ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
|
Post by ydderf2 on Jun 20, 2022 21:24:29 GMT -6
Thanks
|
|
|
Post by solo on Jun 21, 2022 9:11:44 GMT -6
Great start to a MAG....
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 22, 2022 15:25:03 GMT -6
Chapter 67
“What are you going to do about this Hoosier cabinet?” Jaelyn asked.
“There is an antiques show in Springfield on the 27th. I’m taking the Hoosier, those two sideboards, this kitchen table, the two hutches and the corner shelf. Look what I found in a box.” Kacie said.”
Jaelyn looked in the box Kacie opened. Inside were various sizes of milk glass jars.
“What are these?”
“It’s a complete set of original spice jars for the Hoosier cabinet. They are rare as chicken’s teeth. You can only find reproductions these days.” “We’re going to need a bigger trailer to move this stuff.” Jaelyn said.
“I’m renting a U-Haul with a furniture truck and moving blankets. Do you think you could get Gene to go with us? You know, make him some strawberry tarts or something.”
“I think I could persuade him,” Jaelyn said, grinning.
“Good. We can get this done before you go on your honeymoon. While you’re gone, I won’t have any problems with the smaller stuff.”
Gene put the finished foxes on the shelf and picked up the sketch and photos of the eagle’s nest. This would probably take him twice as long to carve as the foxes. He would make the nest out of real sticks and twigs. The eaglets and the adult Bald Eagle would be carved separately. Also, he would use a different technique to make the eagle’s feathers shine in certain areas as if reflecting the sunlight. He laid the sketch down and went to the house to make a little dinner. Gene had thawed out a serving of collard greens and fried a pork chop. A potato sliced up and fried with some onion and a small cake of cornbread rounded out his meal. As he ate, he browsed the survival sites on his laptop, looking for ideas. He ordered a few things and wrote down the contact information for Atlas Survival Shelter, Inc. down in Texas. They had nice shelters. Gene went outside and checked some measurements and had plenty of room for their New Jersey model shelter. He would gather together property maps and take a trip down to Sulphur Springs and talk to the builders after their honeymoon.
Hank and Diane cut the Charentais melons into chip sized slices and filled the dryer trays. After dusting them with a little Stevia, Diane started the freeze-dryer and Hank making sure to keep the seeds separated for drying, took the cut up rinds out to the compost pile and mixed them in. The melon chips made great snacks at night and Diane was sure Maddie was going to love them. They cleaned up the kitchen and were just finishing when Maddie woke from her nap.
“DA DA!” Maddie yelled from her bedroom.
Diane grinned and wiped her hands on a towel. “She’s all yours!”
Hank reached over Xena’s back and opened the door to Maddie’s room to find her hanging on her bed rails, grinning. Taking her out, he checked her diaper and laid her on the changing table. After getting her a fresh diaper, Hank carried her into the Great Room, followed closely by Xena. Maddie had one arm on Hank’s shoulder while reaching down, and waving and chanting “Z’na, Z’na.” Hank set her down and she grabbed on to Xena’s back. Diane came out of the kitchen with a small bottle of diluted apple juice. Maddie drank with one hand and walked around with Xena, her arm draped over Xena’s back, steadying herself.
“I’m going down to the greenhouse and pull up the melon vines and plant some more salad greens.”
“Need some help?” Diane asked.
“Nah, It won’t take long. The celery is looking good.”
“I was wondering how that was going to work out.”
Diane had bought six stalks of celery to freeze-dry and had read about growing new stalks from the bases. She cut the bases off about two inches from the root and had them in warm water in the house, changing the water frequently. Once the roots formed, they transplanted the celery in a greenhouse planting bed. They were already forming stalks.
“So far, so good.” Hank said, putting on his coat and hat.
Gene used the fine sandpaper to touch up the eaglets. Taking off the magnifying goggles, he set the carvings in the nest, he looked at the partial diorama. He held up a tree branch he was using for a model next to the nest. This was going to be the trickiest part. He would carve the tree branch with the eagle sitting on it with a small fish in her beak. This was going to take a while. He would start on it later. He wasn’t in any hurry. He was helping Jaelyn and Kacie take the furniture to the antique show, getting married, take the honeymoon cruise and then he could start on the last part of the diorama.
Gene backed the truck up and lowered the lift gate. They took the blankets inside and carefully wrapped the pieces. Gene easily moved the pieces into the truck and strapped them against the walls.
“What time do we have to be there?” Gene asked.
“We have to be set up by 10:00.” Kacie said.
“No problem. I’ll take the truck home with me and you two meet me at the house at 7:00 for breakfast. I can drive the truck and you two lead me to the exhibition hall.”
Jaelyn had just placed the last spice jar in the Hoosier when Kacie sold it right out from under her to another dealer. Things were starting out good. Gene came back with coffee and water for all and waited off to the side and watched the women work.
The last piece sold at 3:00 PM. Kacie was grinning like a possum eating green persimmons.
“We did it!” Jaelyn said.
“Let’s clean up and get out of here!” Kacie said.
Except for your business card holders, I’ve already loaded everything in the truck.” Gene said.
Jaelyn picked up the card holders and the few cards they held, placed them in the big canvas tote and followed Gene and Kacie out to the parking lot. Kacie looked at her watch.
“It’s too early for dinner. Why don’t Jaelyn and I stop and pick up some steaks and salad and cook them when we get back?”
“Sounds good to me,” Gene said. “Bring everything to my house and we can cook them there.”
Gene headed straight back to Piney Creek and the women were 25 minutes behind him.
The women put the salads together while Gene got the grill ready.
“What time are you two getting married Thursday?” Kacie asked.
“One o’clock at the magistrate’s office.” Jaelyn.
“We catch a 10:00 flight out of Springfield to Miami on Friday, connecting in Atlanta and we have to be at the cruise ship Saturday morning for a 11:00 departure.”
“That’s going to be wonderful. The food is free, isn’t it?”
“Yes, we only have to pay for drinks.” Jaelyn said. “I’ll have to watch what I eat or I’ll come back 15 pounds heavier!”
“Don’t worry about it! I’ll work it off you when you get back.” Kacie said, grinning.
They finished eating and cleaning up the dishes and kitchen. Jaelyn rode back to Kacie’s to bring Gene’s truck back. They would turn the rental truck in the next morning.
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Jun 22, 2022 16:11:16 GMT -6
Now we just have to get Kacie on track. Thanks for the update.
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Jun 22, 2022 20:07:09 GMT -6
Something to think about. My neighbor has a Rottweiler who wears a harness with a handle that would be perfect for a handhold for Maddy. You might look into it. A quick search with DDG found a wide variety.
|
|
|
Post by udwe on Jun 23, 2022 10:39:42 GMT -6
Man, i'd love to have that Hoosier cabinet!
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 23, 2022 18:57:41 GMT -6
Chapter 68
Kacie rode with Hank and Diane as they followed Gene and Jaelyn into Cassville. They were at the courthouse fifteen minutes early. As they were waiting, Earl arrived to attend also. Hank, (along with Gene), was glad the ceremony was short. The license was registered at the county clerk’s office and Hank took everyone out for lunch.
“Do you have anything we need to take care of while you are gone?” Diane asked.
“No, I’ve got everything moved to Gene’s and the house and what didn’t bring with me has been sold.” Jaelyn said. “I gave what few plants I had to my old neighbor.”
“Looks like you should have a good day for flying. No weather systems between here and Miami.” Hank commented.
“We’ll keep an eye out on your place Gene.” Earl said.
Everyone was happy to see the couple wed. Kacie was glad because Jaelyn didn’t have as far to drive to come to work. Kacie had asked Jaelyn if she was going to continue to work.
“Of course I am! Jaelyn replied. “Kacie, I’ve never ‘had’ to work. I work with you because I enjoy it. I never had the chance to be a stay at home mother, now maybe I’ll get the chance, but I’ll still work for you.”
“You said it right the first time. ‘Work with me.’ You’ve made our business what it is just as much as I have.”
“T-shirts! You’ve got to bring back T-shirts!” Hank said.
They all finally went home from lunch and Jaelyn finished packing a few things.
“What time is their flight?” Hank asked.
“Ten o’clock.” Diane answered. “Kacie is meeting us at the house at 1:00 PM. We can do our shopping Saturday. Kacie wants to come along and help take care of Maddie.”
"Good, we should be able to get everything done then.”
“I am so happy for them!” Diane said. “Kacie and I were talking to Jaelyn one day shortly after she started working with Kacie. She told us for a long time she felt like she was wading in quicksand after Roger died. She has come out in the last few months, unfolding from a bud into a beautiful flower. I don’t think I’ve seen a happier woman.”
“You weren’t happy when you married me?” Hank asked.
“You know better than to ask that! I have been deliriously happy since the day you helped me drag that dead elk off the road.”
The next morning Hank Diane, Maddie and Kacie headed to Springfield. The afternoon before, that had done a complete inventory of Gene and Jaelyn’s house and made a list of things to get them up to a year’s supply of supplies. They would have meats also but there was only so much storage in their freezer. They started at Sam’s and filled out their Sam’s list and ended up filling three flat carts as full as they could, plus, Diane picked up things for them also to bring their supplies back up. Kacie followed them around pushing Maddie in the stroller. At COSTCO, they finished out their list with most of the personal items that Sam’s didn’t carry, plus lots of toilet paper and paper towels. Kacie took care of Maddie, but she was watching closely what Diane and Hank were purchasing. They had lunch and made their way back to Piney Creek.
Kacie was quiet, for a while, on the ride back.
“Do ya’ll stock up on a lot of things too?” Kacie asked.
Diane turned sideways in her seat so she could talk to Kacie.
“We have a minimum of three years’ worth of some things, several food packages with a shelf life of 25 years, and I probably won’t ever have to buy baby products again. That’s just some of the things we have stocked. We can most of our vegetables or freeze-dry them. If it came to not being able to go to a grocery store, we wouldn’t really feel the inconvenience.
“That sounds like a good idea. Stock up on the things you use and….I see. Could you help me put together a plan?” Kacie asked.
“Of course. I could come over and we can do an inventory of what you like and go from there.” Diane said.
Hank just drove and listened to the conversation. I was nice to win over a convert.
They unloaded and stored items in the basement and pantry. The last thing they had placed in the pantry were the cases of assorted home-canned vegetables. Kacie made a list of everything and its storage location that she would type it up and leave in a binder on the counter for Jaelyn when they came back. Kacie insisted she pay for 1/3 of it and Diane finally accepted her offer.
Gene adjusted his tie again in the mirror over the bar. Tonight they were dining at the Captain’s table and they had to dress up. The door opened to the bathroom and Jaelyn stepped through. She was wearing a black sheath dress with a cord belt with silver tassels that accented his figure unbelievably.
“Don’t you dare leave my side for the rest of the night! Men are going to be all over you!” Gene said.
“And I’ll keep the women away from you, my love.” Jaelyn said, adjusting his tie and smoothing down the lapels on his suit coat. “We’re early, can we have a drink on the balcony?”
Gene went over to their bar setup and began mixing martinis. Jaelyn opened the sliding doors and stepped out on the balcony. Gene had reserved this deluxe suite on the top level of the ship It had a king-size bed, bar area, living room and the wonderful balcony. She didn’t need to go down to the pool, which was usually crowded, to work on her tan. Gene brought out the martinis and handed Jaelyn hers. Jaelyn took a sip and leaned in to Gene.
“I love you.” Jaelyn said.
“I love you too. You are the most beautiful woman on this ship.”
“And you are the handsomest man. Thank you for this cruise.”
“You deserved the best.”
“What are you going to eat tonight?”
“I sneaked a peek at the menu. I think I’ll try the Chateaubriand with asparagus and the garlic potatoes.”
“Mmmmm, sounds good. I’ll let you order for me.” Jaelyn said.
They finished their drinks, Gene offered Jaelyn his arm and they strolled off to dinner.
Hank finished stacking the rocks across the spring-fed runlet just up from the glade. He wanted the water to dam up for the animals to drink. Beavers could be a problem and he'd have to keep an eye out. He didn’t want that big of a pond. Hank slapped the dirt off of his gloves and went back to the greenhouse to check the furnace and the plants.
Kacie picked up the dusty box and cut the old tape holding the ends together. Peeling back the cardboard, she pulled out a gilt-framed bull's eye mirror capped with an eagle She held her breath. She didn’t have the experience to appraise this on her own. By its look, it could possibly be a Federal style bull’s eye mirror made in the period between 1780 to1830. If so, its value would be anywhere between $100 to $10,000. There were some made in the 19th or early 20th-century in the Federal style that sell for much less. Yes, she needed to make a trip to Springfield. Carefully placing the mirror back into the box, she re-taped the box securely and left it laying on the table.
Hank walked into the house and there were five cardboard cases sitting on the porch. One was powdered butter and there were four cases of fortified non-fat powdered milk. Hank walked into the house and found Diane mixing a bottle of apple juice for Maddie.
“Diane, did you ordered more milk?”
“Yes. UPS just delivered them. The price of milk at the store is getting sky-high. I can always use powdered milk with a couple of tablespoons of butter powder and it tastes the same as whole milk. I want to put a case of milk and two #10 cans of butter powder in the pantry.”
“Roger that.” Hank said, and began moving the cases.
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Jun 23, 2022 19:27:57 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
|
|
|
Post by solo on Jun 24, 2022 11:08:47 GMT -6
We need more converts... If not to take care of our own, then to not be a burden to others.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 25, 2022 14:33:20 GMT -6
Chapter 69
Maddie was giggling and playing with Diane’s ponytail as she and Hank picked the green Bell Peppers.
“Leave a few to ripen. I want to make a bell pepper medley and freeze dry them.” Diane said.
“Which one’s are the yellow?”
“Next bed. Oh! Food Saver called. They have the Double Q salmon I ordered in.”
“How much did you get?
“Two cases.”
“Maybe a pot of chowder one day?”
”That’s the plan.”
“I need to go to Tractor Supply anyway. Why don’t we go after lunch?”
“Okay. We’ve got time to dice these up and get them in the dryer before we go. Let me get a couple of tomatoes to make sandwiches with.”
Hank adjusted the grow lights and they headed for the house.
Gene and Jaelyn waited at the rail as they watched the passengers debark. They weren’t in any hurry to leave. Their plane didn’t leave until in the morning so they were just going to do a little shopping this afternoon.
“What kind of T-shirts should we get Hank?” Jaelyn asked.
“We’ll get him something really gaudy. This has been wonderful, my wife.”
“It has been wonderful, my husband. I hope we can take another cruise sometime.” Jaelyn said.
“You can count on it.”
They started making their way off the ship and got their bags on the wharf. A taxi took them to their hotel and they changed clothes to go shopping. Gene hired a taxi and negotiated a price for him to be with them the rest of the afternoon and told him what they were looking for.
Three hours later they returned to their room with lots of gifts. Gene showed her how to roll the shirts up tightly so they didn’t take up much room in the bag. They took a short nap and got ready to go out to dinner. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful cruise.
Kacie dropped off the packages and stopped by Food Saver to do a quick search for bargains. After Diane had helped her go over her food storage plan, she had been putting things back a little at a time. She did order a family unit of LTS foods. She was always looking for bargains in canned foods though. She got a great deal a few days before on canned chicken. She kept browsing the internet, especially the futures and got a heads up on cacao production and bought several cans of cocoa powder. She’d also read where mustard seed harvests in Canada and France were down so she wanted to stock up on plenty of that.
“KACE!”
Kacie looked up from the can she was reading and saw Diane pushing Maddie’s stroller down the aisle. Maddie was chanting “Kace, Kace, Kace” and waving her arms.”
“Hi Pumpkin!” Kacie said, squatting down.
“Hi Kacie. They’ve got a dollar off the smoked salmon in cans.” Diane said.
“I’ll have to grab some. That is really good.”
“How’s the food plan coming?”
“I’m adding a little at a time. My goal is a year’s supply and I’ll build from there.”
“Don’t forget to check bulk sales.”
“I do. I’ve ordered a few things. Did you read about the mustard seed harvest?”
“Yes I did. I’ve ordered mustard powder and am stocking up on prepared mustard. Hank likes to smear it on pork shoulders before he adds the rub.”
“Yeah, I was going to pick up prepared mustard also. I didn’t see any bargains here.”
“Check Walmart. I buy it by the gallon and fill containers. We’re going to Sam’s Saturday. Do you want me to pick you some up?”
“Do you mind if I ride with you?”
“Not at all. We’ll leave about 9:00.”
“Well, plan on me going then.”
All right. I’ll talk to you later.” Diane said.
Kacie made her way over and got several cans of the smoked salmon and four cans of albacore.
Hank scanned through the trail cam pictures and saw the elk. He was a big sucker. He usually took deer with his bow but he was concerned he’d have to track this elk a long way if he tried to take it with his bow. He would use a long gun. He’d get out his Remington 700 AWR in .300 WM and check the zero. He knew that would drop the big elk right in place.
Hank went and got the gun case, brought it out to the Great Room and opened it up. He had yet to shoot a deer with it, but it would take down anything in North America. Hank flipped the dust covers up on the Leica 2.4-16x56mm Magnus scope. Peering through the window, he saw Earl driving up. Hank laid the rifle back down in its case and went to the door. When he opened the door, Earl was standing by his car and Max was laying at the top of the steps, watching Earl.
“He’s not going to attack, is he?”
“Earl, you’ve been out here enough times. Has Max ever made a move toward you?”
“Well, no, but he’s staring at me.”
“That’s because he’s too damn lazy to walk down and greet you. When you reach the top of the steps, he’ll greet you then.”
Earl walked up the steps and when he stepped on the porch, Max got up and wagged his tail.
“Come on in. I’ve got a pot of coffee on.”
Hank poured the coffee and they sat at the breakfast bar.
“”How’s the fight against crime going?”
“Like a ghost town….or county. After getting rid of those criminal elements, what petty criminals are left about are keeping an extremely low profile. Of course, we’ve been keeping an eye out more than ever. That hasn’t been so much as a hub cap stolen.
“What’s the Mayor been doing?”
Earl chuckled. “Trying to get over his embarrassment. I’m telling you. It’s been so quiet it’s boring.”
“I hope it’s not the quiet before the storm.” Hank said.
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Jun 25, 2022 16:08:15 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
|
|
|
Post by imahic on Jun 25, 2022 16:24:30 GMT -6
Many thanks for the update.
|
|
|
Post by iamnobody on Jun 25, 2022 16:27:23 GMT -6
I gave up my newspaper subscription
I get all my current news from all these fictional PAW stories.
And its more current, up to date than any newspaper.
|
|
|
Post by freebirde on Jun 25, 2022 17:59:01 GMT -6
I don't know if they are food safe plastic, use at your own risk, there are wide opening funnels in the automotive department that are just the right size to fill condiment bottles. Run them through the dishwasher a time or two first. An extra canning jar funnel is handy for filling larger containers. Those pumps that fit into gallon containers are not worth the trouble unless you use them several times a day, like at a restaurant because they are a lot of work to clean.
|
|
ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
|
Post by ydderf2 on Jun 25, 2022 19:01:02 GMT -6
Thanks
|
|
|
Post by udwe on Jun 26, 2022 21:14:42 GMT -6
Another convert!
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 27, 2022 10:18:26 GMT -6
Chapter 70
The illicit drug trade took a big hit when the distributors, dealers and some of the dealers/distributors were rounded up and prosecuted. It was a lucrative area to move the drugs through. They had easy markets in Branson, Springfield, Fort Smith and even shared distribution rights in Memphis, which had turned into another distribution hub. The Cartel began moving in new people to reestablish their routes and distributors. To use some of their customers was a coin of two sides. To move in entirely new people to set up the supply chain would raise red flags. All of their people were in someone’s records somewhere. As soon as they showed up, they would draw attention. In using local people to reestablish the lucrative trade would keep them in the shadows until they could buy enough people so they would look the other way long enough to rebuild their power base.
To use people stupid enough to even use the drugs was risky, so they decided put in their own people to oversee operation but only become involved directly when they saw a problem developing.
Ruben Aguirre and two of his henchmen monitored the southwest Missouri distribution network. After purchasing a remote farm in the vicinity of Powell, Missouri, they began moving the drugs themselves to distribution points in Missouri and Arkansas. Even though they were in a remote location, the hills have eyes.
Rafe Johnson had been watching the three browned-skin men constantly coming and going from the farm. They seemed to take turns leaving the farm, with one staying back. Usually another vehicle would arrive with out of state plates, stay and hour or two and leave again.
A couple of red flags showed up that warned the Task Force something was in the works. First, unsolved murders started popping up and two, the price of drugs on the street was dropping. A distribution network had been reestablished. Lastly, deaths by overdose had increased. Public service announcements went out telling people not to buy drugs off the street. You had a 60% chance of dying. Fentanyl was being added to all the drugs to enhance the addiction rates. There was no sure-fire formula to determine how much would kill an individual user or just make them more addicted, and usually the Cartel chemists got it wrong. When users in Branson and Springfield began showing up in the emergency rooms dead or on the threshold of death, the Task Force ramped up their intelligence gathering.
Rafe Johnson wasn’t the only person who kept an eye on what was going on in his area. Albert Briggs owned a small farm just outside the Flag Spring Conservation Area between the conservation area and Washburn. There weren’t many roads through the area and the ones they had were dirt. Normally, no one came into the area except for hunters and sight-seers in the better months. When Albert started seeing the same vehicles with the Mexican-looking men driving, his suspicions elevated. He’d heard about the drug people the law dogs had arrested a few months ago and started paying more attention to traffic through the area. He’d had a nephew up in Rocky Comfort that had gotten hooked on that shit and had died. His sister would never be the same.
Albert flagged down Deputy Earl Atkinson one day and told him what he was seeing, and the frequency of the movement. Earl told him to keep observing, but to stay away from the men. Earl called the Task Force hotline and reported the location of the movement and other information Albert had given him. That drew enough Task Force interest that more emphasis was put on intel from the southwest part of the state. Soon, information provided by Rafe Johnson was giving them a clearer picture. Law enforcement from Oklahoma were brought in to further backtrack the movements of the couriers.
Diane helped Kacie order the impulse sealer and the Mylar bags to further break down the bulk buckets of flour and beans. Kacie, Jaelyn and Diane would have “hen” parties to package the foods for long term storage at each of their houses. The construction of Gene and Jaelyn’s shelter had begun and the shelter components would be delivered the following week. This had gotten Kacie to thinking about a shelter also back when Jaelyn had told her about it and wanted to talk to Hank about what she needed.
After Gene and Jaelyn and returned from their honeymoon, Diane had everyone over for a post-celebratory Sunday dinner. The subject of the shelter came up and Gene told Hank what he was looking at. Kacie was all ears. Hank looked around the room and decided to take a chance.
“I want you to all know I trust you. Me doing what I’m about to do could mean the lives of my family are in your hands if you should ever tell anyone about this.”
Hank led them out onto the covered deck, under the porte-cochère and into the cabin. He raised the door to the shelter and keyed them through the blast door. No one said anything as he showed them the underground shelter rooms. Everyone was silent as they left the shelter, questions forming in their minds. When they returned to the Great Room, they refreshed their drinks.
“Hank, I think thinking of putting in the New Jersey model from Atlas Survival Systems. I was going to take a trip down to Texas and talk to them. What do I need to be thinking about?”
“Well, you will have shelter, you will have food, what about water? I’d see about making sure the well is located inside the shelter so you have complete control.”
Diane got her computer and they looked at the floor plan. It had a master bedroom and another sleeping area. There were rooms like you’d find in any normal house, plus plenty of storage. You could live in it forever.
Kacie looked at the plans and glanced at Earl. She was hoping he would ask her to marry him soon. Her house was bigger than his so he, Susan, Mary and Donnie would probably move in with her. If she got a shelter, they would need more room than Gene and Jaelyn.
“I want you to all know if something bad happens, you are all welcome at our shelter. We have more than enough room. At worst case, we could all gather here and use your supplies for resupply. Of course, there is no guarantee anything is going to happen, but then, there is no guarantee there won’t. I just like to be prepared for the worst case.”
“I’ll go ahead and get the shelter in and maybe we can form…what was it I read…a MAG, a Mutual Assistance Group.” Gene said.
“That was my thinking also, Gene. We can live our separate lives, but come together in times of crisis.”
They all agreed and promised to talk to each other and compare notes as they all began taking on the survival mode.
Gene and Jaelyn decided to drive to Texas to check out the shelters. It was only a little less than six hours and they could do that easily. They didn’t have their model on hand, they were built to order, but they were given a 3-D video of the layout and they liked the model. Gen had brought his layout and measurements and they were able to change the design a little to include the well. When the shelter was in place, Gene planned to put in an outdoor kitchen and pergola with a stone paver floor to cover up the shelter.
While Gene and Jaelyn were gone, Earl finally proposed to Kacie. Kacie waited a couple of days and brought up about him moving the family to her house. Everything would work out because Susan just got engaged and wouldn’t be moving out with Earl. Earl brought Mary and Donnie out and the two were thrilled to be having their own rooms and in the country too! Kacie talked to Earl about her prepping and asked him his advice on a shelter.
“I don’t know Kacie. That’s a lot of money for something we might never use.”
“Earl, how do you think you’d feel if a time came and we could have used a shelter but you held back?”
“I guess I’m just worried about the cost.”
“Earl, I’ve got more than enough to pay for it and I don’t mind it. I want the relief in my mind that I know we could survive a calamity. Besides, what would we do if a tornado took the house out? We’d still have a place to live until we rebuilt.”
“I just don’t want you to have to spend your money Kacie.”
“And what else can I do with it? I spend very little of it now and there’s more than enough to last me a lifetime. Oh, and while we are on the subject, I’ll be setting up education funds for Mary and Donnie. I love those kids as much as I love you and want them to have every advantage.”
“And you want to continue their homeschooling?”
“After seeing what they are teaching in schools these days, I definitely do.”
“Okay then, what about the wedding?”
“I don’t have any family and you have very little nearby, so why don’t we just do the courthouse thing. I’ll be just as happy.”
“Okay then. I asked Mary and Donnie if I could ask you to marry me and they are so excited.”
“Why don’t you bring them out Saturday? We could have a cookout and let them explore.’
“That would work out. I don’t have a shift this weekend.”
“Good, we can have our first family cookout.”
“What kind of shelter are you going to get?” Earl asked.
“I was looking at models on line that Gene and Jaelyn are getting. I like those. They are almost like an apartment, but we’ll have to get one bigger than Gene and Jaelyn’s because of the kids. Let’s go to the house and I’ll show you what I’m thinking about.”
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Jun 27, 2022 11:16:07 GMT -6
And the trio are all hooked up as they should be. Thanks for the update.
|
|
|
Post by imahic on Jun 27, 2022 14:18:05 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
|
|
|
Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 28, 2022 9:29:51 GMT -6
Chapter 71
Earl and Kacie stopped by Gene and Jaelyn’s to watch as they placed the modular shelter into the gigantic hole that had been dug for the shelter. Soil had been carefully removed from around the well casing and the casing had been shortened. A 12x12 foot section had been lowered over the casing and the unit was sealed. This portion would be connected and seal with the rest of the modules, leaving the well underground. Kacie and Earl were getting married on Friday and part of their honeymoon was to travel to Texas and get their design started. After seeing what they had done to the well, they decided to seal the current well and dig another one in the area they would set the shelter. There were other modifications they wanted they would talk to the builders about.
Hank checked the inventory on the computer again and finally found what he was looking for on the computer. The information had been copied from the original inventory sheets and there wasn’t a location listed. He went down into the shelter and after three hours of searching, found what he was looking for. The first box he was looking for was labeled “Industrial SPT, 8 CS.” He kept looking and back in a corner were the six rolls of military standard 18 AWG wire, each contained 5000 feet of wire. A plan formed in Hank’s mind.
Hank, Diane and Maddie parked at the front of the house so not to be in the way of the workers. Diane got Maddie out and Hank a box. Hank spotted Gene talking to a guy in hard hat and walked over.
“Hey Hank, what’s this? Gene said when Hank handed him the box.
“A little idea of mine.”
Gene read the label on the box, “Industrial SPT, 8 CS.”
“What is Industrial SPT, 8 CS?”
“That my friend is a Sound Powered Telephone. You can make have 8 stations on the line.”
Gene opened the box and lifted the 10-lb phone out.
“How does it work?”
You connect phones to a wire, dial the station you want and turn the crank on the side. On the phone you are calling this little light will come on and make an audible warbling tone, alerting the far-end user of an incoming call. I figured we can connect our shelters and even down to Kacie’s with a phone line and we can have secure communications, unless someone finds the line, digs it up and monitors it.”
“Where do the batteries go?”
“Doesn’t need any. SPTs do not require a source of electric power for calling and communication.”
“You could talk all the way to Kacie’s with no power?”
“You can have the phones up to 30 miles apart if you use at least 18 AWG twisted-pair wire, and I’ve got six 5000 foot rolls of military standard wire.”
“That’s going to take a lot of time to bury a wire down to Kacie’s. That’s almost four miles.”
“I know a guy who has a cable installer. It looks like a Ditch Witch. He could install it in a couple of days.”
“Well, I’m game. I could install it at the command console in the shelter.”
“That’s what I’ll do, but I’ve got eight of these. I figure we can install one in the shelter and one in the house. We’d at least have communications if our cell phones didn’t work for some reason.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Hank went back to the truck and got out another phone and dropped the metal reel of wire on the ground.
“Hang on to these and I’ll get Harry out here tomorrow and run a line from my house to yours and we can test it.”
The two tactical teams approached the farm house cautiously. They were in position at 0005 in the morning. The takedown would take place here and at the distribution points across the state. At 0010, the raid commenced. Aguirre fired a shot that glanced off the shield of the first guy into the bedroom but they quickly subdued him. Five different vehicles were stopped at various points on state highways, Interstate 44 and enough Fentanyl was found to kill 6 million people.
Kacie and Earl were married at the courthouse one Friday with Susan, Mary, Donnie, Hank, Diane, Maddie, Gene and Jaelyn in attendance. Diane and Hank had arranged a reception luncheon at the Emory Melton Inn outside of Cassville. The newlyweds would go to New Orleans for their honeymoon with a detour to Sulphur Springs to order their shelter. They were taking two weeks for their honeymoon.
For the next two weeks Gene and Hank were busy with the shelter and getting the wire buried between the three shelter locations. At Kacie’s, since they weren’t quite sure where their shelter was going, Harry left the partial reel of wire under a tarp and covered with some pieces of firewood.
Gene and Jaelyn’s shelter was nice. It really was like an apartment. You went down the stairs through two consecutive security doors into a den/activity area. There was a bedroom off that room, secure vault room and a bathroom. A kitchen was in the next module to the left along with a storage room, bath and master bedroom. The next module was nothing but storage. A parallel module contained the battery room, a work/exercise area more storage and off from that was the 12x12 well room. Jaelyn had selected simple, but sturdy, Mission style furniture for the shelter. She and Diane, along with Maddie’s supervision, hung pictures and wall hangings to make the shelter more “homey.” When they finally had all the LTS foods moved, there was plenty of room to add to their food storage. Hank helped Gene construct can racks and a trip to Springfield was planned.
Gene was constantly querying Hank on survival shelter subjects which Gene was frequently taking notes on. Hank gave Gene a list of websites on survival that he and Diane visited often and told him to go through the articles and stories and it would give him some ideas.
Earl and Kacie pulled up to the office and got out of the vehicle. They’d just checked into the Hampton Inn and got a bite to eat at Chick-fil-A. They had called ahead and a lady said they could see them. Kacie had different printouts of what they wanted and needed on the floor plans clutched in her hand as they went in. The salesperson brought out a laptop, connected it to a docking station that was connected to three 36 inch monitors and slid different modules around on the screens, designing what they wanted right in front of them. When Earl heard with the price would be, he swallowed hard, but Kacie paid the deposit required without a thought.
Four hours later, as they were driving back to the hotel, Earl was silent. He didn’t say anything until they were back in the hotel room.
“That’s a lot of money.” Earl said.
Kacie was taking off her shoes and sat down on the bed.
“Earl, how much are the children and me worth to you?”
“Kacie, you are all priceless. I’d do anything to protect you and the kids!”
“Well, I feel the same way. I love you all and will do anything to see us through anything. Now come over here and show me how much you love me.”
The warbling sound brought Diane out of her chair. She picked up the handset and said, “Hello.”
“I still can’t believe this ugly thing works!” Jaelyn said.
Diane chuckled. “It is ugly and doesn’t fit the décor but it’s nice to have.”
“I wanted to ask you about your water filter. Which one do you have?”
“We have the Royal Berkey. It’s 3.25 gallons.”
“Do you use all four filter elements?”
“Yes, the Black Berkey purification elements since we don’t have fluoride in the water. I use four because the water drains through quicker.”
“Okay, I was going to order one. It does make good water. How many gallons are the filters good for?”
“For four elements, it’s good for 12,000 gallons of water, but I still have two more sets of four elements in reserve.”
“Wow! You are good for years!”
“Be prepared.”
“You’re right. Okay, I’ll order the Royal and replacement filters then. We drink a lot of water every day. Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Jun 28, 2022 11:24:49 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
|
|
|
Post by solo on Jun 28, 2022 13:36:45 GMT -6
Be ready, or not. That is also a choice. I choose the first.
|
|
|
Post by imahic on Jun 28, 2022 13:51:21 GMT -6
Thanks. Looking forward to more.
|
|
|
Post by catspaw65 on Jun 28, 2022 16:15:10 GMT -6
We have the 6 gallon Crown Berkey and we refill it everyday. We just had to replace the filters after about 5 years of use. We love it. I just bought their sports bottle for an upcoming trip. It's $50 but I think it will be worth it.
|
|
|
Post by udwe on Jun 29, 2022 21:51:49 GMT -6
We also have a Berkey, I love it!
|
|