mommato3boys

Reading about your past has made me remember mine. All the chickens, the cows, pigs and the massive garden. I now know why my mother only spent $10 on groceries (and that was mostly cleaning supplies and personal items) when I was little. I remember plucking chickens nothing smells worse than a wet hen. Mother finally went to skinning them instead of plucking them. But we still had to pluck the turkeys she didn't want to cook the turkey without the skin. I grew up on 16 acres and I swear 10 of it was a garden every year. Well ok so 5 of it was garden. Dad always planted 3 acres of corn so that we could take some of it to the mill and have it ground into cornmeal. I remember always the first week after school was out going with my mom to pick blackberries EARLY in the morning like 6:30 right after dad left for work then coming home and taking a bath in bleach water to kill the bugs and my mother checking my head for ticks. She always made 52 1/2 pint jars of blackberry jam. Then there was strawberries, grapes, muscadines, scuppernongs. We had peach trees, fig trees, pecan trees, and apple trees. I think there might have even been a pear tree. Summer vacation was NO vacation around my house. There was always something to be picked, weeded, watered or fed. Raja in my story is actually from my childhood. I raised a bull from when he was a baby. His momma died during delivery so we had to bottle feed him. He had a bullring and everything. He would follow me around like a puppy. Baby used to steal my dads hat when he would go out out put salt blocks and hay out in the pasture. He would grab the hat off my dad's head and run with it to get dad to chase him. It was funny to watch this huge bull try to sneak up on my dad. Dad finally quit taking the truck out to the pasture with the hay because Baby would come up and lean on the truck to get dad to scratch him behind the ears. Dad got tired of having to beat the dents out of the fenders so he started taking the tractor and flatbed wagon out there. The year that my dad hurt his back we sold off all the live stock (including Baby) except a few chickens. After we sold Baby the new owner called my dad one day out of the blue and told him that Baby had saved his granddaughters life. It seems Baby had taken a liking to her. She would feed the horses and goats apples and carrots and then she went to feeding Baby without anyone knowing it. They lived up near the TN/AL state line and she was laying outside playing with her dolls when a bobcat came in the yard. It had already killed a couple of the baby goats and it went after his granddaughter. Baby went through the electric fence and killed the bobcat. Dad explained to him that Baby was a pet more than a bull. That I had raised him from a calf and bottle feed him. Showed him in 4-H and everything. That was the reason Baby had a bullring.

Oh heart breaker. We are to make camp on this side of the mountain tonight. I know a lot of people are disappointed. Sf and I both are very disappointed. We just knew we would get to see our new home today. Oh well maybe tomorrow for lunch we can look at it and dream. SF and I both agree we don’t like the look of that pass and we sure do not want to try and maneuver it in the waning light. Plus I think the animals could use the rest as well as the rest of us. It will be a good thing that we are all well rested and fresh when we tackle the “monster” as it has become known in our family. Wow Chef works fast. He already has fire going and I see that he is roasting chunks meat. Word has come around that he is cooking for all and if we have started dinner then if we like we could share. What a great idea I guess it is our good bye meal to this side of the mountain. I will take my squirrel dumplings over after I get the animals fed and watered. Well with the guys unhitching the animals and feeding and watering them. I think I will feed and water the other animals. I think I will let my chickens out and let them scratch around for a little while. O look at my girls you are laying eggs again. Wow there will be enough for breakfast in the morning. And Wilma your babies are coming right along. I think I will put in a carrier by yourself tomorrow morning and then back in with them at night to help keep them warm. I think one more cat carrier here yes I do. What’s the matter Lucy don’t you want to come out oh I see you are sitting on your babies also. Well I will leave you be, here have some extra grain and some dandelions flowers. Well hello Babydoll, are you getting pudgy. I wonder if you are carrying twins. That would be so cool. Where’s the rest of the crew Babydoll oh I see them coming now…1,2,3,4….7 yep you are all here. Shoo Buttons you smell whoa man you are in full rut. I actually think you are stronger smelling out here than you were back home. Or is it just the fact the air is so clean here…huh boy is that it the air is just so clean here. Hi Mr. & Mrs. C how are you this evening. Yes I am disappointed also I was hoping to get through the pass today also. Although, I have to agree with Mr.H I had rather tackle the pass when I am well rested and it is broad daylight. How is Missy doing, I see her running around with the other children now. No P still has the cast. Q has talked him into keeping it on until we get through the pass and down the mountain. But I am sure that the first night we are in the valley it will come off. Q seems to think if they can keep him in the cast until then he may not need the boot cast. I know I can’t believe it has been so long either. Some days it feels like we have been out here forever but then some days it feels like we just started out. Well you be joining everyone tonight for dinner. Yes we will be there but I am not sure how many of us will be able to keep our eyes open for very long. Well if you are not there enjoy your evening and dream of your new home…good night.

Well it was another early morning. The days are getting longer and since many of us have our internal clocks set with the sun (and the darn rooster) we are up and at it earlier and earlier. You know sitting on this bench all day one’s mind does wander. I don’t know about the rest of the group but I am getting very nervous about the downside of this “hill” We have been climbing for days now. SF and the guys rounded up some fallen trees that are still solid and are going to use that to lock the wheels. I hope it works. I just have to reminding myself that the Good Lord has gotten this far and He will see us through. Psalms 121(vs1-4): I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. (v8) The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Oh we are stopping. SF just rode by and said Mr. H is stopping us for lunch now to give the animals and extra rest. We are about to hit the last climb and pass that he is concerned about. Suddenly I am not so hungry any more. Oh well SF and the guys are unhitching the teams so I guess I need to get lunch ready. Since we are stopping a little longer I think I will go ahead and get dinner ready and then just put it in the hot box. Some of the younger guys are playing football. It is amazing how they have adjusted to this thinner air and us older people still could use O2 thanks LOL. What? Are they trying to get Mother to play oh wait Sasha is going to play. My money is on the dog. Oh look she scored. Way to go Sasha. LOL Silly Girl. I see SF over at Mothers wagon peeking at the puppies. Maybe he will take the hints I have been dropping and pick out a puppy. I know the guys each want a puppy for their homestead. Looks like he may have picked on out but they are still too young to separate from Sasha. We will just have to wait and see. Bossy wouldn’t you like a little puppy to play with? Ewww not the face! Yeah I know you are a good boy. Mt. Rider rode again today. She is looking better each and every day. Me thinks she just wants to leave this mountain driving to Mr. Mt Rider LOL I wonder if Mr. Smith and Mr. Hughes have a map of the area. If so I really would like to look over it before we arrive so I can get an idea of how the land is laid out. I will have to check with Mt.Rider and see if she knows. Well it looks like they are giving the animals one last watering and starting to hitch them back up. Wait SF is hitching them up different….Honey why are you not hitching Raja up. Oh man look at he sores Yeah I see where switching him out to the cart will take a lot of weight off. Wait before you put that on him let me put some more ointment on there. No it is not oozing it just looks bad. Is it tender boy? How do his hooves look? I agree picking him up late in the travels didn’t help toughen the skin up under the yoke. You think it will be ok tomorrow? Since I am walking I am going to change shoes and put on thicker socks oh and I am changing clothes also. Need something more light weight than what I have on. I will be ready see Mother doesn’t even have her wagon hitched up yet. Men

I stayed up late last night getting everything ready to go this morning and I overslept. I had just enough time to get tonight’s dinner to a boil before transferring it to a hot box and grabbing a biscuit and smoked meat to eat. Almost forgot my sun tea jug it was rescued from the stream this morning along with a few other things. As we get higher and higher I am reminded of a children’s book that we read and read when the boys were little. Can you guess which one? If you said The Little Engine That Could you would be correct. I keep telling my self “I think can” “I think I can” “I think I can” The animals seem to be doing pretty could they are chugging right along. Me I am trying to pass out from the thin air. Hopefully we will start down soon. But on the way up this morning I realized this was a BIG STEEP climb which means it is going to BIG STEEP descent. I can’t help wonder if the wagons will get away from us and run the animals over and we all end up one big mushed up ball at the bottom of the “hill.” We have brakes on the wagon but you know something the oxen have actually pulled the wagon with the brakes on so I wonder just how “good” the brakes really are. SF tells me not to worry about it that he and the guys have a plan. Plan? He has a Plan?!?! Well I am thinking of plan B now that my original plan has been shot. See I was going to hide under the bed while we went down hill but since we have rearranged the wagons my hiding spot down is has my wardrobe in it. I wish I was as sure footed as the goats. They look like they are having so much fun climbing around on the rocks. We have even let ours out today and them run around. Now that they are bigger I don’t mind letting them out. It is amazing how much they have grown since we started this trip. Humm they must have found something good to eat they are all huddled around like a football team. Tonight’s dinner is going to be different. Mother sent over some of her deer sausage yesterday so I cooked up a pot of red beans over night and this morning I added all the seasonings so that we could red beans and rice for dinner tonight. Oh look Mt.Rider’s out and about. Oh no surely she is not going to ride. Hum well I guess so I see Mr.MtRider has two animals saddled. At least she will not be riding alone. Well I didn’t think she would stay down long especially after our girls only chat yesterday. She sounded like her ol’self but she sure was worn out. We didn’t stay long and we could all tell that just after a few minutes she had about all she could take. I just hope she doesn’t over do it. Stubborn woman…a woman after my own heart LOL . Well I see we are starting to pull out again. It is time to start my little chant…”I think I can” “I think I can” “I think I can” A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could."

Dear Diary, Sorry I haven't written like I normally do but now that we have hit the “hill” as everyone likes to call them I fall into bed at night. I didn't realize just how hard it was holding back the team. So this is a double post. Saturday Night – Day 101 Zillon on trail (ok so it hasn't been that long but it feels like it.) We finally made it to camp and I could not tell you how glad I was to see level land. The poor oxen are plum tuckered out too. The horses aren't fairing much better either. I noticed at lunch that got Mr. Mt. Rider moved Mt.Rider from Mother's wagon back to their own wagon. I told the guys that I would brush the horses down tonight to leave them for me. I needed to be alone. I had fought back the panic all day at how close we came to loosing Mt.Rider and I need to unwind. So after dinner SF found me bawling like a baby and shaking like a leaf over at the horses. He is such a sweet heart he didn't' say a word but took the brush from me and just held me. After I cried myself out we finished grooming the horses and gave them an extra treat. As we walked back to the wagon we passed a group talking to Mr. Hughes and he was telling them that we would stay here a least one day that the animals needed to rest. The worst is yet to come and the animals would need all the energy they could muster up. He suggest that they lighten their loads as much as possible. SF and I looked at each other...Lighten our loads? We started discussing just how we could do that. We really only had one heavy wagon and it was the smallest of the three. So we rounded up all our family and started rearranging wagons. In the wagon with the freezer there was really nothing much now since it was being used as our food supply for the trip. So we moved all the tools and building supplies to that wagon. It took up most of the sleeping space but since it was just A sleeping there she would be ok. The wagon #3 the heavy wagon had been lighten some but SF deemed it was still too heavy so we moved all the kitchen supplies like dishes and pots and pans to our wagon. Boss will just have to give up his spot under the bed. So now we are down to the cook stove, and household furniture in wagon 3. SF still thinks it is too heavy...great now what. So I am trying to figure out how to get my grandmother's wardrobe in my wagon. Sf wants to leave it behind but I refuse I told him that I will leave behind the building supplies first. So our bed was raised 12 more inches off the floor (now I really will need a step ladder to get into bed) and the wardrobe is slid under the bed. The crates are stacked at the foot of the bed to keep the wardrobe from shifting and sliding. On the other side of the wagon more barrels are stacked to even out the weight. Now for wagon #2 it is still light so the rocking chair and bikes were moved to this wagon along the water barrel off of wagon #3. Now SF thinks it is light enough to get over the pass if we use 4 oxen. Since we have added weight to wagon #2 we will use a horse to pull the animal cart so that will help lighten that load there. It looks like all the horses and oxen will be in use when we pull out. One good thing about rearranging the wagons I found another stack of newspaper for Sasha and the puppies and Boss' folding crate. It was brought along just in case Boss would not stay in the wagon and wanted to wander but since he has been such a good dog I totally forgot that we had it. I know Mother has been trying to figure out a way to pen up the puppies so I will check with her and see if she would like to use this wire crate. Sunday – Day 102 Zillion (LOL) As I lay away last night unwinding from the day and thinking about how we rearranged the wagons I could smell fresh cooked bread. It must have been Mother out there cooking. I heard her talking to Sasha which reminds me I need to speak to her frst thing about the newspaper and dog crate. I have my sour dough bread in the pans for their last rising. I made up a triple batch so we should be good on bread until we get over the pass. I tried letting the bread rise during the day but all the bumping and rocking caused it to fall flat...should have known but it did make good buns. Looks like all the meat has been field dressed and they are starting to smoke it today. P & W went fishing last night and caught enough fish for dinner and I cooked the last of the brussel sprouts that I got from the homestead. I even dug out my corn grinder and ground fresh cornmeal to batter the fish in and make hush puppies. Since we are here for the day I got all the laundry done. I didn't get done last night because SF just had to rearrange the wagons. I don't know why he couldn't wait to today, tempers wouldn't have been as short today as they were last night. Oh well it is done, well at least the big stuff is moved around and the wagons have been scrubbed clean. Although SF and the boys are still securing stuff today. N just walked up with our share of the venison and said Mother wanted the liver, tongue and heart if I didn't want it that she wanted to make sausage I told him sure if he could secure some bones for Boss he grinned and handed me newspaper with a bunch of bones in there.... Me: Hummmm N where did you get the newspaper? N: Out of the wagon why? Me: Well I was going to give that to Mother for Sasha. N: Oops...there is still a little left probably two Sunday papers worth. Me: Well quick take the rest to Mother before it gets gone. I know she will appreciate it. Also take that crate to her and see if she wants to use it for the puppies until we get to the Valley. As he leaves he tells me I can't give Boss a bone that he wants to do that. I laugh, I should have known - Boss is his baby. I am really surprised that Boss hasn't been riding in the wagon with him. But then again Boss is my baby too. He knows who feeds him and who scratches his belly. Goofy dog. SF just stuck his head around the wagon and said that he has just seen Mr. Mt.Rider and Mt.Rider is doing still suffering from muscle spasms today but that her body temperature seems to be staying normal. Now if they could just control the spasms. I need to go see her but she needs the rest. I am making country fried venison steak tonight so I will get SF to go and invite MrMt.Rider over for dinner I will send gravy and biscuits back for Mt.Rider. That way he won't have to cook tonight. It still scares me to just how close we come to loosing her yeserday. I see P & W headed down to the steam to going fishing again. I guess if they catch any today we can smoke them and have them for the rest of the trip. There is a little room left in the freezer since many of the families are smoking and drying their meat. I know we are thankful for the fresh meat. I for one sorely underestimated the amount of food it would take for us on this trip. I packed all of the food we had plus I stocked up on dry food for us to have once we arrived but I have had to open up the dehydrated stuff sooner than I had hoped. SF was questioning all of the wire screen that I had brought with us and I told him it was going to build frames to dry food on. His comment was “That is what I thought all of those glass jars are for.” I don't think he realizes just how much food we are using plus I don't think he has given any thought to just how much food I am going to have to store to get us through to next summer when the gardens start producing again. I guess that is my fault. I have just taken on the responsibility to keep the pantry stocked and he has always just had to open the pantry or the freezer or the cabinet and find something to eat. Even when he went with me shopping he never connected the dots. I am sure my darling husband is not the only one that is in for a rude awakening. I wonder how many others are in for a shock of just how much food they are going to have to store. Last night while we were rearranging the wagons I set out my fruit and nut tree seedlings. SF suggested tying them to the back of the wagon so that they can start hardening off some so that they can be planted when we arrive in the valley. He even found my flower bulbs that I snuck in, he laughed and said he didn't think I could leave them behind especially since I had babied them since digging them out of my grandmother's yard many many years ago. What he doesn't know is I have the tea cup rose bush that he gave me for our anniversary last year. Couldn't leave it behind either. I tried to bring only “useful” plants but a girl has to have some pretty flowers. Well I can't sit here any longer there is much work to be done. Beside me in the laundry basket is clean laundry folded and ready to be put away. The bread is in the camp stove and the venison is calling my name. It doesn't look like it is going to fry itself.

Well we were up early this morning and ready. We will still discussing sod houses today. I walked over to the library wagon last night to see if they had anything on sod houses but it someone had beat me to it. Seems we all have the same idea. I got the laundry in the barrel (well garbage can actually) ready to slosh today. We have another day of climbing. I am not sure which is worse the uphill battle of getting the teams to climb or the downhill battle of holding them back. SF looked over our "stuff" last night and he seems to think it is handling the shaking, rattling and rolling rather well. He and W did add a couple of extra straps to the cook stove just to be on the safe side. But then again if anything moves in that wagon it will be a miracle it is our Jenga block wagon. The water barrels were refreshed this morning and I was able to get bread baked also. It is not sourdough bread but we will have regular bread for sandwiches today. Wait was that gun fire? Let's see there is P, W & A but no N. Where is N? Has anyone seen N. Just as I was about to go into panic mode SF told me that N had gone out with the hunting party earlier this morning. One of the guards had seen a herd of deer just over the ridge and waved some men over. They were going to try and take a couple of them down so we would have fresh meat. Why is the mother always the last one to know these things? As we finished hitching up the teams the hunting party returned. It seems they each were able to bring down a deer so there are about 6 deer that will need to be processed tonight. Chef is so happy he said even if was venison (it seems venison is not his favorite lol.) Mr. S asked if there was room in our freezer for the meat since we would not have time to make jerky and I told him yes it was empty so it should hold a good bit. W has gone to hook back up the inverter system so that the freezer will be cold and ready for the meat tonight. As we pull out I noticed Mt.Rider is saddled up and riding today. I know she has been riding in the wagon lately because having problems with her MS. I think she will be glad to be off the trail as soon as possible. I wonder how much of the flair ups of her MS are caused by this trail ride. Well here we go...Wagons HOOO.... As we all start out we fall in behind Q which is behind mother. SF & N is on horse back and P & W are driving as well as myself. Mr. Smith seems to think that we need more adults with the animals now since we are getting in to cat territory. SF was riding beside me giving me last minute instructions of how to get through the pass when Mt.Rider passed us. She was headed towards the back wagon train. SF and I looked at each other it struck us as strange that she was headed in that direction. Oh well must be just making sure everyone was moving out. The first wagon was going through the pass when Mt. Rider came back by me. Something was wrong, she did even answer me when I called out to her. I whistled at SF to catch her she really looked like she was about to hit the ground. I heard Q yelling also. N road up just then and I told him ride on up and take over the wagon from Mr.MtRider send him back here it looked like Mt.Rider was being put in to Mother's wagon. I sure hope she was okay. Mother and Q had pulled over and motioned me on. I knew she was in good hands. SF had her horse tying him to the back of Mothers wagon. Here comes Mr.MtRider on our horse. I stopped long enough for SF to tie her to the back of our wagon.and toss the saddle in side. Alright Raja it looks like it our turn through the pass. Come on boy don't fail me now. Just as I got through the pass SF rode up beside me. It seems that Mt.Rider had gone back for some fish that Mr.MtRider had forgotten and the best they can figure she fell in the stream. She is suffering from hypothermia When he said those words my heart sank. Hypothermia is not good and on top of MS is a double danger. SF told me we would be stopping for lunch in about an hour and we would know more then. As he rode off mommy mode kicked in and I was fuming at Mt. Rider. She broke HER VERY OWN #1 RULE!! NEVER EVER LEAVE CAMP ALONE ALWAYS TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU! What was she thinking and for a few fish. What was Mr.MtRider thinking letting her go out alone?!?!?! That's it she is grounded she can not leave camp anymore. Darn her hide. I calmed down by the time we stopped for lunch. But I was still upset with Mt.Rider for putting herself in danger like that. Mother assured everyone that Mt Rider was going to be fine but she cautioned us to stay together and not leave camp alone. She too was miffed at Mr.Rider for breaking her own rule.

Whew! What a day, I am so glad the teams have tough skin because of they sure took a beating today. There for a while I wasn't sure we were going to get through the pass and then Mother's wagon wow, how they got her wagon through there I will never know. It was touch and go there for a while. Mr. Hughes was right we had to double team some of the animals wagons to them over the “hill” and through the pass. Then we had to hold them back going down hill. I am not sure if we up or down. All I know is it was a shake, rattle and roll day. I am so glad we took the time last night to secure everything in the wagons or we would have lost some of our load today. Mother's group wasn't the only one having problems today, we almost lost our cattle cart today but quick thinking on P&W part they hitched up in sled form and pulled it behind one of the horses. N walked the horse through the pass and down the trail so it went rather well. I guess those cable ties did come in handy. I know this much I can't breath the air is way too thin, I come from a really low elvation - 375 feet if that and here we are at what 3,000-4,000 feet P is getting nose bleeds again, he hasn't had them since he was a kid. All I can say is....ARE WE THERE YET?!?!?!?! Looks like the animals will have green grass again tonight but Mr. Smith said we need to be on the look out for wild animals. They had seen tracks in the area, so they are posting extra guards tonight and grazing the animals closer to the wagons. I noticed all the dogs were antsy tonight they must smell the predators. At lunch my family started discussing how we were going to build our new homes. Then this evening during dinner we continued the discussion. SF said from what research he was able to do before we left and what Mr. Smith and Mr. Hughes had said we will have to do soddies or adobe houses. He said that if we build a small house we should have enough tin for the roof of the house and barn. He doesn't want to put windows on the north side of the house so we will only have 4 windows. I know P&W have been doodling with designs and both say they are going to build just one room cabins with lofts for now. Since it just them. Now if the other two were just as practical, A keeps talking about what she wants in her new house. She is going to have to reign in her desires or she will be sleeping in the barn come winter. I actually think that is W's plan is to build a barn with quarters on the back for this year and then next year build a house. He is hoping by then he will be able to travel up in the mountains and get timber to make a log cabin. It was funny to see reality hit the guys when they realized just how long it was going to take to get thing going and what the number one priority was...A GARDEN.. We also discussed other things like broken shoe laces and what we would do and how we would made do once things were gone. I had to inform him that if our crops failed this year we would be in a serious situation. That about all we had left was dehydrated food. He grinned and said he guessed the first thing he would build is a smoke house since Pork Chop, Ham and Bacon (the piglets) would have to go by fall. I told him I was talking with a couple of the benefactor families and they had sheep, I had been talking to them about trading even once we got to our new land. Actually the wife approached me about trading for a pig. I am hoping the other family with sheep will be willing to trade for a pig also, I would like to have one from different stock so that I will have a good breeding stock to start with. Between the pigs, chickens, sheep and goats I am hoping to keep my family fed this winter. I am not sure what the hunting will be like since there are so many of us. I am so proud of the guys they have it figured out, if we get 2 plots of land next to each other then 2 plots of land behind that then we can share pasture land and have bigger pastures. N said that way we could have larger gardens and plant bigger gardens of corn and wheat. SF and I just looked at each other and grinned; for city boys they are catching on. We also discussed possibilities for a cottage industry and what we thought would be something that would be in demand. We discussed blacksmithing, gun smithing, milling, and other things that we will need in order to survive. Each one of the boys have good ideas I hope it works out for them. Well it is time to get the animals settled for the night. The goats are enjoying being out but we are having problems keeping them off the side of the mountains and on the trail.

WAIT!!!! I am NOT ready, my shoe string broke and I can't find replacement. Fine I will just shorten it for now. Animals fed - check Teams hitched - check Everything secure in wagons - check Chickens moved back in side - check Veggies on soaking for dinner - check OK so where it the O2 tank...this air is way to thin for this suthern girl...

So SF sent me to the inside of the wagon today. I almost pushed him off the side of the wagon. I told him I should have been on that side next to the mountain but no he needed to be on that side...men! It did give me a chance to fix some really good ham sandwiches for lunch and start on dinner. Boss was glad to have my company. He didn't like the bouncing, swaying and bumping along the side of the mountain. It was wonderful to come through the pass and see the green grass and crystal clear water. Once we hit the grass the animals didn't like it that they could not stop and graze. However, seeing them now they look happy. I am sure they are enjoying this over the hay. Even the goats and pigs are happy. Mother and Annarchy found some wild greens. I need to get my basket and go pick some before we pull out in the morning. My laundry has been rinsed and hung up to dry. Like mother I have a big plastic garbage can that we put laundry in and let it slosh along the way. Then rinse and hang to dry. The really muddy clothes get rinsed before going in the was can. And as bumpy as the last couple of days have been they really got swished around in there. I did pull out my rubber gloves to keep the cold water of my skin. This stop will also give us a chance to refresh the water to the water barrels and canteens. Finally got rid of the rest of the mud today. I noticed other wagons had chunks of mud falling off as we went over those rough trails. I hope all the plexiglass that we brought with us is still intact. I want windows n my new house. I think everything is traveling rather well. So far what breakable stuff I have checked on has made the move intact. But then again it hasn't been this rough either. Since I was banished to the inside of the wagon I made use of the time by making starter pots out of news paper. I got carried away. I think I have enough to start just about everything. Tonight I am going to fill them will potting soil. Tomorrow I will start flipping though my list of seeds to see what I need to get planted now so they will be ready to go in the ground in a few weeks. I can't believe we are almost there, will there be lots of trees? Or will it all be flat land? Will there be lots of streams or will we have to dig deep wells? The days are getting longer but here surrounded by mountains we loose sun light quickly at night. Once it gets on over th mountains it is dark. So I need to hurry and get the last of the dinner cleared away and dishes washed before I loose all light. I see the men are bringing the animals into the circle of the wagons now for the night. Some ones buck is dealing them fits looks like a couple of the girl goats are in season. They had better be careful or someone is gonna bet butted...oops too late. Looks like one of the men from the benefactor group just got in the seat of the pants. I think he is ok, he got up laughing and threatening the buck with Chefs soup pot. I don't know who is laughing harder him or Mr. Mother or Mr. Mt. Rider.

Is that Michael I hear already, seems like I just went to sleep. Oh darn it is light outside. Ok move body move. Brrr it is cold out here. As I climb out of the wagon I hear "Top of the Morning to ya Sleepy Head" and look around all three of teams are hitched ready to go and there is hot water as well as ham and biscuits. Humm wonder who made the biscuits? So back in the wagon I go. SF said Mr. H said it would be a lot like yesterday to start with but are we got futher along things would get better. Well we will see...I feel like that old country song...On the Road again...

Ok so I dressed warmer today; however, it is still cold. Being stuck on the side of a mountain while a wagon wheel was being changed didn't help the nerves any. I think we were are the most narrow spot there was well it felt like it. We had to move the chickens back inside and move the stuff off the side one side of the wagon so that we could get closer to the side of the mountain. I was so proud of oxen and horses though they went right on around the trail without too much of an arguement. And I didn't have to hide under the bed once. Tomorrow maybe a different story especially if it is a repeat of today. I was so glad that I had dinner in the hot box. We were late making camp so having dinner ready was a blessing. Chores are done and I am off to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be another LONG day.

Whoooaaa did y’all see the Mac truck that came through and did someone get the tag number as it sped off? It ran me over and then backed and ran me over again. (ok so in real life I fell apart after we got the lab work back on SF and the weather had been really weird here seriously I was freezing last night and could not get warm I think I drank like 3 cups of warm tea now back to URL) I feel much better today but SF still won’t let me drive he wants me to rest some more. I did get up and move around and do chores this morning. I fed the chickens and have moved them back out side on the side of the wagon since the wind has died down. The pigs and goats weathered the storm well. I also looked at the oxen’s leg this morning and it seems to be healing well no fever in it. SF and the boys are rearranging the oxen today and she will be one of the ones that is moved to the back and be used later if need be. Mr. H was telling everyone around the camp fire this morning that we will be going through some really tight spots and narrow passage ways today. Great not my favorite I wonder if there are guard rails LOL. I am not looking forward to today’s travel. Mr. H wasn’t too sure about stopping for lunch either. He didn’t remember there being a place wide enough for all of us much less a place to build a fire. So it will be biscuits and jerky and fruit for lunch. Dinner tonight is one of my camping trail meals. I am using my big dutch oven – lining it with foil and laying 4-5 hot coals in the bottom then I am taking a potato, carrot, onion and a link of smoked sausage and wrapping it in foil, placing each in the dutch oven with 3-4 hot coals between each pack of foil. Then I will set the dutch oven box of straw and cover it with a quilt. Tonight when we stop our dinners will be ready. Since I am making extra biscuits for lunch I guess I can make another pan for dinner it won’t take long. Humm it looks like we will have another hour yet before we are ready to pull out. I have time to make a dump cake and even if it is not completely done I will not open it until tonight so it will have all day to cook in the hot box. SF is fussing at me for overdoing it. But once we get on the trail again I will rest until we hit the narrow passages then I am hiding under the bed with Boss LOL.

As I rolled over I heard SF suck in his breath. I knew then my feet were as cold as they felt. After yesterday I am surprised they are still attached. I have bruises I can't explain and every bone in my body aches. Boss is whining to go out so SF slips on his coveralls and boots and takes him out. On his way out he tosses me another hand warmer to toss down around my feet. I hear camp slowly coming alive and it sounds like everyone feels about the way I do. SF sticks his head back in and hands me a cup of hot chocolate and says he thinks we are staying put today. Mr. H thinks it will be safe enough here and after the rough ride yesterday animals and man alike need to rest. I turn over and go back to sleep dreaming of venison stew, sourdough bread and blackberry cobbler. I hear laughter...children's laugher but my children are all grown...Sf is helping me up into a sitting position but I don't want to sit up. I want sleep my feet are cold. Sf is forcing something warm down me it is not hot chocolate but it still taste good. Taste like lemon zinger tea...he got the right amount of honey in it. I realize that I am in my fleece sleeping bag inside the cold weather sleeping bag instead of just being covered with it. I try scooting down in the sleeping bag further and go back to sleep but SF is talking to me. He is telling me that the animals had been fed and watered and people were cleaning up their wagons after yesterday. SF said they had knocked most of the mud off the wheels and brushed the animals down, and cleaned hooves. They all seemed to fair well. One of the oxen had a small gash but he had already talked to Mother and gotten some ointment to put on it. I must have dozed off again because SF was waking me to drink more tea. I had rather have the hot chocolate but the lemon zinger tea is good too. Boss is between me and the wall of the wagon keeping me away from the cold wagon. I noticed SF had moved some stuff around to create so of a wind break around me. He said something about he would put up the tent inside but then he couldn't get to me very easily. Have not clue what he is talking about I just know the tea is warm and there is something warm around my feet. Trying to go back to sleep but SF won't let me...why want he go away. I don't want to talk about the smoke house now. I want to sleep.

Y'all are making my bones hurt. We missed the snow this passed weekend but the temperature is dropping and it is raining. The low tonight was supposed to be 47 but we are down to 41 already with wind chill of 39 the pressure is 30 and falling. I have a feeling that we maybe getting sleet before the night is over.

Someone wake me for dinner. I am just going to sit right here in my favorite rocking chair and let Boss warm my feet. I think every part of me hurts and if it doesn't hurt I don't think I have it. LOL That was one wild ride today. The poor animals gave it all they had. I think the faster we went the faster the snow melted. I was so glad to see Mother and her group come around the corner but we could not move fast enough to out run the mud. I think I have frost bite on the toes. Mud is not supposed to be ice cold and this was. My poor body didn't know whether to sweat or shiver. From the knees down I was numb and from the knees up I was sweating. Hopeful we are on high enough ground tonight. At least the wind has settled down and the animals are calm or plum tuckered out I don't know which. I noticed I am not the only one. I see a lot of people dragging out there.

Boss get off the bed, it’s hot. What is wrong with you boy get down. Huh? No I don’t know what is wrong with him. Wait is that Mister I hear…OH CRAP! Something is after the animals. Quick throw on your coveralls and help me. Boss, get under the bed out of the way. That is Raja I hear now. Here have a headlight. SF and I climb out of the wagon and are hit full in the face by the wind. Whoooaaa that is one hot wind. The snow is melting. Wait hot wind what is that called. P-N WAKE UP! WAKE UP!!! Look at me are you awake good now what is that helicopter called no not the Hughie the other one. Yeah that is Chinook. Well we have Chinook winds and they are going to cause this place to flood by night fall. Come we have got to warn the others. We get the animals tethered and out of the direct wind and they seem to have settled down. We covered the goats and pigs with a tarp to keep the wind off of them. The chickens were still in the corner of the wagon so they were out of the direct wind. SF and I approached the fire I notice the Mt.Riders there…what are they doing standing guard. The Mt.Riders notices us about the same time and we all say Chinook at the same time. Then they fill SF and me in on the details. Mr. H and some of the men are riding over to the other camp to get them moving. They are on lower ground than us so they are going to have to move faster. We are going to be pulling out today. Good thing we got extra hay and grain last night over at the homestead. Doesn’t look like we will be heading back there and I so wanted to sketch everything out. Well at least we have the details on the smoke house. Guess I will have to pick everyone else’s brain about the green house. Mt. Rider decided we needed to go ahead and get everyone up and moving. It is going to be a long morning. As we go from wagon to wagon waking people we find that some are already up because of the winds and the animals. Even though it is still dark everyone but the little ones are up and moving. The boys give the animals an extra measure of grain this morning. We gather more snow to melt for them. Mr. MtRider walked over and asked that we wait on hitching our wagons to the last since we may need to use the horses and oxen to pull the other wagons out. He wasn’t sure if the snow was going to be melted enough for their teams to be able to pull them out. Most are just using 2 member teams. After the animals are fed I go about setting the wagon in order. I fed the guys some peaches and cream oatmeal and bacon from the smoke house. I was thrilled to see that P had grabbed some bacon and hams yesterday. He also got a couple sacks of corn also. He found some leather britches too. I missed those they must have been hanging in the barn with the corn. It was late yesterday when we got back so I still have all of the fruits, veggies and meats to put away. It looks like I will need to shuffle some of the food from the boy’s wagons over to our wagon so that I can cook. That needs to be done this morning before we pull out. As I step out of the wagon I notice that the snow is melting rather rapidly now and we are starting to get mud puddles. Humm we have been up now 3-4 hours and this much snow has melted?!?! I hope Mother and her group and on their way. I don’t think we have as long as I thought we did. Must find Mt. Rider and get her opinion on this.

About mid-morning the men were coming back in to get hot coffee and warm up. They told us it would be tomorrow before we could move out. I was so heart broke. I had been looking forward all morning to seeing the homestead, with the green house. I was in the mist of a pity party when Mt. Rider said then some one was going to have to go back and get hay. She suggest that SF, N and I go back since the draft horses could pull more. Bless her pea picking heart I think she knew just how bad I wanted to go because she could hide that smile when you looked at me . So we bundled up and saddled up the horses. P even managed to mount up with his dad's help so the 4 of us headed out. W&A asked for fruit. We had tarps with us and Mt. Riders sled to bring stuff back with. As we rode out I couldn't help but notice just how eerie quiet it was. We passed the guards that had been stationed earlier today when the first group left out. They were glad we were going for more hay. They had been watching the men trying to clear a path and knew it would be tomorrow before we would get out. They still had a huge drift to get around. I was glad it had stopped snowing we were able to follow the previous tracks with no problems. As we headed up the lane to the homestead I had thoughts about our new home and how we would arrange and build stuff. We dismounted and helped P down and the guys headed to the barn for hay. I started looking around and was amazed at the buildings. The barn was fairly close to the house but the way it was laid out the animals were on the field side of the barn. There was a smoke house. This I had to see I had never seen a smoke house and I wanted one real bad. I quickly took out my little notebook and pen and started sketching the lay of the smoke house there was meat still hanging but I wasn't sure if it was still any good. I needed to speak to Mother about this. SF startled me, he asked what I was doing out here since this was NOT the greenhouse. I told him I was sketching one of his projects. I wonder who in our group has used smokehouses. SF took my notebook and made some notes as I headed to the house. Boy was the sun blinding coming off the snow. When I entered the house I was amazed at the functionality of it. It was warm and welcoming and I really liked the lay out. Darn SF had my notebook. I walked around the family room then the bedrooms. I wandered up stairs and was amazed again out how simple but functional the place was. This new life style was going to be challenging to say the least. No power, no running water, no refrigeration. I thought of the wind system we wanted to construct to run our house off of, would we be able to do that? As I wandered back downstairs I heard voices I didn't realize Mother was here so I went in search of her and found her in the greenhouse. After hugs were shared with Mother, Annarchy, and Q I got a tour of the greenhouse. There were green onions, a variety of spices like sage, parsley, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, basil and many many more. I could spend all day here but I just picked a few collards . As I reached down to pick the collards I saw brussel sprouts. Since the collards had been picked already I went for the brussel sprouts my family loves them. Oh and asparagus also yummy. Lettuce, all kinds of lettuce I was so thrilled to see this especially since the goats got the last of my lettuce this morning. They didn't seem to mind that it was mush from the freeze. I had my spices and veggies so I went in search of the root cellar. That is where I found Chef. He was surprised to see me but when I told him that it would be tomorrow before we could pull out he grabbed a few more apples and headed back to the other side of the door to get more grain for breakfast in the morning. As I went through all the storage I found apples, plums, nuts, dried blackberries, dried figs, dried grapes they really weren't raisins as we would have bought in the store they had the grape flavor. There were carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, oh pumpkins...hum pumpkin muffins. I found squash. I found canned goods but wasn't sure about them, I will have to ask about taking the home canned stuff. If I take canned goods I will leave her my empty jars. I know out here getting jars will be difficult and I don't want to leave her short. There was another door under the stairs I opened it to find mushrooms. I was surprised at this but there were Shiite mushrooms, portabella mushrooms and button mushrooms. I picked a some of each. I would make marinated portabella mushroom burgers for dinner tonight they would go well with the tomato soup I had wanted earlier. I headed back to the greenhouse to find Mother and her group. Since no one had mentioned the mushrooms I wanted to tell Mother about them. I also wanted them to explain about some of the other herbs. Since this is my weakness I need all the help I can get. I heard Annarchy talking about medicinal herbs and sighed again because SF had my note book. I heard my name being called. It was SF and the boys they were loaded and ready to head back. I couldn't believe they were ready to go but as we walked out side I realized we had been there longer than I thought. The sun was well on over near the horizon. I knew we had to leave if we intended to get back before dark. Chef had already left. As we mounted up the radio crackled and it was one of the men standing guard wanting to know if we were headed back that the men were stopping for the day. Sf told him yeah that we were leaving the homestead headed that way. We all hugged and said our goodbyes with hopes that tomorrow would see us united once again. N had already helped P mount and they were holding the reigns of our horses. Behind each horse was hay and there was a bag of grain for the animals also. SF said after a hard day of labor the animals need more than just hay tonight. As we started down the lane back to our group once again I slipped off into my daydream of how our new homestead would look only to get a limb in the face. Guess I had better pay attention now that we were back out in the drifts. We had just picked up the first guard on our way back when Mister started acting up. We noticed tracks in the snow that looked to belong to a large animal. But because the horses had already gone over them we couldn't tell if it was cat or bear. The guard radioed back with a warning that we had found tracks and to be on guard. Mother radioed saying they were safe back at their camp and that they would be on the look out. Mr. H radioed and said he would post extra guards tonight that we needed to be careful coming back in. We picked up the pace and picked up guards as we rode back towards camps. As we arrived those that were around the fire pitched in to get the animals fed and watered. Though the animals couldn't speak you could tell they like the fresh hay and grain. I notice Jeremy was out an about a little more subdued than before. But still the happy little boy that he was. He doesn't look like he suffered too much from his ordeal; however I did notice that where ever he was there was an adult family member within arms reach. I don't expect we will be having a repeat of this incident from him anytime soon. A and I quickly set to work cooking tomato soup and mushroom burgers. I even gave in and went and dug out my can of mozzarella cheese. I said I was not going to crack in to the cheese until we got to the new home but tonight I felt like something special I wanted cheese with my mushroom burger. After dinner I need to take some of my veggies and spices over to Mt. Rider and check on her. I hope she had a quiet day. She needed a day of rest.

The day began early men had oxen and horse alike hooked up and were clearing a trail out of here. I noticed P is out there around the fire keeping the coffee going. More snow had been melted for the animals and more of the fresh hay was handed out. Mt. Rider said we were going to have to get out of here this afternoon or at first light tomorrow because the hay is just about gone. Hopefully by lunch time we will know when we will be pulling out. I noticed the older boys and women were digging out the wagons. I didn't realize just how high the snow had gotten. Chef had left a note for me and asked me to handle lunch. Wish I had some cheese because grilled cheese and tomato soup sounds wonderful. Oh well lets see what today holds...I am still dreaming of that greenhouse and fresh fruit. The apple that SF brought back last night was delicious.

The rest of afternoon was like a dream. We would hear the radio crackle and news come back of what they found...the homestead and the root cellar, the green house-Chef's face lit up like a Christmas tree. He kept trying to get the radio to ask about greens. He was so funny. Jeremy's family slept most afternoon. I think the grandfather gave everyone in their group a cup of MtRiders herbal tea. Although he stayed around the fire and near the radio. His eyes were red rimmed, bless his heart he look like he had aged 10 years over night. I think he is blaming himself because he had told Jeremy he could walk with the other family's kids. Over all it was a lazy afternoon. W & A slept. P hung out around the fire and cleaned guns. Some of the guys from the benefactor brought the guns over for him to look at, he laughed and said he felt like he was back in the army. He was an Armor (the guy in charge of all the fire rifles and ammo for his company) in the Army. So he was in his element. Boss and I curled up on the bed. He snored while I worked on some mending and braiding a rug. My thoughts drifted off to the green house that was found. I am curious about that being from the south we never really had a green house. Mother always sent her plants to the workshop to be hung in front of the windows and she had planters on the inside of the windows for spices. At times like this I really do miss the internet I could researching greenhouses right about now. It was getting on in the late afternoon when I heard one of the young boys run by yelling “THEIR COMING !!” So we all bundled up and crawled outside to join the others around the fire. The Glennis and Campbell's were already there. My heart went out to all of them. I remember what it was like when we lived next door to my mother and P went to visit grandmother and his dad thought he was with me and I thought he was with his dad. We were surrounded by woods. I in a full blown panic after 30 minutes when I went flying into my mother's house to get her to call the neighbors only to find him sitting in her feet in the kitchen floor playing with her tupperware. I didn't know whether to hug him or beat him...hugging won out. Some of the older boys had gone to the edge of camp to watch for the search party. We heard them hollering about the same time we heard the horses. N was the first one into camp and there in front of him was little Jeremy. Mr & Mrs Glennis could not get to him fast enough. As they walked back to the wagon there was back slapping and tears all around. But I only had eyes for the guy behind Jeremy. My men were home and they were smiling ear to ear. After hugs where shared we quickly tended to the animals giving them fresh hay. The animals were munching away as we headed back to the fire. Chef was happy about something. I couldn't see what MtRider had given him but it was something about we would eat good tonight. Come to find out MtRider had brought greens back with her. It doesn't take much to make Chef happy. Some one had set a chair up on a crate for Mt. Rider so that she could sit and tell us about the farmhouse and all that they found. Mr. H started sharing what all we were going to have to do in order to dig out. It seemed that the horses and oxen were going to have some work ahead of them before we could leave. Mr. H took men to the side and started explaining what had to be done while Mt. Rider went on to tell us women about what all was found. She gave us all a stern warning not to clean pick the greenhouse that we were to leave some. But the root cellar was different the fruit would need to be used or it would ruin in a few weeks. We were leaving some of the potatoes, onions and garlic for seed oh and some of the corn also. I couldn't wait to check this place out. I am sure our homestead will have to be set up different here since we get snow than it was back home. We see now that whiteout is something to be concerned with. As I looked around camp that night it was amazing to see how close this group had gotten over the past few days. Before it was “us” mean those of us that had signed on (the survivalist)and then the benefactor group (the sheeple). This has been hard for them, they had lived the sheeple life style and then woke up. I would consider them baby survivalist. You know the ones that by the cases of Mt. House food and think they are all set. Talk about school of hard knocks. Many of the women are hanging on Mt. Rider's every word. The men are huddled around Mr. H but I feel eyes on me and I look over my shoulder I see SF smiling he too has noticed the change. Mt. Rider draws my attention back when she mentions the greenhouse again. As I share the same smile with Mt. Rider I can tell she sees the change also. Yes this little adventure has knitted this group together. I don't for the groups to separate much again. I hope Mt. Rider and Mother are ready to start teaching. Hummm by the looks of those men I hope Mt. Rider and Michael are ready to teach also. If the site around the campfire earlier today with P and the rifles is any indication then well let's just say school is in session....

It all happen so fast there was whooping and hollering and then Mrs. Glennis was on the ground in a heap. Her dad (Mr. Campbell) scooped her up in his arms just as her husband rounded the side of the wagon. You could see the fear in his face. Mr. Campbell simply said "he is alive." I thought Mr. Glennis was going to hit the ground also but he leaned against the side of the wagon with tears streaming down his face. We all turn back to the radio waiting to hear more news but it was strangely quiet which was good because we all broke in cheers about that time and were hugging each other. Jeremy was alive and the other group was safe. We had a lot to be thankful this cold snowy day.

We hear hooping and hollering around the fire. We all are triping over each other to get outside. Crackle...Base camp report" The guy with the radio replies "Base camp...no change" More crackling "Team North, report?" "Team North...no change" Even more crackling then we hear... "This is Mr.Hughes. Wagons Ho members - rear wagons...is that you?" We are all holding our breath but we don't hear the other response. We are too far away. At least we know the others are fairly close by...in away it has made those in our camp even more nervous because we can not hear the other camp....

PLease tell 'Hubby' the next time he shovels you out to look WHERE he puts the snow. I had just cleared a path from our wagon out to the inner circle and when I came back out with the pots for collecting more snow so we had more water there was a nice path leading out from your wagon and my path was filled in? LOL ROFL...okay. I will try to "school" him on propper snow shoveling manners. Sorry about that and I will send him out to shovel you back out if ya' want LOL... Q Q you hubby must be kin to mine(Saintsfan aka SF) . He was reading over my shoulder and I was explaining about the story line and that he and the boys were shoveling snow in the story and he gave me one of those horrified looks and ds#3 (N aka the marine) said cuss that. I was rofl while trying to type my part of the story this morning.

That's a good doggie stay right there and keep Momma warm. Wait where's daddy huh boy where's daddy. I slowly poke head out the back of the wagon to see SF and the boys standing around the fire talking to the lost little boy's grandfather, Mr. H and Mr. MtR. P saw me and hobbled over on his garbage bag wrapped plastered leg and handed me a cup of hot chocolate and said they were working out details of a search party. They wanted to use the draft horses and donkeys as much as possible since they could handle the snow better. P said they needed supplies so I quickly dressed and headed over to fire to see what all they needed. While standing there it started snowing again. Blasted snow. Those that had watch last night was headed to the wagons for sleep. Since we didn't have the bulk of the animals with us those of us that slept took care of the animals. Many of us were voicing our concerns for the other group as well as the animals. As I headed back to the wagon with a second cup of hot chocolate in hand and list of needed supplies I was stuck by the beauty of the land. The awe soon turned to fear as the magnitude hit me. We were stranded on a mountain side walled in by snow...everywhere you looked it was white. All I could think of was thank goodness I am doing this in 2009 and not 1849. At least I have few luxuries to make the journey more bearable that they didn't have back then. Mt. Rider said last evening that the barometer was rising well NEWS FLASH it is not rising fast enough. Molly Girl was the first to greet me this morning she and Tinker Bell are such dolls. I don't think they realize they are horses, they will follow us around like puppies. Mister and Trouble were more interested in the radishes that I had pulled out of one of the garden boxes on the side of the wagon. I was going to have to replant the lettuce and stuff because it was now mush from being froze. But the animals still like it. Raja was pouty this morning. He took his radish and promptly turned his back on me as if to say I have had enough of this I want my barn back. He watched me feed the other animals and walk the goats. While feeding the pigs I felt something behind me and I looked over my should to see Raja getting the last radish out of my pocket the thief. I swear that ox was laughing. W&N have come out with saddles for the horses. So we start saddling them up and tie them to the back of the wagon. P is giving them an extra ration of grain before the ride out. Being on the trail and not living by the watch or calendar I have lost all sense of time but I am guessing is getting on mid morning. The snow seems to have stopped for now and there is a break in the clouds so the men are scurry around trying to take advantage of this before it turns bad again. We hand over our radios, canteens, each rider has extra blankets and water with them. Chef has just brought over thermoses of hot coffee, hot coco and soup. I was shocked to see tents on the back of horses but P told me that they were going to station men along the way to keep radio contact with one of this men here. With the storm the radios are only working so far. SF and N are going with them. SF pulled me aside and told me to watch P that he was begging MrMtR to take his cast off last night so that he could ride with the men today. P is a better horseman than all of us (IRL too) he was born for the saddle. (IRL his name means lover of horses and our last name roughly translated in its native form means lord of horses. When we named him we did not know any of this but it fits him well today) SF did tell me that Mr MtR did check out Ps shoulder and it seems to be doing really well. MrMtR told him he could start using it more and that when it had had enough it would tell him. Just not to over do it. SF gave me a hug and kiss good-bye. It was more of a promise that he would return. He knows how I worry. SF told me to go back to bed that I had been restless all night tossing and turning and talking in my sleep. There was not much else to do. A& P have already started on the venison stew and A has pulled out some dried apples and started making a dump version of apple brown betty. W is curled in the corner of my wagon in his sleeping bag try to take a nap. He said he couldn't get warm. I think he got too chilled on watch last night. I gather up a pair of hunting socks for him and make sure he has hot hands. To toss in the sleeping bag with him. As the men saddled up we said a quick prayer and wished them well. As they ride off ,I look at the others standing there with something more than concern in our eyes. Another wife and I both speak our thoughts at the same time “I wonder what they will find” We give each other a sad smile and head back to our wagons wondering what indeed would the men fine.

Dear Diary, The camp is frantic tonight it was discovered that a little boy from the benefactor group is missing. It seems that his parents thought he was with the grandparents and the grandparents thought he was with another family. Yesterday at lunch he was playing with some of the other children and had started walking with them when we started out. The mother is beyond being consoled. Not that I blame her. If it was my child I would be fighting to go find him too. We are all praying that he is safe with the other group. The little fella has been known to sneak back to walk with the animals even though he is not old enough. It seems that just before the journey his family purchased some goats and he has made a pet out of one of the kids so he likes to walk with it. I think Mt. Rider sent some strong herbal tea over to her. One of the health professionals was taking about sedating her. And the snow just keeps coming down. SF and Mr MTR are thinking it is going to be another day before the storm breaks. The clouds just are not moving. It is like the storm has stopped right over us. To make it even worse it is feels like it is getting colder. We worked all day to make windbreaks and dig out trails between the wagons. We have melted snow all day for water for us and the animals. I am worried about the piglets they don't have enough body fat on them for this cold weather. SF and the boys have covered the cattle cart with tarps to help hold heat in and keep the wind out. We were able to dig down far enough that we found grass for the animals but that was a continuous job. The oxen do not like this weather, the pigs are all snuggled up in the cattle cart and as long as they get food they could care less. The goats are not liking this either, W pulled out one of the igloo shaped dog houses and stuck in the cattle cart with them and filled it with hay. They are all crowded in there so hopefully they are staying warm enough. The horses are happy they like the weather they are out there prancing silly things. Boss is happy and content he is in the wagon curled on the bed when we turn our backs when we catch him he heads under the bed. The chickens are all tucked in in the corner next to the camp heater under the table that has the camp stove on it. I am beat tonight. I think the more snow we shoveled today the more that fell. I may not be able to pick up a shovel tomorrow. Thank goodness P was able to cook today. He ended up pulling out the big gumbo pot and propane cooker and cooked veggie soup for all today. Everyone brought something. I guess you could say it was our stone soup. P told me a while ago there were no left overs. So I guess tomorrow we do it all over again. As a treat for my guys I make snowcream. They loved it. Since the freezer is only half full we have unplugged it to save the batteries. We pulled out all of my used zip lock bags and filled them with snow and stuck them in the freezer. That should hold it for a few days. Found some venison stew meat while we were packing the freezer. So we pulled it out will make stew tomorrow. Have some dehydrated potatoes soaking along with some peas, will make sourdough biscuits and have stew for lunch tomorrow. The kids are all moving into one wagon tonight. To save on propane and keep each other warm. They are taking the middle wagon that way they will have a wagon on each side to block the wind. Well this suthern girl is headed off to bed it is too cold (even IRL we are getting a wintry mix tonight it is already raining here brrrr) for her thin blood even though she has extra insulation (lol) 32 degrees is too cold for me. I like my nights around 45 and my days around 70 with NO SNOW!!!!.

I can’t move over…wait if you are behind me who is on the other side of me…BOSS bad dog get down. Stupid dog, at least he was just between the quilts and not on the sheets. Geezzz it is coooolllldddd this morning. Hey no fair…I don’t care if you want coffee you fix it I don’t drink the stuff…oh ok fine I am going. Hummm honey we have a teeny tiny problem…everything is froze. Well duh if the water is in here froze don’t ya think the water barrel outside is frozen too. HOLY MOLY I can’t see anything everything is white. OMG you have got to see this!!!!!! What are we going to do? Ya know being from the south the only thing I know to do when it snows is run to the store and get a loaf of bread and gallon of milk. Hand me the bucket there behind you, I am going to melt the snow for water you want coffee right? No I am not going to make snowcream well okay maybe tonight but not right now, right now I am going to make coffee, hot coco and oatmeal. Do the radios work, NO? Oh great I guess that means you get to go over to the other two wagons and drag them out in the cold. What in the world...avalanche? Oh it is just the snow falling off the tree limbs no it is the tree limbs snapping from the weight of the snow look there goes another one. Oh good here comes the kids. Hurry ya’ll. What is that on your leg P? Oh it’s a garbage bag smart thinking. There is oatmeal in the pot and coffee and hot coco over too. Whose wagons did you pass? Did you see Mother or Michael and Lori what about Mt. Rider? No? Then who are we with (mt3b sticks her out of the wagon again) Wait there is MM Mt. Riders little donkey so she has to be here. It looks like we are just with the benefactor group and Mt. Rider. I didn’t see any of Mother’s animals or any sign of Michael and Lori. This is not good not good at all. Ok since we are all here let’s set a few rules and come up with a game plan. By the looks of it our group got separated this by no means is everyone. I don’t know if it is still snowing or if that is just falling off the trees. Still snow oh great. Ok well the animals are going to have to fed and watered and that means melting snow. Any suggestions? How much wood do you have left in your wagons? Enough for one good fire well that is not going to work we will have to pull all of our wood together and melt snow. The propane cooker? I don’t know I would hate to use all of our propane. I know we have those two tanks but that and those little cans is all we have to use for heat and to cook with. Well if we can’t get a fire going we will have use it whether we like it or not. Well P it looks like you have cook duty today. I will help shovel snow I think it is going to take every able body person in camp to shoveling so that we can get a fire going. Heck I don’t know how to shovel snow I guess it is like mucking stalls. How many hot hands do you have down there in your wagon W? And you N? Yeah we have a box here also. Well let’s hand those out to everyone outside especially those doing the milking. Don’t want anyone getting kicked because they grabbed utters with ice cold hands. That is all we need on top of this. Ok let’s cover some basic rules. Let’s see if we are in white out conditions which I think we can safely assume we have that going on outside then we need to make sure you are tethered to something if you go outside the circle so you can get back. Make sure you have your whistle on you and a gun. No I think the hand gun will be fine but make sure you have extra ammo. Be extra careful and pay close attention to the animals if they start acting up be on the look out for wild animals. Just because there is 10 feet of snow out there doesn’t mean the wolves and cougars are not hunting. Stay in the circle if at all possible. Depending on the weather we maybe stuck here for a while so we will need a latrine or at least a place to dump the bucket preferable a good distance away from the wagons. For now use the buckets and sawdust. W pull out the saddles and blankets, if we are they may try and send out riders today to see where the others are if so Mister and Trouble will need to be saddled. Remember only one of us need to be on them. Anyone should be able to ride Tinker Bell but I don’t trust Mister and Trouble to let just anyone ride them. I am not sure about the replacement we got she may let anyone ride her too I don’t know. What did the rancher say her name was I can’t keep calling her the replacement? Molly Girl? Well I guess that is as good as any Molly Girl hummmm. Do you think Lady’s saddle will fit her she doesn’t look as round as Lady was. Oh you have ridden her already. How did she do? Oh that is wonderful I am glad to know she is so gentle. Ok one last time the rules are… 1. Tether if you go outside the circle 2. Have your whistle and gun with you at all times 3. Drink plenty of liquids even though it is cold you will still dehydrate easily. 4. If you leave the circle try to go in pairs. 5. Watch the animals and be on the look out for wild animals 6. DO NOT Stay outside more than 30-45 minutes other than working. Do not just stand around in wet clothes. 7. If you leave the circle be sure and let someone know where you are going. The radios are not working so stay together. All right lets bundle up and get out there. P let me show you where things are to cook with. I think veggie soup will go along way today. Be sure and cook double that way we can share. Corn muffins oh that sounds good. And keep the coffee and hot water coming. Yeah I am going to go and get some buckets of snow now before it starts getting muddy. I will set 4 or 5 here on the floor by the seat. Oh honey I know you want to help but right now there is not much any of us can do and you cooking will be lots of help. I know you want to do the “manly” stuff. And I promise you will soon enough. By the time the fields are plowed and the barn built you will have pulled your weight. Oh before I forget I am sending A back with dry clothes for everyone. If you can keep the dry ones warm and dry the wet ones we will be in business. Hey W where are the chickens? No they are not with the goats. N where are the chickens? In your wagon?!?!? Ok well let’s move them over with P in our wagon and turn your “My Buddy” heater off and save the propane. Never ever leave the heater running and you not in there, we can’t afford to loose what little supplies we have left. I know honey you were trying to save the chickens and I didn’t mean to sound ugly. We are all stressed right now. Thank you for thinking about moving them inside last night. I was afraid we would have little biddy popsicles this morning. Here you take Lucy and Ethel and I will take Wilma and Betty. No Boss move you can not play with the chickens here lets stack their carriers here in the corner. P if you will take that box and slide right here it will keep Boss a safe distance away. Snow? Ok I am working on it. Hand me those buckets. I am going to get you some snow then head over to see if Mt. Rider is up yet. I worry about her and her MS I hope she didn’t have another stress melt down yesterday evening. This snow looks clean doesn’t it no leaves or anything that I see. Oh look there is Mr. Mt Rider talking to your dad. I don’t like the looks on their faces. Here take these buckets of snow I am going to go find out what is going on. Wait pour that hot water on this half bucket of snow that should melt the snow and cool the water. Raja is not happy this morning he does not like this weather. I have got to get him calmed down he is stirring the other animals up. Come on Boss time to go out...come on boy...COME ON. Go on go do your business, what is wrong with you. You're right he has never really been in snow. Oh shoot you weren't there the last time we had that snow back home. N had to shovel a place out so he could find the ground before he would go potty. Hey N can you come shovel a place out behind the wagons here next to the tree for Boss, yeah he can't see to find a place to potty. P toss me out his lead and I will just hook him up here until N gets him a potty place. Yeah right there will be find. When he is finished put him back in the wagon with P and tell P to dry him off good. Ok now I am head over to see Mr. MTR and your dad.