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Post by gipsy on Nov 11, 2018 17:56:40 GMT -6
Perhaps Laurie will have a money-saving dream in the future.
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Post by texican on Nov 11, 2018 23:11:09 GMT -6
Thanks PP2 for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by 9idrr on Nov 12, 2018 18:34:13 GMT -6
Been off line the last couple of days. Nice treat to find. Now, since I'm in a motel with fast internet, maybe you can hurry up and post a bunch more, real quick-like. If I get to go back home to my dial up, it takes too long to load pages. :^)
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 12, 2018 19:14:50 GMT -6
Been off line the last couple of days. Nice treat to find. Now, since I'm in a motel with fast internet, maybe you can hurry up and post a bunch more, real quick-like. If I get to go back home to my dial up, it takes too long to load pages. :^) I might have another chapter by mid-week but probably no sooner. Browsers once had a "Do not load graphics" option because graphics are so slow on a dialup (been there; did that for a LONG time). Check to see if your favorite browser still has that option buried somewhere on the third or fourth page of the "Settings". If you're only downloading text, dialup isn't that bad. I worked in the field, using a Toshiba laptop with two 3.5" diskette drives because they leased for less than a TI Silent 700 terminal that used thermal paper - the kind of thermal paper that yellow highlighters turned dark brown or black - and you could save the incoming text on diskette which was always readable the next day ;-) I did data transfer from the field using FTP at 2400 baud. Incredibly slow but it was error-checked so the fastest and most accurate way of transferring data remotely. If you wait until I make a Kindle book of the story (some time after the first of the year), then it's just one download for the entire story ;-)
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Post by texican on Nov 13, 2018 18:28:09 GMT -6
PP2, Another chapter would be great.... Now, moar is always appreciated.... Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 14, 2018 18:09:38 GMT -6
A tidbit for the MOAR monsters. Perhaps enough to quiet them until the weekend. I rarely do cliffhangers, but I wonder if that might be the proper response to "MOAR" ;-)
Chapter 22 - Tuesday, 29 June
"Jack, there are two trucks turning into the driveway. One has 'Viasat' on the door but the other one just has a telephone outline."
"Viasat will be resurrecting the big dish out back for the fastest satellite internet we can get out here and adding satellite TV. The other one will be connecting us for landline phone service and slow DSL internet via the McClellan Co-op that currently has the telephone franchise out here - remember that the owner will change very soon."
"The telephone service also goes to the Thompson Co-op?"
"Yes. And there will be some additional investments made to upgrade telephone and internet service out here. For now, voice phone that at least works and slow but functional DSL as the backup internet access."
"And you always have a backup."
"Where possible."
"Will the girls get email access?"
"When and if the need arises. They will have a PC but its internet access will be time controlled and URL filtered via the router that all the computers will be connected through. Initially, their computer will only have internet access when an admin user is logged in - which requires a password - and getting into the router will require a different password. That access is primarily for getting updates to software on that computer. Our computers will be passworded with something the girls can't easily guess - such as the birthdate of my first dog. Be watching for a larger truck or a truck with a trailer. I placed a big order with Warren at TSC for fencing, welding and other shop consumables and some additional supplies. It should be here some time today. I thought my time would be better spent checking out the new communications here than traveling to and from TSC. There's also a second propane tank that I'm buying to have buried so I'm not tied to a distributor because I'm leasing his tank. Plus two 1000 gallon tanks - one for diesel and one for gasoline to go behind the barn - plus a 55 gallon barrel of kerosene. I did remember your feminine hygiene and other items list; all those things should be here next Wednesday, along with enough buckets for storing them plus another 50 buckets for anything I've forgotten and a thousand one gallon aluminized Mylar bags…"
"Canning supplies?"
"A thousand jars, lids and rings plus 4,000 additional lids and four All American canners - two water bath and two pressure. I also need to print out the reservation confirmation for the auction trip."
"You're spooked about something?"
"Not so much spooked as I feel the need to have bigger reserves. I also have rice, beans, corn, wheat, lentils and several other things coming in 50lb or 100lb bags plus some new banded-lid 55 gallon steel drums for storing those things. I'll have those unloaded to the barn as though I'm making up animal feed."
"Maintaining your OPSEC?"
"Our OPSEC."
"I can agree to that."
---
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Post by udwe on Nov 14, 2018 20:08:39 GMT -6
Love the way he thinks! Luckily I'm beyond fem products, but I do have a few on hand for visitors.
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Post by 9idrr on Nov 14, 2018 20:14:09 GMT -6
As always, each new chapter is appreciated. And it's sure nice to see that some forethought is bein' given to the kids growin' up with the idea that use of the internet should be limited. It's so much easier to come on hard as the controlling power early, so each time a little leniency is granted it'll be appreciated.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 17, 2018 12:58:30 GMT -6
Short chapter - but you get a bonus: there are two of them.
Chapter 23 - Wednesday, 30 June
"You want to try the crutches today, Alice?"
"No, Daddy. I wanna try the cane!"
"OK, but that means you're in the harness that's connected to the track on the porch ceiling until you show me that you can start, stop and turn while carrying something in your other hand. No convenient furnishings to hold on here on the porch because there are few to no places to hold on when you're out in the yard."
"So what am I holding?"
"Your bear. No, in your hand not in your teeth."
"But…"
"Then it's crutches or back to the walker."
"OK. I'll hold him by one leg. How do I do this?"
"It would be easier if your left arm was more recovered because you could have the cane on your left side and be providing some extra support on that side with the cane. With the cane in your right hand, you must lean so some of your weight is on the cane and you can move your left leg well enough to bring it forward."
"It's hard!"
"I think I said that. Will you try the crutches now? Remember that using the crutches is also an exercise for your left arm and hand."
"So that side can get strong enough to use the cane?"
"I think that's the process Dr. Woodruff had in mind."
"OK. I'll do the crutches. But can I take the cane to try it while we're gone?"
"Yes, you may take it. You will need at least the crutches or maybe a wheelchair at the water park because it will be much harder to walk in the sand at the beach but swimming is good therapy for your arm and your leg."
"Can we work on the gun lessons too?"
"We can do classroom things. I don't have plastic mockups of all the guns and I don't plan to take an arsenal with me."
"Just the one on your belt?"
"And maybe one more."
"The one that doesn't show."
"Yes. That one. But not when we're at the water park. The guns will be locked in the safe in the truck."
---
Chapter 24 - Thursday, 1 July - Trip to Tulsa
"I get this window!"
"No, Lisa. I do!"
"Me!"
"No, me!"
"Lisa, Alice. Stop! You agreed to the chart the four of you made up last night. Here's your sketch labeled 'Start'. Where's Alice?"
"By the window, Momma. You were right, Alice. I get that window after the first stop."
"How many stops are you planning, Jack?"
"At least two, each after a little over an hour on the road. We might make the motel for the next one."
"I'll limit the in-vehicle drinks to water. You still plan to stop for lunch at that BBQ place this side of Tulsa?" "Yes. The food is good, the girls will love the setting and the service is both good and fast."
"Eating at a table in a 'covered wagon' isn't high on my want list but I think the girls will like it - at least once."
"That's all I'm looking for - something different once. I want them to enjoy this adventure so some of the meals should be memorable, even if just for the setting."
"I saw you with a list?"
"Checking that we had all the medical and medical support things we're likely to need - starting with Alice's medications, wheelchair, walker, crutches and cane. She is doing OK with the cane when she's inside but she needs the crutches for most of the outside and the wheelchair for a few things - such as the sand at the water park's beach where not even the walker will work."
"Your list has food, water filters, hiking clothes and shoes, tents, sleeping bags and paper maps?"
"We will be a long way from home…"
"And you need to ensure that we can get back here."
"Have I said that before?"
"Multiple times. It sounds a lot like 'I love you' and I never tire of hearing that."
"That's good to know as I'm sure I'll be repeating myself as we pack and as we travel…"
"Not to mention the 'You need to look around' circle we'll make of the motel after we get there - and doing it on foot."
"Then let's get everything loaded so we can get started."
---
"I'm tired! Are we there yet?"
"Then you girls can watch the movie you picked out yesterday."
"The one with the chariot races?"
"Yes."
---
"We get our own covered wagon, Daddy?"
"Just while we eat, Lisa."
"You know the funnest places to eat!"
'Score one in the "memorable place" column, Mr. Jackson.'
'I will, Mrs. Jackson.'
---
"So their leftovers are in the fridge in back?"
"Yes, Sally. If they don't want them for supper, I certainly won't complain about having some very good BBQ a second time today."
"Me either, Jack."
"So a 'memorable place' for you as well?"
"For the food more than the décor, but yes."
---
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Post by texican on Nov 18, 2018 18:22:45 GMT -6
Thanks PP2 for the chapters....
Seems like Daddy is preparing....
And the girls are getting trained....
All good things....
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 18, 2018 22:05:14 GMT -6
Another bonus chapter - and it's a long one.
Chapter 25 - Friday, 2 July - Auction, Day 1, Part 1
Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!
"Daddy! Turn it off!"
"I thought my grease monkey wanted to see all the farm equipment - especially the big steam tractors."
"OK! I'm up! Hurry up, Marie! Hurry up, Lisa! Hurry up, Alice!"
"Not quite so much 'hurry', Sarah."
"But Momma…"
"No buts. You all had showers last night so we'll have time for a good breakfast this morning. Remember that we are having a picnic for lunch…"
"All the good stuff we fixed and iced down in the cooler yesterday!"
"Correct. Now you all need to be dressed in chore clothes if you want to climb on the equipment…"
"Me!"
"I thought you'd be to one to respond to that, Sarah. You also need chore clothes if you want to ride in the hay wagon or the chariots…"
"Chariots? Like in that movie?"
"Yes, Marie. Like in the movie you watched on the way here."
"Me!"
"Me too!"
"And me!"
"Alice, they may require that you ride with me or your Daddy."
"Just so I get to ride!"
"There's a Pancake Palace in the next block. Who's ready to walk a block?"
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Me too!"
"And me!"
"Because of the crowds, I'll carry Alice. The rest of you hold an adult's hand."
"Is this one OK?"
"Sarah, where'd you get that?"
"They were taking those clothes dummies out of the store next to where we ate last night and they dropped this in the parking lot."
"While it might be considered 'an adult hand', you're required to hold a hand that's still attached to a live adult."
"I tried."
"You were very creative daughter, but for the crowds we may be in today and tomorrow 'safe' is better than 'creative'. I don't want any of my favorite daughters getting lost in the crowd. That also means you will within voice range of a parent - no wandering off alone no matter how interesting something may seem."
"Can we use these?"
"I wondered where those FRS radios had disappeared to. Did you also get the bag with the chargers?"
"Oops!"
"Yes, 'Oops'. They don't work unless the batteries are charged, do they?"
"No. Sorry, Daddy. I shoulda asked you about them."
"Yes, you 'shoulda'. However, having read the mind of my oldest daughter, I loaded the chargers and these holsters with a serious clip on the back. These will clip to your waistband or a pocket and they have a belt loop. They also have a snap strap that keeps the radio in the holster when you hang upside down by your knees on the monkey bars."
"Those have the 'secret' codes so nobody else can hear us!"
"No, Lisa. They have the privacy codes so we don't hear constant chatter from all the other people using radios on the same channel. Remember the 'Check if it's clear?' button?"
"So we can hear if someone else is talking there before we call you. If we can hear them then I guess they can hear us."
"Very good logic. All the radios are set for channel 17, code 3. If you turn it off and back on, it will still be there. Remember that in crowded places, these radios are only good for line of sight - if I'm inside a building where you can't see me, I may not be able to hear you."
"But everybody else can."
"Most of the time. You won't be with me during the auctions…"
"'Cause they might think me raising my hand to pull your sleeve was a bid on something!"
"Correct. The first auction session starts at 10AM and runs until 1PM. The second session starts at 5PM and runs until 7PM. Tomorrow's schedule will be 10 to 1 and then 3 until everything's sold. As of ten minutes ago, most of the things I'm interested in are in the morning auction both days. There is a seating area near the auction field so all of you can sit there - or you can find a shady place under one of the trees and spread the quilt for lunch or maybe naps. The chariot rides start at 3PM so we could eat together, Alice could get her required rest time and then we can see about the chariot ride. After that there are some things I want to check on that will be in the second auction both days. I'll take anyone who's interested with me on that walkthrough."
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Me too!"
"And me!"
"Mrs. Jackson, it looks like the afternoon will be a family affair."
"So it does, Mr. Jackson. In spite of your bad pun about an old TV show."
"Go potty, girls. They may only have the blue boxes at the auction site."
"Yuck! I'm goin' here!"
"And I'll remind them of that when we're back here for any cleanup needed after a sticky breakfast."
---
"Which parking lot, Daddy?"
"Lisa, ask Sarah."
"She knows?"
"She can read the signs."
"Sarah?"
"The sign on the right has 'Sellers' and the one on the left has 'Buyers'. That's where we go. There's also something about having your 'Auction ID' visible."
"The 'Auction ID' is my paperwork identifying me and verifying that my credit has been checked up to whatever level I specified. It's the light blue card with '307' on it…"
"That was my room number!"
"Very good, Alice. Your memory is recovering very well if you can remember that."
"But I still gotta work on the rules."
"You had three of them correct yesterday. I think you're doing very well to have missed a week of working on memorizing and had surgery that affected your ability to remember things."
"You're not mad at me for not knowing?"
"Of course not. You didn't remember any of the rules when you woke up after surgery and you've been working them every day - almost as much as you've been working on the PT so you can rid of the crutches and cane. I'm proud of you for working so hard."
"That sounds like an 'I love you'."
"You might be correct."
---
"A blue card? Sir, you're in the paved parking to your left."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, sir."
"How come we're in the paved parking but most of the people are just out in that dusty field?"
"Lisa, that goes along with having a $500,000 or better line of credit from your bank."
"Half a million, Jack? What do you plan to buy?"
"Much less than that from the auction catalog but there will be some things brought in today or tomorrow that are only on the 'Last Minute' board in the main building and on the web site. I'm using their app for that and I've received seven notifications between the motel and here. I'll check those when we're parked."
"Who's on the golf carts?"
"That's our taxi to the auction sign-in area."
"We don't gotta walk?"
"No long walk from the parking lot, Marie. That's part of the 'blue card' service."
"A 'no charge' service, Jack?"
"Just having the half million or larger line of credit. It costs me nothing and we're not carrying four tired kids back to the truck at the end of the day."
"I think I'm liking the process of learning to be rich."
---
"Your paperwork is all in order, Mr. Jackson. If you'll take your family to the second door on your right, they'll give the UV hand stamp that's the pass for the restrooms inside the main building."
"Thank you."
"Thank you, sir. We appreciate LEOs coming badged and armed - your presence makes this a safer place."
---
"Sally, girls. We get access to the restrooms inside the building. Come with me to get your hands stamped."
"Nicer than the blue boxes then."
"So it seems."
"It looks wet on my hand but it won't show when it's dry."
"It's not supposed to show. We don't advertise the families of those who are potentially the biggest buyers. Now that it's dry, put your hand under this light."
"There's no light there."
"There is, Sarah. It's an ultraviolet light - sometimes called 'blacklight' because your eyes can't see it. Put you hand there."
"The half moon glows green!"
"The ink of that stamp reacts to the UV light by glowing green - something your eyes can see. But anywhere else you're likely to be, there's nothing to be seen on your hand."
"So no one knows we're family of someone rich?"
"Correct. If people think you're just another farm family here in working clothes, they won't pay much attention to you. The blue card will be in a deep pocket until there's an auction I'm interested in."
"What about in here?"
"Sarah, look up and around. How many video cameras do you see?"
"Dozens!"
"So you think this might be a safer place than outside?"
"And most of the food is in here."
"So being in here could be for food or drink?"
"And the lady with the stamp thingy said the restrooms were inside the BBQ place."
"So you might just be getting a good lunch if you went there?"
"They did good didn't they, Daddy?"
"It looks that way now."
---
"Jack, do you ever turn off the soldier inside you?"
"I sometimes turn him down to a lower level but he's never turned off. Remember that my badge is on my belt along with my weapon and handcuffs."
"And I have my weapon and CCW permit with me."
"One of the less positive things about being 'rich' and having a houseful of pretty girls."
---
"You're adding to your 'grocery list', Jack?"
"One the of 'Last Minute' items was another cab for the tractor that has both heat and air. There's also a second sickle bar mower added. I need to look at those and at a couple of flatbed trailers. It will require a trailer to get the cab or sickle mower home and based on the posted size and miles charts, it's a wash between renting a trailer big enough and buying a used one. Either of those is cheaper than paying someone else to haul those pieces as far as we're going."
---
"I heard 'Sold to number 307' several times. You got all the pieces you came for?"
"Not yet. One of our new properties has a dairy barn but the milking equipment is beyond repair. I'm pretty sure that James either grew up on a dairy farm or worked on one for several years so I'll have a good source for getting that back together if we choose to in the future."
"James?"
"Laurie's husband."
"Now I remember. I think I need to go through your family tree book again. You do have a lot of family, even if most of them are far away. What else have you bought?"
"A milk cooler and a number of stainless steel milk cans. I don't know that we'll ever be milk producers but it's just another part of my 'reserves'. We also have several hundred acres that could grow corn and several hundred more that could grow wheat. We'd need to harvest that, so I'm evaluating some bigger equipment."
"So you're looking at a combine?"
"Actually looking at three of them. A Deere, a New Holland and a Case. The Deere is the oldest and smallest but has the fewest hours on it. Plus it has all the bits to handle wheat and corn. The Case also has all the 'goodies' but it has a lot of hours. I've seen Case and Deere equipment parked at the farms in our area but no New Holland. I'll take that to mean there are local people who can do maintenance on Case and Deere."
"Dad got that British-made Ford because it was such a good deal at the time and he already had metric tools for working on it. Otherwise, he would have gotten a Deere because there were locals who did their own maintenance on them."
"I think you just convinced me to bid on the Deere. Having knowledgeable locals beats going to the dealer for every repair."
"The penny-pincher millionaire is showing again."
"The guy who doesn't want his harvesting equipment sitting in queue at the dealer's shop for weeks while peak harvest time passes and crops spoil in the field is showing."
"Even better reason. How much?"
"Depends on the competition. Most of the comments I heard from the others looking at it included 'old' and 'small'. 'Old' with no more hours than it has mostly affects belts, clutches and maybe tires - those I can replace myself. 'Small' affects the commercial farmers but we don't plan on working thousands of acres."
"So you'll need commercial transport for that?"
"Not if you drive my truck. There's an older GMC semi with a 32 foot lowboy bed that the combine could be driven on and off of with very simple ramps and - at least so far - there's room for everything else on that trailer."
"You can get a trailer that long onto 217 and into the driveway?"
"No problem on 217 and from what I've measured, our gate is far enough from the road that up to a 40 footer would be OK. A 53 footer would require filling in the ditch on the far side of the road for several feet to have room to make the turn within the culvert width of the driveway."
"You'll need a 'wide load' permit for the highway?"
"Not if I can hire some help to take the wheat head off and put it on the trailer separately. If everything fits on the trailer with no overhang, it's not a 'wide load'. And this is a private haul, not commercial. I'm just a small farmer taking home some used equipment from an auction."
"Well, your idea of the girls in chore clothes so they could try the fun stuff was a good one and we sure look the 'small farmer' roles."
"And we'll look the part even more if I pick up a couple of things that have just been added to tomorrow's auctions. Those will require that you're pulling a trailer."
"How much trailer?"
"Maybe 18 feet."
"How much load?"
"Probably less than 5,000lbs."
"OK if it's a dual axle trailer with brakes."
"I'll check for that when I look at trailers again. Most of those are in tomorrow's auctions."
"Which comes first, the combine or the semi?"
"Semi is listed before the combines. They won't be holding out for a high bid on the truck when there are much higher dollar items to follow."
"Sequence for the combines?"
"Deere is last, which means those looking for 'newer' or 'bigger' won't be bidding on it. Doesn't matter, though; I have deeper pockets than they do."
"Then let's eat lunch and see if you can settle Alice down for her prescribed nap."
"Maybe she can't ride the chariot if she's too tired to hold on?"
"Sneaky but probably effective. You'll provide shoulders for naps?"
"As far as they go, but the younger ones will likely nap soundly enough to be gently rolled off and the older ones can then get shoulders."
"You softie."
"At times."
---
"You sure, Mel? They don't look like much to me."
"He was biddin' with a blue card and the woman took the girls inside for maybe ten minutes - and they weren't carryin' any food when they came out."
"If'n I had that spread from their cooler I wouldn't be buyin' food here even if I was rich."
"Pay attention, Skeeter. Ten minutes is VIP bathroom time and only those with half a million or better credit get that. We can get a good ransom for any of those kids - 'specially the little one on crutches."
"You're sure?"
"Yes! I'm sure! What's some gentleman farmer know about keeping folks safe? They all look to be asleep and both the little girls are on their sides. Put one hand under her neck and cover her mouth with that hand to keep her quiet and the other arm around the rest of her and just head out past the trees."
"DAD…"
---
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Post by 2t2crash on Nov 19, 2018 1:09:22 GMT -6
Ohhh shit... A couple of scum bags are about to start leaking critical body fluids!
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Post by bluefox2 on Nov 19, 2018 8:26:06 GMT -6
Mel and Skeeter sure ain't gonna like being "IT" in this game of tag.
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Post by gipsy on Nov 19, 2018 17:10:19 GMT -6
Don't feel a bit sorry for those reptiles
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Post by texican on Nov 19, 2018 20:29:57 GMT -6
What's some gentleman farmer know about keeping folks safe?
Guess the next chapter will reveal....
Thanks PP2 for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 25, 2018 13:54:59 GMT -6
Chapter 26 - Friday, 2 July - Auction, Day 1, Part 2
"STOP OR DIE!"
"Mel might do that, but I'll just turn around so little missy here is a shield and I'll quietly back away."
"No. You put her down or you die."
"You gonna shoot through her to get me?"
"HE DOESN'T HAVE TO! You've gone and made Momma Bear mad and that's the barrel of MY gun on the side of YOUR head! PUT THEM DOWN!"
"Don't shoot, lady! I'm doin' it. Mel, you're an idiot!"
"Momma!"
"Hi, Lisa."
Ker-chunk!
"Mel, this is Sheriff Barker. Put the girl down gently or I'll tell her Daddy it's justifiable homicide and for him to shoot you and I'll catch the girl on your way down."
"No way!"
"Then I'll leave you without a leg to stand on. Taylor!"
Smack!
"My knee!"
"Little lady, let me hand you to your Daddy."
"Daddy!"
"Hi, Alice. Thanks, Sheriff."
"Thank you, Deputy Jackson. We saw these two casing the place earlier but the young Deputy tracking Mel lost him in the crowd. We saw Skeeter when he headed this way on one of the golf carts but we were a couple of minutes behind him. Sorry your girls got such a scare. That young Deputy was so scared for them that he's still behind a tree losing his lunch. That'll be more effective in making him extra careful next time than anything I can say. On the positive side, you are the one family here they would never be successful in taking a child from. If we'd been two minutes later, I think we'd have needed a body bag for Mel and maybe for Skeeter."
"You're probably correct. Alice, I need to safe my weapon. I'll put you down so I have both hands free and you hold on to me while I do that."
"Yes, Daddy."
"She already knows that?"
"These two are twins. The scar across Alice's head is from surgery ten days ago to remove a tumor that was pressing on her pituitary and stunting her growth. Back in my arms, Alice."
"Yes!"
"She's really doing well if she's out and about this soon!"
"We're very pleased with the surgeon's work and even more so with the speed of Alice's recovery."
"Could I persuade you folks to come inside for a little privacy while we get statements?"
"Sally?"
"Whatever is needed to get these jerks off the street."
"I think that's a yes."
"Sarah, Marie. Can the two of you finish repacking the cooler and fold the quilt?"
"On it, Daddy."
"Me too."
"Sheriff, where did Taylor learn to swing a club like that?"
"He went to college on a baseball scholarship. He was really good at taking the low balls out of the park."
"He did that again today."
"Daddy! Not another bad pun!"
"She's sharp."
"She's also my chief mechanic."
"So the 'Grease Monkey' on her shirt has real meaning?"
"Yes. She helped with getting the radio, lights and siren wired in my truck. And she did the embroidery."
"A mechanic, pretty and a homemaker. Is she interested in boys yet? My youngest son is 11."
"Sorry, but while she's sometimes nine going on 25, she's not interested in boys - or maybe she hasn't discovered boys - yet?"
"As long as you have the 'yet' in there, you're at least aware of the perils of having daughters. Mine are 13 and 15 and their older brother is 17."
"Their younger brother is 'gross' - or whatever their current term is - and their older brother is a hero when he drives them places unless he takes too much interest in whatever boy they're currently interested in."
"You're from a big family."
"I'm the oldest of three boys and three girls."
"Then you got an education on girls when you were growing up."
"That I did."
"Wendy, would you get statements from Mrs. Jackson and the girls? I'll have Taylor get Deputy Jackson's statement while I call the wagon for Mel and Skeeter."
"Yes, Sheriff."
---
"We're done now?"
"Yes, Marie. We're 'done'."
"Is it too late for the chariot rides?"
"It is for the ones around the arena, Alice. Right now, I need to go back to the auction area. Do all of you want to come with me?"
"I guess."
"Then out this door."
"Chariots, Jack?"
"It seems the Sheriff's brother is in charge of the chariots and he thought the girls should get their ride today. This will be a much more interesting ride than just the circle in the horse arena. Two with your Momma in her chariot and two with me."
"Yes!"
---
"Now that the girls are in bed asleep, tell me what else you bought but first tell me how you got four hyper kids calmed down from an attempted kidnapping."
"I cheated. I texted the gist of the story to Dr. Woodruff and asked what would be appropriate for calming them. She phoned in a liquid medication to the Walgreen's by the little family restaurant we ate at tonight. I walked over there and picked up that mild tranquilizer when I went outside to 'make a business call'."
"So that's what was in their warm milk tonight?"
"Yes. Just a small dose plus lap time for a book. Lap time might have been enough but the tranquilizer should ensure that they get at least six hours of sleep. Other than the bruises on their faces from being kept silent, did you see any other injuries when you bathed them?"
"Couple of minor scratches that got washed, then some antibiotic cream and a princess bandage for overnight. The biggest thing was being scared. Lap time seems to have helped with that - and being reminded that both parents were armed and ready to do severe harm if needed."
"Nothing like being assured that if they tell someone 'You better be nice to me or…', the 'or' will be a deadly serious response."
"So what else do we own?"
"The semi and at a very good price as I was the only one who made a bid. It appears that most people thought it had more miles than it actually does. They assumed from its age that the 80,000 miles on the odometer meant that the odometer had rolled over already and had 80,000 miles beyond that. I looked through the various maintenance stickers and discovered that regardless of age, the indicated 80,000 was total miles. That's almost new in diesel truck terms. I also have more options, as someone noted that I bought dairy items and came by to ask if I needed cows to milk. I told him I was in the process of acquiring land and might be interested in a week or two. I have his contact info and he's not that far from us - probably less than 30 miles. We also have two windmills plus one 1150 gallon water tank and one 10,000 gallon tank. Those will be delivered next week. We will have running water with gravity providing pressure all the time. One windmill and the 1150 gallon tank at our house and I'm not yet sure where to put the other one. But it was too good a deal to pass up because 10,000 gallons of stored water would be very useful for watering the garden or fire protection."
"The combine?"
"Yes. Only one person bidding against me and he dropped out after the second bid."
"Come to bed, Mr. Jackson. I need to thank you for taking care of my children."
"And I need to do likewise."
---
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Post by udwe on Nov 25, 2018 22:57:26 GMT -6
I knew those idiots would get theirs'. That was quick. Thank you!
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Post by gipsy on Nov 26, 2018 10:05:19 GMT -6
Darwin hard at work trying to clean the gene pool
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Post by texican on Nov 26, 2018 13:47:51 GMT -6
PP2,
Interesting chapter, but the perp should have been made like her brother....
Thanks,
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 2, 2018 22:23:41 GMT -6
Chapter 27 - Saturday, 3 July - Auction, Day 2
"Your shopping list for today, Jack?"
"Sickle bar mower, the dual axle trailer - with brakes - and several things added to the 'Last Minute' list this morning."
"Such as?"
"A spinning wheel, a fairly large loom, piece parts from a waterwheel-powered grain mill…"
"How many parts and in what condition? If we raise corn and wheat it would be nice to not be grinding all our meal and flour by hand."
"That's what we will be investigating. Sarah never got her time 'climbing on the machines' so I'd also like to ensure she gets that time today. They will be giving rides on the steam tractors for a while today - we'll need to check that schedule when we get there."
"Hot, smelly, dirty and we'll have a hard time dragging her away from it."
"My thoughts exactly. But she'll be bubbly about it the rest of the day. There's a guy who builds working steam models - and sells the kits. Would that be a good birthday or Christmas gift for Sarah?"
"The kit plus your time building it with her."
"The time is a given. I think it'll be a fun build and an opportunity for her to learn about chemistry and physics and..."
"If someone didn't know differently, they'd think you two were biological family. I think that's a great idea!"
"Then let's get them up, dressed and fed so we can go explore the auction site."
---
"Jack, those grinding stones are big and thick. How much do they weigh?"
"Possibly up to a ton each, Sally. The support structure and gearing that were inside the mill seems to be in fair to good condition but the axle for the waterwheel was damaged during disassembly because of rusted bolts on the bearing housings. That was a bit sloppy as the rusted bolts could have been drilled out. I'll take some measurements and see if there's a close standard product that could replace the axle. If I can't find something, I do have the capability of making a new one."
"What about the mill structure?"
"The sketches I found of the original Smith's Mill show its waterwheel and grindstones to be similar sizes so that design could work with these parts and the creek can still create a pond large enough to run a mill this size."
"You have a maximum bid figure in mind for this?"
"Yes. But I'll temper that a bit with its historical value and having a real place to put it to work. There are times when it's nice to have deep pockets."
"Daddy, what are 'deep pockets'?"
"Alice, when you're talking about buying something, having 'deep pockets' means you have more money to invest in something than other people do. When they've pulled out all their money, you still have money in your pocket to spend - so deep pockets."
"That makes sense."
"Momma! You gotta hold Alice 'cause Daddy is rubbing off on her!"
"I like it when the stuff that rubs off on me makes me smarter."
"Too late!"
---
"Hello, Jack."
"Hello, Sheriff."
"I don't know how you folks do it. These girls were in the middle of a kidnapping yesterday and today they're smiling and joking."
"When kids know they're loved, they can manage most things that happen pretty well."
"I certainly can't argue with what I'm seeing and hearing. Would you be interested in having your own chariot? My brother Rob says he has two that weren't used last year or this year and while he needs one for a spare, he doesn't want to burn the gas to haul the second one back home."
"Claude, I saw that young Deputy's badge. Robert Barker, Jr., doesn't owe us anything and neither does his family. Tell them thank you, but other than the County road, we have no place for the girls to ride a chariot and I don't want one or more of them going wild out there. The buggy we're restoring is a different story as they can all ride in it relatively safely on the road and Sarah is helping me refurbish it so I'm sure she'll be interested in taking care of it when she's driving. When we get the forge completed, I'll make new steps and we'll be finished."
"Do you have horses?"
"Not yet. Sally and I have been married less than a month and we're still getting the farm together."
"The kids are yours from a previous marriage?"
"No, they're all Sally's."
"But they treat you like you've always been there!"
"I might like them a little bit."
"And they know that without question. Back to the chariot - or at least horses. The chariot ride business isn't doing that well. It's just breaking even so Rob has more horses than he can afford to feed. Will you let him give you two mares, bred to different stallions in anticipation of the business growing? It'll help Junior's outlook and Rob's bottom line."
"Sally?"
"You did mention the horse-drawn equipment you found in a couple of the barns on the other properties you bought. And that there was an abundance of hay and feed in those barns."
"Mrs. Jackson, do you think four girls can share two horses?"
"For now, they're small enough to ride double. With both mares pregnant, we'll probably have four horses by the time Alice is able to ride by herself."
"Claude, we accept. Now we just have to get them home."
"Rob has a double trailer that he doesn't use."
"I'll be driving a semi with a loaded 32 foot lowboy behind it and Sally will be driving my truck and pulling a loaded 18 foot dual axle trailer. I won't ask her to pull tandem trailers when she's never before towed with my truck."
"What if we can get the horse trailer on the lowboy?"
"That would take some creative arranging. Here are my sketches for loading what we've already bought and what I plan to buy today. Ink for the purchased items and pencil for the planned items."
"Where are you headed?"
"Twenty miles from Doug's Creek."
"Where?"
"Forty miles this side of Zafra."
"About three hours from here?"
"Three and a half at highway speeds. Somewhat longer with these loaded trailers."
"You're leaving from here today?"
"No. We're staying a couple of days so the girls can have an adventure - the water park and the fireworks on the Fourth then the Arcade with its classic pinball machines. We've arranged secure parking for the semi and the trailers until we're ready to leave."
"Let me see what we can work out."
---
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Post by 9idrr on Dec 3, 2018 21:08:51 GMT -6
Thank you for the short chapter, sir.
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Post by texican on Dec 4, 2018 0:22:31 GMT -6
PP2,
More toys for Dad and the girls....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by udwe on Dec 4, 2018 6:37:58 GMT -6
Love this story! You are such a good author!
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Post by ydderf on Dec 5, 2018 1:20:21 GMT -6
I may need to visit your muse!! No threat mind you just a friendly little nudge. I've several varieties of muse treats if she's interested. Thanks for the new chapter Fred
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 6, 2018 20:06:13 GMT -6
Bonus chapter as today's appointment with the eye surgeon was a bust. I suspect they've had an update to their patient management system as he wasn't seeing patients at any location today and other people with confirmed appointments (mine scheduled and confirmed back in September) also showed up today because they were not notified (normally email and a text). The scheduler at the front desk said "He'll be at this office tomorrow. You pick a time." The hour plus I would have been there has gone into the next chapter.
Chapter 28 - Sunday, 4 July - Water Park and Fireworks
"Jack, a question before we wake the girls."
"Yes?"
"You paid how much for that green ATV?"
"Almost $7,000. But it's more correctly described as a UTV."
"UTV?"
"Utility Task Vehicle, intended for moving at two or more people and the equipment needed for getting work done. ATV is All Terrain Vehicle and usually just for one person. Whoever did the catalog entry for it apparently doesn't know the difference. Just saying 'Gator' provides all the info a knowledgeable buyer needs to start with."
"But $7,000?"
"The base gasoline powered Gator 6x4 is over $10,000 new. This one is two years old, diesel, has the full cab with heater, the add-on lights package, a dump bed, a snow blade, a hood rack, a front winch and a receiver hitch. The original price was well over twice what I paid and it only has 137 hours on it."
"6x4?"
"Six wheels and the four in the back are driven. Works for the uneven and sometimes muddy not-quite-a-road paths at the edges of the various properties."
"And we need it for?"
"Any idea how long the fence is around 153 acres?"
"Half a mile?"
"Almost two miles - and a lot longer around and across the full 2000 acres. Much faster to check that fence if you're on wheels and much easier to do any needed repairs if you can take common tools and supplies with you when you make that check."
"You said 'snow blade'?"
"OK for moving less than a foot of snow. If more is forecast, someone would be out several times during the snowfall to move the accumulated snow before it got too deep."
"Someone includes Sarah?"
"Only if she's tall enough. And only during the day. Vehicle lights can illuminate snow in misleading ways so that's something for future learning - after she learns to move the Gator and use the blade."
"Me?"
"Yes. I can be moving larger areas of snow with the bucket on the tractor including scooping it up and dumping it elsewhere, but the Gator can only push it around. Between the two machines, clearing the drive and paths to the barn and chicken coop could be done relatively quickly."
"And the dump bed would let you bring up gravel from the creek for road, driveway or walking path repair and be able to spread it more easily."
"Correct."
"Mr. Jackson, I think that was a good purchase."
"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson. I see you're going through the other cooler. What are we putting together for breakfast?"
"My grandmother's apple and peanut butter oatmeal, just done in the microwave with instant oatmeal instead of the original oats in a pot on the wood stove."
"Interesting combination."
"Hurry up, Sarah! I smell great-granny's oatmeal!"
"I'm coming!"
"Me!"
"Me too!"
---
"I can be naked for a little while?"
"Marie, all of you for long enough to get suntan lotion on all your skin. The rest of your body will need redoing later but the parts under your swimsuits won't get cooked if you get an edge turned up while you're playing in the water."
"Do I gotta wear this dumb thing on my head?"
"Yes, Alice. You 'gotta'. The swimcap will protect the shaved portion of your scalp from the sun and your incision from the water. I'm rubbing an antibiotic cream along the incision in case any water gets under the swimcap. We'll check that each time you get out of the water. Dr. Woodruff said you could be in the pool today but only if we do these things to protect the incision. I don't think you want to just sit on the beach and watch the others."
"No! I wanna be in the pool!"
"Then we do things as the doctor said."
"If I hafta."
"You 'hafta'."
---
"Sally, all of them are greased for the first time. Hopefully we won't have any tender areas get too much sun today."
"There's some aloe vera in the cooler and another bottle in the fridge here in the room. That's the quickest and easiest treatment for small areas of sunburn."
"Then to the truck and we'll spread towels for them to sit on so the seats don't get covered in suntan lotion."
---
"This place is BIG!"
"It is, Sarah. There's a kiddie pool for those under six. Alice needs someone with her when she's in it. There's a short waterslide that's ages six and up unless you're with an adult. Your Momma and I will take Lisa and Alice and you and Marie can be behind us so we can also help you at the bottom the first time or two you ride it. The big waterslide is ages 12 and up unless you're with an adult. You can only ride that one if you're riding with me or your Momma. There's a wave pool that's ages ten and up unless you're with an adult. I'll go with you and then Marie. Lisa and Alice will have to be in my arms to be in there. There are more things but these should keep us busy until lunch."
---
"Momma, my back feels hot."
"You're just a little pink, Sarah. Remember that we need to check you more often because your skin is so fair. Let's get you as dry as we can and then I'll cover you with suntan lotion again. I'll be waving you back in sooner than the others for a check. You're covered again. Go remind your Daddy that I need to check under Alice's swimcap and he can bring all of you back to eat lunch."
"Yes!"
"Daddy, Momma said she needs to check Alice's head and it's time for lunch."
"Let's just say lunch so the others don't fuss?"
"Yes!"
"Alice, Lisa, Marie. Lunch!"
"On my way!"
"Me too!"
"And me!"
'That worked really good, Daddy.'
'It might even work on you.'
'Not fair!'
'No less fair than using it on your sisters?'
'I guess. You do a lot of stuff to make us think.'
'I might like you a little bit.'
'Yeah!'
"Alice, swimcap off so I can check under it. If your head is wet under there, it can dry while we eat. Your Daddy and I will be putting the next layer of suntan lotion on you before you go back in the water."
"Can we do that big waterslide after we eat?"
"You must be paired with an adult to do that one, Marie. Each of you decide who you want to go with so we can plan who will be sitting out watching and who will be sliding."
"We can't do it ourselves?"
"Ages 12 and up. Not even Sarah can do it alone. Who's your partner?"
"Momma."
"Daddy."
"Momma."
"Daddy."
"OK. I wrote that down. Remember that you must wait an hour after you eat before going back in the water. If you want to stretch out under the umbrella or snuggle on a shoulder, you could do that while you wait."
"Shoulder."
"Me too."
"Me."
"And me."
"Then your slide adult is also your shoulder adult."
---
"Hi, sleepyhead. You want to ride the big waterslide?"
"Yes, Momma!"
"I'll take Lisa now and then come back for Marie. Then Jack can take Sarah and Alice. If you want to do this more than once, we'll be waiting in the same long line each time."
Hack! Cough! Wheeze!
"Other than having to cover her mouth with my hand so she inhaled slightly less than a gallon of water when she went under, Lisa almost listened about how to ride a waterslide."
"But it's scary and you gotta scream!"
"You wanted to scream. You 'gotta' stop screaming before you go off the slide and into the water."
"I'll try that next time."
"Marie?"
"Tell me when to shut my mouth coming down the slide."
"I will."
---
"It's so fast you really wanna scream! But I stopped when Momma said to and I'm not hacking and coughing. That's what you gotta do."
---
"Alice?"
"Tell me when to shut my mouth? The slide gets bigger when you get close to it."
"You don't have to do this."
"Daddy, I wanna do it. Lisa did it."
"Lisa also had a problem because she didn't listen. You're her twin. Will you listen better?"
"I'm listening, but will you cover my mouth and nose if I can't stop screaming?"
"I'll plan on that."
"Then let's do it!"
---
"Is Alice OK?"
"Other than the swimcap coming off when we hit the water."
"Daddy told me to stop screaming and then he covered my mouth and nose anyway. If he had another hand he coulda held the cap on too."
"Then let's get your head dried and the incision cared for while Sarah gets her turn."
---
"It's really big when you get close."
"That's what Alice said. As I told her, you don't have to do this."
"But all of them did - even Alice!"
"I think Alice has some things she has to prove to herself. If she can do something this scary, she can do any of the PT things. She can go to school with half her hair missing and a big scar on her scalp."
"Then I wanna do this for her."
"Remember to stop screaming and hold your breath when I tell you to. We will go underwater after we go off the slide but not for long."
---
"Sarah had a problem with water in her mouth and nose?"
"No."
"You sure? She's very red."
"You want me to explain, Sarah?"
"I'll tell it, Daddy. I fussed at Daddy because I thought he tied my top too tight. I retied it at lunch. He was right. If his hand hadn't been over my nose and mouth I'd have lost the top - it slid up and was wrapped around his hand. There were boys watching me when I put it back on! I had Daddy tie it this time."
"Boys watching you? Yuck!"
"One of them was kinda cute."
"Boys are cute, Sarah? You still got water in your eyes?"
"Marie, you and Lisa may see things differently in a few years."
"I don't think so, Momma."
---
"Last chance for the waterslide. I want all of you through the showers and in your shorts and tee shirts to go eat in 30 minutes."
"Then we'll only get one time each on the waterslide. The line's been this long all day."
"Think about what day it is, Sarah."
"Day?"
"It's July Fourth. The birthday of our country. Lots of people celebrate it in some way. For some it's just a long weekend. For others it has meaning because a friend or family member fought and maybe died in one of the wars that kept our country safe. For others it has meaning because more than 200 years ago there were people willing to risk their lives so other people could have a country where they could worship as they chose, where the people who made tax laws were the representatives chosen by the people who were taxed - a place where the people had a say in the government."
"I remember a little from school but they never said much about it."
"I have some things you can read. Ask when you get in the truck tomorrow."
"I will."
"Our turn again in two more people."
"Is my top tight enough?"
"I see lines in your skin so I think it is. My hand will be in the same place if it isn't. I think that same boy is still sitting out there…"
"Daddy!"
"Up the ladder."
"Yes!"
"No red face this time?"
"I had Daddy check my top while we were in the line."
"But the same boy was watching her."
"Daddy!"
"Look across the drop zone for the waterslide."
"OK."
"See the three boys?"
"That's where they were before."
"Do kids ever sit still that long?"
"No."
"Step over here and look."
"It's a statue!"
"Is the boy still cute?"
"Daddy!"
"I'm waiting for an answer."
"The model was cute."
"Go to the showers with your Momma. I'll repack the cooler and you can watch it while I shower. You might even find a cute boy to watch."
"I'm not gonna live this down, am I?"
"Not today. But I probably won't tell anyone outside the family. I can't promise what your sisters might do. I do want to get everyone's eyes checked when we get back home."
"I need glasses?"
"I don't know. That's why I want everyone's eyes checked. You'd have a hard time wearing glasses when you were on the waterslide."
"Can you wear glasses in the water?"
"Maybe those goggles with the wide headband?"
"If I can get them in pink."
"First we find out whether you need glasses or you were just too flustered about losing your top to be paying attention to what you were seeing."
"Maybe."
"Go shower. The others are waiting for you."
"On my way."
---
"Jack, Sarah and I will take the cooler. Get your shower and meet us at the truck. We can take two quilts to have room for all of us."
"I'm ten minutes behind you."
---
"Oooooh!"
"Wow!"
BOOM!
"That one was scary!"
"But the green one is really big!"
"There's another 'Boom' one going up."
"Are you…"
BOOM!
"How'd you know?"
"They have a trail of red sparks as they go up. Watch going up from Momma's right foot."
"I see spar…"
BOOM!
"Lookit all the colors!"
'Biggest fireworks show the girls have ever seen?'
'Biggest fireworks show I've ever seen, Jack. I know they'll all remember this day. Maybe different parts for each of them but they'll remember.'
'Which one will be most impressed by the upcoming "Fireworks Meets Music" segment?'
'Possibly me. I've heard of it but never experienced it live.'
'Then enjoy.'
"Daddy, the music matches the fireworks! That's awesome!"
"I think it's that the fireworks are timed to match the music but they do go together."
"Is it over?"
"Yes, Lisa. It's over. And it's bedtime for you girls."
"But it was so good! They gotta do more!"
"There is no 'more'. To the truck. I expect we'll be carrying all of you in and putting you to bed."
"No bedtime story? No lap time?"
"Not if you're asleep before you get in bed, Sarah."
"But…"
"Is Alice awake?"
"No. She's asleep on Momma's shoulder."
"Is Lisa awake?"
"No. She's asleep on your shoulder."
"Will you be awake after sitting here in the truck ten minutes?"
"Probably not. Not Marie either."
"So you've had a full day even if you don't get the story?"
"Un huh. Kiss me goodnight when you tuck me in?"
"Yes. All of you."
"G'night, best Daddy eve…"
"She's gone before we're out of the parking lot, Jack. They've had a long day."
"A long and tiring day. I doubt that we'll wake them getting them undressed for bed."
"I agree. You may have to wake me when we get there."
"I wouldn't be surprised."
---
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