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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 9:23:49 GMT -6
"This is really a nice cabin. How do you rate this?" Carla asked, sitting at the end of the couch. Ted shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth." "At least you have a nice kitchen. I can hardly boil water in what I have." "When you feel like cooking a meal, come on down. I'll act as your food tester." Carla smiled and shifted down on the couch so her head was pillowed by the arm rest. Ted looked over at her and smiled. "Comfy?" "Mmmmmm…this is a nice couch." Ted reached down and picked her feed off the floor. He slipped off her shoes and began massaging her feet and toes through her ankle socks. "Oh God! You can stop that next week!" Ted softly massaged the arches and heels until he heard a soft snoring. He looked up and saw he had fallen asleep. Slowly, he slid to the side and gently laid her feet on the couch. Taking the Afghan that was draped over the back of the couch, Ted spread it over gently, as not to wake her. Ted already had a fire laid in the fireplace, so he went over and lit it. He sat down in the easy chair, picked up the book he was reading from the side table, and began to read.
An hour later, Carla stirred and opened her eyes. All of a sudden she sat up and looked around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." "It was very apropos. A good meal, a little wine, and a cold winter day, indeed calls for a nap sometimes." "Why didn't you fall asleep?" "I was enjoying listening to you snore while I read." "I DON'T SNORE!" Ted chuckled. "Next time I'll record it on my phone." "Hmmph!" Carla got up and stretched. Walking over to the fireplace, she warmed her hands then turned her back to the fire to soak in the warmth. "I could get used to this." "I have a spare bedroom." Ted said. Carla stared at Ted. "I mean, we could share cooking duties and this would be better than an apartment….and no strings attached." Ted explained. Carla continued looking at Ted. "Okay." Ted jumped up out of the chair. "Come on, I'll show you the bedroom." Ted led her to the bedroom and opened the door for her. Carla stepped in and looked around. It was a nice 12x15 bedroom that shared a bathroom with another bedroom that Ted had turned into an office. She turned to Ted. "This would be fine." Ted smiled. "Good. Do you need some help packing and moving your stuff?" Carla laughed. "I've been kind of lazy. I've only unpacked about a third of what I have." "That's fortunate. It won't take us long then. I'll go hook the trailer up and we can get everything in one swoop." They drove up in front of the apartment and Carla unlocked the door. Ted started carrying out the unpacked boxes while Carla put together the boxes she had emptied. "Don't pack your hang-up clothes. We can lay a blanket in the truck bed and lay them there." Ted said. They got everything packet up, except the food. They would get that later. It was almost 7:00 that night before Carla finished unpacking and putting things away. Ted was stoking the fire when she came back into the den. "Whew! I'm glad that's done." Carla groaned as she flopped down on the couch. "Are you hungry? There's still that small pizza left. I wrapped it up and put it in the refrigerator." Ted asked. "No, I'm fine, although I think I'd like a cup of tea." "I've got Black tea, Ginger tea, Chamomile, Irish Breakfast, English, Earl Grey and Mint." "Mint sounds nice." Ted put the kettle on and put a tea cups, sugar bowl, milk pitcher, napkins and spoons on a tray. He took a mint and an Earl Grey tea bags out of their canisters and placed them in the cups. When the kettle whistled, he poured the hot water over the bags and sat the kettle back on the stove. Taking the tray into the den, he sat it on the coffee table. He handed Carla her cup then took his and sat down. They sat there quietly drinking their tea. "Get used to our routine. I'll go in and run the checklist on the ambulance and double-check everything." "How does this work? Working for the county and getting paid by the clinic." "Well, we're not really working for the county. We're in a working partnership. We have to maintain our qualifications and work along with the EMS, but we're really our own entity." "Cal doesn't trust the government?" "Well, let's just say he doesn't want to be dependent on them. Well, I'm going to turn in. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." "Good night Ted." Carla picked up the tray and took it into the kitchen. Rinsing the dishes, she put them in the dishwasher. After making sure everything was wiped down, she turned off the lights and went to her room. Carla woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. She looked at her watch and saw it was 6:30. Getting up and putting on a robe, she went to the kitchen.
"I was just about to go check on you to see if you were dead." Ted said. "I was tired. The coffee and bacon woke me up." Ted picked up the coffee pot and poured her a cup, "How do you like your eggs?" "Scrambled is fine." Ted put toast in the toaster and started scrambling the eggs. Carla got up and retrieved the toast when it was done as Ted was dishing the eggs into two plates and placed 3 slices of bacon with each. Setting the plates on the dinette table, he got the butter and the orange marmalade out of the frig. He then got down two juice glasses and poured orange juice. They both sat down and started eating. Carla noticed Ted was in sweats and running shoes.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 9:24:38 GMT -6
"Are you going to work out this morning?"
Ted wiped his mouth. "Already have. I went to the gym this morning, ran a couple of miles on the treadmill, pushups, sit ups, and lifted some weights."
"You could have awakened me."
"I didn't know your schedule."
"Do you exercise every day?"
"Every day except Sunday."
"Then I'll start going with you in the morning. What time do you leave?"
"I normally leave about 5:30."
"Fine, I can deal with that."
They finished their meal and cleaned up the kitchen. After filling the dishwasher, Ted started it.
"I'm going to clean up and go into the clinic and get acclimated to my daily routine."
"Good, I'll ride in with you. I'll go get a shower."
Ted went and showered and then went into his study/office and printed out a checklist he had made for his daily work schedule. He made seven copies and placed them on a clipboard. He went out to the den and Carla was waiting for him.
"Ready?"
"Yep."
They went outside and took the EV to the clinic. When they got there, Lisa and Doc were already there.
"What are you two doing here?" Lisa asked.
"Establishing a routine. I made a checklist of the things we should do every day when we come in." Ted answered.
"Lisa smiled. "To tell you the truth, that's what Donald and I are doing. We want everything to become a habit. Can I see your checklist?"
Lisa read it over and nodded. "That's what I'm going to do. I like the way you've got the column for the date and all you have to do is check the box for each item for the day."
She handed the checklist back to Ted and went into the office to make her own list. Ted and Carla started on their checklist and made sure everything was in place and checked. It took them less than thirty minutes to go over everything. Ted called Lisa on the radio and told her they were taking the ambulance out on a familiarization run for Carla. She acknowledged.
"Take the wheel." Ted told Carla.
Carla got into the driver's seat and started the engine.
"Where to?"
"Drive up to the Glade Park Store, turn around, and stop at the General Store."
Carla was a natural. When she pulled up at the General Store, Ted had her park at the edge of the parking lot.
"Let's get a cup of coffee." Ted said.
They walked into the restaurant and Casey put them at the Stammtisch.
"You two are family now. This is where you sit."
Casey soon returned with two coffee mugs with the Paramedic logo on them and their names.
"I had these made up for you two as our show of thanks."
"Casey, thank you so much!" Carla said.
"They'll be hanging here on their hooks when you come in."
Ted looked over his shoulder and saw a number of mugs hanging on the wall.
Casey poured their coffee and went back to the kitchen.
"This place is amazing!" Carla whispered.
"I told you, these people are great."
They had the one cup of coffee and got up. Ted motioned for the waitress to bring the check. She came over and told them there was no charge so he left a $5 tip on the table. When they walked into the clinic, Lisa called them into the office. On a table sat two piles of clothing.
"Guys, since you are establishing your routine, I think you should be in uniform."
Each pile contained seven sets of Royal Blue coveralls with their names on the right breast and Paramedic patches on each shoulder. Ted noticed there were shoulder pockets for pens and shears.
"Lisa, we could have paid for our own uniforms."
"I know, but we wanted to show you how much we appreciate you being here. I hope you don't mind that we called the paramedics in our old home and kind of copied what they had."
"Not at all. These are great!"
"Well, if you two are through with your morning routine, why don't you go and wash the sizing out of them."
Carla smiled and grabbed up her pile. "Let's go!"
Ted wisely uttered those two words which have saved men's' lives throughout time immemorial.
"Yes Ma'am."
Ted picked up his pile and followed Carla out of the building. Carla drove the EV back to their cabin. Carla started a load with three pair of her coveralls and three pair of Ted's. She went back into the den and saw Ted reading alerts on his cell phone. She went over to the couch and kicked off her shoes and laid her head on Ted's lap.
Ted put his arm behind her neck and bent down as he lifted her so they could kiss. The tenderness of that kiss spoke volumes. Ted knew he wasn't falling in love with Carla. He was already there.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 9:25:37 GMT -6
Eric caught Cal in the Monitor Center.
"Cal, I've given some thought on the communications for the Paramedics. There aren't any repeaters to relay their comms in many areas around here to talk to St. Mary's. I think I have a fix."
"Okay….so."
"We can use satellite to pickup and talk to them when they are out, and can easily multiplex the signal back to St. Mary's if we put an 80 foot tower and antenna on the mesa."
"Okay, you lost me after 'push-to-talk. If you can do it, make it happen."
Eric grinned and walked out.
Cal's phone rang.
"Cal? Donald. I just got a call from St. Mary's. There'[s a heart attack patient at Gateway Resort that needs to be transported to St. Mary's. Their LifeFlite is busy with a wreck on I-70. It's a one hour drive just to pick the patient up."
"I'll notify Ken to get the S-70 ready. Have Ted and Carla meet him at the airfield."
Cal called Ted and gave him the SITREP. Ken notified Dave and rushed to the airfield to prep the bird. Ted and Carla grabbed essential gear and met Ken as he and Dave were installing the litter rack in the helicopter. After doing their pre-flight checks, Ken pressed the starter switch and the turbines began to whine. As soon as they were off the ground, Ken notified the monitoring station they were inbound for Gateway. Carla got on the air and got the patient's vitals. Almost before Carla ended the call, Ken was flaring to land at the designated helipad. Ted grabbed the litter and moved over to where the patient was waiting on a gurney. After quickly checking vitals and switching to their oxygen tank , the patient was moved to the litter and transferred to the helicopter. Twenty minutes later Ken was landing at St. Mary's where the personnel took charge of the patient. Carla gave them the patient's status and vitals and they rushed into the emergency room. Ted waited for their oxygen bottle to be returned and was given two new cannulas and a full bottle. The pad needed to be cleared so Ted and Carla hurried back out and got in the bird. Dave lifted the S-70 off the pad and headed back to the Ranch.
"Ken, are you logging the flight time? Those are reimbursable to the Ranch."
"Roger that, Ted. Well, we've done our good deed for the day."
When they returned to the clinic, Donald had them bring their kits into an exam room and lay them out.
"Okay, good work! Now what I want to do is an After Action Review. Is their anything you wished you would have had on hand?
"Yes!" Carla said. "A portable EKG device. The kits didn't come with one. When we hand the patient over, we could give them the latest reading."
"Other than the EKG device, I can't think of anything. Our kits are laid out correctly and everything was easily in reach."
"Great. Okay, I'll have two EKG devices shipped over-night."
Ted turned to Carla. "That's another thing we add to the checklist. Check battery and tape levels in the devices."
"Okay, do what you need to do and again, good work." Donald said.
Carla nodded.
They packed their gear back up and returned it to the ambulance. Carla followed Ted into their office and they worked on the update to the checklist.
Cal wiped his brow as the last ingot was cooling in the mold. He looked at the ten ingots laying on the table. Diana Whitman was only through 1/3 of Level four. He'd had to process the raw gold because they were running out of space. He now had 43 one pound ingots from just this portion of the cut. He needed to talk to Larry about getting this processed. Dumping the gold out of the mold, he moved them next to the other ingots to finish cooling.
As he was cleaning up, Cal was thinking about operations around the Ranch. Everything was going smoothly, but with the economic policies of the new administration, the economy was stagnated for the rest of the country. The tourist industry was faltering. No one could afford to take the vacations they could a couple of years ago. The upside was there was plenty of game meat to be bought for Casey's restaurant and for the Ranch's freezers. That took a little pressure off of the game farms from losing business. Although prices on food were up. what they sold to the restaurants were kept competitively low, especially at the farmer's market in town and their market, to allow the people of lower income a source. They even made monthly donations of food to the food banks. He'd even started running a dozen more cows as a hedge. Meats in the markets was getting expensive because of the trade deals the government had made. Money was going into pockets, but he suspected the majority of it was going into politician's pockets.
Cal left the ingots cooling and went to the house. Siobhan and Martha were inventorying the pantry.
"What's up?" Cal asked.
"Just seeing what we need to restock. Hey, did you know that Carla moved into Ted's cabin?"
"I noticed. I think they'd make a great couple. Leave them alone."
"What? I wasn't going to do anything." Siobhan said.
"Lady, I know you. The next thing I know is you planning weddings and baby showers."
Siobhan grinned. "But it's fun!"
Cal chuckled. "Yeah. I'm headed to the clinic to talk with Donald."
Cal walked into the clinic and Donald and Lisa were busy with a patient. Carla was working at the front counter.
"Hey Cal, what can we do for you."
"Nothing really. I just wanted to talk to the Doc."
"He's in with Mrs. Dunkin right now. Do you want to wait? He should be through in a few minutes."
"Yeah, I'll wait. Is Ted around?"
"Yes, he's in back checking on some things in the ambulance."
Cal walked through the clinic to the garage and heard Ted moving around on the other side of the vehicle.
"Oh! Hey Cal."
"Cal shook his hand. "The Tell-A-Woman rumor circuit has you and Carla as an item now."
Ted kind of blushed. "Well, yeah, sort of. She moved into my guestroom because the cabin is more spacious and has a bigger kitchen. She likes to cook. Is there a problem?
"Heck no. I want you to take her on a tour of the shelter and show her the infirmary."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 9:26:28 GMT -6
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. She's practically family….I assume?"
"Yeah, I'm leaning heavily in that direction."
"Good. Do you need anything?"
"I can't think of anything right now. We're prepared for just about any contingency."
"Great. I'll let you get back to work. I need to talk to Donald."
When Cal went back up front, Mrs. Dunkin was just leaving. Donald and Lisa were talking in the hallway.
"Hey Cal" Lisa said.
"Hey you two. How's business?"
"Picking up."
"I noticed you might be short a receptionist. You know, there might be someone that would fit the bill out at the Hope Center."
Lisa looked at Donald. "I hadn't thought about that. I'll go over there now and do some preliminary interviews after I talk with Diana. If anyone comes in, Carla can fill in for me."
"Donald, There's a newly vacated apartment that is available if your new receptionist is interested."
"We'll have to arrange transportation for her." Donald said.
"Each apartment has an EV with it. Until she saves enough for a car, She should be fine. I'll even foot a loan if she needs."
"Let's give her a month to see if she's going to work out before we offer her that. We'll get her some work clothes up front if she needs." Donald said.
Lisa came back two hours later. "I found us a receptionist!"
Donald came out of the office.
"Well?"
"Her name is Christine Mitchel. Diana pointed her out. She was in an abusive relationship and was working as a receptionist prior to the economy going sour. After that, things got worse for her. She finally ask for help and Diana and her people took her in. Diana said they were about to get her on the job market. She's 27 years old and is very nice. I'm headed into town and picking up some nice blouses and pants. I'll pick her up on Thursday. We need to work out where she can live. Do you think…"
"Slow down!" Donald chuckled. "Cal already has an apartment she can have."
"That must be the apartment I had. She's going to need dishes, cookware, kitchen utensils, linen, towels…just about everything."
Lisa looked at Carla questionably. "You're not living in the apartment? Where are you staying now?"
Carla blushed. "I moved into Ted's guest room. He has a bigger kitchen."
"Well, if you can run up and gather those things, I'll pick up the rest and we can see what else we need tomorrow. Honey, are you going to be all right?"
Sure, I don't have any more appointments this afternoon. Ted can step in if needed."
Lisa took off to go to grand Junction and Carla went to pick up the unpacked boxes in Ted's basement.
"So, you and Carla are living together?" Donald asked.
"Yeah, we're living together, but not living together, if you know what I mean. Doc, I mean, I have developed feelings for her but we haven't taken it to the next step."
"She's a very nice woman. I'm sure you will treat her right." Donald said. "By the way, Anita Montgomery is getting close to her due date. Make sure you have a complete birthing kit in the ambulance. She want's to have it at home."
"Got it. I did a couple in Afghanistan."
Lisa and Carla were gone the rest of the afternoon getting the apartment ready for Chris. Doc decided they could leave at 5:00 so they locked up and went home. When Ted got to the cabin, he pulled out ground beef and Italian sausage out of the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator. He got the Crock Pot out of a cabinet and got it warming up. He then chopped onions, garlic, and peppers to cook in the frying pan. Taking out the #10 can of tomato powder into the pot and added a can of diced tomatoes. After the the peppers and onions were cooked, he added the mixture to the pot and sat it to simmer for 12 hours.
The smell of the sauce cooking got Carla's attention immediately after entering.
"What is cooking?"
"Just some spaghetti sauce for tomorrow night."
"Smells delicious. Any more patients this afternoon?"
"None, but Doc says the Montgomery woman is soon to give birth. I made sure we had a birthing kit in the ambulance."
"We got the apartment finished, except for food. Lisa is taking that over tomorrow. What do you want for dinner?"
"I can grill some pork chops. What about that with some spinach and mashed potatoes and corn"
"Sounds good. I'll do the veggies and you burn the meat."
They worked in concert to get the meal together. Carla opened a bottle of Chardonnay and they soon were ready to eat. When they finished, Carla told Ted to go sit and relax and she'd do the dishes. Ted took his wine and went into the family room and sat on the couch. When Carla finished in the kitchen, she brought her wine with her into the family room and stopped in front of Ted.
"Why did you kiss me the other night?"
"Carla, I've wanted to do that since the first time I met you."
Carla stood for a moment and studied him. "In that case…"
Carla kicked off her shoes and sat her wineglass on the coffee table. She moved over to the couch and laid down with her head in Ted's lap."
She looked into his eyes and said, "Come here."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 9:29:45 GMT -6
Cal's phone rang.
"Mr. Coleman, this is John Helms with the Tucker Carlson Show. I'd like to invite you to appear on the show tomorrow night to speak about the rhetoric expounded by Mr. Xadian Mocoomo concerning the incident that occurred at your ranch a few weeks ago."
"I guess so. When and where do you want to do this?"
"If you could be at the studios of Fox 4 in Grand Junction at 7:00 PM that will give us plenty of time. You'll be met by Greg Chambers."
"Okay, Mr. Helms, I'll be there."
"Who was that?" Siobhan asked.
"Producer for the Tucker Carlson Show. They want me on air tomorrow night. Why don't you and I go in and have an early dinner at Frank's, then go over to the studio."
" Some people in America mind their own business unless prodded by outsiders. Tonight we have one of those people. One of those who will not hesitate to protect his family and the people of his community in times of civil unrest. We have with us tonight, Cal Coleman, of Glade Park, Colorado. Mr. Coleman has been on the news a couple of times speaking on many subjects, to include crime and corruption. We are also joined by Xadian Mocoomo, one of leaders of Black America, who is disturbed by an incident that happened at Mr. Coleman's ranch a few weeks ago. A group of BLM and ANTIFA activists trespassed over a fence clearly marked with no trespassing signs stating the use of deadly force was authorized. The activists were carrying weapons to include Molotov cocktails, and after being given proper warning, kept with their plan and were met by a barrage of shotgun rounds filled with rock salt. Fifty six activists were arrested and charged with criminal trespass. Mr. Coleman is joining us from our affiliate Fox 4 in Grand Junction, Colorado. I'll let Mr. Mocoomo begin the conversation since he's made the allegations.
"Tucker, we had a few brothers and their supporters approach Mr Coleman to discuss financial inequities and the racist attitudes between his corporation and the people of color in his area. They were unjustly gunned down in their effort to find a common playing field."
"But you condone the bullying and the criminal activities of the group you are supporting, Mr. Mocoomo? Mr. Coleman, let's get your response."
"Well Tucker, the last time I bothered to count we had Caucasian, Japanese, Native Americans and Latinos there on the Ranch, and our community religious leader is Black, but they all identify as Americans. They, nor I, care to listen to loud-mouth race baiters and political bullies. We get along great with people of every race and economic class. We don't get along with people who are closed-minded, ignorant or lazy and think they should have the same things we do without the work that goes into it. It seems the racist attitudes are mostly coming from the minority and Marxist sides. Tucker, the people associated with the High Top Ranch know that it's not about color or nationality but respect for another human. Mr. Black Rage doesn't give respect nor does he deserve it."
Mocoomo butted in. "Mr. Coleman thinks too highly of himself. He took land stolen from Native Americans and is making huge profits at the expense of people of color!"
Cal smiled and shook his head. "I tend to believe Mr. Mocoomo either has damaged genes or the lies coming out of his putrid mouth are from pure hatred and meanness. I inherited the Ranch from a close buddy who died in the war. The Ranch produces not only cattle to feed hungry mouths but also fruits and vegetables. We sell it at reduced prices to lower income people at our markets. We give a donation to the local food bank monthly. Along with this we sponsor several local charities. Mr. Mocoomo has taken in tens of millions in support of his racist agenda. Would he like to tell the viewing audience what he does with the money besides buy new cars and houses. Tucker, having discussions with people like this is a lost cause when they aren't interested in finding common ground and working together to solve some of society's problems, they are just looking for issues to exploit. " "I can see your point. That's all we have for you tonight and thank you for watching. Stay tuned for the Sean Hannity show."
The next morning Cal walked into Casey's and the customers quit eating and started clapping. Cal hung his hat and took down his coffee cup from the wall rack next to the Stammtisch.
Casey came over with the coffee pot.
"You want breakfast Cal?"
"No, just coffee."
"I need to talk to you when you have the time."
"I'll make you time any time you want to talk."
Casey went over and put the coffee pot back on the warmer and took a seat next to Cal.
"Logan and I have been keeping tabs on things that people ask for a we don't stock in the store. The problem is, we don't have any more space. We've looked to see what didn't move but we're selling everything at a steady pace."
"Let's go take a look." Cal said, finishing his coffee.
"They both walked over to the General Store and Casey called out to Logan.
"Get the inventory list we were working on Logan."
Cal looked at the list. A lot of it was canning equipment and farm and garden related things."
"How much floor space do you think you'll need?"
Casey looked at the list for a moment. "Around 1200 square feet."
Cal nodded. They walked around and made the decision on where to add the floor space.
"I'll take a copy of the building plans to Sam and have them start working on it. Work up a future inventory list and order in bulk….maybe a 6 month inventory. If you need more storage room, I'll get more shipping containers."
"Okay Cal. Thanks."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 9:31:04 GMT -6
"Hey Lisa? We're going to check out the Infirmary." Ted said.
"Okay, I'll let you know if anything comes up."
Carla looked puzzled.
"Come on. We'll take the ambulance, It needs to be exercised." Ted told her.
"Where are we going?" Carla asked.
"To the Infirmary. Wait. I'll explain when we get there."
Ted pulled the ambulance to one of the entrances to the Shelter and they walked up to the mesa face. Opening up a hidden panel, he punched in a code that opened a door. He motioned Carla in and went in behind her.
"What is this?" Carla asked.
"I'll fill you in when we get to the Infirmary." Ted answered.
The went down a couple of halls and Ted stopped at a door with a red cross on it.
Punching in a code on the keypad, Ted turned on the lights and led Carla inside.
"This, is the Infirmary."
Carla looked around at what looked like a properly outfitted medical clinic. Albeit small, it seemed functional. She opened doors and found exam rooms, patient recovery area, storage, and what looked like a small operating room.
"What is all this?" Carla asked.
"This is one of Cal's ways of protecting our little community." He then explained the trials and tribulations of Cal Coleman and the Shelter. When he finished, Carla sat there, stunned.
"How big is this place?"
Ted chuckled. "I don't even know. However, I've been ensured we could live down here for 3 or 4 years without going outside. Our job is to get you familiarized with the layout. We'll go over the layout and make sure the Infirmary is stocked. There are more medical supplies stored on Level 3 where we draw replacement supplies."
The rest of the afternoon Ted showed Carla around the different areas of the Shelter. At 4:30 they returned the ambulance to the clinic.
"What do you think?" Lisa asked.
"It's a little overwhelming!" Carla answered.
"I know, it was for me when I was first briefed. Before you come in in the morning, you need to go see Siobhan and Belinda so they can show you your shelter quarters in case we have to move there."
When Ted and Carla got back to their cabin that afternoon, Carla asked Ted what was the deal with the shelter quarters.
"Well, the living quarters are set up for dormitories for single females, single males, couples without children, and families. You have to inform them of your requirements. Then, because if there is no time to pack up things to carry with you in case we have to occupy the Shelter, you'll need to stock your space with your initial clothing and spare personal Iitems. They will explain it all to you tomorrow."
"Do the couple's quarters have one or two beds?" Carla asked.
"I think they only have a queen." Ted said.
"Then maybe we should start sharing a bed here, just to get used to it, in case we have to occupy the Shelter." Carla said, with a twinkle in her eye.
Darryl smiled as he folded the check and put it in the inside pocket after leaving the Nevada Gold Mines HR Department. It was time to do something else with his life. Working the mines as a blaster didn't quite live up to the life he had in the military, but the military was even worse now. When he got back to his trike, he checked out the trailer connections and checked the tie-downs. Satisfied everything was secured, he zipped up his jacket, donned his helmet and gloves and mounted the trike. Pulling out of the parking lot, he pointed the bike toward Highway 50 on his way to Denver. He wasn't in a hurry. He was going take a break in Salina and grab some lunch, then make his way to Grand Junction, and take another break. It was only four hours to Denver from there. He didn't really care about the time. He just didn't want to ride more than four hours without a break. If he wanted to stop to see something, then he would stop. He grinned as the Harley Davidson Trike hummed under him and the custom-built trailer rode well behind. He was damned lucky to have won the Powerball. He didn't know what he was going to do but he didn't have to worry about his next paycheck. He was finally, for once in his life, going to travel to distant places without the locals trying to put a bullet in him…he hoped. . . . "Cal, what are you going to do with that concrete pad where the Gathering house was?"
"I haven't decided Siobhan. Why?"
"Can I have it to build a she-shed?"
"Sure. I really hadn't planned on anything. Do you want me to get with Sam and get a design going for you?"
"No, I'll go in and discuss a few ideas with him."
When Cal walked into his study, Siobhan picked up the phone and called Miguel.
"Miguel, when will the truck be finished?"
"Three weeks, tops. This still a secret?"
"Yes, don't let Cal find out."
"Okay, let's go. Mrs. Montgomery's water broke." Donald said.
It was decided Ted would stay behind at the clinic and Carla would drive Lisa and the Doc over in the ambulance. Ted poured a cup of coffee and sat in the waiting room and talked to Christine.
"So, how do you like your job Christine?" Ted asked.
"It's fine. I've worked with database input before. The only difference is, this is a sketch of people's lives."
"Yes you are correct. And the security of their information is in your hands."
"Yes, I know. I take that very seriously."
How's your apartment. Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes it is more than good. Carla said that used to be her apartment, but she decided since she used your kitchen so much, she moved into your guest room."
Ted blushed. "Yeah, something like that."
Chris grinned. "Don't be embarrassed. Carla thinks you hung the moon and stars. I'm so happy for you two."
Chris answered the phone. "Mesa Medical Clinic, Chris speaking. Yes ma'am. Please hold just a moment."
"Ted this is Mrs. Daniels. Her 3 year old daughter has an ear ache. Can we see her?"
"Sure. Tell her to bring her daughter in."
Chris relayed the information to Mrs. Daniels and logged the call.
"Go ahead a start a file on her and enter the contact time. I'll give you the rest of the information when I get it."
"How do I enter the name?"
"If there isn't a file for the Daniels family, start one. Make the daughter's a subfile under the family. It will make future look-ups easier."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 9:32:19 GMT -6
Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Daniels came in with a cute little girl. Chris led them back to the exam room where Ted waited.
"Well, hello there!" Ted greeted them. He picked up the little girl and sat her on the exam table. "What is your name?"
"Zoe."
"It's very nice to meet you Zoe."
Ted pulled a lollipop out of his shirt pocket and lifted his eyebrows in question to Mrs. Daniels. She nodded.
"Would you like a lollipop, Zoe?"
"Yes please."
Ted unwrapped the candy and Zoe started sucking on it.
"Zoe, I'm going to look into your ear and see why it is bothering you."
Ted picked up the endoscope and checked her ears out, then took her temperature with an ear thermometer. He checked her pulse and blood pressure.
"Zoe seems to have a slight ear infection. We can fix that right up."
Ted went to a cabinet and pulled out a small bottle and placed it in a warmer. He then handed Mrs. Daniels a clipboard with a patient information sheet on it.
"Mrs. Daniels, while we're waiting for the medicine to warm up, would you please fill out this form for Zoe?"
Ted got a small pillow out of the cabinet and put a pillow case on it.
"Zoe, I've got a small pillow just your size. I want you to lay down so I can put some medicine in your ear to make it feel better."
He assisted the little girl in laying down and put two drops in her infected ear. He had her sit back up. Ted took a small bottle of Tylenol drops and placed them and the ear drops in a bag.
"Mrs. Daniels, she will be fine. Just give her the Tylenol as needed. Place the ear drops in hot water for a few minutes and administer two drops, twice a day, until the drops are all gone."
"Oh, thank you so much. Zoe thank the nice man for helping you feel better."
"Thank you."
"Zoe, you be a good girl."
"I am a good girl."
Ted laughed.
"How do we go about transferring our medical needs to this clinic?"
"Well, you just ask your doctor for your and your family's medical records and bring them to us."
"It would be much more convenient for us to come here than have to go all the way in to Grand Junction."
"I'm sure it would be."
Ted escorted them out to the waiting room.
Mrs. Daniels opened her purse and pulled out her credit card.
"Mrs. Daniels, there's no charge. Let's call this a welcome visit."
"Thank you so much."
"Bye." Zoe said.
"You didn't charge her?"
"Chris, we just gained a whole family for a buck and a half worth of medicine."
Cal had Siobhan drop him off at the bank while she went to Sam's to give them the design for the she-shed. He'd meet her at Frank's after she was finished and they'd have a late lunch. When he went into Frank's, he hung up his Stetson and told the waitress to bring him a glass of iced tea. As he was making his way to their usual table, a customer over near the windows called out, "Brushcutter?"
Cal stopped and turned "Raygun?"
Darryl jumped up and gave Cal a man hug. God! It's good to see you man!"
Cal laughed. "What rock did you crawl from out under?"
"Come on and sit down and I'll explain." Darryl said.
"No, you move over here with me. Frank gets nervous if I sit anywhere else."
Darryl picked up his glass of tea and followed Cal over to his table.
"Okay, so what brings you to these parts?" Cal asked.
"I've been working in a gold mine in Ruby Nevada for the last couple of years. Nothing to do around there but blow up blow up dirt and rocks, eat and sleep. One Friday night I stopped by the convenience store and bought my usual six pack and a lottery ticket. A day later I found out I won $125 million. I took the lump sum, bought myself that Harley Trike outside and had a custom trailer built for it. Now, I'm just cruising around seeing the country. You living here now?"
"Yep. I have a ranch outside of town. We're improving bit by bit. It would take all day long to tell you everything. Are you on a schedule?"
"Nope. Like I said, I'm just cruising. I stop when I want to."
"Why don't you come out to the Ranch and stay a few days and I can show you around."
"Sure, Denver can wait."
Siobhan walked in and walked over to the table. Leaning down, she kissed Cal on the cheek.
"Siobhan, this is Darryl Simmons, AKA 'Raygun'. Darryl, this is my wife Siobhan."
Siobhan took a seat. "Why do they call you 'Raygun?"
Cal chuckled. "Because he's an SF Engineer who is very good with explosives. A Raygun is also called a blaster. Darryl likes to blow things up."
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Post by gipsy on Aug 12, 2021 9:47:13 GMT -6
No complain mind you but there is something missing here
"No problem. Safe flying!"
moved the plane to the hangar. After rolling it off the trailer, he moved it inside. He stood there looking at his new plane with pride. He'd get Miguel's brother to paint the Special Forces Medic Crest on the Rudder to the plane when he had time. He went back to his cabin and started mixing dough. Around 10:00 Carla called and asked what time she should come down.
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Post by biggkidd on Aug 12, 2021 10:55:38 GMT -6
Thank you!
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Post by paulk on Aug 12, 2021 11:14:03 GMT -6
As always, SO GOOD!!
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Post by cavsgt on Aug 12, 2021 11:39:01 GMT -6
Now what do I do until there is more story? I know a nap and lunch to rest and fuel up for another journey.
As so often stated Thank You
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 16:49:03 GMT -6
Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Daniels came in with a cute little girl. Chris led them back to the exam room where Ted waited.
"Well, hello there!" Ted greeted them. He picked up the little girl and sat her on the exam table. "What is your name?"
"Zoe."
"It's very nice to meet you Zoe."
Ted pulled a lollipop out of his shirt pocket and lifted his eyebrows in question to Mrs. Daniels. She nodded.
"Would you like a lollipop, Zoe?"
"Yes please."
Ted unwrapped the candy and Zoe started sucking on it.
"Zoe, I'm going to look into your ear and see why it is bothering you."
Ted picked up the endoscope and checked her ears out, then took her temperature with an ear thermometer. He checked her pulse and blood pressure.
"Zoe seems to have a slight ear infection. We can fix that right up."
Ted went to a cabinet and pulled out a small bottle and placed it in a warmer. He then handed Mrs. Daniels a clipboard with a patient information sheet on it.
"Mrs. Daniels, while we're waiting for the medicine to warm up, would you please fill out this form for Zoe?"
Ted got a small pillow out of the cabinet and put a pillow case on it.
"Zoe, I've got a small pillow just your size. I want you to lay down so I can put some medicine in your ear to make it feel better."
He assisted the little girl in laying down and put two drops in her infected ear. He had her sit back up. Ted took a small bottle of Tylenol drops and placed them and the eardrops in a bag.
"Mrs. Daniels, she will be fine. Just give her the Tylenol as needed. Place the eardrops in hot water for a few minutes and administer two drops, twice a day, until the drops are all gone."
"Oh, thank you so much. Zoe thank the nice man for helping you feel better."
"Thank you."
"Zoe, you be a good girl."
"I am a good girl."
Ted laughed.
"How do we go about transferring our medical needs to this clinic?"
"Well, you just ask your doctor for your and your family's medical records and bring them to us."
"It would be much more convenient for us to come here than have to go all the way in to Grand Junction."
"I'm sure it would be."
Ted escorted them out to the waiting room.
Mrs. Daniels opened her purse and pulled out her credit card.
"Mrs. Daniels, there's no charge. Let's call this a welcome visit."
"Thank you so much."
"Bye." Zoe said.
"You didn't charge her?"
"Chris, we just gained a whole family for a buck and a half worth of medicine."
Cal had Siobhan drop him off at the bank while she went to Sam's to give them the design for the she-shed. He'd meet her at Frank's after she was finished and they'd have a late lunch. When he went into Frank's, he hung up his Stetson and told the waitress to bring him a glass of iced tea. As he was making his way to their usual table, a customer over near the windows called out, "Brushcutter?"
Cal stopped and turned "Raygun?"
Darryl jumped up and gave Cal a man hug. God! It's good to see you man!"
Cal laughed. "What rock did you crawl from out under?"
"Come on and sit down and I'll explain." Darryl said.
"No, you move over here with me. Frank gets nervous if I sit anywhere else."
Darryl picked up his glass of tea and followed Cal over to his table.
"Okay, so what brings you to these parts?" Cal asked.
"I've been working in a gold mine in Ruby Nevada for the last couple of years. Nothing to do around there but blow up blow up dirt and rocks, eat and sleep. One Friday night I stopped by the convenience store and bought my usual six pack and a lottery ticket. A day later I found out I won $125 million. I took the lump sum, bought myself that Harley Trike outside and had a custom trailer built for it. Now, I'm just cruising around seeing the country. You living here now?"
"Yep. I have a ranch outside of town. We're improving bit by bit. It would take all day long to tell you everything. Are you on a schedule?"
"Nope. Like I said, I'm just cruising. I stop when I want to."
"Why don't you come out to the Ranch and stay a few days and I can show you around."
"Sure, Denver can wait."
Siobhan walked in and walked over to the table. Leaning down, she kissed Cal on the cheek.
"Siobhan, this is Darryl Simmons, AKA 'Raygun'. Darryl, this is my wife Siobhan."
Siobhan took a seat. "Why do they call you 'Raygun?"
Cal chuckled. "Because he's an SF Engineer who is very good with explosives. A Raygun is also called a blaster. Darryl likes to blow things up."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 16:49:54 GMT -6
Frank walked over. "My friends, what can I get for you?"
They all three decided to order the ribs with fries and coleslaw as sides. "What ever happened to that female pilot you were seeing in Kabul?" Cal asked.
Darryl's face flushed. "She was flying a MEDIVAC mission when she was shot down supporting an operation against the Taliban. My time was almost up so when I rotated out, things kinda went down-hill from there. My heart just wasn't in the game anymore. I spent many an evening trying to forget her and looking for my happiness at the bottom of a bottle. I used to sit on the deck with my booze and my sorrow wishing I had the guts to just end it all, to make the hurt go away for good. Finally I made my decision and got out of the Army and headed west and found the job in Nevada."
"You weren't nursing the bottle out there in Nevada were you?"
"Oh no! I've got better sense than mix liquor and explosives. I haven't had a drink of hard liquor in over two years."
"I'm so sorry Darryl." Siobhan said, placing her hand on Darryl's arm.
"Well, that was in a faraway place a long time ago. So, do you two have kids?"
"Siobhan grinned. "Yes, we have six children."
Darryl's eyes got big. "Dang Hoss! You've been busy!"
Siobhan giggled and Cal blushed.
"It's not like that!" Cal said. "We have three of our own, two are adopted, and two from previous marriages."
"Oh!" Darryl said. "Well, you just went down to points on your hero score. I was thinking you were a stud!"
Siobhan laughed out loud. "Oh, he's still a stud. I'm just not pumping them out anymore."
The waitress brought their food and they ate their meal with a little conversation mixed in. When they'd finished Cal left a big tip and they walked outside. "Man, that is nice!" Cal said. looking over the Trike and trailer.
"Yeah, it's really a smooth ride and the trailer lets me carry a lot more than I could with a backpack and saddle bags."
"Well, follow us and we'll guide you out."
Darryl followed them out of the parking lot as Cal headed out of town.
"How long will he be staying?" Siobhan asked.
"I have no idea. Why?"
"No reason. We cleaned in the guest house the other day so it will be fresh."
"We'll let him settle in today. I'll take him up in the SuperSTOL in the morning and show him the Ranch from the air. There's enough to see that he'll probably be here a few days. Maybe I can get a feel on how he's doing now."
"What do you mean?"
Cal sighed. "Before Darryl joined the Army, he was engaged to a hometown girl back in Tennessee. They made plans on getting married and all Darryl only had the farm he lived on with his parents for future income. So, he joined up for the education benefits and job training. His girlfriend was going to go to college but she was really upset. Anyway, Darryl ended up in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne and was hurt in an IED blast. Broke his leg. That was around Spring of 2006. He went home that summer for convalescent leave and found his girlfriend had gone off to Europe for the summer with a bunch of her college friends. They had been writing and talking but she never said anything to him about the trip. He went back to Fort Bragg for the rest of his leave. He tried to call his girlfriend but never could reach her. His next leave he went back home and found out she was three month's pregnant. He said he didn't even stay two hours and returned back to Bragg. His enlistment was just about up so he re-enlisted for Special Forces. He was in the same company as I was in the 7th. I don't think he's talked to her since, and I'd be surprised if he let another woman get close to him to get hurt like that again. I don't think he's reached the acceptance stage in his grieving,"
They arrived at the Ranch and Cal helped Darryl stow his gear in the guesthouse. After sitting and having a Smithwicks, Cal took him into the Shelter and showed him what they had done there and on down to Level 4, where the current excavation was taking place. By the time they had finished the tour of the Shelter it was almost time for dinner. Siobhan and Martha and fixed chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn. Darryl remained relatively quiet during dinner. After dinner, Cal lit a fire in the fireplace and they sat and talked about other improvements that they had made that they would see the next day. Darryl called it an early night and returned to the guesthouse.
"He was kind of quiet." Siobhan said.
"He was taking this all in and thinking. I believe he might want to join the team."
"You have work he can do?"
"Oh, Darryl is a man of many talents. He can be part of our tactical security team, handle the heavy equipment. Blow things up, build things…we have work for him."
The next morning, after Cal and Darryl had left to go flying, Siobhan called Miguel about the truck.
"I'll have it ready by Wednesday of next week." Miguel said.
"Good. I'll get Cal out of town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and come back Sunday before 12:00. That will give Sam time to do his work and we can be back for the party."
"Sounds good Siobhan."
"Okay. Thanks Miguel."
Siobhan ended the call and then called Sam to arrange for the construction of the garage while they were gone.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 16:51:21 GMT -6
"Cal, Becky and Billy want to go to Denver to get some equipment together for their planes." Siobhan explained.
"What do they want to get?"
"Lightweight sleeping bags, meals, clothing, tents….you know, things that would help them in case they had to land because of weather."
"Good idea. They are thinking smart. I should probably put something together for my plane."
"Yeah, we can do that."
"I'll do reservations at the club and the hotel." Siobhan said. "They also want to go to the Nocturne. It's a jazz club. I thought we could leave on Thursday, shop Thursday and Friday, go to the club Saturday night and fly back Sunday morning."
"They also want to go to the Nocturne. It's a jazz club. I thought we could leave on Thursday, shop Thursday and Friday, go to the club Saturday night and fly back Sunday morning."
"Yeah, we can do that."
"I'll do reservations at the club and the hotel and reserve a car at Centennial." Siobhan said.
"Can I ask Chris over for dinner tonight?" Carla asked.
"Sure, what are we having for dinner?"
Carla grinned. "It's your turn to cook, Ted"
Ted left a little early to go home and find something to cook.
The women came in and sat in the family room and talked while Ted worked in the kitchen
Ted took out two steaks and two cups of brown rice, ginger, broccoli florets, pea pods, Chinese cabbage, a carrot, a small can of water chestnuts, and bok choy. He thought a quick stir-fry would be nice so he put rice on to steam prepared the veggies and cut up the steak while the wok got hot. When the steak was underway, he got the veggies and the soy sauce in the pan. When everything was done he placed the rice on a platter and poured the meat and veggies over the rice. He then poured three glasses of wine and set the table.
"Are you ladies ready to eat?
"Whatever you cooked has my mouth watering!" Chris said.
They sat themselves at the table and took portions from the platter.
"Oh! This is good!" Carla moaned. "Why haven't you cooked this before?"
Ted grinned. "Why haven't YOU cooked this before?"
"I don't know how to make Stir Fry." Carla pouted.
"Then lessons are in order in the future."
Chris giggled. "You two act like a married couple."
"WHAT!" She's barely house broken!?"
"HUSH! I'll housebreak you!" Carla came back.
"Eat up. There's plenty there." Ted said.
"I can't help it. I've got to have a little more." Chris said.
They finished eating and the women helped Ted clean up. Ted put the leftovers in a carry-out box and set it aside.
"Chris, I boxed up the leftovers for you to take home."
"Hey! I was planning on having that for dinner tomorrow night!" Carla grumbled.
"Oh Nooooo. It's your turn to cook tomorrow night, and the beginning of your cooking lessons." Ted grinned.
"Oh? So what are you planning on teaching me to cook Mr. Chef?"
"Mmmmm, maybe Chateaubriand with rice pilaf and broccoli…and I have a nice bottle of Gundlach-Bundschu merlot to go with it."
"Ted, you wouldn't happen to have a twin, would you?" Chris asked.
"No, they broke the mold when they made him," Carla giggled.
Cal, Darryl, Casey and Logan watched as the electricians finished installing the fluorescent lights to the store addition.
"Well, all we need is to order shelves, and display cases and we can stock them." Casey said.
"Cal, if you let me use your woodworking shop, I could custom build what you need in about a week." Darryl said.
Cal looked at Casey. "It would take about the same amount of time to order them." Casey said.
"Okay Raygun. Have at it. You get with Casey and make it like she wants." Cal said.
"Raygun?" Logan said.
Darryl flushed. "Yeah, I like to mess with explosives. One time the guys on my team were watching an old SCI-FI flick and on the movie they called their ray guns 'blasters.' They stuck me with the name."
Cal let them to work out the shelf building and drove up to the airfield. They were leaving in the morning for the trip to Denver and he wanted to check the Otter.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 17:16:42 GMT -6
The next morning Cal and Billy loaded their bags and Cal and Billy prepared the plane. Billy flew right seat and the women took seats in the rear. When they landed at Centennial, Billy did the tie-down while Cal went to get the SUV. They drove to the hotel to drop their bags off and had an early lunch. Their first shopping stop was REI where they purchased RAB Neutrino 800 Sleeping Bags, fire starter kit components, stoves and emergency foods. They also got light backpacks with raingear and convertible pants and shorts. They returned to the hotel and Billy and Becky took back off to walk around and see some sites. Siobhan and Cal stayed at the hotel and rest for the remainder of the afternoon. All would meet back at the hotel at 5:00 PM to go to dinner.
The rest of the weekend they went to Bass Pro Shoppes and several local tourist attractions. The Nocturne jazz club turned out to be a hit for all. Sunday, they were ready to return to the Ranch. Siobhan manipulated their time so they took off when she was ready.
They arrived back at the Ranch around 9:30 and loaded their baggage and purchases into the Suburban. On the way back to the house, Cal glanced over at the Community Center.
"I wonder what's going on at the Center?" Cal pondered.
"Hmmmm. Let's stop in and see." Siobhan said.
Billy and Becky grinned at each other in the back seat.
When they entered the Center, they were met with a boisterous "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Cal was brought to an immediate stop. It looked like everyone on the Ranch and many from out-lying ranches were present.
Siobhan grinned and said, "Happy Birthday darling."
A surprised Cal was led over to a head table. After everyone had quieted down, Siobhan nudged Cal to say something.
"Well, this is surely a surprise. I appreciate everybody coming here. I only ate a light breakfast this morning, so that table full of food over there is calling to me. LET'S EAT!"
Everyone laughed and headed for the table. Siobhan put her hand on Cal's shoulder.
"I'll get you a plate."
Becky came over with a glass of iced tea and kissed Cal on the cheek. "Happy Birthday Daddy."
When Cal had finished eating, he went around the room and thanked everyone for attending. Siobhan came and took his arm.
"Come with me. I want to show you something."
They walked to the patio door and walked out. There parked on the patio was a Forest Green 1970 K5 Chevrolet Blazer. Cal came to an immediate stop. The Center was emptying out ss people followed Cal and Siobhan.
"You told me one time your dream vehicle was a K5 Blazer. I had Miguel find one. He's been working on it for weeks." Siobhan said. "Get in, try it out."
Cal walked over and opened the door. The truck looked like it had just come off the showroom floor. The interior was roll-pleated leather with leather seats. Cal took a deep breath. He sat in the seat and cranked the engine. The diesel engine turned over and purred. Turning the vehicle off, he got back out.
"I don't know what to say. Thank You honey."
Everyone applauded. When they had returned inside, Billy came over and gave Cal a new Swiss Army knife and Becky gave him a new pair of aviator sun glasses. Darryl gave Cal a wood carved plaque with the Special Forces Crest on it and the dates of his service. Akira presented him with a miniature Ranch Coin tie-tack and cufflinks.
The party lasted about three hours. Before people left, they came by and wished Cal a Happy Birthday. As the last people left, Siobhan said to Cal, "My she-shed? Well, it is a new garage building."
Cal nodded. "Do you mind if I park the command car in there and park the K5 in the underground garage?"
:Not at all. You go ahead on down and we'll bring the Suburban."
Cal had Billy ride with him to move the Command Car to the new garage. He helped Billy back the Command Car into the garage, then backed his "new" K5 into the underground garage.
Before closing the garage door, Cal stood looking at the K5, then walked around and admired it.
Going into the house, Cal gave Siobhan a big hug.
"I love the K5. I can't believe it."
"Well, you deserve it. You do so much for everyone, I wanted to do something for you. It was fortunate Miguel was able to finish it just as your birthday came around."
Siobhan and Becky made toasted grill cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner.
On Tuesday, Cal saw one of the two-ton trucks backed up to the woodworking shop. He walked down and found Darryl, Gordon and Logan loading 4-foot sections of display cases and shelves into the truck.
"You finished these quick!" Cal said.
"Easy enough to do when you have the right equipment." Darryl replied.
They took the components down to the General Store and under Darryl's directions, put the units together. Casey stood by, watching.
"What color is that?" Casey asked.
"Natural Cedar with three coats of matte polyurethane. I wanted it to look as close as I could to the log walls." Darryl answered.
" Like these better than the shelves and cases out front. I couldn't get you to replace those with ones like this, could I?"
"Yeah, I could do that." Darryl said.
"But… he would have to go on salary. It would can be a deduction on taxes." Cal added.
Darryl looked at Cal.
"Darryl, would you be willing to work for the HTR?" Cal asked.
"In a minute!" Darryl said.
"Well, we have an apartment with your name on it. When you are finished here, give me a call and we'll get you settled in."
Cal went back home.
"Darryl has signed on." Cal told Siobhan. "Can you get some staples and food up to apartment D and whatever else he needs? I know he doesn't have anything."
"Sure, Belinda and I can go up. I think we can get most from Level 3. There's a few things we'll have to pick up from the store."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 17:18:24 GMT -6
Later that afternoon, Darryl called Cal and told him they were finished. Cal told him to pack his things and to come up to the house for dinner. They would get him moved in after dinner. After dinner, Darryl followed Cal's K5 up to the apartment building. Cal helped Darryl unload his cycle trailer and carry the things to his apartment. "Damn Cal, this is nice!" "Well, I guess is pretty good for a single guy. You've got a bedroom with a queen bed, full bath, a den and a kitchen with all appliances, including a washer/dryer combo. Siobhan and Belinda came up earlier and stocked it with food and what not. Cal went into the kitchen area and checked.
"Yep, she got you a coffee pot and a crock pot." "What do I owe you for the stocking?" "Nothing. I only charge $100 a month for a maintenance fee. You can get fresh food from the market at reduced prices and we share meat when it's processed." I really appreciate this Cal." "Don't thank me yet. I'm going to ask you a favor. I want you to be part of Ranch security and maybe a Reserve Deputy Sheriff. Most of the men on the Ranch are both. You'll need to get with Andy and get qualified for a CCW." "I have one from Nevada. Maybe it's transferable." "I don't know. Check with Andy." Darryl walked around cooling off after his run. The sun was just coming up as he started his push-ups and sit-ups. This had been the calmest he had been in a long time. The job in Ruby had been a monotonous period that had gone in circles. Since he had arrived here, there were so many things he could be involved in, and gladly. This little corner of Colorado held more hope for him than anywhere he had been in a long, long time. He got off the exercise mat and walked into the apartment building. As he neared his apartment, the door across the hall opened and a lady appeared in the door, startled. ""OH MY GOD!" She yipped. "You startled me!" "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Darryl said smiling. The woman leaned against the doorjamb with her hand over her heart. "That's okay. I didn't know anyone had moved in here." "Well, I'd been staying up at the guesthouse for a few days, but I'm sticking around a while to redo the shelves and display cases at the General Store at Casey's request." Chris smiled and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Christine Mitchell." "Darryl shook her hand. "I'm Darryl Simmons, vagabond." "Vagabond, hunh. Well, it looks like you have a home for at least a while." "Yeah, I guess. Look, have you had breakfast yet? I was going to get cleaned up and go down to Casey's." Chris studied him a moment. "Sure." "Give me fifteen minutes. I'll knock on your door." Darryl quickly showered and shaved and was ready in thirteen minutes. He knocked on the door of apartment C and Chris came out and they took an EV over the pedestrian bridge to Casey's. They got a table and the waitress came over with cups and filled them with coffee. Chris and Darryl looked at the menu while the waitress went to get silverware and glasses of water. "What's good?" Chris asked. "I haven't eaten breakfast here before. I guess I'll do scrambled eggs, bacon, hash brown casserole and some tomato slices, and some wheat toast."
"That sounds good. I'll order the same." Chris said. The waitress came back and took their order. "So, how are you re-doing the shelves and cases at the General Store?" Chris asked. "Well, they did an addition to the store and I built the shelves and display cases in the new addition. Casey wanted everything to match, so I decided to stay over and Agreed to build them for her." "Stay over, where were you headed to?" "No place in particular. I was just traveling around and ran into Cal in Grand Junction. I knew him from the military and he invited me out to the Ranch."
"So, you're just here to work a while?" "My plans are up in the air now. This is a nice place and I've enjoyed meeting the people here." "Well, Sunday, after Church, they have a Community dinner at the Community Center. Everyone attends and even some of the neighbors. You'll get to meet a lot more people there." "Then I guess I'll attend." "Good. We can ride up together." "I look forward to it." Cal was riding the west pasture watching Nick and Terry move cattle. He rode down ahead of the and opened the gate. "They're looking pretty good." Cal said to Nick. "Yeah. Darn good." Nick replied. "What time are the trucks arriving?" Cal asked. "They are dropping off two trailers tomorrow afternoon. Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to ship 'em to an auction and hold our own?" Nick mused.
Cal looked over at Nick. "What do you have on your mind?" "Well, there's 20 acres across the road between the clinic and the Circle B that would make a nice stockyard. Just sayin'." Cal studied Nick for a second. "I didn't know that parcel was for sale." "Just coming on the market. Guy name of Patterson tried to sell it for housing but couldn't make a go." "I'd need a guy with some experience to watch over it." "Know a guy. Name's Burl Gibson. He's worked Ft. Collins, La Junta and Burlington over the years." "A yard could run into expenses if we only sold our cows there." "Yep, but our cattle would be in better shape at sale than having to ship the 6 - 7 hours. I'll ask around and see who'd be interested in not shipping so far."
"Do that." Cal rode back to the barn and brushed his horse down before turning him into the corral. He walked back up to Cyn and Dales office. "Cyn, there's a 20-acre parcel on the other side of the road near the plant that's coming up for sale. See if we can get it." Cynthia pulled out Mesa County parcel maps and they looked at them. "I'll check on it today." Cal went to his study and sat down in his Eames chair. He made a tentative list of the things the stockyard should have. Burlington had a 20-acre stockyard close to what they'd need. Maybe he'd take a ride over there and talk to them. He moved to his computer and used Google Earth to get the number of pens and their sizes and wrote down the information. Once he had a plat map of the property, and the possible number of people who would utilize it, he have some idea of what he needed and where to situate the pens. He'd need water also. It would be a big job building it, but doable.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 17:25:02 GMT -6
Saturday afternoon Darryl was working in the woodshop, making rabbet joints on some pieces for the display cases. He didn't notice Chris enter the building until he had cut off the saw. "Hi. I thought I'd drop in and see what you were doing." Chris said. "I was just cutting rabbets into the cross braces for a display case." Darryl replied Chris went over to a display case that was waiting for staining. "This is beautiful." "Thanks. This is the front counter. Once I'm done with the finish, I'll install the transparent aluminum armor in the front." Chris looked at him with a frown. "What?" "Oh. That's a bullet-proof material and not as heavy as Lexan." "Do they have many robberies at the General Store?" "Only once, and Casey blew the perp back through the door. I guess the word spread because it hasn't happened again." Darryl tacked and glued in the cross braces and stood. "Well, another one has finished. I'll stain these two and will be ready to do the poly tomorrow." "You're not going to church?" "Oh! I don't know." "I was hoping we could go together." Chris said. "Okay, I'll go. What time?" "The service starts at 11:00." "Hmmmm. I can come down early in the morning and do the first coat, then get another in tomorrow evening. Yes, that will give me plenty of time. I should be finished with these and have them installed on Thursday." Chris sat on a stool and quietly watched as Darryl wiped down the two cabinets with a tack cloth and prepared the stain, which he wiped on with a cloth. Once he's satisfied with the results, he cleaned up the area and the materials he had used. "Well, that's it for now. I'm starving. Want to go down to Casey's for dinner?" Chris smiled. "Sure." The next morning Chris knocked on Darryl's door. Darryl opened the door. "Yep, let me get my wallet." They rode together in an EV to the church. As they walked from the parking lot heads turned and watched them. "Why is everyone looking at us?" Chris whispered. "I think both of us have been marked as being off the market." Darryl whispered back. "Off the mar…." "Shhhhhhh," said Darryl, grinning. They went in and took seats together. Siobhan looked over at them, grinning. Reverend Lambry gave a good sermon and at the end of the service greeted everyone leaving. "Well, well, we have two new attendees. Welcome." "Thank you Reverend, You gave a great sermon." Chris said. "And who might you be?" Reverend Lambry asked. "I'm Christine Mitchell, the receptionist For Doctor Gaddy." "Well, welcome to the community." "And you sir?" "I'm Darryl Simmons. I just started working on the Ranch." Replied Darryl. "Oh! You are the one doing the beautiful work in the General Store. Well, welcome. I hope to see you both back next Sunday. Are you two attending the dinner over in the Community Center?"
"Yes Sir." They both replied." "Wonderful. Then I'll see you in a bit." Darryl and Chris walked out to the parking lot and got into the EV. "Have you been to Serenity yet?" Asked Darryl. "No, no I haven't." Darryl drove to the Community Center and pulled into a parking space. "Come with me." Darryl said They went through the gate and Darryl led her down the path to the Koi pond. "Oh my goodness! This is beautiful. I would never have expected something like this out here." "Kengo, the gardener, built and maintains this. He also did a grove down by the lake. I'll show you it this afternoon, If you like." "Yes, I'd like to see it." They walked back to the Community Center and Chris made a bee-line directly to Cathleen. Cal walked over to Darryl. "Getting settled in?" Cal smiled. "It's not like that. She's just my neighbor.. We rode to Church together." "Hey, it's no problem. Happy people make better furniture." "Darryl looked at Cal. "Hah hah." "He help me put these tables together. Siobhan wants the family to sit together today." Darryl helped Cal and Billy move the tables around until there was enough seating for everyone. The Reverend gave the blessing and people started lining up at the food tables. When Chris and Darryl got their plates, Siobhan waved them over. "You guys come sit with us." Chris sat her plate down at an empty place. Darryl slid her chair for her. "It's nice that you two came together." Cal remarked. Darryl blushed. "We're friends and decided to share a ride." Cal nodded. Well that's great!. Within 30 minutes you've gone from neighbors to friends." "Friends with benefits?" Becky chirped." "BECKY!" Siobhan gasped. Cathleen started laughing. "Well, I SAW the movie!" Becky whined. "I need to pay closer attention to what you're watching on TV!" Lilly giggled. "Lighten up Mom!. She's just mimicking Dad....says what she feels. Anyway, she's growing up it won't be long before she has friends with benefits." "Oh God help me!" Siobhan said, pulling her hair over her ear." Cal chuckled. "I hope you two don't take our joking seriously. We ARE happy to have you both here." "But we…" Chris poked Darryl in the ribs. "But we feel bad not bringing food also." We weren't sure how this worked." Chris said. "Don't worry about it. Just bring your favorite dish. People will pick out what they want. If they don't like it, you've got your favorite leftovers. We hold these every other Sunday. Becky, I want you to apologize to Chris and Darryl." "Sorry…" "No problem. It's all right." Darryl and Chris answered. Several smiling faces bent their heads and continued eating. Darryl moved his hands down to her waist and pulled her against him. They ground their bodies together as the kiss continued. Finally, Darryl gently pushed against Chris and they broke the embrace. Chris looked into his eyes then blushed once more and turned her head away. Darryl took Chris' hand and gently led her toward the picnic table. He leaned her against the end of it and moved until he was standing between her legs, just touching her. He gripped her waist and bent to give her another gentle kiss. He sighed and said, "Chris I..." Darryl took a deep breath and continued, "Damn girl I..." Darryl looked away from Chris and pursed his lips, then once more he tried to speak. "Chris, I haven't felt this way in so long. I don't want to do anything to screw this up so please let me know if I upset you. Will you go with me to dinner and a movie Friday night? I don't want to do anything to upset you or scare you off though." Chris looked at Darryl. Her eyes had a faraway look to them almost as if she was looking past him, not seeing him at all. He felt his heart breaking and was almost ready to turn away when Chris started talking. She said, "Yes, I'd love to go on a date with you. I feel something too but ... I wanted to kiss you but I don't know where that one came from. I recently had one love that ended badly. For almost a full year I was so madly in love with him then I found out he was a monster in disguise."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 17:26:17 GMT -6
Later, after everyone had finished eating and the trash collected, Darryl went over to where Chris were helping the other women finish cleaning up.
"You want to see the lake?"
"Sure, let me get my coat."
Darryl helped her into her coat and they went out the door. Siobhan started grinning and Cal put his arms around her and gave her a tight hug.
"Leave them alone." Cal whispered.
"Awwwwww."
Darryl pulled the EV up next to the grove of trees. They got out and Chris walked over into the grove. Darryl watched her as she slowly walked.
Chris turned her head and shyly watched Darryl as he walked closer. He walked up until they almost touched and slowly bent his head forward and gently brushed her lips with his. Chris took a gasping breath and watched as Darryl stepped back slightly. Now she was fully flushed. They stared into each other's eyes. Without realizing she had done it, Chris stepped up to Darryl and raised her head for another kiss. She wrapped her right arm around his neck and pulled gently until he once again bent to kiss her.
This kiss started gently then quickly gained in intensity. Their mouths came open and tongues began twisting, writhing against each other as they explored each other's mouth. From a distance Chris heard herself moan and she felt Darryl pull her tightly against him. Neither knew how long this kiss lasted but Chris felt like it was forever.
"Chris, my body wants you and I know you know that. My mind says it's not time yet and I will respect that but Chris, I want to build wonderful memories with you. I once loved a girl from the time we first met years before we began school until she dumped on me when I went in the service, but this is different, it feels different to me. I think, I hope we can build something so much finer than I had with her and perhaps better than you had with that other guy."
"We'll just have to take it slow and see where this goes Darryl. We better go back before we get too familiar right now."
Cal was sitting on the patio wall drinking a cup of coffee as he watched Darryl and Chris come back from the lake. Siobhan walked out and saw him watching the two.
"You've got that thoughtful look about you. What's up?" Siobhan asked.
"Do you know what the five stages of grieving are, Siobhan?"
"Well, in a very general way, I guess I do. I've read an article or two, but nothing very detailed," Siobhan answered.
"Okay, let me run them down for you," Cal said.
"They are 'denial,' where someone who's experienced a loss says 'No, not me... it couldn't happen to me.' Next... there is 'anger' and resentment. The one left behind asks why? 'Why me?' After that comes 'bargaining,' where a grieving person might promise God to be better if God will just return the loved one to the living. Once through that stage, there is 'depression', where a grief-stricken person acknowledges the loved one is never going to return. Finally, there is acceptance, where survivors work at getting on with their lives. I think Darryl has final worked through his depression and is getting on with his life." Thursday, Darryl got help from Logan, Billy and Gordon to move the new counter displays into the General Store. The old cases were cleaned up and stored in a storage room in the Shelter Complex. Casey and Angie restocked the cases. When everything was put away, Darryl returned the truck and began working on the shelves. He would stain the gables and the edges of the shelves the same color, but the tops and bottoms of the shelves would be covered with white Formica to make the products stand out. All the boards were 7/8" thick so they would hold the load. He would have all the shelves in by Friday. He gave Casey a head's-up to have everything cleared out by Thursday night to allow them to restock that evening for Friday business.
Cal called Burlington Stock Yards and talked to the owners. They invited him to come over so he got permission for a helicopter landing area. Ken and Dave flew him down on Wednesday and they showed him around and even gave him a computer printout of the building and stockyard plan. Cal thanked them and flew back home late that afternoon.
The next morning, Cyn notified Cal he could get the land for $28,000. He told her to set it up and get him a copy of the plat map. He then called Will Harris and set up an appointment to talk about a new project. Nick got back to him shortly after that and gave him the numbers he'd come up with. Cal took the papers and went into his study to look over the information. After his review, he saw he would only need half the number of pens they utilized at Burlington. He took out the computer printout of the building plan and added a few changes, to include a snack bar. He'd turn the information over to Will in the morning and have his architect redraw everything and get him an estimate.
After putting everything together to take to the meeting in the morning, he went down to talk to Casey. Walking into the restaurant, he went to the Stammtisch and took his mug down. A waitress came over and poured his coffee. He asked to see Casey and a couple of minutes later, she appeared.
"Please, have a seat. There's something I need to talk to you about."
Casey grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down.
"Casey, I'll be building a stockyard on the other side of the plant area. I want a snack bar there. Maybe sell burgers dogs, burritos, nachos, maybe even elk burgers. Anyway, I want you to hire two or three people and supervise their training. You'll have two weeks to use the snack bar final training before we have our first sale."
"I have just the three people. Oscar's son and two daughters. The girls have been working here three days a week. Mateo works the farm with his father."
"Okay, good. I think three people would be best so they could take breaks. How are things here?"
"Going great! Darryl will have the shelves done this week and we'll be fully back in business by Friday afternoon."
"Great! Well, if you need anything, let me know. Oh, by the way, check with advertising agencies in town and find me some printable recyclable water bottles with 'Mesa Stockyards' printed on the side. Probably getting two to three thousand will be cheaper. We'll fill the bottles with the water purifier and sell them at the snack bar."
The land sale closed quickly and Harris Construction came out and started working the soil. Cal was down at the site when Nick drove up with another guy following him. They got out and walked over.
"Cal, this is Burl Gibson. Burt, Cal Coleman."
Cal shook his hand. "Nick tell me you can run a stockyard."
"How big is this one going to be?" Burt asked.
"Just under half the size of Burlington." I'm leaving room to expand if and when needed."
Burl nodded. "Can I look at your plans?"
"Sure, step over here to the construction trailer."
They went in and Cal unrolled the blueprints. After viewing them Burl nodded. "Looks good.
"Burl, I'm prepared to pay you half again more than the manager at Burlington and provide a house for you."
"Salary is great but I don't need a house. Lost my wife a couple of years ago and I can fix a room up in the office building to live in."
"Will, can you add a one bedroom apartment with a kitchenette to the office building plans?"
"Not a problem."
"Burl, if you want to move here before the construction is finished, I can provide you with a room in our bunkhouse."
"That will work. Give me a week to get my things together and I can be here as they do the construction."
"Sounds good. Welcome aboard. Nick, can you set him up at the bunkhouse so he'll know where to go? And get him by HR to do the paperwork and get a gate card and codes."
"Sure. Burl, follow me. You're gonna like this."
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Post by paulk on Aug 12, 2021 18:27:25 GMT -6
Wonderful, of course. Just a question. Is Becky still working on the prosthetics for Del?
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 19:32:26 GMT -6
Wonderful, of course. Just a question. Is Becky still working on the prosthetics for Del? She's young, curious and wants to make the world a better place. However, she begins to realize there are bigger horses to shoe.
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Post by biggkidd on Aug 12, 2021 20:02:56 GMT -6
Could really use a LOT more to read! lol
GREAT STORY!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 20:28:12 GMT -6
Could really use a LOT more to read! lol GREAT STORY! Next post: 0330Z
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:38:04 GMT -6
Later, after everyone had finished eating and the trash collected, Darryl went over to where Chris were helping the other women finish cleaning up.
"You want to see the lake?"
"Sure, let me get my coat."
Darryl helped her into her coat and they went out the door. Siobhan started grinning and Cal put his arms around her and gave her a tight hug.
"Leave them alone." Cal whispered.
"Awwwwww."
Darryl pulled the EV up next to the grove of trees. They got out and Chris walked over into the grove. Darryl watched her as she slowly walked.
Chris turned her head and shyly watched Darryl as he walked closer. He walked up until they almost touched and slowly bent his head forward and gently brushed her lips with his. Chris took a gasping breath and watched as Darryl stepped back slightly. Now she was fully flushed. They stared into each other's eyes. Without realizing she had done it, Chris stepped up to Darryl and raised her head for another kiss. She wrapped her right arm around his neck and pulled gently until he once again bent to kiss her.
This kiss started gently then quickly gained in intensity. Their mouths came open and tongues began twisting, writhing against each other as they explored each other's mouth. From a distance Chris heard herself moan and she felt Darryl pull her tightly against him. Neither knew how long this kiss lasted but Chris felt like it was forever.
"Chris, my body wants you and I know you know that. My mind says it's not time yet and I will respect that but Chris, I want to build wonderful memories with you. I once loved a girl from the time we first met years before we began school until she dumped on me when I went in the service, but this is different, it feels different to me. I think, I hope we can build something so much finer than I had with her and perhaps better than you had with that other guy."
"We'll just have to take it slow and see where this goes Darryl. We better go back before we get too familiar right now."
Cal was sitting on the patio wall drinking a cup of coffee as he watched Darryl and Chris come back from the lake. Siobhan walked out and saw him watching the two.
"You've got that thoughtful look about you. What's up?" Siobhan asked.
"Do you know what the five stages of grieving are, Siobhan?"
"Well, in a very general way, I guess I do. I've read an article or two, but nothing very detailed," Siobhan answered.
"Okay, let me run them down for you," Cal said.
"They are 'denial,' where someone who's experienced a loss says 'No, not me... it couldn't happen to me.' Next... there is 'anger' and resentment. The one left behind asks why? 'Why me?' After that comes 'bargaining,' where a grieving person might promise God to be better if God will just return the loved one to the living. Once through that stage, there is 'depression', where a grief-stricken person acknowledges the loved one is never going to return. Finally, there is acceptance, where survivors work at getting on with their lives. I think Darryl has final worked through his depression and is getting on with his life." Thursday, Darryl got help from Logan, Billy and Gordon to move the new counter displays into the General Store. The old cases were cleaned up and stored in a storage room in the Shelter Complex. Casey and Angie restocked the cases. When everything was put away, Darryl returned the truck and began working on the shelves. He would stain the gables and the edges of the shelves the same color, but the tops and bottoms of the shelves would be covered with white Formica to make the products stand out. All the boards were 7/8" thick so they would hold the load. He would have all the shelves in by Friday. He gave Casey a head's-up to have everything cleared out by Thursday night to allow them to restock that evening for Friday business.
Cal called Burlington Stock Yards and talked to the owners. They invited him to come over so he got permission for a helicopter landing area. Ken and Dave flew him down on Wednesday and they showed him around and even gave him a computer printout of the building and stockyard plan. Cal thanked them and flew back home late that afternoon.
The next morning, Cyn notified Cal he could get the land for $28,000. He told her to set it up and get him a copy of the plat map. He then called Will Harris and set up an appointment to talk about a new project. Nick got back to him shortly after that and gave him the numbers he'd come up with. Cal took the papers and went into his study to look over the information. After his review, he saw he would only need half the number of pens they utilized at Burlington. He took out the computer printout of the building plan and added a few changes, to include a snack bar. He'd turn the information over to Will in the morning and have his architect redraw everything and get him an estimate.
After putting everything together to take to the meeting in the morning, he went down to talk to Casey. Walking into the restaurant, he went to the Stammtisch and took his mug down. A waitress came over and poured his coffee. He asked to see Casey and a couple of minutes later, she appeared.
"Please, have a seat. There's something I need to talk to you about."
Casey grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down.
"Casey, I'll be building a stockyard on the other side of the plant area. I want a snack bar there. Maybe sell burgers dogs, burritos, nachos, maybe even elk burgers. Anyway, I want you to hire two or three people and supervise their training. You'll have two weeks to use the snack bar final training before we have our first sale."
"I have just the three people. Oscar's son and two daughters. The girls have been working here three days a week. Mateo works the farm with his father."
"Okay, good. I think three people would be best so they could take breaks. How are things here?"
"Going great! Darryl will have the shelves done this week and we'll be fully back in business by Friday afternoon."
"Great! Well, if you need anything, let me know. Oh, by the way, check with advertising agencies in town and find me some printable recyclable water bottles with 'Mesa Stockyards' printed on the side. Probably getting two to three thousand will be cheaper. We'll fill the bottles with the water purifier and sell them at the snack bar."
The land sale closed quickly and Harris Construction came out and started working the soil. Cal was down at the site when Nick drove up with another guy following him. They got out and walked over.
"Cal, this is Burl Gibson. Burt, Cal Coleman."
Cal shook his hand. "Nick tell me you can run a stockyard."
"How big is this one going to be?" Burt asked.
"Just under half the size of Burlington." I'm leaving room to expand if and when needed."
Burl nodded. "Can I look at your plans?"
"Sure, step over here to the construction trailer."
They went in and Cal unrolled the blueprints. After viewing them Burl nodded. "Looks good.
"Burl, I'm prepared to pay you half again more than the manager at Burlington and provide a house for you."
"Salary is great but I don't need a house. Lost my wife a couple of years ago and I can fix a room up in the office building to live in."
"Will, can you add a one bedroom apartment with a kitchenette to the office building plans?"
"Not a problem."
"Burl, if you want to move here before the construction is finished, I can provide you with a room in our bunkhouse."
"That will work. Give me a week to get my things together and I can be here as they do the construction."
"Sounds good. Welcome aboard. Nick, can you set him up ate the bunkhouse so he'll know where to go? And get him by HR to do the paperwork and get gate card."
"Sure. Burl, follow me. You're gonna like this."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:39:09 GMT -6
"Damn! For a blaster, you shoot pretty good. Do you want to try it with a sub?" Jim asked.
Darryl reloaded his magazine with carry ammo. "Sure. I've never tried Hogan's Ally with an MP5 before."
Jim went back to the Facility and got an MP5SD with five loaded mags and brought it back to the range.
"Try it out on the pistol range first to get the feel." Jim advised.
Darryl fired three mags in single shot, two round burst, three round burst, and sustained fire. He reloaded the mags and they walked back over to Hogan's Alley. Jim set the timer and it counted down to the buzzer. Darryl made it almost all the way through when a sniper got him from the left rear.
Jim laughed. "Don't feel bad. The sniper occasionally get all of use. You did damn good. Come on over to the Facility and I'll issue you a kit.
Darryl finished his sit ups and looked at his watch. He had time to fix breakfast this morning before Chris had to go to work. He jogged from the Rec Center back to the apartment building and stopped in front of Chris' door. "Breakfast in 20 minutes!" Darryl said loudly. He went into his apartment, leaving his door open and grabbed a quick shower. Getting out the baking mix, he added dried blueberries and made pancakes. He grabbed the bacon and put a few slices on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Taking the cast-iron frying pan, he placed it on the burner and heated it up. The coffee pot had started automatically so all he had left to do was cook the pancakes and eggs. A few minutes later, he heard a soft knock on the door jamb. "Hello?"
"Come on in and grab a cup of coffee!"
Darryl took down two mugs from the cabinet and poured coffee into both. Chris came in and took a seat at the table.
"Good Morning" said Chris.
"And a good morning to you. How do you like your eggs?"
"Uh…scrambled. You didn't have to cook me breakfast to get on my good side. You're already there."
"Not at all. It's just as easy to make for two as for one."
You're up early." Chris said.
"My normal time. I like to exercise early."
"If you keep feeding me like this, I might have to join you."
"Good. I would have more time with you."
Chris lightly blushed. "What are you doing today?"
Darryl hesitated. "I'm making a couple of collection boxes for McKella Hendrix. She's in St. Jude's. Her parents live over on Story Road. I'm making the boxes with decoupage pictures of her family.
Chris' face softened. She got up and went and got her purse. Handing him two twenties, she said "Let my donation be the first."
"Well, my donation was to be the first, but I'll put yours in before mine."
"I've got to go get ready. What time do you start in the morning?"
"I usually leave out about 5:45 and run, then stop by the Rec Center and do situps and pushups and maybe do a few weights."
"Make sure I'm up."
She gave him a light kiss and turned to go back to her apartment.
Darryl grabbed her arm and turned her back and drew her to him for a kiss. Chris clasped the back of his neck as they kissed, running her fingers through his hair. Her rings felt cold, but her palms felt warm and soft. Darryl held one of his hands against Chris' waist, pulling her against him. When they broke the kiss, Chris looked Darryl in the eyes.
"A woman could get used to that."
"Well, I hope you can get used to that because I want to do it more and more."
Chris smile and backed away and went through the door to her apartment. "Hey Cal. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Senator Bradley is coming tomorrow for a tour of the plants. I've scheduled a luncheon at the Community Center. Casey is catering."
"So, what is his real reason for the visit Ryan?"
"Probably to try to get me to release the technology of the control boxes, which will never happen."
"Well, what do you need from me?"
"Just be there for the luncheon. I want you to monitor and back me up as a pillar of strength."
"I can do that. Don't expect me to be his best buddy."
Ryan laughed. "Just be half-way nice."
Late the next morning, Cal got a call from Ryan telling him they were headed to the Community Center. Cal drove there in his K5 and went in. As he walked through the door, one of the group shouted, "He's got a gun!"
Cal stopped as two men reached into their coats.
"If you pull anything but a handkerchief out you'd better be prepared to be toted out." Cal said.
The men relaxed a little but stayed vigilant.
"Let me tell you men something. You are on my ranch. We make the rules here and guns are all over the place. Most you won't see until you're on the ground. If that makes you uneasy, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. You, young fella, need to get a set of balls."
Senator Bradley laughed. "Well said. You must be Cal Coleman. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Senator Bradley, welcome to High Top Ranch."
"Gentlemen, why don't we take our seats?" Ryan said.
Senator Bradley sat with Ryan and Cal.
"Mr. Coleman, I've got a feeling you have a lot to do with the success of the Evs."
"Not at all Senator. I provided the space to start up their lab and production facilities and threw in my two cents worth when asked. Their success is their brilliance."
You've got a nice ranch, and a successful one too. How do you do it?"
"A lot of it is luck, But you can't discount the people's hard work here. I gave them the work that makes them happy and turned them loose. They work hard and succeed because they are happy and want to make the community a success. They use me for a sounding board but it's their ideas."
"Well, maybe you can get Ryan and John to share their patents with the rest of the world."
"We're all pretty much on the same page when it comes to that. Big Oil and car manufacturers have historically squashed the developments of inventors that would have saved consumer lives and money and caused the large profit losses to the whiners. Politicians have protected them along the way. I think, for the betterment of the people, Ryan and John have an ironclad reason to be reluctant to release the technology. I can extrapolate the outcomes of turning over the technology and the lack of support from government agencies based on historical precedence." "But many more would benefit from their idea if they shared. It would get more of those EVs on the road faster."
"Faster is not always better. Ryan and John have a methodic way of doing things. They've got their schedule they want to go by. I wouldn't even try to rush them.
"But it would make you very wealthy."
Ryan laughed. "We've already got more money than we could ever use. We give away much more to charity than we spend, something we can control. The money we send to Washington in the form of taxes, which we have no control over on how it's spent, is mostly wasted."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:40:55 GMT -6
Casey's serving crew came in and started setting the plates in front of the guests. As they ate the Senator and Cal made small talk about ranching. When they had finished and the plates carried away, the Senator cleared his throat.
"Well, I did what I could. I want to say that I admire what you all have done here and am proud of you as Coloradans. I have to do this political crap but I'll stand behind you. You are correct. The big guys are trying to put a stop to your inventions. If I were you, I'd keep my eyes open."
"We manage Senator. I'd would like to see, one day, people serving in Washington who don't think it's all about power and control and serving the big contributor special interest groups just to stay in office. They have lost the sight that they're there to come up with mutually beneficial solutions to the problems and concerns of the country."
When the Senator's entourage left, Ryan came back to Cal. Well, he seemed to be on our side but so did the snake in the garden of Eden. What do you want to do?"
Ryan, what we've been doing. But you better plus up security. Get with Andy and go over your security plan with a fine toothed comb. If they can't steal the technology, they may try to destroy it."
"Yeah, that's what I figure."
Cal drove down to the stockyards. He sat in his K5 for a few minutes watching the workers putting in the pens. There were three Bobcats with augers going, digging post holes. Three more men were setting poles and pouring bags of concrete mix in around the poles. Further back, he saw another crew attaching boards to the now set posts. They were moving right along. He got out of his truck and went into the office building. There was a painting crew working in one end of the two-story building while another crew was doing some finish work.
Will walked up. "Hey Cal. If I can get ya'll down here in Friday to do the final inspection, Burl can move in this weekend."
"Just give me a yell when you are ready. Any problems?"
"None at all…knock on wood. As a matter of fact, we're coming in under budget."
"I'll have an appropriate bonus for the men."
"They'll appreciate that Cal."
"Well, I'll get out of your hair. Keep up the good work."
Cal left the stockyards and headed to the General Store. When he walked in, he was pleased at the beauty of the counters and shelves. He noticed a wooden box sitting prominently on display on the counter. He walked over to better read the printing on the side
"Give Children A Chance"
"St. Jude's Children's Hospital"
A picture was inlaid showing a man and a woman and a small girl.
"What's this about?" Cal asked.
"It's for McKella Hendrix's family. She has soft skin cancer and is in St. Jude's. They're having a rough time. Jenny is in Memphis with McKella while Brad is trying to make his ranch work."
Cal pulled out his wallet and took five one hundred dollar bills and slipped them through the top slot in the box. He walked over to the restaurant and got his mug off the wall and took a seat. He then pulled out his phone and called Cheryl. As he was waiting for Cheryl, Casey came to pour his coffee.
"Cheryl, work with Diane and cut a check to St. Jude's Children Research Hospital on the behalf of the Friends of McKella Hendrix for $500,000. Okay, thanks," He ended the call.
When he looked up, Casey was standing there staring at him.
"What? Hey, we can give money along with the prayers."
A tear formed in the corners of Casey's eyes. "You're a good man, Cal Coleman."
Cal drank his coffee and made another call to several key members in Mesa Ranchers Association to set up a meeting at Casey's Restaurant in the morning. He then called Matt.
"Matt, how'd you like to burn some time in the TBM and write if off on your taxes?"
When Cal told him about the situation with the Hendrix family, Matt said he would be available at any time.
Siobhan and Brigid walked in and sat down with him.
"My two beautiful girls out slumming?"
"Brigid wanted to see Casey. 'Casey always gives her a scoop of strawberry ice cream when she comes in.'" Siobhan whispered.
"There's my little angel! I've got something for you!" Casey said from the door of the kitchen. Brigid grinned, brought her hands together and scrunched her shoulders.
Call told Siobhan about the Hendrix family and what he was setting up.
"Well, have you thought about some relief for Jenny? She's been there with no time for herself and Brad."
"I'll work on that. You want a slice of pie or something?"
"No just coffee and Brigid's fix."
The next morning Cal met with the ranchers who all agreed to offer up a couple of hands each to take of Brad's chores while he was gone. The all decided to ride over and talk to him.
When they got to Brad's ranch he was running water into the water troughs. Puzzled, Brad walked over to them.
"Hey Jeb, Cal, Dave, what can I do for you?"
"You need to go to Memphis and be with your wife and daughter." Cal said.
"For one, I can't afford it, and two, I've got a ranch to take care of."
"We'll take care of the ranch and there's a lot of people giving their prayers and donating money to make sure your family is together at a time like this." Cal said.
Brad's eyes misted up. "I've got some things…"
"Write down any special stuff you need done and tack it on the inside of the barn door." Jeb said. "Go be with your family. I have a plane standing by to get you in Memphis in three and a quarter hours."
"Well, I need to do some things…"
"Be over at my ranch at 8:00 in the morning and you can have lunch with your daughter and her mother. Plan to stay at least a week." Cal said.
"Thank you, thank you so much!"
Brad shook everyone's hand a they left.
Cal stayed behind. "Brad, do you have any close relatives around?"
"Jenny has a sister in Fruita."
Do you think she'd go with you to spell Jenny at the hospital to give you two sometime together? I'm sure she could use the break."
"I'll give her a call and see."
God bless the children."
"That's very nice."
"Since he put the boxes in, I've had to empty them twice."
Cal pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Diana? Can you handle another small charity? Yes, it's for McKella Hendrix. Yes, they're collecting down at the General Store and at Casey's, Set up an account so they have somewhere to turn in the money. Thanks."
"She can do it?"
"Just turn over the contributions to Diane and they can handle it from there."
"I want to cry every time I think about her. Every child needs a chance."
"I know what you mean. I feel helpless sometimes. All I can offer are prayers and support in whatever way I can. Could I get a slice of apple pie?"
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