Day 12- Breaking and Entering

It's more peaceful this morning, with everyone sleeping when I wake up.  I enjoy my routine of making tea and coffee, filtering and boiling water, planning my day.

Diego and Nira come over for coffee.  I get some paper and start making a list of supplies they'll need.  Coffee and a coffee pot are first.  Nira wants sugar too, not that I can blame her.  Then they're going to need containers to put it in, more cooking utensils, a large pot for water.  They have a surprising amount of cash with them.  I wonder if anyone will take it.

Husband gets up and joins us.  I can see he's a little grumpy that he didn't get to sneak sugar into his first cup of coffee, but he started that.  In truth, I have enough sugar for a couple of months, at least, even with a lot of baking.

We talk about what we can take to trade, and I go to the basement for jams and pickles.  I'm somewhat resentful, using my supplies to buy theirs, but then, I'm the one insisting on having my own space.

Brother and Sil arrive.  They're anxious to get going.  The boys get up and I tell them to make pancakes to feed the kids.

The men go out to get the horses ready.  I pack up my books and take them to the cart.

We go to Our Village, where things look pretty normal, except for the cars on the street.  The townsfolk have pushed them off the roads though, so the way is clear.

There are men with guns sitting outside the store.  Since the town is so small, they've picked strategic locations to guard, rather than standing on the roads to stop people from coming through.  They've only had a few squabbles to deal with though, and no outsiders for days.

Brother and Sil use the phone, but there's no answer.

Inside the store there's a weird variety of things people have traded for food and supplies.  There isn't much food left though.  The flour and sugar are gone.  Nira looks over some pots and pans and asks how much they're asking.  They aren't taking money anymore, but they'll be happy to trade for food or anything useful.  She looks over a rack of clothing.  I go out to the cart and get the food.  Three jars of pickles and five jars of jam buy a new outfit for each of the kids, Nira and Diego.  The store owner tells us that meat is most sought after if we come again.  Any kind of meat.  Even horse.  I'm starting to feel uncomfortable.

Sil, Nira and I walk down to the library.  It's self serve, even though there are guards stationed there.  I take my books out and put them on an empty shelf.  We look over the selection left by others, and choose a few each.

Walking back to the store we notice broken windows and buildings that look abandoned.  Not so normal after all.

Another horse cart comes into town, this one has been loaded with potatoes and I see part of an animal.  Moose, I think.  I breathe a little easier.  I didn't like the way the store owner had said horse.

Brother tries the phone again before we leave.  This time there's an answer, but it's not Friend.  Friend's parents have made it to the cottage, but no one else is there.  They're happy to hear that Friend is on his way.

We leave town and head for home.  As we pass northern neighbour's place, I decide we should stop.  He never picks his rhubarb, and has let me have it before.  Husband and Brother snoop around through the outbuildings and find a small woodstove that isn't being used.  Neighbour had a broiler installed a few years ago and probably took this out of the house then.  We decide to borrow it for Nira and Diego.  Then we decide to borrow some other hand tools as well.  I'll make a list when we get home so we can return them if things ever get back to normal.

We're about to leave when Nira wonders if they left any food or blankets.  By the looks of the town it won't be long before someone is out here breaking in anyway, so we decide to check.

We break a small window with a rock and Nira climbs through.  She unlocks the door for the rest of us.  There is food, lots of clothing, blankets, and everything else you'd expect to find in a normal house.  The pantry is nearly full- it looks like Neighbours only took a bit of this and that from here and there.  They probably didn't have room to take it all.  We take what we can fit on the cart and leave the rest.  We can come back for more later.

Back at the house Nira tells Diego about everything left in neighbour's house.  They decide to move down there instead of bringing everything here.  It's true, they'll have everything they need there, but they'll be more exposed.  It'll be better for us though, with someone at the end of the road if people come to raid, so we don't argue.  They can always come back here if things don't work out.  We unload the horse cart at our house, so the kids will all fit in.  I suggest Nira take inventory of the food there, keep picking weeds, and ration things a bit, but I don't think she's listening.

Husband takes them down and drops them off.  He agrees to go back and check on them in a couple of days.

Back at home it's quiet and peaceful.  We decide to take the woodstove back to the cabin while the cart is still hooked up.  The boys grab some old stove pipe and the tire rubber for the door.  We leave the stove and pipe inside and put the door on.

It's time for lunch, with a whole lot less people to feed.  We decide to splurge and cook some burgers.  Supper will be a small roast that I cut off the beef.

We spend the afternoon getting firewood.  It goes much faster with the big boys.  We keep all of the thinner branches in a pile as we trim trees.  we take them to the chicken pen and weave them into the fence wherever there are holes.  It takes a while, but finally I think the pen is secure enough to keep out the foxes.  Our new chickens are put in the coop for the night.  They won't get to try out the pen until tomorrow.

We eat supper and then play Risk for a couple of hours before bed.