports and a Gigabit Ethernet switch to support connecting the fast machines together. In backing things up, I got transfer speeds of 470 Mbs between the laptop and the desktop (with a 2TB drive just for storage).
"Just Another Voicemail" is 90% ready for Kindle publication, including a very basic cover but I found some CDs of royalty-free graphics and I might use some images from those - a project for tomorrow. I have a cover for "Homestead" - using a barn photograph I took decades ago (when I processed and printed my own B&W film). That one is framed in old barn wood and hanging in the family room. "Homestead" could be the next book on Kindle.
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Post by 9idrr on Sept 21, 2019 21:11:01 GMT -6
No, it's a Dell that was bumped off the cooling stand and the power connector caught the full weight of the metal-cased laptop. It works if the power cord stays very still, so you can't use it in your lap except on battery. A small jiggle in the wrong direction and it goes off to Never-Never Land. It does fine sitting on the table and doing long processes - such as cloning an SSD. I have new RAM (2 x 2GB) on order for the primary laptop (the one I use for writing) and maybe I'll be using it for that again - if my muse returns :-( Know what you mean. My Dell Latitude D505 has always had a touchy power connection but not right at the laptop. It just keeps chuggin' along on XP.
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 21, 2019 21:19:49 GMT -6
I use a Latitude D620 (about 12 years old) running XP and Office 2003. It also has a multi-year collection of other useful software (free, purchased and even some bits I've written, like a numeric battery condition indicator in the tray that gives charge %, time remaining, and starts flashing at a settable level plus beeping at another settable level - much more useful than the full, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 battery symbol - and don't forget my password keeper that was written a dozen years ago and can also store credit card numbers and other useful info in encrypted format).
The now 1TB SSD allows storing all kinds of research info when I'm writing a new story - maps, web pages, farming documents, whatever might be useful for the area and the events.
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Post by ydderf on Sept 22, 2019 13:15:19 GMT -6
I've some homemade peach chutney you could bribe your muse with!! If it would help you out.
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