Mt_Rider

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]

Ah......MT3B? That blooper about who's wagon is WHERE was mine. I forgot Mother's post had you just ahead of hers and my story needed our wagon right ahead of her. Sorry 'bout that. Also my part, "meanwhile at the front half of the wagon train', was posted late cuz I'm dealing with WINTER here IRL. {sigh}...we were at MINUS 23 degrees at 7am this morning. Sheeeeeeeeeeeesh! Makes for feeling quite realistic when I've *just* nearly frozen my hands while tying the ropes to secure the bedding straw I drove in to get from the feed store. I seriously had to get in car and warm them on the heat vent twice before I got them secured to the roof. So anyway, your clan and DH and I are in front of the break in the wagon train. We're camped on the left of the trail where the ridges level out and it's like a high plains area. Lots of trees yet and we're in the meadow which was intended for the whole group to stop. Here is where we search our brains for how to keep warm/safe in these primitive conditions in terribly dangerous weather. I've got some ideas but....anyone who any a thought or has experienced this, drop us a post here or wagoneers, post your efforts to keep warm. ....and like I absolutely HAVE TO have frigid weather outside my door In REAL LIFE just at this part of the storyline comes up. MtRider ...who is seriously in dangerous cold while caring for real live goats, equines, and ducks. ....Big dog and cat are, of course, within the currently warm house with me! Pray we do not lose electric for any weird reason. Just cold...no storm or snow here.] edit to add: Leah, that pic does give a better idea of how fuzzy you can carve a stick for tinder. thanks. Tail lights...or those light sticks that Mother brought out. Those things are good too. The more expensive ones have some fair visiblility....tho I'm not sure in the blizzard conditions? Never tried one then. Would be an interesting experiment tho. DH and I did signal each other with a barn light in one blizzard we were in. Big halogen lights.

That was a good lunch seminar. I didn’t know you could make sausage casings from cloth. Never thot about it...have not made sausage....YET. LOL Going to be SO many new things to learn. But I did bring along old cloth from sheets, Tshirts, etc. I’m an avid recycle-er too. I’m still cold even if it’s a bit warmer today. [ Must be cuz IRL Colorado is in the deep freeze last nite and today. Took all morning to reach UP TO ZERO...sheeeeesh! ] So I dug out the Thinsulate snowsuit I began this journey with. I’ve got my down coat handy next to Mr.MtR in the wagon. Its big enough to put on over my other layers. ...I think it’s a men’s XL, actually. It works. When I get chilled..... brrrr. So Roan and I are riding up and down the wagon train as usual. DH is driving our wagon, naturally. This is a narrow stretch and ....while I love the mountains, I like the places with vistas. I don’t like these canyons. Claustrophobia. It’s not any more narrow than our valley in CO but these walls are steeper . Not really so much higher. Just not something you could take a horse up. Walk it up if you’re careful. I’ll be glad when it widens out up ahead...or so MrH has said. MM is pulling the poultry cart as usual. Her newly beloved Jack is beside her and we’ve had no bickering between them. My new black Midnight is on the far right. That arrangement works well but MM has accepted Midnight too. The ages-old feud between Roan and MM continues to cause problems here and there. But it’s mostly show now. Poultry cart is a little heavier today. With the unsettled weather [and the fact that my hooligan goats were NOT behaving with the herds in the back of the train... ] two stacked ‘dog crates’ with 2 dwarf goats each are riding on the cart today. We’ve done this from time to time and as long as we’ve stuffed it with lots of grasses and brush plants, all four goats are content to lay down and chew cud. They’ll be more than ready to get out when we camp tonite. Big dog is trotting on leash-line along side our wagon for now. She uses my steps to hop up and ride with DH if she wants. Or if she’s banished for unnecessary barking. Sheeesh. Misbehaving animals. As I take another nervous look around, the walls that seem too close for me, I’m getting a weird feeling. Very uneasy.....and I’m only now realizing that it ISN’T the claustrophobia. The sky doesn’t look right. I holler to DH that I’m going up ahead. I’m only part way to the front when I meet MrH, also patrolling the sides on horseback and heading backwards. “What’s up with this?” I point upwards. “I think we’re about to get something....bad. Get everyone moving faster so we’re out of this narrow area and can circle up if we have to. It levels out just a ways up there.” says MrH still scanning. “I don’t like the look of this at all!” “Me either...its got a baaad feeling,” I replied as I turned Roan back. I hollered the message to each wagon I passed to pick up the pace, bunch closer together and get the kids inside the wagons. Batten down, we think a storm is coming. I was telling a benefactor wagon the news when suddenly the man’s eyes widened. I spun and looked at the mass of grey/black clouds dropping like foam on a curling ocean wave over the western side of our canyon walls up ahead. Oh no..no..no..no..no..no..no! I shrieked over the wind that hit us suddenly. “KEEP GOING! WE CANNOT STOP HERE! IT WILL WIDENED UP AHEAD A LITTLE WAYS! MOVE! MOVE!” I dashed back to the next wagon and the next as the wind and snow increased within minutes. One wagon had pulled up to a stop in confusion but I yelled to keep going...need better shelter! They got moving again. I reached MT3B’s clan and they had fortunately seen the pace pick up and were moving more rapidly themselves. I shouted to keep on till we could circle the wagons up ahead. “KEEP TOGETHER” I kept yelling. It was so hard to take a breath if you were turned into this wind. Fortunately I mostly had my back to the wind and snow. But the swirling effect made me dizzy. There was a frightening gap between their wagons and ours, which was supposed to be next. I could not see anything for a few frightening seconds but kept Roan moving forward. We could no longer go faster than a walk tho. In the deep swirling grey, finally the shadows of our oxen came into view not three feet away. Roan and I jumped to the side and came along side Mr.MtR in the driver’s seat. “Try to get them to go faster. You’re spaced behind by a bit. We’re trying to bunch up.” I yelled again. “Hand me that down coat too, will you? It’s nasty. We’ll be circling in a wider spot up ahead....if we can FIND IT IN THIS MESS! “ I pushed Roan on passed as I struggled to get the coat on without the wind ripping it from my grasp. My fingers were getting cold already. I need to take the time to switch to the heavier gloves in the pockets of the coat. I already pulled down the face mask of my fleece hat. MM gave one of her sonic brays when I passed the back of our wagon. I could barely see her or the cart. I could only hope that all three equines were still tied to the back of the wagon. I called out to MM and pushed Roan on toward the next wagon in line. That would be Mother driving the “gypsy wagon”. Good thing those horses of hers have been pretty calm. I pushed Roan on thru complete grey swirl, wiping my sunglasses. They are the lighter lens due to the cloudy day but...oh heck. I can’t see anything. I drop them down on their cord and tuck them into the top of my now-zipped up jacket. Don’t want to lose them. I cup my hand on the side of my face that is getting the windblown snow. Well, I can open my eyes but still cannot see...Roan dodges a tree. I’m ducking a low branch and we’re back on the trail again....I think. I’m leaning way down in the saddle to try to see tracks. The snow is essentially blowing sideways. In this narrow canyon, it intensifies like water forced thru a narrow pipe. Roan is fighting to keep from veering sideways in the confusing lack of any visibility. My leaning so hard over the side is not helping her but she’s an Appie with huge hindquarters. She’ll handle it. I’m sure I’m still on the trail. I *think* we are. We’re moving so slow but we should have met Mother’s horses by now. If we could stay outta the danged trees, for petes sake. Ow, scratched by that one. Had to hang onto my hat or it would have been dragged off my head. CanNOT lose vital equipment like hat/gloves in this weather. Oh my gosh....we are certainly NOT on the trail. Roan is beginning a steep climb which means we’ve been pushed around and turned too far to the right. This is the edge of the canyon wall. Oh God help me...help us all. That was the moment that reality hit me. Not that this was one of the fierce mountain springtime blizzards. That was obvious. This could last an hour or 3 days. We were in BIG trouble. I’ve experienced this kind of storm several times. No, what hit me was that anyone or any animal that got separated from the wagons would likely die. And right now, *I* was separated. I really wasn’t thinking that the short gap between the wagons would be a danger. Where did we veer off? Can we find the train again? “OK, settle down and *think* straight.” I told myself. “and for once in your life do NOT mix up “left” and “right”. I turned Roan around and tried to follow our back trail. It disappeared into wind driven drifts after only a couple yards. But we kept going. Not even able to keep an eye on a far tree, I had only to hope & pray we were not going in a circle. Or parallel to the wagons. I tried looking upwards, any break in the clouds? Nothing but that ominous dark swirling grey. My cheeks were feeling chapped raw with the sharper crystals of snow dashing across them. I pulled the face shield up higher. Roan stumbled but caught herself. She was getting freaked. I could feel her muscles bunching up under me. I patted her snow-covered neck. Don’t dump me off, dear Roan. With everything in my EDC packs...I would *still* have pretty much zeeeero chance of survival without her. I had not encountered anything that looked like a trail nor had I run into a wagon or team. I should have crossed back over by now. I was beginning to shake but whether from cold or fear, I couldn't tell. I kept up a silent plea of “God, I need help/we need help”. There was really no choice but to keep moving. Even if we crisscrossed the canyon back and forth. At least it wasn’t like getting lost on the open prairie where there would be no steep wall to signal a boundary. How long had I been out of contact? It seemed like hours but I thot it might have been fifteen minutes? A half hour? Five minutes? I kept Roan’s heading so that the wind was pummeling us from the left ...if it was steady, we should be still retracing our steps in a somewhat straight line. Oh WHERE IS EVERYONE? I’m not usually one to panic. But I can sure get a good attack of ANXIOUS going. And despite talking to myself and God and Roan [not necessarily in that order] I was really getting scared. I know mountains. I am in BIG trouble. Oh God, if anyone else is alone and scared out here right now...... And the words hit me. From our EDC class. Jacob had told the children so sternly that they were not to blow their emergency whistles unless they were ALONE AND SCARED. I dug down the front of my jacket and pulled the lanyard until the whistle and tiny emergency light popped out. The light would be of no use whatsoever in this situation. But I peeped the whistle a couple times to warn Roan. Then I blasted it longer. And longer. Finally, I did three long blasts of the whistle. And waited. I was about to blast again three times when behind us and way up to the left...into the direction of the wind and snow I heard the unmistakably wonderful sound of ..... HEEEEEEEEE HAW HEEEHAAWH HEEEEEEHAWWW Before I’d finished mentally promising that hooligan donkey a whole row of carrots from our future garden, Roan had wheeled and made straight for the noise. I blew the whistle again and got another bearing on that HEEHAWW. I’d read that wild donkeys had lived in such rough terrain that they’d developed the extreme VOLUME to communicate over the ridges and valleys. For this, I thanked God. I might not have been the only reason HE had created them with such a supersonic voice, but I was certainly saved by it this day. We nearly rammed into the back of the poultry cart. As if it were even possible, I think the visibility is worse yet. Roan let out a wheeeeheehee as she knew her equine friends were near. Which set off both donkeys this time. I thot I’d better get up and let DH know what the ruckus on his tail-end was about. We edged along side the cart, the equines plodding heavily now that the snow was drifting deep in some places. Other places were swept clean to bare ground, causing some stumbling. Then finally we were up along side the wagon seat. MrMtR looked like a snowman. He’d been plastered with snow till you couldn’t see his clothes. I hollered “Are we still all together? Are you behind Mt3B? “ Thot I’d tell him of my adventure later. “I think so. I get a glimpse of a dark shape just ahead now and then....and I haven't hit a tree. ” he called out. “I’ll go just up there to see for sure,” I suggested, knowing now just how easy it would be to get off the trail. ‘Course, as he said, a wagon wouldn’t get thru the trees like Roan and I had. And likely the oxen would do as they were accustomed: follow the wagon in front of them. But I wasn’t ready to put faith in a cow! I edged Roan up along the oxen [a four-hitch today] and was relieved to see the moving dark blotch just ahead. Carefully this time, I moved forward and it became the back end of a wagon. I think I began to breath again in that moment. And then stopped breathing .....y’know....I never did find Mother’s wagon. I must have veered off the trail before she came up behind us. Well *surely* they would have kept coming? She’s savvy enough to know we have to get outta this narrow spot for a blizzard! MrH and horse loomed suddenly into view. “Everyone accounted for?” he barked. “I’m not sure.” I said as I wheeled around to ride backward to our wagon again with him. “ There was a gap between us and Mother’s gypsy wagon right when that hit. I tried to go back to spread the word to hurry and bunch close but....Roan and I never found them. ....and we got lost for a while too.” “WHAT?” he roared over the wind. “You mean we don’t know if they stopped?” “Well Mother wouldn’t have stopped on purpose....she knows to get out of here before the snow piles us too deep to move the wheels.” By now we’d gone past our wagon once again and Mr.H’s horse nearly jumped off the path when my faithful MM 'honked her horn' again. “That’s how I found our way back here. “ I defended. Mother’s wagon was NOT directly behind ours. As MrH and I dropped back further, he told me to stop and hold position. I was to blow the whistle at 10 second intervals so that he could get back if Mother’s wagon was too far. Every time I blew the whistle, the donkey added chorus from the wagon that was continuing up the trail. MM did not want Roan and I lost again! After a very tense period of waiting, MrH and horse appeared out of the blur. He had not found the rest of the wagons. “I was able to go quite a ways further because you really *can* hear that donkey better than the whistle. The whistle is blending in with the wind. “ he commented. “What are we going to do? We can’t just leave them out here lost!” “The front wagons are turning into the wide area up ahead right now. We’ve got to get these wagons situated. I’ve been trying to raise someone on a 2-way radio while I was back there but no answer so far.” he answered lifting the small radio he always carried. With a guilty start, I realized I’d never turned mine on either. He saw me and said dryly, “that’s probably why I haven’t reached them. We’ll keep trying. But lets not get lost ourselves. “ We came abreast of our wagon and he ordered me NOT to go back looking. I readily agreed having the stark memory of how utterly helpless one can be in a hurry in these deadly conditions. But I was SO worried about the rest of our friends that I wasn’t even paying attention to the final minutes before we closed up the circle with our wagon. A circle that was smaller than it should have been. Oh great! They have all the livestock herds to tend to as well. {groan} MtRider [...oh my oh my! ]

It was a bit misty today. Not so much in the form of rain but chilly and damp all the same. Can you hear the dull sounds...like a blanket of quiet is down and around us. The animals are huddling together and tho it's quite beautiful, a sunny day seems easier on my spirit. We've definitely been climbing. We did take on two more oxen each at Rockin' J by design. We have the capacity now for a hitch of six but most of us could not really handle that many. Might be necessary in some steep places....and we might have some drivers taking up two wagons each so that we know drivers in on that stretch have experience and strength. That takes time but will be conservative in safety. We'll use either two oxen as we've mostly been doing, or four through most of this trail. Most of the time, a pair of two then will be 'off-duty' and with the herds. [i told Jacob to get me reallly strong oxen cuz my wagon is heavy! ] Our lunch time seminar was given by Mr. Huges on wildlife tracks. How to identify them. And of course, which ones live out in these parts. And how to properly interact with them. Bear, Mt. lion, coyote, fox, deer, elk, rabbit, squirrel, etc. We were given printouts with the tracks and other data noted. Since folks are still talking about the success and failures of the fire-making contest, some of us tried our hand at it again for our evening fire. Oh boy! Practice seems to be the key. I'm appalled that my former skill seems to have deserted me in the past decade or more of non-use. I had no real success today. I was determined to copy Annarchy's inner bark powder method. Hmph! Well and truly powdered but.... no spark turning to coal and certainly not flame. Rats. Mebbe I grabbed the wrong bark? Mine was aspen...old dead tree aspen. I couldn't even get the precious dryer lint from burning flame to accepting the "christmas trees" and such. Now with the moisture content in the air might be affecting the results. However...this is the kind of day you neeeeeed IRL yesssss I DID....I went out into light snow and EIGHT DEGREES to chuck off some old aspen bark, grind to powder between stones, [gonna be low tech in this!!! ] and set up a good windbreak and had my usual good tinder and....nothin'. Bummer! EVEN when I ducked into the basement for lint. It wasn't snowing directly ON my fire-making. This thread has pointed out some uncomfortably glaring holes in my "survival" stuff. A good educational experience but dang! I don't have to like it. KWIM? On a brighter [but unfortunately UNreality] note, I am really pleased with our new animals. The jack donkey is sizing us up and needs to know he's in good hands. Lots of treats is a way to start forming his good opinion of us. LOL Like MM, he is quite good about keeping his teeth out of the way when he lips up our offerings. I guess we need confidence in his integrity on this issue too cuz I still am quite wary. As browsers [brush and rough grasses like a goat] rather than grazers [more tender grasses, etc like a horse]....they have tough teeth! One inadvertent goat bite early on taught me to keep my fingers outta their mouth! Ow! [no, don't *ask* why I ever had my finger IN my goat's mouth... ] Of course MM is showing Jack just WHO is the boss 'round our wagon. So far he's ignoring her facial grimace, flattened back long ears, and turning her hieny to him and lifting a leg as tho to kick. It will be a lot easier if we don't have any blood during this transition period. When MM joined us, Roan gave her a nasty cut on the rear that took a couple weeks of doctoring. C'mon guys and ladies....play nice! Midnight the new horse is a sweetie. It will take time working together for us to know each other too. But so far I am in love with his gaits and that is what is important for my continued walking and coordination. DH likes the 'sass' of mares but I've always found it tedious. Roan tho....she is IN LOVE. Showing off for the [uN]gent. LOL Doesn't care that he hasn't quite got all "his" parts. MtRider [...gonna dig out the cold weather gear again. We're better acclimated but...it's damp! ]

O BRAVO to both Mother and Michael. No, not cheating at all! More reusable than dryer lint, for sure! I have a question for each of you... Mother? How does one 'char' cloth? Does it have to be cotton, I assume? Michael? what is your hot coal keeper made like? Insulated metal box or what? Decades ago I made [from a Tandy kit] a set of fireplace bellows for my parents. They still have them and I've claimed that as part of my inheritance. LOL For years starting our BBQ charcoal, I have totally cheated and used an old hair dryer to blow the brisquets into a red glow quickly. A retired engineer taught me that one. Wind flow also can serve to put out a fire or, channeled correctly with bellows or even position of logs/rocks etc, it can get it roaring quickly. Yea! Mt3b tried this IRL too!!!! Cool, isn't it? Any other alternatives??? No one has done the magnesium yet. But Leah reports in Comments that one should scrape with a serrated knife edge or it takes so long to get enough. She estimates about a pile of magnesium about the size of a quarter is needed. Also Annarchy has incorporated her fire-making into her Journey III post so don't miss her technique {IRL too! } of using scraped inner bark (powder-fine) for tinder. {which IRL I planned to try today but...we've got snow and ....I'm not sure I'm dedicated enough to push my energy to ..........blah blah....I'm making excuses. Frankly it would be a perfect 'survival' kind of day to try it. We'll see.. } MtRider

Ok, Mt3b needs some help reinforcing the sow with young in the cattle wagon. Lets get some more boards pounded in here. Reinforce it with those metal T-posts too. Yes, she can basically EAT wooden boards. So keep an eye on it. We need to set out the warning: A sow with young is one of the most dangerous barnyard animals. One female can kill a full grown man. Can also near rip off an arm. So we have to be sure no children can stick their fingers into this area of the cart. Yes, put a lid on it too. Now, the other pigs are in this portion and the goats are very sure they want NOTHING to do with that momma. Wish that man would have givin you more instruction on care of SOW. Well, the wagon's a bit heavier now but I think it will be safer. Not sure that pig is going to be getting out until we arrive tho. If babies get too big, the goats might have to give over their space. Can't have the sow running around. Good thing the cattle wagon was strong to begin with. Watch now....don't let her bite your finger clean off when you feed her. Now be VERY careful of the bull too. I wonder if he was bottle fed? That would make him a little more tamed down. BUT the hormones still reign strong so....keep a strong hand on him. That's why they control them thru the nose in the old days. Gets thru to even their dim brains. Ow...it hurts when I do that! OK...that's a bit better now. Be sure the children are not around that wagon! MtRider [......ham/bacon but wow those sows are unbelievable! ] PS: IRL...Annarchy, you really did the spark fire? I did too with the dryer lint...see the Journey II.

I've been bugged by the failure to make the spark devices catch to flame. If I get flame, I can feed a fire... Then later in the evening Joy came up and gave me a plastic bread bag stuffed with dryer lint. And a small section of steel wool. "Try these" she said. Well yes, I'd heard of them both before but had never gotten around to trying them. I tried the steel wool and was fascinated by the flame, red embers that danced thru it. Yes, I think if I was quick and careful, I could start a campfire with that. BUT WHY DOES SPUN STEEL BURN??? I wanna know! Then I struck the sparks down on the lint. WOWZERS! I jumped backward. It actually looked like some of that gel fuel. Plenty of burn time to feed it the tiny tinder and work it up to the size fire needed. Does anyone KNOW this stuff is GOLD????? I thanked Joy profusely.... But she did remind me that dryer lint comes out of ....dryers. Which are not readily available in the wilderness. Um....... OK, so before this bag of lint is gone, and the gazillian matches I brought....I need to find a natural substitute for dryer lint/steel wool. And the grasses and pine needles have NOT been a decent substitute for me. Not with a flint lighter. But...it's better than utter failure! Hey Mt3B! I've got a present for you! Lookie what Joy gave me. Now watch THIS! You try it!!! MtRider [..received the prize of knowledge.....and dryer lint! Already put some in my EDC with my flint sparker IRL today! ]

Well it's time for a lunch break and we're announcing that for the next several days, we'll try to present something as an informational demo during this time. Particularly for those folks in our wagon train for which camping or rural/primitive lifestyle is so new. But as last night's fire-making contest demonstrates, some of us have a ways to go on certain skills. So unless someone is ready with a topic today, a few of us will invite anyone interested tonite to observe and ask questions as we milk goats and cows. Many of us are up to speed on this but there are still a few who actually *just* picked up milking animals back at the Rockin' J. Ok....REALLY, wagon members. If you have a specialty and you'd have time this week to write about it, let me know which day you'd like to post your demo. Any way you'd like to teach a basic how-to. Like Annarchy did with the tanning. Anything from First Aid, sewing on a button securely, duck lore, herbal I.D. walks are always good and we need to continue those as the season and region changes. How to make Indian Fry Bread. Whatever. ....I wonder if the increase in altitude is going to affect us? Shortness of breath when we are getting higher. But I don't know if we'll go much higher than about 5,000. Still....I could share quickly the couple things you'd be watching for. First: Dehydration cuz we're not in a very humid climate now. And dehydration makes the altitude thing worse. If you are thirsty, you are WAY behind in hydration already. Dryer climate makes the heat more tolerable and since you don't feel sweaty [it's drying quickly] you don't realize how much you've lost. Second is slow down. Going the speed we are with the wagons, our climb into elevation will be slow. Hopefully it will give us the chance to acclimate. But if you're finding yourself more breathless, dizzy, lightheaded than normal, slow down. Take short rest breaks more frequently. Thirdly...in higher altitude, watch out for sunburn. A thinner atmosphere will burn you like a day at the beach. [very impromptu..lol] And anyone wanting to add to our fire-making data...speak up. That is so important. MtRider [this afternoon I'm going to be trying our new black gelding we added at the Rockin' J. Made arrangements for the Rock's to find a gelding to my needs and also a jack donkey trained for harness/pack. Decided some weeks back that this was how we'd spend the last of our savings. So...here we go. Oh, he's got such a smooth gait. He's lovely!]

So folks.....more of you may want to make your posts about the time spent on Rockin' J ranch. The BBQ. The showers...LOL. Today's ride and lunchtime EDC review. Or tonite's fire-making contest. And don't forget to open your mail and packages. We MIGHT even have some guest speakers telling about alternative fire-making {in the guise of some benefactor people!} Go ahead and post all that here anytime. We'll all come back and read it. BUT....as of Tues morning....you'll also meet us all on the trail again, heading UP into The Wilderness! http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37956 MtRider [...tell me SOMEbody's gonna get a fire lit? ]

MtR is seen inside her wagon pitching and digging thru things. ...doesn't look like 'a happy camper' either! I'm late....I'm late again. I haven't been on time for ANYthing this day. Sheeesh! They are out there starting their fires for the contest [with someone running a stopwatch] and the best time will win one of those cool BlastMatch tools. ...and I shoulda ordered one! Cuz I really don't do well with other alternatives. Soooo, I thot I'd have the best chance with the magnesium stick. BUT I CAN'T FIND EITHER OF THEM. So now I'm feeling very UNqualified for "wilderness". Can't even stay organized in this wagon....despite the number of times I've repacked it. [Everyone has been saying the same thing tho.] MtRider gives up and goes to the fire-making site. Someone has coaxed Mother to participate by building her an elevated fire pit on top of their steel plate. No excuses now, Mother! She's been telling me that dryer lint or even pocket lint is good. Charred cloth is better. Okaaay.....pocket lint it is for me then. I find an empty spot and Jerry [the younger son of Jacob Rock] comes over to be my official timer. They have laid out piles of various grasses, twigs, sticks, and other burnable materials for us to choose from. I understand THIS part of it! I lay out the wood of various sizes within reach. No sense bothering with anything but the tiniest small tinder for now. I can quickly feed a fire twigs IF I can get it going. I've spotted a glob of pitch on one of the pine logs. That might be handy. I smear some of that onto the dry grasses. [gonna be icky getting that off my fingers again] Unconscious of the movement, I wipe fingers along the legs of my jeans. Next I reach into my jeans pockets and dredge up some lint. Usually plenty..... *always* carrying kleenex for my sinus-beleaguered nose. Uh oh....shortly now, I won't be using Kleenex tissues anymore. I'll be switching to bandanas....reusable. Won't that be....fun. Ok, focus. I AM being timed. I try to rub more of the sticky off my fingers cuz I'm having trouble letting go of anything. In desperation, I rub them into the dirt. A real mess now but at least they aren't so sticky. Now I'm ready to shower sparks onto the pile of lint + pine sap with dry grass + pine sap underneath. {deep breath} It's my best shot.....and irritated once again that I couldn't have a nice pile of magnesium sitting there. I have two flint strikers: One is just a strip along the side of my emergency whistle. The other was a little more creative. It's the tiny brass mechanism that is supposed to be screwed onto a Colman gas mantle lantern. If you twist one end while holding the other steady, it showers sparks. I removed any extra hardware and have a small device. But...in earlier trials, I couldn't get the sparks to light anything. A bit of smoldering. I began to spin the end that has the brass knurled edge that scrapes the flint. I spend the next few minutes showering sparks and adjusting for a better angle onto the tinder. C'mon! Somebody catch. It's nice dry tinder I've prepared. Those flints are tiny and it wasn't long before I didn't have any left. I have an extra inside the brass tube but.... I switch to the emergency whistle flint and begin to shower sparks again. Unfortunately, I had similar results. I just shake my head at Jerry and he stops the timer of his watch. He offers a "good try tho". Hmph! Tell me that when I'm freezing my toenails blue and I can't get a fire going. I wonder how Mother and some of the rest are doing. Hey MT3B....did you get yours to light???? MtRider [....gotta acquire this skill...... ]

If you're just joining us, you may want to start at the beginning with Wagons Ho! - Preparation. http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...t=0&start=0 Wow, I can't believe how nervous I am this fine Tuesday morning. It was so thrilling to enter the Rockin' J ranch a couple days ago. But now leaving to enter the final stage of our jouney...the WILDERNESS...... Hey...I LIVED in the boonies of the Rockies, for pete's sake. In a log cabin, even! And yet....this is so different! We're leaving this unstable 'civilization' behind. Self-sufficiency....personal and as-a-group....will have to be enough. We've all said our fond goodbyes to Jacob Rock and the two of his sons that came along to see us to the edge of their ranch lands. Clarence Smith, Edward Jones, and Mr Hughes are still talking with them...arranging about the pack mule train. Steven & Jerry (the sons) will be bringing them up loaded with our fresh supplies that have not been delivered yet. Well, IF the supplies ever do make it. It's getting really rough back there too. Roan feels my mood and is prancing and wheeling. She doesn't like holding still while we {Hawaii phrase} "talk story". I'm about to run her into a tree if she doesn't knock it off. Looking ahead I see the hills beginning to rise...slow and gradual. More trees but still a lot of grass lands. The hills and trees will increase as we travel the next days. Eventually, there will be mountains. Not so high as the Colorado "Fourteeners" [that's: 14,000' and over] that DH and I are used to. Thank goodness!!!! And we'll be taking a carefully researched route and thru passes rather than up and over. But...I've heard actual entry into the Big Valley is......... a DOOZEY. Ah, Clarence and Jacob giving one last bear hug and now.....it's Clarence who's hollering: WAGONS HOOOOoooooooooo! MtRider [.......this is IT then..... ]

I second that motion. Leah, if you want to "enter" the firestarting contest, go ahead and post as one of the Benefactor group. That's if you want a one-time character. You can join us as YOU even now. {oh lookie, here comes another wagon and why...it's....Leah and Dh..& .... } Seriously non-W*Ho members.... *I* have been trying IRL my various means of alternative fire-starting and having no....NO....success. [as I mentioned, I'm great with a match..or two] So we need some tips if anyone has actually DONE these other methods. Go ahead a claim to be one of the benefactors or one of MrH's security people or Chef or MrS's niece.... It won't mess up our story one little bit. Then just tell of how you set up your fire pit and used the method you know about IRL. And don't worry that we're taking the storyline into the next thread: "Wagons Ho: JourneyIII - The Wilderness" tomorrow morning. This fire contest can have some more posts to it. (especially cuz everyone is getting holiday-busy and might not be here daily) MtRider [....digging thru my Stage 1 (72 hr bob), Stage 2 (Super BOB), & Stage 3 (BOB-the Backpack) .......trying to figure out what I did with the magnesium blocks. They are my last hope. ]

[....LOL about Mother's "Public Service Announcement"...... ] Wow....the Rockin' J ranch is a beautiful piece of land. We're in the western edge of it have been gazing at those mountains all day. While we didn't plan on getting an early start.... we actually got a late start didn't we? Even Michael was attacked by what can only be described as an "Excess of Jocularity" from last night's festivities. Just had too much fun to go to bed at a decent hour. Fortunately, today was slated as a short travel day anyway. We had some leeway. SO glad to see that the MT3B family and Missy's family were back together and in time for the BBQ! FINALLY we were all packed and on our way. Of course young Sara Rock was sent out on her horse to find us within the first hour. She descreetly [not too descreetly...she's only 10 ] handed me a bag of items. I'd forgotten we'd left some things drying on one of the bushes after we'd been doing up some laundry. Hey, not ALL of these ...ahem, garments in the bag are mine, ladies. We'll sort them out later. Our wagons are trundling along quite well now....freed of mud; freshly greased and repacked for the final leg of our journey. I have repacked some items from packages I received by mail but I haven't had a chance to even peek at others. I did use that gift certificate sent by DD from Lehman's. I have a Jupiter style Deitz lantern and also a hanging oil lantern with a wide reflector. I'm hoping we can produce some kind of oil that can be used in them....eventually. I have lamp oil packed but....it will run out eventually. We had a special treat for lunch. Even I was not privy to this event. LOL After a lunch of leftovers from the feast...huge beef sandwiches, etc....Clarence and Mr. Huges and Jacob gave us a "Pop Quiz". They had us all write down what we were carrying ON OUR PERSON right then. [We didn't have to show our list tho... ] The subject of their talk was the importance of EDC...... [Every Day Carry]. What do you carry on your person EVERY day so that it is there in a crisis....or if you lose the rest of your stuff. Well......I passed this one. 'Packrat' being my middle name. By now ya'll know I wear a utility belt with zippered pockets. Leatherman wave, Swiss Army Knife, emergency whistle [with flint/compass/cotton/birthday candle], mylar blanket, plastic rain poncho, klenex, fixed blade knife, Pal lite, lighter, lip balm, 55yds dental floss, 2 protein bars, water bottle, a few purifying tablets. Sunglasses, hat, bandana(s) are all on my person too. They said I should probably have some duct tape rolled up in there too. Course most of us are carrying a defensive weapon too out here in the wilds. Sooo, how did you all do? What do you carry now that we're way out here? Jacob spoke carefully to the children about the importance of obeying adults and not straying off. He charged the older ones with helping to keep younger ones safe. Then he handed out a lanyard to go around their necks. On each one was a quarter-size squeeze light with a surprising brightness, a tiny and LOUD emergency whistle, and a metal "dog tag" with their name on it. He explained about the universal code for emergency ...three of anything. So if they were in trouble, they should blow their whistle three times; then wait; then 3 times again. Older children talked about the SOS signal from which this simplified version originated. If they lost their whistle...which they should try very hard NOT to do....they could also make any sound or flash their light or anything to be heard or seen in threes. He also told the "Boy who cried wolf" story and made each of them promise to use their light and whistle ONLY in an emergency...if they were alone and scared. Then Jacob surprised adults [& teens] with their own lanyards. These had the same items [Jetstream whistles, Princeton Pulsar lites] and the addition of small neck knives. For us he merely said... "You heard what I told the kiddos. An adult can be separated from the group as easy as a child. No survival item will do you any good sitting in your wagon or in your other pants pocket. I'm praying that none of you will need these. " Then he handed out some spare batteries for the Princeton lights. Then was his final announcement before we piled in and got under way again. Tonite before supper, we will have a fire-lighting contest. Winners get a BlastMatch brand firestarting tool. There will be categories for starting with "two sticks", with a magnifying lens [hope we have enough potent sunshine], magnesium stick/flint striker, any other plain flint strikers, ....or any other odd way you know to start a fire. No matches. No cig liters. There will be a category for adult (over 16), 13-16 and under 12 with parental permission. OK...so now I'm wondering what I will choose to light a fire with??? I'm fine even in rain [we've had the practice and I've loads of previous experience] ....but only with matches or a cig lighter. I've not had luck with anything else. I meant to become proficient in something.....and was surprised when these methods are HARDER THAN THEY LOOK! And less successful than I'd guessed too. Hey....have any of you really tried to light a no match fire? Anyone besides me carrying a firestarting tool and ...never lit a fire with it? What method will you be able to do tonite? MtRider [...and I *thot* I was so prepared.... ]

[....Sorry wagon members. This will be long but we're trying to give some basic information needed as we move ahead here. ...."corporate writing" has it's challenges... ] MtRider walks slowly out to where the bonfire flares bright against the blackness of the prairie. No moon tonight and so very far away from the lights of civilization, the stars of the sky are a staggering sight..... whooops! While staring upwards she trips over a minor bump. If not for Mr.MtR's arm snatching hers quickly, she would have done a face-plant. ....A particularly bad idea in this land of occasional cactus plants. Ahem.....as I was saying, the stars remind me of that Diamonds-on-Black-Velvet we used to see from high in the Rockies. Mr.MtR agrees and they wonder if they will ever see any of the places that they have formerly called home again. Tonight is a party...a fare-thee-well party for the wagon members. Hosted in grande Western style by the entire Rockin' J ranch. No outsiders tonight though. Those wagoneers or ranchers who were talented in music made square-dancing & line dancing a big hit. An entire young steer had been roasting and tempting folks with the smells of the meal to come. Tables were laden with all manner of feast items. By general consensus, the traditional baked beans had been omitted from the menu.....we'd had a bit too many of those lately and the hope of more to come. As the eating and toasting and dancing was winding down, Jacob Rock and Clarence Smith walked up to the slightly elevated stage. Slowly the crowd became quiet and looked for places to sit. Jacob gave a prayer of thanksgiving and then began to tell a tale. "I met Private Clarence Smith on the bus into boot camp. Seat mates - the country bumpkin and the city slicker. Didn't think we had a *thing* in common. Yet, we kept getting assigned together somehow and eventually we just ended up friends. How many years ago was that?" He asked looking at his partner. "Lets not tell them," answered Clarence with a grin. This did not even seem like the same austere man who had begun this journey. He looked younger and more vital. And he smiled a lot now. "Just as well," agreed Jacob amid the cheerful booing. "Let's just say that many decades later.....and many escapades later, I might add.....this wagon train heading for Big Valley is probably the greatest venture we've ever initiated. And undoubtedly the most important. Serious now, Jacob explained how twenty years ago he and Joy and Clarence and his late wife Helen, had sat around a small campfire pretty much in this same spot and planned great plans. But they'd all worried too. Things were moving in the world so fast. Technology was absolutely breathtaking as were the advances in medical science. The world outlook seemed unstoppable yet.....the core seemed to be crumbling. They saw even then the potential for disaster on a global scale. And these gentlemen and ladies *always* wanted a Plan B. Most of the wagons members were astonished to find out that this planning had been going on for that long. Their own participation in this venture began only a few months before the departure and everything had seemed so rushed and urgent. "It wasn't long after we'd begun long range preparations that Edward Jones came aboard as well. Joy and I were to be the gatekeepers naturally. I'd advised Clarence and Edward to buy up that land containing Big Valley. It's surrounded by National Forest and I have to tell you folks. It is REALLY hard to access. That's the good news ....for keeping most people out. That's the bad news because you folks are going in. And you are going to be working very hard to get there. These oxen wagons will get through but if you thought you've been tested up until now, you will find an new level up in those mountains yonder that you've been admiring all day." "Anyway, about 2 years ago, civilization passed a few of the marker points which would activate this plan of ours. Preparations began in earnest." continued Jacob. "Helen was gone by then but their daughter, Ellen proved to be as competent in the procurement of supplies as her mother. Mr. Hughes had been recruited long since and he was brought on board full time to plan each detail of the route and security. AND the alternative routes in case of unexpected events...." he paused one beat. "...like an animal stampede due to a helicopter overhead." His audience could well appreciate *that* reference. "Another part of the planning was the recruitment of folks with talents and skills for a pioneering venture. Some of our own friends and family would not even consider joining us. But as you can see, many of them did. Some of them didn't do their homework regarding the new lifestyle..." he eyed some from the Benefactor's group .....though fondly. "But I expect you're learning now. " "At any rate, there could never be enough within our circle to populate that Valley with the skills, crafts, knowledge, specialties and just sheer numbers required for a decent chance of a self-sufficient colony. We began to recruit more people. Mr.Hughes kept us on our toes as far as the security of this eventual colony. This is the reason for much concrete information being withheld, by the way, as we began to approach people outside of our own acquaintances. Initially we thought to simply hire others under contract to come and provide services to our group. But that would set up a feudal system likened to the Lords and Ladies of old Europe. That was not satisfactory. We coaxed and altered and pounded our heads. This is NOT an easy thing....to establish a good basis for governing people who will needs be free. We fully appreciate the challenge laid at the feet our our nation's early men and women and commend their wisdom. We pray we might have done as well. "As you all know from your charter, each adult will receive a land grant of 40 acres. As in the pioneer days...this land comes with a price. It must be 'proved up' within a couple years. ...though I dare say extensions on that might be arranged. We've no idea how well or how difficult things will be for us. The lands must be improved with a dwelling and a means of business. Fields, gardens, livestock, a cottage industry like a dairy, or weavers, carpenters shop, blacksmithing, grain mill, .....any manner of work. You will soon be spreading out over this large valley in search of the 40 acres-per -adult that serves you best. You will be autonomous on that land. We will gather together for the defense of the valley but in most things, we shall enter into private agreement, one with another. We shall of course, agree to the basic set of decent behaviors amongst ourselves. We will not steal or deal falsely with each other. We shall not cause injury to each other. These things shall be worked out in due time. But we will strive to avoid complexity and deal simply and honestly with each other." "Some of the folks who have come along single or with families are already under the employment of another person. Some of the older members of this challenging expedition need assistance of younger folks and are capable of paying for it. That is one of those private arrangements that is between individuals. Anyone is free to make trade/barter with another. Another thing will will assure you. Anyone can quit the company and return at any point. You are not committing to imprisonment within the valley. What you have *all* sworn is an oath to protect the location of the valley. You may not reveal it's nature, location, or resources to any outside the members. That is a decency we trust in each other.....a trust upon which our very lives may depend. We pray that is not misplaced." This was a bit uncomfortable. By now we'd seen each other in good moods and bad moods. In times of laughter...... in times of sheer panic ....and in poignant moments of grieving for what we have all left behind. Our group....and even beginnings of relationship with the benefactors people as well....was knitting together. Accepting the weaknesses in each other as well as appreciating the strengths. But in this solemn moment, we all realized anew just how bound together our new destinies were to each other member. No one knew where it began but suddenly hands snaked out to hold that of a neighbor and before long the entire group around this platform was linked together. Tears were seen streaming down many faces. Proud determined looks all 'round. Yes, this was also a risk. The binding of humans together for a better life was not easy. But we would surely try. "We do have in place, a system to accept new valley members. With careful scrutiny and by recommendations of a current member. Many of you have loved ones who plan to travel and join us at a later time....and who have already been interviewed and accepted. Others may well join us also. We have carefully laid out routes and means of getting to our location. It will become increasingly....*has* become increasingly more dangerous to travel even within these weeks since you began. So as you write your last letters, encourage them to begin the journey now. They of course, will be using a more subtle means of transportation than conestoga wagons to reach this ranch. " Jacob flashed a grin. A voice raised a question for the gentlemen. "So why DID we have to take the hard way across these miles? I know the trail we're going to be on now can only handle the wagons and horseback or walking. But why didn't we just all pull up in U-hauls and load our wagons here at the Rockin' J? Why did we waste so much time and risk so much out there exposed?" Some murmurs went thru the crowd. Clarence Smith stepped forward to field that question. With a smile he said, "Well, Samuel....he's my own grandson, you know.....Sam, that is a very good question. It's one I've just been waiting for someone to ask. ...but no one did. "Think back, all of you. Think back to the beginning days our our wagon journey. Some of you have had more experience with the rural lifestyle than some of the rest of us. Yet none of us was used to the rigors of wagon trail life. It's tough physically...especially because many of us are no longer young. It's tough mentally. Hour after hour of boredom broken up only by heart-stopping crisis. Or so it seems most days. " By now every member was nodding in agreement. "I will always vividly remember the muscle pain and fatigue I personally experienced in those early weeks. I still have that but I'm tougher now. Even though we were all encouraged to strengthen muscles before the trip, I doubt more than a few of us had the time ....with all the preparations needed. Those early weeks traveling easy on decent roads gave us the time to build up physically. They also gave us the hands-on experience of working with oxen, horses, and other livestock. How many of us had ever driven oxen before now? It also gave our animals the chance to adapt and grow strong as well. And let me take this moment to extend my personal gratitude to those of you who gave pioneer lessons for all of us who were, and still are, so new to this rural, non-electric lifestyle. I hope that you will continue to get us up to speed. We have before us a rugged climb. Not to the peaks you can see from here. But through some hills, ridges, and some narrow passes. A few very steep areas that we simply could not route around. Months were spent on choosing the safest route but it is still going to be very challenging!" "I propose to you that our former selves would not have been well fit for the challenge. By taking the risk....yes, obviously traveling along those highways and towns posed risks. We had some mishaps and we are so thankful to have the last of our injured members back with us here this night. But our risk in the next few weeks would have been far greater without this 'shakedown' period. A period in which medical and other benefits of civilization were still available. Now we are going out truly alone. And I believe we are far better prepared." With a wave Clarence closed with these words. "I thank you all for listening to a couple of old men reminisce about the beginnings. Enjoy the rest of the evening, folks. Tomorrow morning....tho not too early....we'll pack up and spend the day crossing Rockin' J land. We'll camp at it's border tomorrow night and then enter Federal lands beyond that the next morning. May God bless and keep us all."

Mmmmmm...... doesn't it smell good? The beef roasting in the firepit. All sorts of goodies being baked, fried, roasted, and concocted. ' I can't wait for the Fare-Thee-Well BBQ tonite. MtRider [...trying to make campfire brownies....ow...that's hot!]