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Post by philipinoregon on Oct 19, 2013 21:49:05 GMT -6
Papa of 2, I am glad you are doing as well as possible... After my wife's surgery, we did about how your wife is doing: "You want it, you get it" her favorite day experience was to the local Deli, where Charlie treated her like a Queen!!!! She would order a full sandwich, and just before she could ask, he would always have her "to go box" as he knew she could only eat ~the Half~
Me, he would "ask", knowing the standard reply, a joke we shared, as it was a Very Busy Deli... And on a a main Hwy, so lots of out of Towners, to hear our back and forth:
"And Sir, for You"?
"I think I'll have a Roast Beef, on dark Rye, Mayo, lettuce, Pickles, Tomatoes, Baked Potato, with Sour Cream and Chives, ...." And if he ~Could~ build such a Sandwich, it would end up a Foot Thick!!!!! But the looks on customers Waiting (Charlie, "let them wait, where they going to go, the next Deli is Two Counties away"!!!!)
So you take good care, type a little when you feel like it, and take all that Loving your Wife is giving you!!!!!
philip
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Post by papaof2 on Oct 23, 2013 14:47:42 GMT -6
Started on the next chapter, but things are going slowly after a couple of weeks away from it. I'm pleased with one of the side vignettes, but the main story will take more time...
Those blasted characters just keep coming up with things to say and do ;-)
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Post by papaof2 on Oct 28, 2013 20:05:25 GMT -6
Chapter 46 - early Sunday morning
"Time to get up girls."
"Abby's not here, Aunt Kate - and her rifle's gone!"
" Did she say anything this morning, Terry?"
"No, but it sounded like she was crying."
" Dad, Abby's outside somewhere. Terry said she was crying. At least she remembered to take her rifle."
"I'll get Jack and Gene, then we'll go look. Abby once said that the tire swing out back was her 'thinking place' so that's where we'll start. Kate, the guys will be watching for wild dogs, but we'll be far enough away for you and Abby to have some privacy. Since she chose not to talk to me about whatever it is, I'm guessing it's a girl thing and she'll respond best to you."
" Dad, some people may think all males are totally clueless about females but you sure seem to read Abby."
"I kinda like her."
"The same as you 'kinda like' me, you big softy?"
"Watch your mouth, daughter. I could turn you over my knee."
~~~
"Abby?"
"Aunt Kate, I'm sorry, but me and Terry can't be in your wedding."
"Why on earth not, Abby?"
"The dress that Lexi likes, with the low back and the skinny straps. It'll show the marks on our backs and they're ugly. Your wedding should be beautiful!"
"Oh, Abby. That's the flower girl dress. You and Terry can be in the junior bridesmaid dress that has the scoop neckline in front and the puffy short sleeves. That way your back will be covered."
"Really? We won't make things ugly?"
"Your loving me so much that you would worry about your scars, makes you that much more beautiful, Abby."
"Really? You think I'm beautiful, Aunt Kate? George said me and Terry were pretty but I though he was just being nice."
"Yes, really. Beautiful and pretty are two different things: pretty is on the outside and beautiful is on the inside, but you're both of them. Let's go eat and explain things to the others. Your Grandpa was worried that you were out here alone - you know the rule - but he was also pleased that you remembered to have your rifle with you."
"I didn't know who to talk to. I didn't want you to be mad at me and I didn't know if he would understand. I just needed a quiet place to think"
"Next time, try talking with your Grandpa. He really cares about you and you might be surprised about how much he understands. He sent me to be with you while he, Jack, and Gene were on watch for wild dogs because he thought it might be a 'girl thing' that you would be more comfortable talking about with me."
"He really is smart, isn't he?"
"Yes - and he's good at reading people's feelings."
"But didn't Aunt Mabel already start on the dresses?"
"She said she'd be gathering supplies, but wouldn't start cutting and sewing until tomorrow. If we don't see her at church today, we'll go over in the afternoon and tell her that we want the junior bridesmaid dresses for you and Terry."
"Thank you, Aunt Kate."
"You're welcome, sweet girl."
"Why did you call me 'sweet girl'?"
"Because you care more about other people than about yourself. I think you're a pretty terrific kid."
"Can I have a hug?"
"Of course."
~~~
"Abby, I'm sorry I didn't think about you and Terry when I picked that dress."
"That's OK, Lexi. It's all worked out now."
"Abby, why would you be on the tire swing when there's wild dogs and stuff out there?"
"Mike, that swing is actually a good place to be."
"How's that, Dad?"
"First, she would have 360 degree visibility if she kept the swing turning just a little. Second, with the rifle on her shoulder Abby could climb up using the swing and get on the big limb the swing is attached to. Even the biggest dogs couldn't reach her there. Third, how big a target is a dog's eye when compared to the head of a match?"
"So she had a good defensive position and with a full load in the rifle she could stay there for a long time and any shooting would let others know where she was. That sounds like what you've taught me. Girls here are a lot different than any I ever met when we lived in town."
"That may be the understatement of the year."
~~~
"Grandpa, when can we ride Rose?"
"When you know each other better, Lexi, and we must have a kid-size saddle that fits her."
"Knowing each other means we have to take care of her some?"
"Yes. Grooming, feeding, and so forth."
" Dad, did you ever sell the saddle I got when I was ten?"
"I don't think so, Kate. That was your saddle, to be handled as you chose. If you didn't dispose of it, it's probably still in the tack room."
" Do you think it will fit Rose?"
"There's a good chance that it will. From all the grinning and whispering I see, I'm sure at least one of these girls will remind me about it when we get back from church. Meanwhile, kids go to the bathroom, brush their teeth, everyone grab BOBs and weapons, and we'll load the buggy."
"Can we drive the buggy?"
"Yes, Abby."
"Me too?"
"Mike, Abby can give you your first lesson while she's driving."
"OK."
"I'm surprised you gave in that easily to having a girl teach you."
"Abby's not a girl, Dad."
"That's news to me - and probably to her."
"You know what I mean! She's not a silly, prissy, scared-of-everything girl. She's a real person."
"I stand corrected."
~~~
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Post by kaijafon on Oct 29, 2013 23:48:08 GMT -6
GREAT chapter !! thanks so much! I hope all is going much better for you!
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Post by patience on Oct 30, 2013 6:42:02 GMT -6
Hope you are feeling great again soon. And thanks for the latest chapter.
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Post by papaof2 on Oct 30, 2013 10:37:48 GMT -6
Chapter 47 - midmorning Sunday
"Mother, do you know the blond girl in the front row of the choir? She's really cute. I hope Kyle doesn't notice her."
"Hush, Lucy."
"Good morning everyone. Welcome to Valley Church. I'd like to thank the ladies and girls who make up our choir this morning and those who brought in instruments and practiced with our pianist yesterday. Remember that we'll have introductions of the candidates for the new County government after today's service and Trade Day will be open after that. I'm not sure what foods are being offered, as the tables are all covered, but some of the food aromas are incredibly good."
"Hold it right there, preacher. There'll be no elections and any trading will be under my direction from now on."
"And who are you?"
"I'm Major Ronson, head of the Jacksonville MAG and adviser to the Chinese forces who now control the area."
"I think not."
"Who said that?"
"I did."
"Bill Mason? How dare you challenge me?"
"You're out of line, Claude. You're also outnumbered and outgunned."
"Kill him!"
Pop!
"The Major's down! Where'd they get a silenced sniper rifle? We captured the snipers on their way to the balcony. How'd they get someone else up there?"
"I suggest the rest of you put your weapons down. You might want to check the choir."
"The long hair was wigs. They all have rifles!"
"Count of three. One. Two. "
"We're doing it."
"Abe, translate for the Chinese troops."
"Yes, sir."
"Chuck Li. Turn around and look at me."
"Mr. Simmons? Why are you with the evil Mason?"
"Have I ever lied to you, Chuck?"
"Never in the years you coached the soccer team when my father was in the Chinese Embassy."
"The evil person here is Major Ronson. Bill Mason has been keeping the people of the valley alive and coordinating their recovery since the bio-war started. You need to choose your future. First send one of your troops to check outside each door of the church."
"He tells me there are troops and armed vehicles at each door."
"Chuck, you can choose to surrender to the US Army or you can attempt to fight your way out. Before you decide, I'd like for all the armed men and women in the church to stand."
"We're outnumbered more than twenty to one!"
"Bill Mason suggested that we need people to help us rebuild. I think you know that you've been abandoned here and have no hope of getting back to China. If you want to be brought into the community, put your weapons down, put your hands on your heads, and go out the front door to surrender to the commanding officer. You can translate for your troops, but we have two fluent translators of our own. Remember that our sniper is still in place. Any suspicious moves will be met with potentially deadly force."
"What about us MAG members? We're a properly constituted militia and should be in charge."
"No, a militia is of and for the people. You're a group of thugs. You'll be held until the new county government is in place and can have a trial."
"What about the Major's body? Can we bury him?"
"Burial may be deserved, but it would be premature. He'll have a nasty headache when he wakes up."
"Your shooter is that good?"
"Yes, she is. Abby, you can come down now."
"We're coming, Mr. Simmons."
"Kids with .22 rifles? I saw them on the balcony stairs but didn't see any guns."
"What's Mike doing with you?"
"He had my back."
"I think there may be a story in that."
~~~
"Ed, George. Are you OK?"
"Yes, Mr. Mason. They saw us near the balcony door and captured us. One of the MAG members opened the door and looked up the stairs, then laughed and said something I won't repeat. Since I saw the Major being carried out, I'm guessing Abby got to the balcony OK. If she had been on the stairs with her rifle, I'm almost certain the MAG guy would have shot her so how did she keep that from happening?"
"Abby, can you answer that question?"
"Mike said I should have someone to watch my six, so he went up with me. When I heard Ed and George being captured, I told Mike to give me his rifle and to put his arms around me. I held the rifles behind him. The one that opened the balcony doors said something about "dumb kids playing at kissy-face" and laughed, but then he left. Was what I did OK?"
"Yes, Abby. You came up with a very creative solution to a dangerous situation and kept a lot of people safe."
"You're sure it was OK, Grandpa? There were girls at school who were always trying to kiss boys and they got called some not-very-nice names."
"As far as I know, there was only one boy and you only did it once - for a very good reason. No names for you except 'smart girl'. And I think you might need a hug or two."
"One now for sure."
~~~
"Arnold, did all the Chinese troops surrender?"
"All of them that are here, Mr. Mason. Lieutenant Li offered to accompany us to their camp to explain to the few who are still there. He also asked if he could contact the other group of Chinese in the area and get them to surrender. As long as we have Abe and Will to monitor the communications, I don't see a problem with him using a short range radio to contact the others. He also mentioned using the long range radio to tell his HQ that they were out of food and ammo and coming under attack from US military forces so they planned to disband and go guerrilla. If they're never heard from again by their HQ, they'll just be written off as more war casualties. As most of the troops were from small farms, they're accustomed to the work needed and are probably more than willing to work for food."
"What about the remaining rogue MAG members?"
"There are a few guarding the number 3 warehouse at the Holmstead retreat. They said that's where all the food is."
"That's a very small building, so there can't be much food left. Derek normally kept six months of food and supplies for more than a hundred guests. How could they have gone through all of it?"
"One of them said something about big parties and lots of booze."
"And probably a lot of food getting trashed when they were drunk. Not sure if they're worth keeping alive until we get the justice system going again, but we'll find beans and rice for them. Gene, since you know Chuck Li, I'd like you to go with Arnold and his troops to make the offer to the other Chinese troops and I think the armed vehicles would be a good deterrent for the rogue MAG members remaining at the retreat. Once you have them secured, see if any of the MAG members who are hiding in the caves will come out. I'm sure they have some skills that we could use."
"Mike, you want to stay here or go with me?"
"Stay and watch over Abby, Dad. She's tough but she was really scared when the guy pointed his AK up the stairs. She was shaking like she was freezing to death."
" Do what you think best, Mike."
"I'll be here."
~~~
" Do we stay for Trade Day, Dad?"
"Yes, Kate. People need to see some 'normal' things, so put out the signs and uncover the goodies. Be sure someone is with Abby - she had a bad scare today."
"I'll have all three girls help at the table. Mike too, if he wants to."
"I do. Even if I can't eat the samples, I get to smell everything."
"We packed a lunch, Mike. In addition to the sandwiches and milk, there's a small piece of the yellow cake with chocolate icing for each of you."
"Yummy!"
~~~
"How'd things go, Arnold?"
"Easier than here, Mr. Mason. Having multiple armed vehicles and lots of armed people got instant surrender from the remaining Chinese troops. They're all more than willing to work for food. The rogue MAG members weren't as willing initially, but one burst from the .50 on the lead Humvee changed their minds - there was nothing up there that could provide cover from it. They're all in flex cuffs and locked in the old city jail. The sound of a military weapon brought out the MAG members who had been hiding in the caves and they're ready to join the people getting things going again in the valley. Their members include a middle school teacher, a high school teacher, an EMT with his emergency bag, an electrician who worked at the power plant, a plumber, a truck/tractor mechanic and an herbalist - if we can't get prescription drugs she may be able to help. There are some kids, so they parents are excited about the possibility of having a school."
"That's very good. Where would we put those people?"
"Some of them have some farm experience and are willing to work the abandoned farms. Those that don't have farm experience are willing to double up with those that do in order to learn. Living in the caves on what they could carry with them and what they could trap or scavenge led to some slim diets."
"I can imagine."
~~~
"Oh, Kyle. You make such a cute girl!"
"Go away, Lucy! I don't want to hear it."
"I'm glad it was you and not another girl that I'd have to compete with."
"You'd still lose."
~~~
"How was the response to the samples, Kate?"
"Very good, Dad. There were at least a half-dozen people who asked where we got the propane for the oven. I told them to come out and see wood-fired cooking for themselves. There are also eight people who are seriously interested in the cooking lessons. The Watkins family lost their horses during the winter and wanted to trade COB for the lessons. I told them I'd have to ask you what the COB was worth."
"Now that we have Rose, the COB is worth more to us than it would have been. If I remember correctly, Martha Watkins did wedding cakes, so she may be competition for your baking business after you give her wood oven lessons."
"That's OK, Dad. Wedding cakes are more detail than I want to deal with - and I'll be in the market for one in the near future. I'll be happy to have her in the cake business."
"Remind me to work out the value of COB when we get home."
"I will."
~~~
"Alex, they never did get the candidates introduced."
"No need, Bill. Two weeks in a row you've been instrumental in keeping the folks here safe from armed marauders. They know who did the planning and they trust your judgement on the other members of the county government. You just put names on a ballot and they'll all be shoo-ins."
"That's not a good way to run a corner of civilization."
"Maybe not last year or ten years from now, but right now the people know who has kept them alive and they want you in charge. The fact that you don't want the job means that you're the right person for it - you'll be focused on getting things working so you can get out of politics as soon as possible. I can't think of a better philosophy for the man in charge."
"So I'm stuck with the job?"
"For now."
~~~
"Everybody pack up. We're heading home. Any goodies left, Kate?"
"Very few, but we did some good trades: loaf of rye for a pair of almost new Red Wing boots for you, four cinnamon rolls for a rooster and five hens next month - different stock than you had before so if you can get any of them from the woods you'll have diverse lines, the white cake with strawberries in the icing and between the layers for a pair of piglets when they're weaned - that's one of Abby's deals."
"Glad I'm on the receiving end of those deals."
"Had you seen the people drooling over the baked goods you'd think you were on the losing end. Everyone who came by asked if we'll be at Trade Day next week. I think we may have some very good trade offers coming."
"I never planned to be in the bread and cake business, but it seems you and the girls have put us squarely in the middle of it."
"Wait until the visitors see the flush toilet."
"I think we'll partner with the Blacks on those. We can take orders and they can do the work. I need to talk with Ed and George about that."
"Lexi never had an opportunity to thank Mrs. Black for the pistol, so she can go with you. That reminds me, Abby and Terry need to talk with Mrs. Black about their dresses for the wedding. I guess we can all walk over later today."
"And take some of the goodies with us to celebrate things being resolved locally and everyone being OK."
"Well, no one being injured but the kids had some scary things happen today."
"We'll have to be very aware of things being out of kilter for any of them."
"You're usually good at that, Dad."
"But I'll take all the help I can get - and the hot chocolate supplies will be out as soon as the kids are in bed."
~~~
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Post by kaijafon on Oct 30, 2013 17:10:04 GMT -6
great chapter! thanks so much!
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Post by papaof2 on Oct 31, 2013 10:48:02 GMT -6
Chapter 48 - late Sunday afternoon
"Mr. Mason, after all the trade goods you and the Blacks talked about today, we may need a sign out front for 'The Mason General Store'."
"You could be right, Jack. Firewood, pipe, plumbing tools, leather working tools for them to make more complete use of the rabbit skins, dimensional lumber, sharpening and reloading supplies and a dozen other things - guess I never realized just how many pies they had their fingers in."
"Lots of business ideas but no pies, Dad. They did ask for deep dish apple pie and blackberry cobbler."
"You know what I meant, Kate."
"Yes, but it's not often that I have an opportunity to catch you in your wording."
"Aunt Kate, can me and you go outside and talk?"
"Of course, Abby. Let me get my pistol."
"OK."
~~~
"What do you need, Abby?"
"Well, it's about - uh - Mike - uh..."
"And how you felt when you kissed him?"
"Un huh. I just wanted to keep the soldier from seeing our rifles and it was the first thing I thought of."
"But now you're wondering about the other feelings you had."
"Yeah. It was kinda weird and kinda scary but also maybe kinda something else. Some of the older girls at school were always kissing any boy they could but they got called some names that weren't very nice. I don't wanna be like them."
"You're not like them, Abby. You came up with a creative solution to a dangerous situation and it kept you and others safe."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I also know how confused you feel about that first boy-girl kiss. I kissed a boy for the first time when I was ten. We played spin-the-bottle at a birthday party and my dare was to kiss a boy. At least there wasn't anyone trying to shoot me."
"I guess not having soldiers there made it less scary. Was the boy Uncle Jack?"
"No, I didn't meet your Uncle Jack until I was in college. My first kiss was with someone you don't know. The family moved away a couple of years later."
"Was what I did OK?"
"Yes. It was a very creative way to hide the real reason you were on the stairs. It's good that Mike was with you because I don't know what you could have done if you'd been alone and a soldier saw you with a rifle."
"Hold me?"
"Are you cold, Abby? You're really shivering."
"Not cold. Scared. Talking about it made me think about what could have happened to me and to Grandpa if Mike hadn't been there."
"Everything worked out OK this time."
"I know, but..."
"Let's move to the rocking chair here on the porch and you can sit in my lap for a while."
"OK."
~~~
"Is Abby OK?"
"She's asleep now, Jack. She was too busy to be more than just a little scared during the event, but when talking with me about kissing Mike she realized what might have happened to her and Dad - and maybe the rest of us - if Mike hadn't been with her on the stairs. Then she started shivering from the delayed fear reaction. Plus she's working out how she feels about her first boy-girl kiss. Battle conditions aren't the best place for a girl to experience that."
"Mike's been going through the motions of eating and conversations, but he seems a bit tuned out. You think I should say something to Gene?"
"At least be sure Gene knows what happened and what a good thing it was that Mike was with Abby. Mike tries hard to be as strong as his Dad, but today's events aren't something most nine year olds can handle on their own. Being in a position where a soldier with an automatic weapon might use it on you would be scary for an adult. How much scarier would that be for a kid?"
"I'll tell Gene when I can get him alone. Should I tell your Dad about Abby?"
"She pretty much told him her life history when they got here, so I think she'll want to tell him about today. I'll ask when she wakes up."
~~~
"Grandpa, I gotta tell you about today."
"I'm listening, Abby."
"When me and Mike were going up the stairs to the balcony, a soldier saw us and I told Mike to give me his rifle, pucker up and put his arms around me. We stayed that way 'til the soldier left."
"Your first boy-girl kiss?"
"Un huh. Are you mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad at you?"
"Some people think that girls who go around kissing boys aren't very nice."
"Abby, keeping yourself and others safe is not 'going around kissing boys'. As far as I know, there was only one boy there."
"Grandpa! You know what I mean."
"Yes, Abby, I know - and I'm sorry I put you in danger."
"It's OK, Grandpa. I was the only one who could make the shot from the balcony and who wouldn't be missed on a quick check of you and the rest of the family."
"I love my smart girl."
"I love you too, Grandpa."
"Tell me about your relationship with Mike."
"It's not a 'relationship', it was just a way to hide the rifles."
" Did it feel like you were just hiding rifles?"
"Not exactly... How much did Aunt Kate tell you?"
"Just that you were having a hard time with all that happened today."
"I need a long hug."
"That I can take care of."
"You're always taking care of us."
"I kinda like you."
"I know. Can we talk more later?"
"Any time."
~~~
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Post by crf78112 on Oct 31, 2013 12:21:37 GMT -6
Thank you.
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Post by kaijafon on Nov 1, 2013 23:28:37 GMT -6
so sweet! thank you!
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 20, 2013 10:09:25 GMT -6
Chapter 49 - Sunday evening
" Did you find the saddle, Grandpa?"
"Yes, Terry. We found the saddle. It's a little dirty from being in storage so long, but it's in very good condition. I'll show you kids how to use saddle soap tomorrow and the four of you can help clean it up."
"Saddle soap? You gotta be kidding!"
"Not kidding at all, Mike. There is a product for cleaning and conditioning leather and it is called saddle soap. Tomorrow you can learn to use it."
"That sounds like work."
"You're right, Abby. A saddle is a big piece, so cleaning it is a lot of work. But you did a lot of work seeding the garden. This is something else you can learn to do."
"If you say so..."
" Do we get a chapter of 'Little House' tonight?"
"Yes, Lexi. The four of you need to get ready for bed and brush your teeth. I'll read one chapter."
"OK."
"Grandpa, what happened to the man I shot? He was walking with help when they took him to Uncle Jack's office but I saw them carrying him later. Did I kill him? I think I'm gonna be sick..."
"Here's a trash can."
"UURP! UURP!"
"Here's some water. Take a sip, rinse your mouth, spit it out, then do it again. Now take a drink to wash the burn out of your throat. Better now?"
"Un huh."
"You didn't kill Ronson, Abby. You knocked him unconscious and gave him a bad headache, exactly as you had practiced. He was a little unsteady, but he was able to walk when they took him to Doc Wilson's office to be checked. Ronson couldn't accept being defeated. He grabbed Arnold's gun and tried to shoot his way out. Hal was faster and shot Ronson. They carried the body out to bury him."
"If I didn't kill him, then why did I puke?"
"Happens a lot when you shoot someone or when you're around violent death. Our minds and bodies rebel against those things and throwing up is one way that happens. Remember that it happened to Terry when she shot the man that grabbed you."
"Will I puke again?"
"I don't know, Abby. If you do, we'll be here with you."
"I know. Read to us?"
"After you get in your pajamas and brush your teeth."
"I kinda missed that, didn't I?"
"Yes, but you had a very good reason. We'll wait for you."
~~~
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 21, 2013 9:01:10 GMT -6
Chapter 50 - Monday morning
"Are you OK, Abby? I had a bad dream about you."
"I'm fine. Are you OK, Mike? I had a bad dream about you."
"I'm fine."
"I'm surprised we didn't do hot chocolate for bad dreams last night."
"Me too, Bill. Mike mumbled in his sleep, but was never very restless."
"Same for Abby. I hate to think that our kids are getting so accustomed to violence that it's their 'new normal'."
"Maybe they're just made of tougher stuff than we think."
"Considering what Abby and Terry have been through and how well they've adapted, you may be right."
~~~
"Hello the house!"
"Hello, Alice. What's up that you're here so early?"
"I'm aware there's another student to be tested, and I have a list of desks and stuff that we'll need from the old school. Having two more teachers means we'll be using more of the Miller house so we'll need more things to work with."
"Mike, go with Miss Alice and she'll do the same testing for you that she did for the girls. It doesn't hurt and only takes about 30 minutes. When she finishes with you, we'll see if we can work out how big a load that will be and what vehicle will be needed to move it."
~~~
"Hello the house!"
"Hello, Sam. What's up that you're here and driving the big wood gas truck?"
"I need to speak to a young lady named Abigail."
"Abby, Mr. Green wants to speak with you."
"Am I in trouble, Grandpa?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"There's not much gas so if someone drives it's important and that usually means something bad."
"Mr. Green's truck runs on wood, like the truck Ed and George have so it may be important to him but not something bad. Let's go out and see what he wants."
"Hold my hand?"
"Of course."
"Abigail, my name is Sam Green and I have something for you."
"Something for me?"
"I heard you wanted some goats for milk, so come help me get them out of the back of the truck."
"Goats?"
"Yes, a billy and two does."
"I can't pay for those."
"You already did."
"What?"
"Your actions at the church yesterday got the MAG members who were hiding in the caves home safely. That included my sister Debbie McNabb and her kids Sherrie and Jerry. That's worth way more than these goats, so if you folks need anything, be sure and let me know."
"Thank you, but I was just keeping Grandpa safe."
"That also means you kept everyone else in the valley safe. You're a hero."
"Me a hero? No way."
"Well, you are in my opinion and that won't ever change. You have a place to put the goats, Bill? If not, I brought posts and fence wire."
"We're good on that, Sam. Kate kept goats for a couple of years as a 4H project so there's a place on the far side of the barn. I just need to check the fencing."
"That's good. Kate, Sara and Isaac Wiseman asked me if you could do Kosher baking, maybe in quantity for their entire congregation. Isaac wants to know if you would consider leather goods or tack in trade."
"I don't know enough about Kosher cooking to answer them. Have Sara come talk with me and see what we can work out. It might be better if she took the class on cooking with wood and did the baking herself. Dad and I have talked about needing shoes, boots, saddles, and harness in the future - and I know that Isaac does excellent work - so the answer is probably 'Yes' but we need to discuss it with them."
~~~
" Dad, Miss Alice said that I'm as smart as Abby!"
"Considering how smart you think Abby is, I'll guess that makes you feel good."
"Sure does." ~~~
"Sam, could you help Alice get this list of things she needs from the old school over to the Miller place? She mentioned starting school on Monday, so any day this week would be OK."
"Today OK with you, Alice? Another day we'd have to wait for the wood gas generator on the truck to heat up but it's ready now. You want to leave your horse here and ride with me? I'll drop you off here when we finish."
"Thank you, Mr. Green. Kate, could you loan me Jack to help with the moving?"
"I'll loan him and join you as well. Extra hands always make the work go faster."
"Can we help?"
"Thank you for the offer, Abby, but I don't know if there's room in the truck for all of you."
"No problem, Alice. It's a big truck with a crew cab so three adults in front with one adult and four kids in the back will be fine."
"Can I sit in your lap, Daddy?"
"Yes you may, Lexi."
"Remember your BOBs and weapons, girls."
"Yes, Grandpa."
~~~
"Grandpa, Lexi killed two dogs!"
"Then she should tell the story, Terry."
"We'd made a bunch of trips carrying little stuff while the grownups carried the big stuff - like we did the markers when they did the whiteboards. Abby had a box that she could just barely see over. She heard growling when she went out the door and yelled 'Dog!'. Since I was closest, I ran out with my pistol and aimed where she was looking. There were five dogs and they started running after I fired three shots. Two fell down but the others got away. Daddy and Kate came running out with pistols and Mr. Green with a shotgun but the dogs were gone. Daddy said there were drops of blood where the dogs ran, so I hit three of them."
"You did very well, Lexi. Three hits out of three shots when the dogs are moving is excellent. I think the time you spent practicing paid off."
"Me too!"
"I thought you might agree with that, Abby."
"I do too, Mr. Mason. Had Lexi not been armed and trained, at least one of the dogs could have gotten to Abby before any of the adults got outside. I'm very glad Lexi has had such good training."
~~~
"It's not a one room school now, Grandpa. It's a two room school. Miss Alice said that they'll have to work on where the break is between elementary kids and the older kids. That probably means the middle school teacher will be in both rooms at different times. I think having two teachers in the same room would be confusing."
"I think my smart girl might manage that OK, Lexi. Meanwhile, some chores got lost in the shuffle earlier today. Lexi and Terry can feed and groom Rose. Abby and Mike can muck out the stall..."
"Yuck!"
"You only have to do the work if you want to ride. When you finish feeding, grooming and mucking there's a saddle to be cleaned. I'll work out the list of chores associated with the goats and you kids can decide who does what and when. Just remember that all the chores must be done every day."
~~~
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Post by kaijafon on Nov 21, 2013 19:38:08 GMT -6
Thank you so much. I just love this story.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 27, 2013 20:09:01 GMT -6
Chapter 51 - noon Monday
"Hello the house!"
"Hello, Hal. You're just in time for lunch. Wash up and join us at the table."
"Thank you, Mr. Mason. I have the report from the operation at Mr. Simmon's retreat."
"After we eat, Hal."
~~~
"Mr. Hal, we're gonna get to ride Rose. The saddle Aunt Kate got when she was ten was still in the tack room and we've been cleaning it all morning. I washed my hands twice but they still smell like the saddle soap."
"That scent does tend to stay with you for a while, Abby."
" Did you teach Rose any tricks?"
"Just a couple, Lexi. She can bow - I'll have to show you how to get her to do that - and she comes to a special whistle, which I'll demonstrate outside later. I don't think anyone wants to listen to a bunch of wanna-be birds while they eat."
~~~
"Hal, what's the report from Gene's location?"
"The Chinese troops surrendered as they had said they would on the radio. The rogue MAG members started shooting at the Humvees and we returned fire. None of them survived. They did have a lot more supplies than we expected. One of the Chinese soldiers said they had been to a warehouse of some type down by the railroad there."
"Any idea what type of warehouse?"
"I didn't think that Wal-Mart had any small warehouses or any this far out, Mr. Mason, but the MAG members had a lot of new clothes with Wal-Mart brands on them. Maybe it's a small warehouse that only serves a few stores instead of the typical warehouse that supplies dozens of stores?"
"Would it be feasible to move things from the warehouse by rail? We probably need to do an inventory and see what survived the winter and the vermin. If there are things the valley could use, we should move them to secure storage here. We have plenty of wood for the engine."
"I think we could do a quick inventory in a day or so - just counting pallets and guessing at how many coats or cans of beans make up a pallet. A detailed inventory would take days without scanners and computers. If we used horses, we could get in relatively quietly - just in case there are still some rogue MAG members in hiding."
"Quiet would be good until we know if there is more armed opposition. If there are propane or gasoline fork lifts in the warehouse, they could be used to load the train cars. Need an inventory of those as well to know what we might need to get at least one of them started. If the fork lifts are all electric, or we can't get the other types started, we're probably looking at many people using pallet jacks to move the stuff."
"I'll ask Arnold to plan an exploration mission. It's not like we're all that busy here."
"I have a request that will change that. Abby was almost the victim of a group of feral dogs earlier today. We need to set up a 'dog drive' with beaters driving the dogs toward the hunters. I don't know if the pelts would be useful, but it seems a shame to waste anything that might be useful for making winter clothing."
"You said 'almost a victim'. I take it someone that was armed intervened?"
"Yes, Lexi was closest to the door and was the first one out when Abby heard growling and yelled 'Dog!'. Lexi killed two dogs and wounded another with three shots."
"Had it been a child other than one of your grandkids I would have been surprised at that accuracy. Knowing how you teach, I would expect that level of accuracy - but not that level of courage from such a little girl. She's what? Maybe six years old?"
"Six in the next month or so, but she's been very serious about learning to shoot. She's determined to be 'just like' Terry and Abby and both of them have shown uncommon bravery in bad situations."
"If they were a little older, I'd invite the girls to join the Army, but I think they might embarrass most of the adults. Would the dog drive be a one-time thing for the whole area?"
"More likely three or four drives because of the layout of the valley and ideally on sequential days to get the maximum number of animals. I'd expect to find expect raccoons, coyotes, wolves and probably some others in the drive. If anyone is raising hogs, they might take some of the carcasses to use for feed. Otherwise, we'll just bury them and let them fertilize some acreage."
"I'll tell Arnold what you want and why. He'll probably want to meet with you to do the planning. Do you have topo maps of the area?"
"I have some from the USGS that have been edited for accuracy. The people who've lived here know more about the area and the changes that have happened in the 20-odd years since the USGS last updated their maps. That's why there are also some maps that have been made locally because it was easier to start with a blank sheet. Some of the more useful things for the drive will be where the serious fences are located. Those will help direct the animals."
~~~
"Girls, come with me and I'll show you how to get Rose to bow."
"And teach us the whistle?"
"Yes, Terry, I'll teach you the whistle, but first you must promise not to do it inside the house."
"I promise."
"Abby?"
"I promise."
"Lexi?"
"I promise."
"Follow me to the pasture."
"OK."
~~~
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Post by kaijafon on Nov 28, 2013 10:43:51 GMT -6
Thank you! sadly, there will be a huge problem with dogs packing up around here too. I've neighbors who have three or more dogs each in at least three houses around me. Most are ankle biters with one that has a bigger dog. There was another bigger dog but I've not seen him in a week or so. But I'd say there are at least 100 dogs within a six block radius of me.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 28, 2013 12:44:30 GMT -6
There's one smaller dog (Jack Russell to terrier size) that is out occasionally and a couple of larger dogs (haven't seen them, but have heard them bark) within 100 yards of the house. I think I'd want a shotgun loaded with 00 buck if facing a pack of dogs.
Once had some neighbors that had a Great Dane - big friendly dog that never quite got over puppyhood. However, no amount of persuasion could convince the UPS guy that the dog was friendly. He would never open the gate to deliver a package - he parked in the driveway and beeped the horn until someone came out.
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Post by notchman on Nov 30, 2013 18:51:32 GMT -6
Did Ch 51 get posted twice by mistake?
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 30, 2013 19:49:42 GMT -6
Sorry about that.
It's been a busy few days and we're still getting settled from the Thanksgiving get together - calling folks to say " Did you know that you left....?"
Chapter 52 in a day or two...
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 3, 2013 11:10:59 GMT -6
Chapter 52 - Monday afternoon
"Hello the house!"
"Hello, Sam. What's so important that you're back already?"
"My sister Debbie told me there was someone you needed to meet, so I brought him out. Bill Mason, this is Howard Dennison. He was an electrician at the hydro plant."
"Very glad to meet you, Howard. We've had some discussions on getting power back on, but haven't had anyone with local experience to guide us. Do you think the hydro plant can be restarted?"
"Pleased to meet you, too, Bill. First, let me thank you for getting us out of the caves. Then can you explain to me how Texas National Guard vehicles got here? I'm pretty sure there isn't enough fuel left for a trip that long."
"It's a long story, Howard. For now, just accept that there's no magic involved."
"OK, but I'd like to hear the full story at some point. The plant can be restarted if we have enough people with the right skills."
"Howard, this is my future son-in-law, Jack Turner. He was working on a double degree in mechanical and electrical engineering when the fever hit and he did his co-op time at a hydro plant. There are some other engineers - electrical, mechanical, civil - in the group that came with Jack."
"Jack gets the position of Chief Engineer, as there's no one else with the education or the experience. I can direct the line crews for cleanup, repair and new connections, but we need someone who can teach the desk jockeys what their monitoring instruments mean."
"Well, I think I remember enough from my co-op days to do that teaching. Can you handle the work on the lake - ensuring the spillways are clear and the like - as well as restoring any damaged lines?"
"I can check the lake in a couple of days if there's gas for a boat, Jack. Otherwise it'll be however long it takes to row around the shoreline looking for potential future problems."
"Sam, could you put together a wood gas unit for an outboard engine?"
"Bill, there's an unused one that was sized for a little Ford tractor. It's physically too big to mount on a boat with an outboard but it would probably work on the party boat that's up on the lake."
"That boat would work better than an outboard - there's more room for any supplies we might need to take with us."
"While the three of you work on that, I need to check on my patients."
"OK, Doc. I think the kids are all out on the tire swing and Gene is keeping watch for feral dogs."
~~~
"Hi, Uncle Jack."
"Hi, Terry. I want to check your cast and Mr. Simmons' arm."
"Can you do anything about the itching right here in the middle?"
"Sorry, Terry. Some of the skin under the cast almost always gets dry and itches. If you had a short cast, I'd show you how to use a broom straw to push a piece of cloth between the cast and your arm so you could at least rub the itchy part. Can't do that with your cast as a broom straw isn't long enough to reach from your elbow to your knuckles and it won't turn the corner around your elbow."
"My stitches itch too, Doc, but my guess is that you'll tell me not to scratch them."
"You're right, Gene. The incision seems to be healing well, so I'll just re-bandage it."
~~~
"Bill, your idea for power to each section of the valley for a couple of hours a day is certainly workable. The distribution system has four main legs and each can be fed independently. That makes rotating power relatively easy to implement. Your ideas for equalizing the wear on the generators are mostly correct. We have repair kits to do minor overhauls on the generators, but only enough to do each generator once. Because of the expense. that was something we replaced as it was used. The minor overhaul kit is supposed to give a generator another ten years in service. Using each generator for a week at a time does extend its life, although not quite by a factor of four - there's some additional stress on the bearings during each startup, so the extension factor is more likely somewhere between three and three and a half times. They all had the minor overhaul two or three years ago. The maintenance logs will have the exact dates."
"Howard, am I correct in saying that we can get twenty-plus years out of the generators if we use them one at a time, and we can get another thirty-plus years out of the minor overhauls?
"That's worst case. You might get another five or ten years out of them before you had to do the minor overhaul. We try to do maintenance well before a failure is likely. If a generator started tearing itself apart because we waited too long, we might lose one or more of the other generators to the shrapnel that could be thrown out."
"Unless there are some extenuating circumstances, I think we should follow the existing maintenance philosophy. We won't be able to get replacements for a very long time, but fifty years might be long enough. Are there distribution maps at the plant? We'd need to tell people when they should be available to help repair any downed or damaged lines before power can be restored. I'm guessing that the locals would be more useful in clearing downed trees and setting poles than with the actual electrical work."
"You're right, Bill, although hanging wire is very basic and I could teach most of the process in a day or so. Having a bucket truck would be a real help in repairing the local distribution lines. There were two bucket trucks in the garage at the hydro plant, but I don't know if there's any fuel for them. They had a 500 gallon tank of diesel at the garage but I don't know how much was in it or whether it was treated with Pri-D or the like."
"We collected some Pri-D when we were checking for survivors and salvaging perishable goods. If there's diesel at the garage, we can treat it and you can have at least some use of the bucket trucks."
"Thanks, Sam. Looks like we need to do some checking at the hydro plant and make plans from there. Jack, you know which of the people that came with you has what type of education and experience, so could you ride in to town and see who can meet with Howard to work out a tentative schedule for restarting the hydro plant?"
"I'll saddle Royal and be on my way in ten minutes."
"Bill, you mentioned getting local people to help with repairing the lines. How would they know when we'd be working in their area?"
"The easiest way to pass information to many people would be to have it announced at church on Sunday and have some notices posted in the Trade Day area. Most of the people come in for one or the other, if not both."
"You're having church services?"
"Sorry, Howard, I forgot that you've been isolated for months. Yes, church services started two weeks ago. They're at the Methodist church because it's the biggest but the preachers are Baptist and Presbyterian. One preacher's wife plays the piano and there were some other instruments yesterday - guitar, fiddle, clarinet."
"You said 'Trade Day'. Is it open to anyone?"
"Anyone who wants to barter, buy or sell. My daughter Kate and the granddaughters seem to have gotten us into the bread and cake baking business and Kate will be teaching classes in cooking on a wood stove and taking payment in food or supplies."
"I'd heard that you were a first class entrepreneur, but didn't know about your daughter. Granddaughters, as in more than one?"
"Since you girls are back in, do you want to explain?"
"You go first, Lexi."
"OK, Abby. When Kate marries Daddy, I'll be her daughter and Grandpa's newest granddaughter."
"Me and Terry came here for a place to stay for a little while, but now we're a family."
"I just noticed - all these kids are armed. Who'd trust kids this age with guns?"
"I would. Terry shot someone to protect Abby and me. Abby shot someone who wanted me dead. Neither was a fatal wound, but both were disabling. Lexi killed two dogs when a pack went after Abby. All three girls are very good shots and very responsible shooters. Mike helped his Dad drive off some Chinese troops."
"Chinese? I thought the Muslims started the war."
"Let me bring you up to date..."
~~~
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Post by kaijafon on Dec 6, 2013 1:11:27 GMT -6
you know although I do get mixed up every once in a while about who is speaking, I don't near as much as I thought I would.
this is such a unique style of writing. I'm amazed at how well I can "see" the story.
thanks
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 6, 2013 11:27:25 GMT -6
I usually hold what I've written for a couple of days, then go back and read through to see whether it flows OK and whether there's a conflict with something in an earlier chapter. My proofreading is not a guarantee, as I know what I meant to write - which is the thing that keeps us from seeing missing words and doubled words when we proofread our own writing.
Using names every second or third paragraph and using modes of address (adults only say "sir" to Bill) and the run-togethers (wanna, hafta) that kids use are some of the "who's talking?" keys.
This is my first attempt at a predominantly dialog story, so maybe I'm doing OK if you know who's talking most of the time ;-)
Working on the next few chapters, along with the real world of clearing leaves...
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Post by nancy1340 on Dec 6, 2013 20:03:03 GMT -6
you know although I do get mixed up every once in a while about who is speaking, I don't near as much as I thought I would. this is such a unique style of writing. I'm amazed at how well I can "see" the story. thanks I know what you mean. But then I hate it when everything is: Bill said to the men in the room: Let's go get 'em! Joe said, I'm right behind you Bill. Lee added: I'll go saddle up the horses and meet you out frount. Bill, you get and load the guns. It's not easy writting a story. I wrote two chapeters on FS's site and when everyone liked it scared me to death! LOL It took me a several days for each chapter and there was no research involved. I wrote about an area I knew so it was just putting feeling into what was going on.
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Post by freebirde on Dec 7, 2013 17:20:55 GMT -6
Bill's family and this story keeps growing, and I like it!
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Post by philipinoregon on Dec 20, 2013 11:43:58 GMT -6
Papa of 2 I haven't posted for a while, my iPad messed up all my Opera "speed dial" AKA bookmarks, only icons rather than words.... So I finally figured out how to redo it.... Anyway, I have not had any problem following who is saying what, but then I took care of my Grandchildren while their mother was going through the college/university thing, and am used to youth talking... It does not keep me from using all their names, until I get to the name I want to Talk to, but I think that is Old Age.... What was I writing about? I pray you are healing well, and will look forward to when you get around to posting another chapter. Merry Christmas Season to all..... philip
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Post by biggkidd on Dec 25, 2013 11:41:07 GMT -6
Great Story I can't wait to read the rest.
Larry
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