|
Post by texican on Jan 14, 2019 19:59:47 GMT -6
Is it too soon to cry MOAR? HTFM, Not if you put real feeling into it.... And mayabe some smiley faces and hearts.... Texican....
|
|
|
Post by arkansascob on Jan 15, 2019 9:56:12 GMT -6
I kinda forgot about this story because for me it got a little boring or maybe hard to keep up with. I came back and I'm now caught up. Guess it was just me and getting caught up in the hustle and stress of the holiday season for now I do not find this story boring or hard to follow. It has became an adventure again.
Thank You pbbrowno for your time and effort.
Now how about some MOAR Please Sir.
Cob
|
|
|
Post by pbbrown0 on Jan 18, 2019 15:07:54 GMT -6
OUT OF THE STUMP POST # 92
The smile on Michael's face had now faded somewhat, but there was still a sparkle in his eye. Michael turned suddenly and glared at Frank. “Doc, It appears that Shep, has put you and me in an awkward position. He kind of dropped a bombshell on your understanding of the situation. By bringing you here and laying his cards on the table he made you a liability to me as far as my protecting those for whom I am responsible. Maybe you can tell me what in tar-nation I'm supposed to do to assure that all my work and all my people are not exposed to discovery by those who will stop at nothing to take what is not theirs to take.”
Doc was obviously taken aback at Michael's sudden change in demeanor. “Michael, the truth is that I already knew too much about your work here before I came. No one sat me down and told me about it, but I was on a committee trying to prepare others for this winter we are still having. There were comments and inferences mentioned in those meeting about this place, and I had managed to piece together a picture, though a fuzzy one, of what was going on out here, Actually the location was the fuzziest part of that, so that is a plus in your favor. I have a lot of professional conditioning for protecting confidential information, and I will give you my personal assurance that your secret is safe with me. Of course if my word to you is not good enough then you have another problem. If I were you, Michael, I would be looking into a bigger problem that puts your efforts at real risk, considering how things are developing around you, and how many other people have been exposed to bits and pieces of information about your setup here.”
Doc shifted his posture and leaned across the table toward Michael.“I can see real wisdom behind what you are doing here, Michael, and keeping your efforts invisible to the outside world is a sound strategy. However, in coming here for the first time I see a glaring hole in your efforts to keep your safe place hidden. We are sitting inside an enigma right now in this house. I don't know how you have escaped detection already. Maybe other people are selectively blind, but when we topped that last hill on the road I was stunned to see a large house in clear view, near the road, yet completely unscathed by anything that has happened in the last year. That is just too improbable in times like these unless someone with a lot of clout is protecting it. Even when up close, from the outside a person can't see any signs of someone having attacked it to take it away from you. This house is like a beacon beside the road shouting, 'some one is nearby who has taken extraordinary measures to protect this place.' That in turn announces that there is definitely something here worth protecting and hence worth stealing. I'm sure this house has served a good purpose Michael, but it has become a liability.”
Michael took his time looking at the other visitors before addressing Nick and Grigory. “You two are not from this country, and you have been trained as warriors. Forgive me if I state the obvious. You don't have much skin in this game, but even at that it's a bit of a stretch to believe that trained warriors like you would flee like chickens afraid of a hawk.”
Nick and Grigory whispered for a moment before Grigory turned to reply. “Michael, sometimes what is obvious is most important. One obvious consideration is that our country ... our government threw us in the trash bin. A second consideration is that only a fool fights an enemy they cannot defeat. They must find a safe place to avoid a fight, or find an ally strong enough to defeat their enemy. Nick and I listen to Tricia, Steve, Rob, Shep and Marilyn. Maybe here, we find both.”
Michael studied Grigory's face very carefully after that last statement, before studying other faces around the room. “People, when I started working to make a haven I was expecting these kinds of things to happen all around, but I had no idea how I could make it all work here as a refuge for an unknown number of people I had never seen. There are already five times more people here than I first imagined. I can't even guess how many might decide to come from the Island, if I open up that possibility. Our shelters that we added last summer filled up this past fall. Our food stores have been drained and now there are new questions being raised about when we will be able to plant again, especially considering some of the developments Shep mentioned. Rob, you're an accountant. You understand the risks of taking on more mouths to feed here with those uncertainties. Doc, you understand the additional health risks that come with inadequate nutrition and shelter combined with over crowding. Then there are the issues of what that does to our risk of being discovered. In addition to it being harder to hide more people, there is the challenge of hiding the fact that a number of people are leaving the Island to come here. If we are discovered, everyone loses. Any way you look at it logically, it turns into a lose-lose scenario.”
Michael hung his head like the weight of the world was sitting on his shoulders. All around the room there were somber expressions “Shep, you came here with a lot of troubling notions about what is happening nearby and in distant places. Then you asked me to take you in and essentially rescue you and your friends. That was not logical when you compare the facility and resources you currently command to the supplies and facilities that I have here. You said you would try to help me any way you could if I would help you find a path through the troubles you see ahead. The dangers you have described have been anticipated for quite a spell, and now the circumstances seem to have entered a new phase. The time has come to make a choice. So here is what I propose.”
“If this is to work, we need to be on the same page, all of us here at the Haven, that is. We may not know all we think we need to know, and we may not have all the answers yet, but it is essential that we are together in how we are going to face the challenges ahead of us. If we cannot do that at the beginning, we will not make it through what lies ahead. So here it is. I have made my choice and each of you including those already here must now make their choices about what path they will follow.”
“Choice One: This is not my Haven and it is not your Haven. I am just watching over this place and the people in it as a servant for someone else. I did invite every person who came here after me to this place, but I don't own it. Anyone who chooses to stay here must look at this with the same heart. It is not mine, I am just a caretaker trying to follow the directions of the true owner.”
“Wait a minute, Michael. When Tricia, Steve, and I showed up here over a year ago, you told us this house and the land around here belonged to you and Rose. Everyone here told us they were all your invited guests in your home. What are you telling us now, Michael?”
“Rob, a year and a half ago Rose and I were legally the property owners. That was technically true. I communicated to you in terms that you all understood, rather than providing a crash course for you and everyone else here in the fundamental realities of several millennia of political science, theocratic philosophy, economics, common law, and the history of man. I'll abbreviate the explanation for now, so everyone please pay close attention. Shep just informed us that the governments of two years ago no longer exist. Therefore the laws that they were enforcing are now mere history. It appears that on most of this continent a military oligarchy is now the dominant government and even if they are still using it the Uniform Code of Military Justice of the old U.S. it was a bit thin on rules concerning about domestic land ownership. So forget all you thought you knew about property ownership. In the current system of the world we are living in this land belongs to anyone with the power and the will to take it and keep it. Regardless of how that tangles your brain around, that is the current reality.”
“What I am also saying is that for me, from the beginning, these changed circumstances have not changed anything except the specific dangers surrounding it every day. To me the Haven,and the land surrounding it never was mine, I was just an invited guest, who was taking the responsibilities of a caretaker and serving its ultimate owner, the creator. It is important that everyone here recognize that same principle or we cannot make this work.”
“Choice Number Two: Since I take the view that this land belongs to my God, I also take the position that the government in this place is not a democracy, a dictatorship, or any other form of government devised by men. The rulership here is going to be, to the extent we can follow it and grasp it, a rule by God. A majority does not rule, and the strongest man or group of men does not rule. Our creator rules. It is the responsibility of everyone here to do their best to assure that remains the case here all day and every day. If you can grasp that and accept that, you are invited to stay. If you cannot, then you have chosen a truly dangerous path.”
Doc was cautious and tentative as he laid out his next question. “Michael, please understand that we are all still trying to process a lot of new and frankly unfamiliar information. You said we are going to make sure that God is ruling here, but this is not a democracy nor a dictatorship. How will it be decided what needs to be done if not everyone is agreeing on what God wants us to do. Are we expected to look to you, or just for sake of argument, perhaps someone like Marilyn as having a clearer understanding of what the creator wants, so everyone is expected to give greater weight to your understanding than to someone else? If that is the case how will it be decided who is in the best position to know that? I am not trying to cause an issue here, I just have never seen a time or place in history where a noble sounding theocracy worked for long before the people messed it up just as bad as in a so called secular government.”
“Doc, I don't know if you remember me at the Island. Honestly I don't remember meeting you while I was there, but I came there with Tricia, Rob, and a man named Jacob late last spring. While Michael is being clearer now about where he stands I can see how what he is talking about has been working here so far. When an issue comes up we talk about it, and someone always comes up with a solution, and that is most often someone other than Michael. Almost always with a little discussion we settle on a solution that everyone can accept. We never have taken a vote since I first arrived. No one is told what they have to do, but the needs are discussed and people do what they can to address those needs out of their own desire to make things work. If you get to talk with those who have been here for a while they will tell you that their efforts are not so much about making sure it works for them as it is about working to make sure they are taking care of the people they love. When there is a more difficult issue we don't rush into a decision until we recognize the wisdom of a solution being offered. One time we hit an issue that we just couldn't seem to agree on. That was when Tricia, Rob, Jacob and I chose to go looking for additional help and found ourselves on the Island. No one told us we were doing the wrong thing and no one tried to stop us. Everyone but the four of us however chose to stay here and help take care of the others. The same principle was true when Becky and I returned here from the Island and brought others with us. Tricia and Rob stayed because they saw their responsibility to stay there and help take care of others. We didn't choose sides or argue about who was right and who was wrong. We loved and respected each other too much to let things devolve into contention and finger pointing. I know that sounds hard to believe, but that really is how it worked.”
“Yes this is very … unfamiliar,” Shep re-entered the conversation, “but this is what I began to see from the stories I was told. I do not know what others will choose, but I choose this path. We need to choose our next steps carefully and quickly. Doc, you are right about this house. It is incredible that it has been overlooked so often, but I think it is unwise to assume it will remain unseen much longer. Michael, you and your wife may have emotions tied to this house, but you must sometimes sacrifice old things you remember well in order to preserve what is most precious.”
“Yes, we do have some good memories of this place, but Rose and I also have some very unpleasant memories of this place. When I think back it seems to me that there must have been someone making special efforts to somehow blind some people to this place while using it as a beacon pointing to a Haven for other people. I will talk with her, but I am certain she will agree with Doc that this house has already served its purpose. I am also concerned about how to minimize the attention that will be attracted by your … inquiries and exit strategy on the Island.”
“I understand your concerns, Michael, I have some ideas about handling that. I have not asked others if they think it will work, but based on the requirements you stated, it might work. If Marilyn and a few others start talking more openly about Armageddon, then most would refuse to listen and dismiss them as crazy. At the same time, it may help us determine a few who are open to learn what that would require of them. Then we can make a show of rounding up trouble makers to keep the community stable. I have not worked out the details of making them disappear, yet. We also need to perhaps craft an issue to explain the sudden destruction of this house. There may be some even beyond the military units that passed by here months ago who remember seeing it in good condition.”
“Michael, Shep, Can I interrupt just a minute. Going back to this Armageddon thing.” David seemed perplexed. “I really don't know much about that except from inferences made in movies I've seen. Isn't that supposed to be like the end of the world or something. Is that what we're talking about Michael? Do you really think the world is coming to an end?”
Michael looked to David with a compassionate concern. “David I apologize for not talking more to you before. I can see why you are confused. There is so much to explain, but first , considering all that you have seen and heard, doesn't it seem to fit that the world as we knew it has come or is coming to an end?”
“Yeah, I guess you have a point there, Michael.”
“So, if the world as we knew it is coming to an end, what comes after will for all intents and purposes be a new world. We hope for a better world, but what I will be like is something we have yet to see. Does that make sense to you?”
“Okay, Michael. I see your point.”
“Now we don't have time right now to go into all the details, David, but here is what I see. An awful lot of what I have been observing in recent years, and how I have understood those events seem to me to fit really well with what I have read in the Bible. I know a lot of people have different attitudes and interpretations about what the Bible says to them, but I'm just telling you how I see it. Now with that in mind I have made some choices, and I have hope and expectations based on how I understand the Bible and what I see in the world around me. You have to make choices about whether or not you want to look into how I understand things, as well as making choices about how you intend to face the troubles ahead. I believe the choices you make, right or wrong are likely to be critical because the world we are living in is looking more and more dangerous by the day.”
“You know something, Michael? You're right I don't know much about what the Bible says or even what most people say it means, but I know what I have seen with my own eyes. Everywhere I look, the world has been messed up for some time, except here at the Haven. It hasn't been easy here, and yet it has. There is just something about this place and the people here and how things are done and ...Well, My Granma use to say the proof is in the puddin', so I'm in Michael. I want to learn more.”
Pete spoke for the first time in the meeting. “There is a lot to be done and we need to get these people back to the Island quickly. The time to talk will begin again later. I like Shep's idea about sorting folks out. They can work out the details at that end. As for this house, 'It was taken over by belligerent marauders who foolishly tried to defend it.' As for getting others off the Island without suspicion, we need to fabricate another incident in another place where Islanders either go there to help or they are sent to a separate colony and it turns out badly. We have some vehicles that have been stashed nearby. Those can be used to transport the group from that other location back here so the missing vehicle that got them off the Island can be discovered at the other site. We need to empty the food cellar here and get whatever tools we need out of the barn . Both buildings need to be razed today, while it is still daylight." Pete stood up. "Now, people!”
|
|
|
Post by papaof2 on Jan 18, 2019 15:42:32 GMT -6
In other circumstances, perhaps not raze the house buy mark it as no longer habitable - maybe using black, brown and gray paint to leave "smoke" stains above the doors and windows, covering those "damaged" areas with plywood and having bits of scorched fiberglass insulation scattered in the yard?
Very much situation-dependent.
|
|
|
Post by kaijafon on Jan 18, 2019 19:40:47 GMT -6
very good chapter and I'm not just saying that cause I'm biased...
lol
Perhaps find a way to make a hidden entrance to the basement...? but have the house all down around it? That way, those who "know" could stay dry and have a few supplies stashed...like an underground railroad thing going on.
Thank you for the MOAR!!!!
(btw folks, he did offer me to read it before posting but I managed to somehow to say no... I may NOT be strong enough to do that in the future... hahaha)
|
|
|
Post by texican on Jan 19, 2019 0:42:44 GMT -6
PPB,
Interesting chapter, thank you....
The world will change and we are currently in that state....
The fireworks will start again....
Texican....
|
|
|
Post by udwe on Feb 12, 2019 22:48:54 GMT -6
Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by kaijafon on Mar 24, 2019 20:43:46 GMT -6
I just told my adorable Hubby that he needs to slap out a new chapter right quick!
lol! I demanded he spend a couple hours tomorrow while I'm at work, on this most serious and important story!
hahaha! Now let's see if he listens to the "little woman"
|
|
|
Post by 9idrr on Mar 25, 2019 18:21:46 GMT -6
I just told my adorable Hubby that he needs to slap out a new chapter right quick! lol! I demanded he spend a couple hours tomorrow while I'm at work, on this most serious and important story! hahaha! Now let's see if he listens to the "little woman" Only if he know what's good for him.
|
|
|
Post by arkansascob on Mar 28, 2019 7:45:31 GMT -6
Well apparently he isn't listening. Maybe the Little Woman needs to speak a little louder. After 4 days my Little Woman would be talking some stuff about cooking tonight. That's about the only thing she can hold over my head any more is food for the belly. Looking forward to MOAR !! COB
|
|
|
Post by kaijafon on Mar 30, 2019 20:12:17 GMT -6
he worked on the story but doesn't feel he has enough to post yet.
he cooks better than I do, so I can't use that one.
And I can't sic my roster on him cause he smacked the "crow" right out of him.
|
|
|
Post by 9idrr on Mar 30, 2019 20:57:30 GMT -6
Bein' as our boy's such a good cook, it would behoove that-there rooster to behave himself 'fore he turns into Sunday dinner. Which brings to mind the memory of chicken for dinner 'most every Sunday. Do any families still do that? I remember a cookbook with recipes for 52 ways to do chicken, so you could plan a whole year of chicken dinners for Sundays.
By the way, K, I noticed "Loving married life.... (words I never thought I'd utter)" with your avatar. Glad to hear it. I have noticed, however, that shortly after I joined you hit 1,000 posts, and now you're only up to 1,190 so something's keepin' you busy...
|
|
|
Post by papaof2 on Mar 30, 2019 21:35:11 GMT -6
Bein' as our boy's such a good cook, it would behoove that-there rooster to behave himself 'fore he turns into Sunday dinner. Which brings to mind the memory of chicken for dinner 'most every Sunday. Do any families still do that? I remember a cookbook with recipes for 52 ways to do chicken, so you could plan a whole year of chicken dinners for Sundays. By the way, K, I noticed "Loving married life.... (words I never thought I'd utter)" with your avatar. Glad to hear it. I have noticed, however, that shortly after I joined you hit 1,000 posts, and now you're only up to 1,190 so something's keepin' you busy... I suspect that these days a lot of people have "roast preacher" for Sunday dinner, regardless of what's actually on their plates... I remember having a lot of chicken when my mother and I lived with her parents. Having the chicken house just a few steps from the back porch made that a convenient source of fresh meat. I remember my grandfather "wringing the neck" of a chicken and popping the head off with a snap of his wrist. There really is such a thing as a chicken running around after it's head is off.
|
|
|
Post by arkansascob on Apr 1, 2019 8:03:27 GMT -6
Wife raises chickens and yes I have slapped the crow out of a few roosters. From time to time one will grow up to be a bit nippy. Those become broth. I will not eat the chickens she raises. I'll behead them for her but I wont eat them. Don't like the way they taste. She has tried all ways of cooking them and even tried once telling me it was store bought that she fried but I could tell the first bite it was not store bought. She says I'm just to used to all the additives and other junk that's in store bought and don't know what good chicken taste like. I do know what good chicken taste like. It taste like Sanders Farm chicken soaked in buttermilk then dredged in well seasoned flour and fried in an iron skillet.
Now if ya'll don't mind I'll enjoy this nice drumstick while waiting on MOAR.
COB
|
|
|
Post by rori696 on Apr 1, 2019 17:08:01 GMT -6
Spent the past few days immersed in your story. A thoroughly enjoyable read! I join the ranks of MOAR!
|
|
|
Post by pbbrown0 on Apr 12, 2019 9:20:21 GMT -6
OUT OF THE STUMP POST # 93 Grigory stood up, along with everyone else but he stopped to speak in Russian to Shep for a minute. Shep thought for a moment before speaking to Michael. “Michael, Grigory raised a tactical question worth considering. When one is expecting to be in hostile territory for an extended time, it is considered – prudent to have a hidden cache of essential supplies in case you have to abandon your primary base. He suggested that with the storage basement here, it might be used for that if we make it look like this house is destroyed and the debris is used to mask the presence of the basement.” “I suppose there is something to be said for that idea, Shep. My greater concern is how many people you bring here from the Island. Spring seems to be a little behind schedule this year and we don't have an over abundance of reserves after this past winter. We can look at scattering our food storage to multiple caches, but some of those will be emptied before they start to fill again. We can leave some food here in the basement as long as you make sure we can retrieve it if it is needed. ' “I know there are a lot of details to work out, and I sense the urgency of getting it done. When you bring your group back from the Island, we need a place where we can meet and figure out just how to accommodate them. Right now I don't have a clue how many there will be or where they'll be able to sleep. I don't even know when they'll be arriving. I tell you what Shep. When you do get back , how about y'all find a place in the woods to camp, off the road and on the far side of that hill just east of here. Once you and your people are settled , send someone over the hill so our look outs can spot them near but not in the woods northwest of the remains of the farmhouse. When we spot them we can send word back to you about a better place to meet and figure out our next steps”. It did not take long to get the extra food from the basement, or for Michael to check the rest of the house for anything else that had not yet been salvaged for the Haven. The barn and garage took a little longer since some of those helping were unsure of the guidelines Michael had established for what was and was not sustainable technology for use at the Haven. Then those supplies had to be carried clear of the house and into the edge of the woods. While this was going on, Shep, Nick, and Grigory had discussed how to destroy the buildings and make them appear to fit into the scenario they had concocted to tell back at the Island. Shep relayed the scenario to Michael and the fact that it would involve firing the heavy weapon on the Stryker they had used to get to the farm. Everyone agreed that Michael's group needed to get back to the Haven first to forewarn those people not to worry if they heard that cannon firing. Michael also needed to recruit a few from the Haven to help retrieve the supplies that had been extracted. Michael made one more sweep through the house and the barn to see if anything had been missed. And then rejoined the rest of the group outside. As they were exchanging their farewells they all felt the ground start to shake. The quake was not a strong one, but it continued for about minute and a half. Michael's group was a rather somber group as they turned toward the Haven to forewarn their family about the changes ahead. Shep was busy for a while discussing the scenario they intended to report back at the Island. Then their group began discussing at length how they would go about vetting those that might want to return to the Haven without announcing their true plans to those that would be making choices to stay at the Island. They would also have to plan how exactly their own group could disappear without raising too many suspicions. This was all going to be a very different kind of challenge for them., yet it was going to be complicated by an imprecise urgency. David had been quiet, as had everyone else, since leaving the farm house. He had been a little unnerved by the small earthquake, but but the unusual silence among those in this group was even more unnerving. With no one saying anything his uneasiness had festered and fed on itself most of the way back to the lodge. Finally He just had to ask, “Mister Green, er, Michael, how can you know that commander from the Island is right about what he is telling us? Forgive me but even though I was on the Island I didn't have that much contact with … Shep. I know he let Steve and some others work to make things better there, but he was also an insider of sorts in a really messed up organization that was running that prison camp..I got out of there as fast as I could, and the next thing I know there had been some kind of coup and he ended up in charge. We have heard things are somewhat better there now, then suddenly he says he wants out and is trying to bring more people here.. I'm not trying to second guess you, Michael. I meant what I said that I trust your judgment because you have earned my trust and the trust of everyone here. I'm just uneasy not knowing more about what Shep is saying without another source to back him up on his claims and interpretations.” Michael kept hiking up the mountain through the woods a bit further before he spoke. “David, sometimes we think the right choice is pretty obvious, and it still turns out wrong. Sometimes it seems like we just don't have enough information to make an informed choice. There is an old proverb in the Bible that goes something like this. 'Trust in God with all your heart. Don't cling to your own understanding of things, but in everything you do, keep mindful of Him and he will keep you on the right path.' Now most people want to make good choices, but then not everyone agrees on what determines that their choices were right or wrong, even after results of their choices become apparent.” “I made a choice, David. You may call it intuitive, sub-conscious assessment, gut feeling. All I can tell you for sure is that I prayed about it, took a few minute to consider what I thought was most important, then I made a choice. We'll just have to see how it turns out and decide what we will think about it after we see how it turns out.” That was not the answer David was hoping for. He wanted Michael to explain what he had considered in determining how truthful or accurate Shep had been in his request. He wanted a formula for weighing the pros and cons of the choices available. He wanted some concrete assurances from his leader, Michael. Instead he learned that Michael had taken a step into the uncertain. To David it seemed like he decided to walk across a rickety bridge without a careful examination of the support structure. Michael was freely admitting that he did not know how his choice would turn out, yet he seemed calm and unafraid moving forward on a hope and a prayer. Maybe that was what people meant when they mentioned walking by faith. There had to be more to it than this. David saw that he had more to learn from Michael about a lot of things. When they arrived at the lodge there was quite a stir welcoming them back and talking about the earthquake. It took some time to gather everyone and discuss the changes that seemed to be in their near future. After that settled down Michael wanted to check carefully in the root cellars and around the cabin foundations to be sure there were no cracks or slips. Everything looked good so Michael asked that everyone gather in the lodge early this evening, before supper. Everyone was inside together so the sound of the big gun firing that Michael warned them about was more muffled than it would have been otherwise. Still there were many concerned glances passed around within the group until everything was silent again. Only four shots were heard and then nothing. Those preparing supper this night had more help than usual with everyone already gathered inside the lodge rather than scattered around the Haven at various jobs. While everyone was helping Michael was asking questions about anyone who had previous experiences before coming to the Haven, with living in earthquake zones and particularly experiencing earthquakes of different intensities. He was wanting to get their focus off imagining a serious weapon firing at a once lovely and peaceful farm house. He also wanted then working together as a family sharing their experiences. There were actually three of the more recent arrivals who had lived in California in years past The three who had experienced earthquakes 'before the lights went out' were able to provide a better perspective on the intensity of the recent earthquakes they had experienced to those they had experienced previously and what they had learned about the methods of ranking earthquake intensities. All things considered it became quite clear that there were some serious earthquakes occurring at a considerable distance from the Haven. Over supper the discussions were continuing about what they would need to do to accommodate another influx of people. Michael noticed while listening to the conversations that no one seemed concerned about being able to feed the newcomers. In fact they weren't concerned about much except keeping away from the military conflicts and government posturing “out there”. They were giving attention to how to design additional housing and wondering how much would be needed. They were also throwing out ideas about more dining space and how the cooking might be arranged for a larger group. When the kitchen was cleaned up after supper Michael was quietly listening to this growing family with one ear while he was trying to listen with his inner ear about what was yet to come. He was rolling over in his mind the report from Shep, the recent earthquakes, and why he had started this Haven. Suddenly the memory of that jar of gray snow intruded itself into his thoughts as an odd chill ran up his spine. He looked to the stone fireplace with the logs gently burning and his eyes scanned the solid log walls of the lodge. He rose and walked out on the porch, then he took a thoughtful stroll around the outside of lodge in the moonlight. When He returned to the front porch he sat on a chair against the front wall of the lodge. There was a chill in the air, but he stayed there for a while pondering how the spring seemed later to warm up than it had in the two previous years he had been here. When he came inside he stood closer to the fireplace to chase away the chill before going to sit by Rose and Hope. The next morning the conversations were energetic but calm over breakfast. There were the usual morning chores tending to the animals, and then they broke into smaller groups to address a variety of responsibilities. Most of the men were congregating to assess their houses and shelters. There were concerns to discuss regarding how much more shelter they might need to build for the newcomers. Michael listened for a while as they seemed to be at an impasse because they really did not know how many might show up. What was once a lively discussion had tapered down until everyone realized that while they were eager to start, they were reluctant to dive in to a major effort until they were more confident that they were understanding the scope of what would be needed. What if they grossly missed on their guess on how many to prepare for accommodating. Michael had been quiet through all of this, until the others ran out of helpful suggestions to contribute. When he spoke to the group, it was softly but with a calming confidence. “We will know soon enough how many there will be, but we need to address much more than just the number that will come here. We need to prepare for changes which are coming that will affect both the new ones coming soon and those who are already here. Our shelters here are good, but they need to be better to deal with what is coming, even if that means being more crowded for a while until we can build more houses.” Josh jumped in here. “ Michael I know these houses are not filled with what we had come to expect in the way of modern conveniences and luxuries, but they are rock solid, even through several earthquakes. Besides, I think a lot of us have come to realize that many of those conveniences were not as important as we once thought. It just seems to me that the first priority should be having sound structures that provide the essential needs for everyone. Adding extra niceties should come later..” “Josh, I completely agree. I am talking about enhancements that will address the changes that are coming. The essential requirements are about to change, and we may just need to consider extra space per person as an added nicety until those requirements are met. We have to be able to survive long enough to work on making things nicer at a later date.” Now Josh and some of the others had confused looks, while several were showing tentative concern in their expressions. The men were glancing back and forth to each other and to Michael waiting to hear if he would fill in the gaps for them. Michael's brow was furrowed and his eyes were narrowed as he pondered silently for a few moments that seemed to the others like several minutes. His next words were softer and steady. We need to dig basements for each of our houses, and we need to close in the spaces around the outer foundation pillars. It was faster to build them the way we did at first, but now they need to be finished. We also need to be diligent in shoring up everything. We are going to need Jacob's experience in ventilation with heating and cooling to insure we can better control our temperatures inside the basements and the above ground spaces. Humph, I just realized that opening up basement space will give us some relief from our anticipated over crowding. We probably need to expand Jeff's stove and fireplace ideas about how to be more efficient with our heating fuel for all of our houses, too. We also need to think carefully about caring for our animals and crops during colder weather. Start thinking like we all have to adapt survive having been dropped into a forest farther north; much farther north. Think in terms of shorter outdoor growing seasons and colder longer winters.” Pete's mind was reeling from where it was going as he listened to Michael. He had grown to admire and trust Michael's leadership. He respected the foresight Michael had shown in preparing for a societal crisis, but this was beginning to sound like something very different, for sure. "Michael, What is really going on here? What do you know that we are missing? What makes you think the climate is suddenly going to change, especially in that direction?” “Pete, that's a fair question. Let's put the pieces together. Last fall, Jenny discovered a subtle change in the color of the snow. The variation was only noticeable when the wind bringing the snow was coming from certain directions. I got a sample of the dirty snow, and when it had melted then evaporated it left a residue that was a gritty gray. This winter wasn't terribly bad; perhaps a bit more snow fell than usual, but it is not warming as fast as as normal this spring. There is too much snow still on the ground for this time of year, and we need to count on that getting worse for the next...for I don't know how long. Shep brought word of many volcanoes waking up far to our west, and also major earthquakes. This area is historically earthquake free, but we are all noticing that has changed, suddenly. The earthquakes and volcano activity are linked. The volcanoes and cooler weather are linked. More than once in past centuries a single major volcanic eruption, I'm talking major but not mega-eruptions, was enough to drop temperatures and adversely affect crop production around the world for two years or more. The picture Shep was painting about volcanoes on the west coast coupled with the increased earthquakes, not just on the west coast, points toward a major and at least somewhat sustained increase in the volcanic ash output into the atmosphere, which will have a noticeable cooling effect on the climate. That cooling may last a few years, but if it passes a tipping point it might push us into another glaciation. Even if it doesn't reach those levels, it is better to be prepared than to get caught out in the cold, don't you think?” “Michael, I admit to having some experience in ducting and ventilation for heating and air conditioning systems. What you are talking about, however, is a much larger issue than any systems I have ever encountered. Beyond a relatively narrow range the heating requirements are no longer a simple linear slope. The challenges could be enormous.” “Jacob, I understand that, but I also know you designed a much larger system than you had ever tackled before when you converted the gas heated system at the Island to a wood burning system. You know and understand the principles, Jacob. You just have to apply that understanding to help us craft a solution for a new challenge.” “Guys, I know I haven't been here as long as some of you, and forgive me, Michael, if there are things I don't know about you yet. I can see the evidence that you had some special insight into what might happen in our society. You were prepared to deal with the breakdown in the order of things around us. But Michael, this seems like a huge leap to go from from understanding the weaknesses in our society to predicting geological and climate upheaval.” “Joe, I understand your questioning that, but before I answer your concerns directly, I want you, and anyone else here that is wondering about making the right choices, to consider something.. Let's suppose for the sake of argument, that I am wrong about what the weather is going to do and how that might affect us. We know we have more people coming here soon, so we are going to need more food production. If we can find efficient ways to produce more food in a shorter growing season, That will help address that problem.. If the growing season is not shortened after all, then we'll be able to produce even more food for everyone. If we make the heating of our houses more efficient, then we can heat them in the coming winter with less wood for fuel. That means that we could spend less time and effort cutting and gathering firewood, so that saved effort could be directed toward other needs. IF we expand our root cellars to make full basements, that will initially create more space for the unknown number of new guests that are coming, Once those guests arrive, we will have more help available to prepare more conventional housing..If we are later able to move our guests out of the basement quarters, that would free up more space for our food storage to accommodate the additional food needed for the influx of newer guests. ” At this point Michael chuckled and gently shook his head at the irony of calling log cabins 'more conventional'. He also began to realize the wisdom of the strategy that had popped into his head for the next phase of preparations. Without first analyzing all the pros and cons of how to address the issues that lay ahead, he had found a path that covered multiple contingencies. “Joe, I am just now thinking through this approach, along with the rest of you, but I am just not seeing a downside to going down this path. On the other hand, if I am right about what I believe is coming, then it also seems a wise path to follow.”
|
|
|
Post by 9idrr on Apr 12, 2019 19:11:47 GMT -6
Thanks, pb. Good to see that you've got 'em lookin' at the long haul.
|
|
|
Post by arkansascob on Apr 15, 2019 8:52:22 GMT -6
Much thanks pb for another chapter. Glad to see you are back. I'm kinda with Dave here. Not that Shep cant be trusted but can he really be trusted. I guess only time will tell.
COB
|
|
|
Post by pbbrown0 on Apr 23, 2019 14:17:07 GMT -6
OUT OF THE STUMP POST # 94
It did not take long for the men to begin brainstorming in earnest about how to make their accommodations better suited for a colder climate. The cabins they had already built were supported above ground on sunken stone pillars. Above ground the the spaces between the stones had been packed with wet clay mixed with pebbles and gravel that had been gathered from small washout gullies on the mountain side. This had been allowed to air dry making a kind of mortar between the larger stones. The timbers had been anchored on top of these pillars. The main lodge and Jeff's house had relatively small root cellars that had essentially been dug between a few of the supporting pillars with some added timbers used for reinforcing the pillars in the spaces where the earth had been removed between pillars. The concept of expanding those root cellar storage spaces into full sized basements would require some careful planning and execution to assure the stability was maintained as the pillars under center of the structures were extended deeper and the supporting earth between them was removed. The earth and rock removed by the excavation could be used to create thick insulating skirts around the perimeter of each house.
Jacob was talking about making more fired clay pipes to run through the outer earth burm foundation skirts. By making shutters or dampers for those vent tubes they could control and channel air flow to and from fire places in the basements. By extending clay pipe chimneys through the living space above the heat from the fires could be conserved to help heat the above ground living spaces as well. If the cooler climate prediction did not materialize, the air from the shaded and insulated basements would be naturally cooler during the hot summers. With the clay pipes for venting he could direct air flow so the hotter air near the roofs could draw the cool underground air into the living space of the upper floor. As he was thinking through this and describing his ideas to the others, they could see his excitement building. He and Doug were getting charged up about designing more efficient heating and air conditioning systems with the materials they already had available here in a 'primitive' forest.
Michael was busy discussing with Jeff, Pete, Liam, and Joe how they should go about the excavations, so the pillars could be extended deeper without destabilizing the structure above as they proceeded. Josh, Claude, George, and Andy were talking about the way the seedling cribs had been warmed by the compost bins to get an earlier start their first spring at the Haven. They were throwing out ideas about expanding on that concept and making the cribs more efficient and manageable. George and Andy even suggested merging that idea with the practices of raised bed gardening. They should be able to work out how to manage the weight of planting cribs that had deeper soil than merely enough for seedlings. If they could do that and capture the heat from late season composting, they could continue to produce a number of crops later into the fall when the weather would normally be to cool for continued production.
Steve, Billy, and David were were listening to the other discussions for a while, until they started sharing their own ideas about ways to make the above ground structures more efficient. They were talking about both how to better insulate them from really cold weather, or even summer heat if that became necessary. A question about better shelter for the animals was also mentioned. Billy mentioned that part of the large porch on the east side of the lodge could be closed in to make a kind of storm entrance during really cold weather. Steve suggested that a storm wall, using the same principle as storm windows, might be helpful on the northern sides of the buildings. Then David got really enthused about something he had read about how Vikings had kept their animals. Rather than having separate barns or stalls, they had the sheds for the animals built right against their houses. They could even get into the animals stalls without going outside in the harsh winter weather. It was more efficient than building extra stand alone structures stout enough to withstand the winter cold and snowfall. Steve liked the idea since it meant more than one structure would be sharing heat rather than letting the the heat dissipate on all sides of smaller buildings.
As the men began heading to the lodge for lunch each of the smaller groups were sharing with the others the ideas they had been discussing. Michael was walking a bit slower than the rest of the group, which was not his usual way, and David and Billy began to drop back to stay with him. David sensed there was a reason for his slower pace today and began to talk to him. “Michael, I know you were trying to make this strategy sound like a reasonable approach to cover all the bases, but I don't think that's the reason you are pushing for it.” He waited for Michael to respond, but Michael only glanced his direction briefly and continued on toward the lodge. “You really are expecting things to get bad, aren't you?” Still Michael did not speak, so David pressed on. “Michael, I really am trying to learn how to do this faith thing, but I need some help. I'm guessing that your silence means you are not absolutely certain about this strategy, but you feel certain enough about what comes next, so you feel you are on the right track. Is that a fair way to put it?”
Michael slowed to a stop as did David and Billy. “You sound like you're understanding pretty well. David.” The thing is, I have some strong reasons for thinking it is going to get a lot worse, and some educated guesses about the likelihood of it getting much colder, but those two don't necessarily come from the same source -- well not completely from the same source. But when I put them together they seem to make good sense. I tend to be very cautious about predicting details based on how I interpret what the Bible says is coming except for what is explicitly stated there. In this case I see history and science pointing toward something most people don't expect. I also see that fitting within what I think the Bible generally warns about. So I can't say for sure that it is going to be the way I am thinking, but I would be wrong to not prepare for that possibility, wouldn't I? I expect it, and even knowing I may be mistaken, I still have to act rather than ignore what I sense are warning signs.”
Now Billy was questioning Michael. “So you know you don't know for sure, but you have to act like you do know? Is that how faith works?”
“Not exactly, Billy. Faith is not trusting that every single choice or judgment you make is the right one. The faith part is trusting in your heart and mind that God is consistent, and that He is going to keep his word to you.”
“That is where I get confused, Michael. It seems like there are a thousand different opinions about what god has or has not promised and what a person has to do to get this or that from him. And of course if anyone claims that god talks directly to them they are automatically considered crazy. So, Michael, are you 'crazy'?”
Michael shook his head and laughed. “No, Billy, I don't claim that I hear voices from heaven with private messages from God. But I do believe that the Bible explains what He is like and what He wants us to understand about Him. I think it's a much better source of information about Him than listening to a lot of people's opinions about Him.”
They were entering the lodge now and lunch was ready. The conversations were very lively as the subject of the morning was spreading among the whole family of the Haven. Michael was being bombarded with questions, yet most of the questions were being answered by others within the group, who had already discussed the advantages of the solutions being considered.. It seemed that everyone was getting on the same page as quickly as possible without any push-back. The next few weeks were filled with hard work. There seemed to be a calm urgency in the efforts of the community. There was little noticeable change in the weather. In spite of the cooler than average temperatures they were starting their seedlings for the spring. Josh and Billy were working together to lower the seeding cribs closer to the compost piles and supplementing the surrounding structures for those cribs to conserve the heat from the compost. They had to keep the soil warm enough for the seeds to germinate and to keep the sprouts from being freezing at night. Lucy and Stephanie were working with some of the youngsters to make sure they were capturing as much sunlight as possible without letting too much chilling air under the lids for these seedling beds.
Most of the men were working vigorously to carefully excavate the basement spaces while shoring up the basement walls with rock and timbers. They decided to start with the two newer cabins because those had a smaller footprint. This allowed them to complete the work of enclosing one of the basements and filling in the foundation perimeter on one of them in only eleven days. Once they had a solid floor in place they began work on a stone and mud fireplace inside the basement. Ironically they realized that this basement was warmer without the fireplace completed than some parts of the upper story of the cabin in spite of the small fire they were maintaining in the fireplace above. Jacob had anticipated this and had directed the placement and venting to add more warmth to the upper part of the cabin farthest from the original fireplace.
The first seeds were finally starting to sprout and the results of the first basement were encouraging to everyone. Some were beginning to ask more questions about the newcomers they were anticipating. Of course, without any further word from the Island, no one had any answers about when or how many newcomers there might be. As the work continued they awoke one morning to yet another late spring snow fall. No one had seen signs on the previous day of another cold front coming. There was almost no wind and the snow was gently falling at a fairly steady rate through most of the day. By the next morning only about four inches had accumulated and the snow had stopped. No sign of the newcomers had been reported by those on watch, and the work continued.
It had been over a month now since Shep had left the old farmhouse on his new mission of special recruiting at the Island. Michael had avoided the southern watch during this time. He had heard brief reports from others about the fact that Rose's farmhouse was now a charred pile of rubble and the barn, was like so many other half burned out structures remaining around the district. Michael, too was wondering how things were progressing at the Island, but he wasn't talking to anyone, other than Rose, about his concerns there. The snow had mostly melted now, and it was looking like spring might finally be coming. The work was proceeding on a basement for Jeff and Jenny's Lodge. Once again the planning was geared toward completing another living space as soon as was reasonable rather than having multiple spaces in progress but not yet usable.
It was almost May now, and they still had not heard anything from Shep. The basement under the main lodge was virtually completed The second batch of seedlings were being transplanted from the seeding cribs to the ground. A new batch of seeds were being planted, and more seedling cribs were being built with the updated designs. Liam was returning from his early morning watch just as breakfast clean-up was almost finished in the main lodge. He met Michael at the porch of the lodge and Michael knew instantly that Shep had finally made contact.
“Michael, ready or not, It looks like we are going to have a lot of changes here, soon. I spotted Yakov and Tricia came through the woods from the east and we talked for a little while. The new group from the Island is camped in the woods just to the east of that little hill we talked about, so I guess you need to go talk with Shep now..”
“So, Tricia and Yakov didn't come back here with you?”
“No they are waiting with Doug so they can lead you back to their camp when you come to talk with Shep.”
“Did they say how many people actually made it here?”
“Michael, I know we have all been wondering a lot of things, but you remember as well as I do what you told Shep. You told him to send for you and you would come meet him at their camp. That is when you and he would sort through the numbers and work out the details of how to proceed.. Whether you want to go alone or take a group with you is up to you, but the first step is for you to go there and start finding out what how many have come for us to – have come here needing help.”
Michael; paused for a moment. “Liam you are welcome to come with me, but you are just finishing your watch. I would like a few of our family to come along, but only a small group. I'm going to go tell Rose that I'll be away for a while. If you could find two or three to come with me I would appreciate it. I want the group coming in to get a glimpse of who we are, and I want our people here to get a perspective from more than just my eyes about the group that has come to join us. I am guessing it may take a little time to get their whole group through the woods and up the mountain. I'll send at least our small group back to let the rest of us start the final preparations here once we understand the scope of things.”
Michael left to talk with Rose for a few minutes, and when he returned Jeff, Rebecca, Steve, and Andy Burns were ready to join him. Quite a few of the others were gathered to see them off. Everyone was eager to learn about the new group that would be joining their numbers, but they also knew that almost nothing was known yet about the newcomers. Michael wondered about saying something to those who were gathered, but he knew there wasn't anything to tell them that they did not already know. Michael chose to simply checked with the small group to confirm they were ready to go and head down the mountain. The path from the lodge was down hill and very familiar so it would only take about thirty or forty minutes to meet up with Yakov and Tricia. From there Michael was unsure about the time frames. He expected he would get a glimpse of the farm house, but he was determined to leave the past in the past.
As they were descending the slope, they kept the conversation light at first. When they were getting closer to the farmhouse Michael spoke to them about meeting the new group. “I am glad you and Rebecca are coming along for the initial meeting, Steve. I hope that will help the new people recognizing some familiar faces. It has to be a bit scary for them leaving the familiar and apparent security of the Island to go to a place they've never seen and know almost nothing about. Andy, you and I will represent to then a peek through a frosted or fogy window into a new life they don't yet understand. Just be yourself, but be aware that they are at least as anxious about us as we are about them..”
“Michael, I have been wanting to ask you, but I have never seemed to have a chance except when a lot of the younger ones are around. How bad do you really think this volcanic ash / climate cooling thing really is going to get. I know that there are a couple of volcanoes sup in Washington state, but there aren't that many in the United states, are there? Most of the volcanoes in the ring of fire are on the other side of the world, aren't they?”
Andy, first let me answer the question as you tried to frame it. Within our own country's brief history there have been at least half a dozen volcanic eruptions in California, Oregon, and Washington. There have been many times that number when you include Alaska, Canada, and all of Central America. But, Andy, the problem with your question is that the issue is not just about those that are close. In the early 18oo's there was a single large volcanic eruption on the far side of the world from us. While it is true that eruption was larger than those we have heard about in your lifetime, still, that one eruption caused a period period of nearly two years “without a summer” in this country. The reports that we we're getting say that in the last year old volcanoes once thought to be dormant (that is in addition to the more recently active ones) are now waking up and many other volcanoes around the world that had erupted more recently are already erupting. When you add that all up it sounds to me like we may have some very serious fallout, if you will forgive the pun, from many volcanoes spewing ash into the atmosphere. Can you see why I raised these concerns?”
Andy was quiet for a while. “Do you think this could start a new Ice Age, Michael?”
“No Andy, I don't see that happening, but I do see how things could get really harsh for longer than any of us might like. That's why we must be thoughtful and prepare to adapt to what we see happening. Think of it this way. If you see the wind changing direction and strengthening, and clear skies turn to dark clouds, then the wind suddenly turns chilly, it would seem a good guess that a storm is coming. So, it would make sense to think you will be caught out in a storm if you don't find shelter soon. There may be a chance that it will blow over with little rain or snow, but is it really wise to ignore the weather signs you have learned through practical experience?”
Michael's group was nearing the Van Hoosen farm now, and they were slowing to look for Tricia and Yakov. Michael heard a sigh from Steve and looked to see him angling off to more to the southeast. Soon Michael too spotted Tricia and Yakov sitting on a fallen tree talking with Doug. Michael was surprised that the three did not notice the Haven group approaching until they were only a few yards away. When They stood up, Yakov was helping Tricia to stand. Michael could tell she was showing more than when she had been here the last time.
|
|
|
Post by texican on Apr 24, 2019 20:45:11 GMT -6
PPB,
Thanks for the chapter....
Basements being built, volcanic ash winter all year long and just how large a group did Shep bring....
Another chapter will reveal....
Texican....
|
|
|
Post by pbbrown0 on May 8, 2019 10:00:30 GMT -6
OUT OF THE STUMP POST # 95 Michael greeted Yakov with a warm handshake and shared a hug with Tricia. When he glanced at Doug he saw a hint of concern in his face. “Okay everyone, it looks like it's time to get serious about how to proceed. Do you want to fill me in on the way to your camp, or does Shep want to just let me see for myself before we discuss our options?” Yakov began talking as he took Tricia's hand and turned toward the east. “Come on, Michael. We can talk while we walk." After they had walked for about a minute Yakov began to talk again. "Shep and Marilyn stayed with the group in the area where agreed to wait for you> They thought it would be more reassuring to those in the group if they stayed while Patricia and I came to meet you. This is all very new to most of them. Except for those few like Rob and my men who had come to your farmhouse before, your very existence here has been kept a secret from them. It was only after we were making camp here that they were told there might be some people willing to help us out here. They were taking a huge leap of faith and trusting just a few of us who are leading them to help them find a way.” “Yakov, the big question I have at this point is just how many of you are there? We have no idea where or how to move forward until we understand the scope of the next steps.” Tricia looked up to Yakov as he took a deep breath before answering. “That has been a big concern for us as well, Michael. There are a dozen of us from Shep's original command. The rest of them saw more security in the larger numbers and the military strength of the generals associated with the Island. Most of the refugees at the Island also put their faith in the strength of numbers there. I also suspect the comfort of the familiar was a big factor, too. It was very difficult to sort things out and to get this group here without raising too much unwanted attention. You may view it as either overwhelming or tragic, but there are a total of sixty-eight who have come here looking for a haven from the troubles that are ahead of us.” Michael and this small group had been progressing along an uphill slope toward the east as Yakov was talking. Michael did not respond when Yakov paused to see his reaction. Michael just kept watching his footing and climbing higher. As they worked their way through the woods, Michael and Yakov were keeping beside each other. They steered somewhat to the southeast for a while staying down in the lower contours of the terrain as they crossed the crest of the hill. Soon they were moving back to the northeast as they began to descend. There was no discernible path and they had to slip through considerable undergrowth among the new growth forest trees and the remnants of old fallen trees and limbs scattered randomly across this side of the hill. Someone in more recent decades had clear cut this patch of the forest and put no effort into managing it's recovery. In another fifty years or so, it might begin to show signs of being a healthy young forest again. For now however, it was thick with young thin trunk trees competing for crown space. They came upon a small stream flowing down hill to the east and Yakov began to follow the stream until it made about a sixteen foot drop through a notch in a rock shelf. There he started helping Tricia with her footing as they crossed the stream and scrambled down a somewhat steep slope to the northeast of the stream. Michael and the others followed in a semi-single file fashion. Soon the slope leveled out, and Yakov waited for everyone to catch up. He spoke quietly to the group letting them know the larger group was maybe a hundred meters ahead. As they moved closer Yakov waved his arm overhead. Michael noticed a movement to his left and when he turned to look he recognized Grigory moving in closer beside them from their north side heading east parallel with Yakov. Michael nodded to him and smiled. A few steps farther and Michael saw Shep coming through the trees from directly ahead of them. “Michael, it is very good to see you. I am sure you have many questions, so where do you want to start?” “First, let me say I am glad you made it. Second, Yakov said there are sixty-eight of you. How many of those are children, and how many are adults?' “We brought five youths in their early teen years and eleven younger children There are fifty-two adults in all. I am sure you do not have accommodations for all of us, but with the weather warming we will be able to build shelters. My men have been trained to build temporary shelters in many geographies, and there is enough time before next winter to construct more permanent structures. These people have also learned much about growing their own food in the last year, and they are willing to work hard and learn more.” “Shep, we already have thirty adults and fourteen children, ranging in ages from an infant up to young teens, at the Haven. That is a total of forty-four of us and with your sixty eight we will have a hundred and twelve people to feed. We are coming off of a longer than normal winter and have no crops ready to harvest yet. If we add in the number of people that came with you the number of people we need to feed just jumped to two and a half times what it was yesterday. It's one thing for a military unit to dig in to temporary shelter when they have an adequate supply of rations and they need to hold on until more supplies come. Sure, they can hope and plan to upgrade those shelters later when they have an expectation for even limited additional support later. We can't count on the supply truck or air drops coming later to give us relief. Shep, I am not trying to be negative here, but I need to be certain that you and those you 'rescued' do not have a pie in the sky view of what is ahead for us.” “We'll have to survive on the food we have until the first harvest is ready. We'll have to work on assuring a larger harvest through the growing season even while we are building and upgrading our shelters. Speaking of those upgrades, I am convinced that we need to prepare those shelters to be adequate for longer, colder winters. That also translates into shorter growing seasons, and who knows what effect we'll see in the precipitation patterns. Some of this we can address as we talk more together and convey to the rest as we go. However, I need you to be straight with me about their state of mind before I talk to them.” Shep look at Michael for a moment before he spoke. “Michael, I have some experience in reading and measuring people. I also have had to motivate them in various ways in the past. This however is a new game for me, but I will tell you what I see. You have not met Marilyn, 'though she was mentioned when we last met. She has helped me understand this new – perspective. These people were not promised a ready made Haven. Those who had come here before with me or Yakov were sworn to silence about your Haven. We could not risk having anyone deciding to come with the wrong motivations. They came not knowing where 'here' is or what 'here' is. They came with a commitment to work hard and do the right things with humble and determined gratitude, completely trusting in the Creator and only Him to make things right. They packed some food to carry on their own backs. Fortunately, a couple of them worked in the kitchens and knew a thing or two about drying foods for everyone to carry. Most of those who came with us were expecting to dig in here and start to work making their own haven out of the forest itself. It was not until today that I told them there was a small group already in this area that we had contacted.” Michael began to smile when Shep had finished. “Shep, some people would call this a paradox, but in my opinion it is merely wisdom. I believe that God rewards those who work hard to do the right thing, even knowing that they are flawed creatures; and yet they trust completely in Him. I think He knows the difference between those who choose that path, not because they expect a reward, but just because they trust Him to be who He is. I think it is time for some introductions, don't you?” Shep led the way through the trees to where a large group was loosely spread. Some were sitting or standing in conversations, while others were looking around examining their surroundings. When they noticed Shep moving their way with a small group of strangers, they stopped what they were doing to gather closer. Shep's new entourage came to a stop and waited for everyone to settle into place. “Friends, We all took a big risk leaving what appeared to be the security of the Island. Over the last week of traveling on foot, I am sure most if not all of you have at least briefly revisited your own decision about that. I also hope that you have each found reason in your own minds and hearts to reaffirm your choice to leave that false security behind you. I warned all of you not to put your hope in me as some kind of rescue leader that would make this all work out. The man I am about to introduce to you is not the one you should put your hope in either. However, he like you set out on faith a few years ago leaving all other false securities behind. Because he chose that path he has been able to help many others, and also he has received help from them. He is here now because he is interested in helping us. For some of us, like Tricia Chernov and Rob Stoner, he is interested in helping us again. I want you to all meet Michael Green. He wants to talk with you for a minute.” Michael scanned the group and noticed a few faces he'd seen before. Rob was back in the middle of the crowd and was making no move to come forward. He also noticed “Doc” Dillingham, Carl, and Nick among those gathered. “Hi, y'all. I live not to far from here. A few years ago I got a piece of land and started making a home here. About the time I was near finishing my house things all around took a sudden spin down the toilet bowl. Since then I have been trying to keep out of trouble and help a few others when I could. Some of those I helped were also involved when I was able to help your friends Tricia, Rob, and Steve. I think a few of you remember Steve Boone.” Michael tipped his head toward Steve. “This morning a good friend suggested to me that I come to checkout this group that had found their way here from the Island. I don't know how well y'all know Shep. Honestly, this is only the second time I've met him so I'm not sure how well I know Shep, either. There are less than a handful of you whom I've met once before. I have known Tricia and Rob for about a year, 'though most of that time they've been with y'all instead of me.” “Here's the thing, people. I trust Tricia, Rob, and Steve. Tricia obviously trusts Yakov, and it also appears that they have trusted Shep. I knew he, that is Shep, had serious concerns, as I did, about the future and particularly concerning those of you who were at the Island. I knew he wanted to find those who were of the right mindset to help them get out of there before it got too late. Knowing that I was interested in helping in the ways I can, like I have before. The one problem though is that I wasn't expecting so many to follow Shep away from the Island. In the past we have been able from time to time to take in a few more people who needed help, and catch up later with the added help those newcomers provided. We would plant more crops and stretch our food until the new crops could be harvested. We would scrunch up in the space we had in my house, and everyone would work hard to build more living space and store up more food and fuel before the next winter set in.” “This last winter has been longer than normal, and our food reserves have been stretched more than we anticipated. With the growing season starting later and our planning for the possibility of another long winter, we can't count on the growing season being as long as it has been. That also means less time to build more housing before next winter while we are working the farming. The real kicker is that there are significantly more of you who came here than there are of us already living at my home. We knew there might be a few people coming this way, so we've tried in the last two months to prepare some more space for you, but with this many people trying to put you up even temporarily in the housing we have is going to make things genuinely cramped.” “There is another factor that most of you have not experienced yet. One way we have managed to survive in the last couple of years is by working to remain out of sight from those who would cause us trouble. There have been some ugly and violent goings on outside of that Island where y'all have been sequestered, and I believe that is going to get even worse. If we add your group to the group we already have in place, it's going to get a lot harder to stay hidden from the dangers surrounding us. To sum it all up, I don't think it will work for my friends and I to help you in the same way we have helped others in the past. ” “On the other hand, all of you took a big leap of faith leaving the Island and setting out to find a better path to follow, and that is something that I respect. I want to help, but I think you are going to need more help than you or I realized The way I see it all we can do is take it one step at a time, doing the very best we can and keeping faith with our Creator to care for us. For now I am inviting all of you who are willing to follow me to my home and meet what I now call my family. We will offer you what shelter and support that we can. I expect that if we all keep our heads screwed on straight, our hearts strong, and our hope and gratitude tied to the right source we will find our way through the troubles that are ahead of us.” Shep was watching the group to see how they would react to Michael. Most were looking around at each other like they were not sure what to do. Then he noticed Rob Stoner shouldering his pack and motioning for those near him to follow as he made his way toward Michael and Shep. Yakov and Tricia went over to a nearby tree where an older woman was sitting and grabbed their packs as well. He also saw Alex moving his way through the crowd with a handful of his men following. As Rob reached Michael they shook hands and started their trek westward toward the Haven. Soon they were crossing a stream with a growing group of people following. As they crossed the stream, Steve joined Alex and his men on the west side of the stream. There they were advising the people after they crossed to spread out and not follow in too narrow a group. They explained this was so they would not be wearing down a single path that could too easily followed. Michael glanced back once and saw that the whole group was now following. He turned to Doug and suggested that someone needed to move on ahead to forewarn those at the Haven of the size of the group that was coming. He also told Doug that he should spread the word that they would be needing to rethink their longer term plans for how to work with this large group of people.
|
|
|
Post by kaijafon on May 8, 2019 17:40:00 GMT -6
excellent!!! nice big crowd coming ...sure hope there is no wolf in sheep skin in there. and I'm not just saying that cause I see you every day...hehehehehehehe!
|
|
|
Post by 9idrr on May 8, 2019 20:05:34 GMT -6
The one constant seems to be the necessity to rethink plans. At least they're lookin' at havin' more bodies to help with work. Appreciate the chapter, sir.
|
|
|
Post by papaof2 on May 8, 2019 20:20:17 GMT -6
Isn't there something to the effect "no plan survives contact with the enemy"? Not all plans survive contact with the supposed friendlies...
|
|
|
Post by texican on May 17, 2019 18:37:17 GMT -6
PPB,
Appears that the Haven has more than dueled....
An area will need to be found to house Shep's group and start on building shelter and farming....
Texican....
|
|