The Bigs have been out ice fishing every few days. They managed to get a trail broke with the sleigh back to one of the lakes on crown land. It's a little closer than the highway lakes, and surprisingly they've caught a few fish. They set snares along the way and caught a couple of rabbits and a fox as well. The fox went to the chickens, along with some pine branches.
The fish bones and guts went into the doggy stew pot. The rice is gone now. The stew is mostly gravy- thickened with flour, with meat and veggies. We're feeding them twice as much as we used to, but they're already losing weight. I'm trying to keep them from getting hungry enough to harm the livestock.
Husband met up with one of our old hay farmers, Ray. He had large round bales but no way to load or haul them. Husband rigged up the stone boat to the back of the sleigh, and with the Bigs help they were able to push one of the bales onto the stone boat and haul it home. They've been back a few times, only able to transport one bale at a time. In trade the farmer has asked for help butchering and selling his cattle. He had 300 head going in to winter, sold and ate about 50. He wants to get all of his open cattle butchered and sold before spring.
We head over to his place with knives and sharpening stones early in the morning. The Littles stay home. Ray and his sons have divided the herd when we get there. He has 40 head that he wants butchered. The store in town is taking orders for beef for them. Ten have been 'sold' so far- in exchange for labour in the spring. After the first cow is shot, gutted and hung, #2 and I get to work butchering with Ray and his sons. Husband and #1 continue shooting and gutting, with Ray's sons helping to get them hung up. Ray has enough room in part of his barn to hang 20 head, so they keep working on that through the day. The rest of us manage to get 5 cows butchered by late afternoon.
Our sleigh is loaded with beef wrapped in feed bags. They're not very sanitary, but they're plentiful. He wants us to take the load south, stopping at the towns along the way to Southern City, trading for whatever we can. He wants help to get his crops planted in the spring, and hay harvested mid summer most of all, but he'll take anything we can get. He needs the herd thinned out before spring.
The next day Husband and I head south with the meat. Husband rigs the stone boat to the back of the sleigh, and takes lots of baler twine along to tie things on. The highway is fairly well packed from other travellers, so the ride south is fairly smooth.
I take a notebook to write down the names and addresses of those who are willing to work, and draw maps to Ray's place. All along the highway people come out of their homes to see what we've got. Most don't have much left to trade with, but some seem eager to trade for labour. One guy even offers to come and help butcher the next day.
Folks in Littletown are happy to trade, though most don't think they'll be able to travel that far to work in the spring. We trade beef for pots and pans, blankets, clothing, tools, and tires. The sleigh and stone boat are overloaded.
Few in Hutterite Village are interested in trading. They have a plentiful supply of meat of their own.
We get to Southern City and slowly drive the horses down the main street. No one seems to be around. We decide to try the side streets in the residential areas and see if anyone comes out. The first street we turn onto has a small convenience store on the corner with a couple of people hanging around outside. We stop and chat. They tell us to go back to the mall and wait in the parking lot while they tell people why we're there.
It seems a little strange, sitting in this deserted little city waiting for people to arrive. I have both hands wrapped around my gun. Husband keeps telling me to relax, but I notice he's holding on to his too. We wait for about twenty minutes, and then see some men come around the corner headed towards us. There are eight of them, and they all have guns. I think we're going to die.
They walk up calmly, maybe a little too friendly. The 'sheriff' introduces himself. They're all very chatty, and all eye balling the sleigh. We tell them Ray's plan, to trade the meat now for labour later. They keep smiling and nodding. They tell us to pull the sleigh up beside the doors to the former grocery store. Husband moves the sleigh slowly, and I can see on his face he's debating whether to make a run for it. I whisper, "We'll get shot." He pulls the sleigh up to the doors.
The men start unloading the beef. Husband asks what they're going to trade for it. The sheriff says, "I'm sure we can work something out". He invites us in to the store once the meat is unloaded. I decide to stay out with the sleigh. I sit there waiting nervously for over half an hour, until finally, Husband comes out with the other men. They have three sacks of potatoes and I can tell they come from the potato man. Some of them are carrying garbage bags, one has a basket of turnips. They help load the sleigh and stone boat and tie everything down. Husband says, "Ok, we'll see you next time then," and jumps back on the sleigh.
The sheriff hollers, "Hold on a minute". I still think these strange men are going to kill us. He walks over to us with some papers in his hand. "A couple of letters headed north". We smile and thank him and head out of town.
I ask Husband what went on inside. He explains that the old grocery store is still being used as a grocery store, but the sheriff and his men are in charge. They'll sell or trade off the beef with the townsfolk rather than us trading with any individuals. They did agree to make a list of people who would be willing to come and work for Ray for next time we come down. They've got a make shift jail cell with three prisoners inside too. He doesn't think they'd take 'no deal' for an answer if we didn't like their trade items. Husband says next time I have to stay home. He'll bring Brother or Diego with him instead.
We go to the store in the Hutterite Village, where people seem nice, normal, and civilized. Husband mentions what happened in Southern City, and the workers smile. "Best to stay away from them English".
I trade some of the goods we've collected for a couple of jars of honey. We head back home.
The boys bring the potatoes and honey in the house. We'll take them to Ray's tomorrow after another day of butchering. We eat our stew for supper and spend the evening sharpening knives.
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Friday, December 21, 2012
Day 61- Let There be Honey
Husband and I set off for the Hutterite Village right after breakfast. The boys do chores, then work on building toys.
Things are not as quiet this trip as they have been in the past. People come out of their houses and ask us to stop. It seems we've traded half of our goods before we even get to Littletown. Everyone wants to trade and chat. Some things I agree to trade just because the people are so obviously bored. One man traded a knife for a bow, and then traded the bow back for a pot that I got from his neighbour.
It's a fun ride, and we're obviously not the first people this has happened with. People in Littletown come running out of their houses with pots, dishes, blankets, baskets, knicknacks and tools. Everyone wants to trade something, and no one seems to care terribly much what they trade or what they get in return. They trade with us, they trade with each, they trade back again. Everyone is laughing and talking. It feels like a party. They tell us there were a couple of people with carts that would come every other week before the snow got so deep. We trade in our box of books at their library, taking a large assortment of books in return.
We finally get to the Hutterite Village. The store has only root vegetables available- potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, onions, garlic, and sugar beets. The men come out to look at our sleigh full of goodies. They're impressed with Diego's bows, and trade us one bow for enough supplies to build at least a dozen more, and two more for a selection of veggies. They trade the fox skins for more veggies, and my candles for three large jars of honey. Most of the other things we had left home with are already gone, and I honestly don't know what to offer them, or what else to take.
We ask the men if there's anything else they're interested in. They continue to eyeball the sleigh. Finally one asks what we want. I ask for seeds, more honey, size ten shoes, sheets and blankets, hankies. They pick out a few odds and ends, some things I don't even recognize. They give us a bag of assorted seeds, another jar of honey, and three sheets. They tell me to come back in a month with two bows and they'll have a pair of size 10 shoes.
We take a detour on the way home. Most cars on the highway had their tanks punctured, but we find a car on one of the back roads that's still got enough fuel to fill our jerry cans. We pick up the pace from there, waving at people who come out wanting to chat and trade again. If we don't hurry home we won't make it before dark.
Diego and Nira are happy with a third of the veggies, a jar of honey, a few odds and ends, and the supplies to build more bows. They didn't expect to get that much. I give them all of the toys that were traded, and a stack of books. I tell Diego that I need two bows to trade for shoes in a month. He doesn't know what he wants to trade them for, but he'll think about it.
Brother and Sil are at Mom and Dad's when we get there. I keep a few veggies for us, but give them the rest to split between them. We're still doing ok, but I keep the sugar beets to plant for seed in the spring. Dad takes a couple of hand tools. Sil takes a sheet. I give them a jar of honey, and mom pours some in another container. They all pick out a few books.
Lisa and Sally are waiting at our house. Lisa cooked again, and helped the Bigs build toys. The Littles kept Sally busy and wouldn't let her in the garage. All of the dishes, pots and cutlery that are left in the sleigh can go to the cabin for them. I give Lisa a few veggies, some clothes that will fit her and Sally, and I pour a bit of honey in a smaller jar for them. There's an odd assortment of baskets, bins, craft supplies, and knicknacks left. I keep a few baskets, then Husband takes the rest to the cabin.
It's dark out when the horses are finally put away for the night, and I'm exhausted, so I head off to bed.
Things are not as quiet this trip as they have been in the past. People come out of their houses and ask us to stop. It seems we've traded half of our goods before we even get to Littletown. Everyone wants to trade and chat. Some things I agree to trade just because the people are so obviously bored. One man traded a knife for a bow, and then traded the bow back for a pot that I got from his neighbour.
It's a fun ride, and we're obviously not the first people this has happened with. People in Littletown come running out of their houses with pots, dishes, blankets, baskets, knicknacks and tools. Everyone wants to trade something, and no one seems to care terribly much what they trade or what they get in return. They trade with us, they trade with each, they trade back again. Everyone is laughing and talking. It feels like a party. They tell us there were a couple of people with carts that would come every other week before the snow got so deep. We trade in our box of books at their library, taking a large assortment of books in return.
We finally get to the Hutterite Village. The store has only root vegetables available- potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, onions, garlic, and sugar beets. The men come out to look at our sleigh full of goodies. They're impressed with Diego's bows, and trade us one bow for enough supplies to build at least a dozen more, and two more for a selection of veggies. They trade the fox skins for more veggies, and my candles for three large jars of honey. Most of the other things we had left home with are already gone, and I honestly don't know what to offer them, or what else to take.
We ask the men if there's anything else they're interested in. They continue to eyeball the sleigh. Finally one asks what we want. I ask for seeds, more honey, size ten shoes, sheets and blankets, hankies. They pick out a few odds and ends, some things I don't even recognize. They give us a bag of assorted seeds, another jar of honey, and three sheets. They tell me to come back in a month with two bows and they'll have a pair of size 10 shoes.
We take a detour on the way home. Most cars on the highway had their tanks punctured, but we find a car on one of the back roads that's still got enough fuel to fill our jerry cans. We pick up the pace from there, waving at people who come out wanting to chat and trade again. If we don't hurry home we won't make it before dark.
Diego and Nira are happy with a third of the veggies, a jar of honey, a few odds and ends, and the supplies to build more bows. They didn't expect to get that much. I give them all of the toys that were traded, and a stack of books. I tell Diego that I need two bows to trade for shoes in a month. He doesn't know what he wants to trade them for, but he'll think about it.
Brother and Sil are at Mom and Dad's when we get there. I keep a few veggies for us, but give them the rest to split between them. We're still doing ok, but I keep the sugar beets to plant for seed in the spring. Dad takes a couple of hand tools. Sil takes a sheet. I give them a jar of honey, and mom pours some in another container. They all pick out a few books.
Lisa and Sally are waiting at our house. Lisa cooked again, and helped the Bigs build toys. The Littles kept Sally busy and wouldn't let her in the garage. All of the dishes, pots and cutlery that are left in the sleigh can go to the cabin for them. I give Lisa a few veggies, some clothes that will fit her and Sally, and I pour a bit of honey in a smaller jar for them. There's an odd assortment of baskets, bins, craft supplies, and knicknacks left. I keep a few baskets, then Husband takes the rest to the cabin.
It's dark out when the horses are finally put away for the night, and I'm exhausted, so I head off to bed.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Day 60
Two months without power. Without cars. Without t.v. Without 'government'. Without even a radio. If it wasn't for the meal planner I made a while ago, I probably wouldn't even know what day it is. One day blends into the next. Monday is just the same as Friday. We do what needs to be done- fires and water and cooking. Then we look for ways to keep ourselves occupied. Some project to do that might use up a day or two.
Everyone is feeling better now, it seems. Maybe a little dragged out, and I guess a few sniffles yet, but the headaches, sore throats, and chest congestions all seem to have subsided. I am so sick of washing hankies. That could possibly be the downfall of civilization- mama goes postal for lack of kleenex. Ok, ok, it's not that bad. Still, there are certainly more pleasant jobs. I'll be on the lookout for more sheets at the flea market. I started storing the hankies in old coffee cans, but they may still need a new home. We use coffee cans for feed scoops, clothespin buckets, and other assorted odds and ends. It's strange that I now worry about where we're going to get more of something that most people consider to be garbage.
Husband and the Bigs built miniature rocket heaters for everyone's outhouses. Ours isn't installed yet, because if someone comes over and sees it, it'll ruin the surprise for Christmas, so we're still freezing our butts off, but thankfully only for a few more days.
The weather's been holding steady at about -10°C overnight, and just below freezing through the day. We've had some light flurries but no real big snow storms. The snow on the ground is holding at just about a foot deep- perfect for the sleigh. Husband and the Bigs have had it out a couple of times, just practicing, down our road. Husband thinks we're ready to try the trip to the Hutterite village.
Today we check in with Mom and Dad, Brother and Sil, and Diego and Nira, and let them all know our plans. The sleigh is only big enough for two people, and Husband figures it should be safe enough for me to go. Everyone else will have to stay home. If they have things they want to trade though, we'll take them along and do our best. The Bigs wanted to ride along on the trip, but Husband says they'll have to stay at the house with the Littles.
Everyone has empty jerry cans and hopes for fuel. We can only take 1 jerry can for each of them. Sil has knitted mittens and slippers, and Brother has the fox skins. He's gotten a few more since the last time we were there. They have a box of books to trade in as well.
Mom has some meat to part with. Dad got a moose. Dad's made some knives for trading. They're crude, but sharp. They have some books.
Diego has 12 bows, but only one arrow for each. If we can get him some more pipe, thinner pipe, and dowel he can keep making more. Nira has some clothes that are too small for their youngest, and extra mittens that she sewed. Nira's hoping for more children's books, and maybe some toys for Christmas.
I have candles to trade, books, a couple of roasts, a dozen eggs, and Husband has been cleaning and fixing things in the garage. He adds a box of assorted odds and ends to the sleigh. It's hard to know what to trade, when we don't know how long we'll be in this predicament, or when we'll be able to get more supplies. What seems unnecessary now might become valuable in the future.
Everyone's priorities seem to have shifted. Veggies are still high on the want list, but mostly everyone wants something to combat the boredom. I have a bunch of board games for the kids, and several decks of cards. We can lend them out amongst our group, but I think I could make copies to trade as well. They won't be ready for this trip, but maybe next time. I look through the cupboard and decide to take along an extra chessboard and a nature trivia game that the kids have gotten bored with. They might be worth something.
After loading the sleigh with everything but the food, we decide to go and see the people we got our chickens from. The roads are quiet on the way there. We find a car with enough fuel to fill one jerry can.
They're happy to visit with us- it's been some time since they've seen anyone. They still have a few more chickens than they'll be able to feed through the winter. We show them what we have available to trade, and they take some metal thing from Husband's box, a pair of mittens, and the chess board for eight hens and a five gallon pail of goat's milk.
We talk for awhile about different wants and needs. They figure they've still got enough of everything they need, except vegetables- mostly it's just boring out there all alone. They miss their car. They thought about trying to trade a cow for a horse, but neither one of them knows how to ride. They joke that they'd be happy for a bicycle at this point. We have a number of bicycles at our house. I buy them at yard sales, because it seems one of the boys is always needing a new tire, or a different seat, or a gear. The Bigs rip pieces off of one and put them on another all the time. I wonder if they could put a few of them together to trade in the spring.
We have a nice, but short visit. The days are so short now that we can't really risk being out much past two. On the way home we stop at Diego and Nira's and drop off four hens. We didn't give them any from the first batch, and I'm really bad about delivering eggs. Neighbour's had a hen house on the side of their barn that's still solid and secure, so they don't really need to build anything for them, just find them feed.
Diego looks the sleigh over for a bit. He wants to try putting skis on their little cart for the ponies.
Nira gets a pitcher and I give her some of the goat's milk. She sees the nature trivia game in the wagon and wants it for the kids for Christmas. I tell her I had planned to loan her some games, that I wanted to trade this one that the boys don't care for. She is adamant that she wants it. I ask her what she'd be willing to trade for it. She starts getting mad because I won't let her take it for the kids. I tell her my kids won't have presents this year either. Husband and Diego come over to see what the fuss is about.
Husband asks Diego, "Do you want to trade the game for a couple of the bows?"
Diego asks, "Do you want them for the boys for Christmas?"
Husband says "Yes".
"Then take four. You could have just asked".
Husband explains that we didn't feel comfortable taking their trade items just for presents. We figured we'd find something they wanted to trade for before we asked. Diego doesn't seem to care. Nira's happy to have a present to wrap. It doesn't seem like a fair trade to me, but I guess having something under the tree is more important to them than it is to me.
During supper I ask the boys if we still have that wood toy building set in the garage somewhere. The wood pieces that came with it were really hard to work with, but the plans are in it to build cars, trucks, planes and boats. I ask them if they think they could build some toys for the kids and Sally. They decide to try and find it in the morning.
I look at the calendar again. I'll have to make my own for next year. Calendars would make good presents for the grown ups. I guess the whole present thing is easier than I thought it would be.
Everyone is feeling better now, it seems. Maybe a little dragged out, and I guess a few sniffles yet, but the headaches, sore throats, and chest congestions all seem to have subsided. I am so sick of washing hankies. That could possibly be the downfall of civilization- mama goes postal for lack of kleenex. Ok, ok, it's not that bad. Still, there are certainly more pleasant jobs. I'll be on the lookout for more sheets at the flea market. I started storing the hankies in old coffee cans, but they may still need a new home. We use coffee cans for feed scoops, clothespin buckets, and other assorted odds and ends. It's strange that I now worry about where we're going to get more of something that most people consider to be garbage.
Husband and the Bigs built miniature rocket heaters for everyone's outhouses. Ours isn't installed yet, because if someone comes over and sees it, it'll ruin the surprise for Christmas, so we're still freezing our butts off, but thankfully only for a few more days.
The weather's been holding steady at about -10°C overnight, and just below freezing through the day. We've had some light flurries but no real big snow storms. The snow on the ground is holding at just about a foot deep- perfect for the sleigh. Husband and the Bigs have had it out a couple of times, just practicing, down our road. Husband thinks we're ready to try the trip to the Hutterite village.
Today we check in with Mom and Dad, Brother and Sil, and Diego and Nira, and let them all know our plans. The sleigh is only big enough for two people, and Husband figures it should be safe enough for me to go. Everyone else will have to stay home. If they have things they want to trade though, we'll take them along and do our best. The Bigs wanted to ride along on the trip, but Husband says they'll have to stay at the house with the Littles.
Everyone has empty jerry cans and hopes for fuel. We can only take 1 jerry can for each of them. Sil has knitted mittens and slippers, and Brother has the fox skins. He's gotten a few more since the last time we were there. They have a box of books to trade in as well.
Mom has some meat to part with. Dad got a moose. Dad's made some knives for trading. They're crude, but sharp. They have some books.
Diego has 12 bows, but only one arrow for each. If we can get him some more pipe, thinner pipe, and dowel he can keep making more. Nira has some clothes that are too small for their youngest, and extra mittens that she sewed. Nira's hoping for more children's books, and maybe some toys for Christmas.
I have candles to trade, books, a couple of roasts, a dozen eggs, and Husband has been cleaning and fixing things in the garage. He adds a box of assorted odds and ends to the sleigh. It's hard to know what to trade, when we don't know how long we'll be in this predicament, or when we'll be able to get more supplies. What seems unnecessary now might become valuable in the future.
Everyone's priorities seem to have shifted. Veggies are still high on the want list, but mostly everyone wants something to combat the boredom. I have a bunch of board games for the kids, and several decks of cards. We can lend them out amongst our group, but I think I could make copies to trade as well. They won't be ready for this trip, but maybe next time. I look through the cupboard and decide to take along an extra chessboard and a nature trivia game that the kids have gotten bored with. They might be worth something.
After loading the sleigh with everything but the food, we decide to go and see the people we got our chickens from. The roads are quiet on the way there. We find a car with enough fuel to fill one jerry can.
They're happy to visit with us- it's been some time since they've seen anyone. They still have a few more chickens than they'll be able to feed through the winter. We show them what we have available to trade, and they take some metal thing from Husband's box, a pair of mittens, and the chess board for eight hens and a five gallon pail of goat's milk.
We talk for awhile about different wants and needs. They figure they've still got enough of everything they need, except vegetables- mostly it's just boring out there all alone. They miss their car. They thought about trying to trade a cow for a horse, but neither one of them knows how to ride. They joke that they'd be happy for a bicycle at this point. We have a number of bicycles at our house. I buy them at yard sales, because it seems one of the boys is always needing a new tire, or a different seat, or a gear. The Bigs rip pieces off of one and put them on another all the time. I wonder if they could put a few of them together to trade in the spring.
We have a nice, but short visit. The days are so short now that we can't really risk being out much past two. On the way home we stop at Diego and Nira's and drop off four hens. We didn't give them any from the first batch, and I'm really bad about delivering eggs. Neighbour's had a hen house on the side of their barn that's still solid and secure, so they don't really need to build anything for them, just find them feed.
Diego looks the sleigh over for a bit. He wants to try putting skis on their little cart for the ponies.
Nira gets a pitcher and I give her some of the goat's milk. She sees the nature trivia game in the wagon and wants it for the kids for Christmas. I tell her I had planned to loan her some games, that I wanted to trade this one that the boys don't care for. She is adamant that she wants it. I ask her what she'd be willing to trade for it. She starts getting mad because I won't let her take it for the kids. I tell her my kids won't have presents this year either. Husband and Diego come over to see what the fuss is about.
Husband asks Diego, "Do you want to trade the game for a couple of the bows?"
Diego asks, "Do you want them for the boys for Christmas?"
Husband says "Yes".
"Then take four. You could have just asked".
Husband explains that we didn't feel comfortable taking their trade items just for presents. We figured we'd find something they wanted to trade for before we asked. Diego doesn't seem to care. Nira's happy to have a present to wrap. It doesn't seem like a fair trade to me, but I guess having something under the tree is more important to them than it is to me.
During supper I ask the boys if we still have that wood toy building set in the garage somewhere. The wood pieces that came with it were really hard to work with, but the plans are in it to build cars, trucks, planes and boats. I ask them if they think they could build some toys for the kids and Sally. They decide to try and find it in the morning.
I look at the calendar again. I'll have to make my own for next year. Calendars would make good presents for the grown ups. I guess the whole present thing is easier than I thought it would be.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Day 32- Hay Wagon
This morning over breakfast we discuss how to build a horse cart big enough to haul all of the kids back and forth to school. We have an old truck frame that Husband had planned to turn into a hay wagon. It's been sitting at the edge of the pasture rusting for the last 5 years. A proper hay wagon would work much better to haul hay than our current horse cart as well.
Unfortunately though, it would be big and heavy. Our horses aren't that big. Husband decides to just take the axles off the frame. The boys and I cut small trees and build a platform somewhat resembling a raft. It's thinner than the axles, just wide enough to hold a bale of hay, but long enough to hold 5 bales. We cut more trees and notch them out to create a fence type of side that we can lift off in three pieces. We build a bench from logs for the driver. The kids will have to sit on the platform. We cut and trim logs for skis- winter is coming.
Husband uses his torches to cut the axles loose. The tires are garbage though, so we debate what to use. We decide to use the tires from the Yukon. It means we won't be able to drive the Yukon again without replacing the tires and rims, but who knows if we're ever going to be able to drive it again anyway.
Husband and the Bigs build a yoke from logs.
At the end of the day it looks pretty good. Tomorrow we'll test it out and see if the horses can handle it.
Meatloaf for supper, followed by an evening of cards.
Unfortunately though, it would be big and heavy. Our horses aren't that big. Husband decides to just take the axles off the frame. The boys and I cut small trees and build a platform somewhat resembling a raft. It's thinner than the axles, just wide enough to hold a bale of hay, but long enough to hold 5 bales. We cut more trees and notch them out to create a fence type of side that we can lift off in three pieces. We build a bench from logs for the driver. The kids will have to sit on the platform. We cut and trim logs for skis- winter is coming.
Husband uses his torches to cut the axles loose. The tires are garbage though, so we debate what to use. We decide to use the tires from the Yukon. It means we won't be able to drive the Yukon again without replacing the tires and rims, but who knows if we're ever going to be able to drive it again anyway.
Husband and the Bigs build a yoke from logs.
At the end of the day it looks pretty good. Tomorrow we'll test it out and see if the horses can handle it.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Day 31- Village and Rivertown
We're going to town today. First our village, then Rivertown. We're hoping we can make some kind of deal with our old hay man. It's a bit of a jaunt, but we can use the horses to haul the hay back to the house.
Pancakes for breakfast, stew on the stove for lunch.
We stop at Mom and Dad's and drop off bread. We take their empty jerry cans, along with our own.
We stop at Diego and Nira's to see how they're doing. The injured pony is all healed up, so they decide to join us. The boys stay there with the kids.
In our village we go to the library to exchange books. I pick through the selection and fill a box with books I've already read. I look up at the wall and see someone has added to my weed list. More than one person, there's three different sets of handwriting. I read over it quickly. I'll have to bring a pencil and paper with me next time so I can copy these new finds.
We go to the store, mostly just to chat. There isn't much news. Someone made the trip to Southern City and back. Supplies are running low everywhere. More people have left and headed south. They think there will be some kind of government relief closer to the cities. Someone brought back potatoes from the potato man. Most of the fields have been dug now. Others brought a load of wheat and a load of turnips from another farmer. There are more pumpkins lined on the shelves as well.
The community center has been opened up and left open. There's a collection of library books there, some board games and cards, and toys for the kids. They're using the community kitchen to feed the townsfolk who can't feed themselves. Everyone has to bring in something to add to the pot, but everyone gets fed and boredom gets alleviated. Some of the parents are teaching classes there as well.
We go to check out the community center. There are kids of all ages playing, reading, doing school work. A lady greets us and gives us a tour. Nira would like to send the kids to school, but she's not sure how she'd get them there everyday. The lady says to just bring them whenever they can. It's all very informal.
We find a few cars with fuel on the way to Rivertown. We go into the library, where the librarian is actually working. She says she doesn't have much else to do anyway. I trade the box of books for a new selection. She gets me a second box full as well. Rivertown used to run our village library, but it was closed due to budget cuts. They still have boxes of books in the basement that were never sorted or put away.
We go downtown, and see people milling about everywhere. The grocery store and hardware store are both open, running bartering type business. The grocery store shelves are nearly empty of non-perishables, though there is one shelf filled with mostly home canned goods and the meat cooler is filled with assorted home butchered meats. Like the store in our village, the shelves have filled with pots, utensils, clothing, furnishings and such.
At the hardware store we see more of the same. That's the real reason everyone should shop local. I doubt Walmart's store managers are even showing up, let alone running a barter business to help people survive.
The school is open in town, all ages, all religions, bilingual. There are parents teaching classes, as well as two of the actual teachers who live in town.
The hospital is open, though the doctors are gone. The nurses who live in town are taking turns treating patients.
The community center is open. A community kitchen is set up, with the same rules of everyone contributing getting fed. Tables set up with board games, puzzles and cards. There's a sign on the door advertising a dance for Saturday night. That would be fun, but it's a long way to travel in the night.
We go to see the hay man. He would be willing to trade hay for diesel. Right now he has no way to load the hay and has had to fence his cattle in around it to feed them. We'll have to look for transports that still have diesel in them.
On the way back we stop at a house that used to have refurbished horse pulled equipment for sale. The man there already has enough orders for hay cutters to keep him busy until spring. He doesn't have enough parts to build everything people are asking for, but if we can take the side cutter off the tractor, the seat, find some decent wheels and lumber, he might be able to make it work- for half a cow.
When we leave there we decide we'll take a trip to see the Hutterites before we make a decision on that.
Back in our village we unload the books at the library, then go back to the community center. I tell the lady who gave us the tour about the dance in Rivertown. She writes up a sign and puts it on the door. I ask her to put up another sign, asking local musicians if they'd be interested in playing at a dance here. She thinks that's a great idea.
We leave Diego and Nira at their place, pick up the boys and leave. We drop fuel off to Mom and Dad. Brother, Sil, and the girls are there. We share the news from town with them.
The girls are interested in going to school- not as students, but as teachers. We'd need to build another horse cart and teach them how to drive, but they could pick up the Littles and all the kids and take them all to school everyday.
Everyone is interested in the dance. It would give us all a chance to get out and do something. I hope people volunteer to play in our village. It would be so much easier!
Back at home the boys put Samson and the cart away and do chores. It's well past lunch already, so we decide to eat the stew for supper and call it a day. We play monopoly until bedtime.
Pancakes for breakfast, stew on the stove for lunch.
We stop at Mom and Dad's and drop off bread. We take their empty jerry cans, along with our own.
We stop at Diego and Nira's to see how they're doing. The injured pony is all healed up, so they decide to join us. The boys stay there with the kids.
In our village we go to the library to exchange books. I pick through the selection and fill a box with books I've already read. I look up at the wall and see someone has added to my weed list. More than one person, there's three different sets of handwriting. I read over it quickly. I'll have to bring a pencil and paper with me next time so I can copy these new finds.
We go to the store, mostly just to chat. There isn't much news. Someone made the trip to Southern City and back. Supplies are running low everywhere. More people have left and headed south. They think there will be some kind of government relief closer to the cities. Someone brought back potatoes from the potato man. Most of the fields have been dug now. Others brought a load of wheat and a load of turnips from another farmer. There are more pumpkins lined on the shelves as well.
The community center has been opened up and left open. There's a collection of library books there, some board games and cards, and toys for the kids. They're using the community kitchen to feed the townsfolk who can't feed themselves. Everyone has to bring in something to add to the pot, but everyone gets fed and boredom gets alleviated. Some of the parents are teaching classes there as well.
We go to check out the community center. There are kids of all ages playing, reading, doing school work. A lady greets us and gives us a tour. Nira would like to send the kids to school, but she's not sure how she'd get them there everyday. The lady says to just bring them whenever they can. It's all very informal.
We find a few cars with fuel on the way to Rivertown. We go into the library, where the librarian is actually working. She says she doesn't have much else to do anyway. I trade the box of books for a new selection. She gets me a second box full as well. Rivertown used to run our village library, but it was closed due to budget cuts. They still have boxes of books in the basement that were never sorted or put away.
We go downtown, and see people milling about everywhere. The grocery store and hardware store are both open, running bartering type business. The grocery store shelves are nearly empty of non-perishables, though there is one shelf filled with mostly home canned goods and the meat cooler is filled with assorted home butchered meats. Like the store in our village, the shelves have filled with pots, utensils, clothing, furnishings and such.
At the hardware store we see more of the same. That's the real reason everyone should shop local. I doubt Walmart's store managers are even showing up, let alone running a barter business to help people survive.
The school is open in town, all ages, all religions, bilingual. There are parents teaching classes, as well as two of the actual teachers who live in town.
The hospital is open, though the doctors are gone. The nurses who live in town are taking turns treating patients.
The community center is open. A community kitchen is set up, with the same rules of everyone contributing getting fed. Tables set up with board games, puzzles and cards. There's a sign on the door advertising a dance for Saturday night. That would be fun, but it's a long way to travel in the night.
We go to see the hay man. He would be willing to trade hay for diesel. Right now he has no way to load the hay and has had to fence his cattle in around it to feed them. We'll have to look for transports that still have diesel in them.
On the way back we stop at a house that used to have refurbished horse pulled equipment for sale. The man there already has enough orders for hay cutters to keep him busy until spring. He doesn't have enough parts to build everything people are asking for, but if we can take the side cutter off the tractor, the seat, find some decent wheels and lumber, he might be able to make it work- for half a cow.
When we leave there we decide we'll take a trip to see the Hutterites before we make a decision on that.
Back in our village we unload the books at the library, then go back to the community center. I tell the lady who gave us the tour about the dance in Rivertown. She writes up a sign and puts it on the door. I ask her to put up another sign, asking local musicians if they'd be interested in playing at a dance here. She thinks that's a great idea.
We leave Diego and Nira at their place, pick up the boys and leave. We drop fuel off to Mom and Dad. Brother, Sil, and the girls are there. We share the news from town with them.
The girls are interested in going to school- not as students, but as teachers. We'd need to build another horse cart and teach them how to drive, but they could pick up the Littles and all the kids and take them all to school everyday.
Everyone is interested in the dance. It would give us all a chance to get out and do something. I hope people volunteer to play in our village. It would be so much easier!
Back at home the boys put Samson and the cart away and do chores. It's well past lunch already, so we decide to eat the stew for supper and call it a day. We play monopoly until bedtime.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Day 25- Chicken Trade
I wake up with a headache this morning. I think it's my sinuses, definitely pressure. It snowed last night, just a couple of inches, and it's cold again. The boys are tired of their endless pancake diet but make a batch anyway. I get the fat bowl and clean the hardened tallow. I drain more fat from the pot into it and take it back outside. The hardened tallow goes into the coffee pot to melt. I scoop cracklings out to add to the doggy stew and chicken feed.
I dig some bananas out of the freezer to bake banana bread. I add half a jar of jam to each batch, leaving out the sugar. I have to open a new box each of baking soda and baking powder. I have one more box of baking soda, but this is the last powder. I have no idea how long they should last for. I don't remember needing to replace them often, but I never needed to worry about how to replace them before. I write them on the list on the fridge. You never know- I might be able to find some somewhere. The first batch of banana bread goes in to bake.
There's enough chili left over for lunch today. The turkey soup is mostly water, so I dump the remnants into the doggy stew and wash the pot. We're getting low on water again. I send the Littles out to do chores and brush clean snow off the cars, tables, lawn chairs, etc. It's not deep enough to take off the ground. They fill two big pots and set them beside the stove to melt.
The Littles do their work books. Husband and the Bigs go out to work the horses. I ask them to leave Samson until after lunch. I want to go see about getting more chickens today. They give Knightmare an extra long work out today, and she's starting to get it.
I set the clean pot on the counter to plan for lunch tomorrow. I take a package of stewing bear out to defrost in it. I check my calendar for supper tonight. I'm off schedule already, after the beans and chili. Last night was supposed to be roast beef, and hash tonight. Tonight will be roast beef instead. Not a big deal. I get a roast out of the freezer and put it in a roasting pan. We've got enough bread for today, and banana bread for breakfast tomorrow. I put the second batch in the oven.
I peel potatoes for supper and tomorrows soup, adding water to both pots. I add squash, weeds, chives, and a carrot to the soup pot.
The last batch of banana bread goes in the oven to bake. I go to the basement and get two small boxes. I put about 2 pounds of potatoes in each, a jar of dried weeds, a couple of onions. I debate about other canned goods, but don't want to lose the jars. I add a couple of carrots and onions instead. Upstairs I take the banana bread out, remove the oven, and put the roast and chili on the stove. I pour the melted fat into clean pasta jars. That gives me an idea.
I add a small candle to each of the boxes. I'll have to make more candles for trading. I add 'small jars' to the list on the fridge. I bag two loaves of banana bread and put one in each box. I bag another and set it on the side. I put a copy of the weed list in each box.
Husband and the Bigs come in for lunch. The boys load my boxes and two empty cages on the cart after lunch. They go with us to Mom and Dad's.
Dad has a couple of empty jerry cans he'd like filled if we happen across a car that hasn't been drained. I give Mom a loaf of banana bread. She peaks inside one of the boxes. They'd like a couple of chickens themselves. Mom packs a small box with odds and ends- catsup and sauce packets from restaurants, a box of kraft dinner, a can of soup, a can of carrots, and a couple packets of microwave popcorn.
We leave the boys with them to visit, and go to the flea market. Husband doesn't trust my directions, so he stops in to check with Marsha.
At the closest house that had advertised chickens we find out they've already traded or butchered all they want to part with. At the second house the people want all three boxes for one bird. We go to the third house, which is much further away. We get lucky there.
It's a small farm with an assortment of goats, chickens, ducks and cows. They don't have horses, so their travels are very limited. They haven't had many people come to trade for chickens, and they have a lot of them. With no feed available for sale, and winter setting in, they have to butcher them or get rid of them. They happily trade us 16 hens for the three boxes of food. They probably would have given us more, but that's all the cages will hold.
The lady looks through the boxes and looks at the jar of dried weeds. They're running low on veggies. I show her the weed list and we go for a quick walk around her yard so I can point out the ones she's not sure of.
We have a long, friendly chat. They don't get many visitors and don't have any family around. We talk about the goats. They have dairy goats. Ours are meat. They have two that are due to kid soon. I ask what they would want to trade for one of the soon to be moms. They aren't interested in trading them at this time, but they offer us some milk. They'll trade milk any time we want to come back, and maybe a pregnant goat in the spring.
We find a car on the highway that has just enough fuel to fill the jerry cans. We go back to Mom and Dad's.
Dad and the boys have built a small chicken pen out of logs. It looks like the cutest little log cabin dog house. They've built a little fence around it, weaving together thin trees and branches. The boys trim the wings off of 4 hens and put them in the pen. Dad figures that's enough for them.
We drop 8 hens off at our house, trimming their wings but keeping them inside for today. We put the goat's milk in the outside fridge.
We load up half of the remaining bear meat on the cart, grab another loaf of banana bread, and take it to Brother and Sil's. They're a little surprised to be receiving chickens, and at first suggest that we just keep them at our place. Our chicken pen isn't mobile though, so we already have to supplement their feed with grass and weeds. It'll be easier if they keep their own chickens and move them every day to graze. I won't be responsible for providing everyone with eggs if they have their own birds either.
We help them build a little log cabin chicken house to keep them in over night. The boys explain how they built Grandpa's pen, so they can work on that tomorrow.
We go home. The boys put Samson and the cart away and do chores. I check the roast and put the potatoes on to cook. The snow is still covering the ground, so no weeds to pick today. Beets for supper veg.
I still have a headache, so I decide to try some pine needle tea. A friend told me once that pine needles are like aspirin.
After supper I go to bed with a book. Husband has read through all of #1's James Patterson books. He needs to make a trip to the library. The boys play cards.
I dig some bananas out of the freezer to bake banana bread. I add half a jar of jam to each batch, leaving out the sugar. I have to open a new box each of baking soda and baking powder. I have one more box of baking soda, but this is the last powder. I have no idea how long they should last for. I don't remember needing to replace them often, but I never needed to worry about how to replace them before. I write them on the list on the fridge. You never know- I might be able to find some somewhere. The first batch of banana bread goes in to bake.
There's enough chili left over for lunch today. The turkey soup is mostly water, so I dump the remnants into the doggy stew and wash the pot. We're getting low on water again. I send the Littles out to do chores and brush clean snow off the cars, tables, lawn chairs, etc. It's not deep enough to take off the ground. They fill two big pots and set them beside the stove to melt.
The Littles do their work books. Husband and the Bigs go out to work the horses. I ask them to leave Samson until after lunch. I want to go see about getting more chickens today. They give Knightmare an extra long work out today, and she's starting to get it.
I set the clean pot on the counter to plan for lunch tomorrow. I take a package of stewing bear out to defrost in it. I check my calendar for supper tonight. I'm off schedule already, after the beans and chili. Last night was supposed to be roast beef, and hash tonight. Tonight will be roast beef instead. Not a big deal. I get a roast out of the freezer and put it in a roasting pan. We've got enough bread for today, and banana bread for breakfast tomorrow. I put the second batch in the oven.
I peel potatoes for supper and tomorrows soup, adding water to both pots. I add squash, weeds, chives, and a carrot to the soup pot.
The last batch of banana bread goes in the oven to bake. I go to the basement and get two small boxes. I put about 2 pounds of potatoes in each, a jar of dried weeds, a couple of onions. I debate about other canned goods, but don't want to lose the jars. I add a couple of carrots and onions instead. Upstairs I take the banana bread out, remove the oven, and put the roast and chili on the stove. I pour the melted fat into clean pasta jars. That gives me an idea.
I add a small candle to each of the boxes. I'll have to make more candles for trading. I add 'small jars' to the list on the fridge. I bag two loaves of banana bread and put one in each box. I bag another and set it on the side. I put a copy of the weed list in each box.
Husband and the Bigs come in for lunch. The boys load my boxes and two empty cages on the cart after lunch. They go with us to Mom and Dad's.
Dad has a couple of empty jerry cans he'd like filled if we happen across a car that hasn't been drained. I give Mom a loaf of banana bread. She peaks inside one of the boxes. They'd like a couple of chickens themselves. Mom packs a small box with odds and ends- catsup and sauce packets from restaurants, a box of kraft dinner, a can of soup, a can of carrots, and a couple packets of microwave popcorn.
We leave the boys with them to visit, and go to the flea market. Husband doesn't trust my directions, so he stops in to check with Marsha.
At the closest house that had advertised chickens we find out they've already traded or butchered all they want to part with. At the second house the people want all three boxes for one bird. We go to the third house, which is much further away. We get lucky there.
It's a small farm with an assortment of goats, chickens, ducks and cows. They don't have horses, so their travels are very limited. They haven't had many people come to trade for chickens, and they have a lot of them. With no feed available for sale, and winter setting in, they have to butcher them or get rid of them. They happily trade us 16 hens for the three boxes of food. They probably would have given us more, but that's all the cages will hold.
The lady looks through the boxes and looks at the jar of dried weeds. They're running low on veggies. I show her the weed list and we go for a quick walk around her yard so I can point out the ones she's not sure of.
We have a long, friendly chat. They don't get many visitors and don't have any family around. We talk about the goats. They have dairy goats. Ours are meat. They have two that are due to kid soon. I ask what they would want to trade for one of the soon to be moms. They aren't interested in trading them at this time, but they offer us some milk. They'll trade milk any time we want to come back, and maybe a pregnant goat in the spring.
We find a car on the highway that has just enough fuel to fill the jerry cans. We go back to Mom and Dad's.
Dad and the boys have built a small chicken pen out of logs. It looks like the cutest little log cabin dog house. They've built a little fence around it, weaving together thin trees and branches. The boys trim the wings off of 4 hens and put them in the pen. Dad figures that's enough for them.
We drop 8 hens off at our house, trimming their wings but keeping them inside for today. We put the goat's milk in the outside fridge.
We load up half of the remaining bear meat on the cart, grab another loaf of banana bread, and take it to Brother and Sil's. They're a little surprised to be receiving chickens, and at first suggest that we just keep them at our place. Our chicken pen isn't mobile though, so we already have to supplement their feed with grass and weeds. It'll be easier if they keep their own chickens and move them every day to graze. I won't be responsible for providing everyone with eggs if they have their own birds either.
We help them build a little log cabin chicken house to keep them in over night. The boys explain how they built Grandpa's pen, so they can work on that tomorrow.
We go home. The boys put Samson and the cart away and do chores. I check the roast and put the potatoes on to cook. The snow is still covering the ground, so no weeds to pick today. Beets for supper veg.
I still have a headache, so I decide to try some pine needle tea. A friend told me once that pine needles are like aspirin.
After supper I go to bed with a book. Husband has read through all of #1's James Patterson books. He needs to make a trip to the library. The boys play cards.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Day 20- Burns, Books, and Wildlife
Oh my god. I can't fricken believe it. Yesterday I moved pot after pot of boiling hot water- filtering, cleaning, filling the bathtub- no problem. This morning I make a coffee and tea like usual, and then dump the tea pot all over my foot!
I ran to the bathroom and jumped in the tub. Thankfully I filled the tub back up yesterday, so there was cool water in it, but honestly when it happened I was running for the tap. Autopilot. The only ice we have is in the pop bottles I set outside to switch in the cooler every day. It's pretty much impossible to wrap that around my foot. Husband takes several wet cloths outside to cool while I hold the pop bottle on it. It's red and blotchy, but luckily not blistered- at least not yet. The boys clean up the spill and make me a new pot of tea. What a crappy way to start the day.
The boys make breakfast- back to the pancake routine. Eggs need to be saved for baking.
The boys go out to do chores and find a dead turkey. Two more are missing. There are large paw prints in the garden. Large fox or small wolf- hard to say which. Either way, we are down three more birds. They check the chickens, which are fine.
It's cool but sunny, so Husband and the Bigs decide to do firewood again after they work the horses. Knightmare is finally starting to understand the reins. They give Samson a quick work out with the reins, and then hitch him to the stone boat. He does really well pulling it. Husband is certain he's been trained to pull before now. They decide to go to the back for firewood and use Samson to pull logs. The Littles tag along. There won't be much for them to do, other than moving small branches out of the way, until the logs are back at the house, cut, and ready to stack.
I'm left at home with my aching foot. I switch the cloths on it, but I'm bored out of my mind just sitting here. I decide to package up my seed. Some of the sunflower seeds that spilled did sprout, but there's no mold. I pick out the sprouted ones and toss them in the bird bucket. I pack the rest in old jars. It's not a great selection- sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers, parsnip, beans, asparagus, crab apples. With what I have left from this year, next year's garden should be ok. Still, I'll have to be much more diligent about saving seed in the future.
Husband has Samson pull up six logs in two trips. #1 walks him up on the third trip. He's done extremely well. They break for lunch and put him back in the pasture. They make a pot of chicken noodle soup for lunch- nothing fancy, just the package and powder type. They use the last of the crackers. I have a couple of recipes for crackers, but we didn't really care for them. While they might go over better now, with that secret ingredient added in (hunger), I don't think I want to 'waste' the flour to try it.
After lunch Husband puts the oven on the stove top for me. I'm hobbling better now, but can only handle a couple of minutes without a cold cloth on my foot. Still, the cattail starch is not drying very well, so I want to put it on cookie sheets in the oven.
Nira and Diego come after lunch. They had a crazy mad dash for water yesterday as well- baths, laundry and drinking water. They take my library books, our empty jerry cans, and siphoning hoses and head to town.
Husband and the Bigs cut up the logs and the Littles stack them in the wood shed. Then they cut more wood from the lot across the road. I read a book.
Nira and Diego return just before supper. Things in town seem better than our last visit. They traded a few jars of pickles for a pumpkin, two turnips, and a cabbage. The store would have taken more, but there wasn't much selection, so they decided to keep what they had. They had to go a ways out of town to find cars that still had gas, but they managed to refill all of the jerry cans. The library has grown, but the selection isn't great. Nira has picked a bunch of harlequins for me. Better than nothing, I suppose. They head back to their place.
Husband takes the oven off the stove. #4 makes hot dogs for supper. The temperature is dropping outside, and the cloths are nearly frozen when I switch them for my foot. It doesn't look like it's going to blister, but still hurts. The Bigs do chores and double check that the turkey shack is secure. We're going to leave the dogs outside loose overnight.
The Bigs bring in the heavy blankets that were hung on the clothesline in the rain yesterday. They're not quite dry yet, so we hang them over door frames and chairs for tonight.
We spend the evening playing clue, and then head off to bed. My foot aggravates me repeatedly throughout the night, waking me up.
I ran to the bathroom and jumped in the tub. Thankfully I filled the tub back up yesterday, so there was cool water in it, but honestly when it happened I was running for the tap. Autopilot. The only ice we have is in the pop bottles I set outside to switch in the cooler every day. It's pretty much impossible to wrap that around my foot. Husband takes several wet cloths outside to cool while I hold the pop bottle on it. It's red and blotchy, but luckily not blistered- at least not yet. The boys clean up the spill and make me a new pot of tea. What a crappy way to start the day.
The boys make breakfast- back to the pancake routine. Eggs need to be saved for baking.
The boys go out to do chores and find a dead turkey. Two more are missing. There are large paw prints in the garden. Large fox or small wolf- hard to say which. Either way, we are down three more birds. They check the chickens, which are fine.
It's cool but sunny, so Husband and the Bigs decide to do firewood again after they work the horses. Knightmare is finally starting to understand the reins. They give Samson a quick work out with the reins, and then hitch him to the stone boat. He does really well pulling it. Husband is certain he's been trained to pull before now. They decide to go to the back for firewood and use Samson to pull logs. The Littles tag along. There won't be much for them to do, other than moving small branches out of the way, until the logs are back at the house, cut, and ready to stack.
I'm left at home with my aching foot. I switch the cloths on it, but I'm bored out of my mind just sitting here. I decide to package up my seed. Some of the sunflower seeds that spilled did sprout, but there's no mold. I pick out the sprouted ones and toss them in the bird bucket. I pack the rest in old jars. It's not a great selection- sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers, parsnip, beans, asparagus, crab apples. With what I have left from this year, next year's garden should be ok. Still, I'll have to be much more diligent about saving seed in the future.
Husband has Samson pull up six logs in two trips. #1 walks him up on the third trip. He's done extremely well. They break for lunch and put him back in the pasture. They make a pot of chicken noodle soup for lunch- nothing fancy, just the package and powder type. They use the last of the crackers. I have a couple of recipes for crackers, but we didn't really care for them. While they might go over better now, with that secret ingredient added in (hunger), I don't think I want to 'waste' the flour to try it.
After lunch Husband puts the oven on the stove top for me. I'm hobbling better now, but can only handle a couple of minutes without a cold cloth on my foot. Still, the cattail starch is not drying very well, so I want to put it on cookie sheets in the oven.
Nira and Diego come after lunch. They had a crazy mad dash for water yesterday as well- baths, laundry and drinking water. They take my library books, our empty jerry cans, and siphoning hoses and head to town.
Husband and the Bigs cut up the logs and the Littles stack them in the wood shed. Then they cut more wood from the lot across the road. I read a book.
Nira and Diego return just before supper. Things in town seem better than our last visit. They traded a few jars of pickles for a pumpkin, two turnips, and a cabbage. The store would have taken more, but there wasn't much selection, so they decided to keep what they had. They had to go a ways out of town to find cars that still had gas, but they managed to refill all of the jerry cans. The library has grown, but the selection isn't great. Nira has picked a bunch of harlequins for me. Better than nothing, I suppose. They head back to their place.
Husband takes the oven off the stove. #4 makes hot dogs for supper. The temperature is dropping outside, and the cloths are nearly frozen when I switch them for my foot. It doesn't look like it's going to blister, but still hurts. The Bigs do chores and double check that the turkey shack is secure. We're going to leave the dogs outside loose overnight.
The Bigs bring in the heavy blankets that were hung on the clothesline in the rain yesterday. They're not quite dry yet, so we hang them over door frames and chairs for tonight.
We spend the evening playing clue, and then head off to bed. My foot aggravates me repeatedly throughout the night, waking me up.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Day 15- The Return
Husband woke me early this morning. They made it there and back ok.
The trip was relatively uneventful. There were a couple of road blocks
set up, but most people were friendly, just looking for goods to
trade. It seems everyone out and about has armed themselves. We're now
living in the wild, wild north. They had a bit of trouble on the
return trip, it seems the northerners are ok with people headed south,
but not as kind to southerners headed north. They had to explain
several times where they were headed, but no gunshots were fired, so
they consider it a good trip. There were people out fishing at every
lake and stream they passed, a few people with signs, 'Will work for
Food', and plenty of hunters on the back roads. The military is
guarding the city of Barrie- probably for lack of anything better to do,
but they were also friendly. They just want visitors to know that no
nonsense will be tolerated.
They stopped and refuelled from transport trucks in the middle of the road, and refilled all of our gas cans by siphoning fuel from abandoned cars. We should be ok for quite awhile, so long as we're careful with it.
Husband goes to bed and I get up and make my tea. I want to go and see the girls, but they're probably sleeping after their long trip. I have more butchering to do today anyway. It's warm already, and the sun hasn't risen yet. I think I had better start canning while I butcher. I'll do the ground beef and the stew as I cut today, and save the roasts and hope for a freeze. I go downstairs to get a box of jars. I don't have that many left. If it doesn't freeze soon this could be a disaster.
#1 gets up and uses the outhouse. He tells me we're out of toilet paper. I send him out to the trailer to get what I have stored in there. He finds two 24 packs- that's all there is. Life is going to get very interesting in the next little while. Luckily I'm the only girl here, so I decide to start using cloth for wet and keep the paper for the icky stuff. As I dig through my material bin, I figure I better start on hankies too. I'm not sure how many boxes of kleenex are left, but I better wean everybody off of them before bad colds send everyone scampering for kleenex by the foot.
The rest of the boys are up and eating breakfast- toast and jam. That's the last of the bread again. I get them to start two batches of bread while I cut the cloth. It seems like we should be relaxing, the stress of getting the girls here is over, but there's just so much to do!
The boys do chores and find me a couple of small bins for my 'tissues' and 'wipes'. The wipes go to the outhouse. I leave the tissues in the bathroom, for lack of a better place to put them.
#1 gets the horse cart ready and goes to pick up Mom and her laundry. I go down to the creek with them and show her what I've been doing. I gather up my laundry from yesterday so the lines will be clear, but she'd rather use her own lines at home. She also has plenty of soap still, so doesn't bother with the lye water. I leave her there with #1 and walk back to the house, picking weeds as I go.
#2 and I get started on butchering. We make good progress today, finishing the last two quarters and ground beef. It's not perfect, and we leave more fat on than normal, but we're eager for this job to be done. There's still tallow to render, and stock to be made, but the hard work is done. We set up the smoker and put two small roasts in to smoke overnight. I have no idea how these will turn out- I've never smoked a roast before.
I take frequent breaks from the garage to switch things up in the kitchen. At the end of the day I have all of the stew meat and half of the ground beef canned. The roast and steaks are spread out in the freezers, where things are still cool, but not as cool as they were when all of this started.
#1 takes Mom home with her laundry to hang, then unloads our laundry in the house when he returns.
Husband gets up and we go to visit Brother, Sil, and the girls. They're sitting around the fire pit when we get there, discussing what to do with themselves. They have a good selection of supplies now, but they're still missing so much. The trailer is nice as a vacation spot, but pretty cramped as semi permanent living quarters. They need more food for winter, though Sil has a nice collection of weeds dried out as well as her canned goods. They'll need meat.
The girls are in a bit of denial. All they had been focused on was getting here. Get here and they'd be fine. Except now they're here and the world is still upside down. They want to read, listen to music, play on computers, and shower. Luxuries of the past, at least for the moment.
We talk about the space issues first. We decide to build a log cabin lean-to on the front of their trailer. It'll mean ripping apart the current extension, but it'll give them more space and hopefully keep them warmer.
As evening approaches the temperature starts to drop and I hope for a freeze. Even a few degrees below zero would help the freezers so much at this point.
We have a quick beef soup for supper and call it a day. Everyone is tired all the time.
They stopped and refuelled from transport trucks in the middle of the road, and refilled all of our gas cans by siphoning fuel from abandoned cars. We should be ok for quite awhile, so long as we're careful with it.
Husband goes to bed and I get up and make my tea. I want to go and see the girls, but they're probably sleeping after their long trip. I have more butchering to do today anyway. It's warm already, and the sun hasn't risen yet. I think I had better start canning while I butcher. I'll do the ground beef and the stew as I cut today, and save the roasts and hope for a freeze. I go downstairs to get a box of jars. I don't have that many left. If it doesn't freeze soon this could be a disaster.
#1 gets up and uses the outhouse. He tells me we're out of toilet paper. I send him out to the trailer to get what I have stored in there. He finds two 24 packs- that's all there is. Life is going to get very interesting in the next little while. Luckily I'm the only girl here, so I decide to start using cloth for wet and keep the paper for the icky stuff. As I dig through my material bin, I figure I better start on hankies too. I'm not sure how many boxes of kleenex are left, but I better wean everybody off of them before bad colds send everyone scampering for kleenex by the foot.
The rest of the boys are up and eating breakfast- toast and jam. That's the last of the bread again. I get them to start two batches of bread while I cut the cloth. It seems like we should be relaxing, the stress of getting the girls here is over, but there's just so much to do!
The boys do chores and find me a couple of small bins for my 'tissues' and 'wipes'. The wipes go to the outhouse. I leave the tissues in the bathroom, for lack of a better place to put them.
#1 gets the horse cart ready and goes to pick up Mom and her laundry. I go down to the creek with them and show her what I've been doing. I gather up my laundry from yesterday so the lines will be clear, but she'd rather use her own lines at home. She also has plenty of soap still, so doesn't bother with the lye water. I leave her there with #1 and walk back to the house, picking weeds as I go.
#2 and I get started on butchering. We make good progress today, finishing the last two quarters and ground beef. It's not perfect, and we leave more fat on than normal, but we're eager for this job to be done. There's still tallow to render, and stock to be made, but the hard work is done. We set up the smoker and put two small roasts in to smoke overnight. I have no idea how these will turn out- I've never smoked a roast before.
I take frequent breaks from the garage to switch things up in the kitchen. At the end of the day I have all of the stew meat and half of the ground beef canned. The roast and steaks are spread out in the freezers, where things are still cool, but not as cool as they were when all of this started.
#1 takes Mom home with her laundry to hang, then unloads our laundry in the house when he returns.
Husband gets up and we go to visit Brother, Sil, and the girls. They're sitting around the fire pit when we get there, discussing what to do with themselves. They have a good selection of supplies now, but they're still missing so much. The trailer is nice as a vacation spot, but pretty cramped as semi permanent living quarters. They need more food for winter, though Sil has a nice collection of weeds dried out as well as her canned goods. They'll need meat.
The girls are in a bit of denial. All they had been focused on was getting here. Get here and they'd be fine. Except now they're here and the world is still upside down. They want to read, listen to music, play on computers, and shower. Luxuries of the past, at least for the moment.
We talk about the space issues first. We decide to build a log cabin lean-to on the front of their trailer. It'll mean ripping apart the current extension, but it'll give them more space and hopefully keep them warmer.
As evening approaches the temperature starts to drop and I hope for a freeze. Even a few degrees below zero would help the freezers so much at this point.
We have a quick beef soup for supper and call it a day. Everyone is tired all the time.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Travel By Night
Friend and the girls load the back of his truck with all the food and clothing they can fit inside. They top it with clothing, blankets, and camping gear. Every inch of space is filled with anything they think might be needed. Last on the truck are several large jerry cans, filled with all of the fuel he had or could siphon out of other vehicles. He sticks his siphoning hose behind the seat. They may be able to siphon more fuel from abandoned cars on the way.
They leave his village late in the night. It's going to be a long trip, hopefully without too much trouble. He decides to take the back roads, even though it means they'll be passing through more towns, because it takes them around the major cities, where the cars have probably left the highway looking like a parking lot.
The first few hours are uneventful. They stop in quiet spots between towns, refuelling from abandoned cars and relieving themselves.
As they approach one of the larger towns, they see a roadblock set up with armed guards. Friend loads his shotgun and stops a ways back from the roadblock. He puts the truck in reverse, then rolls down his window to talk to them.
"Can we pass through here?", he asks.
"This is a toll road. Get out of your vehicle and prepare to be inspected", one of the guards answers as he raises his gun.
Friend floors the truck and rushes down the road in reverse. Shots are fired. He keeps driving in reverse until they're a couple of miles out of town, then turns the truck around. They drive back the way they came for another 10 miles or so. When they stop he gets out and checks the vehicle for damages. They were lucky. It looks like only a few pellet holes through the fender on the driver's side.
Friend checks his map to find a way around this town. He tells Niece1 to drive, so he can be ready with the gun if needed. They continue on their way.
Their detour is uneventful for another hour, until they see another vehicle moving towards them. It flashes it's lights at them. They again stop a ways back and roll down the windows, leaving the truck in gear. Friend tells Niece1 if anything happens, floor it and drive straight ahead. They need to keep moving forward.
Luckily the people in the other vehicle are just fellow travellers, trying to make it to safety. They talk about the towns they drove through, and warn each other of dangers they saw. There's a spot up ahead a couple of hours with a lot of abandoned cars blocking the road. The others were trying to work their way around them when armed men jumped out and demanded they stop and give them all of their food. They tell Friend the ditch is rough, but they drove through it ok. They also warn them to find someplace to hide in the daytime. They tried travelling during the day and were nearly mobbed by people on foot. They part company and continue on their journey.
When they get close to the spot where the other travellers had told them about the hijackers, Friend and Niece1 switch places. He gives her the gun and tells her just point and pull the trigger if anyone gets too close. They drive up the road and see the hijackers pushing a car into the ditch. They aren't prepared to shoot, so Friend zips through around the vehicles quickly. They're lucky again.
They make it just outside of Friend's cottage's town before they encounter another road block. The men here start shooting right away. Friend tries to back away quickly again, but feels a sudden burning in his leg. He keeps driving even though he knows he's been shot. He drives as far as he can before nearly passing out. The girls are freaking out. Niece1 jumps out of the truck, and sees the bullet holes as she reaches for the door. She pulls it open and sees the blood.
She checks Friend's pulse and he's still alive. She looks for the wound, and finds it in his leg. She gets a t-shirt out of the back and wraps it around his leg. The girls work together to push him into the center of the truck. They aren't sure where to go from here and it's getting close to daybreak. They decide to try to find a spot to hide. Niece1 drives up the road slowly, looking at houses, farms and fields. She finds a small house that looks empty and pulls in. She drives right past the house and into the backyard. She turns the truck around to face the driveway and parks it between the house and some trees.
The girls are shaken up, they're not sure what to do now. They decide to stay in the truck and try to get some sleep. It won't be comfortable, but if anyone comes they'll be able to drive off quicker. Niece1 checks Friend's wound. Thankfully, the bleeding has stopped.
They sleep for several hours, off and on. The girls need to relieve themselves, and they're hungry, but they're nervous to get out of the truck. There hasn't been anyone around all day. Niece1 takes the shot gun and opens her door. She waits while Niece2 jumps out. Niece2 goes behind the truck to relieve herself, then digs through the back for a jar of soup. They'll eat it cold. She holds the gun while Niece1 jumps out. They quickly scramble back in the truck, happy nothing happened.
As they eat the soup Friend begins to stir. He moans and clutches at his leg. They hold his hands and try to wake him. He opens his eyes, disoriented. They tell him where they are and what happened. They feed him some soup. He needs out of the truck. Niece2 helps him out and around back, but then he's on his own.
It takes a while before he stumbles around the side of the truck. They help him back in. He's looked at his wound. The bullet went straight through. It hurts like hell, but he should survive.
They look over the map and he shows the girls exactly where his cottage is. They look at a few different routes around the town where Friend was shot. The best route would take them two hours away, and they'd have to pass through three more towns, where anything could happen. They decide instead to go around the town on the back roads. They'll pass through the edge of town on the north side, but they hope the guards there will be less trigger happy. They just need to get around one corner and they'll be headed back away from the town.
They try to sleep. It's a few more hours before dark. They want to wait until midnight or so before they head out again. After dark they get out to relieve themselves again. They eat another jar of cold soup, this time while standing outside. They stretch their legs a bit, refuel the truck, and wait. Friend is in a lot of pain. They decide to keep him in the middle in case he passes out again.
Niece1 pulls out from behind the house and heads down the driveway. Niece2 notices a faint light in an upstairs window, and someone watching them. There was someone there all day. This house was not abandoned after all. The people inside must have been wondering what they were doing out there all day.
They head down the road, staying on the country roads, weaving their way around town. They get to the road that they're worried cuts into the corner of town. Niece1 braces herself. Drive fast, don't stop.
She hits the throttle, cruises up the road over a hill. She can see a road block at the corner. She floors it. One of the guards jumps out of the way, the other raises his gun. She whips around the corner. There are gun shots behind her, she doesn't slow down. The town is soon far behind them. They should be home free now. A few more back roads and they'll be at the cottage.
Niece1 looks down at the instrument panel. They're low on gas. That's strange. They haven't driven very far. She tells the others, and stops beside an abandoned car in the road to refuel. The car doesn't have any fuel in it, so they get a gas can from the back of the truck. As they start fuelling the air fills with the smell of gas. They look closer and discover they've got a leak. One of the bullets must have hit the tank.
Friend tells them to fill it anyway, they've only got a couple of kilometers left to go. The girls hurry, jump back in the cab, and speed off on their way. Niece1 watches the needle dropping nervously as she drives. She's afraid they'll have to stop and refill again when Friend says, "That's it. The next place on the left." They made it.
They leave his village late in the night. It's going to be a long trip, hopefully without too much trouble. He decides to take the back roads, even though it means they'll be passing through more towns, because it takes them around the major cities, where the cars have probably left the highway looking like a parking lot.
The first few hours are uneventful. They stop in quiet spots between towns, refuelling from abandoned cars and relieving themselves.
As they approach one of the larger towns, they see a roadblock set up with armed guards. Friend loads his shotgun and stops a ways back from the roadblock. He puts the truck in reverse, then rolls down his window to talk to them.
"Can we pass through here?", he asks.
"This is a toll road. Get out of your vehicle and prepare to be inspected", one of the guards answers as he raises his gun.
Friend floors the truck and rushes down the road in reverse. Shots are fired. He keeps driving in reverse until they're a couple of miles out of town, then turns the truck around. They drive back the way they came for another 10 miles or so. When they stop he gets out and checks the vehicle for damages. They were lucky. It looks like only a few pellet holes through the fender on the driver's side.
Friend checks his map to find a way around this town. He tells Niece1 to drive, so he can be ready with the gun if needed. They continue on their way.
Their detour is uneventful for another hour, until they see another vehicle moving towards them. It flashes it's lights at them. They again stop a ways back and roll down the windows, leaving the truck in gear. Friend tells Niece1 if anything happens, floor it and drive straight ahead. They need to keep moving forward.
Luckily the people in the other vehicle are just fellow travellers, trying to make it to safety. They talk about the towns they drove through, and warn each other of dangers they saw. There's a spot up ahead a couple of hours with a lot of abandoned cars blocking the road. The others were trying to work their way around them when armed men jumped out and demanded they stop and give them all of their food. They tell Friend the ditch is rough, but they drove through it ok. They also warn them to find someplace to hide in the daytime. They tried travelling during the day and were nearly mobbed by people on foot. They part company and continue on their journey.
When they get close to the spot where the other travellers had told them about the hijackers, Friend and Niece1 switch places. He gives her the gun and tells her just point and pull the trigger if anyone gets too close. They drive up the road and see the hijackers pushing a car into the ditch. They aren't prepared to shoot, so Friend zips through around the vehicles quickly. They're lucky again.
They make it just outside of Friend's cottage's town before they encounter another road block. The men here start shooting right away. Friend tries to back away quickly again, but feels a sudden burning in his leg. He keeps driving even though he knows he's been shot. He drives as far as he can before nearly passing out. The girls are freaking out. Niece1 jumps out of the truck, and sees the bullet holes as she reaches for the door. She pulls it open and sees the blood.
She checks Friend's pulse and he's still alive. She looks for the wound, and finds it in his leg. She gets a t-shirt out of the back and wraps it around his leg. The girls work together to push him into the center of the truck. They aren't sure where to go from here and it's getting close to daybreak. They decide to try to find a spot to hide. Niece1 drives up the road slowly, looking at houses, farms and fields. She finds a small house that looks empty and pulls in. She drives right past the house and into the backyard. She turns the truck around to face the driveway and parks it between the house and some trees.
The girls are shaken up, they're not sure what to do now. They decide to stay in the truck and try to get some sleep. It won't be comfortable, but if anyone comes they'll be able to drive off quicker. Niece1 checks Friend's wound. Thankfully, the bleeding has stopped.
They sleep for several hours, off and on. The girls need to relieve themselves, and they're hungry, but they're nervous to get out of the truck. There hasn't been anyone around all day. Niece1 takes the shot gun and opens her door. She waits while Niece2 jumps out. Niece2 goes behind the truck to relieve herself, then digs through the back for a jar of soup. They'll eat it cold. She holds the gun while Niece1 jumps out. They quickly scramble back in the truck, happy nothing happened.
As they eat the soup Friend begins to stir. He moans and clutches at his leg. They hold his hands and try to wake him. He opens his eyes, disoriented. They tell him where they are and what happened. They feed him some soup. He needs out of the truck. Niece2 helps him out and around back, but then he's on his own.
It takes a while before he stumbles around the side of the truck. They help him back in. He's looked at his wound. The bullet went straight through. It hurts like hell, but he should survive.
They look over the map and he shows the girls exactly where his cottage is. They look at a few different routes around the town where Friend was shot. The best route would take them two hours away, and they'd have to pass through three more towns, where anything could happen. They decide instead to go around the town on the back roads. They'll pass through the edge of town on the north side, but they hope the guards there will be less trigger happy. They just need to get around one corner and they'll be headed back away from the town.
They try to sleep. It's a few more hours before dark. They want to wait until midnight or so before they head out again. After dark they get out to relieve themselves again. They eat another jar of cold soup, this time while standing outside. They stretch their legs a bit, refuel the truck, and wait. Friend is in a lot of pain. They decide to keep him in the middle in case he passes out again.
Niece1 pulls out from behind the house and heads down the driveway. Niece2 notices a faint light in an upstairs window, and someone watching them. There was someone there all day. This house was not abandoned after all. The people inside must have been wondering what they were doing out there all day.
They head down the road, staying on the country roads, weaving their way around town. They get to the road that they're worried cuts into the corner of town. Niece1 braces herself. Drive fast, don't stop.
She hits the throttle, cruises up the road over a hill. She can see a road block at the corner. She floors it. One of the guards jumps out of the way, the other raises his gun. She whips around the corner. There are gun shots behind her, she doesn't slow down. The town is soon far behind them. They should be home free now. A few more back roads and they'll be at the cottage.
Niece1 looks down at the instrument panel. They're low on gas. That's strange. They haven't driven very far. She tells the others, and stops beside an abandoned car in the road to refuel. The car doesn't have any fuel in it, so they get a gas can from the back of the truck. As they start fuelling the air fills with the smell of gas. They look closer and discover they've got a leak. One of the bullets must have hit the tank.
Friend tells them to fill it anyway, they've only got a couple of kilometers left to go. The girls hurry, jump back in the cab, and speed off on their way. Niece1 watches the needle dropping nervously as she drives. She's afraid they'll have to stop and refill again when Friend says, "That's it. The next place on the left." They made it.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Day 10- A Trip To The Potato Man
I'm up early. Or still. I didn't sleep much last night. I stoke the stove, start coffee and tea, and then start a batch of bread. I pour myself a cup of tea- it'll be the last one with honey. I wonder why I never went to the local apiary myself. I always meant to, to see if they had larger jars or better prices than what the grocery store carried. But then, I also enjoyed the convenience of buying it from the grocery store, and the best way too show them that was to keep buying it there. Except now, I don't know where they are and I can't call for directions. I know they're somewhere near the potato man. It would have been good to make two stops on one trip.
Husband gets up and pours himself a coffee. He puts his sugar in, then hides the canister at the back of the cupboard. He sits down at the table and sees the empty honey jar. "So I suppose this means I'm going to have to start sharing my sugar with you."
I laugh. "Yeah, unless you want to go on a wild goose chase and find me some more honey." He looks over the jar. Just a rural route number, no road address.
"Why didn't you ever start a beehive?", he asks.
I just stare at him. "Seriously?" He starts to laugh.
"What? My super woman afraid an itty bitty bee's going to kill her..." He's roaring now. I can't help it. I laugh too. I had thought about getting a hive, but I am allergic. The bumbles are better suited to our climate and less likely to attack me, so I never pursued it. Though in all honesty, the bees get a bad rap. I've never been stung by a bee- it's always the wasps and spiders that put me in the hospital.
There's a tap at the door and the dogs go wild. I think they're edgier since it's so quiet now without the constant hum of all the hydro sucking appliances. Husband grabs two of them and I get the door with just Smitty as my guard. To my surprise, it's Brother and Sil. They join us for coffee, and I sneak them some sugar but tell them not to tell.
Brother is going with Husband for potatoes. He wants to try calling the girls again. Sil wants me to take her for a walk and teach her the weeds. Mom and Dad still aren't concerned about how long this is going to last for, but Sil knows we could be in it for the long haul. She's extra uncomfortable not having any food storage here. We're discussing my storage when Nira and Diego come in. Nira's surprised that Sil wants to forage and store whatever she can find. I think having Sil in on the conversation helps Nira to see the light. Sil keeps telling her how lucky we all are that I've been feeding my family weeds for years. Most people don't know what to look for.
The boys get up, and the kids come in. There are too many people in my house. I leave #2 to organize breakfast, and show Nira how to cook again. I go out to the garage to cut and wrap some beef.
Casper's only been hanging three days, but my mouth is watering. The meat is so much thicker and heavier than Steaks' was. It smells divine. I split the hip and cut down one quarter. I almost drop it. He was a big boy. Dorie sure did a fine job!
I start cutting the meat off the bone. The rump is big enough for at least six roasts, eight if I really want to stretch it. I cut the legs into stewing beef. I look over the pile of meat. By pre blackout prices, a roast should be worth a bit more than a bag of potatoes. I decide to send them with 7 roasts and 2 packages of stewing meat. I tuck the rest of the meat into the freezer. I take the bones in the house.
The kids and the Littles are gone when I go in. There are plates everywhere, and most still have bits of pancake on them. It amazes me how wasteful city people are. At least I don't have to worry about what to feed the dogs today. Everyone else is finishing their pancakes. The blueberry sauce is empty, and they've started a jar of elderberry. #1 must have picked it.
I put the bones in a stock pot, then filter the water off the stove to fill it. #1 gets me a couple of carrots and an onion from the basement. I know this is breaking my own rules, but the stock will make several meals to come, not just today's. I chop the carrots, then change my mind about the onion. I go out and pick a few chives instead. I spice it with rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and set it on the grill. #2 hands me a plate of pancakes. He and I sit down to eat. I'm annoyed that he's still cooking, but Nat has finished her pancakes.
Husband, Brother and Diego go out to get Tori and the cart ready to go. #1 finds and loads a couple of garden forks and several feed bags, in case they have to dig. Husband hasn't thought of anything worth trading, other than food. They load the meat I had wrapped. The cart is almost full. I send #2 out with a few jars of jams, a small bag of carrots and a blanket to cover it all. He saddles Knightmare. He'll ride alongside the cart. I tell him to put the saddle bags on too, just in case. The men get their guns. There's only room for 2 on the seat, and one in the cart. Someone will have to stay.
#2 says, "Let's ask southern neighbour for an extra horse." That's not a bad idea. I give Husband all of the paper cash I have saved, except $20 in small bills, just in case. We say goodbye, and they head out, with #1 walking along. If they can't borrow a horse, he'll walk back home.
They find the neighbours putting the last of their hay out. They tell them their plan and ask to borrow an extra horse. Sanya tells them they can keep one if they're willing to feed it. She picks one of her favourites for #1. She also decides to join them. She rides one of her horses that's also broke to pull, just in case Tori can't handle the trip. Roam saddles two horses, and leads a third from the barn. He figures they can't feed it anyway, they might as well try to trade it for potatoes.
It's 42 kilometers to the next small town, so it's a pretty quiet ride for a while. There are few houses alongside the highway, and most look abandoned. The worst they encounter for a long time are cars abandoned on the road that they have to work their way around. Most of them have smashed windows and have obviously been rummaged through, probably people looking for food. They shoot a few partridge on the way.
After about an hour later, they are hit with the stench of rot. They can see the crows up ahead. They expect to find roadkill, but as they approach a house on the side of the road, they see people have been shot. There are three near the road and a fourth near the house. They are about to stop when the door opens and a woman with a gun yells, "Keep moving!" They wave and continue, guns cocked.
They reach Littletown after two hours. People are out and about chatting, kids are running around playing. Things look normal, until they arm themselves. Several men walk out to the road. They're wary, but calm. They chat about the blackout, supplies, survival. The people here have banded together, and most are doing fine. Husband tells them our village is ok too.
Brother asks if the payphone is working. It is. He calls the girls. There's still no answer. They continue down the road.
It's almost another hour before they reach the next village. It looks like a major city from days gone by. This area is mostly a Hutterite community. They're doing well. The country store is still open, though it's lit by lanterns and has no feed. Husband stops in and looks around. He buys a small oil lamp for $7. #1 spots my honey on a shelf. Husband grabs two jars. It's another $20, but he figures it's worth it. The man at the counter tells him the apiary is part of the community, so the honey is always there for sale. He also says they're still processing chickens down the road, if we have money, we can have meat. We aren't worried about meat.
Diego looks over the woodstoves for sale. These are serious wood cook stoves, with serious price tags. He asks if they would consider trading for one, since our money is all locked up in the bank. The man scratches his chin for awhile. "It would have to be a big trade", he says, "like a couple of cows or horses".
Roam jumps in and tells him he has a horse with him that he was hoping to trade. The man calls someone else out of the back to go and see the horse. Outside they settle on a price, not in cash, but in goods. Roam and Sanya discuss a variety of things they need, but the big question is how to get them home. They tell the men about their other horses, and no hay. The men ask where they are, and agree to trade horses for hay. They'll deliver it and take the horses they want with them. Sanya is happy her horses will be fed, and she won't lose them all.
They continue on their way to the potato man. It's only another half hour up the road. No one is around when they get there, and they see bullet holes in the sign. The men call out to the house and fields but nobody answers. Then Husband yells, "We have food to trade or money to buy!" A curtain moves in the window and they can see the potato man peek out. Husband pulls the blanket back, and lifts a package. "Beef!", he yells.
The potato man and another man step outside with guns. "The beef is probably rotten!" He yells. Husband tells him we slaughtered our cow just three days ago and wrapped the meat this morning. He takes one package to them and opens it so they can smell it. "That's not rotten. That smells good!"
They start to discuss a trade, but the potato man has been robbed several times. He has no fuel for his equipment, and most of his crop is still in the field. He agrees to let them dig the potatoes themselves. They decide that ten bags of potatoes are a fair trade for all of the beef, jams and carrots. He tells them where to dig and welcomes them back any time.
It takes a couple of hours to dig and fill the ten bags of potatoes. The cart is overloaded. Tori is already sore and tired, so Sanya switches her horse on the cart. #1 trades horses with her. He's lighter, so it will be easier on Tori. They cover the potatoes with the blanket and Diego sits on top of them for the ride home. There's really no hiding what's under the blanket though.
When they reach the Hutterite village, Husband decides to go back to the store. He asks the man about live chickens. We lost all of ours to foxes this year. The man from the back takes him to a farm in his buggy where Husband pays $20 for 4 hens and a rooster. He doesn't have a cage though, so he cuts some air holes in a feed bag and hopes they make it home ok.
Back on the road they pass some people headed south. One of them is bleeding. They watch the cart of potatoes go by, but don't try anything with everyone holding guns.
In Littletown they are wary, not wanting their haul to be raided. The men come to the road to chat again, and ask if the potato man is ok. They've made several trips there themselves. They chat about the Hutterite village. A boy notices the chickens in the feed bag and gets upset.
"They shouldn't be in there like that!", he says.
"We don't have a cage.", Husband answers. The boy runs off and comes back with an old laundry basket. It's cracked in several places. "Put them in here", he says. They transfer the birds, and put the feed bag on top. He gets some string so they can tie the feed bag over the top. Husband thanks him profusely, telling him he was worried about the birds making it home.
They talk about the city to the south. There haven't been any visitors from there, and the townsfolk think any who have left the city headed south. Not many people head that way and return though either. Most people come from the north, hungry and desperate. They had to shoot at a group earlier in the day that tried to break into a house. Husband tells them they probably passed them, and one was bleeding.
Brother decides to try the phone again. There's still no answer at his house. He tries calling a friend, and is surprised when he answers. He is relieved a moment later, when he is talking to his daughters. Friend went to their house. He has an old truck that's still running, and wanted them to travel north to his cottage together. Things are crazy in the cities. He found the girls home alone. They loaded up all of Sil's canned goods, sleeping bags, hand tools, and winter clothes for everyone. They've been in Friend's village for days. Friend wants to leave after dark and travel through the night. He thinks he has enough fuel to make the trip to Huntsville. This will put the girls several hours closer to us. He gets the phone number for the cottage and tells them to take the rotary phone with them.
They leave Littletown and head for home. The rest of the trip is uneventful, except for shooting a few more partridge. They leave Sanya and Roam with one bag of potatoes and bring the rest home, along with the horse #1 had been riding.
We're all relieved when they're back at home. It's been a long, worry filled day. I am thrilled to see the chickens. We will have eggs again! I am not taking any chances with these- I put them in the basement for the night.
Brother tells Sil and the rest of us the news about the girls. Mom and Dad are here too. Dad thinks he can get our old diesel truck running, and he should have enough fuel to get to Huntsville and back. He'll have to put his farm fuel tank in the box. They decide to work on it in the morning.
The Bigs put the horses back in the pasture. Everyone helps unload potatoes. Nat is upset that all of the potatoes are going in my cold room. I tell her until she digs a root cellar that's the only place that makes sense.
We clean the partridge and I slice them up. I put them in the cooler tonight, we will feast tomorrow.
When everything is unloaded, Husband brings me the blanket. It's much heavier than I expect. He smiles as I unwrap it and discover the honey. This is so much more than I was expecting. I start to cry, cause, you know, sometimes I get girly like that.
This morning, after the men left, we women went on a weed walk. Nira and Sil are both quite confident about which weeds are safe to eat. Back at the house, Sil helped me roll out bread. She wanted to learn how to make it, so we started another batch. Then we rolled it into bread bowls. We canned several jars of beef stock, and made a big pot of beef soup for supper, with a variety of weeds, a few potatoes, the carrots from the stock, and all the meat off the bones.
We light a fire outside and sit around it eating and talking for hours, listening to the men's tale of adventure. The kids are all enthralled by the story telling, listening intently. It's like a pirate story for them. I think we better make time for 'school' for all of them.
We talk late into the night. Sil and Nira ask about how to build a root cellar. Mom and Dad tell them about root cellars they had when they were kids. I suggest they start digging right through the floor of their camps, so it'll be accessible through the winter.
We talk about the woodstoves and doing a trade. Two cows would leave us with only 1, the calf, and our bull. That's too steep of a price. Dad's pretty sure he can rig something together for Diego and Nira anyway.
We all go to bed well fed, calm and more content than we have been in a long time.
Husband gets up and pours himself a coffee. He puts his sugar in, then hides the canister at the back of the cupboard. He sits down at the table and sees the empty honey jar. "So I suppose this means I'm going to have to start sharing my sugar with you."
I laugh. "Yeah, unless you want to go on a wild goose chase and find me some more honey." He looks over the jar. Just a rural route number, no road address.
"Why didn't you ever start a beehive?", he asks.
I just stare at him. "Seriously?" He starts to laugh.
"What? My super woman afraid an itty bitty bee's going to kill her..." He's roaring now. I can't help it. I laugh too. I had thought about getting a hive, but I am allergic. The bumbles are better suited to our climate and less likely to attack me, so I never pursued it. Though in all honesty, the bees get a bad rap. I've never been stung by a bee- it's always the wasps and spiders that put me in the hospital.
There's a tap at the door and the dogs go wild. I think they're edgier since it's so quiet now without the constant hum of all the hydro sucking appliances. Husband grabs two of them and I get the door with just Smitty as my guard. To my surprise, it's Brother and Sil. They join us for coffee, and I sneak them some sugar but tell them not to tell.
Brother is going with Husband for potatoes. He wants to try calling the girls again. Sil wants me to take her for a walk and teach her the weeds. Mom and Dad still aren't concerned about how long this is going to last for, but Sil knows we could be in it for the long haul. She's extra uncomfortable not having any food storage here. We're discussing my storage when Nira and Diego come in. Nira's surprised that Sil wants to forage and store whatever she can find. I think having Sil in on the conversation helps Nira to see the light. Sil keeps telling her how lucky we all are that I've been feeding my family weeds for years. Most people don't know what to look for.
The boys get up, and the kids come in. There are too many people in my house. I leave #2 to organize breakfast, and show Nira how to cook again. I go out to the garage to cut and wrap some beef.
Casper's only been hanging three days, but my mouth is watering. The meat is so much thicker and heavier than Steaks' was. It smells divine. I split the hip and cut down one quarter. I almost drop it. He was a big boy. Dorie sure did a fine job!
I start cutting the meat off the bone. The rump is big enough for at least six roasts, eight if I really want to stretch it. I cut the legs into stewing beef. I look over the pile of meat. By pre blackout prices, a roast should be worth a bit more than a bag of potatoes. I decide to send them with 7 roasts and 2 packages of stewing meat. I tuck the rest of the meat into the freezer. I take the bones in the house.
The kids and the Littles are gone when I go in. There are plates everywhere, and most still have bits of pancake on them. It amazes me how wasteful city people are. At least I don't have to worry about what to feed the dogs today. Everyone else is finishing their pancakes. The blueberry sauce is empty, and they've started a jar of elderberry. #1 must have picked it.
I put the bones in a stock pot, then filter the water off the stove to fill it. #1 gets me a couple of carrots and an onion from the basement. I know this is breaking my own rules, but the stock will make several meals to come, not just today's. I chop the carrots, then change my mind about the onion. I go out and pick a few chives instead. I spice it with rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and set it on the grill. #2 hands me a plate of pancakes. He and I sit down to eat. I'm annoyed that he's still cooking, but Nat has finished her pancakes.
Husband, Brother and Diego go out to get Tori and the cart ready to go. #1 finds and loads a couple of garden forks and several feed bags, in case they have to dig. Husband hasn't thought of anything worth trading, other than food. They load the meat I had wrapped. The cart is almost full. I send #2 out with a few jars of jams, a small bag of carrots and a blanket to cover it all. He saddles Knightmare. He'll ride alongside the cart. I tell him to put the saddle bags on too, just in case. The men get their guns. There's only room for 2 on the seat, and one in the cart. Someone will have to stay.
#2 says, "Let's ask southern neighbour for an extra horse." That's not a bad idea. I give Husband all of the paper cash I have saved, except $20 in small bills, just in case. We say goodbye, and they head out, with #1 walking along. If they can't borrow a horse, he'll walk back home.
They find the neighbours putting the last of their hay out. They tell them their plan and ask to borrow an extra horse. Sanya tells them they can keep one if they're willing to feed it. She picks one of her favourites for #1. She also decides to join them. She rides one of her horses that's also broke to pull, just in case Tori can't handle the trip. Roam saddles two horses, and leads a third from the barn. He figures they can't feed it anyway, they might as well try to trade it for potatoes.
It's 42 kilometers to the next small town, so it's a pretty quiet ride for a while. There are few houses alongside the highway, and most look abandoned. The worst they encounter for a long time are cars abandoned on the road that they have to work their way around. Most of them have smashed windows and have obviously been rummaged through, probably people looking for food. They shoot a few partridge on the way.
After about an hour later, they are hit with the stench of rot. They can see the crows up ahead. They expect to find roadkill, but as they approach a house on the side of the road, they see people have been shot. There are three near the road and a fourth near the house. They are about to stop when the door opens and a woman with a gun yells, "Keep moving!" They wave and continue, guns cocked.
They reach Littletown after two hours. People are out and about chatting, kids are running around playing. Things look normal, until they arm themselves. Several men walk out to the road. They're wary, but calm. They chat about the blackout, supplies, survival. The people here have banded together, and most are doing fine. Husband tells them our village is ok too.
Brother asks if the payphone is working. It is. He calls the girls. There's still no answer. They continue down the road.
It's almost another hour before they reach the next village. It looks like a major city from days gone by. This area is mostly a Hutterite community. They're doing well. The country store is still open, though it's lit by lanterns and has no feed. Husband stops in and looks around. He buys a small oil lamp for $7. #1 spots my honey on a shelf. Husband grabs two jars. It's another $20, but he figures it's worth it. The man at the counter tells him the apiary is part of the community, so the honey is always there for sale. He also says they're still processing chickens down the road, if we have money, we can have meat. We aren't worried about meat.
Diego looks over the woodstoves for sale. These are serious wood cook stoves, with serious price tags. He asks if they would consider trading for one, since our money is all locked up in the bank. The man scratches his chin for awhile. "It would have to be a big trade", he says, "like a couple of cows or horses".
Roam jumps in and tells him he has a horse with him that he was hoping to trade. The man calls someone else out of the back to go and see the horse. Outside they settle on a price, not in cash, but in goods. Roam and Sanya discuss a variety of things they need, but the big question is how to get them home. They tell the men about their other horses, and no hay. The men ask where they are, and agree to trade horses for hay. They'll deliver it and take the horses they want with them. Sanya is happy her horses will be fed, and she won't lose them all.
They continue on their way to the potato man. It's only another half hour up the road. No one is around when they get there, and they see bullet holes in the sign. The men call out to the house and fields but nobody answers. Then Husband yells, "We have food to trade or money to buy!" A curtain moves in the window and they can see the potato man peek out. Husband pulls the blanket back, and lifts a package. "Beef!", he yells.
The potato man and another man step outside with guns. "The beef is probably rotten!" He yells. Husband tells him we slaughtered our cow just three days ago and wrapped the meat this morning. He takes one package to them and opens it so they can smell it. "That's not rotten. That smells good!"
They start to discuss a trade, but the potato man has been robbed several times. He has no fuel for his equipment, and most of his crop is still in the field. He agrees to let them dig the potatoes themselves. They decide that ten bags of potatoes are a fair trade for all of the beef, jams and carrots. He tells them where to dig and welcomes them back any time.
It takes a couple of hours to dig and fill the ten bags of potatoes. The cart is overloaded. Tori is already sore and tired, so Sanya switches her horse on the cart. #1 trades horses with her. He's lighter, so it will be easier on Tori. They cover the potatoes with the blanket and Diego sits on top of them for the ride home. There's really no hiding what's under the blanket though.
When they reach the Hutterite village, Husband decides to go back to the store. He asks the man about live chickens. We lost all of ours to foxes this year. The man from the back takes him to a farm in his buggy where Husband pays $20 for 4 hens and a rooster. He doesn't have a cage though, so he cuts some air holes in a feed bag and hopes they make it home ok.
Back on the road they pass some people headed south. One of them is bleeding. They watch the cart of potatoes go by, but don't try anything with everyone holding guns.
In Littletown they are wary, not wanting their haul to be raided. The men come to the road to chat again, and ask if the potato man is ok. They've made several trips there themselves. They chat about the Hutterite village. A boy notices the chickens in the feed bag and gets upset.
"They shouldn't be in there like that!", he says.
"We don't have a cage.", Husband answers. The boy runs off and comes back with an old laundry basket. It's cracked in several places. "Put them in here", he says. They transfer the birds, and put the feed bag on top. He gets some string so they can tie the feed bag over the top. Husband thanks him profusely, telling him he was worried about the birds making it home.
They talk about the city to the south. There haven't been any visitors from there, and the townsfolk think any who have left the city headed south. Not many people head that way and return though either. Most people come from the north, hungry and desperate. They had to shoot at a group earlier in the day that tried to break into a house. Husband tells them they probably passed them, and one was bleeding.
Brother decides to try the phone again. There's still no answer at his house. He tries calling a friend, and is surprised when he answers. He is relieved a moment later, when he is talking to his daughters. Friend went to their house. He has an old truck that's still running, and wanted them to travel north to his cottage together. Things are crazy in the cities. He found the girls home alone. They loaded up all of Sil's canned goods, sleeping bags, hand tools, and winter clothes for everyone. They've been in Friend's village for days. Friend wants to leave after dark and travel through the night. He thinks he has enough fuel to make the trip to Huntsville. This will put the girls several hours closer to us. He gets the phone number for the cottage and tells them to take the rotary phone with them.
They leave Littletown and head for home. The rest of the trip is uneventful, except for shooting a few more partridge. They leave Sanya and Roam with one bag of potatoes and bring the rest home, along with the horse #1 had been riding.
We're all relieved when they're back at home. It's been a long, worry filled day. I am thrilled to see the chickens. We will have eggs again! I am not taking any chances with these- I put them in the basement for the night.
Brother tells Sil and the rest of us the news about the girls. Mom and Dad are here too. Dad thinks he can get our old diesel truck running, and he should have enough fuel to get to Huntsville and back. He'll have to put his farm fuel tank in the box. They decide to work on it in the morning.
The Bigs put the horses back in the pasture. Everyone helps unload potatoes. Nat is upset that all of the potatoes are going in my cold room. I tell her until she digs a root cellar that's the only place that makes sense.
We clean the partridge and I slice them up. I put them in the cooler tonight, we will feast tomorrow.
When everything is unloaded, Husband brings me the blanket. It's much heavier than I expect. He smiles as I unwrap it and discover the honey. This is so much more than I was expecting. I start to cry, cause, you know, sometimes I get girly like that.
This morning, after the men left, we women went on a weed walk. Nira and Sil are both quite confident about which weeds are safe to eat. Back at the house, Sil helped me roll out bread. She wanted to learn how to make it, so we started another batch. Then we rolled it into bread bowls. We canned several jars of beef stock, and made a big pot of beef soup for supper, with a variety of weeds, a few potatoes, the carrots from the stock, and all the meat off the bones.
We light a fire outside and sit around it eating and talking for hours, listening to the men's tale of adventure. The kids are all enthralled by the story telling, listening intently. It's like a pirate story for them. I think we better make time for 'school' for all of them.
We talk late into the night. Sil and Nira ask about how to build a root cellar. Mom and Dad tell them about root cellars they had when they were kids. I suggest they start digging right through the floor of their camps, so it'll be accessible through the winter.
We talk about the woodstoves and doing a trade. Two cows would leave us with only 1, the calf, and our bull. That's too steep of a price. Dad's pretty sure he can rig something together for Diego and Nira anyway.
We all go to bed well fed, calm and more content than we have been in a long time.
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