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Post by gipsy on Jan 20, 2022 19:46:06 GMT -6
Fine update. Hope you continue to get better.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 22, 2022 18:51:22 GMT -6
Chapter 194
Tate was handed a basket with six pints of Candied Watermelon Rind as he was leaving.
"Grace, let me put these in the truck and I'll give you your basket back."
"No, go ahead and take it with you. You can bring it back on your next visit." Grace said, cutting her eyes over to Deb.
Tate blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, thank you and I'll see you all later."
Glen was the last one to leave.
"That's a good lookin' dog you have there. What kind is it?"
"He a Vizsla, a Hungarian hunting dog. He points and retrieves."
"Jack seems to like him." Glen said.
"Yeah, all three dogs seem to get along well. When I saw him I knew he was the dog Billy needed."
"That's a fine boy you have. Hard worker too."
"He's a good hunter too. He baiting a place for us to get rid of some feral pigs we've got wonder around over here."
"That's not good. You need to get rid of them before they get out of control. Thank goodness I haven't seen any on my side of the river."
"Yeah, they can tear up some stuff."
Glen took another sip of his River Bank. "Billy was telling me he thought he saw a fourteen point buck over here."
"I don't doubt it. For the last couple of years I've been setting up mineral blocks near a spring toward the north end of the ridge. We've been getting some good size deer. I've set out more down near the spring pond."
"I ought to do that. Where do you get the blocks?"
"Tractor Supply. Just put three or four near a water source you know they use and bury them half way in the ground. Even if they lick the blocks to nothing the deer will still come there because the rain will have the soil saturated with the minerals."
"I'll do that then. I best get going. I need to do some traipsing around tomorrow to find a good place for those blocks and I'm lookin' to rebuilt my smoker."
"You going to build it out of logs again?"
"Yep. I cut some logs last winter, trimmed the bark off and have had them drying out. I'm going to coat the inside with a mortar. I just need to come up with drying racks."
"I've got some three eighths inch stainless steel rods in the forge building. I can cut and weld up whatever you need."
"That sounds good. I'll get back to you on that."
When Glen got out of his chair, Jack got up with him.
"Glen, you want a ride down?"
"Naw, Jack and I need our exercise. I'll see ya later."
Gil took the glasses inside and put them in the sink. Walking into the Great Room, Gil saw Grace and Debra talking lowly.
"What are you two conspiring?"
"Nothing honey!" Grace grinned.
Gil grunted and turned on the TV to see what the History Channel had to offer.
Mollie, Allie, Shannon and Grace, with the twins supervising, were in the greenhouse gathering herbs for drying when Glen and Jack walked in.
"Hey Glen! I think Gil is down by the spring pond." Grace said, pulling off her gloves.
"That's okay. I came by to see you anyway. Can you step outside? I want to show you something."
Grace nodded and followed Glen out the door and sitting on the ground were six rib type splint baskets with handles sitting on the ground.
"I needed to clear some space and wondered if you could use these."
"Glen, these are beautiful! Where did you get them?"
"It's something for me to do when I'm weathered in during the winter time."
"YOU MADE THESE!"
"Yes ma'am. I used to help my grandmother when I was a kid, 'cept most of my work was pounding the ash."
"Pounding the ash?"
"Yes. You pound the ash log to separate the growth layers. That's how you get the splints. It's a simple, but laborious process. Weaving is what takes up the most time."
"Glen, these baskets are priceless. You don't see that skill much anymore."
"Well, they are just a hobby to take up my time. You're welcome to them."
"Of course I'll take them, and any you make."
"If you have a particular design you'd like, let me know."
"These will make great gathering baskets, although I'm almost afraid to use them because they are so beautiful!"
"Use them. I can always make more."
"Well, I won't take them for free. Would you like some watermelon rind pickles and candied rind?"
"Yes ma'am, that would be nice."
Grace took one of the baskets and led Glen over to the root cellar and got three pint jars of rind pickles and three of the candied rind.
"I don't want to take the basket back!" Glen said.
"If we're going to use them, then let's use it for what was intended. Anyway, I'll buy or trade you for every basket you make. These are beautiful!"
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 22, 2022 18:52:43 GMT -6
Chapter 195
Gil was coming back up from the spring pond and saw Glen and Grace coming out of the root cellar and drove over to them.
"Hey Glen!"
"Morning Gil. Just doing a little trading with Grace."
"Gil, look at this basket Glen made, and he made five more!"
"That's a nice basket. Where did you learn how to make them?"
"My grandmother was Creek. I made the splints for her when I was a boy. She taught me how to weave 'em."
"These things are worth a lot of money, Glen."
"Maybe to some people. I've got all the money I'll ever need and I don't have a yen to go into business. It's just something I do when the weather is too miserable to get outside."
"Well, we appreciate them. You want some hog meat? Looks like we're going to have a night shoot here soon. I found all kinds of sign down by the spring pond where they're rooting around. I'm going to bait it heavily the next few nights and we'll ambush them."
"Sure, but that will be a lot of meat."
"I'll contact the Reverend and he can come up with people who could use the meat."
"I'm in then."
"I'll let you know. We'll be using .223s with night vision scopes so we'll get everyone down to zero their scopes."
"Just give me a yell."
Gil and Grace walked with Glen and Jack as far as the greenhouse and Glen continued on.
"These are great baskets!" Grace said.
"They are nice, and handy too. Look, I want to go down to Knoxville tomorrow to get some materials from the DPE for Billy. You want to go?"
"DPE?"
"The FAA Designated Pilot Examiner."
"Sure. We could use a couple of cases of zip lock bags and vacuum seal bags."
"Let's leave after breakfast in the morning then. We'll take Billy and the twins."
Glen helped Grace carry the baskets into the greenhouse and Grace found places to hang them.
"Glen said he could make any particular design I wanted, I think I'll take him up on that." Grace said.
"Well, don't take advantage of him. He thinks you hung the moon."
"He's sweet. Help me take this tub over to the canning house. I want to put these in the dryer."
"Yes Ma'am."
Gil dropped Grace and the kids off in front of Sam's.
"I'm going to run down to McGhee Tyson Airport and pick up the materials. I should be back in about forty minutes."
Grace grinned. "The longer you stay away, the more money I'll spend."
"Spend it. Don't forget the vinegar."
"It's on my list." Gil Picked up the tests from the FDE and hurried back to Sam's, He caught Grace and the kids on the aisle where they had the spices. There were four cases of vinegar stacked on the cart already along with three cases of vacuum seal bags and the cases of various size zip lock freezer bags.. Grace was stacking large containers of sea salt on the cart.
"Do we need chili powder?" Gil asked.
"No, I just got in a case of the Tombstone chili mix you like."
"No, I mean for my rubs."
"Better pick up two or three of the big containers then."
Grace picked up more big containers of bouillon cubes and peppercorns.
"Get another cart and fill it with toilet paper." Grace said.
They ended up with three carts which Gil pushed one and pulled one because Billy had the twins strapped in their stroller. Billy helped Gil load the trailer while got the twins seated in the Suburban. After putting the carts back, they went to get lunch at Texas Roadhouse.
After lunch, Gil pulled into the PetSmart near Texas Roadhouse and he and Billy went in to get dog food, chews a couple of toys for the dogs and made an I.D. tag for Nailer.
At COSTCO, Gil loaded more toilet paper and paper towels, coffee, paper plates, stainless flatware sets, bussing pans for the canning house, four cases of copying paper, two boxes of permanent markers, and ink for the printers. The twins were getting fussy and needed their nap so Gil and Billy took the carts to checkout and Grace headed to the Suburban to get them in their seats. Once they started moving, the twins would be asleep in no time.
"Anywhere else we need to stop?" Gil asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.
"Nope, I don't have anywhere else. Billy?"
"I'm good. Alan and Alana are already asleep."
"Oh. They'll be bright eyed and bushy-tailed when they get home and see Nailer and Sandy."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 22, 2022 18:55:02 GMT -6
Chapter 196
Brad helped Billy make the scope adjustment, then told him to shoot again to verify his zero. All his rounds were right in the ring.
"That's it Gil. Everyone's weapon is ready." Brad said.
Gil waved his arm overhead in a circle and Colt, Glen, Trace, Tate, Billy and Brad gathered around.
"Okay, the trail cameras have been showning us the hogs start coming in around 2000 hours. I want to be in position by 1930. Wear your Camelbaks, we could be a while. For an extra fee, Mr. Hirschfeld and his sons will be waiting for us. We'll just field dress the hogs here and run them over with my truck and the dump trailer. Everyone know their positions?"
Everyone nodded.
"Okay, I'll see everyone after the fireworks. Don't let any get away."
Gil and Brad had selected positions that were reminiscent of an "L" shaped ambush. Each position covered the kill zone but they also had placed stakes so an individual's barrel was stopped if they accidently tried to swing out of the firing limits of their position. Everyone returned to their homes except Glen, who went with Gil and Billy back to their house. Jack had been content to stay behind with Sandy and Nailer.
'What are you going to do with all that meat?" Glen asked.
"What we don't keep, we'll donate to the church food bank."
"This must be costing you a good bit."
"Like I care. We have what we need. I don't mind spending a little money. It gives some people food and keeps Mr. Hirschfeld's business, plus he gets a cut of the meat too."
At 1930, just as it was getting dark, everyone was in position. It wasn't until after 2000 they began hearing the noise of the pigs coming. Everyone wore headsets and were picking their targets, waiting for the command to begin firing. Gil, in the elbow of the "L," picked his target and softly said in the headset, "Fire."
Seven pigs dropped in their tracks. Gil, Glen and Brad dropped the last two sows and a boar that wheeled and tried to run back into the brush.
"Cease fire." Gil said over the radio. "Secure your weapons."
Gil stood up and turned on his headlamp, as did everyone else.
"WOW! We got them all!" Billy said.
"Billy. Go bring the truck down here while we start field dressing the hogs." Gil said.
Billy slung his rifle on his shoulder and hurried to get the truck and trailer. Glen, Trace Colt and Brad had already started on a hog each. Gil went over to a hog, pulled it around so its head was downhill, slit its throat and started gutting it.
One by one the hogs were loaded on the trailer and Gil and Billy took them over to Hirschfeld's.
Mr. Hirschfeld, his sons and two more helpers were eagerly waiting.
"Herr Conner, wir werden unser Bestes geben." ("Mr. Conner, we will do our best.")
"Wie immer, Herr Hirschfield." ("As you always do, Herr Hirschfeld.")
Gil and Billy helped unload the hogs then used the water hose to spray out the trailer. They said good evening to the Hirshfelds and their crew and went back home.
Gil put the coffee pot on and turned on NewsNation to see if the world was more screwed up than yesterday. He filled the dog's bowls with food and replaced their water. Sandy and Nailer walked in, yawning and drank a little water, looked at their filled food bowls, then looked up at Gil.
"Really? Jesus!" Gil said, going into the pantry and bringing each out a dental chew bone. They took the bones then walked over to the deck door and waited for Gil to open it for them. Gil watched as they went outside, drop their bones on the deck then ran out into the woods to answer their calls of nature. When the coffee perked, Gil poured a cup and took it out on the deck, used a dishtowel to wipe the dew off a chair and sat down. He was joined a few minutes later by Grace. Getting up, Gil wiped a chair down for her.
"Are the twins up yet?"
Grace chuckled. "No, they tried to stay awake last night, waiting for you and Billy to get back, but they crashed. I don't look for them to get up before 8:00."
"What have you planned for today?"
"Picking the last of the strawberries. Jams and Jellies day."
"I'll come down and help, picking that is. I don't know much about canning."
"Well, I'm signing you up for hulling and washing too."
"Yes Ma'am. Were there many scuppernongs?
"Enough to eat, but not enough to make jelly. Next year's crop should be much better. Gil, the church food bank could use a couple of chest freezers."
"So? Buy a couple and have Mollie and her quilting group donate them."
"Is that really the way you want to do it?"
"However you do it, keep the family name out of it. That's all I want."
"I hear little feet. Will you cook the Red River Cereal for me?"
"Right behind you."
Glen finished cutting the tree down and cut two, four foot logs. Carrying them down to the cabin, he clamped the first log down on the big stump and started shaving the bark off with a draw knife. Once the bark was removed, he began pounding the log with a three pound hammer, rotating the log then pounding more until the growth layers began separating. He started peeling the layers off and kept going until the log had become too small to work with. He took a break and got a drink of water. While he was resting, he rolled the splints into hoops and set them aside. He would trim them to width later. He completed the second log a couple of hours later and warmed up his beef and beans for lunch.
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Post by gipsy on Jan 22, 2022 19:19:47 GMT -6
Your spoiling them dogs for sure. Fine update
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Post by cavsgt on Jan 22, 2022 23:18:00 GMT -6
Fine up date!!!! Hope all is well with you and yours.
Thank You Phill
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 22, 2022 23:46:49 GMT -6
Fine up date!!!! Hope all is well with you and yours. Thank You Phil I'm doing well. Had my catheter removed and will have the stent removed Monday. For all of you all's information, one of the doctors I have to talk to is a pharmacologist who goes over the medicines and (sometimes weird) supplements I take. The ones she keyed in on were Zinc and Quercetin. They're starting to realize Quercetin enables the Zinc to be better absorbed, enhancing the virus fighting properties of Zinc, which is pretty close to what Invermectin does. So, for you who need something to fight flu, COVID and cold virus, here is a possibility. It works for me and the doctor is recommending Quercetin and Zinc for her father. She was also interested in the Chaga I take to boost my immune system. Big Pharma probably don't run tests on it because it can be obtained in the wild and there isn't any money in it for them.
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Post by freebirde on Jan 23, 2022 7:14:12 GMT -6
Big Pharma probably don't run tests on it because it can be obtained in the wild and there isn't any money in it for them. [/font] [/quote][/quote] The only way they would support natural cures would be if Big Pharma bought Con Agra. Then again, one of Big Pharma mottos "A patient cured is a customer lost".
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Post by cavsgt on Jan 23, 2022 8:47:17 GMT -6
Good news and we will have to look into Quercetin and Zinc in combo.
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Post by sniper69 on Jan 23, 2022 12:37:11 GMT -6
Is there a particular brand of quercetin that you prefer? It seems there are quite a few different brands available.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 23, 2022 15:46:14 GMT -6
Is there a particular brand of quercetin that you prefer? It seems there are quite a few different brands available. If the labels can be believed, I've found they all have the same ingredients.
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Post by ydderf on Jan 23, 2022 18:42:23 GMT -6
Thank you
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 24, 2022 20:26:07 GMT -6
Chapter 197
Jarrod's heavy pack dug into his shoulders as he came down the steep trail. In the distance he could see the glimmering Gulkana River running through the basin, its icy, milky grey waters rushing through the rugged landscape. This stretch of river had no rapids so Jarrod dropped his pack and pulled out the inflatable kayak and laboriously filled it with air. As it was getting late in the afternoon, he decided to spend the night here and enter the river in the morning. He still had a couple of days before he would reach Gakona, where he's have the first warm, all-over bath he'd had since….well, he couldn't remember. He made a cup of rice with bits of dried caribou meat in it for his dinner and drank clear cold water from a rivulet of glacial melt. He was going to miss this in some ways, but he felt it was time. Time had slowly burned away what had driven him up here in the first place. It was time to reconnect with what family he still had left. Washing out his small cooking pot, he stowed it back in his pack and pulled it in the tree to keep the animals away. He cut spruce boughs to pad his bed under the slight overhang. If a bear did come across him, there was only one way in to his little area, and he felt the .454 would be enough to stop anything that was a danger. After getting his sleeping bag laid out, he sat down on a rock and inspected and wiped down his Wild West Copilot rifle. It had been a constant companion for the last three years and had kept him in food and out of danger the whole time. The .457 was good for anything up here whether four or two footed. The ability to shoot .410 shells had kept him fed with ptarmigan many a time. He hoped he'd be able to keep the rifle once he went down to the lower 48. He'd had some times with this rifle. He leaned the rifle against the wall of the overhang and pulled the .454 from its chest holster and checked it over. Taking the harness off, he laid it at the head of his spruce bed and pulled his boots and pants off. Getting into the sleeping bag, he laid the pistol on his chest and wrapped the sides of the bag around him and soon drifted off to sleep.
Glen ran his hand down the piece of oak he'd been trimming down. Releasing it from the shaving horse, he used his knife to smooth up a couple of places. All he needed to do was to steam it and put it into his shaping jig to form the handle of the basket he would eventually get around to making. He needed to make the handles and rims in good weather in order to get them shaped right. This set of baskets would be good for Grace to use harvesting in the greenhouse or garden. Each would be about eighteen inches long, twelve inches deep and flat bottomed. Great for filling with tomatoes, green beans, okra and what not. Yeah, these would work.
Gil and Billy had their AR-15s disassembled on the mats and were thoroughly cleaning them from the shoot they had the night before. They inspected each other's weapons with approval and applied a very light coat of oil before reassembling them.
"Have you been using the practice exams Billy?"
"Yes Sir. I misidentified an airspace. I guess I was going through the test to fast."
"Just remember that. No matter how well you think you know the material, take your time and use scratch paper if you need to. Part 107 exams aren't that difficult. You just need to go slow and don't overthink."
The got their guns back together and put them up. After cleaning the tables off and stowing them away they went to the kitchen and got glasses of iced tea.
"Do you have school modules to complete?"
"Yes Sir, but only one."
"Okay, finish that up and come on down to the greenhouse."
Gil walked into the canning house to find the ladies putting up sweet and garlic/dill pickles. Grace immediately had Gil washing cucumbers as the ladies sliced them and packed them into jars.
Two days later, Jarrod rounded the last bend and saw the Gakona Lodge and Trading Post. He carefully maneuvered the kayak up to the lodge landing site and beached. Getting out, he took his time and stretched while walking around. An old guy came down from the lodge and walked up to Jarrod.
"Where ya comin' from?"
"I've been up on the river across from Paxson Lake." Jarrod answered.
The man's eyebrows rose. "That's a far piece to travel in a little rubber boat'"
"It's only about fifty miles, and I took my time. Wasn't bad. You think I'll be able to get a room at the lodge?"
"Should be able to. It's toward the end of fishing season. Not many around right now. We'll be getting' snow here before long."
Jarrod deflated the kayak and attached it to the outside of the pack, picked up his rifle and headed up the sloping trail to the lodge.
"You're going to put all the jars here in the cellar?" Gil asked.
"No, only about half. When anyone needs something, they can get it out of here rather than having to go all the way up to the chambers. We'll move the stuff in the cellar up to the chambers as needed." Grace answered.
"Well, I'm headed up to bottle some watermelon wine. I'll take however many cases you want now." Gil said.
Grace called out to Allie and told her to add six cases of candied rind and six of pickled to the chamber inventory. Gil loaded them in the Gator and got in.
"Can you bring back a bucket each of pinto and great northern beans and put them in the cellar?" Grace asked.
Gil nodded and headed up to the chambers.
Shannon read off the list as Trace, Brad and Colt separated the pork into piles for the individual families.
"Okay, that's it, the rest can go into that freezer over there to give to the food bank." Shannon said, laying down her clipboard. She took her and Colt's share and loaded it into a cooler to take to the house later.
Jarrod dried his hair and looked in the mirror. "I could use a haircut, but I'll wait until I get to Denver." He thought.
He liked the pants, shirts and boots he'd bought in the Trading Post. They would do until he got to Denver and outfitted himself. These would last him until then. A float plane was coming in tomorrow that could take him to Anchorage. He was going to just take his time, eating in restaurants for the first time in over a year, drink some good beer and get rest that didn't leave you in a daze from being on the edge. After putting on his clothes, he headed to the dining area for the evening meal.
Tate maintained a steady 35 miles per hour with the lowboy loaded with the excavator. Heading back to the company, he was glad this week was finally at is end. He was wonder…..movement in his right mirror caught Tate's attention. A car had come over the rise a quarter of a mile behind him, all four wheels off the ground and sparks flying when the car made contact with the two-lane road. Right behind it was a County Sheriff's car with lights flashing. Tat hit his brakes and pulled, then pulled right and locked the brakes, effectively blocking the road from ditch to ditch. The car tried to stop, then swerved left and left the road. When the Camero's front made contact with the edge of the deep ditch, the car flipped end-over-end and came to a stop on its roof. He watched as the Deputy stopped and ran toward the car. Tate got out and grabbed a fire extinguisher because there was smoke coming from the engine.
Tate trotted over to the car, watching for flames as the Deputy checked the two men inside. Getting up, the Deputy turned to Tate.
"Thanks." She said.
"Just doing my part." Tate said, studying her.
Now Tate wasn't on the hunt but this woman intrigued him. Black hair in a small bun, minimum makeup, she filled out the uniform past nicely, but everything else was hidden by the vest she wore. Tate heard more sirens and saw flashing lights coming from Highway 70.
"You might want to step back over beside your truck. Things are going to get busy." The Deputy…Deputy Gendreau, according her nametag, said.
Tate sat the extinguisher down and jumped back across the ditch and sat in the cab. He called in and told Don what was going on and waited. The road ahead was blocked with emergency and law enforcement vehicles anyway.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 24, 2022 20:28:48 GMT -6
Chapter 198
As the plane touched down at the Lake Hood Seaplane Base, a thrill ran through Jarrod. He was off to another adventure. He caught a taxi and got a room at the Marriot on Spenard Road to be near the airport. As soon as he dropped his pack in the room, he called for reservations on the 0900 Air Alaska flight to Denver in the morning. He paid a chunk of money for a first class seat but he figured it would be worth it. After spending months out in the open, he'd be miserable flying business or economy. He laid down to take a nap then went to a steak house recommended by the hotel clerk.
Tate pulled into the company yard and parked. Don was waiting for him.
"Damage anything?" Don asked.
"Nary a scratch. He took the wise route and left the road, although they were still pretty banged up."
"What happened?"
"Deputy happened to catch the smell of someone cooking meth. They took off like a bat outta hell but only got a couple of miles."
"Well, let's lock up. The weekend is on us and I want to do some fishing tomorrow." Don said.
Tate helped Don check and lock up everything then drove on out the gate as Don was closing it.
The Flight Attendant gently shook Jarrod's arm and told him they were landing in a few minutes. Jarrod raised his seatback and accepted a drink of cold water. The pilot came on and told the passengers the current weather and time.
"A watch. That's something I guess I'm going to need. I don't need anything expensive." Jarrod thought.
As the plane landed and started its taxi to the airway, everyone, but Jarrod, began stirring, preparing to rush off the plane. Jarrod was in no hurry. He'd rather be the last one off and not be jostled around. He had no schedule to keep anyway.
Jarrod looked over his shoulder and saw no one else coming down the isle and got up to make his way off the plane. He smiled at the attendants and walked up the airway. Jarrod's stomach rumbled as he was making his way to the baggage claim area.
"Gotta get my pack then get something to eat. Those Egg McMuffins don't stick with you for very long." Jarrod thought.
Jarrod got his pack and handed one of the attendants the claim tag for his gun case. Once he got his guns, he headed outside and hailed a taxi.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
"I need to get a hotel room close to I-25. I've got to go up to Dacono this week on business."
"About the best you'll get is an extended stay that's five miles south of the 25-470 interchange."
"That'll do."
Forty minutes later, the driver pulled up to the hotel.
Jarrod paid the bill and gave the driver a tip.
"You going to be around this area tomorrow?" Jarrod asked.
"No, but I got a friend who's an independent in the area."
"Tell him to meet me at 9:00 here tomorrow. I can use him all day, probably."
"I'll call him right now."
Billy made one more run down the rows and had to empty the combine into the grain trailer. This harvest was looking pretty good. Gil had borrowed an extra grain trailer from Sam Hanson so they always had an empty trailer ready without waiting. Glen was handling the loading of the trailers into the silo. By lunch, they had half of the corn fields done.
The women had set up tables in the shade of a large oak and had everything ready when the men parked the tractors.
"How's the silo looking Glen?" Gil asked.
"It's over half full. We'll have to do some baggin'"
"I figured that. I bought ten clean fifty-five gallon drums with lids we can store the extra corn in.
They wouldn't get it all harvested today, but they could finish it off tomorrow after the dew burned off.
The driver dropped Jarrod in front of the EarthRoamer plant and told Jarrod to give him a call when he was ready. Jarrod walked to an office labeled with a "Sales" sign and the salesman quickly got out of his seat.
"How can I help you Sir?"
"I want to buy an EarthRoamer LTi. I saw one up in Alaska and I really like it."
"Well sir, It takes six to seven months to custom build one. I can show you the floorplans of the different models."
Jarrod frowned. "Nah, I can't wait that long. I'll go look for something else."
Jarrod turned and started out the door.
"Wait! Would you consider a used one? It's got one with 8,000 miles on it and is in pristine condition. Our people are going over it now. It just came in yesterday afternoon."
The salesman walked him out to a maintenance bay and showed him the vehicle. It was a dark grey kinda color and looked right off the showroom floor.
"This has the Breckenridge floor plan."
"How much?"
"Well, with the condition and relatively low mileage, we're asking $665,000."
Jarrod stared at him. "What the hell. Well, you can't take it with you."
"I'll take it. When can I pick it up?"
"Give us two more days to run complete the systems checks. Of course, this is included in the price. "
"Do we do the paperwork now, or when I pick it up?"
"We can start now. That will give time for the loan to be approved."
"I'll be doing this by bank transfer."
The salesman stuttered. "I-I-I-I, well… Let's go in and do the paperwork then."
Gil and the rest of the men were washing the dust off the machinery.
"I want to change the heads on the combine so we don't have to do it next week." Gil said.
"Well, we might as well get it done. It won't take that long." Trace said. Brad and Colt put the forklift blades on a tractor and picked up the head they used to cut oats. In thirty minutes, they had the corn harvester head off and the oat head on. They moved the corn head back into the equipment barn and began moving barrels of grain they planned to plant next year and the extra they'd use for deer corn into a conex shaded by the trees.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 24, 2022 20:30:15 GMT -6
Chapter 199
Jarrod spent the next two days selecting clothes he wanted and noticing practically everyone had mobile phones, decided to get one. He got a good nationwide plan with with unlimited minutes and a tablet to go with it. The sales person showed him how he could subscribe to movies and basically use it as a TV. With the tablet, he started making lists of what he wanted to outfit the LTi with. He browsed the Bass Pro, Sportsman's Warehouse, REI, and all the outdoor store websites in the Denver area to see what he could find. There wasn't much he wanted. He'd survived for a long time with a lot less. Jarod made his lists and would go look at the stuff before he bought it. What was neat, he could transfer the lists to his cell phone and not have to carry the bigger tablet around. He had plenty of time. And speaking of time, he finally settled on a Casio solar watch that received signals from WWV.
He called the EarthRoamer plant and they said the LTI was ready. Jarrod called the taxi driver to pick him up. The truck and camper looked like they had been freshly waxed, the diesel tanks were full as well as the fresh water tank. Even the twenty pound propane tank for the outdoor kitchen was full. One of the men walked Jarrod through all the controls, panels, and displays used to check the status of the vehicle. The rear had three backup cameras that covered 170 degrees of the rear of the vehicle and there was an IR camera in the front.
"Well, I guess the next thing I need is a toy hauler for this thing. Jarrod said.
"There's a place down in Aurora that sells off road cargo and toy haulers. Hang on, I'll get you the address."
Before Jarrod pulled away from the plant, the workers held a impromptu celebration and presented Jarrod with a couple of T-shirts, nice Yeti travel mugs and a 1-gallon water jug, plus a baseball cap with the EarthRoamer logo on it. Jarrod waved to everyone as he drove down Tipple Parkway to head south on I-25.
Harvesting oats was dusty work. They kept a rotation on the combine so the drivers had a chance to wash or change their masks out and get a long drink of water. Gil went back and got more 55 gallon drums and was ready to stack them in the shipping container. It took four days to get the harvest in but they would have plenty of feed for the winter. The work didn't slow down though. It was now time to harvest potatoes.
Jarrod found a pull-through RV park near Aurora. He wanted to go look at trailers and would need a place to park it. He found the trailer sales place and found a nice 7x20 foot off-road trailer that had solar power and air conditioning. He bought it and towed it back to the RV Park and set it up. On the way to Bass Pro Shops, Jarrod did a double take at an auto dealership that specialized in vintage jeeps. He had to go past and come back on a frontage road. There was a nice 1975 Jeep CJ-5 on the lot that had been expertly gone over. The inside dimensions of the trailer were seven feet and the wheel to wheel dimensions on the Jeep were a shade over seventy one inches. After negotiating, Jarrod bought it. If he took the canvass off, he could back the jeep right up into the rear of the trailer. There were tie-down rings in the correct places to balance the load and plenty of storage space forward. Jarrod went back to get the trailer and with the help the sales personnel, backed the jeep in and secured it. Now he wouldn't need to drive the RV around doing his shopping.
Jarrod did an inventory of his storage capabilities. He wanted to buy a couple of camp chairs to sit under the awning in the evenings. Maybe even some of that astroturf for a rug, as not track dirt into the RV. Also, he needed grillware and plates and silverware for the RV. A trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond filled most of his needs. He also found a Big Berkey water filter and added a five gallon water cube and a length of plastic hose from Home Depot he could run from the filter spigot to the water cube. He could now keep the one hundred gallon fresh water tank filled with what he knew was clean water, not just "clean" town water..
Gil walked around the spring pond, looking at the animal sign. It seems as though the turkeys were now using the pond for a watering hole rather than walking all the way to the river. Gil also saw some coyote tracks. He's have to put Billy on that. That main thing he was looking for were signs of hogs, but there were none to be seen. He'd have Billy check the perimeter of the property
Billy had taken Nailer over to the oat fields to thin the quail out a bit. Gil hadn't heard any shots but it would be difficult to hear anything with the ridge and the forest between them anyway..
Gi heard the hum of an E-Gator coming around the bend in the field. It was Brad and Trace.
"Hey, we're going to start getting the plowing and sowing the cover crop tomorrow."
"Sounds like a plan. We're supposed to get rain this weekend. You should be done in time. Billy and I will be stacking the pumpkins."
"Are the women going to can them all?"
"Oh heck no. The hogs will get most of them. It'll be a supplement throughout the winter. I'll get the drill ready and pick up the vetch seed for tomorrow.
Jarrod got up and took a shower. He pulled out a pair of jeans, A dark t-shirt and slipped on a pair of moccasins made for him by a Athabascan woman up near Minto. Jarrod sat in the eating area and checked off the items he had stored and recalled exactly where they were. He just needed to lay on fresh food for the trip. He tried to make out a list, but decided to just go to the store and browse for things he liked. Transferring his partial list to the phone, he locked up the RV and unloaded the jeep.
His first, and really his only stop, was at Trader Joes. He picked up enough prepared meals to last him for a few days. After he had unloaded the food, he backed the Jeep into the trailer and secured the tiedown chains. Jarrod filled a mug with ice and water and one of the gallon jugs with the same. He situated the cup and jug in the cab where it was easily accessible and entered "Dallas, Tx." In the GPS. It told him the trip would take between thirteen and a half hours or fourteen hours, the shorter leg sticking mostly to the interstates. Jarrod decided to take the longer route and see a little of the country.
As he crossed the Ochiltree County line, Jarod could see a little wheat was grown here but there were several oil and gas wells also. He negotiated with the owner of the large grain silos and parked the rig to take advantage of the shade the silos created. Jarrod checked the fresh water level and filled his Berkey. After he took a shower, it could stand twenty gallons added to the tank. He extended the awning and pulled out the grill from its storage area. Oiling ]and salting a potato, he wrapped a potato in aluminum foil and placed it on the grill.. Cutting on his radio, he listened to what passed as music around there and sipped a beer as the potato cooked.
Billy was down wind from the coyote and had an almost perfect support for the crossbow. He waited as the coyote slowly inched forward. Billy slowly released the bolt, it striking the coyote in the middle of the chest, it's legs immediately collapsing. Billy held his position for several long seconds before getting up, then walked off the distance. "Seventy-five yards. Not bad."
The hide wasn't in good condition so he strung the body up in the tree for the crows to eat.'
"Dad, I got the coyote." Billy said.
"Great! What did you do with it?"
"I drug it up the hill away from the food plots and strung it up in a tree. It was mangy."
"Okay, good. Let's go in. Your Mother is cooking the quail for dinner."
"Hawkins County will be having their county fair in two weeks." Grace said. :They're going to have carnival rides and the church ladies are going to sell pies and cakes to make money for the food bank."
"You need anything from me and the guys?"
"Just in helping getting the tables and chairs over there and setting up."
"We can do that." Gil said.
"I also thought it would be nice if you, Billy and Glen set up some type of Frontiersman camp and let people see how they did it in the olden days."
"That would be great Dad! We could hand out samples of pemmican and jerky so people could taste it."
"Well, I guess I'd better get out my buckskins. I'll talk tp Glen."
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Post by gipsy on Jan 24, 2022 21:08:07 GMT -6
Glen does have Buckskins from an earlier chapter. Thanks for the update.
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Post by udwe on Jan 25, 2022 7:25:39 GMT -6
Okay, just a couple of things.When you plant grain, it's called sowing, not sewing. #2 I hope he's not talking tp to Glen.
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Post by smitty60 on Jan 25, 2022 9:22:54 GMT -6
Thanks for the chapters.
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Post by cavsgt on Jan 25, 2022 9:52:33 GMT -6
Thank You Thoughts and prayers as always.
Phill
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 26, 2022 16:25:08 GMT -6
Chapter 200
Glen kept working with the draw knife when he heard the hovercraft stop down the hill. Turning the billet over, he re-clamped it in the shaving horse and cleaned up another side of it.
"Hellllooo!" Gil called out.
"Come on in Gil."
"Whatcha doing?" Gil asked.
"Getting ready to pound some splints out of this billet." Glen said, taking up a hammer. He started pounding the ash billet with the hammer and soon the growth rings started separating.
"Would you look at that!" Gil said, watching the process, Glen kept peeling and re-peeling the splints until he had over a dozen splints about a thirty-second of an inch thick. Glen gathered them up and tied them in a hoop with cordage.
"What brings you over this way"
"Grace wants us to do kind of a reenactment of the pioneer days. She wants me, you and Billy to dress up in buckskins and make a little camp and hand out samples of jerky and pemmican for the county fair."
"I guess I'd be available. I've got an Abenaki Pack Basket I can haul my stuff in. As a matter of fact, I've got two more for you and Billy if you want."
"That would be great Glen. I've got an old canvas tent we can cut up and make tents out of."
"That'll work. When is this shindig?"
"Week after next."
"I'll be ready." Glen said.
As Gil was headed back across and up the river, the weekend rains began falling, not much, just enough to be aggravating. He parked the hovercraft under the boat garage and went back to the house.
The next morning, Jarrod decided to look around and see what Perryton had to offer. The found the Museum of the Plains, which was interesting. He decided to stick around another day to check the town out. Going back to the RV he emptied the filtered water into the holding tank and refilled the Berkey. It was getting close to lunch, so he decided to try the local cuisine. He drove past the Sonic and the McDonalds and decided to try Chiuas Mexican restaurant. It was a lot different from what he was used to. He'd better pick up another pack of toilet paper.
Jarrod changed his mind and the next morning found him packing away his things to continue the trek to Dallas, Leaving Perryton, Jarrod filled his diesel tanks and gave the windows a good cleaning. He took the time to look for RV parks in the Dallas area and picked one on Lake Hubbard. He was still shying away from large cities. He would see what he could see and move on.
Jarrod stayed a couple of days but soon saw here was nothing here for him and he set the GPS for Alley Springs Missouri. He might as well get this over with.
Gil worked with Billy and showed him the logical way to pack his pack basket. Glen showed Billy how to use a stick as a toothbrush and they all ground up jerky to make pemmican. Glen and Billy even went down by the river and peeled willow bark and pressed the sheets flat to dry and to use as small plates. Gil even had a small cast iron camp pot they would have beans cooking in on the fire.
They were a big hit from the start. Gil had a percussion rifle, Glen had his flintlock, and Billy carried a bow he had made. When people began scoffing that a young man couldn't handle a bow like that, Billy set up a hay bale and proved them wrong. Luckily, they had enough pemmican and jerky so that everyone who wanted to try it, got a taste. The fair committee begged them to be on hand next year, to Billy's delight.
It was a long eight hour trip to Missouri. When he got outside the Alley Springs Recreation area, Jarrod noticed there were improvements in the road system and they even had a visitor's center. He asked there where he could park his RV. They directed him to an area that was less than a half-mile from the old home place. He got his camp set up and walked to where a happy home had been. The debris from the fire was all cleared away. The only sign there had been a homestead here was a capped well, hidden in the brush. Jarrod looked around. He had many happy times here. His parents perished in a freak fire while he was away at a football game. The pain suddenly shot through his mind and he took a deep breath. He had turned 18 a few weeks before the fire and was considered an adult, so he inherited the five hundred acres of land that had been in his family since before the Civil War. But he couldn't stay here. He signed a conservation easement. He still owned the land and could fish and hunt on it for sustenance, but he really didn't want to stay. That's how he finally ended up in Alaska. He looked at his watch and figured it was too late to go visiting cousins, so he made a light meal and sat under the awning and sipped on a beer. He looked at the bottle and swore he was going to find something better than this horse piss Anheuser-Busch tried to pass off as drinkable. Pouring the rest of the bottle on the ground, he went inside and turned in for the night.
It took him a while to figure out the changes in the roads but he soon found the beach and the canoe rental place a cousin of his ran. Jarrod got out and walked into the rental store.
A guy behind the counter gave Jarrod a puzzled look.
"MY GOD JARROD! I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A COON'S AGE!"
Hello Craig. How's everything going?"
"Keeping our heads above water. How are you doing? You look lean and mean."
"I spent some time up in Alaska. How's everything around here?"
"Everyone's fine. After the,,,uh…fire, Uncle Glen couldn't stick around and took off for Tennessee. He's got him a place on a river near Rogersville, that's northeast of Knoxville."
"Well, I'm at loose ends right now, no real destination in mind. I might drop by there and see him."
"I'm sure he'd be happy to see you. You sticking around for a while?"
"Naw…you have a shovel I could borrow?"
"I got two of them. Nobody, as near as I can figure, has ever been back in that area. Let me have my assistant take over and I'll go with you."
Craig had helped him pack the barrel and cover it with roofing tar. They hauled it with a four-wheeler to a site Jarrod had selected and buried it.
Jarrod remembered the way, but a couple of new trails had been put in, which actually made the trip shorter. Jarrod paced of the distances and they started digging. Two feet down, the shovels made a "CLANK" when they hit the barrel. Using the shovel blade, Jarrod pried the lid latch off, then the lid. It looked like everything was in good shape. They began pulling out the guns wrapped in protective covers and laid them to the side. Jarrod picked on up and unwrapped it. Pristine.
"Pretty good shape, hunh?" Craig said.
"Darn good shape for the time they've been here. Let's cover this back up and get these to the Jeep."
They replaced the lid and the barrel latch and started refilling the space around the barrel. When they were finished, You couldn't tell any digging had ever taken place there. They picked up the guns and headed back down to the Jeep, storing them in the back and throwing a blanket over them.
'You're not sticking around, are you?" Craig asked.
"No, there's nothing left here for me. I think I'll head over to Tennessee and see if I can get up with Uncle Glen. Do you have an address?"
"Just a post office box. There's probably people around that know of him though."
"Well, I appreciate your help."
"Hey, why don't you come over for dinner? Angie will be thrilled to see you."
"As long as you've got something besides that Anheuser-Busch crap to drink." Jarrod grinned.
"I'll have something for you."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 26, 2022 16:28:30 GMT -6
Chapter 201
They had finished up bagging the air dried potatoes and were storing some in the root cellar and the rest in the storage chamber. What's next?" Trace asked.
"We got to get the pigs and steers to Hirschfield tomorrow." Gil said.
"That gives us a lot of meat." Brad said.
"Nah. We'll transfer most of the wild pork to the food bank."
We can take them over." Brad said.
"Good, that will give me a chance to check out the next bunch of shoats, plus I'm having hay being delivered tomorrow afternoon. Twenty large round bales for two bottles of River Bank."
"Good deal! That's $150 a bottle. Better fire up that still!" Trace laughed.
It was around a ten hour drive to Rogersville from Alley Springs. He decided to be a slowpoke and take three full days getting there. Well, maybe not. He wanted to reach Rogersville by the morning of the third day. That would give him enough time to find Uncle Glen.
After crossing the Mississippi River, there were no real attractions except for the beautiful scenery. Of course, to Jarrod, any place was beautiful when not degraded by the signs of mankind He stopped at a couple of roadside vegetable stands and bought a few apples. He quickly bit into one and savored the flavor. He had missed apples back in the bush. For a few extra bucks, an old man sold him a gallon of cider that had "turnt plumb bad", but winked at Jarrod as he handed Jarrod a sip of the brew. Jarrod grinned and gave the old man the money for the one gallon jug.
As he made his way down into Tennessee using 25E, he decided to stop in Harrogate, heralded as the biggest town in Claiborne County. Wouldn't have taken much anyway. He had lunch at the King Buffet, just to sample the local foods they prepared. He almost ate too much. After asking around, he got directions to the Mountain Pass Campground and headed that way. He was lucky. There were plenty of drive-in spaces here arranged about seventy feet apart, so there was plenty of privacy. After it got dark, Jarrod cut off the outside lights and gazed at mass of stars above him.
Glen finished weaving the basket and turned it over, inspecting every weave. "This will work." Glen muttered. He had cheated a little, instead of using the intricate wraps to hold the basket together, he'd used gorilla glue to make an extremely durable basket. You couldn't see where he'd used the glue.
He got up and walked outside. It was another one of those misty, uncomfortable days, bordering on a light rain. Glen went back inside and picked up another basket he'd started on. It was early, so he could probably finish this one today.
Gil filled the carboys with grain, water and the yeast. This would be the last run he would make this year. After shifting the carboys around, he filled the airlocks with water and cleaned up his trash. He crossed his fingers, hoping he had toasted the barley enough.
Jarrod woke up the next morning, hearing the sounds of the river tumbling over the rocks of the Powell River.. Making coffee, he went outside and rolled the awning out. The sun wouldn't even reach this area until well toward noon. Looking at his watch, he was surprised to see it was Sunday. He might not find Uncle Glen today. A lot of these towns rolled up their sidewalks on Saturday night, keeping with the belief that Sunday was a day of rest. He got out his tablet and looked for RV parks around the Rogersville area and found the Falls Creek Marina and RV camp. Looked as good as any. Looking at the marina with Google Earth, it seemed the marina was only about fourteen miles outside of Rogersville. He'd probably have more luck finding Uncle Glen if he had plenty of people to ask. He drove on down to the marina and rented a spot for a few days, in case Uncle Glen proved to be hard to find.
` "Mollie and I are going to the fabric shop. Mollie has some patterns for some cute little dresses for Alana. Maybe we can get her away from dressing like her brother."
"Good luck with that. I'll go in with you."
"Do you not think its safe for us to go in without you?"
"You're not in any immediate danger; I just want you to be careful. I can keep a watch on the twins and you and Mollie can do your shopping. I'll even spring for lunch at OH Henry's."
"You're on."
Jarrod got the rig parked and unloaded the Jeep. The GPS got him quickly into Rogersville and Jarrod quickly begin thinking of who he could ask about his uncle. He spotted what looked to be an LE officer going into a restaurant and walked across the street to follow him in.
"Well, hello Sheriff, join us."
"Don't mind if I do. How are ya'll doing?"
"Can't complain. Just watching the two ankle-biters while the ladies do their shopping."
The Sheriff chuckled. "Oh Lord."
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you knew a man named Glen Smith?" Jarrod asked.
The Sheriff cut his eyes over to Gil. "What reason you're looking for this Smith fella?"
"He's my uncle, my father's brother. I've just left Alaska and was traveling around seeing relatives I haven't seen in years."
"I'm Gil Conner. I know Glen well, he lives on the far side of the river from me. Won't you have a seat?"
Jarrod pulled out a chair next to the Sheriff and sat down.
"Is Uncle Glen all right?"
"Fitter than a fiddle. He is part of a close circle of friends I treasure. As soon as we eat our lunch, I'll take you over to see him."
Jarrod ordered a BLT and fries with a glass of iced tea.
"How long have you known my uncle" Jarrod asked Gil.
"Oh we were part of the same operations in the military. I didn't even know he lived around here but I spotted him one day. Now we see each other often."
They finished their meal and Grace grabbed the checks. Jarrod followed them out and helped the kids in their seats.
"Just follow me out and I'll get you over to Glen's. Gil said.
Gil noticed the way out was the route he took in. When they turned off the highway, Jarrod stayed about twenty-five yards behind them. Once they got near the top of the ridge and through the gate, it was all down hill from there. Jarrod followed them up a small ridge and stopped behind a house. Gil got the kids inside then motioned for Jarrod to follow him. Gil and Jarrod climbed into one of the E-Gators and they headed for a structure on the other side of a small airfield. Sitting in the enclosure was something that looked like a boat. Gil got out, opened the gull-wing and climbed in. Gil motion to Jarrod and Jarrod climbed in behind him. Gil cranked the engines and moved the hovercraft out of the boat garage and across the fields. He nosed the hovercraft down the bank and advanced the throttles. The hovercraft skimmed the river's surface and Gil took a well-known route to Glen's landing. They cleared the bank and moved up the three hundred fifty foot run to Glen's hovercraft shelter. They Got out of the cockpit and Gil began to walk up a trail. He slowed a bit and let Jarrod get ahead of him.
"Helllooo, the cabin."
"Come on in Gil."
"Gil let Jarrod get ahead of him a little more an laid his right hand on the butt of his pistol. Glen was standing on the porch as the two came around the bend of the trail. He stepped down off the porch as Jarrod walked up.
"God, boy….you...you are the spit right out of your Daddy's mouth!"
Jarrod lunged forward and hugged Glen. Gil could see the tears forming in Glen's eyes.
"Come on up and sit down. Tell me what you've been up to. "
Gil excused himself and said he had things he needed to do, leaving Glen and Jarrod on the porch talking.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jan 26, 2022 16:31:34 GMT -6
Chapter 202
"So, what have you been doing for last few years?" Glen asked.
We'll. when I left Alley Springs, I really didn't have a destination in mind. I drove my truck until it broke down near Stewart's Crossing in the Yukon. I sold the truck for parts and took up with a village of the First Nation of the Na-cho Nyak Dun. They treated me well and I did my own thing. Later, I worked my way over to Tok and worked as a hunting guide. I stayed around that area and ranged from the Alaska Range to the Matanuska River, I very seldom went into the big towns, I'd get staples and ammo and occasional clothes, but that was about it."
"When did you decide you'd had enough?" Glen asked.
"Back during the spring when the rivers were breaking up. Suddenly, I wanted to travel to the lower forty-eight. I made it back to Anchorage and checked my bank account. I hadn't touched it in years, I had enough to do whatever I wanted. So I took a plane to Denver, Got with the EarthRoamer people up in Dacono, and bought an LTi with a toy hauler and a Jeep CJ-5."
"You got any particular plans?" Glen asked.
"Nothing solid. I might take a few little trips around here to get to know the area. This seems to be a quiet little place."
"Well You're welcome to pull your RV up onto my land It'd be nice having you around. Only problem is, the closest road is a half mil from here and doesn't extend all the way to my property. I'm sure Gil wouldn't mind."
"Are you sure? This place is a real gem."
"Naw, we're like one big family.. When there is work to be done, we all pitch in. We raise vegetables, pigs and beef cattle. Also we have plenty of whitetail deer, turkeys, pheasants, grouse and quail. Come one, let's walk over to the road you can bring your rig up. "
Glen and Jarrod walked the one half mile to the end of the road Gil had cut. There was a turn-around and a small spring pool fifty feet away. Glen and Jarrod could cover the pool and all Jarrod would need was a twelve volt pumping system to bring the water from the spring to the RV.
"What do ya think?" Glen asked.
"I like it. It's away from everything. But close enough to you. Just what I would look for." Jarrod mused.
"Well, let's go talk to Gil and see about you getting settled in."
Gil was closing up the aging cellar when he heard Glen's hovercraft returning. He smiled and pulled the spare key off his keyring and waited by the cellar door for Glen's Suburban to pull up.
Glen spotted Gil by the aging cellar and drove straight to him.
"Gil, we want to ask you…"
Gil handed the key through the window to Glen.
Here's a spare key to the security gate. He's more than welcome to park up there."
Glen took the key. "Thanks Gil. I'm going to run him down to the marina campground and start getting his rig moved. I'll check back with you later. Glen drove over next to Jarrod's Jeep and Jarrod got out and started the Jeep. Jarrod followed Glen up the drive and out of sight.
Glen smiled. Families should stick together.
Glen lowered the ramp on the trailer and Jarrod expertly backed the CJ-5 into it. After getting the chains tight, there wasn't much they needed to do. Jarrod went to the office and canceled the rest of his reservation before Glen led them out to Highway 25 then over to Highway 1. Glen got out at the heavy gate, unlocked it, then swung it open for Jarrod to pull through.
"Just follow the road to the end and pick how you want to park." Glen said.
Glen pulled his truck through and relocked the gate. When he caught up with Jarrod, Jarrod was unhitching the toy trailer so he could unload the Jeep, but also the spot allowed the solar panels full exposure to sunlight for most of the day. Taking the leveling blocks out, Glen helped him level the RV.
"This is going to be nice!" Jarrod smiled.
"It's a fine place. Well, I'm going to take the truck back over to the other side. Come down to the cabin when you've gotten situated and I've got a pot of beans that have been soaking. Shouldn't take long to cook 'em up."
"Okay, Uncle Glen….and thanks."
"Don't mention it. I'll see you later."
Jarrod watched as Glen drove out of sight, then looked around. He wanted to build a fire ring and sit by the fire at night.
Glen pulled under the overhang and locked the vehicle. Stepping out to go around to the hovercraft, he saw Gil coming in one of the Gators. Gil pulled up and got out, Glen handing him the gate key.
""No, give that to Jarrod. I'm sure he'll need to get out once in a while. Hey, we're having a cookout Saturday afternoon. Jarrod needs to meet the rest of the crew. I'll leave a Gator down here so ya'll come right on up."
"We sure will, Gil. Hey, thanks for letting Jarrod stay up there. He's got some issues to work through."
"Say no more. Families have to take care of each other."
Gil watched as Glen drove the hovercraft into the river and headed down the river and around the bend to his landing point.
Gil wrapped the baby-backs in aluminum foil and adjusted the wood in the smoker. Locking the door, he checked the temperature on his remote as he walked back inside.
"How are the ribs?" Grace asked.
"Perfect. Billy, can you help me put the plastic tablecloths on the tables?"
"Sure Dad."
Mollie, Allie and Shannon were busy putting together Cole slaw and potato salad while Debra was sliding the rolls into the oven.
"Colt, Brad! Take the glasses and the tea pitchers to the tables." Mollie barked sharply, like a drill sergeant.
Brad and Colt scrambled to do Mollie's bidding.
Glen and Jarrod pulled up and Gil started introductions to everyone as they got a break from their tasks.
"Jarrod, what would you like to drink? We have beer and iced tea."
"I'll take a beer, as long as it isn't anything made by Anheuser-Busch.
"AH! A man of infinite intelligence.. Try this, it's an Irish Red."
Jarrod took a sip and nodded. "Not bad at all."
Gil and Brad took a cooler and a pair of long tongs over to the smoker and started unwrapping the racks of ribs. He had to use the long tongs to place the ribs in the cooler because anything shorter and he rack would break in half., which wasn't really problem because that just indicated the rib meat would fall right off the bone.
Gil asked everyone whether they wanted a rack or a half, placing the amount they wanted on their platter. After everyone had been served. Gil sat and gave the blessing and the only sounds for the next few minutes were moans of ecstasy.
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Post by cavsgt on Jan 26, 2022 16:43:59 GMT -6
Thank You again for this fine story.
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Post by ydderf on Jan 26, 2022 17:34:44 GMT -6
Thank you for the update.
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Post by gipsy on Jan 26, 2022 17:43:15 GMT -6
Yep another fine update.
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