Mt_Rider

Open eyes It's dark. What have they been putting in the tea? What day is it? Fell in water...it was Saturday. Is this the same dark nite...no, there was morning... Is this Sunday? Dang, now I'm awake, I need to go. I wonder if I can scootch over there. OW....mebbe I'll stretch a bit first. Ow. Just sitting up...whew. That's a workout. {groan! Oh Midnight darling, I did NOT need this accident right now! } Yipes...Oh...hi Quilty. Pssst...I need a hand to get to the commode. Can you help or find MrMtR. Thank goodness we have this thing...or getting out to the latrines would be impossible. Well, I'm *trying* to scootch like this.... No, I'm not broken. Only feel like it. Well if that is moved and ....... SHEEEEEEEEEEEEESH....... What an ordeal! Being an invalid in a covered wagon is NOT FUNNY! I'm back in my 'bed' and sweating/shaking with exertion. No, I'm fine, Quilty. Oh...hi Mother. Yes, I think I'm fully awake. What HAVE you been putting in my tea? Whatever it is, I THANK you from the soles of my feet...cuz even *they* were hurting. Mostly calmed the spasms tho I kinda have to keep squirming around. ....yeah, more than usual. You know I'm going to need to get on a horse soon. The MS spasms will get worse if I don't. Tomorrow? For just a short walk? Anything to get these kinks OUT! Yieeeeee, they are painful. Sooo, it's Sunday, right? Well please sit here and tell me what has been happening?????? I feel like Rip Van Winkle. And you don't want me gettin' bored. Hey....M2tb...come join us. Are CeeGee and Annarchy out there too? CGA? Why do I feel like I've missed you all? LOL...MrMtR came around the corner, took one look at our 'girl chat' in progress and fled the scene. Have I told you guys how much a appreciate you and love you? MtRider [....wheeeeeeeew....I'm tired and I've only been up a short time. Yes, m'am...I will lay back down and sleep now. Thank you for the chat. Nite all! ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Blur....COLD....SHAKING/SHIVERING/CHATTERING TEETH.....Blur...can't think. Others are here. I am laying down and others are here. Warm fluid...can't tell what. Choke/cough. More? Yes. Sleep....I want to sleep.... Others are here. I am safe. We made it. Good Midnight. Did they eat the fish? Sleeeeeep again.... Wake...more warm fluids..bitter ....more? yiick....ok,yes more. Sleep...hurt...muscles....sleep Open eyes....DH is here....looks worried....feel warm....where am I? Mother's wagon....mother's mom sitting in rocking chair as usual. Water...just water please....I HURT...ow....muscles.....take homeopathic muscle relaxants...melt under tongue...sleeep Where am I? ....Mother's wagon...BUMP/Tilt/JOLT.....we're moving on.....hurt....Mother hands me muscle relaxants and a tea. Never be able to sleep with bump and jolt....Zzzzzzz....... Yes, I'm quite warm now. Feels like hot flash. Also feels like I got beaten...OW....MS and chill spasms do NOT mix well. Pain! Different tea/pills.... Something to knock me out? So sleepy yet.... Walk to cabin....er, I mean our wagon.? uh, uh........Zzzzzzzzzzz How did I get back to our wagon.....quite sure I didn't walk. I may never walk again...{groan} I think I'd rather be asleep. OW....spasms and sore from spasms.... Can I roll over? DH...I NEED the necessary! OW OW OW....no, put me down. Can't. Tears. CAN"T. Yes...in the medical bag....a urinal with female adaption. No, not sure exactly but.... Hi Q. Yes, a bit better. My thanks to you and Mother and everyone. Midnight ok? TRUST me, I have NO plans to leave this wagon. I only hope to someday reach the commode over there. lol Yeah, sleepy again. Doesn't hurt when I'm sleeping. I'll be good. MtRider

Yeah, and it just got colder, Leah. 'Course it's better if ya don't get shoved into a COLD Mt. stream. Thanks for the links. I remember some of those MrsS threads. Cool! Hey Quilty, I saw that episode of the original Star Trek! Glad you are enjoying the story, Miki. It's been an unusual experience. But it's been so fun. I can't believe how much we have really FELT some of this happening [ok....my mother always told me I have a vivid imagination....lol ]. But it's made me look at some of my real prepping in different ways....the next best thing to being there, playing on this wagon train daily. I hope all you readers can feel some of that too. MtRider [.....already knowing what a pain in the rear my MS is/will be....but it even shows up here in keeping up with the story... ]

{ OK...IRL I’ve been FLATTENED in bed.... and haven’t been able to do ANYthing. As I mentioned in Comments, I’ve been trying to do this hypothermia storyline for the past several days but...whooooeeee. I’m a bit better today so hopefully I can finish and post this today. Anyway...heehee...sitting here typing is better than running around doing all the things I've gotten behind on these past couple days... Soooooooooo to make this fit with storyline so far....I am posting this for TOMORROW...SATURDAY MORNING. Streams are plenty and we've camped by really nice big one last nite. MtRider stretches all the way backwards over the saddle till her head nearly touches Midnight's tail. Ohhhh, it feels good to be outside again instead of laying rather helpless with MS fatigue in the bouncing wagon these past days. Feeling “my normal” again today. We’ve just left another lovely stream-side campsite and are heading upwards again. Gotta go up before we can go down into our Valley. While we won’t be going upwards as high as our Colorado home was, we began this journey from a lower elevation and these “hills” seem pretty big anyway. Others are beginning to feel the altitude but hopefully that won’t be bothering MrMtR and I so much. We were in the low lands long enough to lose our extra supply of red blood cells but our body is used to manufacturing the larger amount....that should count for something, shouldn’t it? I hope we don't have quite so of the narrow passages today but..... MrH did pick the very BEST way up here. Suddenly MrMtR bangs his hand on the wagon seat. I glance around for danger and then look over to him driving our wagon. “What?” “I forgot the fish!” “What fish?” I’m confused. “I was up early this morning and caught ten trout. They are on a stringer tied into the bank....just past the log that was down there. When we were moving out, I forgot to grab them.” He was annoyed to have left behind not only a good metal stringer line but also a supply of protein for this leg of the trip. “You caught TEN? WAY TO GO! I”ll just take Midnight and go back and fetch them. They aren’t that far back." “Well, be careful. You have your decent handgun? Take the rifle as well.” He reached inside the wagon for it and checked the chamber. He handed it to me and I slid it in the scabbard. “I won’t be long” As I rode back thru the wagons, I smiled as I saw that the B wagons and our group were now intermixed. I waved and even stopped to chat at a few of the wagons. I passed the last of the herders and mentioned to a Cee Gee son [i keep getting them mixed up...one of the two older ones... ] about my mission and that it wouldn’t take me long. About 15 minutes back to the campsite....a few minutes to find the stringer and another 15 back. ....funny, it just never occurred to me to bring a second person....as I would have undoubtedly told anyone else. That’s the thing about the wilderness. You can’t think “civilized”. 15 minutes away is nothing while in civilization. Out here is different. This was a beautiful day...especially seemed warm after those awful blizzard days. I had opted to wear jeans, a couple layers of a tank & T-shirt. I had a down vest tied on the back of the saddle but was just wearing a lined nylon athletic jacket. Leather gloves were in the jacket pocket because the sun was strong up here at this elevation. If not for the striff breeze, I’d be down to the T-shirt. It offered just enough chill altho the thermometer reads 56 degrees. I unzipped the jacket so I wouldn’t overheatin the direct sunshine. I still wore wool sox and my Thinsulate/water resistant ankle boots. They have such a good tread for this rocky area but I’m thinking of changing to tennis shoes this afternoon. I don’t need my feet starting to sweat. Just a leather cowboy hat and, as always, my sunglasses. I thoroughly enjoyed my ride back down the trail. Wow, we do make an impact as we pass thru. But our campsite is always cleaned up; campfire pits buried and raked over; most sign of us gone to the casual glance. We even try to disperse the animal manure. I got off of Midnight and and led him as I surveyed the banks of the stream, looking for the metal stringer with it’s bountiful catch. The fish are kept alive and fresh this way. The safety-pin-like devices [several on a long chain] runs thru the natural opening of the fish gill and then locks closed again. Done gently, the fish will be alive for quite a while if the actual catching of them on the hook was not too brutal. OK....I’ve been back and forth...just where WAS DH fishing this morning? "By the log", he had said. Yep, just like him to notice HIS log but not that there are other logs here too. Did he have on his waders and cross over this stream? It’s running fast enough with this snowmelt that I wouldn’t want to try to wade across this current. No, it’s got to be here on this side. Finally I found it. Figures...upstream a ways. I tugged it loose and secured it in a waterproof sealed bag with some water in also. To keep the trout fresh, I hoped. They’ll need to be cleaned and cooked soon. Wonder if we’ll stop for lunch? A large buck darted suddenly out from the nearby bushes and startled both me and Midnight. She swung around with her rear to face this potential attacker and.......... KNOCKED ME CLEAN INTO THE COLD MOUNTAIN STREAM. AAAAAACKKK! A dozen thots jammed my mind at once. Get up QUICKLY. This is very BAAAAD. Too coldToocoldTooocoldToocold. Dumb horse! It was fortunate that I’d slipped backwards and land still sitting, just near the shore. I *think* it only took me a fraction of a second before I was scrambling out on my hands and knees up to the top of the bank. The damage was done though. I was soaked with near freezing mountain stream water from the waist down. And that MERE 15 minutes away from the rest of the wagon train seemed deadly long with the sudden change of circumstances. I glared at Midnight. And if a horse can look sheepish...this one was saying “baa”. He was crowding near me rather than getting all stupid and trying to run off. WELL, if he’d run straight to the wagon train, that might have been better. Riderless, it would have been a sure call for help. But if not, I need to keep him, so I grabbed the lead rope. DH’s now infamous log had a branch to tie off the horse. I was hurrying now before I lost the ability for fine-motor things like tying. I made sure it was a pull-loose knot too. By now I was shaking violently and had trouble moving correctly. I sat and began to I rip at the laces of my boots and got them loose. Had to tug VERY hard to get them off each foot. Wet boots and especially soaked sox are very hard to remove. I tried to tug one sock off from the toe and it just stretched and stretched. With the violent shakes, I just could NOT manage to pinch a piece of the sock higher with my fingers. I could not feel my feet or lower legs. Ok ...Can’t take the time to reach under the pant leg of my jeans. Well, freezing wet pants have to come off too. I unbuckled/zipped and lay back to try scrunching out of those wet pants. I decided to keep the undies...wet as they were. I peeled down the jeans over my legs and finally got them down to those stupid wet knee highs. I grabbed the jeans and pulled with all my strength and finally one leg popped off of my foot. The sock attached. I pulled on the other leg and it came free but I had to peel the sock off the rest of the way. I had to rein in my tendency to become frustrated and IRATE at a sock. I was scared but needed to stay calm! Whew...even with the wind, that feels MUCH better already. My goose-bumped skin is drying and the sun is warm...sort of. But I am in serious trouble. The bottom of the tank, T-shirt and jacket are all soaked. The arms of my jacket as well. If I had gone all the way under the water, I might have been so shocked by the extreme cold of a mountain stream that I could have lost my breath and drowned. Saying prayers of thanks and for HELP, I took off the wet jacket reluctantly. I wrung out the bottom of the wet Tshirt and only a bit of of the tank was wet. I looked up at the down vest tied to the saddle and hoped I could undo the knots. I was racing the clock before I would get so chilled at the core of my body that I could no longer think straight. As the body cools, more blood is pooled to the center torso in order to keep vital organs functioning. But less blood to the head means sluggish thinking. Movements were already impaired. I was scared to move on my numb feet and legs for fear I’d damage them. I pulled out of my utility belt pack [separate from my pants belt] ..the emergency mylar blanket. Got it wrapped around the lower half of me like a long skirt. I was rubbing my feet but concluded that I just needed to get back on the horse. If I had been truly alone, I would have begun a fire. But I made a choice in that moment: To attempt to run back for the help of others rather than try to maintain my body functioning until they sent someone back to find me. I didn’t think I had the time to wait...and...I haven't had the best luck starting fires lately. I was thinking "Who among us knows about frostbite and hypothermia?" Frostbite is simply having frozen tissue. At 56 degrees, I was not as worried about that. But I was already well into the second stage of hypothermia. [hypo = too little & thermia = heat] This is exactly the sort of day that hypothermia is so common....with just this sort of accident involving getting WET. Getting wet and being in a chill wind. Sucks the basic body heat right out of you. I was dressed for the warmer temperatures and not protected from this situation. I was already shaking so violently that I could hardly maneuver my own body. MS was NOT helping that, of course. I knew, from several other unfortunate experiences while fall and winter camping, that this will increase as the body tries to warm itself. Because of the dunking, I’d skipped right over the first stage of normal hard shivering and ‘can’t get warm’ feeling. I knew better than to try sticking my tongue between teeth that were near to breaking with their chattering. It would *hurt*...yes, I’ve done that before. My jaws were already aching from the spasms of hard chattering. While hunched up trying to draw warmth from the shelter of the mylar blanket, I fetched up both socks, wrung them out as much as I could, and forced them back on my feet. Yiiick! Had them been cotton, I would have left them off. I emptied each boot and forced them onto my feet as well. If I can get any circulation down there, they might stay all right. There is no reason to wear the soggy cotton jeans. Unable to hang onto everything, I put the half-wet jacket back on as well. I had to hang onto the stirrup to help me lever myself back to my feet. I still could not feel them AT ALL. I’ve experienced this before. The time I rescued ****IRL - stooopid choice, btw*** an injured duck by wading into my mostly ice-covered pond in boots that were too short for the deep water. Similarly today, my legs honestly felt like I’d had an amputation below the knees and I might be balancing on wooden peg legs. I was swaying a bit while I tried to untie the down vest. After a few attempts at the knots, I gave up. Too much shaking and too much fumbling. Another tough choice. It would be good to have immediate better core-warmth but I was taking a risk of falling over before I ever mounted the horse. Sometimes you have to make the call and pray it’s the right one. I slung the wet jeans over the saddle horn and down either side of Midnight’s neck. He didn’t flinch. I pulled the lead rope knot loose and slowly...with some stumbling....positioned myself high enough on the log to set my left boot into the near stirrup. I tossed the lead rope over the neck next to the reins, tied together and laying at the saddle horn. I reached up to grasp the saddle horn with both hands and *hauled UP* while I said sternly, “WHOA!” to the horse. My numb right leg swung and caught on the horse's rear, not quite clearing over completely. Standing now on the left stirrup, I reached back with my right hand and shoved my leg on over. [i’ve done this maneuver IRL due to MS ] I reached down to put it into the right stirrup properly. Midnight never moved. Roan would have danced right out from under me. GOOD Midnight. I tucked the mylar blanket sideways around my legs and rear securely...closing in what heat still might be allotted to my legs and blocking the wind. The blanket did not cover my lower legs well but I made myself stop dithering over improving that. I don't have the TIME! The wet wool sox were pulled up to my knees and I wondered if I’d be better off with or without their wetness. I left them up, having heard for years that wool can insulate EVEN when wet. I couldn’t give testimony to the theory cuz I couldn’t feel that part of my legs...AT ALL. I made one more attempt at the down vest behind me and finally, by twisting my fingers into the material [less reliance on my non-grip fingers and more on the friction of the twist] I was able to pull it from the loosened knots. I quickly removed the jacket again, laying it carefully across my lap. I shoved my arms into the vest and despaired of even attempting the zipper. I put the nylon jacket back on ...it will break the wind and my shirts are mostly dry. Cannot zip up the jacket either so I pull it tight closed with my left arm as I’m leaning forward. The shaking is getting somewhat less.....and I am dimly aware that it is a bad sign. It means my muscles are wearing down and cannot put forth the effort to warm me with this automated method. I do something one NEVER does while riding horses. I wrap the reins around my right hand securely as I can ...else I cannot hold them at all. I urge Midnight forward. I try to stand in the stirrups a bit so that I know I’m still in them. I lean forward and grasp the saddle horn as well as I can manage. I flap my legs and hope this trained horse will understand from this awkward action, that I want to move faster. He moves into a jarring trot [though usually I’ve marveled at his smoothness] and I’m nearly pitched off. Whether by his own instinct or by my panicked clamp of legs to his sides, he rolls into a smooth canter. We are heading back up the trail. There is an increase of wind chill while riding at a canter. I belatedly realize I should be wearing my gloves but figure they would hamper my ability to grasp the saddle horn. I can hardly feel it though I'm clutching it with both hands now. Midnight will have to steer himself. Then I am wondering if I should go back and grab the bag of fish, since the camp is running low on supplies. I catch *that* error in thot, remembering that I DID secure the fish bag to the saddle and it was bouncing just next to my right leg. I also realize my initial instinct was correct...I SHOULD be wearing my gloves. I spend a minute laboring over the choice to stop the horse so I can dig them out of the jacket pockets and put them on or ...just keep hanging on as we get nearer to folks that will be thinking clearer than I am. I kept riding...tho it may have been from complete indecision rather than ability to make a choice. I know I am becoming disoriented when I thot for a moment that I was tangled up in bed covers and tried to get up. Midnight slowed while I righted myself and then he cantered on. I could not determine how close we were to the back of the wagon train. I thot of my emergency whistle and, belatedly of the radio. But no, I had thot of the radio earlier and had decided against digging it out of my utility belt pack cuz it was likely wet and because of the granite hillside between the site of my plunge and the wagons. I think that’s what I thot. Oh God...help me hang on until we get there. In truth, I could not have moved my hands now. The muscles were so in spasm, locked into position onto the saddle horn. I was leaning so far forward that I nearly banged Midnight’s mane with my nose. I am still shaking but I’m so tired that I just want to drop off the horse, lay down, and go to sleep. I am not aware that the sun has gone under some clouds. I am no longer watching the path ahead. Just too tired to lift my head. Too tired to care. I am mesmerized by the path dashing past in a blur beneath the black, swift-moving hooves. I begin to count....a trick I’d learned when trying to endure pain. I lost the count a few times but made myself focus and start over. I did not even see as we approached the herds at the end of the wagon train. I was not aware when Midnight did not even slow down as he cantered past herds and then wagons. ...going on to OUR wagon that he now calls home. Now my fellow wagoneers....what will you do? I am conscious but WAY beyond the ability to help myself. Here are some references [from the books in the medical wagon? ]. The tips at the bottom of the last three links include this statement: This is a general one about hypothermia and boating accidents: http://www.enter.net/~skimmer/coldwater.html The next three are geared for a cold weather emergency while in a remote location. This is for treating mild hypothermia: http://www.ehow.com/how_6316_treat-mild-hypothermia.html This is for treating moderate hypothermia: http://www.ehow.com/how_6317_treat-moderate-hypothermia.html This is for severe hypothermia and if I get to this stage.....you will likely be making a grave due to no emergency room care available...so stop reading .............. http://www.ehow.com/how_6318_treat-severe-hypothermia.html .........and somebody get me off this tired horse. He’ll be overheated and prone to taking a chill too so someone take care of Midnight after his life-saving run. ...don't forget the fish... ...and my wet revolver....please? MtRider ...[iRL...I have been in MILD hypothermia several times. I have been in MODERATE hypothermia a couple times. Never in SEVERE tho. ]

LOL MT3B! { I wanna hide under the bed IRL...WIND and frigid temperatures... } Well the MtRiders are up and moving this early morning. I've got bacon spluttering [iRL too] and wishing for the ducks to lay more eggs. Just all this jostling around each day and then the shift from spring to winter-blizzard has thrown them off again. Poultry will be as glad as any of us to finally arrive and STAY PUT! Trying to figure out what to wear. Got a chance to wash out some things yesterday with our unscheduled layover. Just no one seemed to be able to move much. All these days of battling the rough trail life kinda caved in on us. Well, we're better for the rest yesterday and if it's narrow trails today, we'd better be alert and ready. So it's still chilly. The higher we go, the more so. Also, as our bodies are more fatigued and worn, we will be more suseptible to chills and opportunistic "bugs". As Mt3b has found out. (((MT3B))))) glad you are feeling better today! [iRL too!] So much better that we have been provided with some fresh fruits and vegetables at this time. Well, we're moving out soon and I'm packing up some biscuit and bacon and peanutbutter for lunch. MtRider [...still wearing a down vest but the coat is nearby tied to the back of the saddle. ]

I KNEW she'd know that stuff! I, on the other hand, will have to print that out cuz my brain will never remember it. .....especially the math for the briquets. I have a number 8 dutch oven. I just need to compute that. 8 x 2 = 16.....1/3 of 16 is.....um, 16 divided by 3 = 5+ Soooo, I'd put FIVE on top and TEN on the bottom...approximately...for 350 degrees cooking. [Even *I* can count by 5's .... ] And the odd thing about my #8 campfire dutch oven is....I FOUND it. In the creek on this property. I found the bottom first and the lid a couple YEARS later. I sure would like to know it's story! Thanks, Mother!!!!!!! MtRider

Oh hi Mother and CeeGee..... Mother, we're posting at the same time again...and again...and again..... I'm glad to see you posting and safe today. I'm afraid to tell you ALL that this stuff I'll be passing on to anyone EAST of me is deadly cold. Get prepared for bad DEEP FREEZE...even you all who are supposed to be much warmer. --Don't go out without protection on ALL your skin. --Never lay down you gloves...stuff them into your coat or in pockets. --Don't bundle into layers if it's too tight. Outer layers should be a size bigger so all-too-important blood circulation can operate and keep extremities warm. --DON'T mess around with numb toes/nose/fingers. Get them warm NOW!. -- Frostbite is dangerous....and it's forever. Once you get it, even if you don't lose body parts, the effected areas will always be supersensitive. --Hypothermia is the other cold danger. Getting tooooo cold in the core of your body. We actually have storyline planned for this too...but didn't get there yet. It doesn't have to be real cold to get hypothermia. It can happen at 50 above! Especially if you get wet....even from sweating, it's a horrible danger. Especially in wind. Be sure to layer clothing so that you constantly can unzip or take off layers so that you never become damp/wet. Very dangerous. Once the body gets to a certain point of cold, you canNOT think and you canNOT rescue yourself. It requires a hospital FAST! BTW....Yesterday's scenes walking thru mud could not have happened without some real cases of frostbite/hypothermia. We'd have needed waterproof boots and gaiters to keep from serious cold injury. The choice to slug it out and deal with being too cold later would often be a fatal one. Please be careful out there as this chill reaches all of you. We can't "write in" a happy ending IRL !!!!!!!!!! MtRider Again....

6pm and it's MINUS 12 already. Yeah, we're going colder than 20 below easy..... I'm in for the nite. the house is wrapped up. the Jupiter lantern can be filled if needed. The MrHeater can be hooked to the small propane bottle outside the window [has to be vented out that window anyway for O2 levels]. Have a propane heater in the basement/garage area the furnace goes out....and the pipes down their would freeze and burst. The 23 below nite last week? My parents furnace DID quite. At 6pm...dark and frigid cold already. They are near their 80's and at 9pm I'm about to freak cuz the repair guy [thank YOU God, that one came out that bitter nite] is still working on it and their house is chilling by the minute at 6 below. BUT the guy had the part and got it running. It's due to be replaced next summer but till then, their lives depend on it. You know....hpmh!..... I like our springtime blizzard/cold better instead of this early season stuff. We have a LOOONG winter yet ahead of us. Wow, I guess W*Ho was just comatose today. LOL Oh well, we'll be back rolling tomorrow....since we outran that snowmelt. Upwards and Onwards! MtRider ...tired of "weather"..... and ya'll stay safe!!!!

Quilty....stop that! I've been running ragged all day prepping for diving into the DEEP FREEZE again tonite. We're in a weird pocket that actually had the warmest day in a while but there is a rumor...that we might be between 20 and 30 BELOW ZERO tonite. So I got REAL busy and dug out every sheet of bubble wrap [clear plastic with all those small balloons that everyone likes to pop ] . I cover windows with them. I have only single panes....not double/triple glazing like normal people. [renting! poo!] So between the bubble wrap [so I can get light during the day] and covering with beach towels, blankets and a queen size sheet across the big kitchen windows....we will lose less heat and use less propane. My propane guy was here to top off the tank today. Said we'd used very little with how COLD it's been.....been using lots of pellets and long underwear tho. gotta go feed fore it gets colder.... MTRider...see ya at the wagons sooon

Here is a pumpkin version: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/aunt-janets-p...ake/Detail.aspx Pumpkin Dump Cake Original Recipe Yield 1 - 9x13 inch pan Ingredients 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin 1 (12 fluid ounce) can nonfat evaporated milk 4 eggs 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cloves 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 cup chopped pecans Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, salt, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Stir in the milk, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Pour pumpkin mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the pumpkin mixture, then sprinkle on the pecans. Drizzle melted butter over all. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes {ahem....in the dutch oven over coals} , or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool. Amount Per Serving Calories: 449 | Total Fat: 21.8g | Cholesterol: 93mg QUESTION: "Preheat to 350 degrees"..... How many seconds of holding your hand over the coals makes 350 degrees? MtRider

I wanted to share the recipe for the oldie-but-goodie Dump Cake that Chef served the other nite. I found the version I'm familiar with [from camping trips decades ago...] on a Boy Scout site: http://www.scoutorama.com/recipe/rec_display.cfm?rec_id=13 Cherry/Pineapple Dump Cake Recipe Ingredients 2 Betty Cocker Yellow Pudding Cake mixes, 4 Pats butter, 1 Large Can Cherry Pie filing, 1 large can Pineapple pieces {crushed works good} , {my addition...chopped nuts, shredded coconut} 1/2 cup water Equipment #14 Dutch oven 1 Large Spoon Instructions Start charcoal, line dutch oven with heavy duty aluminum foil (twice), place dutch oven over about 14-16 coals, pour in both cans of fruit, {sprinkle the nuts & coconut evenly}, dump in both cake mixes, spread lightly. Add 4 pats butter cover and cook for about 30 min. or till golden. Feed about 8 boys. after done lift out foil, wipe, re-oil, reheat and you're done ============= This, of course can also be done in dem new-fangled 'lectric or gas ovens tooooo! But it's best in the cast iron dutch ovens after a hard day keeping those dumb oxen moving down the trail! A #14 dutch oven is quite large and this can be reduced for a smaller portion. I think we used just one cake mix but still used the whole can of pineapple and cherry filling. We added nuts and shredded coconut. Also, just any yellow cake recipe works. Um....I guess you drink the 1/2 cup of water cuz it's not listed as used. Nor could I find it in any other dump cake recipes..... {I couldn't find my old recipe....it's been a long time} MtRider......[might just have to make this....in the 'lectric oven tho ...it's COLD outside! ]

It is still deep in the dark night but MtRider wakes suddenly. Dh is snoring in my ear and Dog is pushing and stretching. I'm squished up against the side of the wagon...again. Will I ever be glad to be able to put up our BIG tent and have some room to sleep decently again. Then I noticed why I had been shaken awake. The wind has picked up again..... A LOT! The wagon is shaking and shuddering. Oh noooooooo, don't tell me the storm is back.....or another one on the tail of the first. I know *that* happens a lot in our CO mountains. But the barometer was rising! I scramble out of the nice warm sleeping bag, and ease out of the dome tent [within the wagon] until I can wiggle upright. We're still leaving the Jupiter lantern on to keep warmer....placed well out of the way of sleepers. So blinking with the light in my sleepy eyes, I crawl over various totes and things to the back end of the wagon and move the coverings to peer outside. The goats are hollering and the poultry is making a racket too. WHAT? Predator? "DH!" I try not to holler but know he is very hard to wake calmly. I scoot quickly over to the tent and say his name again. He gives that startled, non-seeing wake-up as usual. "C'mon. We've got to get the tarp between us and the donkey cart taken down. The wind is up and it's rocking the cart badly." "Huh?" ....one of those less than brilliant responses again. [glad I'm not the only one who does that] "Get up! Emergency again! " I am searching for my snowsuit and slithering into it. I shove my feet into boots and make myself slow down and tie the laces or I will most surely live to regret leaving them dangling. Dh was able to comprehend the short GET UP and stalks out of the tent. Yes, one really can "stalk" from a crawling position. He's a cheery fellow when awake but he is NOT awake yet and there is no coffee to help that. I'd have done it without him if I could. I try to explain the wind and the tarp. It's about to take off with the donkey cart full of our livestock. The look I got told me that at that moment, dh would consider sleep more important. But he slid into enough clothes and his boots. Once outside, we were blasted with a very strong wind but no return of the snow. In fact........ we looked at each other and said in unison: "It's blowing chinook!" {shhhhh, don't wake the others!} Yipes, grab that tarp corner. We got to work and quickly [tho not without effort fighting this strong WARM wind] unfastened the tarp that stretched between the top of our wagon to the animal cages on the donkey cart. We managed to get it sort-of rolled up and secured just to cover the donkey cart. To give the small animals protection. The severe shaking ceased and the animals were calmed. Now that they weren't in danger of being toppled over. We righted a rabbit cage. I also shoved a treat into MM's mouth before she could greet me loudly. And Roan..and Jack ...and Midnight.... We headed over to the all-night campfire. A couple of young men on security watch were happy to see us. "Is the storm coming again?" was their anxious question. "No, the opposite. This is chinook winds. It means 'snow-eater' in whatever original language. It's warm and will devour all this snow in near miraculous time. Often a very welcome weather phenomena in the mountains where we lived. This will be very good....tho it's gonna melt things quickly. We'll want to be ready to get outta this narrow spot and up in broad, open, and higher land before the snowmelt lets loose in a torrent of flood water. I'm very glad we're out of this canyon but I think we'd better get further out of it before noon today." They both stared. "That fast?" "Yeah, pretty fast" I decided that tho it was only 3 AM, I'd go to wake MrHughes. I approached his wagon just as he popped out the back. "CHINOOK!" we said at the same time, nodding. "Well, how long should everyone sleep? We had to take down that big tarp from our wagon. 'Bout upset the donkey cart." "Glad you woke in time. Anyone else have something blowing? Otherwise I think we can let folks sleep for another couple hours. The melt will take some time.....although we'd better notify the other camp to get moving now. They still have to get down that lane and back up the logging road to reach this point. I don't want them in the mouth of that canyon later this morning. " said MrH "Well, how do we reach them. The radios just don't work around that outcropping of granite hillside between us and them." By then we'd arrived back at the campfire and one of the young men, Theodore Smith, handed MrH a cup. Another Smith grandson. I noticed DH already had some coffee. Zachery Taylor was mixing the powder for cocoa for me. THANKS! Warm wind or not, it was blowing cold across the snow at us. The stars were magnificent. I nearly lost my balance, as I usually did, while staring up at them. Not a cloud marred the view. "OK, here's the plan. Teddy, Zach....go get ready to ride with me over to the other camp. We've got to roust them early and get them further outta the canyon. The farmstead is higher ground but then they'd be stuck back inside that lane until the snowmelt flood was past...and we can't wait that long." MrH ordered. The boys...er, young men, left immediately to gather gear and horses. Chef crawled out of his wagon and looked around....then made a bee line for our group at the fire. "Pray tell....what NOW?" he groaned. "Three of us are riding out to get the other camp up and moving right now. Can we get food to eat while we ride?" asked MrH. "Yep" said Chef and turned without even asking for details. "We're the guard team then," I said. I poked MtMtR. "We need our weapons and radios." It would be a while before the coffee made a dent in his thinking. "Never mind. You can't have a gun until you're awake. I'll go get them." I also grabbed our own mugs and enameled pie plates/spoons too. Chef would have something ready soon. It would help to stay awake. And some sox. I wasn't wearing sox yet. I brought big Dog since she was awake now and she'd make sure predators did not get past her ears. "Just TRY to keep from any false alarms, OK?" I pleaded with her. Everyone needed as much sleep as possible. We took a route passed many of the animals tethered for the night. They were not exactly restless but did sense the shift in weather. Yeah....we're about to have the second verse to "Springtime in the Mountains". MtRider [...standing.... er, well mostly sitting....watch this nite. ]

Hey that is cool. I want one! Can you post any more sketches. It's neat to have illustrations. How is Big D enjoying the story so far? Does she have any storyline she'd like to see before we reach Big Valley shortly? Or anyone else? MtRider....

Awww shheeeeeeeeeesh! IRL we have a persistent kind of snowstorm....the kind that goes on and on for days. Ski areas expecting FEET. I hope our region doesn't get THAT! But it's come with the frigid cold again. It's just hovering around ZERO. Without our solar gain [not with these clouds] it's not expected to get much warmer today. [glad I did my therapeutic horse ride yesterday! Fairly nice day yesterday.] AND dh will be gone...security job 4-midnight. Having JUST dug our way out of a blizzard ....well, ok...that was UN. but still.... Is it springtime yet? No, but coming onto winter solstice soooooon and the days then begin to get longer again. MtRider [grumbles for the day.....]

After everything that happened yesterday, I wasn't sure if I'd go to bed last nite and just sleep this day thru. Auugh...tired. But very happy. A thrill goes thru me everytime I remember Mother's voice finally able to come thru on the radio and everyone including Jeremy are fine. But the blessings of the day were not finished and that fresh food in the farmstead ....well, that's just like Christmas. We've decided to harvest the greenhouse carefully so that it will continue to produce. Picking leaves but not all of the whole plants. We'll take some small plants too tho. And hope they fare better than MT3B's poor lettuce, etc. Perhaps that storm was the last great hooorah of winter even up here? At least our valley is of a more temperate climate than up here. But there is more UP to go before we descend into our new home. I'm so glad to have gotten a good look at that self-sustaining design of the greenhouse. ANY design for something we will eventually build that will reduce the manual labor of this new life is WORTHY of learning about. DH & I surely do know what a very manual-labor intensive layout we formerly had for our livestock. Had to shovel paths all over to get to everyone in winter. And carrying water in summer. In this homestead we will build, we will be looking for a layout that SAVES energy. Or we will not be able to handle the increased labor load. Well, those draft horses worked well yesterday. SF and son were able to hitch them to a 10' log [pine with branches/needles still intact] and drag out that lane that Mother, Q and the rest are holed up in. Plodding thru to break trail as we entered first and then repeatedly dragging the pine log has cleared that route for them to be able to move wagons tomorrow. Some of the other folks hitched a team of 6 oxen and began to drag the lane further up to the farmstead too. We need to be able to get a wagon up there to haul back root cellar contents, etc. At least the horses and oxen now have the hay they need to catch up on their feeding. Such a relief! Especially if we have them working hard again. When our search party finally loaded up to return to our wagon group yesterday, we each dragged a large plastic woven tarp full of hay for the livestock back there. The loads skittered easily over the snow. We also carried a few of the root veggies and some harvested collards and kale. Chef's particular request. And of course we had young Jeremy. He was happy to ride on the big huge horse that MT3B's son rode. That formerly-city child is fascinated with the animals....which is what got him into this trouble in the first place. Ohhhh, we will have to watch our children. They have not been brought up with the precautions and skills and the great responsibility of rural life. The primitive lifestyle is not as "forgiving" of mistakes and errors. Not that city traffic is "forgiving" either but ...there are different and new precautions here. And not just the children either. This applies equally to adults and even those of us who DO know this lifestyle somewhat. Just look at my error and the consequences that nearly came of that. This wagon train could easily be mourning both me and young Jeremy. Yet God was merciful and teaching us to be careful. I suppose I should share my experience so that others can learn just how easy mistakes become deadly. ....I just haven't gotten over the shivers from it yet. When we turned up the path to our own wagons, we were delighted to see that our group had taken the radio messages and cleared the drifts with oxen and logs from our own route too. Such a wonderful welcome for us too. It seemed that we'd been gone days instead of hours. Willing hands began to distribute the hay to all the animals. Especially those animals that helped to clear the wagon's path. Now we can go visiting today and anyone who wishes can ride over [wagon or horse] to get a look at the greenhouse, etc. Kind of like an educational field trip. Chef served breakfast of a rather nice mixed-grain porrige then left in his cook wagon to pick up Mother. If she's able today, after that toboggan ride yesterday . He's fired up to learn how to harvest AND set up his own greenhouse. He was most interested and kept pumping me for details. Since he'd made cinnamon rolls and kept stuffing me with such bribes, I was glad to sit around last night's campfire and tell him what I could. Several folks [especially the contracted carpenters] want to take a good look at the house, barn and the construction of the root cellars too. Even fencing and milking stanchions inside the barn. This knowledge will help them to keep in mind how so much food harvesting and storage will alter designs in this new life. Or we'll be using our pumpkins for footstools. As for distribution, everyone can request a portion of particular food(s). Chef is put in charge of fairly handing it out. We'll leave a little in the root cellar too. Not much will last longer in the root cellar. as the season is warming. Even here, last year's produce should be eaten or put into the ground. for that purpose, we will leave some of the potatoes for sure. In case anyone else happens upon this place and needs them for seeding a crop this year. We'll also be saving back some of this variety of potato for seeding a patch too, tho we don't know it's name. Genetic variety is important. Someone suggested we just call them 'Blizzard Provision'. .....yet another stone in the foundation of our new culture. Names which have meaning only to us....shared memories of coming thru hard times. MT3b's clan and dh& I have grown closer to the Benefactor families. There are some real 'pills' among them. Those that are clinging desperately to what is familiar to them. Out of fear. Out of being unwilling to relinquish control. And yet, facing this monsterous storm has quelled that to some extent. All of us have been humbled by this experience. We KNOW with a feeling driven deep within us that the wilderness life is so much larger than ourselves. Wild animals, storms, floods, starvation....all have the power to kill us. But working together, our ancestors survived to build up a safer and easier society. We have hope to do the same. Today we dig out wagons and repack [aren't we always repacking? ] to move out tomorrow morning. Be careful not to load wagons with so much bounty that this steeper land will overly burden the oxen/horse teams. Have fun at the homestead. With better light than we had yesterday, who knows what might be found stored in some corner of the root cellar? MtRider [....holding down the fort in camp today]

[pssst....Mother, ......CeeGee and Annarchy are with your group.... ] "Wheeeeeeeeeeeee......ya wanna go faster, Mother? Oh come on. MM is doing her best to just plod along so nicely. The others are way ahead and nearly at the farmstead." But since the sun is FINALLY shining and we can see clear to the buildings, it no longer matters if we drop behind. You know, Mother.....we've all been SO trying to convince ourselves that your group would be just fine. But really.....it's been so awful! When we heard your voice on the radio.... and to hear you have Jeremy.... Mother tells me to quit bouncing around on that mule or MM might...do something untoward. lol We arrive at the farmstead and a couple of Mother-clan guys help her to her feet. That sled is slick and doesn't hold still well. Oh my... The farmstead doesn't look like it was kept up real well, but basically sturdy. MtR begins to wander around with the rest of them. SF has used his new snow shoveling skills to clear drifts in front of the doorway better. Several of us troop in.... Others are beginning to haul loads of hay back to the animals at the near group's campsite. Mr.MtR suggested using nylon or plastic tarps as sleds for the hay which is loose stacked and not baled. DH and I once used nylon horse blankets to drag baled hay behind us as we crawled up drifts to get to horses during a blizzard [iRL]. As I was poking into all the dusty corners, I ventured into the basement. A bit of home canned goods down there. Wonder if we'd dare try them? I opened the door...had to tug a bit cuz it stuck. I shined my small Pal light inside.....and gave a whooop! It's a root cellar! "Oh no... I'm fine, I'm fine." I holler quickly up the stairs. "That was a GOOD whoop!" Of *course* someone thot I was dying down here. I TRY not to scare people all the time...I really TRY. [good thing I didn't tell Mother about the "getting lost" episode. She worries too much. ] Where is she anyway? She should see this....she's...in the GREENhouse? Whoa! I want one of those! Ok, so now a number of folks were coming down to see and there was a bigger flashlite. I saw crates and crates of carrots kept nicely crisp stuck vertically into damp sand. "Crunch crunch....Yum!" says someone on the other side of the shelving. "Ah...you might wanna wash that first, " I advise. "Likely they've used REAL fertilizer way out here. You know...manure?" I laughed to hear a choking sound. Lets not go toooo "natural" out here. There were beets too. Greens trimmed close but not cut into the flesh. Roots intact. The wet sawdust worked well for them. They like it as close to freezing as you can get. Someone said they are too big to be any good. But if this mountain climate is cool like my mountain, they will be fine. Root crops grown in cool regions can get huge and still be sweet and not woody or pithy. Turnips , also huge, are stored like carrots in sand..with the tops trimmed. "Great! you've found some Rutabaga" MtR told a dubious young man. They are in wet sawdust like the beets cuz they tend to dry out. I scratch with my fingernail. These have been dipped in beeswax too. There aren't many here but they add to a good hearty stew. Potatoes don't like it as cold and not wet. In fact they must be 'cured' in an airy/DARK place for a couple weeks before storing. These were stored in well ventilated wooden-slat bushel baskets. Not so many that the weight would press on the lowest taters. [squish effect is not good] If these got too cold, down past 35 degrees, the starches can turn to sugars. But allegedly, if you bring them into a warmer environment [70 degrees] for a couple weeks, the process will reverse. The temperatures down here should remain pretty steady. There was yet another door, as we played our lights over the room. It creaked when opened too. There was a definite fruity smell in here. Apples, wrapped individually in newspapers and leaves lay in many slatted crates. There were even a few crates of pears as well. And...something that was once a crate of fruit but....was kinda just a mess by now. Plums? Eeewuuu. There were four large buckets of water sitting in the corners of this room. Humidity ...so the fruit doesn't shrivel as quickly. Many of the apples we 'pinched' were a bit mushy. but certainly not rotted...oops, my finger went thru that one. I tossed it into the plum-mush crate. That's the reason for keeping each fruit separate with wrappers. Less bruising and spread of rotting is slowed. There is also a vent pipe going upwards from this room. It was carefully covered with hardware cloth [wire mesh] to keep out rodents. Ventilation is important for fruits. I came back into the veggie room and SF pointed his flashlight up to the ceiling joists. "Those are garlic and onions, aren't they?" he asked. "I hit my head on a bag of them and was afraid to see what I'd bumped." "Ohhh, wonderful!" I exclaimed. Being short, I might have missed these entirely. Garlic braids were hung from nails in the wooden joists and many small bags of onions were between them. Not too many for the 'squish' factor like the potatoes. The heavy smell was hard to miss now that we'd focused on it. Chef would be thrilled with this find. "Whoooooeeeee! I do believe this is sauerkraut," choked out someone in the dark corner of the room. "Oh dh and I love sauerkraut," I crooned. "How much is there? Oh yikes, those old stoneware crocks are so heavy. We'll likely have to put it up into other containers [plastic buckets work] or we won't be able to lift it. I wonder how long the kraut will last if we take it out of this cool stable environment? Surely SOMEone else likes the 'pickled cabbage'????? :yum3: :yum3: Anyone else find a variety of veggie or fruit that can be expected to last in a root cellar? How is it stored best? THIS is how our wagoneers will be storing much of their garden's produce from now on. ....this bounty will not feed our large group for very long. But just the thot of some variety makes our mouths water. Just one more bit of mana by our God who sees our needs. MtRider [...I'm starved! .... IRL..... ]

Oh good job, MT3B. Our storyline this morning matched almost perfect. LOL...I did have to edit myself back into the search party on yours but a minor change. right down the chef's hot cocoa and the emergency gear! Good, I was hoping you'd send some of your guys so I was able to quickly get them into mine before I posted. Whheeeeeeeeee...this corporate writing gets fast and challenging to be able to not paint ourselves into a corner...well, not too badly. MtRider....[needing to participate in some REAL LIFE and milk my goat now.....don't y'all make MtRider do anything too stupid while I'm gone..... ....I can push the "delete" button, y'know. ]

Tho it was early, I was milking the goat in preparation of going on search. The barometer definitely scheduled a clearing of the skies soon. After the small animals had been cared for as best we could, dh and I dressed carefully for the journey thru deep drifts and scoured clear places. The very inconsistency would make this rough. Certainly we would try to route around the drifting where possible. Some drifts were up to 12' high. I wondered what the actual snowfall amount had been. Quite a lot less than that. Between 2-3 feet probably. We dressed in layers starting with fresh long underwear legging. I donned a silvered tank top for the breathability which would be vital if we're working hard. A light lambswool sweater I'd picked up nearly new at the thrift store came next. I packed a down vest in the saddle bags. In case we stopped moving and weren't generating as much heat. I slid into my Thinsulate nylon snowsuit with venting arm and leg zippers and lots of pockets. This is always my main work suit. Over that I put my very large down coat since it was still snowing outside. I kept looking for it to clear up. Visibility was greatly increased however. My feet would be warm but not sweating in the silvered knee-high sox and a wool pair over that. I tucked a heavy wool pair and another silvered liner pair into the saddle bags. I'd been very pleased with the performance of my size men's 8 ankle boots. Thinsulate/GorTex for warm and dry. Good tread and most important, they were lighter in weight than several of my ladies footwear. Normally I wear size 6.5 to 7 women's dress shoe. But I need toe room for winter footwear. I give the sales guy credit for not even blinking when I requested to go into men's sizes to get the width. [iRL too!] And they actually fit into the stirrups. Nylon gaiters close the gap between the pant legs and the boot and attach to the boot. Deep snow is not an issue. Tho I hope we will be able to ride most of the way and avoid drifts large enough to give the equines trouble, we both are packing snowshoes. Vital in this drifting. Mine are a wood and nylon corded pair I made in a class decades ago. I'd just ordered dh a pair that they are recently making of magnesium with steel cording. They are light and seem to be strong but we hadn't had the chance to test them. Jeremy's family is among the crowd up to see us off. I give his mother a big hug and promise we'll do our very best and how likely it is that he's been in good hands this whole time with the other group. We've packed some warmer clothes for him and pray we will be able to fetch him back to his family this day. Praying also that we will find the other group has come thru the storm as well as we have. MT3B is here to see SF and N off with our search party too. Their horses are strong and will be an asset for breaking trail if need be. "Don't worry Mt3B...we'll be back!" I tell her. Chef has made thermoses of coffee and cocoa [for me...non-coffee drinker]. Trail food and sandwiches of fresh-made biscuit [his cookstove is now restored to working order with the wind dropping down]. Our canteens are full of water. Emergency gear on our saddles, in our clothing, in waist packs, and packed on our hunter's toboggan. In case we have reason to need to stay out longer than we hope. Never leave a winter camp with the notion that you are guaranteed a timely return. We even carry our small dome tent. We checked our radios and carried extra batteries deep inside our clothing to keep them from freezing. Initially we made our way thru the trees. It was harder to pass thru with no open trail but far less snow. The sled was riding easily behind MM. [Yow...got a branch in the face as I turned forward again.] A very good thing for the poles on either side tho. We haven't always used them but the downhill side of any drift would have slid the toboggan right into the backs of her legs. Upon arriving at the main logging road that we'd turned off of to camp at our clearing, a man stopped to wait our return. He was the first of the relay of radios. A quick check with the wagon radio confirmed clear signal. We proceeded on. Most of us turned to the right to back track the way we'd been traveling on Thursday afternoon. Two men turned left just to make sure the second group had not bypassed us after we turned into the clearing. The snow was lighter now and visibility improving by the half hour. Since the prevailing winds had been straight down this road, it was fairly clear until it curved a bit and some drifting began again. The travel was slow. No one wanted to push our mounts since the footing was so difficult. DH was very pleased with Jack donkey. He was willing and able to carry him with careful agility. MM was more than willing to follow and the sled was not a bother to her after miles and miles of hauling the wheeled cart. At intervals we had radio checks and everyone reported no problems but no sign of the others. We had a code to use if we found the boy in less than excellent condition...since the parents would stand vigil right next to the base camp radio man. A couple times we had to leave the road to avoid a large drift and once, a newly fallen tree that completely blocked the way. That would have to be removed it our friends were further down this direction. We were beginning to be nervous. How far back had they stopped? What trouble had fallen on them that they couldn't continue? MrH stopped at one point to scrutinize a clearing in the trees. "This is a small road that leads to a farmstead back there." He rode further down the main road and turned to view it from that perspective. "I wonder" he murmured. I couldn't see any road or path there at all beyond the first few feet. A narrow thinning of trees mebbe...? But anything going east would have been caught in the wind sideways and the drifting would be terrible. "I think we'd better send a couple of you in there...just in case.." began MrH when the radio gave a weak signal. "Say again?" he barked into it. No response. "Base camp report" "Base camp...no change" "Team North, report?" "Team North...no change" A weak signal came again as we all strained to hear on our radios. Something about a barn? "This is Mr.Hughes. Wagons Ho members - rear wagons...is that you?"

Dh and I about froze standing out in a windswept area...down to the grass underneath. But the wind was SO strong and tho the horses and donkeys stand behind-to-the-wind, they didn't get as much of the grass, etc as they needed. We don't dare try to tether them here either. Well, they've gotten some and I was able to gather part of a bag for the goats too. The rabbit cages are pretty stuffed full of grasses....so I hope bunnies do not eat all of their insulation before we have a chance to get more. Wow...ya think ya got enough of things and whammo...you need something you didn't expect to be needing. We did the morning chores for the other animals. Goats were duly appreciative of my paltry efforts to feed them. Rabbits had not eaten themselves out of bedding yet. The geese and ducks received grain & water and were warm in their natural down coats. We gladly went back inside our wagon for a real meal of canned beef stew. I have only a few small canisters of butane and this is the second emergency that I've used the backpackers stove. The first was that massive rain storm in the ranchlands. While DH kept an eye on the stew pot.....and the slobbering BigDog who was keeping an eye on the stew pot.... I fiddled with trying to hang a second pot for hot water with a wire at *just* the right height above of the Jupiter oil lamp. Not so close it would smother the flame but close enough to collect the warmth put off by the lamp. One good thing about a hooped wagon, there are places to hang things from. Made a bit difficult by the insulating cover but I just poked a hole in it if I needed. gotta do what works! The bad part about this arrangement was that the wagon swayed just a bit as we moved around. Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Muffled with the wind/snow. But getting louder. I poked my head out the front of the wagon and MrH and three other men came towards our wagon in a cluster...still hanging onto the ropes. "What's up" "We've got a young boy missing. Jeremy O'dell. A mix-up last nite and everyone thot he was with someone else. Just to make sure, we're checking with everyone to make sure you don't have a stowaway." I shook my head numbly. Terror ran thru me. Oh God help that boy. I could not imagine a young child out there...as I had been... Oh no! "We're hoping he's with the other group. He's got a fascination with the animals and has been sneaking back to walk with the herders." MrH looked grim tho. "There is NO way we can do any searching in this storm" "Still nothing on the radios? Are they working?" "They work ok within our group so everyone should be carrying theirs. But we've just come out of those ridges. If their group stopped while they were back inside, or turned wrong somewhere, the radios don't work thru granite." One of the men introduced himself to MrMtR as the boy's grandfather and asked if he might have anything to give his distressed daughter to calm her until they could find out about the boy. DH was able to give him a tea and instructions but reminded him that it would not work as strongly as a pharmaceutical sedative. He also discouraged using a strong sedative in this frigid weather because it might shut the woman's body down too low to function in this cold. "Oh, btw gentlemen" called MtRider. "I do have some encouraging news about this weather. The barometer is beginning to rise. This storm has passed it's worst and will now be lessening. But it was a large storm cell and will take time to pass thru. Perhaps by tomorrow?" The grandfather tipped his hat. "I thank you for that. It is some comfort I can offer Glennis." "You can tell her of our fervent prayer on behalf of young Jeremy as well." And the men except MrH began walking back up the line of wagons. MrH turned to us and asked if we'd both go out on the search with him and a few of his security folks when the storm slackened. "I didn't like to say it in front of the grandfather, but I'd like your medical skill with us, Mr.MtR. Tho if the boy is not with the other group......" We agreed to go and I wondered if we should ride the donkeys since their endurance and sure-footed gait might be better suited to the drifts. Since Jack donkey is a Mammoth [ a donkey bred up to horse size], DH can ride him and I've got the MM. " I think we'll have MM drag along that plastic hunter's toboggan too, " I said. We can bring some coals from the fire in the metal double-walled minnow bucket. I *think* it might work like Michael's coal keeper. Then if we have to warm someone quickly... And the backpacker stove and and pot for hot water...and the warmest sleeping bag.... Some of Jeremy's warmer clothes... And the list was made. "We will also have people stationed at intervals as we go....spaced out so that the radios can reach....to relay back news quickly.....good news, that is." said MrHughes. The rest of the day was spent mostly inside the wagon. Napping, reading, or trying to keep the organization. Milking and feeding again towards evening. Trying to keep enough water melted to give animals a warmed drink. Goats in particular like hot water in winter...they drink it like 'tea'. All the better to get them to drink and stay hydrated. They had to be let out of the dog crates on leashes...just to stretch their legs. They fit inside but not with a lot of room. The snow shoveled on the windward side of the wagons was making a nice insulation. With the drifting, it was not hard to finish with a shovel what the wind had begun anyway. By evening, the snow was drifted 10 feet in some places and still swept bare in others. Poly tarps were still being torn by the strong winds and only the canvas ones had a chance to hold their grommets. Someone rigged a tarp like a sail which slid the wind to one side instead of trying to completely block it. That worked better as the wind was dying down just a bit by evening. Men chopped down a live pine tree which was dragged in to block wind on one side of the fire site. A dead standing tree was also chopped and dragged in for firewood. Finally someone did get a fire going with that cover. Despite the still-blowing snow, many of us gathered, if only briefly to be out of the wagons for a time. Chef is there and planning on a large stew. He's also got something like a dump cake being prepared in a number of dutch ovens. Enough for anyone. He's been frustrated at not being able to get control over the small wood stove in his cookwagon. The wind had been causing so much downdraft that he gave up the attempt to cook there. He'd resorted to a camp stove but could not produce quantities of anything except coffee and his special Hot Cocoa. Mmmm..... NOW he could have his way with the pots and pans and dutch ovens. Even those too chilled to come out and stand about the fire were sent some of the meal which should have a better name than "stew with dumplings". The servings of fruited cake were good enough to nearly make us forget our dire circumstances for a while. Before going to bed, I boiled some water with butane and put it and some wheat berries into a vacuum thermos bottle. It will be soft and ready to eat with milk and sugar in the morning without further cooking. Course we'll have to have it in bed with us. LOL I also checked the barometer and found it still going up slowly. Up is good! MtRider [iRL...this nite is still below zero but not going nearly as cold as last nite. The chill front is passing thru for us but....it is just reaching some of you in the East. Be careful y'all ....especially those of you that are not used to the extreme cold this front brings! ]

MtR elbows Mother and points to Annarchy running over to get the last two days of updates on Journey III. "What's been happening, she asked" Heeeeeheeehee. Wait till she finds out. Hey Annarchy...don't let MT3B's fool you. You're in Mother's group. Right side of the trail....yep, you've found it. Buried in snow. Mtrider

AND THE NEXT MORNING (Friday) Whoooooeeeee, the storm rages on. I can tell that without even opening my eyes. I remove the cat's paw from my face, and itch my nose. Go stretch your kitty toes in a different direction. I see that big dog and MtMtR are gone from the wagon. How'd they do that without waking me? What time it it? 7am? I *think* it's A.M. {groan} OK rats. Now I'm awake and all that wonderful hot cocoa is having it's undeniable effects. At least putting a few of those heavy totes on the donkey cart has made more room in here. OK...sliding outta this warm sleeping bag+down comforter + warm sleepwear + cat. I take a sharp breath as the cold strikes me. It's supposed to be warmer if it's snowing. Just wait till the skies clear....then it's really cold. I also had to maneuver out of the blue dome tent we'd set up within the wagon bed. Just one more layer and an even smaller space to heat. It nearly took a gymnast to get in and out of it but, I had slept well. Not like the night last fall {September for petes sake} DH & I had camped and slept in the back of the pickup-with-topper. With proper clothes, fairly decent sleeping bag AND the down comforter, I froze! DH has just refilled the hanging light but the large tank on the Jupiter is fine. He hands the lantern inside. "You'd better light it again for the heat," he advised. "Brrr...shut the door flap and send in the warm doggie, " I grumbled, trying to resist the urge to crawl back in with the cat. I was shivering so violently I could not get my hands to function. "I assume the blizzard is still in full force?" "Worse today" he answered. "Hope it spends itself out soon. But I wouldn't doubt another 12 to 15 hrs. At least. Mebbe by tomorrow morning?" "Anything we have to do then?" "Other than fix me food while I take the horses and donkeys out. We have to find some grassy area that that's blown clear of snow. They have to eat something. Can't give them much grain if we don't have hay. Sheesh...all this nice grass and ... " "Give me a minute and we'll take them all four at once. They will be more calm...tho they might not eat even then." So this is how I find myself, tethered to my wagon in a blizzard...holding two lead ropes and eating an energy bar and beef jerky. I hope to harvest some grass/etc for the goats and mebbe the rabbits too. I've got a burlap sack tucked under my coat so it doesn't blow away. DH is nearby with the donkeys. Where ARE our friends in the second group and are they ok???????????? MtRider

Oh dear! Mooooother? Hon, I think we've finally pushed them over the EDGE with this part of the wagon trip. [MtRider wrings hands anxiousl] LOL and me posting about a half a day behind everone else..... I'm TRYING to catch up!!!

Meanwhile....last nite.... [ Sorry folks. IRL I'm just not able to keep up right now. So my posts are coming in out of time-order ] Pulling into the slot for our wagon, MrMtR slumped in the seat still not moving. I know how he felt. My scare of being lost was catching up to me and my hands were trembling violently. Somehow, I MUST gouge up enough energy to get off this horse. Tried the right leg to swing over and...nada. In the end, DH had to practically lift me onto the wagon seat and let me get some feeling in MS-numbed legs. I actually was still warm enough tho. SF came by with a rope. We were uniting all the wagons with ropes strung between them for safety. Good idea. Yeah, I told SF. Tell folks to hang onto the safety line for dear life....cuz that's what it might cost if you don't. Everyone from your clan ok? Good. You heard we've become separated from the rest of the wagons after ours? I went back and back and nearly [well, actually I DID but I'll leave that out] got lost but Mother's camper wagon was not there. MrH tried again later to back track and still no one. Everyone back there is pretty up to speed tho. They'll do what they need to do and we'll sort it out when this stops. [we were both trying bravely to reassure each other] Then SF told me that we actually didn't form up in a circle. MrH had directed everyone to line up as close to the trees as we could. This way the wind/snow was coming thru the thick trees before it gets to our wagons. The bulk of snow will be blown over and beyond us too...like a 'snow fence' erected to make blowing snow jump over highways. We're evidently curved in a line along the lee side of the trees of this large clearing. And, we have only those few livestock that were being ridden or were tied to the wagons. All the rest of our herds/flocks are with the other group. I tumbled into the wagon and began trying to get the insulation up and over the inside of the cover. I'd used a nylon material with quilting polyester batting inside. Thick but lightweight. Before the trip, since we began in March, I'd tied up cords to the ribs of the wagon cover. These needed to be quickly [yeah, right....with cold fingers and I can't tie with my gloves on...] tied to the rings sewed into the insulating blanket. I repeatedly had to stop and blow warm breath onto my stinging, cold fingers. Or rub them up and down on the inside of my coat. Friction. CAnNOT get frostbite. Too easy right now. And I'll tell you - that nylon material for this is a terrible choice....light tho it may be. Touching it in this cold is awful. Shoulda used something fuzzy like fleece. I hung the oil lamp ...low enough to keep from igniting the cloth wagon cover and lit it. It has a little metal circle of a capan inch above the chimney top too...to deflect the heat. Also lit the big Jupiter lamp. Whew, that's better, turning off my headlamp. I could hear dh muttering [with this wind I'd guess it wasn't merely muttering.. ] and I popped out the tailgate to help try to hang our tent extension. The light helped more than I did, I'm afraid. The large canvas tarp [one of our heavy and expensive splurges] attaches to the back of the wagon, under the overhang of the wagon cover. Then it stretches out a span of about four feet and then covers the donkey cart housing the rabbits, geese, ducks, and on this horrid nite - the 2 dog crates of goats. One goat was gonna have to be milked. This canvas, folded smaller, had been covering the cart cages since lunch time. Lunch time....how long ago was that Seems like yesterday. But here it is only 6pm by my watch. So hard to tell in the endless battering swirl of grey. Well dh and I got the tarp hooked to the main wagon with the strong carabiners, finally. And the lower corners are attached to the wheels of the cart and wagon. We eyed this usually secure arrangement dubiously. Will it hold or could it possibly upend the donkey cart? That would be disasterous. We decide to haul a few of the heavier totes of stuff from the back of the wagon to the cart. This involved more hoisting and ...um, muttering. Ow..don't shove it till I'm outta the way! The cart is loaded with heavy things anyway but not so much that donkey-dear will refuse to pull it. Dunno. We're worried. But this tarp does give us a protected area of about 4' by 4'. For one thing, I milk in here. Mr H trailed the safety ropes to our end and gave an update as I prepared goat for milking. She wasn't in the mood but full is full and with the enticement of her grain, she hopped up on the upturned tote box and stuck her head into the stanchion. Milking stand is hauled on the donkey cart and I didn't even take it down from there tonite. I'm milking standing up. Dh is taking care of the horses and donkeys. We'll give them a little grain but they really do need grass or hay to burn in the gut for warmth. We always keep a ration of grasses,etc [ along with a bit of dry wood] in a net dangling under the wagon. I'm pleased that it is still there and didn't get raked right off when we went over a couple deeper drifts getting in here. Being the last wagon had it's advantages today. But I doubt what we have will last more than tonite. For milking tonite, I use the disposable babywipes with alcohol added for cleaning my hands and her udder/teats. I work fast with that cuz *WHOA* is that cold. Goat thot so too. I'd stuck chemical hand warmer in a cloth and had it handy to quickly warm us both. Things proceeded better from there. Usually I have just warm soapy water and rinse but this is emergency protocols. Sheeeeeesh, the milk is freezing around the edge of my stainless steel bowl so that pouring it into the qt canning jar is ....a bad idea tonite. Unless dh and I keep the jar with us in bed. How ARE we going to keep everything from freezing? Set it close to the lantern? I'll transfer this to a plastic bottle when I get into the wagon. Dang, I keep forgetting details. Mebbe I'll just heat this up and have lots of cocoa tonite? OTOH, freezing isn't going to hurt the milk if it's in plastic ...and not filled full. Anyway, MrH has told us that everyone is accounted for except the folks that were behind the end of the wagons herding livestock. [THAT'S one worry down.] Everyone has been warned against going anywhere without a whistle and hanging onto the safety ropes. When I asked about folks keeping warm tonite, there was good news. His group had had the means and had been advised to purchase very good sleeping bags and down comforters. He was more worried about someone making a mistake out of ignorance of this deadly weather. Some of his security folks would keep watch tonite for anyone who might have difficulty and need wise advice. He's been spreading the word that if you get cold, get up and do something about it. Better to lose this night's sleep than not wake at all. Small children will sleep with a parent. Other siblings will share zipped together bags and a puppy or cat might add their naturally warmer body temperature. That is the plan for DH and I as well. Big dog and small cat...oye! No sound but static yet on the radio. Is there anything else we can do? This could last a while. Seems to be intensifying yet. gonna get worse before it gets better. Hopefully we'll sleep thru most of it. Um...how is the water tank going to be? Still pouring liquid for now after thawing the spigot? Good. But we need to get it partly emptied in case it does freeze. Pretty likely. Just get enough room for the expanding of the ice. Do NOT want to break the nice cistern! MrH hesitated..."Y'all don't really want to keep this tarp up tonite, do you?" Well, we'd been concerned. Might just pull the donkey cart up close to the wagon tailgate. Now that I've done the milking. So the three of us pushed it much closer until only a walkway was between. Much less surface for the wind to batter against broadside. The excess tarp was carefully wedged so as not to catch the wind. The noise level improved too. As MrH makes his way back up the safety line, he has to duck under the necks of our 4 equines that are now tied to the lee side of the wagon. They seem to be content, huddled together. DH went with him to make a stop at the water wagon. I set about giving the collected dried grass and grain for the small animals.

Be careful...you might end up confusing me..... [dead dog tired after dealing with our REAL animals for 2 hrs...incuding hand-hauling water to the horse tank... ] I can't tell if you're kidding, MT3B.....so if you are not: Front part of wagon train, camped in large clearing to the LEFT of the trail include: ---All Benefactors except those that were with the herds of livestock behind the very last wagon. ---the AT3B's clan of three wagons ---MtRider, Mr.MtR and their wagon/donkey cart/equines/goats(on cart)etc Back part of wagon train, camped in a smaller clearing with trees to the RIGHT of the trail...having veered off in the zero visibility: ---Any benefactor herders ---All other ....ahem, REAL people. We're trying to give the perspective of this crisis from two separate viewpoints. So it's you and me for the Front half of the wagon train. MtRider [..... I'm off to see if we can start telling how our group survived the night]