by Ron Foster
“Roland! You HAVE got over twenty horses, when did you build that thing?” I said laughing as he dogtrotted up.
“Hell, those horses are hard to catch and do not jump at the opportunity to almost hitch themselves.” he said grinning. “Meet OnStar.” and the large German Shepard woofed at his name to the delight of everyone.
“I just converted a wheelchair and some conduit and “Viola” I got me a dog cart.” he said while eyeing John’s unique contraption.
“I see I am not the only inventor around here. How do you steer that danged thing?” he asked John directly, as he unlocked the gate and noticed that there was no steering wheel on that weed whacker go cart.
“Like this,” John said and commenced to burn a donut out on the pavement, by basically locking one wheel and throttling the other side.
“Well, I will be darned. That’s neat.” Roland said, calming his jealous dog that had started barking at John’s antics.
“David, you brought your whole family?” Roland said weighing everyone’s faces for a country comparison.
“No, they are friends and associates. That is, besides my Mom.” I said and presenting her.
“We kind of tribed-up due to circumstances.” I said watching Roland’s anxious canine, who wanted to go back to work and haul him around some more, kind of like a Husky on steroids.
“You come on a good day, David. I just killed a steer and shared it out with the neighbors; so if you up for helping me burn some wood, I can provide y`all with a mighty fine feast.” Roland said and the dog did a soft howl, like he knew what was about to happen and he anticipated his fair share.
“This old snoot face has been ready to get the barbecue going all day.” Roland said patting his pet and taxi cab driver affectionately.
“You get a chance to hear anything about Bernie yet?” I asked while remounting my old dependable clunker.
“No, I haven’t. You headed his way? I will send a ¼ of beef down with you as a surprise.” he yelled back at me, while giving the command ‘HA’ to the dog.
Leave it to Roland to get the dog to listen to mule commands of ‘HA!’ or ‘Gee’ to go left or right like as if you were plowing a field.
After our convoy had entered the gate, Roland relocked it and waved everyone towards the house.
Roland extended his wonderful hospitality to everyone and the cool water inside of the old crock was appreciated by all.
“I got some sugar cure soaking into some of that meat in the smoke house, but you gotta give me at least a day for it to work its magic.” Roland said while going to his pantry and pulling out some home canned vegetables in Atlas mason jars.
“If you will have this large crew for the night, we would be honored and grateful.” I said to him, enjoying knowing somebody with so much country wisdom and the thought of having some real food and down home hospitality.
“You look like you have been getting along pretty good, Roland.” I said as we adjourned to the back patio and everyone plunked down in chairs for a well deserved rest.
“I been fine. Some of the neighbors had some problems with break-ins, but nothing major has had happened around here.” Roland said while still looking over at John’s go-cart contraption.
“It is hard to get much of any news, except just in your local area. I wonder how the Lake residents are doing.” I said, hinting at Roland to tell me what he thought was going on down there.
Roland said he hadn’t heard anything, but most likely everyone was doing without, because they only had enough supplies on hand for a vacation and there were very few stores in the area, unless you went into one of the smaller outlying towns. The people that lived year round at the lake might be doing a bit better, but they were mostly retirees and he wasn’t sure how long they would survive once their medicines and small stock of food had run out. That lake had fish in it, but fishing had never been too good or was pretty seasonal. It’s hard to say if people would attempt in desperation, to walk out the 35 miles or so, if they lived closer to one of the towns if they started starving. Breaking into surrounding houses usually wouldn’t do you much good, because everyone pretty much cleaned refrigerators out or ate up what can goods they brought from home for their vacations. The soil was good. but it was awful rocky. Roland then commented on how lucky we were to have gotten that Bobcat loader to help us out with making some big gardens. We talked about seeds for awhile and Roland said he still had enough to row crop corn and soybeans, but little else. I told Roland I had an extra can of a variety of heirloom vegetable seeds that we might be able to work out some sort of deal about, which perked him up immensely.
“Let me see what you got, David.” he said standing up and wanting me to go find them that instant.
“It will take me a bit to get to them. I got a bunch of boxes and boards over them.” I said content to keep resting, but slowly rising because Roland was not to be put off.
“I will help you with them.” Roland said already leaving the patio and heading for the trailer. We got the boxes moved and the boards off the top of the bookcase and removed one of the precious cans of seeds.
“Dang David, you got enough ammo to start a small war on that thing. I might want to trade you for some ammo, too, if you got what I need.” He said questioning whether or not I might be willing to give up part of my stash.
“I might have what you need depending on caliber, I got way too much double ought buck and could use some birdshot.” I said to get the negotiations going.
“I can probably help you there. Let’s discuss ammo later, I want to look at your seed stock here first and think on what it is we can work out.” Roland said meandering back towards the patio and leaving the pile of boxes strewn all over the place. I figured that was ok though, we had ammo issues to cover later and I could reload the trailer before nightfall.
“David, you know what is in this can?’ Roland said with a twinkle in his eye. “Civilization boy, Civilization! There is not any Seed and Feed to run down to now and these seeds here are worth more than gold!” Roland said reminding me of his Uncle Philburn’s love for all things money producing.
“Why we could start a business just off this one can; by selling off extra vegetables and start producing seeds for sale, too. I don’t know what everyone would use for money, but I’ve always been partial to bartering.” Roland said as he reverently put down the can.
“I bet John over there could figure out how to cobble something together, so we could improvise some tillers, too.” Roland said sparking the old engineer’s interest.
“I could do that.” John said, as he left Sarah and got over right next to Roland and stared at the seed can with him.
“I got a team and a wagon to go scavenge or buy or trade for the stuff you need.” Roland said looking up hopefully at John and now getting Sarah interested in what was going on.
“I am interested, but how far are you from the Lake?” John asked getting confused about how quick this deal was being put together by Roland.
“Oh, not too far, about 25 miles. But I can make you a proposition, if you want to consider building things and helping with David’s and my Seed business.” Roland said, now getting my attention, because we had not agreed on anything yet.
John hesitated a moment, then asked Roland what type of proposition he had in mind.
“I got a little cabin that sits by the pond on the back end of this property, that you could stay in. And I can offer you real food, instead of that canned crap David has to offer. No offence, David.” Roland said going back to his conversation with John.
“Is it a nice Cabin?” inquired Sarah meekly, but pointedly to Roland.
“Oh yes, built it myself two summers ago out of cypress.” Roland said, while sweetening the proposal by adding, “It’s fully furnished and is kind of pretty, if I do say so.” to which Sarah gave her silent approval for John to go back negotiating.
“That pond is full of fish, too. Easier to get ‘em, not like at that Lake.” R
oland said taking another dig at my plans or setting me up for some hard negotiations I couldn’t tell yet.
“Well, you say you got a horse and wagon; we could go get those acetylene and oxygen tanks off that welding truck on the interstate.” John said mulling it over, but sounding like he’d already come to a decision.
“We could, and I know where there’s some more at.” Roland said looking all invigorated and feeling pretty sure he had an accomplice in his plan to thrive in the coming days.
“Sarah, what do you think baby?” John said turning to his beloved.
“It’s not a Lake house, but it does sound like a real good proposition to me; only Roland, if it doesn’t work out, you promise me that you will take us to David on the Lake?” She said studying the man intently.
“Of course, of course, what’s not to work out? So we have a deal then?” Roland said to John beaming a smile and stretching out his hand.
“That we do.” John said and shook Roland’s hand cinching their deal.
“Now David, lets talk about those seeds. You don’t have access to any fertilizer up there on the lake and your soil is going to play out eventually. I seen you had two more cans of seeds and I say you should donate another can to this project and we can figure out how to solve your problem and I will produce enough seeds to replace the ones you are giving me 5 times over.” Roland said knowing he had me by the shorthairs now.
“I like your trading Idea, and we could use a wagonload of cured manure when we lay in our garden beds. Let’s say that someday I establish a trading post on the lake, then that becomes my territory and you don’t sell to my competition and we might could settle on a deal?” I countered.
“Seems fair to me, John and I could throw in and give you a dealership on some of the hardware that old blacksmith is going to help me produce.” Roland said playfully nudging John.
“Sounds like that dog will hunt. We got ourselves a deal Roland!” I said pumping the savvy old Southerner’s hand.
“Now then, about that ammo; let’s do some horse trading, that I have some chance of winning at.” I said laughing and escorting Roland back to collect his second can of seeds and crack open some of the ammo cans and the haggling began.
10
BERNIE`S BUNGALOW
Roland’s bartering skills did not skin me too badly, all things considered; and I also had had one of the best meals I could remember ever having, a soft bed to blissfully retire to and even slept in a bit later than was my norm. I could hear most everyone outside on the patio probably having coffee and thought to myself how much I was going to miss that luxury one day, when the few jars we had ran out.
“Good morning all.” I said, while making my way over to the grill where the kettle was set off to the side to stay hot.
“That is your cup on the sideboard, David. I was just telling Jack here how I was going to ride over to my neighbors and borrow their son Jeb to look after my place, while I go with you to Bernie’s. I have a mind to see if I can talk that old codger into coming home with me and playing manager here for me and John’s business. We don’t really need him at the moment, but he is too old to be playing Pioneer with you up on the Lake. And the notion of thinking he is helping me might just appeal to him, especially if he knows he’ll be visiting the Lake folk off and on with our business ventures.” Roland said looking to John for approval.
“Tell him he can ride around in your snazzy dog cart. Or better yet, fix him up one of his own and you can race each other around this spread.” I said jokingly and rubbing the ears of the hyperactive German Shepard, who that was investigating what I was up to.
“I have already been talking to John about building a few more and finding us some more dogs. You know, Bernie has a green Leprechaun suit he wears for Halloween; and I think it would be perfect to dress him up in it and he could be our ‘Canine Car’ salesman.” Roland said enjoying the morning and causing me to almost burn myself with the hot coffee, as I spluttered out a mouthful by laughing at the mental picture of Bernie decked out in that get up.
Mom looked better today, the trip out of Montgomery and the continued stress was taking its toll on her; but Roland had insisted she take his bed for the evening and a good night’s sleep that seemed to have done her worlds of good judging by the spry way she was moving about this fair morning.
Sandra and Betsy were over by the corral petting the horses and Roland asked them if they wanted to go for a ride with him a few miles down the road to his neighbors. They both happily jumped on his offer, grabbing Sherry on their way past and excitedly rushing to the barn and the treat for them of horseback riding.
“It is a real paradise here.” Sarah proclaimed after spending her first night in the Pond cabin and draping herself on John’s arm.
“You are a hell of a fellow, David. Rescuing us like you did and offering so many possibilities.” John told me gratefully and patting his equally grateful wife’s hand.
“Seems like your tinkering know how is a huge asset, I should be thanking you.” I said returning the compliment and rising to refill my cup with more of the gloriously delicious coffee.
“Jack, we need to gas up the vehicles and give that tractor another oil transfusion.” I said getting ready for the final leg of our journey.
“I looked at that thing a little bit this morning and it appears you just need a seal around the oil filter, nothing major. Roland said he had some stuff around here to take care of it and I will ask him where it’s at when he and the Trio come back.” John said to me about my oil consuming machine.
“I would be so happy to not pour oil in that thing every 30 to 50 miles, you just don’t know John, and I would really appreciate anything you could do for it.” I gratefully acknowledged his offer yet again of a gifted mechanical wizard.
“Not a problem. Oh by the way, save your fired brass. Roland and I are scheming on how to make a reloading press or Lee Loaders, if we can get a formula for gunpowder down pat.” said the always industrious and skillful John.
“I know the basic formula for gunpowder, but I happen to have a Foxfire book that talks about some old time mixes for black powder rifles.” I told him and John came along with me to the trailer.
“What’s that book about?” John said reaching for my copy of the Rural Ranger, as I went to dragging out part of the meager library looking for the book I’d been talking about, and setting others off to one side.
“It’s sort of a country boys take on surviving something like this combined with what he learned in survival schools in the military.” I said while John was thumbing through it.
“So that’s where you got all that knowledge about snares and trapping.” he said looking at a page with diagrams of different types of snares for food procurement and began studying different trigger configurations depicted.
“Yes, it’s a pretty good book. In the back of it, he tells you a bunch of uses for everyday things that you would not normally think of as having other uses than what’s generally known.” I said while trying to find the chapter on gunpowder in the Foxfire book I had located and was flipping through its well worn pages.
“Wait until Roland sees this, we are going solar!” John said examining the plans for a simple window box heater he had found in the Rural Ranger Survival Guide.
“Mother Earth News had something similar in it one time awhile back. I remember reading that changing your house temperature by 10 or more degrees can be life or death, in situations like we are in now.” I said and showed him the text in the Foxfire book regarding black powder formulations.
“I really want to read both these books David; do you think you can spare them?”
“I don’t plan on making gun powder or dulcimers anytime soon, so you can hang on to the Foxfire book, but my Rural Ranger book is a bit different. I know the majority of what’s in that book now, but I am sort of the only trapper we got and I need for these other folks to learn, in case something happens to me.” I said pondering loaning ou
t another irreplaceable asset.
“Well, I can see how you might not want to let it go, at the very least let me find some paper and copy these solar heater plans out of it.” He said while still looking through it.
“This thing ain’t edited all that great, but its brimming with how to’s and valuable knowledge. Did not know this tidbit, look here, how to fix a hole in a wood heater with salt, sort of like JB Weld.” He said holding the wealth of backwoods knowledge up for my inspection.
“Ok, you can borrow it, Roland probably can tell you a trick or two also about gathering game that’s not in there, but its pretty thorough on the basics and leaves the refinements to you.” I said handing over my precious book.
“Ah thanks David, I really appreciate it and will get Sarah to copy out some of it for me, before I get it back to you. If Roland is half the instructor you were for me, then I am going to learn a lot. Hell, Sarah and me would have been starving, if you had not took the time to teach me us some basics of how to snare game.” He said as his ever near Sarah came up and joined our discussion.
“I am better than John is about thinking like an animal and using sticks and brush to funnel them into a trap.” She bragged while hugging him.
“That’s a fact, but I think she cheats and knows which way I travel through the woods to scare the rabbits escaping me right into her snares.” He laughed and mushed her back.
“Just for future reference, a scared rabbit almost always loops back to his starting point when he runs.” I offered as a bit of Trivia.
“Is that in here?” John said holding up the book.
“Yes, there are a few handy tips like that in there; as well as some warnings about how to deal with feral dogs which you need to know about.” I said while opening an ammo can and offering him some soft point bullets for the Mosin.
“Roland might have a more modern weapon to offer you, but that is a hell of a long range deer rifle as thousands of dead German soldiers can attest to the accuracy of that rifle in the hands of a Russian sniper.” I said and warned him to dump some Windex, ammonia or just piss down it once in awhile to get rid of the corrosive powder residue some of the older ammunition I had given him would leave in the barrel.