“Back when I was a little girl, we didn't refrigerate our eggs at all. If you don't have a rooster running about and the eggs are kept cool, they won't spoil for a while. In fact, fresh farm eggs aren't like the eggs you used to buy in the store at all. Grocery store eggs were only good for a month or so in the fridge because they were actually old by the time they hit the shelves,” she explained.
“They can sit out of the refrigerator?”
Rosie nodded. “If you can get your hands on some mineral oil the next time you’re in town that would allow us to keep the eggs on a shelf for months.” ,
“Eww,” Megan said, imagining the smell of rotten eggs filling the root cellar.
Rosie chuckled. “No, it isn't gross and they won't stink because they won't be rotten once we coat the eggs with it. The root cellar isn't going to get above seventy degrees, which is perfect for storing the eggs. They will be good for two months or longer. I can't see the eggs actually not being eaten faster than that, but if we happen to get more chickens, we can preserve the eggs.”
“I am guessing mineral oil was probably not at the top of the list for looters. When we go on our next run into town, I will be checking the major pharmacies. Every town has one of those stores,” she joked.
“Watch this,” Rosie said.
She grabbed the cup with the egg in it and a small cooking pot. She filled the pot with water.
“I'll show you a trick my mom taught me. You put your egg in a pot of water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it is fresh and good to use. If it floats in the middle somewhere, it is a little older, but still okay to use. If it floats on the top, it is old and you probably wouldn't want to eat it,” Rosie gestured for Megan to look in the pot.
When she looked, the egg was sitting at the bottom.
“Once we start getting some good egg production, we can test the eggs if we are worried about them not being good to eat. I have a feeling that isn't going to be a problem around here. These things are going to be going fast!”
“I can't wait to eat some scrambled eggs. I think I will see if Brenda will take me back to that barn. Maybe there are more chickens or even a rooster around,” Megan said, hopeful it was the case.
“It's certainly worth a shot,” Rosie said. “Here, drink this before you head back up there.”
“You know, once we get more eggs, these shells combined with the coffee grounds will really help the garden soil. I have also read the egg shells are a great way to keep the deer from eating our veggies. I imagine we will need all the help we can get,” Rosie said, putting the egg back in the cup.
“I checked out the garden the other day. The soil looks great, nice and dark. There were plenty of earthworms in it as well. They are really enjoying those coffee grounds you have been putting out there all winter.”
Rosie laughed. “Yes, I know you guys thought I was crazy sprinkling coffee grounds on the snow, but I knew they would eventually get worked into the soil. I wanted to make sure the worms had something to attract them and they needed to be well fed to keep up their hard work.”
Megan drank the tea, hoping it would act fast. She imagined everyone else that was on the work crew yesterday was probably feeling the same way.
“Thanks, Rosie. I am going to head back up there. I'll check in later. Send any able-bodied person up when they roll out of bed, if you would, please.”
“Oh, you know I will. I'll have Garrett stick with me for a while, but the rest I'm sure will be up and going soon.”
“Thanks, Rosie,” Megan said, before heading back out the door.
As she walked up the slope of the hill, she allowed herself to envision a future filled with fresh milk, eggs and maybe even some fried chicken. The chickens and goats were their first step to a self-sustaining way of life.
Now, all she had to do was prevent a wall of water from destroying the dreams of a prosperous future with the people she loved.
14
Megan wiped her brow, taking a moment to catch her breath. They had been working hard the past week and she could finally see the results. She stood back and admired the work they’d completed. It was moving along now that everyone knew what to do. She ran her hand over the wall that was forming pleased that it was already dry. It was almost impossible to tell where the individual bricks were set on top of one another.
“It looks good and solid,” Wyatt said, coming to stand beside her. “Are you feeling more confident about it?”
She nodded. “I am. It would be great if we could dig down a bit to create a trench to help slow the water while increasing the height of the wall. It isn't feasible to build the wall much higher, but if we can dig down, I think it will be far more effective. I know this is a proven method of building and it has been around for centuries, but I would feel better knowing we were taking every precaution.”
“I know erosion will be a definite result if the water remains constant, but we only need it for one purpose, the dike will help. The lodge is far enough down that even if some of the water does make its way over the top or through some cracks, it isn't going to be devastating,” Wyatt reasoned.
She arched her back, feeling the strain of the long day.
“Need more of mom's magic tea?” Wyatt joked.
“Yes, I do. It worked great for most of the day, but now I can feel all those aches again.”
“Go ahead and head back. We'll finish up here and be down shortly. I think everyone is hungry and ready to call it a day,” he said, gently rubbing her shoulders.
She nodded in agreement. The sun was setting and the temperatures were dropping. They had been sweating with the physical labor, but now, without the sun to warm them, they would get chilled.
“Don't stay too long,” she said, before heading down the hill.
The kids were finishing their dinner when Megan walked in. They had done their part mixing and hauling more buckets of clay and mud up from the stream, even though Megan wanted them to rest today.
“The rest of the group will be down soon,” Megan told Willow who was slicing bread at the counter.
“Okay. You look beat. Can I get you a plate ready?” Willow asked her with concern.
“Not yet, thank you. I'll wait for everyone else. I'm going to go change.”
Megan walked straight to her room, kicked the door closed and flopped back on the bed. She was exhausted. The choice between lying in bed or eating was a tough one. She wanted to do both.
The sound of Wyatt's voice woke her up instantly. She had dozed off, fully clothed; her booted feet hanging off the bed. She wasn't exactly comfortable, but she didn't want to move.
She blinked several times, trying to determine how long she had slept. It felt like it had only been five minutes, but she knew it was probably much longer than that.
He popped his head in the door. “Mom said you passed out. Want me to grab you some dinner or you feel like coming out?”
“I'm good. I had to rest my eyes for a minute. What I really need is a good long soak in a tub full of hot water.”
“That could be arranged,” he offered.
“No. Maybe when all of this is done. I'm not going to sit back and relax just yet.”
“Okay, suit yourself.”
Wyatt left the room and Megan rolled over and carefully pushed herself up off the bed with her arms. The pain in her lower back was intense. She needed to get some more of the willow bark tea in her system.
She managed to untie her boots and kick them off before heading into the kitchen.
Wyatt was sitting at the bar, shoveling food into his mouth. She could tell by the smell, Willow had made a hearty venison stew. It was a regular on the menu.
“Here,” he said, gesturing to the empty seat next to him. “There's the tea. Drink up.”
Megan carefully climbed onto the stool, doing her best not to jar her back.
She drank the hot tea and almost instantly began to feel better. There was a bowl of stew and a slice of bread waiting for her. Sh
e quickly ate it. It was then she realized how famished she was.
“Your muscles need sustenance,” Wyatt told her. “It isn't about eating to eat. It is about keeping your body fueled.”
Megan knew better, but the day had been so busy, she hadn't thought about eating. No wonder she was feeling so weak. She remembered her dad talking about the importance of food and criticizing the experts who said a person could live without eating for several weeks. She had gone almost twenty-four hours and could feel the effects. Her body was screaming for nutrition. Her muscles were seizing and cramping to the point she could hardly move. She couldn't imagine how anyone managed to keep up a steady pace if they had gone days or weeks without eating.
“I think we should go check on the patch tomorrow,” Chase said from the table.
“Good plan. We'll take up another bucket of mud in case we need to add another layer,” Wyatt agreed.
Tara was washing dishes in the sink. “How close are you to finishing the wall?”
“We made good progress today. It isn't going to take as long as we thought so long as we can keep going at this pace,” Bryan told her.
“We need to start digging a trench?” Megan said thinking aloud. She was not looking forward to that backbreaking job.
Garrett groaned. “I pushed that shovel all over that garden today. Digging a trench through rocky soil is going to suck.”
“We would have to use pickaxes to break through the top layer before we can even think about trying to dig,” Chase said. “That is going to be some serious labor. I don't know, do you think a couple of us should start digging while the rest continues building the wall?”
Wyatt answered for Megan. “I think it would be best to get most of the dike up and when we get close to being finished, we can split up the work crew and start digging. Without a backhoe, we aren't going to be able to dig a trench worthy of holding a lot of water. By hand, it will take weeks to dig a trench big enough to be effective. Focusing on the wall is our priority.”
A collective groan followed his comment and Megan wished she hadn’t said anything, but Wyatt was right.
Surviving was all about prioritizing. When there were so many things that needed to be done, it was crucial they put the most important tasks, like building up a strong wall to hold back the water, at the top of the list.
A sudden thought popped into her mind. What if Evan and Bryan had never showed up that day? Even if they had survived an attack from the Raiders, they would never have the manpower to build this dike. There would be no way for them to stay.
It was another aha moment for Megan. The group, with its larger number, made it possible for them to do so much more. They were so much stronger together. It had certainly taken her long enough to figure that out, but now she was hoping everyone would stick around and ride out this next potential disaster together.
“You okay?” Wyatt asked in a low voice.
“Yeah, was thinking. Can you imagine how we would do this on our own if they hadn't come to live here?” she asked, using her head to gesture to the table behind her where Evan's group was sitting.
Wyatt agreed. “Yeah, I guess sometimes you have to let fate lead the way. Who knows, this dam breaking may be another blessing in disguise as my mom would say.”
Megan smiled. “Your mom has a way of finding the silver lining in everything despite what she’s been through, she keeps fighting on.”
“Yep. Always has. We'll be fine. No matter what happens, we will all be okay,” Wyatt said with confidence. “It may not be like it was, but we have to roll with it. Accept the new normal and keep pushing forward.”
“I know. Or I mean, I should know that, but sometimes it's hard not to be a little worried.”
“We have each other and them,” he assured her. “We are a powerful group of people when we work together towards the same goal. It is another saying my mom used to always tell me and Jack, 'where there's a will, there's a way' and we definitely have the will.”
“You guys ready for more?” Willow asked, interrupting their quiet, brief conversation.
She grabbed the pot and walked around the table before making her way to where Megan and Wyatt were sitting.
Everyone thanked her as she scooped the chunky stew into their bowls.
“Tomorrow, you all need to stop for a lunch break. Take it in turns if you must, but you look terrible,” she cajoled.
Rosie came down the stairs, looking unhappy.
“If you guys don't take care of yourselves, you are all going to be too weak to lift a single brick. I think this is a lesson learned for everyone, right?” She scanned the room, driving home her point. Megan felt like a little kid being scolded for crossing the street without looking.
“We got carried away,” Wyatt said. “It won't happen again.”
“Good. Finish eating, wash up and get yourselves to bed!” Rosie demanded.
Megan had to fight back a giggle. She had been well and truly scolded. If they weren't careful, Rosie would probably be grounding them for a month, which given how tired she was didn’t sound like such a bad idea.
Everyone finished eating in silence. Megan finished her second bowl of stew and headed for the outhouse.
When she came back in, Wyatt was crouched down talking to Garrett by the stove. She watched them for a second, wondering what they were discussing. Wyatt was gesturing, using his fingers to draw shapes in the air.
He had been awful secretive lately. She knew he was up to something, but was far too tired and worried about other matters to give it a lot of thought.
Megan went to their room, quickly stripped down to a t-shirt and crawled under the covers. Her belly was full and her back was feeling better. She had a feeling Rosie may have added an extra herb or two to the tea to help her relax. Normally, she would have been upset about being drugged without her knowing, but right now, it felt way too good to care. She would be affronted tomorrow. For now, she wanted to sleep.
15
Wyatt surveyed the wall of the dike. Megan was sticking to the mixing and making of the bricks to give her back a rest today. All the bending and lifting had taken its toll the day before. The group decided it was best to rotate every hour so no one risked serious injury.
“Are you headed up there?” Megan asked. He had told her earlier he would be taking a small break from the building of the dike to visit the dam.
“Yep. I want to check on the patch to make sure it’s holding. We’re taking up another bucket of mud, just in case.”
“You have your rope, right? I don't want to hear about you trying to be some daredevil. It’s too dangerous. I need you,” she said the last in hushed tones for his ears only.
He pulled her in for a hug, “I promise not to do anything dangerous or stupid. If I have to get down there again, I’ll tie off. The water is too cold to go for a swim. Take it easy and make sure you drink lots of water. Don't forget to eat that pemmican my mom packed for you.”
She wrinkled her nose, making him laugh.
“I have mine right here,” he said patting the pocket of his cargo pants. “After yesterday, she wasn't taking any chances.”
“Let's roll, Wyatt,” Chase called out already starting up the hill towards the dam.
“See ya.” Wyatt grabbed her giving her a quick kiss.
The three men walked up the incline in silence. Each of them hoping the patch was holding.
When the dam came into view, Wyatt breathed a sigh of relief to see it was still solid. He knew he would have known by now if it had crumbled, but he couldn't help but think the worst. He had never been one to dwell on things or live as if the world was going to end, but after the events of the last year, he found himself far more pessimistic. He called it reality. His mom called it being a negative thinker.
Chase was squatting, checking out the dried mud that was still caked on the cement wall of the dam.
“It's wet,” he said pointing to the center of the mud patch. Wyatt could see the darke
r color in the center. The area above on both sides was a much lighter, ash color where it was dry. That was what he had hoped to see over the entire area.
“We better get another layer on there. I don't see any obvious signs of the crack growing. The mud may be concealing any further damage,” Wyatt said already tying the rope around his waist.
“Do you think it’s worth trying?” Bryan asked. “I mean, this mud is really not going to stop the dam from bursting if the force of the water is too much.”
Wyatt didn't take offense at Bryan's statement. It was true.
“I do think it's worth it. Anything we can do to slow down the inevitable is worth trying. No, it isn't going to stop the dam from breaking, but the sun beating down on the cement isn't helping this crack. Ice cold water and hot sun is a recipe for disaster,” Wyatt reasoned.
“Okay. I don't want to be wasting time here when we could be down there working on the dike,” Bryan explained.
“I agree, but I do think this is buying us time, which we need right now,” Wyatt said. “Here, go tie me off and let's get this over with so we can get back down there.”
Chase handed him the bucket and he carefully climbed down the embankment to the area he was in before. The wall below the patch was wet. It was leaking. He could see the faintest sliver of the crack peeking out from under the mud circle. The crack had grown.
“How bad?” Chase yelled down to him.
“From what I can see, I would say it has grown a few inches in either direction,” Wyatt shouted back.
He dipped his hand in the mud and slapped it against the cement. He made the patch much bigger than the first circle.
“I'm out,” he called out, tossing the empty bucket up to Chase. “We're going to have to come back here every day.” The idea did not appeal to him.
Wyatt crawled up the embankment.
“Let's go around to the east side and see how full the river is. If it’s still within its bank, we may be okay. Since there’s still some snow on those peaks, it could flood,” Wyatt said pointing.
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