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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 18, 2022 14:50:36 GMT -6
Chapter 20
Glen was cruising along checking his catfish jugs. He promised Mollie a mess of filets and he wasn't going back on his promise. He'd bought a used ten foot Jon boat with a five horse Evinrude outboard motor he used for fishing. The hovercraft was great for hauling and zipping across the water but Lord, they were noisy. He saw another of the two liter bottle bob up and cruised over to it and removed another Channel Catfish, throwing it into the cooler. Jack wanted to help but was mostly in the way. A couple more of those three-pounders and he would haul in the jugs and go clean them. Just to have something to do, he had been using a rod and a spinner bait and had caught a couple of nice bass, but he released them. He ate them once in a while but only ate them if he could soak them in milk for a while, and he was low on milk. The last two jugs popped up and he had another Channel and a Flat Head. Throwing them into the cooler, he rolled the lines up on the bottles and tossed them forward into the bottom of the boat. Turning the boat toward his landing site he was there in a few minutes. He set the cooler out and got the willow saplings he kept there to use as rubs for the boat cover. It took just one time to leave the Jon boat uncovered when it rained. Glen didn't care for having to bail the boat out to use it. Bending the willow ribs into place, he pulled the over-sized boat cover over the ribs and used a couple of bungie cords to keep any wind from lifting it.
After skinning the catfish and cutting the filets, he threw more wood in the stove to get it hot. Glen got Jack a Milk Bone to chew on and washed his hands. Taking some of the meatier the fish carcasses, minus heads, tails and fins, Glen placed them in in his six quart pressure cooker and added chicken bouillon cubes and water. While waiting for the water to boil, Glen washed the filets and placed them in his refrigerator. Getting out four large potatoes he peeled and diced them up, then some carrots and onions. When the pot start boiling Glen placed the weight on the vent and looked at his watch. After twenty minutes, Glen set the cooker off the hot part of the stove and let the steam vent off. Taking the lid off he used a fork to flake the fish off into a bowl and checked the bones. They fell apart. He added more water and pressure cooked the bones for another thirty minutes. You could crush the bones with your fingers. Adding more water, the fish meat, potatoes, carrots, some tomato powder, black pepper, vinegar, three dashes of Texas Pete and three dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, Glen gave it a good stir and placed the lid back on and set the pot back on the stove so it could simmer. With his mouth watering, Glen sat on the porch and worked on the possibles bag.
As her last hurrah before she had the baby, Shannon won the bid on another twenty foot shipping container in New Jersey. The same day she got the news, her contractions started. A very nervous Colt called the women and loaded Shannon's bag in the truck. Mollie and Grace came down and told Colt to get Mollie's car. Shannon didn't need to be crawling up in a big truck while she was having contractions. The contractions died down and Grace and Mollie stayed with her. When it was finally time to go to the hospital, Colt had calmed down somewhat and nervously helped Shannon into the car. Grace and Mollie followed them to the hospital in Colt's truck to be with him and keep him calm. Gil empathized with Colt, he'd been there himself. Gil and Billy managed to keep control of the twins.
After eight hours of labor, Shannon and Colt had a seven pound, six ounce baby girl they named Kaylin Marie. Gil had finished the baby bed and Mollie and Grace had put together the bedding and blankets. Before Shannon came home from the hospital with little Kay, Mollie and Grace took the bed down to Shannon and Colt's house and set the bed up in the master bedroom.
A few days later the shipping container arrived. There were bets and jokes all around about what would be in it. Shannon was even there, the baby snuggled against her chest in a baby carrier. The anticipation was like a fog rolling in as Trace cut the seal and opened the door. The container was filled with uniform sized cardboard boxes. Taking the manifest off the door, Gil read and said aloud:
"This container comes to us from Portugal. Looks like we have 100 rolls of #170 x 9600', 50 rolls of #210 x 4000', 50 rolls of #440 x 4000' 50 rolls of #110 x 20,000' of baling twine…. All of polypropylene baler twine treated to resist pests and UV light. Oh, and we have 75 rolls of Sisal baling twine approximately five millimeters in diameter and four hundred meters long."
"BALING TWINE! What the heck are we going to do with baling twine?"
Gil grinned. "Everyone wait right here. I'll be back shortly."
Gil raced up the hill in a Gator and came back ten minutes later. Gil lugged a contraption off the back of the Gator, then stood it upright.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is a rope making machine. I picked it up last year at an estate sale. Never thought I'd get a chance to use it. As you can see, it has a crank that turns these five hooks. You'll find machines with three, four, five and sometimes seven hooks. Five hooks make a five-eighths inch rope, four hooks make a half-inch rope and using three hooks will make a three-eighths inch rope. This piece is called the separating tool. I'll show you later how it is used."
"So we can make a rope as long as we want?"
"Essentially, yes, but a really long rope is tough to make and whatever length of twine you start out with, you're going to lose twenty five percent of its length in making a rope. Once you start practicing, you're going to screw up a lot. It just takes practice to make a good rope."
"That's going to come in handy." Colt said.
"I think it will. Good catch, Shannon." Gil said.
Shannon shrugged. "It's like Cracker Jacks. You don't know your prize until you open the box."
"Gil, Carl Griggs died yesterday,"
"What! I just talked to him Wednesday!"
"Yes died of a stroke. Visiting is 7:00 tomorrow night at the funeral home."
"Okay, tell everyone."
Gil wondered what Alice was going to do about the bees. Carl had been keeping six hives here for the last three or four years. He had been out in August doing a mite count in the hives. Carl was who he got his honey from to make mead. When things settled down, he'd talk to Alice.
They hadn't been able to lift the loaded shipping container so Gil ordered a lift set for moving shipping containers around to be shipped overnight. He just had to get the rims and tires, which was where he was heading now. Gil called Joe's tire Center in town and he had five lug rims. Gil told him to throw some used tires on them and he'd pick them up.
Gil, Grace and Mollie went to the funeral home that evening to pay their respects. There was a large crowd there, Carl being well liked and respected. They joined the file to pass by the open casket, which Gil abhorred. He'd seen enough dead bodies in his lifetime. They quickly passed by the casket and moved on to the receiving area. Sitting next to Alice was a young couple, probably in their mid-twenties. When Gil and Grace move to Alice to offer their condolences, Alice looked up.
"Oh! Gil, Grace, thank you for coming. I'd like for you to meet my nephew, Marty and his wife Gale. Marty is Carl's brother's boy."
Marty and Gale stood and shook Gil and Grace's hands.
"Marty is going to take over and run the bee business. Marty would come up some summers and help Carl"
"Well Marty, welcome to the community." Gil said.
"Gil, I noticed you were fixin' up the old Draper house behind me." Alice said. "Are you planning to rent it out?"
" Sagarto…."
"They are trusted, Caomächter"
"Yes, we just finished renovating it. I replaced the appliances with more efficient ones and the power has been replace with an off-grid system. Whoever rents it won't be bothered with power bills and worry about losing power during the winter storms."
"Really? Is that something I could do to my house?" Alice asked.
"Yes, you could. You might find the cost a little shocking, but you'll come out ahead overall." Gil said.
"I'd like to talk to you later about that, if you don't mind."
"Certainly. Just give me a call. Marty, if you and Gale want to take a look at the house, there's a key above the back door. Alice has my number. Give me a call if you're interested."
After paying their respects Gil and the women headed home.
"It's good Alice has some kin here. Most of their kin that lived near Cookeville are all dead and gone. I guess her nephew is all she has left." Mollie said.
"Well, she just might have them nearby soon." Gil said.
Gil and Colt got the front of the shipping container jacked up with the lift bar and with a couple of jacks, attached the wheels. With the weight on the wheels and the lift bar attached to the tractor, they were able to move the container up and place it next to the other containers.
Gil's phone rang.
"Mr. Conner, this is Marty Griggs. Could we talk down at the house?"
"Sure. I'll be down in a few minutes."
"Hey guys, can you take the wheels off and put the equipment away? I've got some new tenants to talk to."
"Sure Gil. You want the wheels and lift bar in the equipment barn?"
"Yeah, that'll be good."
"Oh Gil, Billy's showing me a route to the top of the knob."
"Okay. I'll see you all later."
When Gil got to the Draper house, Alice, Marty, Gale and Alice were waiting in the yard.
"Mr. Conner, we'd like to rent the place." Marty said.
"It's Gil. The rent is $250 a month, as long as you keep the simple maintenance done."
"That's really cheap!"
"Hey, the Foundation sets the rates. Alice, have your rates ever gone up in the years you've been here?" Gil asked.
"Not a dime."
"We accept." We need a few days to get our things packed up and moved. We've got a lot of work to do when we get back too. Uncle Carl had a LOT of bees wax stored. Gale makes candles and stuff but there's enough there to last for years!" Marty said.
"When you get back, I'll introduce you to Chet and Mary Arthur. They run a dairy not far from here. Mary makes cheeses and covers them with wax. Maybe you can work something out with her."
"We'll do that. Thanks Gil."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 18, 2022 14:52:37 GMT -6
Chapter 21
Gil had made a wooden base and was bolting the rope making machine to it when Brad walked in.
"What are you doing?" Brad asked.
"Just building a steady platform for this rope maker. These things used to be bolted to the floors of hardware and general stores. You'd come in and they'd make rope in any length you needed. I was going to set it up and see if I could remember how to make rope." Gil answered.
"You've made rope before?"
"Yeah, but it was when I was in the Scouts."
"I'll bet there's a video on You-Tube that tells you how to do it."
"I'll check. It seems I am missing something, but I can't remember what it would be. Wait! There's a part I'm missing! Hold on."
Gil went out to the shipping containers and came back with a piece that had a hook on one side and a hand crank on the other.
"The goes at the other end of the rope. You crank the other end with the four hooks in a clock-wise direction to twist the twines together, using the separating tool to keep the twines apart.. When the twists look like they are getting ready to kink up, you lock the clock-wise handle and unlock this handle and start turning it counter-clockwise, running the separating tool just in front of the twist. Once you get to the end, you can either whip the ends or wrap tape around them."
"I guess it will take more than two people to make rope." Brad said.
"Without the stands being bolted down, it would take three. I need to make a stand to put this part on. I think I have an idea. If we used about a hundred and fifty pounds of tractor weights, we could hold the stands down and two people could do it. I've got enough of those spare ones for that."
"Yeah, I guess that would work." Brad said.
"We can set it up in the equipment barn in case it rains. That'll give us enough space to make a fifty foot rope."
Billy made his way up the game trail slowly. Trace followed, towing a single track trailer to be sure the trailer could be towed on the route. They'd later have to haul the repeater and tools up the same route. So far, he'd had no problems. As they neared the top, the trail spiraled around and came up on a relatively flat area. They stopped their bikes and walked around, Trace studying the pines, looking for lightning struck trees. Not seeing any, he selected a tree that looked to be the right height and tied a strip of cloth around it.
"We'll cut these three trees to get more sunlight in here for the PV panels." Trace said.
They headed back to where they parked the truck and trailer they'd hauled their bikes on.
"This won't be hard." Trace said.
"Deb, this book is wonderful! I had to get the Kleenex a couple of times. When are you going to have it published?" Grace asked.
"I've got some feelers out to three different publishers, we'll see."
"Well, if they turn you down, you should self-publish."
"Grace, I don't have the money for that right now. I'm making a living selling my articles but not enough to publish."
"I'll help you. There are a lot of people who will love it."
"Well, we'll see."
Brad, Trace and Billy loaded the bikes, a trailer and the equipment onto the tilt trailer and went down to the Draper house to the trailhead. Unloading the bikes and equipment and loading the single track trailer, they headed through the hills to the knob. Thirty minutes later they rounded the west side of the knob and Billy led them to the spot Trace picked out. Trace walked Brad around and explained to him his idea and they first cut the trees down and up into manageable pieces then set up the solar charger and housing for the repeater and battery bank. Next, Brad put on a set of tree climbing gear and began climbing the tree, trailing a rope. Once he was up high enough, he made sure he was strapped in securely and set up the pulley to hoist the antenna array into the tree. The antenna array was a two piece system that would be bolted around the tree. Fake pine boughs we attached to it so unless under close inspection, you couldn't tell it was an antenna. This portion though, would take two people to clamp it around the tree. Trace put on the other set of tree spikes and gear and climbed up the forty feet and they got to work. After a lot of sweat and not a little swearing, they got the array in place. With Billy on the ground with the SWR meter, Brad fine-tuned the five small antennas on the mount and climbed down, removing the pulley system and rope. After reaching the ground, they took off their gear and took a water break.
"Man, I wouldn't want to make a living doing that!" Trace declared.
"Yeah, that can get to be like work." Brad grinned.
"Where did you get the fake pine boughs?"
"Allie got them at Hobby Lobby down in Morristown."
"What else do we have to do besides hook it up?"
"I need to mount the lightening arrestor box and ground the arrestor, then connect the cables. Billy, I need you to go down to Harmony Hollow and try to call your Dad for a radio test. If you can, well, I guess it works. You'll be able to reach us without the repeater."
Brad looked at his watch. "Why don't you take off now and Trace and I will finish this up. If everything works, there's no need in coming back up here, we'll meet you at the truck."
"Okay. I'll see ya'll later." Billy said.
When Billy called Gil, his transmission was loud and clear. Brad and Trace placed the last couple of things in the bike trailer and headed for the truck. Their next step was getting radios over to the Arthur's and to give them a class on how to operate and maintain them.
Marty called Gil to tell him they were leaving Cookeville in the morning and they should be arriving around 11:00. Mollie and Grace had already stocked the pantry, freezer and refrigerator and would have a fried chicken lunch waiting for them when they arrived. Alice was excited but was just getting in the way. Grace gave Alice a glass of iced tea and had her sit in the porch swing.
When Marty and Gale arrived with the big U-Haul van, Gil and the guys were standing by to help unload. In an hour, everything was unloaded and generally somewhere near where Gale wanted it. Mollie and Grace would help her get things straightened out. Billy and the guys quickly got the beds put together and mattresses and box springs on the beds. When the women ran the men out of the house, Brad gave Marty two of the radios and charging bases and showed him how to use them. By 4:00 Gil, Grace, Mollie and Alice were the last left.
"Gale, there's a lasagna in the refrigerator for dinner."
"Oh Grace! You all have done so much!" Gale said.
"That's what neighbors are for. When you're ready, I'll come over and we can go to Harmony Hollow and I'll introduce you to Mary."
"Okay. I'll give you a call."
As they were heading home, Gil asked, "What's for dinner?"
"I've got a crock pot warming with pork BBQ. It's sandwiches and fries tonight."
"Mmmmm. Sounds good.!"
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 18, 2022 14:54:02 GMT -6
Chapter 22
The next morning Gil had been plowing the corn fields and stopped to take a break. Grace came down with a filled water bottle and they were talking when Gil heard the sound of a plane. Looking around, he saw a plane lining up on the short airfield. As it grew closer he recognized it as a Pilatus PC-6 as it flared to make a short field landing. Gil and Grace got in the Gator and hurried over to the airfield. As they drove up, the pilot got out of the plane and Gil saw it was Bill.
"Nice landing." Gil said.
"You've got lights?" Bill asked.
"Pilot controlled."
"What frequency?"
"123.050"
"If I'd known that I would have waited until dark. I need to ask a favor."
"What do you need?"
"I need you to help out someone, someone you know from a while ago."
"Who?"
"Jacinta Velasco."
"Jacinta? I thought she was dead. Her plane was hit when she was working for…"
"Yes, her plane went down but she got out….at 700 feet. Her parachute barely got line stretch when she hit, but got caught up in the treetops. Messed up one of her knees. It was just as well, she was made. We found out later the mission would have been a trap. She worked a desk job until she healed up but she got a good look on the inside of what was going on and didn't like it, then decided to give it all up. She got a disability pension, had plenty of assets stashed and bought a parrot. Jacinta just needs some quiet time to decompress and let the bad tastes fade from her memory." Bill said.
Gil chuckled. "A parrot? Sounds like her. Yeah, I've a cottage down on the river she can stay in. Where is she now?"
"Fredericksburg."
"Well, send her on down and tell her I said she is welcome here."
"Good, I'll tell her to head this way. Well, that's all I got. The repeaters work?"
"Like a charm, thanks."
"No problem. Well, I've got to get out of here. I'll be in touch."
Gil and Grace watched as Bill taxied to the turn-around and made a quick take-off and flew away. Gil noticed that Grace was very quiet. He turned and looked at her, her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Something wrong, Grace?"
"Jacinta. Is she pretty?"
"She's beautiful. But she is probably the deadliest women I have ever known. I will work with her, but she kind of gives me the creeps, like she is a Black Widow that kills her mate when she's through with him."
"Yeah, right."
"You wait." Gil said.
Gil went back and finished plowing the fields. Trace was plowing the oat fields and they needed to sow the cover crops, then they'd be done plowing until Spring.
That night, Gil and Grace were reading while Billy was watching something on TV.
"Why do people act that way?"
"What do you mean, Billy?" Grace asked.
"Women and men. They date different people all the time, they divorce and start the same thing all over again."
"Well Billy, when a woman accepts a date with you, she is actually evaluating you to help her figure out what kind of person you are and what type of partner you'd be. In other words, she is trying to figure out if you measure up to her expectations of a mate.
It may sound archaic, but men evaluate women they're interested in as well, and they may not even realize it. It's all about finding the best mate." Gil said. "Sometimes they misread a person because that haven't had enough time to really get to know each other."
"Did you date around a lot Dad?"
"Not really. I was in the military and saw too many times what the constant deployments and the loneliness did to marriages to even think about risking a permanent mate at that time. When I first met your mother, I still wasn't. We became friends and I guess we subconsciously came to realize that we met each other's expectations of a mate. It isn't that clinical though. As friends, we got to know each other and fell in love. Everything else fell into place."
"Yeah, that's kind of the way Carrie and I are." Billy said. "I mean we are good friends and like to do things together and I think the world of her and all. Do you think someday Carrie would make me a good mate?"
Grace looked at Gil with widening eyes.
"Billy, I, nor your Mother are the ones to pick you the best mate. You'll know it in your heart. When you reach the point where you want to do everything in your power to make her happy and she you, and you can't stand to be apart from each other, then you might have an inkling."
"Okay." Billy said. "There's something else I'd like to talk to you about."
"Go ahead." Gil said.
"I'd like to go ahead and take the GED test and get my certificate."
"And what are your plans after that?" Grace asked.
"Well, I've been looking online and there are some Agricultural programs I'm interested in, specifically in Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries."
"Is that at one of the local colleges?"
"Yes Ma'am. Walters State in Morristown."
"Do you think you could pass the GED now?"
"Yes Ma'am. I'm certain I can, Carrie too. We've both been studying the oneline guides every chance we get."
"Well, let me think on it." Grace said, glancing at Gil.
"Thanks Mom."
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Post by cavsgt on Feb 18, 2022 17:10:25 GMT -6
How soon they grow up and that starts a new chapter.
Thank You
Phill
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Post by freebirde on Feb 18, 2022 17:46:32 GMT -6
Another way to cook a big slab of bass is to put lemon juice on it and bake it like cod. No, it doesn't taste like cod. Wonder how it would be smoked?
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Post by gipsy on Feb 18, 2022 19:32:08 GMT -6
How about giving him a chance to get this one finished before giving new ideas. Thanks for the update.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 20, 2022 14:57:59 GMT -6
Chapter 23
Jacinta arrived Wednesday morning while Gil had gone to see Glen. Grace buzzed her through the gate and nervously awaited her arrival. Grace met her at the door and smiling, invited her in.
"Jacinta, I'm Grace, Gil's wife."
Alan and Alana decided to make an appearance and came running into the Great room, Alana chasing Alan.
Jacinta grinned. "Well, who do we have here?"
"This is Alana and Alan. Children, why don't you play a game in your room until lunch?"
They tore off up the stairs.
"Jacinta, the cottage has just been renovated and there's no furniture. I have a girl coming that will take you out to select furniture."
"That's okay, I have my sleeping gear in the truck."
"No, I insist you stay in our guest house until the cottage is furnished."
'Very well, thank you. Grace, let me be frank with you. First, I'm meek and mild-mannered until I don't have to be. Second, I'm not here to take Gil away from you. I have no designs on him. In fact, he kind of gives me the creeps at times. He's like a mountain lion on the prowl, looking for something to pounce on."
Grace giggled. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Water would be fine." Jacinta followed Grace into the kitchen where Grace poured her a glass of icy water.
"A Berkey. I've got one just like that but it's packed in the back of the truck."
Gil found them sitting at the breakfast bar when he got back.
"Jacinta, how are you?" Gil asked."
"Getting better every day. You?"
"I'm doing….we're all doing well. Did Grace tell you about the cottage?"
"Yes. It's been a long time since I had to go furniture shopping."
"Well, we needed to get things for there. You might as well make it to your liking."
Gil excused himself and left the room, soon returning with a radio and a charging base.
"Here is an encrypted radio for our network. The channels are named. We keep them with us at all times."
"You expecting trouble?" Jacinta asked.
"These days?" Gil replied. "Do you have your equipment?"
"Always."
"Grace, I'll be out in the shop finishing up a base for the rope making machine."
"Okay, I'll call you for lunch."
THe next morning Gil used the table lift cart jack to move the two ninety kilogram weight blocks to the rope machine bases and set one on each base. Brad showed up and helped him slide the blocks off the jack. Gil set the separator over the four hooks and began stringing the twine between the two stands with #12 bank line. At that time, Jacinta walked in.
"What are you doing?"
"We're going to try to make rope." Gil said. "I thought you were going furniture shopping."
"After lunch."
Good, then come here." When I give you the nod, I want you to turn this handle clockwise about one revolution every three seconds. I'm going to keep the lines from kinking.
Gil made sure the other handle was locked down and slid the separator off the hooks. He nodded to Jacinta and she started turning the crank, twisting the lines together. Gil kept the lines separated. When he saw the lines were twisted tight, he told her to stop. Locking the handle on her end, he ran the separator down the line to the other end and told Brad to unlock the handle and start turning the handle counter-clockwise at about the same speed. Gil would keep the separator just ahead of the rope twist. When Gil reached the other end he told Brad to stop turning. Taking a twelve inch length of bank line, Gil whipped the end of the rope. Doing the same to the other end of the rope, he then cut the rope near the ends of the whips.
"Looks good, and strong too." Brad said.
"Probably around fifteen hundred to two thousand pounds tensile strength." Gil said.
"It looks easy enough." Jacinta said.
"Oh, it's not hard at all. Let's try on with the sisal twine."
Gil removed the cut ends from the hooks to string the sisal twine.
"What if you wanted to make a hundred foot rope?" Jacinta asked.
"Then you spread the rope machine out and it will take more cranks on the wheel to make it. We can make a hundred foot rope if you want. We can make it out of the polypropylene twine and use a couple of colors."
They made the sisal rope and used a propane torch to burn off the fibers sticking out. Brad moved the single hook part of the machine out to a hundred feet and Gil strung orange and yellow polypropylene twine and made a pretty strong rope.
Gale called Grace and they took thirty pounds of beeswax over to Mary. Mary was thrilled to have a source other than Gulf Wax. Mary showed them the cheese and butter canning area and gave Gale and Grace a couple of pints each of canned butter. They left not long after that. Grace was going to take Jacinta furniture shopping.
Gil decided to use some of the bumper crop of pumpkins to make alcohol to burn in the lamps and to run the hit and miss. They stacked pumpkins where they could after they had stored what they'd use for food in the root cellar. He filled all the available carboys and if needed, he'd run both stills at the same time. He wanted to stockpile more alcohol in case he could find more hit and miss engines.
Gil gave it some thought and ordered a custom forty gallon still to distill Methanol, or wood alcohol. It wasn’t that much different than his other stills, just a thermometer added so he could keep a watch on the temperature and the handling of the product. Wood alcohol would kill you if you drank it and it definitely didn’t help to get it on your skin and clothes, plus, he was afraid he would contaminate his other two stills if he distilled the alcohol in them. All they needed was wood chips, or in their case, sawdust, and water. They had plenty of that. He’d have to build an outside area to distill but it could be a simple open sided cover for the still. He could do several runs a week.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 20, 2022 14:59:06 GMT -6
Chapter 24
Gil came back from the building supply store and took his purchase to the forge building. He really didn't get what he wanted but he could use the hardware for a pattern. The store-bought hardware wasn't as strong as he would need anyway. The stamped hardware would never hold the doors he would make for his distilling shed. He'd have to make his own.
Gil tool the hardware off the full-access bi-fold door and examined it. Looking through his steel stocks, he selected what he needed and got to work. An hour later, Brad and Colt came in looking for him.
"What are you banging away on? Brad asked.
Gil explained his idea and showed him the set of folding doors.
"I need to make sixteen sets of hardware." Gil said.
Pulling out his drawing, he explained his concept. After visualizing what he was wanting to do, they both nodded in understanding.
"You want us to get started on the shelter?"
"Yeah, go ahead. It's going to take me five days to a week to get the hardware done. I have to make it oversized and I'm going to need more than two hands at times. I'll get Billy to help me here and if you get Trace to help you two, we can hopefully have this done by the time the still gets here." Gil said.
"Where do you want to put the shelter?" Colt asked.
"Hang on a second. Let me show you."
Gil took off his leather work apron and got his hat. He walked them down past the sawmill and showed them the spot he'd picked out.
"Just a simple pole barn is all we'll need with a gravel floor. The folding doors are to keep the weather out when there's no distilling going on or the doors can be closed in different areas to keep out the weather. Some dirt work will have to be done. I don't want water running through here when it rains or during melt-offs."
"Got it." Brad said. "We'll get to work on this and you deal with the hardware."
"Thanks guys." Gil said, and went back to the forge.
A week and a half later they had just started to hang the first of the folding doors when the UPS truck delivered the still. They stopped what they were doing to help then UPS guy unload the several big boxes. They carried the boxes inside and set them down by the rock stand that had been built to set the still on, high enough to place a propane burner under it. After hanging all the doors and testing them, they unboxed the still components and put them together. Colt was cutting up the boxes to throw into the greenhouse furnace when Sheriff Tatum came walking up.
"The UPS man squealed on you. I don't mind a little whiskey being made, but Gil, this looks like a serious operation…and out in the open too!"
"Don't worry Will. It's legal. This is for making methanol, wood alcohol, to be used as fuel. If anyone snuck in here and drank that stuff, they'd be dead before they got to the gate. You can even burn this in vehicles with a conversion kit, if the vehicle was built before 1987. But it comes with a couple of problems. One, methanol causes wearing of valves and formation of acids because of the lack of hydrocarbons, but we can put in additives to neutralize the acids, making fuel more effective. And two, methanol is known as hydroscopic which means it has the potential to absorb water vapors directly from atmosphere. Water can dilute fuel value of methanol so our fuel storage tanks have to be sealed tightly."
"You mean the alcohol we've been burning in the hit and miss will damage the engine?" Brad asked.
"Don't worry, I put additives in that drum to take care of it." Gil said. "Don't use any more drums unless it has a red circled "A" on the top. I'll show you all how much to add to them."
Well, this is right ingenious." Will said. "Gil, can I talk with you a moment over here?"
Brad, Colt and Billy got the message and went back to the shed to continue hanging doors as Gil and Will walked out into the field.
"Gil, George talked to me and Ray. You really think something that bad could really happen?"
"Will, it has never been about 'if' it could happen, it is about 'when' it's going to happen. I've been preparing since Day 1 when I stepped foot on this land. But it takes a lot to be prepared. This still is just another step. If everything crashes, there will be a shortage of everything, fuel, even food."
"I don't keep that much food at the house and I don't have the money for those expensive food packages I see advertised."
"Just start out small. When you go buy groceries, buy one or two more of the items you can store for a long time. Build up from there. Buy sacks of dry beans and rice instead of cans and small boxes. Go on the internet and search for long term food storage."
"Okay, I'll do that. Oh, and I've moved my accounts over to George's bank."
"See, you're getting started preparing already!" Gil grinned.
"Well, this stuff is scary, Gil."
"You have a right to be scared. You've got to take care of yourself because the government could care less and the powerful in government will only take care of themselves."
"I hear ya. Well, I need to be going. Good luck on your fuel makin'."
"You take care Will."
Gil went back over to help with the doors. Trace had arrived and they were moving right along. They finished hanging doors and opened them all. Looking at their handiwork, they were pleased.
"You gonna run a batch?" Trace asked.
"After lunch." Gil said. "I'm hungry."
Following his Uncle Carl's notebook, Marty located all the hives Uncle Carl had at farms and checked to make sure the bees would have enough food for the winter. There were over 120 hives he had accounted for and all looked to be in decent shape. Gale was daily re-arranging things in the house to get everything just to her liking. Alice walked the six hundred feet every morning to the house to visit with Gale and have tea, and usually stayed the day. Marty would have to ask Gil where he got those Gator things and get one for Alice. She couldn't be walking in the rain and when it got really cold.
Mary had Butterkase and mild Cheddar that had aged long enough and started sending the small sample rounds out with Larry on his milk deliveries, along with a price list of the five inch rounds. They soon were getting orders. The sharp cheddar would be ready in another two weeks. They were building a big stockpile of cheese rounds. Butter, both salted and unsalted, was beginning to be another good seller. Little by little, their bank account was looking better.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 20, 2022 15:00:59 GMT -6
Chapter 25
Gil emptied a bag of sawdust into the still and added the water, Lighting the propane burner under the still, he waited; the wood had to break down to release the alcohol. He had to get the still at 173 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain it to make that process work. It might take six or seven hours to run the batch and would only get about fifteen gallons of methanol, but it would be cheap fuel. While he was waiting for the temperature, the guys came back. Gil sent them to get one of the clean, empty alcohol drums and the funnel down from the Chamber. When the temperature reached the optimum reading, Gil had to adjust the burner flame a bit to keep the temperature where he wanted. Once the temperature stayed steady, Gil marked the knob so he'd know, within the ballpark, where he should start with the flame. Of course, he'd have to adjust it depending on the ambient temperature. Once the methane began condensing and their cup filled, Gil would pour it into the drum then quickly seal the drum back up. As it got close to dinner time, Gil tapped the side of the still and decided to stop where he was. He shut the burner off and waited for the condenser tube to stop dripping, then poured most of the alcohol into the drum. Closing the drum up, he went outside and poured the remaining alcohol into a tin can and lit the alcohol on fire. It burned. Once he got this drum full, they'd run the hit and miss on it. Trace would probably have to do some slight adjustments on the mixture. Nodding to himself, Gil headed to the house.
Glen finished carrying the gallons of dyes he had made over the summer into the basketry. The women ooohed and ahhhed over the assortment of colors he had made from plants. They especially liked the blue cornflower dye he had made. There were all kinds of colorful patterns they could make. Glen then headed to Gil's place to deliver the laundry hamper Grace wanted for the guest house. He went to the deck door and knocked, Gil coming to answer it..
"Come on in Glen and take a load off."
Glen followed Gil into the kitchen. Grace turned from the sink.
"Hey Glen! Is that my hamper?"
"Yes ma'am, it is."
"Well, that looks like I might be able to trade ten pounds of potatoes for it."
"Well," Glen said, scratching his head, "I don't know. With the pattern you wanted on it, I think it should be worth the potatoes and a couple of jars of that grape jelly."
""Well, I guess so, and I'll throw in a couple of big helpings of chicken and dumplings if you'll stay for dinner."
Glen grinned. "Now you know I can't turn down a deal like that!"
Grace laughed. "Gil, get him something to drink . Dinner will be in twenty minutes."
Jacinta came out of the cottage with Carmen riding on her right shoulder, Carmen's talons massaging Jacinta's wetsuit covered shoulder. Pointing to a limb, Jacinta told Carmen to stay. Carmen flew off Jacinta's shoulder and landed on the limb.
"Bye!" Screeched Carmen.
Jacinta walked on down to the old boat ramp to the water, gazing across its expanse. Her rangefinder said it was 518 meters across. It would be good swim. Carmen watched as Jacinta dove into the water and started swimming.
"Oh No! Oh No!" Carmen said, over and over.
Gil counted the pallets and they had more than enough wood to fire all of the furnaces to the houses and greenhouse this winter. There was this much and more wood still stacked across the river they could get but he was running out of room. They'd just keep it covered and bring it over next spring after planting. He drove up to the Chamber and got two hams that had been cured and smoked that he was taking to Mr. Hirschfeld to be sliced and shrink wrapped. He hadn't heard from Jacinta in a week and a half and wondered how she was faring. He'd stop and check on her on the way home.
Gil dropped the hams off. Mr. Hirschfeld said he would have them done within the hour and Gil said he had some other errands to run and he'd be back. Gil went to Tractor Supply to pick up mineral blocks and dog food and to kill a little time. Dave saw him and took him over to look at a new snow plow attachment they gotten in. Gil said he'd give it some thought and left to pick up the ham.
Gil drove past the driveway to Bluff View and continued on down to Lee Valley road and on to the road that went to Jacinta's cottage. When he got there, Jacinta was next to the cottage going through qigong movements. He stopped twenty five feet from her and got out.
"IT'S A MAN! IT'S A MAN! A parrot screeched from the porch rail.
Jacinta opened her eyes and looked at him.
"How are you feeling?" Gil asked.
"Much better. I'm swimming daily and can practice my Doriru without people in a gym looking at me like I had a third eye….and it's quiet. It is wonderful here. Thank you for this."
"You want some country ham?" Gil asked.
"Sure."
Gil got her a four-slice pack of the big slices out and gave it to her.
"You feel like coming over for dinner tonight. It's pizza night and we make our own."
"Do you have pineapple?"
Gil grimaced. "You eat pineapple on your pizza?"
"No, If you had said you had pineapple, I wouldn't have come." Jacinta grinned.
Gil chuckled. "Be there at 1800."
Gil called Glen on the radio on the way home and told him he had mineral blocks he'd put in the shed at the boat garage whenever he wanted to pick them up. Glen thanked him.
When Gil got to the house, Mollie and Grace were laying out the ingredients for pizza.
"I stopped by to see how Jacinta is doing. She's coming over for pizza."
"How is she?" Grace asked.
"Well, she isn't limping now and was practicing martial arts exercises when I drove up. She said she had been swimming too."
"Isn't that water a little cold now to be swimming?"
"She wears a wetsuit."
"I put a six-pack of Killian's in the fridge." Grace said.
"Thanks. Need any help in here?"
"Nope, we've got it."
Jacinta arrived at 1800 sharp and Gil let her in. They went into the kitchen and everyone took their turns shaping their pies and putting the sauce and ingredients on them. Gil was busy running back and forth to the pizza oven in the outdoor kitchen with a pizza peel cooking pizzas. The last one was his. The kids loved the pizza and Jacinta enjoyed it too. Gil was forced to eat another one, or at least a half. Alana helped hm eat the rest of it. After cleanup, Billy took the two pizza monsters up for their baths while the grownups relaxed. Gil got up and poured glasses of River Bank for everyone.
"This is good, Gil. What is it?" Jacinta asked.
"I call it 'River Bank' and I make it myself."
"Wow! You missed your calling. You should have been making whiskey all along instead of …….. uh, doing other things." Jacinta said, looking uneasy.
"Don't worry about it, Jacinta. I've told her everything I legally can."
Jacinta looked at a shrugging Grace. "Jacinta, I understand. He tells me what he can but thinks I'm faint of heart and doesn't even tell me all the things he could. I'm used to it. Now, tell me about the girlfriends he's had."
Jacinta laughed aloud. "Grace, this is the honest to God's truth. For a while, I thought Gil was queer. All he did was exercise, eat, sleep and when necessary fight. It wasn't until we sat down over beers one time and exchanged philosophies that I started understanding where he was coming from. You have captured the heart of a very unique man."
"I know." Grace smiled.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 20, 2022 15:02:19 GMT -6
Chapter 26
Early Saturday morning Grace, Mollie, Allie and the twins took a trailer load of baskets to the flea market in Kodak to sell them. Gil took the opportunity to set up the still early in the morning so he could finish a run earlier in the afternoon. Right after breakfast the women left. Gil cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen and went to the still and lit the fire. By the time he quit, he had about seventeen gallons off this run. One or two more runs and the drum would be filled. He needed to move another drum down there.
Jarrod emptied the contents of the granite mortar into the bowl. Taking some other herbs, he placed them into the mortar and started grinding with the pestle. When the mixture was pulverized into a powder, he added it to the bowl along with softened lard, mixing thoroughly. Taking a small jelly jar, he transferred the mixture to the jar and sat it where it would stay warm and seep. This would help Uncle Glen's joints. He decided not to use the gelatin he got from boiling the deer hooves. He'd get him some Jello.
Grinning, Mary and the girls carried the milk crates full of cheese rounds to the truck. The free sample rounds they'd handed out had people clambering for more. It would be a good month for sales. Chet checked the fields, and the cover crops and pastures were looking good. The only problem they'd had was shoots of wild garlic had popped up here and there that they had to go around and dig up. They drove the Gator around every day on patrol, looking for the shoots and digging them up. Some people might like garlic flavored milk but his regular customers wouldn't.
Marty listened to stories of the worsening weather each year. Uncle Carl had lost many hives during the extended cold periods. Bees will fan their wings to generate heat within the hive and kept their food from solidifying. If the food gets too hard for them to eat, then workers starve and start dying. Workers die then there's not enough heat generated. All the bees starve and die. Marty decided to talk to Gil about getting financing to construct a building to keep the bees safe during the winter.
When Marty explained the problem to Gil, he immediately got the information on the size of what was needed. Gil called Harold and told him what was needed and they needed it quick because the hives needed to be moved soon. With Harold's crew, and the men from Bluff View, the land work and the poles for the modified pole barn were up within a week. The walls were framed and packed with insulation. Gil ordered an outdoor furnace and had it shipped via a hot shot truck. By the time it arrived, the concrete base for it was poured and ready to set the furnace In place and connect the pipes and heat exchangers. Gil had laid the slab exactly like they had for the greenhouse furnace, with enough room to build a shed over it for wood storage and to shelter the furnace. The furnace only had to keep the building heated to 38 degrees so it wouldn't be difficult keep the bees alive. Just in case, Marty was going to have bee food patties to ensure the bees had plenty of food.
Marty got all the bees moved and settled. They kept the windows open and placed food out for those that still wanted to forage, but as the days grew colder, the bees stayed in their hives.
Gil pulled the two briskets from the brine buckets and laid them on the towel covered table. One of the briskets would be for Sunday. They were having a boiled dinner. The other one he was going to smoke and make pastrami. Wrapping the Sunday brisket in food wrap and aluminum foil, he placed it in the refrigerator. The other one, he took out to the smoker and laid it on the rack. Filling the water pan, he adjusted the heat and added the soaked oak chips. Closing the smoker, he set the timer on his phone and went back to the house. He would come back every thirty minutes, flip the brisket and add more wood chips.
Sunday afternoon, Gil got a text from Bill saying he would be there Monday morning. That was all the text said. Not how he was coming but that he would be there. Bill's surreptitiousness sometimes was aggravating. He guessed he would find out the reason for Bill's visit in the morning.
Monday morning Bill showed up in a box truck with "Parker's Restorations" Airbrushed on the side. Parking the truck, Bill got out, grinning.
"And what brought on this honor?" Gil asked.
Bill grinned and walked around to the back of the truck, unlocked the door and pushed it up. Inside were hit and miss engines, some large and some smaller. He couldn't count how many there were.
"Where in the world did you get these? Gil asked.
"Called in a few favors. Several museums had extras in the storage warehouses. You said you were looking for some, didn't you?"
"Well yes, but…"
"Let's get these unloaded. I've got places to go and things to do."
"Pull the truck over there to the equipment barn."
Brad came over and using the tractor forks, unloaded the engines. When they had them all laid out on the floor, there was four 1 1/2hp, five 3hp and three 4.5hp hit and miss engines with couple of dozen belts in assorted lengths.
"I don't know what to say Bill."
"Don't say anything and put them to use. I've really got to get going. You boys be good and do good things."
As they watched the truck drive out of sight Brad said, "Now I know what its like to have a Fairy Godmother."
Gil took Grace, Mollie and the twins to the United Grocery outlet in Rogersville to pick a few things, apples to freeze dry and especially bananas. The twins, all of a sudden, started craving bananas like monkeys. If Grace didn't put them up where they couldn't reach them, a bunch wouldn't last them a morning. Grace swore they were having some sort of vitamin deficiency and looked up everything she could find on bananas and made sure the twins took a Flintstones chewable vitamin every morning. The truth b known, the kids just liked bananas. They'd grow out of it and would be on to hopefully, some other fruit. Maybe he could get them to eat raw pumpkin. They could just give them a K-bar and turn them loose in the root cellar.
As they were getting out of the Suburban, Deputy Lynelle Johnson drove up beside them.
"Morning Gil, Grace."
"Morning Lynelle. How are you?" Grace asked.
"I'm doing well, thank you. Gil, a wholesale grocery supply truck was hijacked yesterday after a rural store delivery near Surgoinsville."
The driver all right?"
"Yeah, they just made him get out and took his phone. The truck had LoJack, but by the time the theft was reported, the truck was emptied and abandoned. Lot of good it did them though. Most of the stuff was perishable. They'll eat good for a few days, anyway."
"Yeah," Gil said, "But that just means they'll be after another one. Lynelle, I'm afraid you'll see more and more of this. Has anyone given any thought to having guards ride with them?"
Lynelle grinned. "I don't own the train, I just give out the tickets."
Gil chuckled. "Well be careful. Desperate people do desperate things."
"Okay Gil. See ya."
Grace took Gil's arm. "Getting worse?"
"Seems to be."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 20, 2022 15:04:11 GMT -6
Chapter 27
Billy and Carrie took their GED tests at the Educational Opportunity Center at East Tennessee State University in Kingsport. Both got their certificate with no problems. Billy still wanted to pursue the classes at Walters State starting in the Spring semester and Carrie was interested in an Associate's degree in Nursing at Walters. Carrie was also taking more interest in Billy's hobbies. Now they spent a lot of time making and perfecting wooden arrows. Sarah and Grace kept a close eye on them but the teenagers were always off in the woods practicing Carrie's woodsman (or is it woodswoman?) skills or doing something away from direct adult supervision. Sarah finally gave up and had a talk with Carrie. Between the two of them they made the decision to get Sarah the Implant. Carrie had told Sarah they hadn't done anything yet but if Billy wanted to, she wouldn't refuse him. She loved him too much.
"Gil, have you heard of Allstars Wholesale in Tazewell?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Well, they mostly sale pallet loads of things to auctions, bargain dealers, retail stores, flea marketers, exporters, mom and pop shops, dollar stores, bin stores and pawn shops. You're supposed to have a sales tax certificate but I called and they said we could buy things but there is a $300 minimum purchase for customers without sales tax certificate plus we have to pay sales tax and it's all by the pallet, no individual items."
"Well, I guess we could take a ride over there Saturday morning."
"They're only open 8:00 to 4:00, Monday through Friday."
"Okay, we'll go Friday morning then."
Grace grinned. "Okay!"
Billy checked the shaft on the spine tester.
"This is the best batch yet." He grinned.
Carrie kissed him on the cheek.
"You finish testing the rest and I'll lightly sand them." Carrie said.
"They worked together the rest of the afternoon to finish the twenty-five hickory arrows. Each one 5/16" in diameter and a pull of 55-60 pounds. Tomorrow, they would add the fletching.
Beau was the first to come through the door and immediately began playing with his buddy Jack.
"Hey, Uncle Glen."
"Morning Jarrod."
"I've got something for you, Uncle Glen."
"What's that?"
Jarrod handed him a plastic grocery sack with two six-packs of Jello and a little jar of salve.
"Eat two of those containers of Jello a day and rub this salve on your knees and elbows before bed at night. They will get better."
"Are you serious?"
"Serious as two dogs humping. Do it for a week and see if you don't feel a difference."
Gil and Grace arrived in the parking lot, towing a trailer. Grace had talked Gil into bringing the trailer in case they found some "good deals." When they went inside, there were rows and rows of pallets, each with a small sign saying what the pallet contained. Grace picked out a pallet of named brand shampoos, conditioners, body washes and more and a pallet of brand new men, women and children's clothing in assorted sizes and styles. Gil picked a pallet of home improvement items like tools, hardware, lighting, plumbing and some small appliances. At the last minute he came across a pallet of toilet paper he calculated would cost him thirty-seven cents a roll. He had that pallet loaded into the bed of the truck and the rest on the trailer.
As they drove away, Grace grinned at Gil. "Pretty good, hunh?"
Gil grinned back. "Not bad, not bad at all."
Deputy Johnson pull onto Highway 11 from Dewberry Road. With no traffic, which wasn't unusual that time of day, it was more or less a sightseeing trip. As she came around a sharp curve, she slammed on her brakes to keep from rear ending the vehicle stopped in front of her. The vehicle was stopped behind an 18-wheeler with the logo of "Chapman Distributing" on the doors. Three men heard the screech of the tires and turned around, drawing guns. As Lynelle got out of her cruiser, drawing her pistol, shots rang out and two bullets struck her in the chest. Collapsing to the pavement in shock, Lynelle gasped, her short breaths only increasing the pain, the daylight became hazy.
When Gil and Grace got home, Gil got the tractor and off-loaded the pallets into his side of the garage, after pulling the Suburban out. They could sort the pallets out later. He took the pallet of toilet paper directly to the Chambers. When Gil got back, Grace had called the other women and they were already sorting, inventorying and boxing up the shampoo pallet. The pallet of home improvement items, he moved to the shop. Gil tore the plastic off the pallet and began looking through the items on top. There was a mixture of useful and decorative items so he put together some boxes, throwing the decorative items in together. He'd have Grace and the ladies go through them and what they didn't want to keep, they'd find someone who did.
Lynelle heard vehicles cranking and moving away. Managing to roll onto her side, she slowly felt around but couldn't find any wounds. The vest had saved her. Crawling to the car, she managed to pull herself into the seat and picked up the mic.
"This is Unit 37. Shots fired. Officer down. I am approximately a mile north of Dewberry Road on Highway 11."
"Hang on Unit 37. Assistance is enroute."
Gil's radio beeped. "Gil, I had the scanner on. A Sheriff's unit has come under fire on Highway 11. Looks like someone was wounded." Coy said.
Gil gritted his teeth. "Roger."
"Another hijacking, no doubt. Will is going to have to double up on patrol routes." Thought Gil
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Post by cavsgt on Feb 20, 2022 16:23:19 GMT -6
Once again a really good update and of course stopped with in sight of the CLIFF.
Thank You for the story. Phill
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Post by gipsy on Feb 20, 2022 18:43:57 GMT -6
Good thing Gil got them those vests And plates a few chapters back. Thanks for the update.
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Post by bluefox2 on Feb 20, 2022 19:58:38 GMT -6
Good reading. Now to see if I am in your head. I am thinking Glen and Mollie and Maybe Trace and Jacinta as couples
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Feb 21, 2022 11:52:21 GMT -6
A cliff isn't necessary to get me to come read the next chapter. Thanks for all your work.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 22, 2022 13:44:19 GMT -6
Chapter 28
Billy inspected the grain of the arrow shaft and clamped it in the special vise. Using a hacksaw blade he cut the nock, then groves for fletching. Carrie handed him another arrow and Billy continued to work.
Gil drove into town to the Sheriff's Office. Gil had called Will earlier to see if he was going to be in.
"Will, how is she?"
"She's got three cracked ribs, a couple of big bruises and sore as hell. They're keeping her in the hospital for a couple of days for observation."
"She was lucky." Gil said.
"That vest she was wearing gave her the luck. I and the rest of the Department thank you."
"Did they catch them?"
"Caught one. He's being charged with attempted murder. DA is figuring for him to cut a deal to roll the others."
"In another time they'd be building a gallows next to the court house about now." Gil said.
"I'm afraid we'd be building a lot of them before this is over." Will said.
"Are they going to start putting guards on the trucks?"
"Well, the Sheriff's Departments of Sullivan, Hawkins, Greene and Hamblen counties are coordinating with the distributing companies and putting extra patrols on their routes especially in the areas that the trucks could be hijacked. Just about all have installed emergency kill switches so the trucks can't move after being activated."
"Will it seems to me someone's got some inside information on the trucks and their routes and can plan on where to take them down."
"We're looking into that possibility now Gil."
Gil saw Billy and Carrie were down at the range shooting their bows. She was getting pretty good, in fact, she could hit with accuracy at twenty five yards comparable to his own. Billy was really good at forty yards. But they seemed to have reached a point they couldn't go beyond. He decided to bring in some assistance to help them overcome their problem.
"Jacinta, can you come over to Bluff View. I need your help on something."
""Give me thirty minutes, Gil."
Jacinta went straight to the house when she arrived. Gil saw her drive toward the house and realized he hadn't told her where he would be. He took the Gator up and found Grace and Jacinta talking over coffee.
"Morning Jacinta." Gil said.
"Good morning Gil. What do you need help on?"
"Well, it isn't really me. It's Billy and Carrie. They've reached some stumbling blocks in their archery they're having problems getting beyond. I was wondering whether you would help them."
"Sure, what seems to be their problem?"
"I'll defer to you on the analysis. Probably it would be best if you watched them for a while."
"Okay. Where are they now?"
"They're down at the rifle range."
"Let's go."
"Go ahead and take one of the Gators outside. I don't want to be a distraction."
Jacinta left and she must have taken the E-Gator because they didn't hear her leave."
"What's going on?" Grace said.
"Billy and Carrie are having problems with their arrow groupings and distances. Jacinta is an expert bow shooter and I think she might be able to help them."
Jacinto slowly drove up to the range and watched the two from inside the Gator. They had good form, but she didn't think they were mentally focused enough. She got out and walked over to them. Billy heard her steps and turned.
"Oh, hi Jacinta. What's up? Where's Carmen?"
"I left her at home. It's a little chilly today and she doesn't like anything close to chilly and her language gets a little rough when she's annoyed. Can I take a look at your bow?"
Billy handed her his bow and she looked it over. It was a takedown recurve bow, well made and balanced. She brought the bow up like she was taking a shot and pulled the string back to her right ear then slowly let it ride forward.
"Sixty pounds?"
Billy nodded. Jacinta took Carrie's bow and looked it over, then checked the pull on it.
"That feels like fifty pounds." Jacinta said.
"Yes, it is." Carrie said.
"I want you two to try something. I think your distance and grouping problems are just temporary. I believe your focus is a little off and you are focusing on the target as a whole and shots are drifting. Pick a spot on the target, a spot the size of a dime. It doesn't matter where on the target you are aiming. Focus on that one spot and imagine your arrow point penetrating through that one spot. With practice, you'll be able to put the arrow through a man's…a deer's eye at seventy five yards. There are some conditioning exercises I can walk you through that will help also. Now, before you nock the arrow, clear your mind of everything but that one spot. When you are ready, nock the arrow, reacquire your spot and focus on it. When your mind is on nothing but that one little spot, sight, pull and release your arrow. It will feel like an eternity but you will gain speed with practice. Carrie, why don't you go first from the twenty yard line."
Carrie drew an arrow and walked up to the line. You could feel her concentration. She nocked the arrow, keeping her eyes on the target, raised her bow, sighted ,then released the string. The arrow was dead center. She turned to Billy and Jacinta and grinned.
"Again." Jacinta said.
Carrie drew another arrow out of the quiver and went through the same motions. The arrow flew true and cut part of the fletchings off the first arrow.
"Hey! You are destroying our arrows!" Billy exclaimed.
Carrie came skipping over to Billy and grinned. "It works."
Billy went up to the line and, taking his time, shot. Dead center! His second arrow cut a fletching off his first arrow too."
"Hey!" Exclaimed Carrie.
"Now, practice like that every time. Don't go for just the target circle but a miniscule part of that circle. Practice placing arrows at the twelve, three, six and nine o'clock positions for practice. Feel and know exactly where the arrow is going to go. Speed isn't important now. That will come with practice."
"Aim small, miss small. What about the exercises?" Billy asked.
"When you are through down here, come back up to the house. I'm going to have coffee with your mother."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 22, 2022 13:46:59 GMT -6
Chapter 29
When Glen had woke that morning and set his feet on the floor, his knees didn't ache like they usually did. He tried swinging his leg out and he knees weren't making that noise like a rusty screen door hinge like they did sometimes. The salve and Jello must be working. The Jello was refreshing too.
He let Jack out and stood on the porch for a minute then headed for the outhouse. Once he and Jack had finished breakfast, He continued work on the Adirondack pack he was making Jarrod to gather his roots and herbs in. Glen was using peeled White Willow for the basket pack. He'd gathered the material back in the Spring before the buds opened. Glen had his own gathering spot on the north part of the point. Although Jarrod liked to gather willow bark for his medicinal herbs, he agreed to use the Black willow branches for that. Glen worked until needed to put his reeds back in to soak for a while because they were starting to get a little less pliable. He felt like a cup of coffee anyway.
"How is Deputy Johnson doing?" Brad asked.
"Oh, bruised, cracked ribs, the usual."
"Okay, where do you want me to fly to?"
"Right now, I want to cover the major routes in the county. Will is getting a map together of all the stores that the distributors cover, both in town and rural. If you see anything suspicious, get on this radio and contact the Sheriff''s Department. Keep them in sight until the cavalry arrives. You take it for a couple of hours. The trucks report back in to the warehouses by1700, so there's no use in running later than that. Tomorrow, we'll break it up into three shifts; Billy will be in the air 0700-1030, you from 1030-1400, and I'll take it from 1400-1730. The next day we'll shift up and you start at 0700."
"Got it. Well, I'll get in the air then."
Gil watched as Brad lifted off and turned northeast. Gil his phone out and sent a text to Will telling them they were in the air.
Jacinta continued to work with Billy and Carrie with their archery. She thought they should be using lighter arrows but they were doing well and worked through the quirkiness of the homemade arrows. She taught them the mediation exercises of her qigong routine and they had improved immensely. Carrie was now making killing shots out to forty yards. Billy was closing in on seventy-five yards but was having a few problems estimating the wind. They just needed to practice, and they were eager to do that.
Glen was attaching the shoulder straps and buckles to the pack when Beau and Jarrod came in.
"Almost finished?" Jarrod asked.
"Just about. What are you up to?"
"I'm headed over to Gil's to see if I can talk him out of a gallon of that alcohol he distills to make some Willow Bark Extract."
"Well, be up front and he will give you what you need."
Looking around, Jarrod grinned. "You cleaned up in here. You have a woman come in?
"Hell NO! But yeah, well, it was getting a mite cluttered."
"Uncle Glen, why didn't you ever get married again?"
"Look around you. Marriages today last just past the honeymoon stage. When you get a divorce, you lose your friends, your respect, your sex life, your money, and if you have kids, your family. Women can take half your savings, pension and property. At my age, I could find a woman but she'd be about as old as I am and there's a chance she'd die before me. Nah, don't need the heartache nor the headache. I'd just as soon keep what I got and be happy with that. It's nice to have a woman around but it's a hellava big risk I'm too old to be taking. Jack gives me someone to talk to and at least he sits there and listens to me. Can't make a sandwich worth a damn though."
Jarrod chuckled. "I'll be back in a while.
Gil checked the engine oil and the fuel in the Maule for tomorrow. He got a urinal bottle and tossed it into the copilot's seat. As he was finishing up, he heard the hovercraft park at the boat garage. Walking around the front of the hangar, he saw it was Jarrod. Jarrod got in the Suburban and drove up the road. Gil got in the Gator, to try to intercept him, but ended up just following him to the house. Jarrod must have seen him in the rear view mirror because he slowed as they got near the house.
"Hello Jarrod. How is it going?"
"Hey Gil. I was wondering. I want to make some Willow Bark extract and I need clean alcohol to mix it in."
"Would 148 proof vodka work?"
"Perfect."
"Hop in."
Jarrod got into the Gator and Gil took him up to the chambers. Gil got him three 750ml bottles.
"That do you?"
"This will be excellent."
"What do you do with willow bark extract?"
"Primarily it's used as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Rub it on sore muscles and bruises."
"Well, if you need any more, just yell."
Jacinta stood and walked up the boat ramp, the water draining off her wetsuit and out of her water shoes. She walked quickly to the cottage and went inside.
"COLD! COLD!. Screeched Carmen."
"You are right about that!" Jacinta said, taking the wetsuit top a d bottom off and wiping down with a towel. Pulling on a terrycloth robe, she poured a cup of coffee and sat down on the hearth, feeling the luxurious warmth of the slowly burning logs. Carmen flew over and landed on her shoulder, massaging Jacinta with her talons.
"Damn Carmen! Your talons need cutting!"
"Oh No!" Screamed Carmen, flying back to her perch.
"We're going to get those talons trimmed one way or another!"
Jacinta got dressed and went into town and bought a bag of concrete, a three foot piece of rebar and two rolls of cheap paper towels. She stopped by Bluff View on the way home. Luckily, she found Gil working in his shop. She cut the rebar into two pieces, each four inches longer than the paper towel roll. Gil watched her as she rolled all the paper towels off the rolls then wrapped the paper tubes in duct tape. Taking a shovel and a five gallon bucket outside, she filled and packed the bucket three quarters full of dirt and took it back inside. She dug two holes in the dirt then buried about four inches of the tubes, packed dirt around them, then drove the rebar into the center of the tubes until there was two inches sticking above the top of the tube. She mixed concrete in a plastic bucket and spooned the concrete into the tube, tamping it in with a small diameter metal rod until the concrete was level with the top of the tube.
"What in the world are you doing?" Gil asked.
"Carmen's talons need cutting and she goes ballistic when I try to do it, so I've made two perch rods so she can naturally wear them down rubbing them on the concrete. I'll come get these tomorrow."
"Well, It's almost dinner time. Grace makes a pretty good meatloaf."
Jacinta smiled. "Thanks, I'd like that."
While they were eating dinner, Grace asked Jacinta where she was from originally.
"I'm from Idaho." Jacinta answered.
"Oh. I though you might have been from New Mexico or around that area."
"No, I am from the Nimiipuu tribe, or as those not of The People call us, Nez Perce."
"Do you still have family there?"
"No, no blood relatives."
Alana got down from her seat and came around the table to stand beside Jacinta's chair and look up.
"You could be famwy wif us."
Grace giggled. "That's a great idea Alana! Go ahead, ask her."
Alana took Jacinta's hand with her two. "Will you be in our famwy?"
Jacinta almost lost her composure but caught herself and smiled.
"Yes, Little One, I'll be part of your family."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 22, 2022 13:48:14 GMT -6
Chapter 30
"Unit 27, we have a report of a suspicious vehicle following a delivery truck that just left Brooks Market on 344. Vehicle is said to be headed southeast."
"Roger. I'm about two miles from the market. Will respond."
Brad banked the plane around and flew south. He knew where the market was.
"Dispatch, 27. Is that an 18-wheeler?"
"Negative, it is a box truck."
"Roger, 27."
Brad saw the market on his left side and started scanning. He caught the glint of something turning off to his left front.
"Unit 27 this is Bird's Eye. Vehicles have stopped at the intersection of Bigtown Road and Hayes Chapel Road. Vehicles are turning right on Hayes Chapel."
"Roger Bird's Eye."
Brad watched the truck and the following vehicle and stayed back to keep from being noticed. They turned off on a farm field that connected two state roads.
"Dispatch, Bird's Eye, subject vehicles have turned off Hayes Chapel onto a farm road two miles southeast of the intersection.
"Dispatch, 27, I have an individual waving me down at the intersection of Bigtown and Hayes Chapel."
"Dispatch, Bird's Eye, subject vehicle has turned left onto Lawyers Road and headed east."
"Roger Bird's Eye. Units are ten minutes out. LoJack has identified the vehicle as a delivery truck out of Greeneville."
Brad watched the two vehicles. All of a sudden the lead vehicle followed by a pickup turned off onto a pasture road and continued on a faint road to what looked like an old barn The trucks went behind the barn into a lower area, probably to keep from being seen from the road.
"Dispatch, Bird's Eye. Vehicles have left the road and are parked behind a barn on…….Park's Cutoff."
"Bird's Eye, Dispatch. Can you maintain surveillance until responding units arrive?"
"Roger Dispatch. I will hold at this location and am prepared to mark the location where they left the main road with smoke."
"Roger Bird's Eye. Units are five minutes out."
Brad couldn't see very well, but it looked like the back door of the box truck was open and three men were putting things from the box truck into the pickup truck. He slowed his speed and set his flaps so he was barely making headway and maintaining altitude.
"Bird's Eye, Dispatch. Units are near your location. Can you mark the area where the trucks left the highway?"
"Roger Dispatch."
Brad pulled his flaps, increased speed and banked right and dove. Taking the smoke grenade out of the pouch laying in the co-pilot's seat, Brad pulled the pin and clamped the stick between his knees. Slightly wiggling his knees to keep the plane on course, he opened the small side window and stuck his left arm out with the smoke grenade and grabbed the stick with his right. Making a final correction he released the purple smoke grenade as he crossed the roadway in the direction of the old barn. The grenade fell in an arch, spewing a trail of purple and hit the ground, cartwheeling and laying out a cloud of dense smoke. Brad pulled up and banked to the leftt, seeing the Sheriff's Department cars off to his left."
"Bird's Eye, Unit 37. I have location in sight."
"Roger 37, be advised, there are at least three personnel on scene."
"Roger Bird's Eye.
Brad slowed the aircraft and stayed in a slight left bank to keep the four Sheriff's Deputies in sight as they spread out and moved toward the barn, each carrying a long gun. Brad watched as the three suspects realized what was going on and scattered, running up the hill into the woods.
"Unit 37, Bird's Eye. Be advised suspects have left their position and are running up the hill into the woods."
"Roger Bird's Eye."
Brad watched as two dogs went running ahead of the Deputies and into the woods, the Deputies quickly trailing them. Brad extended his pattern to make sure they didn't leave the patch of forest without being seen. A few minutes later he heard Unit 37 call dispatch.
"Dispatch, 37. We have two individuals in custody and should soon have the third."
"Roger 37. Do you need further assistance?"
"We're going to need a couple of tow trucks."
"Roger 37."
Brad kept a close watch but only saw a Deputy occasionally. Five minutes later, there was another call from the search team.
"Dispatch, 37. We'll need a bus out here. Last suspect fell and was injured."
"Roger 37. ETA twenty minutes."
Brad waited a couple of minutes and made his call.
"Unit 37, Bird's Eye. Do you need my assistance any longer."
"Negative Bird's Eye. We've got everything under control. Thanks buddy."
"Glad to be of assistance. Bird's Eye is headed back to the roost."
Grinning, Brad advance the throttle and pointed the nose of the aircraft in the direction of Cherokee Lake Marina, approximately five miles away.
Brad switched to their internal frequency and called Gil as he neared the lake at 2500 feet.
"Gil, I'm coming in."
"Roger, standing by."
Gil watched as the aircraft came in on final and flared, setting down almost helicopter- like on the runway, then taxied up to the hangar.
"How did it go?" Gil asked.
"Like clockwork. They nabbed three suspects. Only one suspect was injured and no Deputies."
"Good. Leave the plane. Colt and I will take care of it. Go home and settle down."
"Thanks Gil. I could use a sandwich."
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Post by cavsgt on Feb 22, 2022 15:39:05 GMT -6
Thank You Phill
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Post by gipsy on Feb 22, 2022 15:55:35 GMT -6
Thanks for the update. Kids are a good judge of friends.
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Post by udwe on Feb 22, 2022 17:48:30 GMT -6
I really don't understand some people!
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Post by freebirde on Feb 22, 2022 20:01:18 GMT -6
"Thanks Gil. I could use a sandwich."
Make up flight packs of one handed foods like empanadas, fruit fried pies, savory fried pies, and such. No bean burritos or other gaseous foods, the changing air pressure can cause discomfort of the gut and relief of that discomfort is not good in a closed cabin. They can be made in advance and frozen to be thawed the night before or left out in the cabin.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 23, 2022 17:12:10 GMT -6
Chapter 31
With his day not interrupted with air patrols, Gil could get back to producing methanol. The suspects the Deputies had caught were all from one family. When they searched the small farm, they found items from all the hijackings. They had eaten as much of the fresh produce as they could then fed the rest to the two hogs they kept, but it was too much for even them to eat and a lot of it laid around their trough uneaten.
Again, Gil started early and had the still fired by 0700. He had changed things up a bit. Taking two Jerry cans, he had drilled a hole for a nipple plug and a vent plug on the top of each can. He used a fuel line to connect the condenser outlet to the nipple plug. Now the methanol would drain directly into the can. He wouldn't have to empty the collecting container as many times. When it was time to empty the can, all he had to do was clamp the line, disconnect from the full can and reconnect the hose to the second can. That left him with little to do except monitor the temperature.
Grace took the pork roast out of the freezer to thaw while she Glenda and Mollie talked. Glenda had forwarded the office phones to her cell and was taking the morning to visit. The whole crew was up near Boyles Ford working on a bridge so there wasn't much to do at the office.. She was going to make an apple pie here to take home but would leave early enough to have dinner on the table when Tate got home.
"How many apples do I need?" Glenda asked.
Mollie looked at the apples Glenda brought. "Those are good size Granny Smiths. Five should be good."
Glenda began peeling and slicing apples, while Mollie got a bowl and added cold water and lemon juice to it for Glenda put her apple slices in.
"Shannon's baby is growing so fast!" Glenda said.
"Mollie chuckled. We had to break out larger clothes for her. I washed and stored the smaller ones so, just so you know, there's plenty of clothes for more babies at Bluff View."
Glenda grinned and slightly flushed. "Maybe. Maybe soon."
"Trust me," Mollie said, "best month to get pregnant is May. The worst part, I mean when you're carrying around fifteen pounds of baby bump, will be in the cooler months and you'll be more comfortable. You can be miserable when you're carrying the weight in hot weather."
"Okay, apples are done. What's next?" Glenda asked.
Mollie sat out each ingredient. "Okay, to make the pie crust, we'll need two cups of all-purpose flour. Now, we grind our own flour so this has already been sifted twice to get rid of the bran. We'll also need I teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of sugar, six tablespoons of butter, 6 tablespoons of lard and 6 to 8 tablespoons of ice water."
While Mollie and Glenda worked on the crust, Grace emptied two bags of freeze dried bags of blackberries into bowl to re-hydrate and make a blackberry cobbler for dessert tonight.
Mollie and Glenda got the pie dough made, wrapped it in plastic wrap and placed it in the fridge.
"Okay, now the apples." Mollie said.
Mollie got out their largest stainless steel bowl and set it on the counter, along with the sugar, flour cinnamon, salt, vinegar and a large colander.
"Now, Get that big colander and dump the apples in to drain the water off into the sink." Mollie said.
Glenda set the colander in the sink and poured the apples and water into it.
"Put a cup of sugar in the bowl, then two tablespoons of flour, a half teaspoon of cinnamon, and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Now mix that all up real good. Now add the tablespoon of vinegar and mix it all together thoroughly."
"Vinegar in apple pie?" Glenda asked.
"Trust me." Mollie said. "It will bring out the flavors and you'll never taste the vinegar."
Glenda mixed everything up thoroughly then Mollie emptied the colander into the bowl.
"Toss the apples until the sugar and spices coat all the apple slices.
Mollie got the ball of pie dough out of the fridge, floured the pastry mat and unwrapped the dough.
"Cut the ball exactly in half. One half will be the bottom crust, one will be the top crust. Then go by the marks on the mat and roll out the dough for a nine inch pie. Try to get it about an eighth of an inch thick."
When Glenda had the bottom pie shell rolled out Mollie showed her how to roll the shell on the rolling pin and placed it the pie pan. They pressed it down and shaped it to the sides.
"Now, give the apples a couple more good stirs and ladle the apples into the shell. Don't use all the juice yet Don't worry if you end up with a big mound of apples. Just even them out."
When Glenda got all the apple slices in the pie shell, Mollie looked in the bowl.
"Pour about half that juice over the apples. Okay, now, cut five tablespoons of butter and place them around on top of the apples."
"Okay, now roll out your top shell. We're almost done."
"Glenda rolled out the top crust and like Mollie had showed her, partially rolled the dough onto the rolling pin and placed it on top of the apples.
"Now take the two crusts and roll them under to just inside the lip of the pie pan. Go all the way around. The last thing you need to do is cut steam vents into the top crust. I usually cut four slits on the edge of the crust for each of the four points of the cross. Good. The oven has been pre-heated to four hundred degrees, now you want to set the timer for fifty minutes. At fifty minutes, we'll pull it out and baste it with a wash of egg white and water, then place the pie back in the oven for ten minutes."
Mollie opened the oven door and Glenda slid the pie in. Mollie got a raised side cookie sheet and set it under the pie.
"That pie is going to be juicy and sometimes will bubble over."
They cleaned up the kitchen, washed and put everything away. After making the egg wash, they sat down and had the cups of tea Grace had made. When the timer went off, Glenda applied the wash with a pastry brush, placed the pie back in the oven and set the timer for ten minutes.
"This is the first pie I've ever made except for those no-bake things with the crust you buy at the store." Glenda said with a smile.
When the timer went off, Glenda took the pie out of the oven and set it on the trivet Mollie had placed on the counter. The pie was a golden brown with a slight shine to it from the egg wash.
"It smells wonderful!" Grace said.
"I've never failed with that recipe yet." Mollie commented.
"Could you give me the recipe?" Glenda asked.
Grace smiled and went over to the printer, taking out a copy of the recipe and handing it to Glenda.
Mollie chuckled. "Actually, I got that recipe from Gil. He's pretty handy in the kitchen too."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 23, 2022 17:13:17 GMT -6
Chapter 32
Gil pulled the siphon tube out of the bottle and turned to the corking machine and corked the bottle of watermelon wine. Handing the bottle to Grace, she placed a label on the bottle, dipped it in the melted wax and placed it in the crate, Gil reached for an empty bottle.
"How much more do we have left?" Grace asked.
"I'd say another case. You better give the girls some."
"Oh, I will. This turned out pretty good this year."
"Yeah, it did. If you like watermelon wine."
"Well, I like it. It has just the right amount of alcohol and reminds me of a nice summer day."
"Are Billy and Carrie still going down to Walters tomorrow?"
"Yes, they both have appointments with their counselors tomorrow morning."
Gil had cut it close and the last bottle had a little sediment in it.
"I'll cork it and take it down anyway." Grace said. "Mollie and I will drink it. It just doesn't look pretty. Let's take that case down with us."
Gil rinsed everything and left everything out. He would come back later and give it all a thorough cleaning.
"Do you have plans for this weekend?" Grace asked.
"No, nothing really planned. Why?"
We owe Angela and Steve a visit. We said we would take a weekend up there and we never got a chance."
"Well, Give Angela a call and see if this weekend is open."
"I already did and she's excited."
"Well, we'll take the Maule then. We have room for the twins…."
"Nah Ah!. Just the two of us. Mollie is watching the crumb snatchers."
"Well, I guess it's a date then. I'll take a small keg to Steve." Gil replied.
"I'll wrap four bottles of this wine. Angela enjoys it."
Gil did a pass down the field to check for any obstacles and noticed Steve had freshly mowed it. Coming around, he lined up and prepared the Maule for landing. Just clearing the fifteen foot trees at the end of the field, floating down, the wheels touched down and he stopped quickly then taxied up to where he saw Steve waiting with a utility vehicle. Gil and Grace got out and grabbed the one bag they brought, the wine and the small keg of whiskey.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Steve said when he saw the keg.
Steve took the bag and wine from Grace. Gil strapped the keg into a rear seat and Steve drove them to the "house."
Steve and Angela had done a lot of work. They now had a nice, paved patio area, stone outside fireplace and a cover over it all. Angela came out of the shelter and gave Grace a hug.
"Drinks anyone?"
"We brought what I think everyone wants to drink." Grace grinned.
"You've got watermelon wine!" Angela grinned.
They went down into the shelter to get glasses while Gil removed the spout bung and replaced it with a wooden spigot. The girls came back with lowball and wine glasses and a cork screw. Pouring their drinks, Steve rolled back half the patio cover so they had some of the warming sun.
"You've done a lot of work here." Gil said.
"Yeah, we've work hard, but it has been satisfying. We do our shopping once a month down in Livingston and once in a while over to Jamestown."
"You guys need to breath some different air. Why don't you come down Thanksgiving and stay for the weekend?" Grace said.
Angela looked at Steve. "Sure, we'd like that," Steve said.
"Good, come down the day before and stay the weekend. You and I can drink wine and eat leftovers and the men can do men things." Grace grinned.
They had a nice quiet weekend, even driving down to Pall Mall to visit the Alvin C. York home place then flew back home Sunday evening.
Monday morning, Jarrod carefully poured the last of the extract into the 100ml rectangular amber glass bottle and put the cap on. He ended up with five bottles more than the case would hold and set them aside. He'd hand over the extract to Colt and he could see to its use, since he was their medic, sort of. He printed off a sheet of instructions on what the extract was used for and how to use it then laid it on top of the bottles. Carefully taping the box closed, he set it aside. He slipped a bottle of the extract into his coat pocket and turned to Beau.
"Come on Beau, let's go take a ride."
Strapping the box on the front cargo shelf on the bike, Jarrod headed down the slope to his Uncle Glen's cabin, Beau scouting ahead of him.
"Good morning!" Jarrod said, catching Glen hauling firewood to the cabin.
"Well good morning! Whatcha got there?" Glen nodded at the box in Jarrod's hands.
"The Willow Bark Extract. I was going over to turn it over to Colt. I saved a bottle out for you."
"I might just go over with you. I haven't seen the folks for a few days and I need to take a ride into town."
With Jack and Beau leading the way, they went down to the hovercraft and put the dogs' ear protectors on. Beau really didn't like wearing them and sat there on the deck like he was pouting, but he didn't try to shake them off. Glen cranked the engines and moved the hovercraft down to the water, speeding up and going into a plane. When they reached the boat garage and parked, Glen could hear the sawmill running.
"Let's take the Suburban. It needs running a little bit." Glen said. Glen opened the door and Jack, followed by Beau, jumped into the back seats. Jarrod got into the passenger seat and held the box in his lap. Glen headed to the sawmill and Gil, Brad, Trace and Colt were milling a load of cedar logs. When Gil saw Glen, he shut the sawmill down."
"Nice lookin' cedar." Glen commented.
"Yes it is. I wanted to get at least one truckload done before the weather caught us." Gil replied.
"Colt. I've got this case of 300ml bottles of Willow Bark Extract. The instructions for its use are inside the box." Jarrod said.
"Thanks Jarrod. You got anything else in your forest pharmacy over there?"
"Darrn right he has!" Glen exclaimed. "He fixed me right up. My joints were bothering me a right smart. I could sit and swing my left leg and it sounded like a rusty door hinge. You could actually hear it! He made up a salve to put on my elbows and knees at night and had me eating a couple of those small cups of Jello every day and I'm as good as new."
"Well, We'll take whatever you come up with Jarrod." Colt said.
"Okay, I need to get some containers for it." Jarrod said.
"Jarrod, make up a list of the containers you need and I'll order them. Don't be shy on the quantities. We can always store the empty containers in the storage shed."
Gil had been offered a ten foot shipping container and he'd bought it. They took the doors and hinges off of it and framed the end wall up and put in a door. After painting it with the white Solar-Flex coating, they had a nice storage shed. If Gil picked up anything for Glen or Jarrod, they'd just put it in there and give them a call. One of the two would come over at their convenience and get it.
"Okay Gil. Thanks." Jarrod replied.
"Well, we'll let ya'll get back to work. We need to make a trip into town."
"Okay Glen. Thanksgiving is in two weeks. You two start building your appetites."
"Gil, now you're gonna get my mouth watering and my stomach growling." Glen said, grinning.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 23, 2022 17:15:35 GMT -6
Chapter 33
Glen and Jarrod cracked the windows and left the dogs in the Suburban to go into Walmart. Glen got a buggy and gotten four packs of Jello, twenty pounds of non-iodized salt, two cans of buttermilk powder, ten pounds of cornmeal and five pounds of lard. Jarrod added another five pounds of lard, three pounds of smoked sausage and a container of mustard. They went to the pet section and picked out a couple of bags of treats for the dogs.
"You want anything else?" Glen asked.
"No, that's all. Jarrod replied.
They went to checkout and as usual, there were ten checkout positions and only two had people working them. The line slowly moved up and they started loading their things on the conveyor belt.
"I got this." Glen said, pulling out his wallet."
"Well, I'll buy lunch then, but I pay for the groceries next time."
Jarrod treated them to lunch at the Red Dog. Glen ordered a steak sandwich with fries and Jarrod went for the BLT. While they were eating, two young men came in, talking loudly and jostling one another. One reached down and snatched a fry off Glen's plate and asked, "Hey grandpa, how are the fries?"
Quick as a snake, Glen's right hand snatched the young man by the throat and drew him within a foot of Glen's face.
"Listen to me, you little bastard. You ever touch my food or call me grandpa again, I will tear your throat out and watch you bleed to death. Do I make myself clear?"
The red faced young man tried to speak but ended up just nodding. Glen released him with a shove and the young man staggered back a couple of steps. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times then, holding his throat, turned and left the tavern. His buddy scampered out behind him.
"Damned young people these days just don't have respect for anybody." Glen grumbled, taking another bite of his sandwich.
Brad drove off with the load of cedar planks and beams as Gil, Trace and Colt began cleaning up around the sawmill.
"Mark the bags this sawdust goes in. I want to save it for the chicken coop. The cedar sawdust will keep mites out." Gil said.
They had just finished cleaning up when Glen and Jarrod returned. Jarrod got out of the truck grinning, the dogs right behind him.
"What's up?" Gil asked.
Jarrod told them what happened in the Red Dog to a grinning Gil.
"Why didn't you just shoot him in the foot, Glen?"
"I wouldn't waste a bullet on the little prick." Glen grumbled.
"I think that fella got the message though." Jarrod grinned.
Carmen sat on one of the perch rods Jacinta had made for her and massaged the rod with her talons, singing to herself Beethoven's opening four notes of the his Fifth Symphony, Da-Da-Da-Dum over and over.
Jacinta smile and looked over at her.
"I need to play you some different music for a while. What about a little George Strait?"
Carmen danced, held out her wings and began singing, "All my exes live in Texas…"
Jacinta giggled and shook her head, going back to her crossword puzzle.
Grace gave the twins a break. She had them reading "Four is a little, Four is a LOT," and they were reading very well. She would work with them a little later on another book. Right now, She and Mollie were going to make four loaves of bread. They got the dough together and kneaded it well, then placed the dough into greased bowls to rise, and covering the two bowls with cloths.
"Why are we making this much bread?" Mollie asked.
"Jacinta is coming over this afternoon. I want a loaf for her to take back." Grace replied.
Gil walked in and got a drink of water. "I'm going to Tractor Supply to pick up some drums I ordered. Do you need anything in town?"
"No, but on the way home, can you stop by Marty's and pick up a piece of bees wax? Mollie wants to wax the flax thread she's sewing Billy's buckskin coat with."
"I saw you two working on what looked like two of them the other day. Why two?"
"Well, Mollie is showing me how to make one and I'm making one for Carrie."
"Have you got the wedding dress picked out yet?" Gil said facetiously.
Grace grinned. "Stop it! Anyway, it's too early." . Gil shook his head and went out to his truck. "Women, one day she's lamenting about Billy growing up too fast, now she's picking out dish patterns." As Gil opened the door to his truck, Sandy came trotting out of the woods, blood on her cheek.
"Come here girl!."
Sandy trotted over to Gil and sat. Gil kneeled down to check her out.
"You've been messing with those raccoons again, haven't you? When are you going to learn?"
All Sandy wanted to do was play with them but the raccoons were having none of that and every so often she came home with a few scratches. She was up on her shots so he wasn’t worried about rabies. Gil took her inside and washed the minor wounds and applied some antiseptic ointment to them. He told Grace to keep Sandy to inside for a while then got in the truck and headed to town.
Gil picked up the drums and almost turned into the drive when he got back to Bluff View but remembered the bees wax and continued on down the road.
Marty was working in his shop, putting together a bee hive when he saw Gil driving up. He laid the panel down and went to the door.
"Hey, Gil."
"Howdy Marty. Grace sent me over for some bees wax. She's sewing some leather and wants to wax the thread."
Marty went to a cabinet and took out a block of wax that was about the size of a 4x4 and abut six inches long.
"This should last her a while."
"I should say. How's everything going? How are the bees?"
"Everything's fine and the bees are doing well. I think the building will save a few hives this year. I've got a couple of hives I think will swarm this year. That's why I'm putting together more hives. Did you make your mead?"
"Yep, turned out good. I'll bring you down a few bottles."
"Looking forward to it."
"Okay, I'll let you get back to work. I'll see you later."
"Bye Gil."
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