|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:42:13 GMT -6
The next morning the Monitor Room called and said Brad was ar the gate and they had been given directions to the airfield. When call got there, Matt was doing the pre-flight inspection while Brad loaded bags into the plane. Cal walked over to the plane.
"Cal, I really appreciate this. Oh, this is Jenny's sister, Sarah."
Call shook the lady's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you."
Cal took an envelope from his inside coat pocket. "This is a little something to make your stay a little easier."
"Cal, I can't take this!"
"Brad, with every dime in that envelope, there comes a prayer for McKenna and her family. Please don't turn away those prayers. Cherish every moment you have with your family. We'll take care of things here for you."
Brads eyes misted, along with Sarah's.
"A car is waiting for you at the airport. Our prayers are with you and your family."
Matt got them seated on the plane and started the engines. Cal watched them until wheels up."
Cal sighed and went down to the restaurant. He walked in and sat at the Stammtisch. Casey walked over with a coffee pot.
Pouring his coffee, Casey said, "How's the guardian angel this morning?"
"Hmph. I'm just doing what I'd like people to do for me if I was in the same situation."
"Look at these little frames Darryl made for the tables."
Cal picked it up and read:
"Please offer up a prayer for McKella Hendrix as as she goes through cancer treatment at St. Jude's Children's Hospital. A box for donations is beside the door if you wish to contribute.
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?" Cal, with nothing really to do went down to the Med Clinic.
"Good morning Cal!" Chris greeted him.
"Good morning Chris."
Donald and Lisa walked out and greeted him.
"How's everything going?"
"It's steady. Thankfully, nothing serious since the Hendrix girl."
Cal's eyes open in surprise."
"I had her for an exam. I found some abnormalities in the Blood Chemistry Analyzer test and referred her to Dr. Sampson at St. Mary's. She's in St. Jude's now."
"I know. I just put Brad and Jenny's sister on Matt's plane to Memphis. Casey's collecting contributions down at the restaurant and General Store."
"From what Dr. Sampson told me, she will be fine. She''ll need a month of treatment and with regular checkups, as good as new."
"That's good to hear, or I should say, it's a relief. Her parents are really stressed."
"I'm sure. Is there anything we can do for you?"
"Nope, just making my rounds. I'm headed to the stockyard next."
"Thanks for stopping by Cal."
"You all take care."
They watched Cal walk out.
"He never slows down, does he?" Lisa commented. The county inspector had just checked of on the construction of the stockyard so Cal went ahead and did his walk-through with Will and Burl.
"What do you think Burl?"
"Class operation Cal. Really fine."
"Okay. Make a list of what we need to start operations, to include employees, You'll be interviewing them. I'll have the computer guy come down and install the computers and big screens. He's got all the software and get you a couple of clerks to help out. Eric is bringing you radios for you to tie into the Ranch Network and communicate with the stockyard employees. I want you to take the time to train the employees and if you need help either get it or let me know. I don't want to open until everyone's ready. Don't hurt yourself or the stockyard's reputation by going for too much too fast. Give me a two week notice when you think you're ready and we'll start advertising. Anything else you need, just give me a call."
Cal called Casey and told her the stockyard snackbar was ready for use for her to train her personnel. Burl ended up hiring six personnel to include two women from the Hope Center shelter that kept the records up to date and sales posted on big screens strategically placed in the sales arena and in the snackbar sitting area. Cal sold 75 head during the first sale with six other ranchers selling a similar amount. Profits were good because none of them had to ship very far and saved money on shipping. The snackbar was a hit. The snackbar crew were in early on sales days and made sure the coffee and pastries were plentiful and breakfast burritos were available. Practically everyone left with souvenir plastic water bottles with pull up tops, printed with the stockyard name and logo .
Congressman Blake Ammons of the 3rd District showed up, seeing how things are going. Sheriff Earl Gilmore introduced him to Cal while Cal was in the snackbar getting a bottle of water.
"Cal, have you met Congressman Ammons?"
Cal turned to see Earl with a man in his late thirties in jeans and a western shirt. "No I haven't. What can we do for you Congressman?"
"Please, call me Blake. I came down to see how things are going. It seems you have a well-run operation."
"A lot of good people work here. Their goal is to keep everyone happy."
"What gave you the idea to open a stockyard Mr. Coleman?"
"You can call me Cal. I opened the yard due to pure laziness. It takes a lot of fuel and personnel to move cattle to market. It reduces our carbon footprint, gives people jobs, and we have a few dollars more in our pockets.
"Earl said you used green technology in your construction."
"I don't know how green it is. To make every component in the solar panels to windmills requires the use of fossil fuels. It wasn't through ecological concerns we're off the grid. I just try to stay away from as many government sponsored projects as I can."
Blake grinned. "Yeah, Earl said you have little use for government and many of it's representatives."
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:43:49 GMT -6
"Blake you, but not all the congressmen, mean well, but they see everyone else getting projects, so they think that they need to get their share for their people. Instead of working together for the good of the country, they work for the good of their state or region. To get what they want they have to give the others what they want. In the end, they spend an excessive amount of money on crap. They spend our money on things that were never meant to end up being a part of a government that our forefathers set up to defend us as a country. You and your cohorts are really the only ones that can make the rules or change the rules to fix the problem. Rome and all other great powers, eventually found that the idea that you can cater to a small segment of the population at the expense of the masses, would soon lead to ruin. Whether it's France before Bastille Day or the fall of the Roman Empire, those in power must make decisions for the country as a whole or it will fail. Blake, I wish it were different, but that seems the way we're headed." "Succinctly said. There are some of us in Washington trying to fight the things you said was wrong, but it's a tough battle. Others will come after you and your business. The Democrats are only concerned about power and maintaining power instead of honestly working on problems of the people." "When the time comes, I'll rectify the situation." Blake gave Cal a questioning look. "Blake, I don't normally give much money to politicians, but I'd be willing to add to your war chest. Have one of your people get in touch to keep me legal."
"Is there anything I can do for you Cal." "Nope. I'm not into buying politicians. I'll help as I can, but too many times help from the government comes with strings attached, so I keep myself and my property out of government entanglements." "I would have asked that question even if you hadn't offered to donate. I don't take money quid pro quo. If someone believes in what I'm doing, then I'm more than willing to take donations." "Then you're a member of a dying breed. I wish you luck, but I find it hard to believe anything less than bringing back public hangings will straighten Washington out. I feel sorry for you. I don't know if we have enough rope without importing it. This country is in a downward spiral, as it is each time the Democrats gain office." Blake chuckled. "I was told you were 'outspoken.' Anyway, I appreciate your support and give me a call if you have any concerns Cal." "Thanks for stopping by. I'm not down on every politician, but if they have a 'D' attached to them then I'm probably not partial to them." Blake grinned. I know what you mean. Well, I need to get back to the office Great place you have here." Cal watched as he walked off. He saw Casey in the kitchen of the snackbar and went over. "How did it go Casey?" "Eight hundred fifty gross, five seventy net. It will be better next time because we won't have to buy some things again." "That include the salaries of the workers?" "Yep. Pretty good for just a few hours and the size crowd we had." "Yes, it is. How did the water sell?" "Great! We almost ran out of filled bottles." "See Charlie down in Supply and get a couple of Royal Berkeys and keep them down here. Get another 9 foot commercial cooler installed just for the water bottles and you can fill the bottles ahead of time. I'll send Greg down here to put in a hose from the Berkey through the wall and people can get a refill on water." Cal returned home and took a shower and threw on some sweats. Martha was in the kitchen putting a salad together. "Where's Siobhan?" "She went down to the school to take snacks for tomorrow." Martha replied. Cal poured a glass of tea and went into his study. He was looking through news websites when Diana Conrad called. "What can I do for you Diana?" "Well, so far we've collected almost $10,000 for the McKella Hendrix fund." "Great! Uh…what is the largest gift card you can get?" "Let me check a second. We can get $2500.00 cards." "Get four of them. I think Siobhan and I will take a little flight to Memphis." "I'll have them to you before noon tomorrow." Cal heard Siobhan enter the house and went out to meet her. "Feel like taking a little trip?" "To where?" "I thought we'd fly to Memphis and visit the Hendrix family." "That would be nice. I'll go pack us a bag." Cal and Siobhan took off in the TBM the next afternoon. Upon arriving in Memphis, Cal picked up the car and they checked into the Big Cypress Lodge. Dinner was in the hotel restaurant and they retired to their room for the night. The next morning, Cal and Siobhan walked to the hospital. They asked at the visitors desk and were directed to McKella's room. When they arrived, Brad's eyes opened in surprise. Jenny got up from her chair, wondering who they were. "Jenny, this is Cal Coleman." Brad introduced them. "Oh, Brad, Jenny, this is my wife Siobhan." Jenny started shaking and tears started flowing down her face. Siobhan moved to her and hugged her. "Thank you! Thank you for what you have done!" Jenny cried. "Our prayers have been with you since we found out. How is McKella doing?" "The treatments are going well. She'll have to stay a couple of weeks more, then she can come home." Jenny explained. Call walked over to Brad and handed him the gift cards. "Brad, people at the General Store and Casey's Restaurant have been giving donations so I had them converted to cards and brought them with me." Cal said. Surprised, Brad took them. "I don't know what to say." "Nothing to say. Your ranch is fine. Jeb pulled a travel trailer over and there are two hands staying there to do chores and watch over things. They stay for two days and someone comes in to spell them. We are prepared to keep doing that for as long as it takes." "Cal, I can't ask ya'll to do that!" "We know, but we're doing it anyway. That's what neighbors do." "I don't know how I'll ever repay you all." Brad said. "You can become a member of the Mesa Ranchers Association and be prepared to help others in the area." "I'll gladly do that." Brad grinned. At that time a nurse brought in a smiling six year old girl. "Here she is!" Jenny said. "Mommy! The doctor said I was doing good!! McKella said." "I know! We talked to him earlier. How are you feeling?" "I'm a little tired." McKella said. "McKella, this is Mr & Mrs. Coleman. They came from back home to see how you are doing." "I am pleased to meet you. Thank you for coming. Mommy! She has pretty red hair!"" Siobhan pulled Jenny to her and whispered in her ear. Jenny smile and nodded. "McKella " Siobhan said. "I brought you something to help you spend your time." Siobhan got Cal's attention. "Are you about ready?" Cal nodded. "Jenny, keep in touch. As soon as all of you are ready to return, let us know and Cal and I can come pick you up." "Thank you so much, again. Us being here together has brightened McKella up a lot." They said their goodbyes and walked back to the hotel. "Let's eat in one of the restaurants in the Pyramid. After, I want to browse around." Cal said. "Sounds good to me." They ate and Cal bought some clothes at Bass Pro and Siobhan picked up clothes for the kids. They decided not to go to Beale Street and save that for another time. They left early the next morning and were back home before twelve.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:44:50 GMT -6
Siobhan pulled a box out of the bag she had brought in that contained a portable DVD player, headsets and twelve Disney movies. "I hope you like them!"
Jenny help McKella got situated and they picked out a movie for her. Soon, McKella was entranced with watching the movie. The grownups moved to the other side of the room.
"What are the doctors saying?" Siobhan asked.
Jenny smiled. "They say she has going to be fine. They got to the cancer before it spread and she has a great chance for a long life."
Siobhan put her hands together and bowed her head. "Thank you God!"
Tears came to Jenny's eyes. "And thank you Siobhan. We never realized there were people like you and Cal around. We felt we were alone."
"Jenny, we're neighbors. We might be miles apart, but we are still neighbors. Any time you want to visit or just talk, please stop by. I'd like for you to attend our church some time and stay for our bi-monthly dinner."
"I'd like that. McKella can't wait to get back and get back into school. She misses interrelating with other kids."
"What school does she go to?" Siobhan asked.
"She goes to Wingate Elementary."
"Oh my! That's quite a distance to travel."
"Yes, but we wanted her to get a good education."
"Did you know we had our own school on the Ranch?"
"No I didn't!"
"Yes, we had to build a new building because of the enrollment expansion. It's rated as one of the top schools in the state. When you get back maybe you'll take a tour of it."
"I certainly will. It would certainly beat a 25 mile drive every day."
Nine days later Jenny called Siobhan and said the doctors would release McKella the coming Saturday. Siobhan's mind clicked to the plan they had made.
"Check her out and go over to the Pyramid. There will be a suite there for you at the Big Cypress Lodge. Check in and stay overnight. We won't have a pilot available until Sunday morning. We'll come and have breakfast and take you to the airport."
Siobhan Made the reservation for the Hendrix family and notified the other Ranch ladies. They had all got together and planned a "Welcome Home" party for McKella at the community center. Now everyone started doing their part to make it a reality.
Cal decided to take the DH-6 because it had more luxurious seats and more baggage space. However, it was slower. The flight would be a little over five hours, so he had Siobhan get them hotel reservations and they'd fly in on Saturday so he wouldn't be flying 10+ hours.
They met the Hendrix family in the lobby and ate breakfast in the hotel. Cal had hired a limo to take them to the airport, to Jenny's surprise. Once they were airborne, McKella watched a new movie Siobhan had brought and showed Jenny how to make the seat into a bed when McKella got sleepy. Brad went up front and sat in the right seat to talk to Cal.
"Cal, I don't know what to say. You have done so much for us."
"Then you go and do something good for someone else. Brad it is part of my personal constitution to help those in need. Unlike the government, I start at my immediate surroundings. If we helped each other more, we wouldn't need the government sticking their nose under our tent so often. We should be dependent on ourselves, then work up from there."
"Where did you get your ideas on life?"
"There was an old guy that lived about a mile from my home when I was young. We became friends and I'd help him out with chores when he needed me. He gave me his friendship, his trust, and was someone I could ask about the vagaries and mysteries of life a young teenager faces. His honesty and advice kept me out of serious trouble and made me a better person, It matured my thinking a lot. My grandmother used to tell me I had an 'Old Soul' because of the way old Bill had taught me. Bill's words have ridden in my mind for years. He has always been my guide even though he's been gone a long time."
"What was the one thing that he taught you that sticks out most in your mind?" Brad asked
"Don't love anything that can't love you back. I came into some money early. Money can be good and it can be bad. I didn't fall in love with the big bucks, I just used it to make things better for the Ranch and to help people. I still live by that. I don't care to be rich, except to have money available to help others. When the money runs out, I'll be there with my bare hands to help out however I can."
Cal shut down the autopilot and call back to Siobhan. She came forward.
"Siobhan, I 'm facing a headwind and I need to land in Oklahoma City for fuel. Can you make sure Jenny and McKella are strapped in?"
"Do I need to go back?" Ryan asked.
"No, you can stay where you are. We'll be on the ground less than thirty minutes. I just didn't want to be too short on fuel."
Cal had the plane refueled and they were on their way.
"Well, in about four hours we'll be home." Cal said.
"It'll be good to get back. I'm tired of hospitals." Brad said.
"How long have you had your ranch?" Cal asked.
"Going on four years. My uncle willed it to me. In his later years he didn't do much ranching, so things needed a lot of work when we took it over. This mess with McKella would have put us way behind if it hadn't been for you and my neighbors."
"Don't dwell on it Brad. It was the right thing to do. Just remember, if she has to go back to St. Jude's for extra treatment or checkups, I have transportation."
"Cal, I know you mean well, but I can't pay you and I know it's expensive to own and keep a plane."
"Brad, I have to give money away to charities to keep from paying so many taxes. The expense of these trips are written off. Don't worry. we are proud and honored to do these Angel Flights."
Almost four hours later Cal told Siobhan to make sure everyone was buckled in and he made his approach to the airfield. When he shut down the engines, Nick and the mechanics came out and helped them unload and stowed the baggage into the Suburban. When everyone was in, Cal drove the Hendrix family to their home, or that's what they thought. Cal drove them directly to the Community Center. When Cal parked and shut off the engine, Brad looked at him with a questioned look.
"Oh, I thought you might want a bite to eat before you went home."
Everyone got out and Cal held the door open for them. When they arrived inside there was a shout of "WELCOME HOME McKELLA!". One the wall was a Welcome Home banner. Brad and Jenny saw several of their friends and neighbors in attendance.
Cal grinned. "Come on in folks. I know you are hungry. McKella, I think Ms. Martha made your favorite cake too."
Siobhan seated the family at a table. Jenny sat down and tears were leaking out of her eyes. Siobhan sat down with her and placed her hand on Jenny's arm.
"You Okay?"
"Siobhan, everyone has been so nice and helpful."
"Jenny, this is something everyone wanted to do to show you they were thankful McKella is home. Uh, before you get shocked again, we kind of cleaned out your frig and stocked it up for you so you wouldn't have to run into town for groceries as soon as you got home. Most of the food is what we grow and can here on the Ranch."
Jenny leaned over and hugged Siobhan. "I don't even know what to say. I know you must be tired of us thanking you."
"No thanks needed. Let's get you some food."
After about an hour, McKella was getting tired so Cal had Nick bring Brad's truck up to the Center. Their bags were transferred to his vehicle and the Hendrix family left to go home.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:46:05 GMT -6
After everything was cleaned up and the trash hauled away, Cal went to the armory. Del was boresighting am M4 when he walked in. "How many M1As do we have?" Cal asked "We have 16 loaded models with medium weight, air gauged, match barrels with 6 1:11 rifling grooves. All have night vision and suppressors." "Are there vests set up for them?" "Yes. All the user has to do is transfer the pouches they want to it. The vests already have mag pouches for twelve 20 round magazines." Cal walked over to the rack of M1As. Only six of them were marked with the assignees name on the rack. He needed to talk to Andy about tactics. Cal went back to the house and got on the computer. "F#%k this s%&t! Declan said to himself. His girlfriend had talked his sister into taking off to Cabo for a week after he asked them not to. Linda had made her choice. He was tired of her running around while he was on call with CalFire, which was often these days. The tree-huggers had manipulated the left wing government into not implementing clear burning and clearing underbrush and downfalls in the forests and they were now a tinderbox. Each year the fires got bigger. He was tired of the bull crap. The main kicker was the P.I. report he had on his girlfriend. She'd been screwing around so much she might as well have "COMMUNITY PROPERTY" tattooed on her forehead. He didn't know if his sister knew what was going on or not but if she hung around with that tramp then she was just as bad. He was just glad from his doctor's report he was clean of STDs. His Uncle had died the year before and had left him his homestead in Colorado. It was time to get out of the Socialist Republik of Kalifornia. He went out and bought a 7x14 foot enclosed trailer and started loading things from his apartment. He had been paid for this month so he called his supervisor and told him he was moving out of state due to a family emergency. The supervisor complained about not having enough helicopter pilots but he wished Declan the best of luck. After living in an area in the city where police sirens, gunfire, and booming stereos were commonplace, the old place would be a welcome retreat for him. A quiet place, where one only hears the sounds of nature, the occasional vehicle or generator in the distance (from those who are still off the grid), and sparse gunfire from hunters and target shooters. His Uncle had lived off of the grid for eighteen years and had remodeled and expanded 3 years ago with "off the grid" still in mind. During the remodel he really had thought ahead The rebuilt house was insulated to a level that was twice what the local building codes required, the electrical was installed in the same manner. For heat he had installed a woodstove that was really twice the size that was needed for the house. As for water and sanitation he had installed a septic field that is capable of handling a 5 bedroom house although the house is only three bedrooms. For water he had a new remote well installed that had a 500 gallon holding tank and the pressure pump in a shed located right next to the house. Last year, just before he died, his Uncle had installed a large battery bank and solar panels, The generator and transfer switch were still in place with a 2000 gallon buried tank. Declan had read and dreamed about living here again for many years. It would be good to be back. All those "how-to" books that Uncle Dave had collected over the years would come in handy. Surprisingly, Uncle Dave had almost $25 million in different accounts that Dave's lawyer knew about. Dec had let the current account administrator continue to handle everything. He was making more money than he could ever use. Dec took his time getting to the homestead and arrived in the area in the late afternoon three days later. He stopped at a General Store that he hadn't seen before to get some fresh groceries until he could get into town. He was amazed when he walked in. This place carried a lot more that you'd usually find in country stores. He just walked around for a while just checking out what they had. "Can I help you with something?" A young lady asked. "Uh…no, I was just looking. I moving into a place near here and hadn't seen this store before. I was cataloging in my mind what you carried. I will be buying some groceries to tide me over until I can get into Grand Junction." "Well, look away. We probably have everything you need. The girls just pulled fresh bread out of the oven a few minutes ago. I'm sure you can smell that. Also make sure you check out the farmer's market next door." "Thank you Ma'am." Dec pick up a shopping basket and went around selecting items. We wandered over and picked up a fresh loaf of bread and some rolls. After making his purchases, he put the groceries in the truck and walked over to the farmer's market. The first thing that caught his eye were the square melons. He walked over and selected two, some lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and radishes. This was a nice place. He added those items to those in the truck and headed to the homestead. Logan watched him leave. "That's something you don't see often." "What's that?" Sally said as he walked up beside him. "Two K5 Blazers in the same day on the same road." Driving up to the gate he got out and took the chain off and opened it enough to drive through. Dec pulled through and relocked the gate and continued on down the drive to the house. The house and outbuildings looked the same. A couple of newer buildings had been built. The feeling of sadness hit him when he realized his Uncle wouldn't be coming out on the porch to greet him. Dec slowly got out of the truck and stood, looking around. With a sigh, he walked onto the porch and unlocked the door. Everything was neat but smelled a little musty. The lawyer had been having a cleaning crew come out once a month to clean. Dec started opening windows to air things out. After plugging the refrigerator in, he brought in the groceries and put them away. He walked into Uncle Dave's bedroom and everything was neat. He noticed the old mattress hand been replaced and the linens were fresh. The lawyer had said that all of Uncle Dave's clothes had been boxed up and placed in a storage building near the barn, so the closets were empty. Dec went back outside and backed the trailer up to the porch and began unloading. It was almost dark before he finished. After parking the trailer in the barn and unhooking it, he went back into the house and fixed a couple of tomato sandwiches and grabbed a beer. Sitting on the porch, he slowly ate his sandwiches and thought about his next steps.
"He wanted to get satellite TV, get the phone turned on first. He next thought about what he was going to do with his life. He guessed he could do what Uncle Dave had done and become a hermit, just living off his dividend checks. No, he needed to at least have a hobby. Flying had been his main job the last few years after getting out of the service. He could afford it now, maybe he would buy a helicopter. He could certainly afford it now. He's start checking the internet…but he didn't have internet out here. He'd have to look into satellite internet access. He was tired after the drive so he decided to turn in. He would be heading into Grand Junction tomorrow to start putting everything into place. Cal and Andy were having coffee when the man walked in. He caught Andy's eye as he sat down. "I know that guy." Andy murmured. Andy got up and went over to the man's table. "Charbagh." He said. The man's head snapped up. "Yeah, I've been there." "Hi, I'm Andy Murray. I think you flew an infil for us. 160th?" "Declan Cunningham, Yeah, I flew a few out of there." "Hey, come on over and join us." They walked over to the Stammtisch and sat down with Cal. "Cal, this is Declan Cunningham. Flew for the 160th. Declan, Cal Coleman." "Good to meet you Declan." "You can call me Dec," "First time here?" "Yeah, I stopped by the General Store yesterday to pick up some groceries to do me until I could get into Grand Junction. I was headed into town this morning to get the phone turned on and get a satellite system installed." "Oh, you moving in around here?" "Yeah, I got tired of Sacramento and pulled up stakes. I inherited my uncle's ranch so I moved out here." "Your uncle wouldn't have been Dave Cunningham, would he?" "Yeah, that's right. Did you know him?" "I met him a couple of times. That was before we put the cattleman's association together." "He didn't run any cattle." Cal chuckled. "Half the members are just homesteaders. We banded together to help one another in times of need." "That's good. Better than anything they have in the People's Republik. Everything there is dictated by government." "So what are your plans." "I'm playing it by ear. I really needed a break. I was flying for CalFire and decided I didn't like the atmosphere. I'm thinking of relaxing and maybe buying a helicopter. Do you know a good construction company?" "Casey! Do you have one of Will's business cards on the board?" Casey brought over the card and handed it to Cal. Handing the card to Dec, he said, "Will Harris does a great job and can build you anything you want." "Thanks, I'll look him up." "Also, check James Electronics in Westgate Mall. They sell satellite and internet systems. They can have you up and running in no time." "I appreciate it. I'd like to get the creature comforts in." "Look, we have a non-denominational church here. It's a good way to meet some of the neighbors. If you're not in for church, right after we have a community dinner so everyone gets together for a pot luck dinner and socializes. We'd like to see you at one or both." "Well, thanks. I'd like to attend. What time is church?" "The sermon is at 11:00, lunch is at 1:00. You can see the steeple from the road. Just buzz the gate and they'll let you through." "Then I'll see you Sunday."
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 12, 2021 21:47:27 GMT -6
Dec's first stop was to talk with Will Harrison at Harris construction company. Will knew just where to get the size hangar Dec wanted and agreed to construct the hangar and pave a helipad. After signing the paperwork and giving a deposit, he then headed over to the Mall. James Electric had both the DirecTV and Hughes systems available so he paid to have them installed the next day. He decided to go check out Sam's and COSTCO to fill in on the things he hadn't picked up at the General Store. When he left Grand Junction, he had the K5 packed all the way to the front seat with the items he had bought. He spent half the afternoon stocking the huge pantry. The next morning Dec, while waiting on the installers, walked around looking in the outbuildings. There was a tractor with different implements with it. Another small building contained boxes he assumed were Uncle Dave's clothing. He found a chicken coop next to the barn, but no chickens. He'd have to see about getting chickens. He heard the installers drive up so he headed back to the house. It took them an hour or so to get everything installed and tested. The internet wasn't as fast as a T-1, but it would do for what he wanted. He left the computer on and went into the kitchen and made a sandwich and threw some chips on a paper plate. Taking the plate and a soda back to his study, he sat down and started doing a search for helicopters for sale. He found a picture of the Bell 505 and did a search for information on it. The Bell page had it listed at $1,5 million brand new. In comparison to what most wanted for their used helicopters with hundreds of flight hours, it was a pretty good price. He wrote the number for sales in the Fort Worth office to call them later. He heard a horn toot so he closed the computer and went out on the porch. He saw Will Harrison getting out of a crew cab truck. Will walked over to the porch. "Afternoon Dec. I brought out a crew to survey and put in stakes for the hangar and the landing pad." "Hey Will. Come on. I'll show you where I want it to go. The guys with him brought along the transit,. pole and stakes. Once everything had been staked out Will got out a legal pad. "Dec, tell me if this doesn't fit your plans. I suggest building a tarmac out just beyond here. That would give you a smooth surface to roll the helicopter into the hangar. If you want landing lights, there are a couple of ways we can do it. We can put them in under glass blocks that make the circle and the 'H' or we can…" "That's exactly what I want. Can you put a blue film on the underside of the bricks?" Will grinned. "Sure can. That would look good." When all The rough drawings were complete and they were in agreement, Will said they would be out on Monday to do the earth work and put together the forms. They would need five days for the concrete to cure and they could start assembling the hangar. Dec showed them where to bring the water line from and the connection to the electric system. When Will and his crew left Dec checked his watch. It was after 5:00 PM in Fort Worth, so he would call in the morning. He went inside and begin looking over the house a little more thoroughly. The one place that Uncle Dave had not let him go into was the basement, so he made a bee-line there. The door was locked. He remembered his uncle had kept a key behind a picture frame in his bedroom so he went there. There it was, taped to the back of the frame. Going back to the basement door, he unlocked it and flipped the light switch. LED lights illuminated the stairs as he went down. The basement looked to be as large as the floorplan of the house. It was divided in half by a brick wall and a steel door. Trying the door, it unlocked. Pushing the door open he found a light switch. The room was stacked with boxes and sealed 5 gallon buckets. On closer inspection, he saw it was long term storage foods from different packers. He noticed a clipboard on the wall that he took down. Flipping through the sheets he saw it was an inventory of the contents of the room, there were even water purifiers listed in the contents. He turned out the light and closed the door. He went back out into the other part of the basement and looked around. Everything looked normal as he walked around the shelves attached to the wall. On one of the shelves was a hardbound book that his uncle had him read and they discussed the contents many times. The book, "Last of The Breed", was about an American pilot that went down in Russia and survived for many years. Uncle Dave had shown and taught him many of the techniques the pilot used to survive. But why was the book down here? He pulled the book off the shelf and something clicked and the shelf moved out slightly. He looked around and saw a step stool and brought it over. He climbed up, looking at the spot where the book had been and found a small switch the book had been holding down. Climbing down Dec moved the stool out of the way and tugged on the shelf. It swung open, revealing a large steel door with a combination lock. Crap! What would be the code? Their secret number! Uncle Dave had drilled that number into his head many times. Dec went in and pressed the buttons for the code. Nothing happened until he turned the handle on the door. He pulled the door open and the room beyond was automatically lit. He walked through and was amazed! Uncle Dave had built what looked like a bomb shelter. There was a desk with radiation monitors and radios on one side of the 12x12 room, a gun rack with several rifles, shotguns and pistol belts on another wall next to the door. He walked through another door and found a small Kitchen. Opening the cabinets, Dec found them stuffed with food and spices. There was a freezer and a separate frig. He continued through another door and he found another store room off to the side. It was also stuffed with long term storage foods. "Failure to plan is planning to fail." He remembered Uncle Dave telling him that time and time again when he was young. Dec was sure his uncle had seen something like this turn to socialism by the Democrats coming, along with the downward spiral of America. He continued into another hallway that contained bedrooms and two bunk rooms, along with bathrooms and showers. Dec went back to the first room and noticed a door he had missed next to the gun rack. He opened it and came to a utility room and what he figured was an air filtration system. Dec came back out and closed the door. Seeing a closed laptop computer on the radio desk, he opened it and turned it on. The screen flickered and booted up. When the main screen icons came up he saw a text file named "README.1ST." Dec scrolled the mouse arrow down and double-clicked on the file. "Dec, If you are reading this, then I am gone. I've tried to set things up so you would get everything. Your parents would have pissed it away and your sister is a few bricks shy of a full load. I expect you to take care of them, but only give them a little rope. There is a portable hard drive in the safe of the first bedroom that has everything you need to know, so I won't bore you with all that in this letter. As you have probably surmised, I think things have been going downhill, and have been for quite some time. Someday someone is going to make a mistake in Washington and it will put this country in a world of hurt. I've tried to give you the tools to survive. I guess You are wondering how I paid for all of this, Well, read the "Source" folder on the hard drive and it will explain it all.
Get your ducks in order and watch for the whirlwind that will hit this country. Dave" Dec leaned back in the chair and sighed. His parents had been killed on highway 50 during a rainstorm. He had only had Mandy left as family. God only knows what she was doing in Cabo. He shut the computer down and locked up the shelter. Putting the book back in place, he left the basement and went back upstairs. Looking around the kitchen, he didn't find a key box or any signs of a spare key for the basement door. Dec went over and examined the lock. He would go to the hardware store and get a replacement lock tomorrow, just in case, after he called Bell. He cooked a couple of pork chops and nuked some spinach and instant mashed potatoes. After cleaning up the kitchen he sat and watched the news until he became frustrated and went to bed and read to settle down until he was sleepy.
|
|
|
Post by cavsgt on Aug 12, 2021 23:05:19 GMT -6
Thank You Thank You for all of your work on entertaining us. We wait with bated breath for your next post.
This is a hell of a good story, well written and not one that you can walk away from.
|
|
|
Post by hunter77 on Aug 12, 2021 23:48:55 GMT -6
Finally caught up. Thank you for taking up all my time on my day off.HaHa Look forward to more.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:07:23 GMT -6
Ryan called Cal early. "I found a buyer for all the engines we have stored!"
"Great!" Cal replied.
"Yeah, we offloaded them at $300 each. I'll make sure Miguel gets his share."
"Well, that adds to your profit margin. What else is going on?"
"We're outfitting three 18-wheeler rigs to do on-site installations…maybe do a fourth. We've got an order for 350 vehicles for Sacramento PD."
"Do you have enough people to do that?"
"We're running training programs all the time. Once we get them experienced, we let them opt to do the roadshows. Of course, the extra we pay for field teams have them anxious to be a member."
Cal chuckled. "I guess so."
"Oh, and I'm giving another 5 million to the college. They're getting applications from all over the country."
"Good deal. If you need any help, let me know."
"Sure thing Cal. I'll talk to you later."
Cal got up and went out to his truck. Kathy had called and asked to meet with him. He rode down to the school and went to Kathy's office.
"Morning Cal. Thanks for coming in. I wanted to talk to you about the needs of the school."
"Shoot, I'm all ears."
"You may want to shoot when you hear what we need."
Cal grinned. "What do you have for me."
"With the enrollment of more ranch and homestead people, we're going to need four more teachers. Also we need two more buses."
"And your problem is…."
"We need teachers and two more buses."
"Kathy, line up the teachers. I'll get two more buses. Problem solved?"
"Kathy grinned. "You are easy."
"No, I want the best education our children can get. You and the teachers here have done a marvelous job. You've got the Board of Education hiding behind their desks."
"Well, if they would adopt our program, the whole state would be doing better."
"You have no argument from me. Anything else?"
"No, that's it."
"You get the teachers, I'll work on the buses"
Cal rode up to the conversion plant and found Ryan in the office.
"You're funding two school, buses."
"Okay, when do you need them?"
"Tomorrow."
"I'm on it."
Cal's next stop was the Facility.
"Andy, find me two more bus drivers."
"Same quals?"
"Close as you can get."
"I'll get right on it." Dec woke up early on Sunday and went out to the firepit and set up the tripod for the Dutch oven. He'd decided to take a pot of his beans to the pot luck. After getting the fire started he went inside and got the onion and garlic chopped up and added them to the pot. Adding a couple of smoked ham hocks and two pounds of beans, covered them with water, tossed in a couple of envelopes of Goya ham flavored concentrate, then carried the pot out and hung it over the fire.. Dec added a couple of sticks to the fire and went inside to make coffee. He and Uncle Dave used to cook often over an open fire. It gave the food a much better flavor. Taking his coffee mug he went back out and sat by his fire. The temperature was cool, but bearable next to the fire. He had an appointment with the Bell salesperson on Tuesday so he thought through the things he needed to do before then. It was very relaxing, sitting here next to the fire. Occasionally, he would stir the coals or add a stick of wood. After a time, he lifted the lid and gave the beans a stir. As he sat there silently poking the fiire, the quietness lulled him into drifting thoughts…until he ran out of coffee. He went back inside and transferred the coffee into an enamel coffee pot and took it outside. Refilling his mug and sat the pot on the rocks at the edge of the fire. He got to thinking about the food stored here. There was enough food for at least three years for one person. There was plenty of protein but he wanted meat. He needed to add a freezer to his purchases and fill it. Next, he needed to check where he could buy beef and pork in large quantities. If he didn't have to go into Grand but once a month, he'd be happy with that. The solitude here was satisfying. Dec stirred the coals and added another stick of split wood. He needed to go over the hard drive and find out the other secrets of this place. The beans needed another couple of hours, so he set the timer on his watch and went down into the shelter and opened the safe to retrieve the hard drive. To his surprise, the hardware was on the one shelf in the top of the safe. The rest of the space in the lower section was filled with rolls of gold coins. There was ten rolls of one ounce eagles, fifteen of half eagles and twenty of one tenth eagles. Counting in his head, there was around $750,000 dollars there. Where in the hell had he got it? He guessed the drive would tell him what he needed to know. His watch alarm went off so he went back out to stir the beans and added a little water. Going back inside, he plugged the drive into the computer and booted it up. Clicking on the drive icon brought up the list of folders in the drive. Selecting the "Source" folder he watched the folder, he watched it open up to a list of documents and graphic files. There was a "README.1ST" file so he opened it.
"Dec, The source of my income for the last several years has been a large seam of gold in the side of the bluff. I found it shortly after buying the property over 20 years ago. I didn't mine it all, It looks like there is a hell of a lot more. I only mined it by hand and never told anyone what I had found. Could you imagine the uproar there would be? You might someday to want to commercially what there is left, but can imagine the lost tranquility to the homestead? It's all yours now. You do what you feel is right. Located in this folder is a map and instructions to enter the mine. As you will see, it is in the barn. Be careful, people get crazy with sudden riches.
Dave"
Dec sat there stunned. It was intriguing to own a gold mine, but he really didn't need the money. He'd leave well enough alone for now. The alarm went off again and he went to stir the beans. He tasted a spoonful of the beans and added a little pepper and salt. Yep. Another hour. It was close to 9:00. Pouring another cup of coffee, he sat back and looked around. He didn't really need to make any improvements to the homestead. Maybe plant a garden in a few weeks. There wasn't much he needed money for except the helicopter, but that was already covered. He'd need to get a fuel tank put in and some extra equipment for maintenance but that would also be easily covered. He'd have to find where to get fuel for the helicopter. Other than that, he was good to go.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:10:00 GMT -6
Dec sat the covered pot of beans in the back of the Blazer and headed for the Church. When he pulled in, he saw a newer looking K5 in the parking lot. Several people were talking out in front of the building so he strolled over. He immediately saw Cal and Andy. "Whose K5 is that?" Dec asked. Cal grinned. "That's mine. It is a present from my wife." "Nice looking. Mine could use a little touch-up paint." Dec chuckled. "Well if you want to get it prettied up, see Miguel next to the restaurant. He did mine." Dec nodded. "I just may do that." People started moving to the door and taking their seats. The sermon was pretty good and only lasted a little over 45 minutes. As Dec was greeted at the door by Reverend Lambry, Cal introduced them. "Welcome to the community Dec. I hope you'll be attending our pot-luck at the Community Center." "Yes, I brought a pot of beans, but I'm not sure where the Center is located." Cal patted Dec on the shoulder. "Just follow me there." Dec parked beside Cal's K5 when they reached the Community Center. Dec opened up the tailgate and checked the pot. It was warm, but not too hot to carry in. He picked the pot up by the bale and Billy came over and closed the tailgate for him. They carried the food into the building, Dec followed Siobhan into the kitchen to heat the beans up a bit on the stove. When they started steaming, he cut the burner off and replaced the heavy lid. Siobhan place a trivet mat on the food table to place the Dutch oven on. Dec moved off to the side and saw men going out the back door so he followed them out. Cal stood talking to a group of men on the patio when he saw Dec come out. He motioned Dec over and introduced him to the group. "Dec is Dave Cunningham's nephew and has moved into his old place." Cal said. "Now that was a fine man. He seemed to know when you needed a little help and just showed up out of nowhere to lend a hand. It's good to have you in the area." Jeb Hawkins said. "You getting settled in Dec?" Cal asked. "Yep. Will Harrison is already working on a hangar for me and a helipad." "You have a helicopter?" "Not yet, but I will soon. I just need to find a supplier of fuel and a tank." Cal chuckled. "One of the Harris brothers owns the fuel distribution in the area. If the name 'Harrison' isn't attached to something you need, they can tell you who does. I'll give you his number…and he can get you a tank. What kind of helicopter are you buying?" "I'm not sure yet. I'm flying down to Fort Worth next week to the Bell plant to talk to a salesman. I'm leaning toward a Bell 505 painted with Midnight Black Glitter Paint. "Nice. That will get you up to Denver with no problem." Reverend Lambry was ready to give the blessing so they all went back inside. After the blessing, Dec stood back to see how things worked. He soon joined the food line and got a plate of food. When he had picked up a cup of iced tea, Cal called him over to join his family table. "Ohhh…the pinto beans are delicious. Are these yours Dec?" Siobhan asked. "Yes Ma'am." "What did you do to them. They have a flavor I never encountered before." "I added some onion, garlic, a couple of smoked ham hocks, some ham flavored concentrate, and cooked them in the fire pit early this morning." Siobhan looked at Cal. "We'll be using the fire pit more often." "You need to try green beans cooked that way. I could eat the whole pot myself!" Dec said. "Dad said you were buying a helicopter. Do you fly fixed wing?" Becky asked. "Yes I have fixed wing qualifications but I'm partial to helicopters." "You should come flying with us Down to Shiprock, New Mexico next weekend. Dad's got permission to land on the reservation. You could ride with me." Dec's eyes widened. "You have your pilot's license?" "Yeah, Billy has his too. We both have SuperSTOL aircraft." Dec looked at Cal, who nodded." "Well, yeah, I'd like to go." They finished eating their lunch and Dec helped clean up the table. Dec sat back down after throwing his trash away while everyone else hovered around the dessert table. Brigid came shuffling over with a plate with a slice of cake on it and handed it up to Dec. Dec smiled, took the plate and sat it on the table. Brigid held her arms up for Dec to pick her up. Siobhan returned to the table with her dessert and started giggling. "She wants you to feed her." "Oh!" Dec picked Brigid up and sat her on his lap. Picking up a fork, he cut of a small piece of cake and fed it to the grinning little girl. Becky came over and sat a sippy cup with milk in it on the table. Dec sat there and fed her the cake and occasionally gave her the cup to take a drink. "I've never seen her take to someone she'd never met before so quickly, Dec." Siobhan said. Brigid smile and looked up at Dec and rubbed his face with her hand. "Dec!" Dec smiled and shook his head. Brigid finished the cake and wanted to get down so Dec lifted her off his lap and sat her on the floor. "Dec, Come with me. I want to show you a couple of things." Cal said. Cal led Dec outside to an EV and got in. Dec looked around as they drove along. "Where did you find an electric RV?" "Well, it used to have a gasoline engine. That is the product of Ryan Craig and John Smith. Their plant for converting fossil fuel vehicles is down the road from the General Store." "Yeah, I remember reading something about that in the paper." Cal drove to the airfield and stopped in front of the first hangar. "What is this airfield?" Dec asked. "This is a test and evaluation center. We do a number of things here." Cal opened a door and they went in. There sat a Twin Otter and four smaller aircraft whose wings were folded." "Whose are these aircraft?" "Well, the Otter belongs to the Ranch, the red SuperSTOL is Becky's, the black SuperSTOL is Billy's, the green SuperSTOL is mine and the blue and white one is Clay's. We've some other stuff stored here for the government and they provide us with mechanics and keep our fuel tanks topped off." "Sweet deal." Cal took him over to the next hangar and immediately recognized the S-70. "D-a-a-m-m-m-n-n-n! Sweet!" Cal drove him around to other buildings on the Ranch and showed him most everything. "Dec, that mesa there made this Ranch what it is." Dec looked at Cal. "What do you mean?" "I didn't have a thought of making it as big as it is. That cabin over there was my first home. When I built it, I found a cave at the base of the mesa and decided to run a covered tunnel to it and use the space for storage. Well, I found some gold. I had a friend of mine to make me a machine to excavate the cave to square it up and I found more gold. Over the years We've excavated what amounts to enough space to house all the people on this Ranch and storage for years of food. The excavations brought out more gold. I used a lot to do improvements but now the most of it goes to charities." "That is how Uncle Dave got his money. I wondered how he made his money until he left me maps and instructions . There's what looks like hayfields next to the river but I didn't think you could get rich on that amount of hay. He had a good sized shelter hidden off the basement with a lot of long term foods stored there and a gun safe with around $800,000 in gold coins in tubes. I stumbled onto the entrance and found the information he left me. I haven't gone in yet to see the mine." "If you need a money manager and tax consultant, we've got them on the Ranch." "I may take you up on that. The bulk of my inheritance is in stocks and bonds." "Give me a shout when you want to talk to someone and I'll hook you up. They're some of the best and keep me out of trouble." "Does the General Store carry the local paper? I need to find a housekeeper, full time if possible. I'm like a BB in a boxcar in that house.." "Let me check with the workers. There may be one of the women looking for work. If I find someone I'll let you know. Just so you know, Andy has run background checks on all of them or they don't work for me." "Thanks Cal. I'm headed down to Fort Worth tomorrow to see about the helicopter. By the time I get back, Will should be through with the hangar and pad.
"Do you want me to see about your tank and fuel? I can cover the costs for you until you get back." "Hey, that would be great!" "I'll talk to Will and have him stake out an area next to the hanger and put in a buried 2000 gallon Jet-A tank. They can put in a pump with hose reel and a weatherproof shelter. We can use our equipment to dig the hole." "That'll work. Keep the receipts and I'll pay your guys for their work too." "No problem. We'll settle up later.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:13:41 GMT -6
Cal sat the eggs and butter on the counter.
"Dec is looking for a house keeper."
Siobhan turned, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Full or part time?"
"Full time."
"I've got to take the eggs and butter over to the Hope Center. I'll check to see if there are any prospects."
"Well, if you find someone, just tell them it's part time until Dec gets back, then he can interview her and make a decision."
Siobhan drove up to the Center and went to Patty's office.
"Hi Patty. I brought some fresh eggs and butter."
"Thanks Siobhan. Everyone enjoys them."
"Patty, we've got a friend that needs a house keeper. It could possibly turn into full-time employment. Do you have someone that fits the bill?"
Patty thought a second, then pulled a file out of the cabinet.
"Possibly. This woman, Madeline Hudson, goes by Maddy. She had a breakdown when her husband was killed a few months ago. Has no family, product of foster care. She only has a high school education but is working on some on-line courses to improve herself. We've been looking for a job for her, but she needs more skills. She does a great job around here.
"Could I meet her?"
"Of course! Let me go get her."
Patty left and came back with a young woman.
"Maddy, this is Siobhan Coleman. She was wondering if you would be interested in doing some house cleaning."
"Hi Maddy. This is a temp job, for now. The owner is out of town until this weekend, but if I could get you out on Friday, for a day, he would be able to see your work when he gets back. You could end up with a full time job. I'll pay you $100 for Friday."
"Sure, but I don't have any transportation."
"No problem. I can pick you up Friday at 9:00 and drop you off. You can call me when you are finished."
"That's fine. I'll see you Friday then."
"What were you looking for?" The salesman asked Dec.
"I'm interested in the 505, fully loaded. I want it in Midnight Black Glitter Paint."
"That would be a custom paint job. Let me see what we have in production."
The salesman scrolled through his database. "You wouldn't mind the same model in Pearl White, would you? We had a canceled order from Oman. It has everything you wanted and we'll offer a 20% discount. Otherwise, we can build what you want in about 6 weeks."
"How long would it take to repaint it?"
"Around 3 days."
"And it's fully loaded?
"Yep. It was supposed to go to some prince or something."
"Good, then I'll take it if you'll repaint it. I'll need wheels and a tow bar to be stored on the aircraft for my flight back. I'll also want a spare engine, main and tail rotor blades and a complete workup of life-limited parts to be placed in a shipping container and delivered to my home address."
The salesman broke into a dazzling smile. "Do you want us to do the registration also?"
"Please. Also, where can I get a set of aeronautical charts to plan my flight back to Colorado?"
"Oh, we can do that also and program it into your Garmin G1000H onboard. I assume you're looking at fuel stops?"
"Precisely. If you can give me the total, and your banking information, I'll have the money transferred shortly."
While the salesman was busy doing the paperwork and having the aircraft moved to the painting area, Dec got on his phone and had the money transferred.
"Everything is in the works Mr. Cunningham. We'll have the registration back this afternoon and will paint it on the tail boom. Is there anything else we can do for you?"
"No, I think that about covers it. I'll leave you my cell number. Now, I want a good steak."
"Then I recommend the Fazenda Gaucha. I love garlic steak with chimichurri."
"I'll give it a try. Thank you."
The next day, he did check rides with an instructor pilot and go familiarization on a 505.
Thursday afternoon Dec received the call that the 505 was ready. Dec asked what time they arrived at the plant, that he wanted to leave at sunrise, he was told the sales team would be there.
The next morning Dec took a taxi to the Bell plant and was escorted to his helicopter with the usual B.S. fanfare the sales people gave their customers. After doing his pre-flight, he boarded and started the turbine. When everything was in the green he lifted off and got clearance for a 5000 foot flight out of the area. He helicopter flew great. He tried the autopilot and it was a dream. The avionics were first class and it sure beat watching meters and gauges all the time. A warning tone would warn him if anything was off. He watched the scrolling map display on the screen and the Traffic Information System kept him informed of nearby aircraft.
At his first fuel stop in Lubbock, Dec took a pit stop while the helicopter was being refueled, and got a large, iced tea. He shouldn't have done that but he made it okay to Albuquerque before his bladder burst. From Albuquerque, it was only a 2 hour flight home, so he got another iced tea. As he neared the homestead, he spotted the large "H" on the landing pad and checked the windsock, Facing into the wind, he gently sat the helicopter down. He'd tow it inside the hangar later. He grabbed his bag and walked up to the house. As he went through the door, he was startled by a screech.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:16:56 GMT -6
"WHO ARE YOU!?!" A woman yelled. "I'm the owner of this house. Who are you?" The woman slightly deflated. "I was cleaning your house. Siobhan brought me over." Dec chuckled. "I may need to go change my underwear. You scared the hell out of me!" Maddy giggled. "I think you'll get over it. My name is Maddy Hudson." "Hi, I'm Dec Cunningham. I guess Cal told Siobhan I was looking for a housekeeper." He looked around. It certainly was cleaner than before. "I didn't know if you drank iced tea or not so I made a pitcher of tea and one of lemonade." Maddy said. "Speaking of which, I had a large, iced tea on the flight up from Albuquerque and need to get rid of it." Dec said. "Excuse me." Dec went into his en suite and did his business. After washing his hands, he returned to the kitchen and found Maddy there with a glass filled with ice and a pitcher each of tea and lemonade. Dec poured the tea into the glass. "Get yourself a glass and sit. Let's talk." Maddy filled a glass with ice and lemonade. "Now, tell me about yourself." Dec said. "Right now, I'm living at the Hope Center. I went through a bad time after my husband was killed. I fell apart and some ladies directed me to Patty at the Hope Center and since then they've been helping me get my life together. I was looking for a job to make money to further my education when Siobhan asked me if I wanted to give this a try. Dec nodded. "So, what are your goals?" "I just want to be able to take care of myself. I only have a high school education and I know I can do better. I think I'm a good worker. I grew up on a farm and don't shy away from hard work." Dec sat there a minute. "How would you like to be my full time house keeper? I'll pay you $4,000 a month," Then in a lower voice he said, "If you want, you can move in instead of having to come over from the Center every day.. No strings attached. Just pick a spare bedroom and move in. I won't be around much and the bedroom doors have locks. Believe me, I have no interest in a relationship or put any demands on you. I went through a bad time with a girl I was thinking about asking to marry me back in Sacramento, but she wanted her side boyfriends and me too. I don't think I'll trust another woman with my heart as long as I live. SHE did that to me Maddy. I don't know I'll ever get over what she did. I think it's sick, but she was so blinded by getting it all for a small period of time, she honestly believed she could have it all, and I'm the one that was left in the dark. Well the hell with her. Life isn't like that. I won't accept that from a woman. When I vow to forsake all others, I mean it……sorry..." He sat up straighter in his chair. "I get touchy about that stuff. Look, I'I may be gone for a few weeks for some training down in Texas so you'll be alone much of the time." "I'm sorry you were hurt. Can I think about it overnight?" "Of course. How did you get here?" "Siobhan brought me over. I'm supposed to call her when I'm through here." "If you do decide to take the job, part of your duties will be grocery shopping. I'm not particular and will eat most anything except sushi. I don't eat fish bait. There's a Land Rover in the garage for you to use. The roads around here can get bad in the winter." "Okay." "Look, I'm dying to show off my new helicopter. Why don't I fly you over to Siobhan's ranch and she won't have so far to drive? I want to show Cal my bird…oh, if you are through." "Yes, I had just finished vacuuming." Dec pulled out his phone and called Cal. "Hey Cal. Yeah, I just got back. She's sweet." Dec glanced over at Maddy. "That is the helicopter is…I mean, look, Siobhan brought a woman over to clean this morning and was going to come back and pick her up. I thought I'd fly her back over to your place and show off the bird. Siobhan won't have as far to go. Okay, I'll see you in a few." Cal chuckled as he ended the call. "SIOBHAN! Come on, let's go to the airfield. Dec is flying Maddy over to show off his 'copter. Dec made sure Maddy was strapped in and handed her the headsets and showed her the push to talk switch on the cord. He got the turbine started and when everything was ready, lifted off and turned toward the Ranch for the short flight. He circled the airfield once then came to a hover over the runway in front of the first hangar where he saw Cal and Siobhan standing. He slowly maneuvered to the hardstand in front of the hangar and sat down, Dec motioned for Cal and Siobhan to get in and they both trotted over, bent slightly at the waist and took their seats. "Man! This is nice!" Cal said, after putting on his headset." Dec lifted off over the runway and headed toward Grand Junction until he met the Gunnison River. He then went lower and flew the river, showing Cal the Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System. Finally, he flew back to the airfield and sat down. "That is one nice helicopter, Dec." "I like the paint." Maddy said. While Cal and Dec walked around and talked about the options, Siobhan drew Maddy to the side. "Well, how was it?" "It went well. Siobhan, he wants me to live in full time." Siobhan raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?" "He said there were no strings attached. He'd let me pick my own bedroom and the doors have a locks. He said he wasn't interested in a relationship."
"Well, he seems like a nice guy. If Cal likes him, that's saying something. He's a great judge of character." Siobhan said. Maddy stood there for a second. "I think I'll take the job." "Will your things fit into the helicopter?" "Yes, I only have a suitcase. My other things are in a storage locker." Cal and Dec meandered back over to the two women. "Dec, I'll take the job. Can you fly me over to the Center so I can get my things?" Dec grinned. "Of course, except I don't know where it is." Cal pointed. "About three miles that way. Look for a green metal roof. Winds are predominately out of the west." Siobhan and Cal watched as they boarded the helicopter and took off. Cal looked at a grinning Siobhan. "What?" "She told me he said he wasn't looking for a relationship. I think she took it as a challenge to her womanhood." Cal groaned and got into his truck.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:23:04 GMT -6
The sky was just getting light when Dec got out of f bed. He could smell coffee and sausage. He took a quick shower and dressed before heading to the kitchen. "Good morning Maddy. That sure smells good enough to wake a man." "Get yourself a cup of coffee and sit. How do you want your eggs?" "On a plate." Dec said while pouring his coffee. "I'm not particular. Cook 'em like you like 'em." Maddy wiped the cast iron frying pan out she had been cooking the sausage in and threw a couple of slices of bread in to toast." "I couldn't find any bread pans." Maddy said. Dec got up and went into the pantry. He walked back out and with two cast iron bread pans in his hand. "These might need re-seasoning." Maddy took the pans to the sink and sat them down and went over and finished the eggs. She served the eggs right out of the pan into their plates. Sitting the plates of toast and sausage on the table, she took her seat. "I'm sorry. I didn't fix biscuits this morning. I'm getting used to the kitchen and where everything is." "My God woman! This is more than I usually eat! Is there any jelly?" Maddy got up and got a jar of strawberry preserves out of the frig. They ate in silence for a while. "Are you planning to plant a vegetable garden?" Maddy asked. "Hadn't even thought of it. Do you want one?" "I don't know. It's always been comforting to me to have a garden for your own food. Of course, I can always pick things up at the farmers market." "Maddy, let me get something straight. I can afford for us to eat out every day, but I'm partial to home cooked meals. If you want to have a garden for the joy of it, I'll plow you up Uncle Dave's old garden. But don't plan to make it our sole source of vegetables. I'm getting you a debit card to make food purchases, so don't worry about buying food. Just tell me what you want and I'll plow it up today. We'll go into town and get the seeds and plants you want, too."
They finished their breakfast and Maddy collected the dishes, rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. She started the dishwasher and turned to Dec.
"Go plow us a garden." Dec nodded and took his cap off the rack by the kitchen door and went out. Maddy watched him through the window with a smile on her face as he walked to the equipment shed.
Cal ran into Barry carrying a box in the hallway. "What's up Barry?" "Oh! I was borrowing a printer from supply to do some printouts of power usage for study." "There isn't a printer in there?" "Nope." "Well, keep that one. I'll have Charlie order a new one to put back on the shelf. We having power issues?" "Just the opposite. We've got plenty of power. I've gone to each building and downloaded printouts and wanted to compare the readings to see where I can improve." "Oh, okay. Well, if you need anything, let me know. Cal went to the house through the tunnels and found Siobhan and Martha talking and taking measurements on the patio. Cal walked out to them. "Cal, how hard would it be to have a retractable sun shade installed? We don't get any sun over the mesa until about 10:00, but then it gets too hot in summer to sit out here until late in the afternoon." "Not hard, I guess. I think Canvas Products on 25 Road sales retractable awnings. Hang on a second. Yeah, they're at 580 25 Road and they specialize in retractable awnings." Siobhan looked at Martha. "Let's get Brigid and go see what they have." "I'm going down to the café," he called after them. Cal drove down to the café and got a bear claw and a cup of coffee. "Cal, what are we going to do about this climate change thing?" "Well, Earl, what do you think we should do?" "Well, I don't rightly know the best thing to do. The so-called experts say it will cost us a lot of money." "Earl, It wouldn't change one thing even if they spent every nickel on this planet. The climate has been changing every few thousand years for millions of years. They way our ancestors handled it was if it was too wet, they moved to a drier area. Too cold? They moved to a warmer climate. There's a lot of jacked up people in the world that are so narcissistic they are willing to set this country back a hundred years doing things that won't make any difference to the natural changes that are going to occur whether we like it or not." "I reckon so. That idea you had about stockpiling the snow melt has helped a great deal." Earl said. "Well, if you need any more tanks dug, just give me a shout."
"I need to run into Grand Junction to look for a vehicle." "Why?" Asked Maddy. "I talked to Miguel over at the car restoration place and he's going to restore my K5. He did a great job on Cal's and I want something like that. I'm going to give him all the time he needs so I need to get a car to drive until he's done. Also I need to stock up on wine." Dec added. "That shouldn't be hard. I see most of what you have can be found in just about all the major grocery stores." "I like them. I know my wine tasting. A neighbor I had in Sacramento, had a part time job reviewing wine and I learned a lot from her about nose, bouquet and all the other rubbish that went with reviewing. I also learned that 95% of it was utter bullshit, done to impress other people who didn't have a clue. At the end of the day wine, like art, is about what works for you and what doesn't. There is nothing on earth that makes a wine worth $100, let alone $1000, apart from your willingness to pay for it." "Okay. You got me there. I just drink what I like too." "Good. Then go with me to pick out wine." "Okay, I wanted to see if I could find any Andouille sausage. I wanted to make some Jambalaya." "Fine, but first we'll stop at Casey's for lunch. I don't want to be dragging a hungry, salivating woman through a grocery store looking for food." Dec grinned. "Nuh uh! I don't do that!"
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:27:44 GMT -6
Dec drove up in front of the General Store and saw Cal and Siobhan talking to two men sitting on the liar's bench.
"Good morning Cal, Siobhan." Dec said, tipping his hat.
"Hi Maddy! What brings you out?"
"Dec was going into town to look for a car and get some wine. I decided to ride along to find some Andouille sausage. Do you know who would carry it?"
"Would three pounds do you?"
"My gosh yes!"
"Stop by the house on your way home. We make our own and I think it's better than what they have in the markets."
"Thank you! We'll surely stop by."
"We're going to get some lunch. I didn't want her going into the grocery store hungry." Dec said.
Maddy punched him lightly in the ribs. "Shut up!"
Cal chuckled and Siobhan grinned.
"We were going to get lunch also. Let's go!" Siobhan said.
They all went in and Cal guided them to the Stammtisch. The waitress quickly arrived with glasses and a pitcher of iced water. After they gave their orders for their meals Siobhan asked Maddy how things were going.
"Well, we're putting in a garden so that's another reason to go into town…to pick up seeds and see what plants are available."
"Don't buy that stuff. When you stop by, I'll introduce you to Dawn. She's got all the seeds and plants you'll need. Plus, they are the varieties that grow well around here."
"Well, looks like you don't have to head into Grand Junction." Cal said.
"Nah. I need to get a vehicle to drive while Miguel is restoring my K5. Yours made me jealous, plus I wanted to restock my wines." Dec explained.
"If you see any wines from Two Rivers Winery, be sure to get those. They are very good." Siobhan said.
"I'll look for them."
Their meal arrived and they continued their conservation while eating. When they were finished. Dec paid the bill and escorted Maddy to the truck.
"They're getting closer." Siobhan mused.
"Oh please!" Cal said, rolling his eyes.
"Let's go the grocery store first, then we could look at cars." Dec said.
"But I'm picking up shrimp also. They are going to spoil if you're going to look at cars."
"Oh, right. Then let's go look at cars first then."
Dec spotted the Ford dealership up ahead on the right so he pulled in.
As they got out of the truck, a salesman walked over to them.
"How can I help you today?" He asked
"I'm having my K5 restored and…what the hell is that?"
Dec was pointing to a grey truck behind the salesman. The salesman turned to see what Dec was pointing to. Smiling, the salesman turned back to Dec.
"That sir, is a 1949 Dodge Power wagon. Would you like to look at it?"
Dec nodded as they walked over. He opened the door and looked in.
"This was done by an outfit up in Wyoming. Local guy bought it. He really bit off more than he could chew. He came on some rough times and couldn't afford they payments."
Dec got in and looked at the dash. It had all new switches and looked more modern than the modern trucks.
"It's got a 3.9 Liter Cummins Turbo-Diesel, range about 1000 miles on a tank, leather bench seating with Horween top-grain leather, tow bumper, 16,500 lbs. Warn Electric Winch, air. It's top notch.
"You really should get a truck Dec. It would be more practical than a car." Maddy said.
"How much are you asking?" Dec asked the salesman.
"$275,000."
Dec stared at the man.
"Brand new, this truck went for $380,000. You won't find a better deal on it."
"I'll take it."
"Well sir, then let's step inside and we'll get the paperwork started."
They went in to the salesman's cubicle and took a seat.
"We have several finance options available…"
"I'll pay cash. I'll need your banking information so I can transfer the funds."
"Very well."
The salesman excused himself and went to the sales manager to find out how to process the sale. When he'd gotten the sheet with instructions he went back out to complete the sale. Once all the paperwork signed, Dec was told it would take about 30 minutes to prep the truck. He told the salesman that was fin. They had some shopping to do and they'd pick the truck up later.
Walking out, Maddy was amazed.
"I can't believe you paid that much for a truck!"
"But, you said it was practical!"
"Not that much practical!"
"Do you like it?" Dec asked.
"Well, yes but…"
"Then that's good enough for me."
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:35:11 GMT -6
Maddy sat in silence as they headed to the City Market, a collection of grocery stores and shops and got the shrimp and some other ingredients for the Jambalaya and picket up a bottle each of Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and a bottle of their Vintner's Blend, all from Two Rivers Winery. "What are you going to do if you don't like them?" Maddy asked. "Pour them on the compost pile." They finished their shopping and went back to the Ford dealership to pick up the Dodge. When he had gotten the keys and paperwork he walked back over to the K5. "You know your way back? He asked Maddy. "Yes." "Good. You drive the K5 and I'll follow you." When Dec and Maddy got back to the homestead groceries were quickly unloaded. "Are we having Jambalaya tonight?" "No, I want to take my time tomorrow to prepare it right. I'll cook pork chops tonight." Maddy replied. Dec went outside and went out on the driveway and looked back at the house. He stood there for a while and just studied the layout. Maddy saw him out of the window and went to the door. "What are you doing?" Maddy asked. "Looking. Come here." Maddy walked out and stood beside him, facing the house. "When I checked out the equipment shed, I saw Uncle had a snow blade for the tractor, so they must get a good bit of snow here. They snow generally comes from the west/northwest. What do you think about me having a 4-stall garage built, slightly angled this way…like a boomerang, attached to the house so you can go get in your vehicle without having to get out in the weather?" "Presuming I'll be here then." "Are you not happy here?" "Happier than I have ever been, but I don't know how you'll feel in a few months." "Hmmph!" Dec grunted as he walked off. Maddy sadly watched him walk off in the direction of the barn. Dec got with Sam and Gary and had the design worked out and construction started. He also had a 10,000 gallon diesel, a 1,000 gallon gasoline, and a 2,000 gallon propane tanks put in underground. Barry helped in designing a solar pump for the diesel and gas pumps. Something caught him off guard when one of the workers had asked him why he was doing all this. Why WAS he doing it? He was always thinking of the future and found himself unconsciously thinking of how it would please Maddy and make life easier for her. Today, Maddy was going to start canning tomatoes. Dec started bringing in baskets of tomatoes while she was blanching them to remove the skins. No words were exchanged but they were in sync getting the job done. Dec was taking the last of the jars filled with diced tomatoes out of the canner to cool when Maddy reached over and wiped his sweating brow. "Well, that's one batch down." Maddy said. "One batch? "Yes, I want to do one more and then I'll turn the rest into juice." "Let's finish tomorrow and go sit in the shade." Dec said. The workers building the garage were packing up for the day. Dec grabbed a couple of beers out of the frig and followed Maddy out to the chairs under the trees. They sat there silently sipping on their beers and enjoying the late afternoon. "I know what I said about trusting another woman and not wanting a relationship, but you hurt me that time when you said you didn't know how I'd feel about you in a few months. The day you stepped on this property it was like you were meant to be here. I started to unconsciously thinking of doing things that would make you happy. The garage, so you wouldn't get cold this winter, these chairs and the table because you liked them…Maddy, what I'm saying is, I guess, is I'm falling in love with you a little." Maddy got up from the chair, setting her beer on the table. She walked around the table and took Dec's beer out of his hand and sat it on the table. Turning, she slid into his lap and placed her arms around his neck. "Just a little? I've been head over heels for you since I first rode in your helicopter." Mandy slowly moved forward and lightly kissed Dec. Dec's arms came around and pulled her even closer, intensifying the kiss. When they broke the kiss, Maddy loosened the clutch she had on Dec. "I guess this changes things." Dec said. "What do you mean?" Maddy asked. "Well, I don't want to take this to the next level until your last name is Cunningham." Maddy sighed. I can live with that…for a couple of days, so we've got a lot to do. We've got get rings, the marriage license, I'll have to change my name on my driver's license, my passport…there's a lot of things to do." "What about the wedding? There's…" "Dec, in my heart, we've been married from the first day. We just haven't consummated the marriage yet. I don't need someone from the government telling me I'm married. Colorado law allows you to self-solemnize your marriage ceremony without a judge or officiant present. I'd rather you fly me to a secluded lake up in the mountains and we say our vows as the sun comes up as they did in the old days."
Dec pulled her back to him and kissed her again. It was almost dark before they went inside.
They were both up early the next morning. Maddy went into the kitchen and found Dec filling the coffee pot. She pulled out a cast iron frying pan and started heating it up. Dec walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Good morning." "Oh Sir! Do you treat all your housekeepers in such a way?" Dec chuckled. "Only this one." "What do you want for breakfast?" Maddy asked. "Whatever you feed me." "Bacon, eggs and toast it is." Maddy grinned. They quickly ate and cleaned up the kitchen. Within 30 minutes they were in the Power Wagon, on the road to Grand Junction.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:42:12 GMT -6
"DMV opens at 8:30 so I'll have time to register this truck before the clerk's office opens." Dec said. Maddy felt like a schoolgirl sitting close to Dec on the bench seat. They were the first in line so they were out fairly quickly. They went into the County Clerk's office and filled out the forms and got their marriage license. Both were grinning broadly as they left the building. When Dec cranked the engine Maddy put her hand on his arm and said, "We have one more stop to make." Maddy gave him directions and they finally ended up over in Rhone in front of a little shop. Dec got out and went in with her. Maddy spoke to a lady and the woman returned with a package. Maddy picked up the package and told Dec to follow her. They entered a dressing room and Maddy told Dec to strip and put on the pants and tunic in the package. Dec was sure there was a reason so he did what he was told. He took off his boots, pants and shirt and drew on the white buckskin pants and tunic. Maddy called the lady in who checked the fit of the clothing. The lady went out and came back with a pair of high-top moccasins of the same color. Dec pulled them on and they fit also. The lady left and Maddy told him he could get dressed. After dressing Maddy took the clothes and went back up front where the lady re-wrapped them and added another package to it. "Pay the lady please." Maddy asked. Dec wrote a check for $3,000. After entering the truck Dec asked, "What was that all about?" "It's what you're getting married in." Maddy answered. "I've been planning this for a while...just in case." "Well, when can I see your dress?" "On the day you take me for your wife." Dec drove back into town and stopped at a jeweler. He let Maddy pick out the wedding rings. She chose yellow gold bands in a simple design. He then led her over to the engagement rings. "Oh Dec, I don't need an engagement ring. I might lose it when gardening." "Then don't wear it gardening. Wear it so others will recognize you as my wife." She relented and picked out a beautiful 1.5 caret ring. The rings would need a small adjustment for size, but they could pick them up in two hours. They went over to Mesa Mall and held hands as they window shopped. Cal did lead them over to Cabela's where he picked up a variety of camping meals. They got a light lunch in the food court and finally went back and picked up the rings. The happy couple headed home.
"Where will we hold our wedding?" "Trapper's Lake I think. As it stands right now, I have to make a call to confirm I can land our helicopter there." Maddy quickly picked up on the "our." "We need vows to give to each other." "Have you written yours yet?" Dec asked. "They've been in my heart for a long time. I don't have to write them." "Look, We'll have to fly in the afternoon before and spend the night to greet the sunrise. I have a large tent we can use." "That's fine." Maddy moved a little closer and laid her head on his shoulder as they drove along. When they passed the General Store, Casey watched as they drove by. She saw Maddy's head on Dec's shoulder and grinned.
"Dec, do you want children?" Maddy asked. "As many as you will give me!" Dec exclaimed. Mandy giggled. They arrived home and took their purchases inside. "Mandy, is there a special significance to the clothes you want me to wear?" "Dec, my grandmother was Cheyenne. I'll be wearing her wedding dress. I had Nese make your outfit to match mine." "Good." Dec got permission to land the helicopter at the lake and they decided to leave the next afternoon and fly up. He got the camping gear together, ready to load into the helicopter. He slipped in a couple of bottles of wine and camper's wine tumblers and filled a 5-gallon water can and stored it with the gear.
"Dec, why don't I make up a cooler with sandwiches and such for our evening meal tomorrow night instead of having to cook when we get there?"
"Fine with me, I'll turn the icemaker on so we have ice in the morning. I'll fill another cooler with drinks." They were both jittery the next day as the time to leave drew nearer. Dec looked around for things to do and finally loaded the helicopter and towed it out on the landing pad. He went back to the house and got his and Maddy's packs. Maddy stared at him. Dec looked at his watch. "It's early, but do you want to leave now?" "YES!" Dec went into his bedroom and came out strapping on a chest holster with a huge revolver in it. Maddy looked at him, wide-eyed. "Bears." Dec said and picked up the packs. Maddy locked up the house and hurried after Dec. They were an hour and a half early in their planned schedule but both were anxious. An hour later they landed at a clear spot by the lake. Dec unloaded the helicopter and Maddy and he quickly set up camp. She even helped him gather firewood. As the shadows fell in the evening, Dec started a fire and Maddy got the food out of the cooler. When they had eaten their meal, Dec opened a bottle of wine and poured it in the tumblers. "To my bride-to-be." "To my husband-to-be." Maddy moved over on the blanket next to Dec and laid her head on his shoulder. "This moment has constantly been in my dreams." Maddy said. "Maddy, you kept me from being a bitter, heartbroken fool. A few months ago, I wouldn't have believed I'd be here with a beautiful woman who has stolen my heart." It was getting late so Maddy got up to get ready for bed. When she was ready, she call for Dec to come in. He pulled off his boots and socks and undressed down to his underwear. When he was settled into his sleeping bag, Maddy moved over so she could lay her head on his chest. Sighing, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 3:47:12 GMT -6
Early the next morning, Dec gently shook Maddy and called her name. "Maddy, it's time to get up and get ready." She quickly threw on a hoodie and shorts and reached into her pack and pulled out Dec's wedding clothing. "I'll go outside while you get dressed. Don't put on any underwear." Maddy grinned. "She went out and stirred the coals in the fire pit and got a blaze going. She had a good fire going and the coffeepot on a stone on the edge of the fire ring when Dec stepped out of the tent. "You look very handsome." Maddy said. "My Lady, it is time to prepare yourself." As she was stepping into the tent, Dec called out, "Don't put on any underwear."
They were standing by the lake, facing each other, as the sun broke over the far ridge. "Madeline, you shattered everything I had begun to believe and turned my world upside down. Every day I opened up more to the point that someway, somehow, I was determined to make you mine. And from this day forward my heart is entirely yours.... As we continue to grow in our lives together, I promise to give you all of my words when needed, and to share in the silence when they are not, to pick you up if you are down, to love you unconditionally, to lay my bare skin on you when needed most, to care for you and our children for as long as we live, to adventure with you always, to say I love you before falling asleep each night, to be the best husband and father I can be as we grow together, and to always know in the deepest part of my soul, that when challenges arise we will always find our way back to one another." He then slipped her wedding band on her finger. "Declan, somehow and some way, Fate brought us together. It is the most powerful and humbling fact that I can accept. I used to think that we met by chance but now I know, without a doubt, that the universe put you in front of me because we were meant to spend our lives together. You have filled my life with joy and have given me a sense of peace that I have never known. You are my lover, best friend, my biggest supporter, and… the best helicopter pilot a girl could ask for. Although today marks the start to the rest of our lives, I know it will not be enough time with you. I will not take our time together for granted. And because words cannot do it, I promise to show you, for the rest of my life, how much I love you.
I promise to bear your children and love and care for them. I promise to encourage you to follow your dreams. I promise to make you laugh when you are taking yourself too seriously. I promise to hold your hand through the good times and through the bad times. I promise to be loyal and faithful and to put you before all else. I promise that when we are old and gray, we will look back on our lives together and have no regrets. ...My Husband, from this day forward, you will never walk alone." She then slipped his wedding ring on his finger.
|
|
|
Post by kiwibutterfly on Aug 13, 2021 4:28:38 GMT -6
Lovely chapters to have read this evening, yep its time to hit the pillow in NZ and I know when I wake in the morning I can carry on reading. Thanks
|
|
|
Post by sniper69 on Aug 13, 2021 12:32:56 GMT -6
I'm throughly enjoying this story, and looking forward to reading more when it is posted.
|
|
|
Post by paulk on Aug 13, 2021 13:35:49 GMT -6
More please. I continue to hit refresh and be disappointed.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 15:49:18 GMT -6
They arrived back home around 1:00 PM on Sunday. As soon as they walked in, Maddy's phone was ringing on the counter where she had left it charging.
"Hello?" "Maddy, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you!" "I'm sorry Siobhan, we went out of town and I didn't take my phone. What's up?" "I wanted to know if you wanted to come over for a cookout at our place this afternoon." "Uh…sure. What time?" "Around 2:00. We'll eat later on in the afternoon but will have plenty of finger foods." "Okay Siobhan, we'll see you then." "What was that about?" Dec asked. "We're invited to Siobhan and Cal's for a cookout." Dec looked at his watch. "Hmmm, we've got a little time." "Husband, you are going to wear me out!" Giggling, she ran for the master bedroom. Cal was spreading the anchovies, roasted garlic and spices on the 3rd butterflied flank steak and began tying the roll together. "I finally got hold of Maddy. She and Dec are coming." "Good, Well, these are ready. What else needs to be done?" "Marinate the steaks and chicken. Are you going to use the Honey BBQ on the chicken?" "Yeah, I thought it was pretty good last time. I'll start the flank steak rolls at 1:30 so they will be ready when people start arriving." Andy and Ellen arrived first. "We thought we'd come a little early to see if you need any help." Andy said. "Nope, got it under control." Cal said. Ellen went inside to talk to Siobhan. "I saw Dec's helicopter flying in this morning." Andy said. "Yeah, Siobhan said Dec and Maddy had been out of town." Larry and Sherry were the next couple to arrive, followed shortly by Reverend Lambry and Edna.. Sherry and Edna went directly inside after saying hello. "Gentlemen, how are you all today?" "Doing good Larry. You?" "Fine as a frog hair, as they say. That smells good Cal. What is it?" "I butterflied a flank steak, combined anchovy paste and roasted garlic, added a little Cajun spice, spread it over and rolled it up." "Anchovies?" That's interesting." "You won't even taste them. This one is about ready." Cal took the flank steak off the grill and added another one. Placing the roll on a serving platter, he sliced the meat and clipped off the string ties with shears. Cal handed Larry a wooden sandwich pick. "Try one." "Man! That IS good. You really can't taste the fish." Andy tried one and immediately stabbed another, "Try it with the cucumber salad." The men were grazing when Dec and Maddy walked in. Maddy said "Hi" and went inside. "What's up guys?" Said Dec as he stabbed one of the pieces of meat. The men heard a squeal from the kitchen. When Dec raised the wooden pick to his mouth, Cal saw the flash of gold on his finger. "So, when did you two get married?" Dec blushed. "Yesterday." "Well congratulations!" Larry and Andy congratulated him also. The women came out on the patio. "Cal! Did you know Maddy and Dec got married?" "Yeah, Dec just told us." "Oh, I wish you could have been married here at the church!" Siobhan cried. "Siobhan, we wanted something more intimate. In Colorado, we can self-solemnize our marriage ceremony without a judge or officiant present. We were surrounded by God's pristine beauty by a lake, under his watchful eye, and gave our vows to each other as the sun rose over the ridgeline." "Oh how beautiful!" Edna said. "Reverend Lambry I would like for you to bless our marriage." Maddy said. She took Dec's hand as the Reverend asked everyone to bow their heads. "We thank you, O God, for the Love You have implanted in the hearts of this wonderful couple. May it always inspire them to be kind in their words, considerate of feeling, and concerned for each other's needs and wishes. Help them to be understanding and forgiving of human weaknesses and failings. Increase their faith and trust in You and may Your Prudence guide their life and love. Bless their Marriage O God, with Peace and Happiness, and make their love fruitful for Your glory and their Joy both here and in eternity. Amen" "We need to have a bridal shower!" Siobhan squealed. "Siobhan! No! Really, I have all I need and what I don't know I need, my husband will provide it. Of course, you may have a chance at a baby shower." Siobhan's eyes widened. "You're pregnant?" Maddy grinned. "No not yet, but if my husband has his way, it won't be long!" Everyone laughed. The ladies brought their drinks out and a couple more plates of finger foods. ""Who wants steak? Who wants chicken?" Cal took note of the requests and brought out the meat. Siobhan and Martha brought out the salad and baked potatoes and people started preparing their plates. The Reverend said Grace and Cal served the meat.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 15:50:17 GMT -6
As the evening went on, one by one the couples went home until only Dec and Maddy were left.
"Maddy, are you sure there isn't something I can do?"
"Siobhan, really, we're good. I am so happy I have to stop and pinch myself to make sure it isn't a dream."
"Jelly. Did you can jelly?" Siobhan asked.
Well no. I canned everything else but didn't put up any jelly."
"Well before you leave, we'll put together a case of jelly for you."
Cal grinned and shook his head. "Okay, Dec, my wedding present to you is to gravel your road. Expect it this week."
Dec grinned. "Okay, I'm not going to argue with you."
"Dec, how's the helicopter?"
"I'm loving it more every day Cal.""
"We need to plan a fly-away camping trip this fall. You and Maddy can take the helicopter and we can take the SuperSTOLs. I'll get back to you on that."
"Sounds great Cal. Until this weekend, I hadn't been camping in a while."
"Come on, Maddy, let's get you your jelly." Siobhan said.
"Well Dec, you look a lot more relaxed that you have been."
"Cal, this has been the best decision I have ever made. I don't know how things could get any better."
"Well good. I and Siobhan are happy for you two, How do you like that Power Wagon?"
Dec chuckled. "It is a beast! It drives good. I'm curious how it is going to do in the winter around here."
"Yeah, Perry has one and he's had no problems, even before they plow the roads."
Siobhan and Maddy came back with the case of assorted jellies and preserves. Dec quickly stood up and took the case from Maddy.
"Well folks, I guess we'll be going." Dec said.
"Thank you so much for the jellies and preserves." Maddy added.
"You two don't be strangers." Siobhan said.
Cal and Siobhan watched from the porch as they drove off.
"They make a wonderful couple. You need to start working on a cradle. I don't think you'll have much time." Siobhan grinned.
Billy and Becky walked into the family room.
"Mom, Dad, could we talk to you?
Cal turned off the TV and Siobhan put down her book.
"Of course!" Siobhan said.
Becky and Billy sat down on the loveseat.
"Billy started. We have gone about as far as we can with the on-line courses. We need to take a few in class. My goal is to enter the Air Force Academy and major in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical/Space Engineering. That is the pathway I want to take."
"And I am in the same boat." Becky said. "I'll need a few more courses and I want to go to the Colorado School of Mines and major in Chemical Engineering."
Cl cleared his throat. "Is there a timeline involved here?"
"Well, we figured when Becky turned 18, we'd both make our move."
Cal looked at Siobhan. Who had tears in her eyes.
"I couldn't be more proud and happy for the both of you." Siobhan said.
"And you can include me also." Cal said. "Continue on the course you've started on and we will support you all the way."
When the two had left the room, Siobhan said. "We'll need to get them vehicles."
"I'll take them individually and get them outfitted."
"They grew so fast!" Siobhan laminated.
"Yeah, but both are great kids, and have their heads on right. God! I couldn't be any more proud!"
The next day, Cal had Billy and Becky to ride into town with him.
"Kids, since you and your sister are going to be traveling , and will probably have different class schedules, I think you'll need your own vehicles. I want you to pick out what you think you'll need."
Billy sat in his seat, stunned. "Gosh Dad, I guess I need something like a 4-wheel drive Tahoe or something like it. I'll probably, at times, be traveling in bad weather and I'd like to have some emergency equipment on board."
"Same for me Dad." Becky said.
"Well, that makes it easy then."
Cal headed straight for the Chevy dealer. When they arrived, a salesman he'd delt with before came out.
"Cal! How can I help you Cal?"
"Blake, we need to look at your Tahoes."
"Sure, come this way!"
Blake took them over to the Tahoes and Cal motioned for Billy and Becky to look around. They walked down the line and each picked out what they wanted. Cal went over and looked at each one. They both had the same options and were 4-wheel. Cal went over and checked them out.
"Blake, can they do a test drive?"
"Of course! Let me get the keys."
Blake hurried out with the keys and Becky drove hers first. She loved it!
They went back to the dealership and Billy test drove the one he had picked out. He was VERY pleased.
"Blake, I think these two like the vehicles." Cal said. Both Becky and Billy nodded.
"They'll take them as long as the best set of all-weather tires are included."
"Of course Cal!"
Returning to the dealership Cal had the two fill out the paperwork and he handed his credit card to Blake and waited while he ran it. It would be an hour to get the vehicles prepped, so Cal took them to lunch.
"Dad! Thank you so much!" They both exclaimed.
"You both have shown maturity and drive for your goals that so your Mother and I thought you deserved a little more freedom and responsibility. You have made us proud and want you two to succeed in life."
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 15:51:10 GMT -6
They picked up the vehicles and drove home. Cal had called ahead and Siobhan was standing on the porch when they got home. Becky jumped out of her truck and ran to Siobhan, crying.
"Oh Mom! Thank you so much for your trust in Billy and I!"
"Becky, not a day goes by that I haven't tingled with pride for you two kids. Well, you aren't kids any more and have earned the responsibility. I am so proud of you two!
Billy came up and gave her a hug and thanked her also. The four went into the house and joined the rest of the family.
Billy came to Cal the next day with a list of things he wanted to put in a road kit. It included:
1 Back Pack 1 Emergency Food Bar 6ct 1 Dotted Poly-Cotton Gloves
1 Emergency Hand Warmer 2-pack 1 Emergency Blanket Bulk 52" x 84" 1 Emergency Mylar Sleeping Bag 1 Lightning Strike Fire Starter ! Butane Lighter 1 Hurricane matches w/waterproof case
1 Rain Poncho 2 Heavy Duty Garbage Bags 1 Poncho Liner 1 12-Hour Emergency Light Stick. 1 Streamlight Sidewinder Flashlight 1 Emergency Water Pack 4oz 1 Water straw filter
1 First Aid Kit with:
5 Adhesive Plastic Bandages, 3/4" x 3" 3 Adhesive Fabric Bandages, 3/4" x 3" 5 Junior Adhesive Plastic Bandages, 3/8" x 1-1/2" 1 Fingertip Fabric Bandage 1 Knuckle Fabric Bandage 2 Antiseptic Cleansing Wipes (sting free) 1 Triple Antibiotic Ointment Packet, 0.5g 1 North American Rescue CAT Tourniquet 1 Kwik-Clot 1 Department of Defense Pandemic Flu Preparedness & Protection Kit
Cal read the list over and nodded.
"You may want to add a 1 gallon gas can, a good set of broke in hiking boots and some type of outdoor knife. There are some SE KHK6320 Outdoor Tanto Knives in the supply room and grab a couple of packs of magnesium fire starter packs. Also, add a 1 gallon gas can and of course. Coats and hats appropriate for the season. Looks good."
"I'll pick up the packs tomorrow at Cabela's tomorrow and build Becky's kit too." Billy said.
"I want you to lay everything out before you pack your kits. Have Becky pack her own kit and if she doesn't understand an item, explain it to her and show her how to use it if need be. She's got a good memory and remember where she put something in the pack."
"Yes sir. That makes sense. Thanks Dad."
Cal sat back in his chair and thought, <"Those two are going to go far in this world.">
That evening, as the sun was going down, a man wearing a hoodie came into the General store, pulling out a pistol. Casey was behind the counter, spelling Sherrie while she was eating dinner.
The store counter had a glass front at the checkout so the man wasn't worried about a bullet not going through it. These store clerks usually had a gun around somewhere so he wasn't going to give the woman a chance to grab it before he had a chance to shoot her. Casey realized immediately what was happening and ducked behind the counter and drew her Judge. The man didn't see Logan coming out of the storeroom before he felt the impact of the two rounds that dusted his hoodie. Feeling blows to his chest, the man felt like he'd been hit by a truck. He was lying on the floor looking at the ceiling when the lights faded out.
Casey called 911 while Logan called Cal. Cal immediately hurried down to the store . Casey met him at the door and grinned. "Two for two."
"Jesus Casey! Are you all right?"
"Fit as a fiddle. Logan got this one. You'd think these people would learn. Must have thought the Country Bumpkins wouldn't be ready for them."
Cal handed Logan a twin to his pistol. "They'll take yours for ballistics testing."
Cal leaned back against the counter and faced the door, thinking. He was in the same position when the Sheriff's Deputy came flying into the parking lot, lights flashing.
Cal moved to the side as the Deputy came in and looked at the body on the floor.
"Deputy Hennas, Casey and Logan were the only ones involved with this. I only came in later. I'll be over at the restaurant If you need anything from me."
"That's fine Cal. Would you take Logan with you? I'll come get his statement."
"Sure thing."
Logan pointed to his pistol, locked open and the magazine removed, laying on the counter.
"There's my weapon."
The Deputy nodded.
Cal and Logan went over to the restaurant and Cal sat at the Stammtisch.
Kate brought over the coffee pot as Sherrie hurried over.
"What happened Cal?"
"Some idiot tried to rob the store. Logan put two rounds into him."
"Why do things happen when I'm not there! I'd have made a colander out of him!"
Cal chuckled. "Bad luck, I guess. Sit down."
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 15:52:09 GMT -6
As she was sitting, Logan walked came back in from the rest room.
"Logan, I'm going to have Darryl make some new doors made with inset panels of transparent aluminum armor like on the counters and a panic switch on the doors that will lock the doors. We don't know who this guy is. I'm concerned about possible retaliation if he was a gang member."
"I hear you." Logan agreed.
"By the way, good shooting." Cal grinned.
The Deputy came in as another Deputy's car drove up with the crime scene crew and the ambulance.
"Logan, you have nothing to worry about. This was a justifiable homicide. I just need your statement to round out the report." Deputy Hennas explained.
Sherrie went back over to the store to help Casey clean up when the crime scene crew was finished.
The next morning Cal called Darryl and asked him to meet at the General Store. When Darryl arrived, Cal explained what happened the evening before and asked him to replace he doors using the transparent aluminum armor sandwiched between the wood.
Darryl took measurements and said he knew the exact locking device that was needed. He then headed for the woodworking shop. Using stencil film, Darryl traced a leaf pattern around the edge of transparent aluminum that would show and etched the pattern in with a sandblaster. He made the frame out of oak and carved the inset for the armor plate. Sandwiching the door frames together and clamping them, he let them sit for two days for the glue to cure. He had to go into Grand Junction to find the heavy hinges that would withstand the weight of the doors and to get the switches and locks to secure the door. Dec and Maddy were finishing painting the woodshed he had built. They needed wood for heat in the winter and had gotten information from Cal on the distributor he used. The shed would be able to hold 16 cords of wood, more than enough to carry them to the warmer months. "When is the wood arriving?" Maddy asked.
"They said by Friday. I need to attach the forks to the front of the tractor. The wood will come on pallets so all I have to do is offload the pallets and slide them in the shed. That's why I made multiple doors in here. I made it so two pallets will slide into each door. We'll stack one pallet on the porch and put the rest in the shed. Whenever we need more wood on the porch, all I have to do is lift a pallet and take it to the porch and stack it."
"I'm ready for a break." Maddy said. "Let's get these brushes cleaned up and sit out a while."
They cleaned everything up and hung the brushes in the tool shed and went inside to wash up.
Dec went into the kitchen before Maddy was through and opened a bottle of Chardonnay. When Maddy came out he told her to go on out and sit and he would bring drinks out. Dec came out a short time later with a tray containing two filled highball glasses. Sitting the tray on the table, he handed one of the glasses to Maddy.
"What is this?" Maddy asked after taking a sip.
"Wine Spritzer. You like?"
"Yes! It's very refreshing."
Miguel just called. My K5 will be ready Wednesday."
"What are you going to do with the Dodge?"
"I'll keep it. I like it almost as much as the K5. It's really a beast and should do well in the snows we'll get in the winter."
Maddy got up. "I need to run in and turn on the stove to pre-heat. I'll be right back."
Maddy came right back out.
"What's for dinner?"
"I'm trying a meatloaf recipe Siobhan gave me, along with mashed potatoes and corn. The corn and potatoes are out of our garden."
After they had finished their dinner and had cleaned up the kitchen Maddy folded the dish towel and laid it by the sink.
"I need a shower." She said.
Dec scrunched his face with mock disgust. "Yeah, you do..."
Maddy gasped theatrically and punched HIS shoulder, her face quickly returning to normalcy. "Wanna join me?" she asked, a reckless, mischievous grin on her face. Cal heard the 30Kw generator kick on next to the Production Building and knew they were flash freezing. The flash freezer drew too much energy to run on the off-grid system. It didn't need to be running all the time so they used the generator to power it when in use. He walked down and found the people preparing green beans and broccoli for freezing. Cal walked up to Ellen, who was cutting up green beans.
"Ellen, while you have the generator going, I'm going to bring up a ham and slice it."
Cal walked to the smokehouse and open the storage room next to the smokehouse. Taking down one of the hanging sugar cured smoked shoulders, he took it back to the Processing Building and washed the shoulder down. After drying the ham off, he took it over to the meat bandsaw and started cutting ¼ inch slices. Dawn came in and brought over a pan to put the meat in. When the ham was cut up, he had 72 slices of varying sizes. He took the pan of meat over to the vacuum sealer and made up 6 packages of 12 slices each and sealed them. Cal put 4 of the packs into the big frig for anyone else that wanted them and took two packs to the house.
Cal was putting the meat into the refrigerator when his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Cal, Will Harrison here. I've got a business proposition that myself and some others have put together. Could you meet with us Thursday at the Construction Company office?"
"Sure, Will. What time?"
"Let's make it 10:00."
"Fine. I'll see you then."
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 15:53:24 GMT -6
Cal sat and listened to the presentation with eleven other men in the conference room. "…the bottom line is, with the studies we've done, these type stores, gathered in one area, reduces the time people would have to drive to buy their unique items." Cal sat and thought after the PowerPoint presentation was shut down and questions invited. After seconds of silence after the last question, Will turned to Cal. "What do you think Cal?" "Let's look at this in another way. You have high access and occupancy 8 months out of the year. Why? We have a bad to severe winter 41/2 of those months and shoppers are reluctant to go to the stores because they have to go from the parking lot through frigid temperatures to buy a couple of items. What if they had a nice, secure parking area, out of the weather, where they could park and go into the stores and shop at their leisure without worrying about going back out to scrape their windshields off to go home or brave the freezing wind? We could build a complex with the parking on the bottom two floors, or whatever the parking requirements are, and build the shops and stores above. You could have shoppers year around. Make it where the shoppers wouldn't have to go outside to go from store to store. Many countries have built shopping complexes like this. I would line up the types of stores that people go to on purpose, not just to window shop. For instance, a supermarket with a section for bulk and freeze dried foods and flour was even fresh ground in the store as needed, auto parts store, outdoor store/gun store in the same mind of Cabela's, but you would be able to sell the same quality items at a lower cost because their leases would be low and they'd buy in high quantities. Add a food court, toy store, electronics, a homestead store that would sell products for self-sufficient living, including books and videos, similar to Lehman's and you could become an affiliate. Have someone there to actually demonstrate how to use a ulu knife or a hand wheat grinder, or how to sharpen knives. Maybe how to season a cast iron pan. What about a work clothing and boots store making quality clothing? People are fed up with the "work" clothing and boots available at the big box stores. Clothing that tore quickly and boots that fell apart in a dewy grass. Then there's A butcher shop which also did meat smoking and preserving. Smoked hams and good cured bacon. Look at stores that serve the locality. They can go to Mesa Mall if they want fancy, but if you're looking for the practical things you really need, you'll go to the River Junction Mall.
That being said, as soon as the place is totally leased out, put it on the market. It will sell quickly with full occupancy. Yes, you will make money in the short term if you don't sell, but before you know it you will be encumbered with maintenance costs. I'm willing to go in with $20,000,000. If the rest of you don't want to sell upon full occupancy, you can buy me out for $21.2 million." The men around the table and nodded. "I like it." Will said. An "I'm in" came from George Crocker. The rest of the 12 people around the table agreed. Emilia pulled of Interstate 70 per the instructions of the GPS. She wasn't exactly sure where Uncle Dave's ranch was located, just that it was around Glade Park, Colorado. The roads weren't bad, but the speed she was going seemed as if she was crawling instead of the speeds she had been doing on the interstate. She stopped at the Glade Park e to ask for directions. No one knew of him but said there was another store about 8 miles down the road. Emilia bought a bottle of water and headed on down the road. She came to a T intersection and turned left and suddenly came to a more populated area. She saw a store up on the right a pulled in to the parking lot. Looking around, she saw what looked like an industrial area, an auto shop, and there was a restaurant and a farmers market next to the store. Emilia walked into the store and up to the counter. "Can you give me directions to the Cunningham ranch?" Maddy told him that she had stopped by Dr. Gaddy's that morning on her way back from the General Store and spoke with him. Dec asked how they were doing. Maddy told him they were doing good. He also said She should have no problems. Dec had a puzzled look on his face and said "problems?" Maddy said she was pregnant. Dec is sputtering "pregnant? - what? - how?" Maddy said, "Yes, pregnant, due in 6 months. And if you don't know how, I can take you to the bedroom for a refresher course on how babies are made." Dec was no dummy and said he would like a refresher course so they were headed for the bedroom when the phone rang. The girl behind the counter cut her eyes to a man sitting on a stool. "I'm not sure. I just started working here." The man stood and went into a back room. "Dec, it's Logan. There's a woman here looking for your ranch." "What does she look like?" "Pretty, about 5' 6", brunette, hair to her shoulders." "Probably my sister. I'll be right there." Logan went back out front. "Are you looking for Dec?" "Yes, yes I am. Can you tell me where I can find him?" "I don't know right now, but he's on his way here. Why don't you get something from the Café Corner and take a break. He won't be long. Emilia went over to the Café Corner and used the restroom and came back out to take a seat at one of the tables. A few minutes later she heard a vehicle pull up into the parking lot. The door opened and in walked Dec. Emilia stared at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Dec, I'm sorry." She whimpered. Dec walked over and took her by the arms and stood her up. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tightly. "How did you find me?" "I didn't know where you had gone. I came back from Cancun early when I found out what Linda was doing. When I went over to your apartment, the manager had said you had left. I decided to move out of the apartment with Linda. I moved over to a place in Rancho Cordova and when I was unpacking, I found the letters you wrote to me all those years ago when you'd come out during the summers to stay with Uncle Dave and remembered he'd left you the ranch. I was sure this was where you were. Dec, I'm sorry, I didn't realize she was having her kicks with that guy from the gym. He met her the first night in Cancun and I saw her go into his room. She didn't come back that night so I packed and went home. I moved out the next day." "It's all right. I'm fine now. Come on, Let's go home." Dec led her out of the store and she followed him back to the homestead.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Aug 13, 2021 15:54:23 GMT -6
Emilia stayed far enough back to keep out of the dust thrown up by Dec's big truck. Finally he pulled into a driveway and drove another few minutes before they came to the house. It was bigger than she thought she remembered it. Getting out of the car, Emilia timidly walked over to Dec. They walked to the side door of the house and before Dec could open the door, it was opened by a smiling woman. "Maddy, this is my sister Emilia. Emilia, this is my wife Maddy. Dec came out of Rob's office and saw Cal talking to a woman. "Okay Cheryl, thanks. Hey Dec." "You were right Cal, Rob knows his stuff. We're going to start securing my accounts. I don't know how this country got into this financial situation.
Cal nodded. "You listen to Rob. He's our tripwire for financial instability." "I see now why you've done the things you have. I need to start on that path also." "You've got a good start. Did you find the mine?" "Yeah. I found the concealed opening in the back of the earth berm barn at the base of the bluff. It goes in quite a way and you can still has veins of gold showing. Do you think your friend could build a machine for me? I'd like to store up some gold like you have." "I'll call and see if he has the time. What size will you need?" "I'm not sure. Do you have time to come and look at it and maybe you can figure it out." "Sure, I'll follow you out." Cal and Dec parked near the barn and went in. Swinging open a panel on the wall, Dec took to battery headlamps off the inside of the tunnel and handed one to Cal. They put the lamps on and went down the tunnel. "One advantage I had over you was I had a Cavern to start with. I had the excavators build a 9x4 sized frame to make the bigger tunnels. You could probably get by with 8x4, unless you want to use the excavated areas " Cal said. "Come over here and look at this." Cal walked over and looked at the vein of gold Dec was pointing to." "That's a pretty good sized vein. You should think about putting in a sluice and getting a separator table also. You know, this looks just like the rock over on the Ranch. You've probably got a lot of gold still here. Just don't let just anybody know about it though." "No, no I don't plan to. The gold doesn't excite me much but some people go crazy over it. I don't need those hassles. Well, If you can see about getting me an excavator built, I'd appreciate it." "No problem. If you need to come over and take a closer look at my setup, feel free." "Thanks Cal, I'll give you a heads up before I do." Dec watched Cal drive off and started to go in the house when Maddy and Emilia drove up. They had grown very close in the last few days. His mind flashed back to the conversation they had the first day she showed up… "Dec, I don't ever want to be away from you again. You're the only family I have left." Emilia had said. "Dec, I'm going to need some help around here when I blow up as big as a house." Maddy added. "We do have a spare bedroom." "But I thought we were going to turn it into a nursery!" "We will. Emilia can stay there until you get the addition to the house built." Maddy grinned. "Hi Hon!. We found some of the cutest little dresses!" Maddy said. "….and a couple of Chamois shirts for you that were on sale." Emilia added. Dec grinned and shook his head. "I'm going to have to build a huge store room just to keep the things you keep buying." "Oh hush!. You know we have more than enough room. What did Cal want?" "Just visiting. You two want to go Casey's for lunch?" "Sure. We need to put these things away and put the makings of pot roast in the slow cooker before we go." "I'll do the pot roast." Emilia offered. Twenty minutes later they were on the way to Casey's. Reeling in his line, Billy laid his rod down to take a drink of water. "Dad, they won't let me keep my Tahoe at the Academy until I'm a Junior." Cal reeled in his lure and sat his rod down. "Yeah I figured. You could rent a car to come home in on your weekend passes or I could look at a way to pick you up in the helicopter." "Yeah I guess. "How is your Spanish coming along.?" "Good. Kathy is setting me up to take tests at the Language Department at Colorado Mesa. I might be able to test out at the Academy." Cal chuckled. "I doubt that. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you will pass with flying colors, but they'll find something to fill in your time." "Well, maybe if I can test and get credit, I can take Foreign Language Studies." "Well, that's your call. Just keep your eye on the ball." "We better pack up Dad. That looks like a pretty good storm coming over Snyder Mesa." They packed up their fishing tackle and rode back to the house. "What are you looking so down about Bro?" "Ahhh…they're not going to let me keep my Tahoe at the school." "Chill. We can coordinate our times and I can pick you up on the way home. "Yeah, I guess that will work." "Why don't you just rent a place to store your vehicle there?" "I can't have a privately owned vehicle within 150 miles of the school until I'm a Junior." "Bummer. Well, the upside for me is you can help drive. Let's go flying tomorrow." Billy smiled. "Sure. I've got to go to the mall. Do you want to come with me?" "Yeah, let me change my shoes." Billy walked into the Great Room. "Mom, Becky and I going to the mall. Do you need anything?" "No Hon, nothing I can think of." Becky came trotting into the room. "Let's go Bro. You're burning daylight." When she got into Billy's Tahoe, she immediately took over the CD player and selected disks to load. "Hey!" Billy said. "Hush and drive." Billy shook his head and grinned.
|
|