by R Kralik
I plan to sit down with Rona after lunch and tell her everything I can think of. I'm gonna love having her here! Nana and Pop are beyond happy. They bounced around, introducing themselves to military folks and thanking every one of them for bringing their daughter and her family back safe and sound.
The teenagers had a table to themselves. Carisa took her breakfast to Clinic Diane so she could eat with Jesse. He's awake, but still in a lot of pain. He says the sharp object isn't stabbing him in the back anymore, duh!
I'm pretty darn sure that Valerie and Merry are going to be "in love" with Luke and Larson. I have to admit, they are handsome young fellers. I'm very proud of them. They went through quite an ordeal. Lord, I'm so happy to have my entire family here.
Major Minor (giggle) has the unit packing up and getting ready to head out. Several families in motorhomes are traveling with them. Each family is allowed to stay with them until they’re close to their original hometowns or decide to split off from the group.
Josie is an amazing leader. Her troops respect her. I asked if she had come across a black S10 covered in bullet holes along the way. She said she hasn't seen it, but told me she'd keep an eye out. She had a funny look on her face. The unit will be back in the area in a couple of months and she'll check in with us when she gets close.
I asked her if all her men and women were required to stay with the unit and she said that any member who wants to leave is welcome to do so. So far, she's only had three members leave and head out on their own. Her unit has 145 members and the majority of them are single, under the age of 35, and feel that they’re better off staying with the unit. Wow! I knew there was a lot of lights on the hillside last night.
I noticed that Dane was having a blast, flirting with the female soldiers. It's a good thing Elaine stayed at Clinic Diane with Jesse this morning. She would have been royally ticked off.
There's a large number of cardboard boxes in the garage. I'll go through them after they leave because I don't want to look greedy.
I noticed a stack of Styrofoam, divided plates like the ones they use for take-out food. The stack is higher than my head and looks like its two rows deep. There's also two barrels of flour. Yay! I have no idea how many pounds are in a barrel, but it must be a lot 'cause those suckers are heavy and I couldn't move them.
They have a real, honest to goodness, doctor with them. He took a look at Jesse and Pop and told Hisa she'd done a fine job.
He doesn't think there's any life-threatening damage in Jesse's gut. After spending the morning with Hisa, he left a box of sutures and surgical needles along with other uncommon supplies.
He also left a couple of massive medical books and two DVD's of numerous “real” surgeries she can watch. He would have asked Hisa for her phone number if Soo wasn't there, monitoring the situation (wink).
I think the unit is ready to head out. I hear a lot of engine's starting up and a lot of voices in the house. I'm headed out to say goodbye to Josie and thank her again.
See ya later.
3:00 PM...
Rona got a little quality time alone with Josie before they left. She had chilling news.
Last night, the guard on watch wore night vision goggles and killed 47 HDI's in the woods around our property and behind the Masterson place. The majority were in the woods, up on the mountainside. The bodies have already been "taken care of."
I was shocked. Imagine what 47 HDI's could have done to us if they attacked from the rear. Josie advised that we keep our guard up because there's evidence of more HDI's in the woods.
There are two deer hanging from a tree in the backyard. There are eight rabbits and two turkeys on the hood of the gasoline tanker truck. We'll be busy the rest of the day and into the night, canning meat. This is a huge blessing.
I got the chance to go through the boxes Josie left. She was very generous.
There was one giant sized box labeled "OPEN ME FIRST." One of those soldiers has a sense of humor. I just smiled and opened the box.
I found a note on top. It said "This is payment for one black Chevy S10 full of bullet holes. It drives like a dream. Thank you, From all the families that made it home and can't tell you themselves."
That stinker! She lied to me about seeing the S10. I felt so humbled. I couldn't keep tears from leaking out.
I don't know how many pounds of frozen meat was in that box. I pulled out a huge package of bacon, six whole chickens, a big bag of chicken nuggets, a big bag of popcorn shrimp, several packages of cube steak, five pounds of breakfast sausage, 15 pounds of ground chuck, and several pounds of kielbasa. I don't know whether to can the meat or freeze it. For now, it's going in the downstairs freezer because we need to take care of the venison, rabbit, and turkey the soldiers got while hunting. Hooray!
As I mentioned before, there are two barrels of flour. Yay for biscuits. Behind the flour was a barrel of granulated sugar and four 10 pound bags of potatoes.
Two boxes contain nothing but MRE's. We told Carisa to put them on their own shelf. We can use them in our emergency backpacks. There's all sorts of different meals. I'm guessing there are about 100 individual MRE's.
There was an entire box full of dessert foods. There are cake mixes, frosting, cookie mixes, cheesecake mixes, pie filling, canned fruit, and several packages to make whipped cream. I've never seen dry whipped cream mix. I can't wait to try it. We’re gonna get fat!
We have a big box of assorted crackers. There are saltines, graham crackers, club crackers, cheese nips, and lots of different flavored crackers that you'd use for dips or spreads. Chickin' in a biskit is one of the flavors. Those are my favorite!
There are a dozen five-pound tubs of lard and ten large cans of butter flavored Crisco.
The remaining boxes have long term foods. There's a lot of freeze-dried berries, dehydrated banana's, pineapple, apple slices, and peaches. There's dehydrated corn, carrots, onions, broccoli, green beans, potato slices, peppers, cheese powder, powdered eggs, powdered butter, and powdered sour cream.
I'm thinking there are at least two months of meals here, probably three if I add in the venison, rabbits, and turkey they got while hunting.
I bent to pick up a large box and I couldn't lift it. I couldn't even slide that sucker to the side with my foot.
I opened the box yelled for Mick to come get the contents to put in an appropriate place. It was full of ammunition in the calibers we need. Mick and Dane did a little dance. They used the wheelbarrow to carry the box downstairs. The men are arranging ammo on the somewhat hidden shelves at the rear of the basement
The last box was full of insect repellant with deet. Thank you, Josie! Dear Lord, please bless Josie beyond her wildest dreams!
I wonder where they got all this stuff. I asked Rona and she has no clue. I'm grateful for every spoonful and bullet we got.
Oh, we also have a huge, sealed tub full of fabric. I have never felt so humbled and blessed. I need a sewing machine.
I'm heading out to start canning the wild game. I doubt I'll get a chance to write again tonight.
Bye for now.
Wednesday, March 12
11:30 AM....
It's already lunch time and I just woke up. We were up 'til 4:00 AM, canning and processing meat. The kids were excused. Of course, Hisa, Jesse, and Pop were excused too. The men took turns processing meat and standing watch.
My back is screaming. I'm gonna need the strong stuff and my back brace today. It finally fits around my waist again. Mick likes my post-apocalypse figure.
I don't know how many canner's full of meat we got. We had two large, double decker pressure canners going at the same time and I lost count about midnight.
The men were outside, cleaning and processing the animals. The women were inside, cutting and dividing various pieces and parts. I sent a thank you up to heaven for the old woman and man across the woods who, unknowingly, supplied us with 200 canning jars and lids. Without them, we wouldn't have enough jars.
Th
e Gypsy traders are due back within the next three days according to my calendar. I hope they still have those little piglets. I might trade a doeling for them.
Dane just knocked on the bedroom door and told me that he and Jason are heading out to get the last of the trailers we need to finish the front section of the fence.
Rebecca and I have lunch duty and I need to get out there and figure out what to make. I think I'll make chicken 'n dumplings. I don't know if Rebecca's awake yet but I can handle this one on my own. That'll fill us up and I'll only need to use three chickens to stretch it out and have enough to fill the lot of us.
I better get running. I hope the Gypsy's are safe and come for a visit. I wanna see if they have any jewelry for Carisa's birthday. Maybe they'll have a tie-dyed skirt or t-shirt. I think she'd love it.
See ya later.
4:30 PM...
I like people who do what they say they’re going to do.
The Gypsy traders arrived right after lunch today. Samuel says they've had to fight more HDI's than usual this past week. They've also had a couple of problems with survivor groups who tried to make uneven trades.
The two troublesome groups are within three miles of one another and they’re fighting each other over hunting grounds. Two members from one group were "accidentally" shot and killed when they were mistaken for deer. One of them was the wife of the group's elected leader. He declared war on the other group.
Samuel says they've had to tiptoe around the entire area, trying not to get shot or have their goods stolen. He refuses to camp near either group, so it takes a little more time and fuel to get out of the area before dark. They have several spots where they like to camp, but Samuel doesn't believe that they'd be safe at any of them.
He said that the two groups are about 20 miles from here, thank goodness. I asked him how many groups he visits and he said they regularly visit 28 groups within a 10 day period. Some groups have only five or six members while others number in the forties. The larger groups are having huge problems keeping food on the table.
I traded a #10 can of prunes, a #10 can of mountain house spaghetti, and a doeling for two piglets, a mother-of-pearl necklace with matching bracelet, a dragon shaped candle, a tie-dyed skirt, and three cans of spam. Mick likes fried spam sandwiches. Don't laugh!
Mr. Hobbs is back in the garden. Now that Jesse is getting better, Mr. Hobbs wants to get back to his normal routine. He told Mick that he wants one of the wooden buildings with a porch to use as his bachelor pad. Dane said he would put in a propane heater so it'll be warm next winter.
I think we need to get a lot of those little buildings. I hope they'll still be there when the fence is finished. We could use several of them as bachelor pads. Jeremy needs a place that he can have alone time with Rebecca and stop sneaking off in the woods. I need to make sure Mick gave him those condoms. I'm so nosy!
It's hard to get Hisa's nose out of that big medical book that Josie's doctor gave her. I think she's read the entire thing and has started over. She says it is very "comprehensive and covers a lot of interesting and essential topics." She also says that the books Dane brought back are invaluable. Go for it, Hisa!
We're having venison chili and cornbread for supper. The men don't know about it. They'll be pleasantly surprised. Marisa will be my partner for supper duty tonight.
I hear big rigs on the road and I'm going to check it out.
See ya later.
11:45 PM...
I'm not sleepy, probably because I slept 'til lunch time today.
I went to the basement while everyone was finishing their supper and wrapped birthday gifts for Carisa. I don't have a lot, but I know she'll be grateful. I plan to make a cake the night before. I can't believe my baby will be sixteen. I shudder thinking about the things I got into when I was sixteen. Yikes!
Elaine said that Jesse will be seventeen in a few months. She found him and Carisa holding hands when she took breakfast in this morning. Holy smokes! My sixteen-year-old daughter will have a seventeen-year-old boyfriend. I’ll be watching them like a hawk. I wonder if I scooped up any "anti-hormone" pills from Walgreens, ha ha, I wish.
The men loved supper. Kevin, Luke, and Larson said they haven't had venison since before Christmas. They ate so fast, I'm not sure they actually tasted what they were swallowing. Rona said she likes venison but not as much as her boys. She gobbled it down, anyway. I offered to make cookies for dessert but everyone said they were too full to eat another bite.
We have all the trailers we need. Tomorrow, the men will begin putting them in place and pushing them together.
They'll move on to the log fencing after that. That'll be the long, tedious part. Mick'll be a bear until it's done. He wants to start at the back and go down the sides. I'm all for that.
Kevin and the boys are gung-ho. They can't wait to start working on the fence. Boy, are they in for a surprise.
I visited Pop and Jesse today.
Mr. Hobbs was there, keeping Pop updated about the plants in the garden and greenhouses. Pop is throwing a fit to go back to his motorhome. I believe Hisa will let him go tomorrow.
Jesse was in good spirits. He was playing backgammon with Carisa while I was there. Hisa told Elaine she’ll keep him two more days before letting him go back to the Hobbs house where Elaine will take over his care.
I will be having a big argument with Carisa. I don't want her spending hours over there near the pond and the Masterson property.
Nana said school will begin for Amber and Michael the first Monday after she gets Pop back to the motorhome. She wants Amber and Michael three days a week, five hours per day. She wants the teenagers two days a week, five hours per day, for now.
She's been working on lesson plans while sitting with Pop. She'll go crazy on me when September comes. She'll be wanting to teach five days a week, seven hours a day. Nana LOVES teaching. She said the kids can have a summer break starting at the end of May and ending the first week in September.
She's been on Mick's back about getting school books. He told her he would try to get them by the end of next week. Oh, Mick, haven't you learned? You never make a promise to Nana that you aren't sure you can keep.
I have laundry duty. I hate laundry. At least the weather is nice. We've had temps in the high sixties. It won't be long 'til the hot weather and flies get here. We'll all be carrying insect repellant in our pockets every time we go outside. That's one of the new "Kapper Hill Compound Commandments."
Elaine has been studying cheese making books while she sat with Jesse. She says she has lots of things to try as soon as she gets the chance. We're still getting three gallons of milk a day from the goats. We're going through it faster since Rona's boys have arrived.
The only things holding me back from a complete state of happiness is the thought of HDI's, summer heat, gangs, and flies.
I think I'll head down to the basement and get the cake mix and frosting for Carisa's birthday cake. I'm making a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I'll add a jar of sweet cherries between the layers and on the top. I'll have to ask her what she wants for supper that day.
Bye for now.
Thursday, March 13
Rona came in the back door wearing an "Auburn" Snuggie. It caused me to burst out in a good ol' rebel yell "ROLL TIDE!" How dare she wear that thing in my house! I'm a huge Crimson Tide fan.
We had pancakes for breakfast and the house was packed full of people. There will be a lot of work going on today. We needed our tummies full. Elaine kept making pancakes until everyone was groaning. I wanted to crawl back in bed with my full, happy tummy.
The men will back trailers into the large ditch this morning. They'll place one at a time and use the backhoe to push them up against one another. Then, another will be backed in and the process will repeat. When they're all in place someone will use the backhoe to start filling in around the wheels.
Those not on "filling duty" plan to head to the lumber yard and try to learn how to load logs
with the crane truck. I'd love to be able to watch from a distance, of course. I told Mick to stress that they should stand way back while logs are in the air.
They'll bring home logs to store in Buttercup's meadow until the front portion of the fence is filled in and they’re ready to start the log fence across the back.
We need to decide what to use for a gate across the driveway. Dane thinks we should take the gate from the trucking company. The men plan to go back and look it over.
After the backhoe finishes its work in the front, it'll be used to dig the trench for the log fence across the back of the property. The log fence will take a lot of time. I'm glad we have Kevin, Luke, and Larson added to the crew.
We've been introducing Rona to all the daily chores. She hates laundry as much as I do. She's really gonna hate the way we have to do it now.
I asked Mick to get one of the extra pools set up while the others are backing trailers today. He said he would, but he really wants to work with the trailers.
It won't take him more than an hour to set up that darn pool. He only needs to put in one pipe at the top of the current pool and lay it across the top of the second. Mr. Hobbs said he’d help.
We need more screens for a second lid, so Marisa, Rona, and I will go over to the ckd's house and the canning jar house after lunch. Mick doesn't like that idea at all. I told him that two of us would take down screens while the third stands watch. He still doesn't like it, but he decided to "allow' us to go (snort).
Valerie, Carisa and Merry will babysit while they organize the food that Josie left.
Nana is caring for Pop, and Elaine will be at Clinic Diane with Jesse and Hisa.
I told Mick to hurry up and get the pool in place so he'll have plenty of time to do the trailer work. He flew outa here with a handful of pancakes folded with strawberry jam in the middle.