OUT OF THE STUMP - A NEW ADVENTURE

[pbbrown0]

Dear Readers,

I have mentioned before how much I value your feedback.  It is exciting to hear YOU suggest ideas for my story that match what I am working on, but have not yet posted.  I also appreciate when you offer ideas that I have considered, but already decided to take a different tack.  While I have material drafted that is not ready to post, I have not yet finished the story in draft form so the conclusion and some of the pathways are not yet discovered.   

One of the special attractions of PAW fiction is not only the scenarios presented, but also the clever adaptations and solutions that are shared and presented.  There are several specific solutions and contributions that have been presented by you, the readers, that have caught my attention and I would like to incorporate into future postings.  Before I include them  I want to be sure to give credit where it is due.

A while back ydderf offered an idea about using a car hood as a sled. I thought at the time that it was such a simple but effective solution, but I had already completed writing the part about building the sleds. As I have drafted sections farther into the story, I discovered a place where that solution will fit perfectly into the evolution of the story.  It may be a while before I get that part posted, but I want to thank ydderf for his idea.

I also want to thank bretf for some invaluable help regarding navigating through and dealing with the snow in the mountains to the north of my stomping grounds.  I am a southern boy and when we get six inches of snow here, we just shut everything down for a day or two and wait for it to all melt.  That makes it easy peasy to deal with.     We also had some discussions about goats that were helpful. (The discussions, not the goats. )  I owe bretf a word of thanks for sharing his experience and insight with me, so I can write the story as if I had a clue what I am writing about.

Next I want to say thank you to kaijafon for her suggestion about the length of the watch shifts.  I have managed shift workers in the past and always thought in terms of eight hour shifts, four hour half shifts, or twelve hour shifts to complete the daily work schedules. Of course there were many times when there were no shifts and you just kept working until it is done, whether that means nine hours or thirty six hours non-stop.     Anyway the five hour shifts with a slight overlap is another idea that is too good to let it too good.  I am going to introduce that into the story as a new idea for the group as well.  Thank you, kaijafon.   

Please keep the comments coming, even if you don't like something I write. I have thick skin and I like a challenge.

I will have another post ready tomorrow.

pbbrown0

[kaijafon]

"tomorrow" has come and gone ... just sayin'


LOL! take yer time...


... ok, done yet?

[pbbrown0]

OUT OF THE STUMP
Post # 20

Getting all the work done was not easy with five of their community missing and two different lookout positions being maintained twenty-four hours a day. Michael had pushed for building two more cabins. He actually thought they should do three, but they simply did not have the manpower to do it. With the five missing there was enough room for everyone in the lodge, but they would be tight again as soon as their companions returned home. Without the extra housing there would simply be no space for any additions that might need a safe place, and Michael was certain there would be more. There was an urgency to get enough trees cut and bucked into logs, so they would have enough drying time to be used for construction before the depths of the winter hit. In the mean time the daily maintenance of cooking, cleaning, caring for the animals, and tending to the crops had to keep going.

Michael pushed the group pretty hard to get the logs all cut so they had time to dry properly. His goal was to have them at least dried in before the fall weather started to chill down. He was grateful that the men had taken so well to his tutoring about efficient cutting and handling techniques. He was particularly gratified that Jeff, in spite of not being fully grown and far less muscular that the older men, seemed so naturally skilled with his axe work and could get the cutting done so quickly. The younger boys, Phillip and Jesse, were also speeding up the process by clearing the peeled bark and the trimmed branches out of the way where the logs were being prepared for drying.

The extra cabins they planned were about a third the size of the lodge but they would still be able to accommodate one or two families each. The group had come up with a design for both that would make the roof supports easier to construct than it had been for Michael when he had built the Lodge and they would also take fewer foundation pillars. Once they had cut and prepared more than enough logs to built the cabins they had designed, they shifted to finishing the foundation pillars. The pits for the pillars had been dug down below the frost line and carefully measured for their positions and heights. Some of the stones came out of the holes that were dug, but most of them had to be gathered from rock outcroppings on the mountain and carted to the construction locations.

The clay deposits Steve and Rob had found before leaving was proving to be most helpful. There were no limestone in this area so they could not make quick lime. Instead they took the clay and baked it in a warm fire pit. As the clay baked they had to stir the clay and coals in the fire pit as it baked to keep the temperature from getting too high and to break the clay up, unlike when they were firing solid pieces for the clay pipes. The end result was a lumpy, powdery mix of clay and ash. Next they took this mix to a rock outcropping and finished crushing the lumps so it was all powdered. The result was a kind of cement, though not Portland cement, which they could mix with sand and a little water to make a very strong mortar resistant to water penetration. This mortar was used to fill the gaps between the rocks that were stacked in pillars inside the pier pits. This mortar was not used like conventional mortar for creating uniform and distinct spacing between the courses of brick or masonry stone. For these piers, the rocks were fitted layer by layer, rock against rock so the stack was quite stable without the mortar. Some times that meant chipping at the stones with a cold chisel to get a more stable seating, and sometimes a rock would seat down in the junction of the gaps between the rocks of the lower layer. When all the rocks for the next layer had been fitted in place where they were stable, they were then lifted one or two at a time. The gaps between and on top of the rocks in the layer below were then filled with mortar before pressing the new rock layer down tight. The mortar, when hardened, would assure there were no air pockets between the rocks where water might wash the surrounding soil into those spaces leaving gaps surrounding the pillar. The surrounding ground was supposed to add stability to the rock pillars.

Above the ground the mortar was used similarly to fill and coat the pillars to add stability and avoid pockets where water might collect between the rocks and freeze. The mortar also stabilized the pile so the changing pressures from above did not cause a rock to be extruded from the stack. It was critical for the longevity of the cabins to assure the logs were off the ground and on a solid foundation. Once these pillars were finished Michael insisted on at least a month of slow drying without being disturbed while covered with tarpaulins, so the mortar would set up well. By the time the trees were all cut and the foundation pillars were completed, Michael was finding that he was no longer the individual who was standing out as the person with unmatched stamina. The hard work was showing in more ways than the stone and wood structures they were building. All of the men were gaining strength and stamina, while their waistlines were trimming down.

Michael was beginning to get concerned about Jeff while all of this was being done. There were two different sites where they were building. The need to gather stones for the pillars meant someone periodically had to go gather more rocks. Jeff was always working very hard and efficiently when Michael saw him, but he seemed to shift his efforts from one location to another quite frequently. It was almost as if he was trying to lead everyone by his example at both sites at once to work faster. Since they first started laying out the measurements for the new cabins, he was consistently the first one out the door after breakfast, and the last one to return to the lodge for the evening meal. At lunch he always grabbed something to carry back to the work sites to eat on the job, rather than sitting down to take a break with the others.

One day when Michael and Jeff were alone at one of the sites he expressed a concern to Jeff about pushing too hard and possibly needing more rest. Jeff listened to his concerns and thought about it for a minute before he replied. “Mr. Green, I appreciate your concern. I mean no disrespect, but the fact is I an quite a bit younger than you and I suspect my body is just... spun up a little more than yours. You remember when I was pushing to get started on the cabins? It was like I was feeling anxious and wanting to go ahead and get it done. It was like I had this purpose and goal that I wanted to reach, but I could not yet make progress toward that goal. When I went to bed at night it was hard to calm my mind down and get to sleep. Now when I go to bed I simply remember what I have gotten done that day, and why I am so tired. It feels good knowing what I accomplished in moving toward my goal, and then it seems like I am asleep in seconds. When I wake up in the morning I am not dragging out of bed like I use to. Instead I feel more rested and ready to go. Does that make sense?”

Michael looked at this young man and thought about the power of being driven by purpose. He remembered many days when he himself was all alone working very long hours, but still he wanted to keep going to finish just a little more to reach his goal sooner. He also remembered the deep satisfaction that came when he could see tangible progress in his project. “Yes, Jeff. It does make sense. Just be smart and use your head. Push as hard as you need, but leave some reserve for emergencies. And by the way, Jeff, I still think you should call me Michael.”


The ladies and girls were amazing Michael as well, by taking care of so many different areas non-stop from the time they woke up until they collapsed in bed at night. There were goats to milk, baby kids to tend to, babies and children to care for, eggs to gather, animals to water and turn out to graze, crops to plant and trim, animals to gather in before evening, meals to cook, cleaning up from all the meals (the men were at least helping to clean up after the evening meal), laundry to wash and dry, clothes to mend and alter, and baths to be scheduled and coordinated for everyone, and even soap to be made. As spring progressed there were finally crops being harvested selectively every day. They were even making time to comb out the goats' winter coats to gather fibers that would be used for making threads and yarn.

There were also the less pleasant but essential tasks of working the farm that had to be shared among the whole community. The manure, sanitation, and composting had to be managed and worked. These tasks could not be relegated to unknown workers who were paid far too little and disrespectfully kept in the background, out of sight and out of mind from the more civilized elitists of society. Here at the Haven everyone was on equal ground in a very real world. No one got stuck with the nasty, drudgerous, menial jobs. Those kinds of jobs were the equal responsibility of everyone.

In the evenings, the men had begun to show interest in Jeff's bow and arrow making projects, and they realized there were other light projects they could be working on as well. Doug had brought an old vise and some pieces of scrap metal from the Van Hoosen's garage one day when he returned from his watch duty. He cut and hammered out a collection of metal arrowhead pieces for Jeff, and he was working in the evenings to trim and file them in to their final shape.

Pete and Josh, at the urging of their wives, soon were giving their attention to designing a spinning wheel and a loom. Rose heard what they were doing and suggested they start with making several wool combs, and flickers for carding the wool. Then before tackling a full fledged spinning wheel, they needed to make several drop spindles for twisting the wool into yarn or worsted thread. As Rose reminded them, “You need to learn to crawl before you try to run.”

With the foundation pillars completed and the logs in their curing stage, the men had to give attention to cutting more logs and splitting them into boards for the floors and roofs. Michael had to give them more mentoring on splitting the logs since the thickness of the boards needed to be relatively uniform, and the logs they were splitting were considerably longer than those they were accustomed to splitting for firewood. The checking, or drying cracks, would not be a big issue for these boards, and they would dry out faster since they would be much thinner than the logs being used for the walls and support beams.

One day Jeff caught Michael alone and stopped him to ask a question. “Mr. … I mean Michael, I need to ask about something. I know it is out of season, but when I have been on watch to the north, I have noticed a few deer browsing near me up on the northern watch. I have been practicing with my bow, and I have it trimmed out, so it is working well. Of course some of that was getting the bow right and some of it was just my learning how to use it. Anyway, I wanted to ask if it would be alright with you if did some hunting on your land and took a deer after I am relieved from my watch. It's your land, and I know we need to be careful not to over hunt so we can let the population increase. The thing is that in addition to providing more meat as an alternative to chicken or goat, my shoes are really getting tight, and I am really needing to do something about that before long.”

“I appreciate your asking about that, Jeff. That is something that needs to be managed wisely. I know from talking to Rose that there were once a number of deer on the land, but I haven't personally seen that many. I have spent most of my time in the southern half of the property. You've been hunting with your Dad before, haven't you Jeff?”

“Yes, sir. Several times.”

“Have you field dressed a deer before?”

“Yes, sir. The last time my Dad was watching me, but he had me do it myself.”

“Hunting with a bow is not the same as with a rifle. Are you sure your bow is strong enough, and that you can get close enough to make a quick kill shot and not merely injure the deer?”

“Mr. Green... I mean Michael, I know how important it is to get your shot clean and sure. I think some of the deer have gotten too relaxed about my being nearby on a regular basis. Maybe they have gotten accustomed to the others being around on watch duty, too, but I don't know that. They sometimes don't spook, even when they are looking right at me and I move. Also, I tested the bow with some of those arrowheads Mr. Brennan made for me. It worked so well that I lost two arrows because the heads were buried too hard in a tree trunk. You have my word that I won't take a shot unless I am certain about it.”

“Okay, Jeff. Just make sure you stay focused on your watch duties until after you are relieved. Then be sure you get a buck instead of a doe, even though they don't have antlers showing yet this time of year.” Michael had a dual purpose in that last stipulation. Getting a buck rather than a doe would minimize the impact on the dear population. By getting close enough to assure it was a buck even without having the antlers showing would increase his chances of getting a very good shot at his prey, instead of getting only close enough to maybe get a good shot. Michael had already been thinking about the possibility of hunting a few deer for the same reasons Jeff had mentioned, but using guns would create too much risk of the sound drawing attention from a considerable distance.

[papaof2]

Another good chapter.

[9idrr]

Mar 3, 2017 11:20:06 GMT -6 papaof2 said:

Another good chapter.

What he said.  Thanks, brownie.

[kaijafon]

Thanks so much! curious as to how they "sand" the floor boards so no gets splinters...

[ydderf]

Thank you.

[pbbrown0]

Kaijafon,

That is an interesting detail that I personally find intriguing, but I was concerned that some might find it tedious being included in the story.  I had this same internal debate regarding how much detail to include in another sustaining-yourself type process that is coming up soon.  I already skipped all of the details regarding how Jeff made his bow. 

Let me hear some feedback on this.  I can include more how-to details inside the story or as side bars when you or other readers express a curiosity. What is your preference?

[kaijafon]

maybe half and half? some good detail then some not so much?

[freebirde]

Some detail is good. Just don't do as some and pad the word count by giving the same detail over and over and over.......

[pbbrown0]

OUT OF THE STUMP
Post # 21

“Michael, do you mind if I talk with you about something?” Lucy had apparently gotten Jessica settled down for the night and had come back into the great room for the evening. Her approach to Michael puzzled him. It was as if she was a painfully shy little girl too afraid to ask a question of her teacher in front of the rest of the class, but she was also timid about asking her question privately where she could not stay somewhat obscured and surrounded by her classmates.

Michael had been resting in his rocker while Rose was talking to Josh and Pete about the textile tools they were wanting to make. He reached up and gently took her hand with one of his and gently patted it with his other. “Lucy, why don't sit here by me in Rose's rocker for a while and take it easy. Rose is busy discussing some design plans, so she won't need it for a while. Just set yourself down and take it easy, dear girl. You can talk to me any time you want about anything you have on your mind.”

“Thank you, Michael.” Lucy sat down but she was still hesitating to start. “I've been thinking and this may not be my place. You have kept me and Cathy out of the watch rotation because of the babies, so I feel awkward even bringing this up. I can only imagine you are thinking what could she know about keeping watch?”

Michael reached over and rested his hand on top of hers where she was gripping the arm of the rocker. “Lucy, look at me.” His voice was gentle and tender. “Sweet girl, we are all in this together as a team, and you are a part of this team that we all need. You are doing more than working hard along with the rest of us. Your ideas have been very important to the whole team. Without your input we would never have found Megan and Melissa. That alone was a wonderful thing. Do you have any idea how important it is going to be to all of us that we found those goats and the extra food your friend had. When I think back it was really your input that got us on the right track for finding the food that got us through the winter. You and Cathy also had some really amazing ideas about the compost warming the planting sheds? I'm sure you don't see it this way, but without you on our team, we might not have made it to where we are. Like I said, Lucy, you can talk to me about anything you are thinking, anytime you want.”

Lucy smiled and tried not to duck her head. “ I have been thinking about the schedule for keeping the watch. I am not included, but I hear Josh talk about it. Mind, you, he isn't complaining about it, I just try to get him to share with me. Anyway, there are several things I have been thinking about. The way we are doing the schedule makes it hard for everyone to eat and sleep on a regular schedule. I know all of you have to shift your routine for days you are on watch and days you are off watch, but even then the shift you take changes every time it comes around to your turn. Also the times you are back at the lodge from your watch shifts often means you miss more than one meal and then have to make do with what is often just a snack.”

“I use to talk a lot with Megan and Melissa's mom about healthy diets and things like that. She was really into that sort of thing a lot more than I was, but I did learn a few things from her that really made sense. She talked about when you are irregular with your diet or with your sleep habits for a period of time, your body just isn't as healthy as when it has a rhythm for things. Besides that Josh has mentioned how the eight hours seems a lot longer when you are out there alone just waiting, and then when you get back it doesn't seem like there is enough time to really get into the swing of getting chores done before it is time to stop. I was just thinking that with ten people doing two sets of shifts, one for the north watch and one for the south watch, we could divide the day into five equal watches, about five hours each. We could schedule them so those starting or ending a watch near our regular meal times could be here to eat at the beginning or the end of our meal time, and maybe take another meal with them to eat on their watch. That way everyone could eat at about the same time every day and no one would miss more than one of the meals with the group. It would also mean everyone could have a consistent schedule every day.”

“With only about a five hour watch shift, there would be enough time left in the day to get plenty of other work done without making the day too long or the rest time too short. Couples like you and Rose, or Doug and Liz, could be scheduled to be on watch and off watch at the same times, and that would be better for you too. If we found that there was a particular shift that no one liked, or it interfered too much with getting chores done, we could switch out on that shift every week or so. What do you think?”

Michael had been rocking ever so slightly while he listened to Lucy. When she finished he kept his rhythm as he thought about what she had said. He remembered when he was working alone for so long how the rhythm of his work seemed to make him able to do more. Swinging back and forth from the more strenuous to the less strenuous in a cycle or pattern seemed to make the work less of a burden and more of a style of living life and getting things accomplished. “Well, Lucy, I'll tell you what I think. I think there is some creative wisdom in what you are suggesting. It sounds almost too good. We are very fortunate to have you on our team, sweet lady.”

The next evening when Michael brought up Lucy's idea Liam was particularly enthused about it. “There are a lot of good points about that idea. One you didn't mention is that toward the end of a long watch is the most likely time for the watch to miss something. Your whole system is slowed down from limited activity, and your brain is just simply tired from the same kind of activity non-stop for hours on end. Is is hard to keep taking in the same input over and over and still keep alert. Of course, there is a down side. That means Colleen will have to put up with me being around a lot more of the time. You might ought to ask her if she is okay with that.” Liam flinched just in time to dodge the punch where Colleen jabbed at his arm. That got a laugh out of the group. Everyone seemed to agree it was a very good idea. After a little discussion they worked out who would be taking which shift for the first week. The also thought it was a good idea to revisit the shift assignments after a full week. It was also decided that they needed to alternate between taking the northern watch and the southern watch to keep their watch environment more varied.

When they had all pretty much settled into the plan for the change in the watch schedule, everyone was surprised when Cathy spoke up. “While we are discussing work schedules, I would like to say a few things.” Everyone stopped to listen as Cathy had never joined in when the whole group was discussing a project. “Well, before I get into that, I need to thank all of you. You have been very indulgent and supportive to me with Jacob being missing. You have allowed me extra time away from shared chores to take care of Marie and Rachel, even when Jacob is not here to carry his part of the work responsibility. In spite of this you have all been only supportive and never critiquing me for my lack of contribution.” She was looking at the floor in embarrassment, as Michael and Rose both stepped over to her.

Michael leaned over slightly and looked into her eyes. “Cathy, you need to stop thinking that way. Jacob was not intending to be away. He was trying to find more help for all of us. No one here is concerned about the work he is not getting to do. We are all just concerned that he and the others get back safely. As for your work here, you have contributed more than just labor to our efforts. Those ideas you and Lucy developed for starting the seedlings earlier in the year are already making a difference in the food we have for everyone here. Even without that, you are not merely a guest here. You are more like family to us, and you are taking good care of our nieces, nephew, and grandchildren, so we can work without worrying about them. We are doing all of this work here not just for ourselves. We are trying to make sure our children and grandchildren can be safe, healthy, and happy. None of us are thinking who is or isn't doing their fair share fair share of the work, because everybody already is doing their fair share every day. Besides, we all love you, Cathy.”

Michael put his arms around her to give her a hug as everyone in the room also crowded around to do the same. Cathy was wiping her tears away and tried to interrupt the family hug fest. “That is why I wanted to talk to all of you. I love all of you and you are all working so hard. You all need to take a break. You can label this as my religious upbringing if you want, but for me it is not about rules. For me it is about wisdom. There is a reason beyond rule following for resting one day every week. You are all more important than the work you do. You all need a day to rest and refresh so you do not wear down. All of this has been very unexpected and we are trying to learn how to handle everything. Michael as you have said remember what is most important, and then find a solution. You are what is most important, we are what is most important. Taking care of each other takes more than just working hard for each other.”

“Cathy has a good point. When everything fell apart, all of our routines were set aside. All of those reminders like regular job schedules, calendars, and school schedules for the children just stopped. I'm not even sure what day of the week this is. We are paying attention to the gradual changes of the seasons, but we are not doing anything to keep track of the passage of time. We haven't celebrated any birthdays since the power went out, and I am guessing that was about six months ago.”
Lucy gasped and grasped her husband's hand when Liz mentioned no birthdays. Jesse, their son was born on the first of April, and they had already missed celebrating it. Josh spoke up. “A lot has changed , and we were all knocked back on our heels, but Cathy is right about remembering what is important and taking care of each other. Birthdays are important and so are anniversaries. Milestones like that are import to recognize, because they remind us of what is really important in our lives. Truthfully, I think we need to remember the day we all first came to the Haven. That was an important milestone in all our lives. We need to get our heads together and figure out what day it is, so we can keep a calendar from now on. And just so you know, I appreciate the reminder from Cathy about Sunday or the Sabbath, or the seventh day, or whatever you are comfortable labeling it. It was once important to me for a number of reasons, and I think there is some ancient wisdom there that we need to remember.”

“Okay everybody, I owe all of you a big apology.” Pete now had everyone's attention. “I still have a watch with the calendar date on it. I never got accustomed to checking the date and time on my cell phone like a lot of people. It just didn't occur to me that no one else was keeping track of the days. We need to put a calendar together and then keep it where everyone can see it. I think we need to mark every birthday and every anniversary on it. Just so you all know, it was December 22 when we all came to the Haven. That just happened to be the winter solstice last year, and all of you should remember that will also be Michael and Rose's anniversary. Today is the eleventh day of May.”

It was about two days later when Rose noticed during the evening gathering that Jenny seemed distracted and fidgety. She kept getting up from where she was sitting to whisper to Liz who would say something quietly and take hold of her hand to calm her down. Jenny would return to her sewing, but every few minutes she seemed anxious again and the pattern was repeated several times. That's when Rose noticed that Beth who was sitting at one of the of the tables also looked a bit concerned and was whispering to Pete. Pete did not say anything but looked around the great room before climbing out over the bench where they were seated. He went back to the Burleson's quarters and emerged in a minute heading straight out the main door. By this time Michael had stopped and realized Jeff was missing and he should have been back from his turn on the watch before the evening meal had been cleared. It was already dark outside, and he stood to follow Pete out the door. That is when Doug also stood up to follow them. When Doug went through the door trying to catch up he neglected to latch it and it slowly swung back open letting in the night sounds of the forest, and a bright streak of moonlight could be seen shining through the open door.

By now almost everyone had stopped what they were doing, and they were all looking around sorting out what was happening. The three men stepped down off the porch into the moonlight scanning the edge of the forest for any sign of movement or sound, when Rufus quietly padded up behind Michael and stepped ahead of him looking toward the edge of the forest to the north. Rufus' white coat really shone in the moonlight as he peered down the mountain. The men heard a deep soft rumble from Rufus throat and a few seconds later they heard the distant howl of a wolf. Within seconds there were multiple howls coming from down the mountain to the north where Jeff had been on watch duty until Liam could come to relieve him.

“Wait two seconds,” Michael told them as he leaped back onto the porch and flew through the open door. He could see the shocked faces around the room and realized everyone had heard the howls. He raced to his room and returned with two guns. As he was heading back out the door he noticed Jenny's face was very pale as he rushed out saying, “Everyone stay inside.” As he joined Pete, Doug, and Rufus, he passed out the guns and started down the mountain. “Let's not jump to conclusions or get too hasty. Remember Jeff and Liam are both armed and watching for trouble, but we don't want to assume anything. I am surprised, though. I had been told there had not been any wolves in this area for almost a hundred years. Coyotes and coywolves have been showing up in this area, but those howls are not coming from coyotes or a coyote mix. Coyotes yip rapidly, and coywolves do too. Those were timber wolves howling.”

The group was hurrying down the mountain and Michael was talking to Rufus to keep him from rushing ahead. Suddenly Rufus bolted ahead and left them behind. The next thing they knew, they heard a voice down the hillside ahead of them and a soft rumble from Rufus. When they got closer Jeff called out from the shadows in the moon light. “Over here! I could use a hand.” The three men rushed over and spotted Jeff struggling to drag a large deer carcass up the slope with Rufus walking beside him. “We need to get this hoisted up in a tree so the wolves can't get to it. I think it is cool enough tonight to deal with the rest of this in the morning.”

Doug turned around and headed back toward the lodge. Michael and Pete began dragging the carcass for Jeff, and as they got closer to the compound Jeff went to the water trough near one of the animal sheds. He and dipped up a partial bucket of water and began washing his hands, Pete and Michael were already hoisting the sizable carcass high up off the ground to hang from a limb on a tree. Jenny came running out of the lodge to find Jeff and everyone else was following behind. This time with everyone gathered around the whole group heard clearly what was said in the conversation between Jenny and Jeff.

Jenny's arms were reaching up around Jeff's neck and back with her cheek buried against his shoulder. Jeff had grown taller since the last fright Jenny had nearly four months before from Jeff being late getting back. Their increasing difference in height was more apparent to everyone with her holding him so close. “You scared me Jeff! I was worried about you when you were so late getting back tonight. What happened to you? Are you okay?”

While Jenny was talking Jeff had been shaking the water from his hands and trying to dry them by wiping them on his pants legs. Then he gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “It's okay, Jenny. I just shot a deer and it was hard dragging it up the mountain. It just took longer than I expected. That's all. I am okay Jenny and we are safe here. You don't need to worry. I'm back now.” As Jeff was talking his left hand had slipped up to gently stroke the back of her hair.

“I was getting so worried, Jeff, and then we heard the wolves howling. I had never heard them before, and I got really afraid for you being out there alone in the dark.” She looked up at his face. As he looked down at her he saw the fear had not left her yet.

Jeff spoke calmly and gently moving his hands to both of her cheeks and looking directly into her eyes. “Jenny, it is all okay. I shot a deer and field dressed it. The wolves caught the scent and they just got them a little excited at what was left out there. They were just now howling about it and I left there over an hour ago. They are a long way away. You do not need to worry. They are not going to hurt me, Jenny. We are both safe. Don't be afraid.”

Everyone was coming closer and patting Jeff and Jenny on the back and expressing their relief that everything was good. They were all genuinely glad Jeff was alright, but some of them also wanted to do something other than just stand around staring at this young pair of teenagers hugging. After they were all back inside Rose took a moment to privately tell Jeff that it was very sweet of him to reassure Jenny the way he did.

“Thank you, Mrs. Green. She is a very sweet girl, but she was pretty traumatized that night when her family was attacked. She hasn't really gotten over it, yet. With the way everything happened that night she kind of clings to me for security and gets pretty anxious if she thinks I might not be safe. It doesn't help that Tricia, who was sharing her room, and the others are still not back. I am trying to reassure her, and I think she will get better with that soon.”

The next day Jeff and his Dad started working on the the deer, and Pete wanted more details about what happened the evening before. “Well, when Mr. Callaghan came to relieve me on watch, I told him what I was planning and where I had seen the deer that afternoon. When I got back where I had seen them the ones I had seen before were gone, but there was this one big buck. I got closer and took the shot. Then I just sat still and waited like you taught me. After I started dressing it I heard a few steps in the leaves nearby and stood up to listen. That's when I saw the wolf. I slowly pulled out my hatchet, and I was already holding my skinning knife. I just stood there and stared for a minute while it just stared back. Then I struck the backs of the blades together sharply and shouted, and the wolf ran off. “

“About the time I was through with the field dressing I heard some more rustling and saw the first wolf was back with several more wolves among the trees. I stopped and raised up to look at them while they just looked at me, then I went back to work to finish getting the carcass ready to bring back. When I was ready to go I tied a rope around the legs and started to drag the carcass. That's when the alpha stepped forward and started growling. I stood up, took my tools and scraped the backs of the blades again a couple of times making a metallic screech, and he stopped growling. Then I reached down to where the entrails were on the ground and cut off a small piece. I tossed it over in front of him. He stepped forward, sniffed it and then gobbled it down. I stopped and removed the head, and then I set it on the ground over toward him, near the entrails. Then I started dragging the carcass away again. I glanced back a couple of times, and saw that they did not move in for their feast until I was a fair distance away. ”

“When I was in that area previously I had not seen the big buck. The ones I had seen were all smaller and I had not planned on it being so hard to drag it out of the valley. It took me a lot longer than I expected, but I did not want to make a litter out of saplings because that would make a much more visible and durable trail if someone found where it gouged a furrow in the dirt. That's why I was so late getting back. I was a little concerned that the wolves might follow the scent back to the lodge, because that would not be a good situation, but they obviously did not follow me. It sounded from the howls like they were still in the area where I left them down in the valley, and I was almost all the way home when they started howling. I suspect they realized it is not such a bad thing to share the hunting ground with someone who will make the kill and leave them a feast.” Jeff grinned at his Dad and they both got a chuckle out of that.

“Jeff, weren't you afraid being by your self with a pack of wolves smelling a kill there in the woods? I was not even aware that any wolves were in this area. We had heard they had all been eliminated many years ago.”

“Well, sure I was afraid, and I sure didn't know about them being around here before this. I just tried to stay calm and think. I had weapons if it came to that, including a gun. I knew that if I used the gun it would scare them because it would be so loud and their ears are very sensitive. If they had not given in to the bluff with the knife and hatchet, I was guessing they were more interested in the deer than they were in me. I thought I could back away carefully, and leave the kill for them. Then I could decide whether it was safe to pick them off from a distance or just abandon the kill. It's like Michael has said before. When you encounter the unexpected, you have to remember what is most important and think your way through to a good solution. Getting back here safe was the most important thing to me, so before I did anything else, I always made sure to think about how I could still get home if that approach did not work. I got home safely, and I was fortunate to also find a way to get here with a real prize.”

By the time Jeff finished his tale, he had the entire carcass skinned and the extremities removed. Pete began showing Jeff how to cut and trim the meat. Meanwhile Colleen, Rose, and Beth were discussing how to best use and prepare the meat. They wanted to be sure that the meat left after today would be preserved. Jeff was working with Pete to keep all the sinew, since Jeff was concerned about how long the thin cord made from bark fibers would last as a bowstring. They took the meat and bones to the kitchen and talked with the ladies there about how it was cut, then Jeff and Pete went back to scrape and salt the hide before tying it to a frame for drying.

Jeff and Pete joined the other men after they got cleaned up, and Pete embarrassed Jeff in retelling his hunting tale. It was embarrassing because Pete's version was much more dramatic than Jeff's. His Dad clearly had a lot more experience listening to hunters describe their hunting exploits in self flattering tales. To hear his dad tell it that buck would have been a record trophy if he had only waited until the fall. Furthermore, his telling of the encounter with the wolves sounded more like a tall tale of someone like Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, or Jim Bridger fighting off a pack of hungry wolves with nothing but a knife and a bow he had made himself.

That evening at dinner many of the group were quite surprised at the menu including venison steaks, fresh greens, and small baked potatoes. Toward the end of the meal, When Jeff had returned from another watch shift, Michael stood up to speak. “This was certainly a special treat, and I want to thank every one who helped prepare this wonderful meal. It seems we also owe a big thank you to a new legend in these mountains. I think it is time for some of my childhood heroes like Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and Jim Bridger to make room for a new member among their ranks. Though I am sure there is only one person who knows the real story, I have heard some pretty tall tales today about a young Mountain Man by the name of Jeff Burleson who dropped a trophy buck the first time he ever went hunting with a bow and arrows.  What's more, he carved those hunting tools with his own two hands. Not only that, I heard he stared down a pack of hungry wolves who had him surrounded and were intent on stealing it from him.” Michael heard a couple of gasps from some of the ladies who had not yet heard the men talking about what had happened. He also saw a Jenny's face losing color, and decided he needed to back pedal a bit for her sake. He looked right at Jenny with a wry smirk on his face when he said, “Of course I grew up hearing a tall tale about Davy Crockett killing a bear when he was only three years old, and we all know that wasn't true either.”

“It doesn't matter, so much, what parts are true and what parts took a bit of stretching the truth when it comes to legends. The point of a legend is for people to remember outstanding individuals. Everyone here knows that is a perfect way to describe Jeff. He is an outstanding individual, and we are all both proud and lucky to have him among us. Besides, legends are a lot of fun, and I think we ought to have a little fun creating a new legend for future generations. There is no one here who has any doubt about his skills, his hard working character, and his courage. We all watched him making that bow and arrows by hand, even though he had never even shot one before he made that one for himself. There were experts who had assured me there hadn't been any wolves in those mountains for the last hundred years, but we all heard those wolves howl for the first time that same night he dragged that huge buck up the mountain by himself. We weren't there to see exactly what happened in the woods, but it doesn't seem to me that big of a stretch to fill in the gaps of what we know with some of the tales I heard today. Let's hear it for Jeff Burleson, the new Mountain Man!”

Suddenly the lodge was filled with the sound of applause and cheers from his friends and family. Jeff was trying not to look up, but people were getting up to pat him on the back and shoulders or to tousle his head. Beth was beaming. Jenny and even Liz came over to give him hugs from behind, as he sat on the bench wishing he could disappear under the table. The icing on the cake, however was when Megan came over. She kissed him on the cheek then grinned and giggled, and her little sister, Melissa, climbed up on the bench on the other side of him and copied her sister. The rest of the evening was spent without working on projects. Everyone, even the children were telling, retelling, and listening to semi-factual tales of the exploits and achievements of the mountain man, Jeff Burleson.

[kaijafon]

LOL! yes!! wonderful new stories to tell future generations!

[misterjimbo]

Outstanding story! Thanks for the update.

[pbbrown0]

OUT OF THE STUMP
Post # 22

Over the next several weeks the haven seemed like it was filled with more energy and enthusiasm. The crops were now yielding larger quantities, and the meals were more summer like with fresh vegetables every day. The whole forest had turned a lush deep green. Michael had convince Cathy, Liz, and Lucy to plant some special seeds the month before in one of the warm seeding sheds. These were some crops like sunflowers, peppers, and melons than needed stronger, more direct sunshine. He had decided they could be planted at the southern edge of the forest nearer to the old farm house. He still insisted on the spot planting technique because he did not want to draw more attention to the Haven.

When Michael was down at the edge of the forest helping plant the sprouted seedlings, he looked out over the cleared farmland that John Van Hoosen had worked in previous years. There were large fields surrounding the farm house where John had grown a variety of forage crops, used for livestock feed. He had not raised livestock himself, but instead had sold the crops for cash. He had found he could get a better price for his crops by selling them directly to other farmers rather than to feed companies. With the added costs and markups for feed companies processing and packaging the feed before selling it through distributors to feed stores, He could get a higher price for his product selling directly to the end consumer and still undercut their end price . Most of those crops however were grown from hybrid seeds and were plowed under and replanted every year from new purchased seeds. When John died the previous summer a lot of the plants went to seed without being harvested, but none of them were plowed under. Most of plants died during the winter because their winter hardiness was not on the agenda of those developing the genetic mix, and the wide bare furrow between the planted rows afforded no protection for their shallow roots. With the hybrid plants most of the seeds that fell to the ground were not viable and those that were exhibited characteristics that were very different from the previous crop. The result was a hodgepodge of scattered plants of various heights and appearances, and there were many patches among those plants with only limited vegetation. A plan began to grow in Michael's mind.

When they returned to the lodge, he dug out some grain seeds he had been saving back and suggested that some planting be done down in the fields surrounding the Van Hoosen house. They would need to be careful when planting and harvesting in the area visible from the road, but he thought they should be able to gain some advantage from so much arable land that was currently clear of trees. Michael wanted to plant many small scattered clusters of various heirloom grains like wheat, buckwheat, oats, barley, and corn giving the fields an unkempt fallow field look. To a scavenger this give the appearance of an abandoned farm that was no longer being worked. With the grains growing in small clusters and gaps in between the tall grasses, however, the they would be relatively easy for hand harvesters to identify what they were harvesting. A person could walk through a field and harvest the heads of wheat, for example while bypassing the heads of oats, barley, or corn. Buckwheat could be sown around between the other clumps, and the uninformed would not even recognize it as a grain crop. It was likely to be viewed as a wild flowering weed or natural ground cover that had crept into the spaces between the taller grasses. Once the grains were harvested, they could selectively cut the leaves and stalks for hay to provide winter feed for their goats. Avoiding the use of plowed furrows between the rows of plants would mean the roots would not be as exposed to the cold and drying air. Also, the remaining stalks and leaves could be trampled down as mulch to hopefully insulate the ground from the coming snow and cold winter.

Since the land was now all theirs, instead of his and hers, Michael wanted to plant more fruit and nut trees and berry bushes in places scattered around on the land, like those saplings and bushes he had planted near the lodge in his first spring. To do that he needed to find where there might be some glens and small clearings to the north. It would take a few years before they were producing much, but that meant it was very important to get them started this year. There were only a hand full of apples growing this year on the several apple trees Michael had planted before and they were barely large enough to bother picking. Michael decided to let them ripen completely on the trees to be used only for seeds this year. He was planning the same for the berry bushes so they would have enough seeds to significantly increase the number of berry bushes in the future. Harvest time in the fall this year was going to be a very busy time.

He was discussing his plans to expand their farming with the group when they gathered every evening. This raised a lot of questions about the crops, locations, and even additional discussions about the guerrilla style of farming. Josh pointed out that the mapping he had done earlier was really focused on the perimeters and gross topography. They really needed to more thoroughly explore the forest to find the kind of glens and small clearings Michael was suggesting. That led to concerns about the exploring taking time away from the chores and projects that needed their attention, too. Beth pointed out that If they got the trees and bushes started it would pay off with much more healthy food in the future. Liz reminded everyone how they had worried about making it on their limited food supply until they could plant more crops and wait for them to grow. This was a way to get ahead of that concern. Only Michael and Jenny seemed to notice when Jeff, off to the side, listening and working as usual, quietly stated, “We need more people here to get everything done.” Of course Jenny noticed everything Jeff said.

About that time Rose got a twinkle in her eye. “Cathy was right about the ancient wisdom in taking a day off from working so hard. This forest and these mountains are such a beautiful gift to all of us. We have been working so hard, though, that we almost never take time to really see and enjoy that. This Sunday when we take a break, I'm going to take my husband on a picnic in the woods; just him and me. Who knows, we might find a hidden clearing in the forest. Even if we don't, it will be nice just to spend some private time together.” Rose realized the conversations had all stopped as they had all turned to smile at her. Then she was a little embarrassed at announcing to the whole group that she wanted some private time with her husband, but Beth came to her rescue.

“Rose that is a wonderful idea. We are all a great big family here, but with all of us living under the same roof and working so hard, day after day, there are things we have neglected to enjoy. Besides who knows what we might discover if we stop to smell the roses. Wait a minute. I didn't mean ... that was just and expression.” Now all the adults, were chuckling or smirking at Beth's pun like faux pas.

By the time their Sunday rolled around it seemed that a number of light lunches had been packed into back packs. Some of the families had decided that they were going to just relax closer to the lodge rather than venture farther into the woods. The watch shifts still needed to be covered, and the animals needed to be tended, but no project work was being done, and as many other chores as possible were simply going to be set aside for the day.

That evening when the group had settled down after an unusually simple dinner Rose was telling about two clearings she and Michael had found. They were southeast of the lodge but well north of the old Van Hoosen farm house. Rose was enthused about finding them and thought they would be ideal for fruit trees,. They were both about an acre and a half, somewhat oblong in shape, and oriented north and south so they would get plenty of summer sun. there was also a small stream coming down the mountain running near by past both of them. The conversation was focused on that for awhile, then Michael asked if anyone else discovered anything.

After a moment Jeff spoke up. “There is a pretty big meadow over west of where I found the deer. I don't know how to estimate acres, but its about a quarter mile by an eighth of a mile.” He was keeping his head down focusing on something small he was rubbing on a stone.

“It's really so beautiful. It's covered in white wild flowers.” A dozen pairs of eyes turned toward Jenny who before had always been too shy to speak up in a meeting. She immediately ducked her head and wished she had not blurted that out. She had persuaded Jeff to go with her for a short morning picnic before lunch. She knew Jeff had the afternoon watch in the north, and of course he expressed his concern that he would need to get her back to the lodge before he headed back north. In spite of his reluctance, Jenny had persisted and he finally relented. Once he did, he led them farther from the lodge than she expected trying to find a suitable place. The meadow he had found was so idyllic she was totally enchanted by the scene. She had continued to replay the vision of it in her mind over and over since they returned. The whole time she spent with her parents on their family picnic, while Jeff was on watch, she had been preoccupied thinking about the special place she and Jeff had discovered.

Michael, from where he was seated, saw Jenny was clutching a small bunch of white flowers in her hand rather than doing her usual needle work. He stood up and walked over to where the two teens were sitting and looked down at Jenny. Jenny was afraid to look up as Michael towered over her and clutched her tiny bouquet even tighter. “Jenny, are those the flowers you said were covering that meadow you found?”

“Ye...yes, sir.” She was still was looking down. She had wanted to become invisible, but now Michael had walked over and drawn everyone's attention to her, all over again.

“Jenny, you don't need to be afraid, sweet girl.  I just wanted to come over and see your flowers. That must have been a beautiful sight. It looks to me like you found something very special. Those are buckwheat flowers. It sounds like in addition to a beautiful meadow of wild flowers, you also found about twenty acres of natural grain hidden in these mountains. Congratulations, Jenny, and thank you from all of us.” Jenny looked up in relief at Michael's face, and saw his beaming smile. She began to relax a little more when he said, “In a couple of month's I'd like for you to show the rest of us how to find this place. Would you do that for us?”

Jenny was smiling now and glanced at Jeff who was now watching her instead of his rock. “I would be happy to show it to you, Mr. Green, but I'm afraid I would need Jeff to come along to make sure I don't get lost.”

The next day Michael was looking over the drying racks for the logs, when Jeff walked up. “Jeff I had some logs left over from building the lodge last year, and I was just thinking we might be able to go ahead and use them for the sill logs on the new cabins. That would let us go ahead and build the floors even if we had to wait on the newer logs to dry for the walls and roof supports. If we wait until the other logs are dry, it will be very hard to get everything done in the fall with all the crops we need to harvest. I was just counting, but we do not have quite enough for both cabins. I suppose we could at least start on one of the houses.”

“Michael, why is is that we need to wait so long for the logs to dry. From what you told me before, that grooving and kerfing system is the real key to controlling the checking or cracking as they dry. It also is the key to getting a good seal between the logs without chinking and daubing. You also explained to me how when we put in the door frames and window frames, we have to make special provisions for the eventual shrinking and settling of the logs over the next few years. Help me understand what is so unique about the first drying period other than the initial loss in weight?”

“Well, Jeff, that is a very good question. With the methods I learned for controlling the checking, the biggest issue left is the possibility that a log will warp or bend as it dries. With the bulk of the drying happening in the first year, that bending will show clearly in the first six months. If it shows up before you build with it, you can discard or re-purpose the log rather than have it in the middle of a wall causing a huge problem. Replacing a log in the middle of the wall is just not practical, so if you have already built and you develop a really bad warp in a log, you are in serious trouble.”

“Why do some logs do that, and others don't? You used a lot of logs building the lodge and it doesn't look like you had any wasted logs. Is there anyway to predict which logs are more likely to warp or select logs that are not going to warp?”

“Actually there are two things that can cause a log to bend or warp as it dries. When a tree is growing, because of the changing angle of the sun, some trees tend to twist very slightly as they grow. Also in some trees growing on a steep slope the cells in the wood tend to be stretched or elongated on one side and more compact on the other side, especially toward the bottom of the trunk. It is just an effect of the tree trying to balance its growth so it can continue to grow vertically instead of perpendicular to the slope of the ground. These are subtle differences that can be seen sometimes in the bark while it is still on the log, and it is more clearly seen in the grain of the wood when the bark has been removed. You just can't predict unless you examine the grain carefully. I was working by myself so I was being careful about the logs I selected because ... Jeff? Why exactly are you asking me all these questions? That is besides trying to get me to think more clearly about not needing to following foolish rules someone else made about drying logs?”

Jeff took a second to process what Michael had just said. He finally understood what Michael meant and got a smirk on his face. All those details Michael had been teaching them about selecting the right trees and bucking the trunks into logs starting at the top instead of at the bottom of the trunk addressed multiple issues at the same time. The same was true of the kerf and grove system he had taught them. “Well, I could say I owed you one for embarrassing me like you did, when you labeled me a legend in front of everyone in the lodge a while back. By the way, Michael, speaking of that night, I never thanked you for that clever save you made when you spilled the beans to Jenny talking about the wolves. She is still has a scared little girl inside that is trying to hang on to me as her anchor. Is can get pretty scary if you think your anchor is in trouble. That twist you through in there about the inaccuracy of tall tales was quick thinking.”

“I am afraid I walked into that one without thinking it through, Jeff. We were all pretty impressed with your keeping your head in a dangerous and unexpected situation. We are also impressed with how well you are handling Jenny's feelings and her wanting to cling to you. You also ...”

“Michael, I apologize for interrupting, but if you start embarrassing me again, I will just have to owe you another one. Won't I?” Jeff glared at Michael with a mock stern look.

Michael laughed and retorted, “You seem to have gotten past the 'Mr. Green' stage, finally. Just make sure don't get too big for your breeches, youngster.”

Michael and Jeff were both laughing together now, began planning about getting started again on the new cabins. That night after dinner, Michael began talking to the men about what he had realized about the drying period while talking with Jeff. This was going to make it easier to finish drying in the cabins before the cold weather started. Josh and Pete also had some news to share. They called the ladies to gather around t, so they could show everyone the collection of drop spindles, combing cards, and long finger combs they had made from Rose's descriptions. They went on to demonstrate how the goat hair can be combed out into batches where the fibers were aligned in the same direction, and then how batches of combed hair are spun together and collected with the drop spindle. They showed how the process could be used to make either worsted threads or woolly yarn. Everyone was intrigued by the process and they all wanted to try their hand at these new techniques. Even the older children were wanting to learn how. Philip Du Bois, who had been twisting bark fibers by hand for several months to make cords for lashing poles together, started talking about how these tools might be adapted to speed the process of making cords or even for twisting the cords into ropes.

Michael and Rose were sitting in their rockers watching, while everyone else was gathered around the tables playing with and watching others play with the new toys. Michael looked down and saw little Rachel, Jacob's older daughter climbing up into his lap. She did not say a word. She merely curled up in his lap clinging to his shirt and rested her head on his chest. Within seconds her breathing was steady and slow as he felt her relax into slumber. He looked at Rose who was smiling like the Mona Lisa as her hands rested on her tummy. Michael reached over to take her hand in his.

“She needs a granddaddy right now.”

Michael realized he had been so worried about Cathy that he had not thought as much about Jacob's children missing him. His eyes started to water and he took a deep breath, “Well, she at least has that.” With that he wrapped his arm gently around her and continued to rock as his cheek rested on the top of her head, and he held on to Rose with his other hand.

Across the great room, Jeff had moved back to his customary corner where he was measuring and cutting his cured buckskin into pieces on a board he had split and shaved. He was feeling the pinch of his old boots, and the shoe stores were apparently no longer in business. He first trimmed the several inches of the thinner, white haired skin from the perimeter of the deer hide in one continuous strip. He had already taken a lot of measurements of his own feet and the boots he was currently wearing, and he was marking the pieces he planned to cut with a piece of charcoal. He traced along those lines with his sharpened knife multiple times cutting deeper with each pass. He had decided that rather than make a pair of high topped boots, he would make some low topped boots for the summer and then add leggings when the weather turned cold. While he was working it occurred to him that he was going to be doing more of this with the several children in their group eventually outgrowing their shoes. He looked around scanning the children by the tables, and then noticed little Rachel in Michael's lap. For some reason that he could not yet put into words that made him smile. He returned his focus to carefully cutting the leather with his knife. While he was working His thoughts drifted, and he decided that when he finished his boots he needed to find the time to make another bow and some arrows for someone else in the Haven; someone who might want to learn to hunt without a gun.

[papaof2]

Another good chapter.

[ydderf]

Well done, I sure appreciate the lack of Cliff's in your chapters.

[kaijafon]

another wonderful chapter! thanks so much!

[pbbrown0]

Your compliments and encouragement are all greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[9idrr]

Mar 11, 2017 21:22:37 GMT -6 pbbrown0 said:

Your compliments and encouragement are all greatly appreciated. Thank you.

As is all your work, I assure you.

[pbbrown0]

OUT OF THE STUMP
Post # 23

As the work on the two cabins progressed Michael was teaching the men how to anchor the sill logs to the foundation and how to make large mortise and tenon joints with a hatchet and mallet to attach the floor beams and joists to the sill logs. All the floor boards had to be trimmed carefully to fit tightly together, too. Josh, Pete and Doug were using saws, while Michael and Jeff used well sharpened axes and mallets, so they could all keep working to finish the numerous trimming cuts in less time. Michael noticed that Jeff was packing a lunch and breakfast every morning and not staying to eat with everyone else. Michael and Rose were both concerned about his drive to get things done not get out of control. It was somewhat reassuring that in the evenings he seemed far more relaxed and less intense. The weather was warming up and the men were needing plenty of water to keep cool and hydrated at the two construction sites. Jenny, Liz, Beth, and Megan seemed to be sharing the job of periodically bringing small buckets of water to the construction sites so the men did not lose time walking back and forth to the lodge.

When they finished building the floors it was getting well into June already. Michael knew they were all looking forward to stacking the logs and finally seeing the walls rise up, but there was another step before that. The surface of the boards in the floors were all rough hewn, which is a euphemism for chopped and split rather than sawed. In his handyman work, Josh had done plenty of sanding on milled boards to get them perfectly smooth. These boards, on the other hand, had started out about as rough as split firewood. The men had smoothed them down a lot with draw knifes, which were heavy straight bladed bars with handles on both ends. This got the surface smoothed down to what Josh would have considered a rough hand planing. He and Michael both knew this was not good enough for the floors. For one thing the children or anyone else who needed to take off their shoes would be too likely to get splinters. Another issue for the rough surface on the floors was the difficulty of keeping them clean sweeping with a broom.

Josh had raised the issue with Michael as they were finishing the last few floor boards that they had no belt sander or rotary sander. He had used both of these power tools before on large sanding jobs. For that matter they did not even have sand paper to attach to a block of wood for sanding by hand. Michael gust grinned. “Lets take a walk, gentlemen.” They had no idea where they were going, but they followed along anyway. Michael led them to a spot where there was a sandstone outcropping and started picking up small slab like pieces of rock. “Gentlemen we need to make some sanding blocks. Take a piece of rock that has a place where it is almost flat on one side and a bit raised on the other. Now take another similar piece of sandstone and start rubbing the flatter sides together. That will make the sanding blocks for smoothing out our floors. Keep grinding until you have a smooth flat side on both stones you are using.

Each of them started finding their own stones. Some of the men found larger, wider stones and some picked up smaller stones. This sandstone was rather hard and the grains of sand were cemented together fairly tightly, so it was taking a lot of work to smooth all the bumps and ridges out. It was getting late and they had to stop and clean up before supper. They were making progress, but none of them was satisfied with their results, yet. Michael reassured them they could finish in the morning and get started on the floors. The next morning, when they got back to work, Jeff was already sanding the floors, and their rocks were all flattened and smoothed. Michael quipped that there were old legends about the stone elves in these mountains, and Liam piped in about having heard there were flower fairies, too. Jeff looked embarrassed, but that soon faded while the men were clapping him on the back and thanking him for the extra effort. The sanding was still not as easy as using power tools, and they were not going to step down in stages from course to very fine grained sand paper. However, with five men as a time using their sand stones in both hands like sanding blocks, they were able to finish the sanding in only one day.

With the floors finished, Michael began teaching them how to measure and cut the interlocking corner joints using a curved Swedish Cope for the logs. They also had to learn how to trim out the wide shallow V-shaped grove along the bottom of each log where it straddled the top of the log beneath and sealed the space between them. He was rather surprised when Jeff was paying so little attention as he tutored them on this technique. Then he realized Jeff was already doing it just right, almost as if he had done it before. He remembered having explained to Jeff previously how it was done, but he had expected it would still take a little practice for him to show this much skill. He seemed particularly adept at the final edge trim for getting the clean fit between the rounded top of the lower log and the sharp edges of the upside down V in the upper log. They very quickly decided to let Jeff do all the finishing trim where the wall logs were seated on top of each other.

With the men all taking a watch shift everyday there was a lot of shuffling around at to who was working with whom, but they were trying to work on both cabins at the same time. Michael had considered doing the two new cabins sequentially, but he still harbored some concerns about keeping the whole group motivated to build another if one cabin was completed, no one new had shown up, and five of their members had not been heard from in months. He was still praying for their safe return every morning, and now the whole community stopped what they were doing to gather around in silence for that daily ritual. He often wondered what the response was going to be to his requests that consideration be given to their concerns. They would just have to wait and see. At least some of their concerns were being addressed with generosity and for that he was grateful.

Rose was clearly showing now, and Michael was grateful beyond words for her health. Their best guess was that the baby would be coming late summer or early fall, right about the time when the fall harvest would be starting. That would mean one less person able to put their full effort into the harvest, and soon she would need to stop taking a watch shift. There seemed to be no end to the challenges and adjustments needed, but no one was complaining. Some how things would work out, because they were all committed to making this work for the sake of all their friends and their family at the Haven.

One morning it worked out by chance that Michael was with Liam and Doug working at one of the cabin sites while Pete and Jeff were at the other. Josh was on the morning watch. While they were working, Jeff began to ask his Dad some questions that caught Pete by surprise. “Dad, you and Mom never told me how you two met. Back when the schools were still open I saw how a lot of the kids in high school paired up and all. Of course, they most often those couples broke up at some point too. I've see how some couples get married soon after high school, a lot wait a few more years before deciding they have found the right person to marry, and some couples like Michael and Mrs. Green don't even find each other until way later in life. Of course some people never do marry. What I am trying to understand is how you can know if what you are feeling about a person is real love, or if it is not the real deal. I mean, everyone talks about falling in love and then getting married, or sometimes falling in love and then seeing it fade away. Even the kids in high school talk about it, but the way it looked to me they were just trying to figure out what real love even meant. Whether a couple gets married right out of high school, or they wait until they are older and more mature doesn't seem to have that much influence on whether their love or their marriage lasts. How was it that you and Mom figured out that you were right for each other, and what made the difference that you got it right?”

“Son, What's going on, here? Aren't these logs heavy enough for you? Do you just feel compelled to find something heavier for us to handle?” Pete stopped and stared at his son with mock consternation for a moment, before he slapped him on the back and chuckling. “Jeff that is a question that wise men have struggled with and argued over for centuries, and I honestly don't think any one has the final word on that. The truth is that it is different for everyone. Back when I was in high school, there was this really cute girl named Brenda that I fell for, head over heels. I was IN LOVE with her. We were a real item in the school, and everyone thought we were a great match. We seemed to have a lot in common and we had a lot of fun together in all the activities that were going on at school. She and I weren't talking at all about wedding plans, but I eventually found out that both of us were thinking ahead to that being likely a few more years down the road. I guess it was late in my senior year that I started thinking more seriously about what I wanted in life and what was important to me. I was making good grades and assumed I was going to college, but I didn't know what I was going to study, so I started doing a lot of thinking. I also started talking to Brenda about what I was thinking. That's when I gradually realized that even though she and I were good friends, it was going to be a challenge to keep us both happy and on a similar path going forward through life..”

“I hadn't exactly figured out my future at that point, but I just had this sense that the two of us would not be as happy as we once imagined if we didn't admit before it was too late to the differences in where we wanted to go with our lives. There were things that she was going to want that weren't so important to me, and things that I was going to want that weren't that important to her. That was not an easy break up because we liked each other and had a lot of fun together. We both knew we were going to miss that comfortable interaction. The way I saw it, however, life is hard enough without being hitched to someone that would always be pulling toward a different destination. In the long run that wouldn't be fair to either of us. A lot of our friends had a hard time with our break up, too. We did manage to stay friends. When I was back home from college breaks I went out with her a couple of times just as friends having some fun.”

“Anyway, after I graduated from high school, I went to college, met your Mom, and nothing happened.” Jeff and his dad had kept working while they were talking. They had another wall log marked for the corner arched cut outs and rolled it over to start cutting out the half round arch at either end.

“What do you mean, 'Nothing happened.'?” Jeff was confused.

“What I mean, son, is that nothing special happened. I did not fall head over heals in love with her. I didn't even connect with her as a some kind of special friend. She was just one more acquaintance among a number of friends that I had at school. There wasn't any magic, yet. I even took her out on a date once, but it just didn't seem that special. I had dates from time to time with a lot of other girls. With some of those girls I had a number of dates because we just connected better than your mother and I had. Beth was just one more girl at school I happened to know. Of course I have found out since that she felt pretty much the same way about me. Your Mom and I occasionally had a class together, and I would run in to her from time to time at some school event. Most of the time I had a date with someone for school events, but not with her. It wasn't until our senior year when some friends were getting together at a local student hangout just before exam week, that we started to connect. Most of us in that group were seniors, and we were looking ahead to only one more semester, after these exams, before we had to launch into the real world. There were a a lot of things being thrown around and talked about, but some of the things Beth said seemed to grab my attention more than what the others were saying.” Pete stopped talking for a minute while he was concentrating on getting his cuts just right with his marks on the log.

“When we got back from the winter break, I seemed to run into her more often, and we began to connect better than we had before. Eventually a light turned on in my brain. It was like one of those florescent lights that is trying to charge up and finally brightens up. It wasn't at all like when I was head over heals about Brenda, but I began to see Beth with a lot more clarity. I was also liking just about everything that I saw. I liked her personality, including her quirks. I liked her perspective, which was not always matching mine, but I found her perspective on a lot of things just seemed refreshing. I liked what she wanted for her future, which was based on values other than simply status in life. I liked her sense of humor, and surprisingly her humor about me. Okay and to be perfectly honest, I really liked to look at her, too. Still do, but that somehow hadn't impressed me so much before we started connecting. What worried me, though was that I didn't think I felt like I was in love with her.”

Pete had finished removing most of the arch cut from his end of the log. “Have you got your end coped out, Jeff?”

“Yes, sir. Are we ready to roll it over?” They both rolled the log toward the ends of the two perpendicular logs it was resting on, until the scooped out arches slipped over the tops of the supporting logs underneath. They lined up the top log and were both checking the fit against the perpendicular logs at the corners and the parallel log underneath. They each had a piece of charcoal they used to mark where it needed to be trimmed to fit tighter at the corner joins. Jeff then walked along both sides marking where where he needed to shave a little here and there for the top log to fit smoothly against the lower log along its whole length. They then used a block and tackle attached to their pole tripods to hoist first one end and then the other of the log back up from where it saddled down on the corner logs. Then they rolled the cut log back on top of the perpendicular supporting logs, so the places they needed to trim were turned back upward.

“So, what you are telling me is that falling in love has nothing to do with making a good choice about getting married to someone?”

“No, What I am telling you is what I told you when I started talking about this. Wise men for centuries have struggled with the questions about real love and choosing a life mate.” Pete had stopped working and turned to his son with a smirk.
Jeff turned and saw the facetious look on his Dad's face and chuckled. He stood and bowed deeply toward Peter as he tried unsuccessfully to suppress a grin. “Does my wise father have more pearls of wisdom for his son?”

Now it was Pete's turn to laugh out loud. “You said it yourself, Jeff. Those young people you saw in school who were talking so much about love were still trying to figure out what it is really about. So was I. I had heard a lot of talk that did not quite fit what I was seeing or experiencing. So I had to sort it out on my own.” Pete had moved over to watch his son deftly trimming the edges of the V grove along the length of the log with a hatched and knife. He wasn't chopping the edges or even chiseling them. He was holding the hatchet in an overhand grip with both hands and carefully shaving the edges of the groove until his marks disappeared.

When he had finished, his father stood in front of him to continue in a gently sobered tone. “Jeff, when the time comes you will have to sort it out for yourself, because it will be one of the most important conclusions you will ever need to work through. I will tell you what I determined , but you will have to find your own way in this. I valued you mother. I saw value in her like no one else saw. Not value in how she would help me reach my goals, but value in who she was and is. I realized that valuing went beyond simply drawing logical conclusions. Her value as a person was both calming and energizing to me. As I pondered what I thought and felt about her, it began to touch me deep inside. The more I looked, the more I saw and the surer I became. Understanding who she was awakened in me who I was, and who I needed to be. I began talking to her about what I wanted life to be, and who I wanted to be as a person. I didn't tell her who or how I wanted her to be fitting into that schema. I just saw her, as I was understanding her more, fitting in and finding joy in the life I envisioned without her having to change or compromise. At least that was what I saw and hoped. When she would talk about what she wanted life to be like, it sounded more and more like we were looking at the same picture. I decided I really wanted to make it real and I was willing to commit everything, and I do mean everything to making it real for us. That meant I was willing to do it for her and for me, together, if she was willing to accept my commitment. Fortunately she was, and she did.”

Jeff was pondering the importance of what his Dad had just shared. He also recognized it was something very personal that he had entrusted his son. “ Dad, that was not quite what I expected, and it certainly was not anything like what anyone else has ever told me. I think it was exactly what I needed to hear, though. Thank you.”

Pete was pretty sure he knew what was behind his son's questions, and he wanted to help Jeff, if he could, with his very unusual situation. It wasn't like he had a high school full of possibilities. Furthermore living in a college community or even living in a town full of people where he might happen upon a life partner did not look imminent at this point. “Jeff, am I right that this came up because of Jenny?”

“Did you have to ask that?” Jeff rolled his eyes. “Duh!” Jeff was trying to make light of it, but of course that was the reason he was seeking advice. “I guess it is pretty obvious to everyone that she likes me, a lot, but she's not even turning sixteen until next month. Of course, I like her too. She is a sweet girl, and if so many things hadn't changed for all of us, she probably would have fit in just fine with me and some of my other friends at the district high school. But that is the problem. Everything has changed a lot. Right now even the adults are trying to sort out what they think the future is going to look like. I am too. Jenny, on the other hand, is really wanting to cling to me even more than she is letting herself show. It is like she has decide that I am going to be her anchor in this storm. I kind of understand that with all that has happened. Plus there is the fact that there are not any other guys even near her age that are anywhere in sight. Of course there aren't any other girls near my age either. In some ways it feels like the world got turned inside out.”

“Jeff, you have an awful lot to think about, and I would be wrong to tell you what conclusions you should draw, or how to get things sorted out. I will tell you that your mother and I love you, and we have a lot of confidence in you. There is no need for you to rush to any life changing decisions. Too much has already happened, and you never know what tomorrow will bring. Take your time and don't be in a rush to have all the answers. When you get it worked out, you will know it.”

[ydderf]

Thank you, your story is a much better read without the .45ACP and .243 or 30-06 or semi-auto so many other authors take delight in. I appreciate the character development over the shoot em up.

[kaijafon]

do you know of any videos of this type of building? I can almost "see" it but want to for real.

thanks for the moar!!!

[pbbrown0]

Below are links to 2 "tube" videos that approximate what you are asking for, but they show using a chainsaw for most of the cutting.   I prefer a simpler technique and tools for marking the arch cut. Rather than an expensive scribe rig, a simple stick cut to the right length and carpenter's pencil or piece of charcoal will do the job.  Furthermore the groove along the length of the log should be made before the log is lifted on top of the walls so you can stand at a safer and more comfortable angle for making this long groove. The fine edge trimming of that groove can then be done after the log is lifted into place.

Also, these videos show the groove(s) along the bottom of the upper log but omit the deep narrow kerf (thin groove cut) along the top of the lower log. The top kerf is essential for controlling excessive drying cracks. Also the person making this video is for some unknown reason using multiple V grooves rather than a single shallow V groove on the bottom of his logs. The single shallow V is more effective in reducing the drying cracks. Without these grooves it takes about five years for logs this size to completely air dry. Normally the outer layers of wood dry out and shrink before the inner layers can. That is why the outer layers crack or split in random places along the surface of the logs unless the outer layers are already 'split' by the grooves.

Here is an image of the kind of splits I am referring to.

inspectapedia.com/structure/LogHomes/Log_Home_Inspection734-APs.jpg



Here are the links to the two videos.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPB2lT-mdrE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKL6F5zw2o8

In these videos he does not show how he lifts his logs to the tops of his walls. Depending on the wood species a 20 foot long, 12" thick log (which will give you an inside wall only 15 feet long) can weight from 600 lbs. to 1,000 lbs.  In the story I mention lifting tripods which are simply three poles or thin logs about 3 to 4 inches thick that are lashed together at the top. A block-n-tackle or pulley rig can be tied to the lashing for lifting the heavy logs.

One more note. The walls are all built solid without windows or doors, initially. You need to decide in advance where the windows and doors are going to be cut through the solid walls, so as the logs are stacked they can be drilled and pegged together on both sides of the planned openings.

I hope this helps with your visualization. 

[kaijafon]

Thank you, yes it does!

[pbbrown0]

OUT OF THE STUMP
Post # 24

In the evenings Josh had been circulating among the group asking questions about their picnic places. He was trying to add more information to his map about the land surrounding the Haven. His efforts were helping to fill in some gaps in their knowledge of the area, and it also was arousing more curiosity among the members of the group. Jeff had been very helpful in identifying where he had seen deer and considerable detail regarding the character of the forest in that area. He was also able to help Josh place the location of the meadow full of buckwheat. Rose also seemed to have a very good sense of direction when sh described the route she and Michael had taken when they found their two clearings. Doug and Liz had not found any clearings, but they were able to describe the terrain, the mix of trees, and the kinds of rock and soil on the surface along their path. Doug had paid fairly close attention to the ground ahead of them to pick a path where Liz and Jenny were less likely to stumble on loose gravel or a protruding rock, while Liz was more focused on looking around for a pleasant looking spot to stop. All this information had kept Josh busy for a couple of evenings updating his map sketches.

One night he sat down with some of the group to update them on what everyone had found, so far. As he began explaining, the rest of the group began to gather around and join the discussion about what all had been found. The idea of heading out in different directions to find new interesting spots and learning more about the surrounding mountains and forest was beginning to appeal to them. Everyone wanted to see this field of buckwheat that Jeff and Jenny had discovered, but they were also intrigued by what other hidden wonders might be out there awaiting discovery. There was virtually no time for exploration during the week, but Sunday seemed an ideal time because the chores were set aside for that one day of the week. With Liam and Colleen on night watch duty, Megan and Melissa had been sleeping in the space set aside for Rebecca, but all the women were watching out for them when Colleen and Liam were sleeping or away from the lodge. Megan was listening carefully as Josh shared the new information he had laid out on his map. She asked if she could borrow the map to show Liam and Colleen the next day, since they were missing out on what Josh was sharing.

Cathy and Lucy were talking with Josh about what had been learned so far and where they might do some more scattered planting. Cathy was wanting to find the right kind of soils for various crops, when she remembered Jacob's father and his hobby. He had a small family vineyard in France, but he also raised honeybees. He enjoyed telling anyone who would listen about the important role that honeybees play in pollinating so many kinds of plants. He loved to point out that without honeybees there would not be any grapes for wine, fruit from orchards, or almost any other kind of food crop than mankind depends on. He also had some pretty strong opinions about the health qualities of honey. Of course Papa Du Bois had only strong opinions, never weak opinions.

“Jeff, when you and Jenny discovered that meadow of wild flowers, are you sure they were all buckwheat, or were there other wildflowers too?”

Jeff thought a second before answering. “Mrs. Du Bois, I am pretty certain they were virtually all the same. I didn't know they were buckwheat until Michael said so. They made a deep ground cover about a foot and a half to two feet tall. There was not a lot of chance for other kinds of small plants or wildflowers to poke up through it.”

“Jeff, do you remember seeing very many honey bees there?”

“I'm sorry, Mrs. Du Bois. There are so many bugs in the woods right now, I have tried not to pay attention to them so I won't get distracted from looking out for other concerns.”

Cathy frowned a little. “Jenny, what about you? Did you see any honeybees?”

Jenny looked around at the group, and her shyness became obvious again. “I don't remember any, but I'm not sure about that. I just remember how beautiful that meadow looked with those thick white flowers in the sunlight.”

Cathy turned to Jenny and took both her hands. Jenny, I want you to close your eyes and shut out everything in your mind but that field. Go ahead close your eyes. Now don't think about where you are right now, forget about everyone gathered around here. Pretend you are not here in the lodge. Put yourself back in the forest when you and Jeff were walking through the woods together looking for a place for a picnic. Relax and focus on that. When you were walking long you started to see the flowers ahead through the trees. As you got closer you discovered that meadow full of white flowers. Remember when you first stepped out of the trees and into that field of beautiful white flowers, and you and Jeff saw this large field blanketed in white flowers. See in your mind when the two of you first stepped out into the flowers together. Remember how the sunshine made them so bright. Remember how they smelled. Remember how beautiful they looked and how you felt when your eyes drank in that beautiful sight.”

Everyone was watching Jenny now and could clearly see her euphoric smile. Cathy stopped her self from giggling at how quickly and thoroughly Jenny had left the lodge to return to a happy place in her memories. “Jenny, it is a really beautiful sight, but I need you to focus on something. Do you see the honey bees? Some are flying around, but some are crawling around on the flowers. Do you see them?” Jenny's head was almost imperceptibly nodding up and down. “Okay Jenny there is just one more thing I need to ask you about the bees you are seeing. Are there just a few scattered bees, or does it seem like there are quite a few bees among the flowers?'

Jenny seemed to get more focused for a few seconds before taking a slow deep breath. She opened her eyes and turned to Cathy. She seemed more relaxed now than when she had first come to the table. “I had not remembered this before, but there were honey bees all over the field. There were a lot of bees. The flowers were moving even when there was no breeze The bees didn't seem bothered by our being there, even when we walked out and sat down, but they were all over the flowers.”

Cathy was beaming and obviously excited about what Jenny had described “You did very well, remembering, Jenny, and that is wonderful news! I need you and Jeff to take me up there with you this Sunday.”

Jenny looked hesitantly at Jeff who had a curious expression on his face. His expression changed to a smile for her, and he gave a slight nod. Jenny turned back to see Cathy's excited expression. “I think Jeff would be willing to take us back there, but why are you so interested in the bees?”

Cathy started explaining to the whole group. “Jacob's father raises honeybees along with keeping a vineyard. When we were visiting him in France a few years ago, he tried to teach me a few things about them. I remember, after we got back here, seeing some honey producers in this area advertising buckwheat honey as having stronger health benefits than most honey. With Jenny's description of the large meadow being thick with flowers, and Michael identifying them as buckwheat blossoms, it got me to thinking maybe there are honeybees nearby. A bee hive that gets too crowded will split itself in half. This typically happens because when it has an abundant source of flower nectar nearby. That allows the hive to grow rather quickly. Half the bees will leave the hive in a swarm with a newly created queen. The swarm will crowd together in a bundle on a branch or against a tree until their scouts can find a new protected enclosure with limited access, like a hollow space in a tree trunk or an artificial hive enclosure. When the scouts find a suitable safe place, they will lead the queen to her new chateau or castle. Then the swarm of workers will calmly follow the queen to their new fortress and start building a new hive.”

“From Jenny's description where ever these bees are currently nesting, they are bound to be close to reaching their full capacity very soon. If we can provide an artificial chateau for them before they split the hive, we can lure them into a hive enclosure we have made, were we can easily harvest the honey without the dangers of cutting into a hollow tree trunk full of bees.” Cathy went on to describe the requirements for a bee enclosure, and Josh was pretty confident he could get something made that would work.

Cathy turned back toward Jenny and Jeff. “Jenny, everyone is eager to see your special meadow. I hope you don't mind letting the rest of us see it. We will need to be careful to only look from the edge so we don't trample it down. I also want to find the hive but it would be better if only one or two of us do that rather than making a disturbance with too many people trampling around. If I send everyone else back once they have had a chance to see your field of flowers, would you mind working with me to find the hive?”

“Mrs. Du Bois, is that dangerous getting close to a wild hive? Don't you need some special gear or clothing to protect you? I just don't want to see anybody hurt.” Jeff remembered seeing movies where people were attacked by swarms of bees, and videos of bee keepers decked out in all kinds of protective clothing. He also had heard about bees from Africa mixing with American bees and making them more aggressive.

“Right now we are just looking for where the hive is located, so we can place a ready made home for them nearby when they decide to split the hive. We are not going to get any closer than we need to. There is no danger unless they sense a threat. That is why I want to make sure there are not a bunch of people around when we look for the hive. Once we start tending the new hive, we will have protective clothes just in case. Even when we start working the hive, the biggest issue will be to work calmly and gently so they are not threatened. I thought Jenny might be well suited for that when we get to that point if she is interested.” Cathy could see the concern in Jeff's face, but sensed that with a little coaching, Jenny could be very non-threatening to the bees.

Jeff looked to Jenny again and saw a spark of eagerness in her eyes. “Of course it's up to her, but it looks to me like you have a recruit, Mrs. Du Bois. You two just be careful.”

Sunday morning most of the group gathered after breakfast to hike over to the buckwheat meadow. Cathy asked Jeff to let them all know when they got about a hundred yards from the meadow. She then cautioned the group to slow down and not make a disturbance when they got closer. They did not know yet where the beehive was located and she did not want to stir up the bees in any way. Jeff led the group past where one of the new cabins were being built which gave some of the community their first look at the progress. After they passed that sight Jeff started angling off to the north for a while until they reached a narrow hollow in the terrain. He followed the hollow now toward the west for about ten minutes to where there was a bolder about two feet in diameter in the middle of the hollow. He now turned to the group and told them the meadow was up the gentle slope to the north in about a hundred and fifty yards.

When he looked at Mrs. Du Bois and Jenny, he saw that they had been swapping out carrying little Marie. “Why don't you let me carry Marie from here. It is not much further, but is is up hill. Cathy smiled and thanked Jeff as she helped him get a hold of the one year old . He held her upright with both arms. Marie's cheek was resting on his chest just under his neck. Then he turned and carefully led the group up the slope. Jenny and Cathy were on either side of him and each of them kept glancing over to be sure he was doing okay caring a baby. After all he was a teen aged boy carrying a baby and neither of them had seen that happen before. As they made their way up the slope Cathy was also watching for bees and was not seeing any. She began to wonder if the hive was already swarming. Soon she could see more sunlight ahead between the trees and she asked Jeff to stop

“Jeff would you mind holding Marie just for a minute longer. I want to check on the bees before we actually get to the meadow.” She stepped on ahead with Jenny following close behind. When they got to the edge of the clearing, both Cathy and Jenny gasped. The whole meadow seemed to be quivering and shimmering in the sunlight. They could hear a gentle buzzing sound, too. With a closer look the activity of the honeybees was unmistakable.

“Mrs. Du Bois, there really weren't that many bees a week ago. I would have remembered that. There were plenty of bees here, then but I have never seen this many anywhere.”

Cathy gazed out over the meadow and she could see why Jenny was so taken by it. Their eyes had become accustomed to the deep shadows of the forest, but now the sun on the white flowers was brilliant. It looked like a snow white carpet under bright floodlights, only this carpet was floating about two feet off the ground and looked almost like it was alive. Cathy was so excited she turned and hugged Jenny. “Jenny, you and Jeff have found a real treasure here. It is beautiful. Come on. Let's show the others.”

They turned back and waved for the others to come closer. As they approached Cathy cautioned them. “This is better than I expected, but we have to be careful. This field is amazing, but it is very busy with buzzing bees now. We must not wander into it now like Jenny and Jeff were able to only a week ago. The hive must be very big, but fortunately it has not yet split. Come and see for yourselves, but let's not disturb the bees right now.”

The entourage made their way to the clearing, and everyone stood slack jawed gazing at the sight. Everyone was whispering, too awed, too enchanted, and perhaps a little too intimidated by what they were seeing to speak loudly. Finally Lucy spoke up. “I remember my friend, Carol Wilson, saying that honeybees really love buckwheat flowers. She said they would ignore any other flowers around until they got everything they could from the buckwheat first.”

Michael looked out at the large meadow. “I can't even imagine how many bees are out here or what size their hive might be. I can tell you this, though. This field will produce thousands of pounds of buckwheat in a year, and that is not counting the forage it could provide for our goats over the winter. There are bound to be at least a hundred deer hiding in these mountains with a plentiful food source like this at hand. This is simply amazing. We need to be careful though, not to squander this. It just because it seems to be more than we know how to use right now doesn't make is alright to squander this gift.”

Beth was gazing out at the meadow and got a worried look. “Michael, how are we going to harvest from this field with so many bees?”

“Don't worry, Beth. When the flowers are all pollinated they will fall off and start growing seeds. The bees will go elsewhere to find other flowers. If we harvest correctly, the buckwheat will put on a new batch of flowers after the first harvest and we can get a second harvest just before winter. However, We may want to leave the second harvest for the deer to have plenty of forage and food for the winter. I am still trying to wrap my head around this discovery. I had bought some buckwheat seeds before the trouble started hoping I could raise some because of the health benefits and the suitability for growing in this climate.”

“Michael,” Cathy was interrupting now. “I want to find the main hive, and it would help if you could get the group off to another area soon. It would also be a good idea of someone could help Josh make several bee enclosures as soon as possible. There may be more than one hive already with this many bees, and so there may be more than one hive needing to divide. It is very important to be ready when they do. With their population having increased so much in just a week, they are bound to have to split the hive soon.”

“Okay, Cathy. Would you want us to help with your children so you can focus on your bee hunting?”

“That would help immensely, Michael. I think I can manage Marie, since Jenny and Jeff are both staying. I will be back at the lodge before time for lunch if someone can help them until then.”

Michael began herding the community back toward the lodge, while Cathy began explaining to Jenny how they were going to find the beehive. Jeff was listening but hung back out of the way as he held Marie gently against his chest. She was sleeping soundly and he did not want to disturb her. Cathy and Jenny began slowly circling the meadow watching for bees leaving the field of flowers. Finally they saw some bees flying to and fro from the meadow, and they stopped to watch more closely. Eventually they moved farther from the meadow to the northeast until they discovered an ash tree that appeared to have lost a limb. Where the limb had broken off there was a steady stream of bees flying in and out of a small hole in the trunk and a small cluster of bees crowded around the opening.

Cathy explained that this hive would be ready to divide soon, but there had to be another hive in the area as well. She turned to Jeff. “Jeff, would you help us remember how to find this spot again, later? We need to keep looking for another hive, but I don't want to lose track of where this one is located.” She could not help but smile as she saw Jeff rocking back and forth holding her baby Marie. He seemed quite relaxed and Marie was sleeping soundly.

“That's no problem, Mrs. Du Bois. You and Jenny just keep hunting. I've got you covered.”

Cathy and Jenny continued circling to the north until they could see more bees buzzing back and forth from the meadow to the forest. Cathy moved more slowly now and eventually made her way to a large maple tree. There were more bees here than at the cedar tree, and there were quite a few crowding around an opening higher up on the south side of the trunk. She signaled Jenny to stop and she eased closer. She watched for a while and then backed away. “This is the big one. Both nests will be at full capacity soon. We still need to see if there are n more before we head back.”

They finished their circuit of the meadow and found one more nest that Cathy said was a smaller one. As they made their was back to the lodge Cathy continued talking to Jenny about the process of luring the bees to their new enclosures when they decided to swarm, and about how the new hives could be maintained without threatening the bees. They were still talking away when the three of them arrived back at the lodge. No mention had been made along the way of anyone else taking a turn with Marie until they were inside. That is when Cathy thanked Jeff for his help and took Marie, knowing Jeff would need to be ready for his turn on watch very soon.

“Jeff, you have been so sweet to take care of Marie so Mrs. Du Bois and I could talk. She seemed to be very comfortable with you holding her that whole time. I think I am going to like this idea of keeping bees. It's something I think I can do to contribute more around here. That means a lot to me. Why don't you let me help get some food together for you to take while you are on watch.”

Jeff didn't want Jenny to be making a fuss over helping him, and he had been quite content holding Marie while watching Jenny and Cathy plan. He had not see Jenny so animated around anyone but himself since Tricia had left. He suddenly found himself hoping that group of friends were back. He missed Steve and Rob too. It had been over three months now. His thoughts were interrupted by a question from Jenny about food choices. He had to admit to himself that it was nice having someone like Jenny interested in what he was doing. Beekeeping was not going to grab his interest, but it was kind of nice to see Jenny looking happier than she had been for months.