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Post by iamnobody on Dec 16, 2022 7:31:35 GMT -6
20 attackers lay dead on the ground but the farm did not go unscathed. They had 1 dead, a warehouse worker, and 2 with grazing bullet wounds along their arm. Ralph came to as the doctor was examining him in a bed in the field hospital. He saw where he was and remembered about the mayor and police. His 1st question was about the welfare of the rest of the people on the farm. The head vet filled him in. Then he told Ralph about what Cassie did in protecting him while he was knocked out. In the vets words “she fought in protecting him like a grizzly bear just rudely awakened from hibernation.” In disregard for her own safety, she had rushed forward and used his rifle to prevent the attackers from reaching him. Out of 20 dead attackers, she was responsible for killing 9 of them and wounding the city mayor in the foot which caused them to retreat.
Ralph looked over to see Cassie standing at the side of the tent looking at him. Then he saw 12 little heads peeking in the doorway at him. He said for the little rascals to get over here and he tried waving them in but grimaced at the pain in doing so. Cassie came with them, reminding them that their dad was wounded and hurting from protecting them, to be gentle with their greeting him. Each one took a turn in giving a slight hug and kiss on his cheek, then exited the tent sniffling back tears for their dad. You can guarantee that Jesus' ear was paying close attention that night to the prayers of 12 children praying for their dad.
Then Ralph looked at Cassie and told her to come near. He stared at her for at least 2 minutes and then said he had heard about her pulling him to safety and protecting him. Then searching her eyes, he asked why she had did it. That with him being knocked out and her having a rifle, it would have been the perfect time to kill him and finish what she was going to do before at “her man's” urging. Cassie had tears running down her cheeks and was stifling sobs. She told him that she had made a very bad decision with Ricardo and she took full accountability for that and she knew Ralph no longer considered her as his wife because of that and she understood and accepted that fact that she had hurt him deeply with what things were said by her and Ricardo and he couldn't trust her any more. But she considered Ralph as her man and would never do anything that stupid again.
Ralph looked her in the eyes for a full 5 minutes. Cassie felt as if he was laying her soul open and reading her every thought. Her knees grew weak at standing tall under his probing gaze but she stayed strong, praying he would see her devotion and feelings for him. Slowly his eyes stopped boring into her and he turned to the head vet and told him that Cassie was to get her AR15 and her 1911A1 back, with a full combat ammo load out.
The doctor, his nurse wife, herbalist daughter and the medic kept constant watch on Ralph. Cassie had tucked the children into bed and then came back and sat in a chair next to Ralph. If he needed water, she gave it to him, wiped his brow from him sweating. He was starting to show signs of a fever. The doctor said he was going to have to open Ralph up, that most likely the bullet passing through had nicked his stomach and was leaking, causing contamination in his bloodstream and giving him a fever. He needed an operation. While the doctor was operating on Ralph, the preacher was nearby praying for him. The preacher looked over and saw Cassie on her knees praying too with tears running down her cheeks unheeded. She had made a lot of spiritual growth in the time since she had became a Christian. Cassie was praying for God to heal Ralph, not for her sake but because he was God's servant and there was still a lot of work for him to do. All she asked for herself was for God to allow her to be a helpful servant to Ralph. The doctor finished the surgery, saying he had found the nick and fixed it. But Ralph would need a course of antibiotics to fight the contamination already in his bloodstream but he should be okay in a few days.
Cassie sat by his side, giving water and sips of chicken broth, wiping his brow from the fever and making sure his blankets were up when the fever chills took him. The fever had its hold upon him. He tossed and turned and cried out in his delirium. She heard about Sally and her betrayal of him and his children. Then in his delirium he started raging against Cassie and her betrayal of him. He was calling out to God of why Cassie hurt him so deeply with her actions and her words of talking about what a “bigger” man Ricardo was compared to Ralph, why she lied and didn't tell him of her tubes being tied. Cassie took his hand in hers and told him to rage against her, to give all his anger and hate for her, to pour it out on her. He suddenly looked at her with his fever filled eyes and said “I can't hate you, I love you.” She bent over his face with tears running down her cheeks and dropping onto his cheeks. She gently kissed his lips and she realized he was kissing her back. The kisses of her husband when he loved her. Then the fever raged again and he was thrashing against her and screaming “No, get away from me. You're trying to kill me.”
The doctor took her arm and sat her back down in her chair. He then checked Ralph and gave him a sedative in his IV drip. Cassie didn't get much sleep that night, listening to Ralph toss and turn and mumbling in his fever. She hardly left his side for 2 days except for quick bathroom breaks and showers. The children visited him several times a day and even in his fever he recognized them and smiled. They left him lots of homemade get well cards, saying how much they loved him and wanted him to get better. A few of the children's stuffed teddy bears got left with him and Cassie saw him hugging those teddy bears tight in his fever. In his fever she heard him asking God to heal him, not for his sake but so that he could continue serving God and doing the work that needed done.
On the morning of the third day she was dozing in her chair when she was awakened by Ralph screaming out “Cassie where are you! I can't see you! Where are you!” He was thrashing around in the fever and sitting up in bed wildly looking around. She took his hand and softly said “I am here my man.” Ralph looked at her and then laid back down in bed and went limp. She screamed for the doctor, who came running in. He checked Ralph and then said the fever was gone and he was just sleeping a normal sleep now. Over and over Cassie was praising the name of God and thanking him for healing Ralph.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 16, 2022 21:49:24 GMT -6
Another out standing chapter. Thanks!
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 17, 2022 13:57:26 GMT -6
Trying to get an update posted but my Windows 10 updated yesterday and my computer is going bonkers and shutting down quite frequently.
Add to that I just had a 1/4 inch ice storm.
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Post by techsar on Dec 17, 2022 14:00:31 GMT -6
Gotta love those unsolicited updates Stay safe! (and warm)
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Post by gipsy on Dec 17, 2022 18:11:02 GMT -6
Nope. I have an old laptop that gets no more updates. It goes bonkers if I let it. Glad it is not my only puter.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 17, 2022 20:14:07 GMT -6
Trying to get an update posted but my Windows 10 updated yesterday and my computer is going bonkers and shutting down quite frequently.
That's why I quit using Windows and went to Linux Mint as my operating system over 8 years ago. That and I don't like giving Bill Gates my money.
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 18, 2022 8:15:51 GMT -6
It took a few weeks for Ralph to heal enough to be up doing things. Just a small hole in him but so much slowing down. He gave orders for the new high tunnels to be put up. He felt a driving need to get them erected. There were very few people coming to the farm stand from the big city. They wouldn't say much except that the city was now under a tyrant, the mayor.
Home life was improved in that Ralph was at least not looking at Cassie with hate. One day he was standing on the porch watching Cassie hang the freshly washed clothes up on the line. On 1 hand he was remembering how she betrayed him with her actions and words, on the other hand, with her every move of hanging the clothes, he was reminded of how beautiful he had found her to be and the love he once had for her as his wife.
The preacher came out of the house and then saw where Ralph was looking, or rather at who he was looking at. The preacher cleared his throat. He said that Satan had been trying to destroy mankind for 6,000 years since he talked Eve into turning against her husband Adam, in the Garden of Eden. That the devil had plenty of time to learn the most effective ways to do it. That the devil knew just the right things for Ricardo and Cassie to say, to hurt Ralph the deepest. Just a couple of simple words by themselves but used in a matter that cut him deeply and destroyed his marriage. He told Ralph that yes Cassie had willingly tore down the walls of her house (marriage) with her own hands and that all was left was rubble and that no long lasting building (relationship) could be built on that rubble.
But if he thought that as a person that Cassie was worth it, they could clear away the old rubble until they were left with solid ground and try to build something new. In his counseling over the years with couples, that sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. There were no guarantees. He also reminded him that we as Christians had often betrayed God and went off and played the harlot many times. That maybe it would be an idea to sit down and talk with Cassie, with him and his wife present to help. That the preacher wasn't saying that he should give her another chance, but there seemed to be something still there between them and it would be worth talking.
Ralph stared at Cassie working for 15 minutes and then slowly nodded his head yes to talking with her. He knew he had many questions to ask and no answers.
The preacher's wife spoke with Cassie about sitting down with Ralph, along with them being present, to talk with him. The preacher's wife reminded her that Ralph would most likely be asking her hard questions that he would demand answers to. But this was the only possible way to maybe move forward but there was still no guarantee that things would work out between her and Ralph. Cassie thought about it. She was eager to try to be back with Ralph like they once were, but she also knew that answers to questions he would ask could hurt him even more. She voiced her concerns to the preacher's wife and was told it would be in God's hands. Slowly she agreed and the sit down was scheduled for in 2 days.
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 19, 2022 7:40:42 GMT -6
The day came for their talk. After breakfast, the doctor and his family took all the children with them down to the high tunnels to check on things. It was Ralph, Cassie, the preacher and his wife sitting in the living room. Before they started talking, the preacher said they all needed to pray for God's will to be done in this talk. Then the preacher said that each one of them needed to tell the truth, no matter how bad it made a person look. That the leftover rubble of their marriage needed to be cleaned away to solid ground if they wanted to have a 2nd chance at another relationship. Then he gestured to Ralph to start.
Ralph took a minute and looked at Cassie before he asked – why? Before a confused Cassie could answer, the preacher said that was too broad of a question and for him to be more specific with his questions.
Ralph – did you marry me just because of the resources here that you knew you and your daughters would be taken care of? Cassie told him no.
Ralph – why did you not tell me that your tubes were tied instead of pretending each month that you were sad that you weren't pregnant? That he could of understood that was done before him. Cassie said she was stupid and scared and thought he might not want her.
Ralph – did you ever love me? Cassie said she loved him deeply.
Ralph – then why did you betray me with Ricardo? Cassie told him that she had been with Ralph since she was age 16 and he was all she had ever known in a relationship.
Ralph – did you ever be unfaithful to Ricardo? Cassie got red faced and mumbled something. The preacher's wife told her she had to speak up so they could hear her. With her head hanging down she said that she had cheated 2 times with 2 different men. Both times Ricardo had been in prison and she needed money to buy food. The men had paid her for sex. Both times when Ricardo had got out of prison, he had beat her for being unfaithful. That is how she ended up with a broken nose and cracked ribs. She saw the look on Ralph's face and knew she had hurt him again.
Ralph – how many men have you been with? Cassie with a shamed look said it was 10 men, including Ralph.
Ralph – since I had proposed to you, have you ever been physically unfaithful to me? Cassie said no.
Ralph – I am told that your rifle muzzle was almost in line with me when Ricardo had told you to shoot me. Would you have shot me if the rifle hadn't been taken from you? Cassie said she didn't think she would of.
Ralph sat silently for about 5 minutes and then said – Ricardo talked of what a “bigger man” he was and you excitedly agreed with that. How much “bigger” was he? Cassie went pale and said “please don't ask me that, I don't want to hurt you more.” Both the preacher and his wife held their breath at that question and then the preacher put his hand on Ralph's shoulder and asked him if he really wanted to know that answer. Ralph said he did. Then Ralph looked at Cassie and repeated the question. With tears in her eyes, she looked at the preacher and his wife, then Ralph and in a small voice said Ricardo was twice the size as him.
All 3 of them saw Ralph's face turn a sickly shade of white and then he was grabbing a nearby flower pot and heaving his guts out. Cassie tried touching him but he told her to get away from him. He heaves his guts out til it is only dry heaves. Cassie is kneeling on the floor near him, her arm and hand stretched out towards Ralph and her whole body shaking from her sobs. She knew she had cut him deeply before when she had talked with Ricardo and size was mentioned. She knew this knowledge would maybe destroy him.
When Ralph was done heaving, he slowly sat up and wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve, spitting a few times trying to get the foul taste of puke out of his mouth. With a faraway look in his eyes, he asked another question.
Ralph – did I ever give you pleasure? Cassie told him that she had received pleasure each time she was with him because she loved him and knew he loved her and wasn't just using her body. That she couldn't ask for a better lover than him.
Ralph looked at Cassie, then the preacher and his wife. Each of them could see the pain etched on his face. Then Ralph asked Cassie if she would be willing to take a lie detector test, along with him, to prove her answers. That she would write questions she wanted asked of him and he would write the questions he wanted asked of her. Cassie said she would do anything to prove her feelings to him. The preacher left with Ralph, telling Ralph that he wanted the doctor to check him over after his heavy puking. The preacher's wife was left with Cassie. She said she believed her but warned her, that she had best told Ralph everything and her answers to the lie detector test had better match up.
Ralph didn't come in to eat at lunchtime but did for supper. The tension in the air was high. He didn't completely ignore Cassie but was very polite in dealing with her. He did tell her he was able to set up an appointment with a lie detector test with a man in a city in the opposite direction 4 hours away. He would be coming to the farm and testing him and her, for her to write any questions she wanted asked. He would be here in 3 days.
The lie detector man made it to the farm. His payment was money and mostly food. Cassie heard the amount of food that Ralph was giving him and knew Ralph was paying a very large amount to find out the truth. She was nervous, not because she was lying but she had never done a test before and her whole future life was riding on this test. She had no questions to be asked of Ralph because she knew he was an upright man. Ralph made a list of questions to ask on her behalf.
How many women had he had relations with – 2, his ex wife and Cassie – the truth.
Had he ever cheated on his ex or on Cassie – no, the truth.
When married to her, did he love Cassie – yes, the truth.
Could he honestly forgive her and try to build another relationship with her – yes, the truth.
His questions for her were the same that he had asked her before – she told the truth.
One last question for her that he hadn't asked before – were there any more surprises from her past that he needed to be aware of? No, she told the truth.
The lie detector man was escorted back to his city. Things returned to normal at the farm. Ralph was actually talking with Cassie and she was happy with that, even though she wanted more. She missed his loving arms around her and she vowed to never again mess that up.
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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 Dec 19, 2022 23:12:31 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 22, 2022 11:20:42 GMT -6
In their everyday interactions, Ralph would sometimes accidentally touch hands when passing her something or bump in passing but he wasn't pulling away in disgust like he had before. But on the other hand she was hoping he would touch her on purpose but she knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon because of her stupidity. He had basically had said that the only reason he hadn't told her to leave was the fact that she hadn't physically cheated on him. She knew things that she had said had deeply hurt him and it would be a long journey in gaining his trust. The children were happy that there wasn't the thick tension like it had been. They got both Ralph and Cassie out with them, playing games outside.
During the Fall, there were several small attacks on the farm by small groups of people trying to steal. These attacks were dealt with swiftly, in most cases all the attackers were killed. There were signs up at the farm stand and it was common knowledge that a person could trade work for food. But there were people that didn't want to work and tried stealing – the stupidity of people. 3 more children found their way to the farm. They had been abandoned elsewhere and had eventually found themselves at the farm.
Another day 2 men with 5 children showed up at the farm. The men wanted to speak with the “boss” of the place. Ralph came and saw 2 rough, dirty looking men with 5 children that were poorly clothed, dirty and ill fed. They were shivering in the cool Fall air and huddling together with a scared look on their faces. Ralph saw the youngest was around 7 and the oldest 2 were girls about age 12-13. The 2 men saw Ralph and several of the vets beside him. With a smirk on their faces, the 2 men said they would trade 1 or all of the children for food. That the children could be used for work or for keeping them company in the bed, saying the 2 oldest girls were good at that.
Ralph could hardly contain the bile raising in his throat and keep the anger off his face. He asked the men how much food they were asking for, while he stepped forward and started looking the children over as if he was interested. Feeling their arms and checking their teeth like he was assessing them, looking each one in the eyes the children immediately sensed that he was a good person to be trusted. As he checked out each child, he moved them away from the 2 men as if he was selecting his “purchases.” He acted as if he was unsure of several of them, then did pick them. Now that all the children were away from the 2 men, Ralph looked at the vets and told them to give the 2 men their payment. 5 rifles spat death and the 2 men went sent to their just rewards.
Ralph got the 5 new children up to the house where Cassie was waiting on the porch when she heard the gunshots. She immediately had some of their other children to start preparing things. Some got food ready, others got clean clothes while Cassie was getting was getting them into a hot shower. Ralph took care of the “mess” outside and got inside just as the children were sitting down to eat. Each one of them came running up to him and gave a big hug and thanking him for saving them.
That Winter wasn't as much snow and cold as the previous one. Everyone was doing needed work around the farm so things would be ready for the next Spring planting season. The farm stand sales had been down due to the lack of gas for people to travel and the problems with the big city government. The State and Federal government was no better. The federal government had killed a lot of vets but there were a lot of other vets that hadn't attended the event by the federal government. Now there was a lot of sabotage and shootings of government officials.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 22, 2022 12:00:16 GMT -6
Good update
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 23, 2022 8:39:44 GMT -6
By Spring the 5 new children were blending in with the rest. The preacher's wife and Cassie had worked a lot with them over the abuse they had suffered. The doctor had checked them over for problems, STDs and the girls for pregnancies. They were malnourished, did test positive for a STD which he was able to give shots for and the doctor did pregnancy tests right away and then again 45 days later, they tested negative. It took a lot of counseling but the children finally weren't scared when anyone came near them. The only one they trusted from the 1st day was Ralph. They saw his life and heard him praying to God. They “felt” the love and peace coming from him. He called each one of them his son or daughter just like the other 15 children. He made sure that every child got time every day. All 20 children knew him as their daddy and knew that he would give his life in protecting them.
That Spring, the crops were planted and had come up and were growing nicely. The chicken flock was being expanded and the hogs were already expecting little piglets. Ralph was taking a break, sitting on the porch steps looking out over the farm. He was praying and blessing God's name for all the bounty and blessings and asking for discernment, guidance and wisdom. Cassie came out on the porch and waited behind him til he finished praying. Then she sat on the step near him. He saw she was wearing his favorite skirt and blouse and had just a touch of vanilla scent on her. She had been wearing his favorite clothes, making his favorite meals and bringing him his favorite drink of mint tea, hot and cold. When she could she was always near him without intruding on him.
Sitting next to him, she commented that everything was looking good and God was blessing his efforts. She gave him an update on the status of the farm, supplies and the people. She commented that several of the men and women were bonding and would be expecting some marriages soon. Then she placed her hand on his arm , looking at him, she thanked him for allowing her to remain on the farm and giving her a 2nd chance. That she loved him deeply and wanted to be only with him. That she wanted and desired his touch again, to be held in his arms again. Ralph didn't shake her hand off but did tell her that he wasn't ready for that. That he still often replayed her response to Ricardo's statement of being a “bigger man” and the excitement in her voice. He could never be Ricardo's size and please her like he did. That he wasn't even sure that he would be able to perform if she was in his bed again because of the images in his head of “big” Ricardo with her. Cassie told him she had always been pleased and well satisfied with Ralph in the bedroom and that she would love the chance to prove his ability to perform as wrong and how much she desired him and only him.
Before he could answer, they heard the sound of planes in the distance. Looking up they saw 4 planes coming in side by side at about 500 feet high and as soon as they were over the farm fields, they started spraying something all over the crops. The people that were working the fields were shooting at the planes as they made a pass over the farm. Ralph told Cassie to get the children inside as he ran towards the armory with the alarm blaring over the radios.
The Humvee were roaring towards the fields and with the bigger .30 caliber weapons on them, could wreck more havoc on the planes. Ralph and a couple of other people grabbed shoulder fired rockets and headed out. They got to the fields just as the planes had circled and were coming in for another pass over a different section of the farm, still spraying whatever chemicals they had been. The .30s on the Humvee were spitting their rain of death and the tracers mixed in showed them on target. Smoke poured from one plane's motor and then the engine exploded, sending the plane into a fireball of flame into the ground.
Ralph and the others were now in position to use the shoulder fired rockets, 2 people to a plane. Rockets swooshed through the air and 2 more fireballs. The last plane turned to run as a rocket streaked to it, taking out the tail section. The pilot was able to bring it in for a rough landing in the field as Humvee raced to the plane. Ralph radioed he wanted the pilot alive if possible.
The dazed pilot stumbled from the plane to find herself staring at at multiple rifles pointed at her. 2 of the vets stepped forward and threw her to the ground and searched her for weapons. They weren't very gentle nor were they gentlemanly with where they searched. Then she was yanked to her feet and told to start walking towards the barn.
Ralph met them in the barn. He looked at the woman pilot and then told the vets to string her up to an overhead barn beam. Soon her hands were stretched over her head and she was standing on tiptoe. Cassie had slipped into the barn to see what was going on. Ralph asked the woman who sent her and what was the chemicals they were spraying. The woman just smiled at him and told him to go jump in the lake, that she knew he as a man wouldn't torture her. A woman vet stepped forward and said that she wasn't a man, then proceeded to punch her in a kidney, followed by another punch under the rib cage. The pain from the kidney shot and punch under the rib cage was enough to cause the woman pilot to pass out.
She came to when a bucket of water was thrown in her face, then she realized the stuff running into her mouth was not water. She looked around and saw one of the cows letting loose a big stream of urine. The pilot started puking. When done, the woman vet stepped forward and told her that she was into martial arts and had a lot of stamina and that she could throw punches for hours, then slammed a fist into the pilot's stomach. Gasping for air and in pain, the woman pilot squeaked out that it was the big city mayor that sent them and the chemical was something that would kill the plants and livestock. Ralph immediately gave orders for anyone that had got the chemicals on them to go shower and get fresh clothes.
Ralph caught the woman vet's eye and nodded. The vet made a quick side kick to the pilot's head, snapping her neck and ending her life. Looking at the head vet, Ralph asked him who the 2 best shooters were, that Ralph would be practicing with the 50BMG and they would practice with the .308s. Then they would be heading into the big city to hunt a mayor. Cassie saw his eyes and she had never seen that look of hardness and determination before. She shuddered as she realized the mayor had a very short life left, then thanked God that he had not given her that look when she had betrayed him.
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Post by kansasterri on Dec 23, 2022 13:50:18 GMT -6
A good read for a day when the weather is bad, and I thank you.
I am staying inside today!
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 23, 2022 13:58:56 GMT -6
A good read for a day when the weather is bad, and I thank you. I am staying inside today! 5 inches of snow yesterday, followed by rain and warmer 40F temperatures.
The snow was soaked with the rain, the melt ran everywhere, then the temps dropped like a cliff drop off.
Is now 0F with windchill of -20F.
Everything is one big lump of frozen ice.
By Thurs it will be 50F again.
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 23, 2022 15:53:01 GMT -6
A good read for a day when the weather is bad, and I thank you. I am staying inside today! 5 inches of snow yesterday, followed by rain and warmer 40F temperatures.
The snow was soaked with the rain, the melt ran everywhere, then the temps dropped like a cliff drop off.
Is now 0F with windchill of -20F.
Everything is one big lump of frozen ice.
By Thurs it will be 50F again.
Where about in the world are you? Sounds similar to us. I was driving yesterday in the snow and mess. Had to drop the rental in State College at the airport. They were to get 1-2" and when I was there early afternoon they already had probably had 6-8". I got home and hour drive later and it had switched to rain here on top of about 4-5" of wet snow. Wife and boys were out trying to shovel it so I grabbed the blower and blew off what I could. Just went super slow and would pause for the chute to clear. Then I had to shovel off all the areas where she'd driven over it and packed it down. I was soaked. Luckily the rain melted about all of it off the driveway and roads, which is a bad thing to since it washes off all the salt. Lots of glaze & Black ice today
This morning started at like 37 and now at 5PM we're down to 0F with windchill at -18F
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Post by feralferret on Dec 23, 2022 19:22:29 GMT -6
CountryGuy,
You are right about having to take it easy and let the discharge clear when blowing wet snow and slush. I learned the hard way just how fast one can (and can't) go without clogging the whole thing and having to dig it out by hand (with the key out and in my pocket for safety of course). We only got 2" of fairly dry snow so I was able to clear everything using a broom. However it did get down to -9 F with a wind chill of -35 F Yesterday. Made it up to +7 F today.
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 24, 2022 7:35:13 GMT -6
The next few days saw about ½ of the plants in the fields die off, a lot of the chickens, pigs and beef had sores on their skin and respiratory problems, about 1/3 of them died from it. The people that had been sprayed with the chemicals had skin sores and respiratory issues. Thankfully none of the children had been sprayed. They had lost a lot of food production from this attack. Ralph and the 2 other men were practicing with their rifles. He told Cassie that they would leave in 3 days to head to the city.
The day arrived for them to leave. The children all lined up to give him hugs. Then it was just Cassie. She told him to be careful and come back safely, that she would be waiting for him. Ralph and the 2 guys left in a car being driven by a 3rd man who would stay with the car in a hidden spot while waiting. Arriving near the city, they parked in an out of the way spot about 5 miles from the city. They had decided to walk the rest of the way so as to go unnoticed. The driver was told if they were not back in 5 days, to head back to the farm because they were most likely dead.
Getting into the city was easier than expected. There were checkpoints only on the main roads and they were able to slip into the city under the cover of darkness away from the main areas. They scouted around for 2 days, checking the mayors habits and listening to people talk. The mayor wasn't liked much at all by the regular person. He was living like a king with lots of luxuries while the regular person was living like some peasant from the year 1300AD. Plus he had turned the city police into his own goon squad doing his bidding. They had removed the guns from people and were doing whatever they wanted. The mayor had been picking women to share his bed. It didn't matter if the woman was willing or not, or if she was with a guy or married, if she caught his fancy, he had the city police bring her to his place. He usually kept them for a week and then turned them loose on the streets when he was done with them. The mayors friends lived around him. They lived a lot better than the “peasants but not as good as the mayor.
Ralph and his 2 men had picked their spot. Every day the mayor held a meeting with the people from his house balcony. A lot of his friends and head police were there too. They had picked a spot about 300 yards away from his place. It was the furthest distance they could find with a clear view of his balcony. They would make the shot tomorrow evening and then sneak out of the city in the darkness. They were in place in plenty of time and just waiting. Ralph was praying for strength and success. The mayor and his cronies stepped out onto the balcony. A loudspeaker system had been set up and they could easily hear the mayor releasing the naked woman next to him back to her husband. He picked the husband out of the crowd and told him that his wife was quite good in bed but that the mayor had taught her a few new things. That the mayor had put his seal of approval on her by branding his initials on her inner thigh where her husband could see them every day.
The people around the husband were holding him back as he struggled to reach the mayor. The mayor and his cronies laughed as the police kept the husband in their gun sights in case he broke through. Ralph looked through the scope and settled the crosshairs on the mayor's head. He steadied the sights and took a deep breath and started squeezing the trigger as he was exhaling. A teeny bit more of pressure on the trigger would send the 750 grain bullet down the barrel, across the distance and into the scumbag mayor's forehead. Then there was a loud explosion before he could fire and the whole balcony the mayor and cronies were standing on exploded and was raining boards. The people pulled back and then rushed forward and were using boards and whatever else they could find upon the mayor's body, his cronies and police. Another police squad tried coming in with their guns firing but the people were so far gone with hatred, they rushed the guns and basically tore the police limb from limb. When people are pushed too far, they lose it. Ralph and his men made their exit under the cover of the chaos and darkness, meeting the driver of the car and headed home.
Pulling into the farm next morning, there was rejoicing they had made it back safely. Ralph put away the 50BMG, filled the head vet in on what happened. He headed to the house, he was tired and needed to shower and sleep. But there were 20 children waiting on him as he stepped inside. Lots of hugs and then they were off to their book learning. He saw Cassie standing there and told her he was going to take a hot shower and then get a few hours of sleep. She told him she would have him clean clothes and a hot meal ready when he woke up. Ralph set the alarm for 2 hours. When he woke up, Cassie had a hot stew waiting on him and a tall glass of mint tea that was cool from the refrigerator. After eating he went out on the porch and sat on the steps, Cassie right behind him and sat too.
Looking out into the twilight, he told her of the happenings in the city, of the mayor's talk, about the wife he had released back to her husband after teaching her new bedroom things, the naked wife running to her husband sobbing, about him having the crosshairs on the mayor, ready to shoot when the balcony exploded and then the people beating the mayor's body and his cronies. Cassie could see the tension in his body, he was rigid all over from the build up of emotions. She moved behind him and reached around to start massaging his temples. He went more tense but then didn't pull away. After a few minutes she moved her hands to his shoulders and started massaging them. They were like bands of steel from his tension. Then she leaned her head against him and whispered “relax my love, give it over to God.” She sat there hugging him from behind, resting her head against him and just holding him for 30 minutes as she felt his body slowly relax from the built up tensions. Then Cassie said they needed to get inside and get their children tucked in bed, that Ralph also needed a good night's sleep.
The next day Ralph made an inventory of the farm. The people still had sores that were healing and respiratory problems. They weren't up to any serious work. The doctor said they should all heal in several months. The crops inside the high tunnels had been protected from the chemicals and were doing fine. They reset a bunch of chicken eggs to hatch out replacements for the ones lost. The pigs and beef were few and would have to be built back up. That would be quick with the pigs but beef would take longer. The 2 ponds had a lot of dead fish floating in them. The farm was going to take a lot of work to get it back up to where it had been.
The ponds were cleaned out and live fish could be seen swimming around. They scraped several inches of dirt off the fields to try to get rid of the chemical contamination. Then some cover crops were planted and eventually would be plowed under as fertilizer. Ralph thanked God that the damage wasn't worse. Cassie stood on the porch and watched Ralph, her man, her love working to undo the evil done to the farm. Then she went back inside to help the children with their learning. She had never thought she would be mommy to so many children but she was loving it. Her tubes were tied and she had thought she would never have another child besides her 3 daughters, then she met Ralph and his 2 sons, then the other children started coming in and God had blessed her beyond her imagination with children.
It was a lean Summer and Fall. More customers were coming from the city. They heard how the city had been freed from the tyrant mayor by a group of vets. Things were better but the Federal government was still downtrodding people all across the country. But there were uprising everywhere as people were starting to say no to the governments. Vets were stepping up and training people to resist. Local, State and Federal officials were finding themselves the target of people's anger at their treatment by these officials. Officials were banding together in enclaves protected by “woke” police and military. Even with the people uprising against them, the officials continued to live like kings and party every night. Then the President of the US asked NATO and the UN for their military to come in and help put down the treasonous uprising of the peon people.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 24, 2022 18:07:31 GMT -6
"Then the President of the US asked NATO and the UN for their military to come in and help put down the treasonous uprising of the peon people."
This will really make the vets angry, and a lot of the civilians too. Looks like a real mess ahead.
Thanks for the story.
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 26, 2022 7:38:44 GMT -6
NATO and the UN jumped at the chance to send their military in to “help” the US. Within the week, planeload after planeload of troops and supplies were arriving at the major airports located along both coasts. Within 2 weeks ships loaded with tanks and trucks were docking in US ports. Federal government controlled TV news showed massive crowds of “woke” citizens lined up at the airports and ports, welcoming the “saviors” to the US. Ralph and the people at the farm were close to puking at the display. They knew things were soon going to get a lot worse for them and all the other patriots across the country. They knew this wasn't a war they were going to win by going toe-to-toe with the enemy. They were going to have to wage war with the invaders by taking some shots from hiding and then melt back into the shadows. Within a short time after NATO and the UN arrived, the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House and other congressmen of high ranking authority were killed. In a press release by the UN and NATO, it was blamed on the rebel peons and the military generals of the peace keeping forces of the UN and NATO would be assuming authority til a time in the future when elections could be held again.
Ralph knew they were in deep trouble, facing an enemy of enormous strength compared to what the patriots had. He was sitting at his favorite place – the porch steps, reading his bible and praying. Cassie was watching him out the window in case he needed her. She saw his bible fall out of his hands which was odd because he was always very careful holding it.
Ralph looked down and saw the bible had fell open to:
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Then a breeze ruffled the pages and it was open to
Psalm 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Ralph went to his knees and was thanking God for strengthening him. Cassie looking out the window saw Ralph and to her it looked like he suddenly was a pillar of strength and peace.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 26, 2022 14:41:03 GMT -6
Good scripture choices.
Thanks for the more.
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Post by 223shootersc on Dec 26, 2022 18:00:24 GMT -6
GOD is the answer to all questions!
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 28, 2022 10:27:37 GMT -6
Wow, I was at work yesterday.
A fellow woman employee from a different shift was there.
She was talking with 2 other women about things and people.
Then turned and looked at me and said “and you, I'm going to marry”
I played along and asked when the date would be because I didn't want to be late for my wedding. She said she wasn't sure of the date yet.
Yikes!!!
Am I in trouble???
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Post by solo on Dec 28, 2022 11:21:16 GMT -6
Wow, I was at work yesterday.
A fellow woman employee from a different shift was there.
She was talking with 2 other women about things and people.
Then turned and looked at me and said “and you, I'm going to marry”
I played along and asked when the date would be because I didn't want to be late for my wedding. She said she wasn't sure of the date yet.
Yikes!!!
Am I in trouble??? It can happen like that. I've seen it and it was successful, so far. You are only in trouble if this is something you don't want. I know you will do your due diligence, but what would it hurt to ask her for a cup of coffee and to talk? She may or may not be your type, but make sure you stay away from the water in NCSFSGM's stories... That may take you down a road you don't want to go. If anything, you may find a friend to have dinner with, see christmas lights with or someone to bounce ideas off of....
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Post by 223shootersc on Dec 28, 2022 12:27:10 GMT -6
Could be the Lord sending an Angel for your struggles and keeping the faith!
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Post by kansasterri on Dec 28, 2022 16:37:22 GMT -6
There are worse ways to meet somebody!
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