quiltys41

　 July 9th - The Valley Ah...another good day here at the homestead has come and gone. I think the hubby and I are both enjoying having the children here with us. I was so worried about all of this and I needed not to be. So far, the children are acting normal, well as normal as they could be right after loosing their family in such an awful manner. Adam has been having some nightmares and hubby goes to wake him up and help him. Since he is 13 it is probably better that the hubby handle this. I trust him with my life, so I trust him with the children's lives also. He has had a few talks with Adam to try and help the boy work through finding ....oh my, it's all so very sad. I cannot imagine what it would be like at all. I had both my parents growing up even if they were divorced. If something happened, they were right there for us, both of them. We are doing our best to just work the children right on into the family, give them a routine to follow and work to keep their hands and heads too busy to dwell on the bad things for long. Hubby is teaching the smaller ones how to feed the chickens and collect the eggs now so they have that for a job every day. If they don't feed the chickens, no one else will do it and they will get so hungry! At least that is what we told them. And their eyes got so big, the started chattering how they didn't want "THEIR" chickens to go hungry LOL! Didn't take them long to take ownership of them did it? <grin> Ruth is going to be the goat maid and do the milking. Now, being 12 I figured she could handle doing this. I realize she may need help some days and that's okay we told her. As long as she has tried to do all she can first before calling us to help, we wont mind a bit. But we wont let them be lazy either and just pass the buck on chores. I have seen 4 year old Amish girls out in the fields at 4 a.m. gathering the cows to be milked, certainly a 12 year old girl could milk some goats? Well....she did. She was real shy at first about grabbing them in such a spot but I assured her that this was normal and if you are gentle it wont hurt the goat at all. But to never be rough or speak to them harshly. We explained to the children that the Lord had given us the animals to be good stewards of and that meant taking good care of them. So since we follow His rules for living, we would follow that one also. They were never to treat any of the animals mean. While we were telling them all this their eyes were big around and the little ones were shaking their heads no to hurting the animals. I thought they were so cute, so willing to learn to help out around the homestead. Ruth had told me that they were only allowed to watch TV if there was something special on and that sometimes their parents would rent a movie, but other than that, they helped around their parents places to or went outside to play. So they are no strangers to chores. I struggled with giving Benjamin too much thinking he is only 7, but then I remembered my 4 year old neighbor girl Anna, out every morning at 4 gathering up the cows by flash light. If she could do chores at 4, then Benjamin could do them just as well at 7. They were all responsible for making their own beds and cleaning their rooms up. They also had to bring their own laundry downstairs to be wash or else it wouldn't get done. Now they have morning barn chores to do also. Ester and Benjamin on the chickens, Ruth on the goats, and Adam milking cows and helping hubby with the horses and getting all the animals out of the barn for the day. Oh, speaking of horses...our Belgians we ummm...well..they were making another little Belgian lol. I know it is unusual for them to go into heat in the summer. If they do, it is usually less than a week long. My guess is the hard trail and maybe stress at the uncles farm? threw them off for awhile. No matter, it will be a late baby and I am concerned that it will be born too early in the spring. I wheeled it out with a gestational table in a wheel form and it said July 7th would give us approximately a June 12th birth. Nothing like a foal to make everyone smile. I don't know if this is her first or not and I hope she wont throw the foal early due to the cold weather up here. I remember that bad storm we went through at the first of the wagon train to get here and I didn't want to expose a foal to that or worse. But if it took, and it's happened more than once lol, then we will have a beautiful foal! We were honest with the children. They are going to see this happen all over the place come spring/late winter. We told them they are trying to make a baby horse and to just leave them to their privacy. They seemed okay with that and went on about the business of playing lol. But just think...a baby Belgian! They are such smart horses and wonderful workers. They are mainly used by the Amish now for plowing the fields and working the farm. Some folks show them too but the are truly a working breed of horse. I think Lucy, Ethel, Scarlett and Miss Melly were all jealous lol. They all ran back and forth in the corral with their heads and tails held high as if to say "Hey! Here I am! Come look at me too!" I wouldn't be surprised a bit if this put them into heat for a bit too. It just seems like when one goes, they all do. Some humans are like that too lol. It sure effected the hubby! <blush> Life on the farm can sure be fun and wonderful some days! Well the shooting lessons for Adam are going well. He is able to clean the .22 rifle all on his own now and understands the safety rules too. Hubby feels like Adam is responsible enough to begin shooting now and he will take Adam out in the woods tomorrow and they will do some practice. I have a feeling hubby is going to have a partner now to go hunting with him this fall! And Jerry should be back by then too, so there should be three men from our family out deer hunting! I think hubby is wanting one elk to go with that. We used to go through one deer for the two of us in a year. So we figured with the kids and Jerry, we will need at least one more deer and the elk. That should do us for meat when you add in the occasional fish too. I don't know if there are turkey around here or not, but it would be nice to have one for Thanksgiving. But that will do us for meat to get through to the next years hunting season. Plus we have the pig that will be butchered too so I will have to add that into the mix. He will give us some much wanted ribs, sausage and lard too! We even want to try making cracklings too for a snack for the kids (and the hubby lol). I will have to render my own lard and this is going to be fun since I have never done it before. It's a long way off though so I have plenty of time to read up on it. For the veggies and the fruit. Well that's going to depend on if the hubby can fashion some kind of frame for that green house that was sent to us. It had everything in there, Plexiglas, fixtures, nuts, bolts, etc...except for the metal framing lol. I think hubby is going to have Adam help him fashion something. If they can get that up then we might have at least greens all year round. The blackberries are ready to pick so we will do that tomorrow and make more jelly, jam and dry some out too. Then the green beans are almost ready to pick. I think we should have a good sized canner load with all the beans we planted. I am going to start the water to boiling early in the morning so it will be ready by the time I am for it. Dinner tonight was good. I had a deer roast on low heat all day in the dutch oven with some thinned milk and some dried mushrooms and onion in it. Something about milk and deer meat. It just softens it up so much that you can cut into it with a fork. We all enjoyed that with some fresh greens for a salad and some fresh bread. After we ate, hubby had the children go out to the barn with him to do evening chores. The little ones came back with their treasure of eggs in a basket for me. I put those on the counter for breakfast in the morning. Hubby ran the milk down to the spring house to keep cold and we got the littlest ones washed up good and put to be, soon followed by the older children. I think they are just plain flat out worn out lol. They will get used to chores and such, plus we will make sure they have time during the day to play like children should do. Hubby and I sat up outside the front door in our chairs just listening to the sound of the valley in the evening, dogs all sprawled out at our feet. It's a good life here, hard, but still good all the same. I was sure we would make it here. Food might be a little thin this winter, but then after that, we should be okay. I looked over at hubby and he was about to nod off in his chair. So I sent him on to be and I am not far behind either.... Q

　 July 7 - the Valley We all got to play weed the garden today. Hubby and I spent the morning while it was still cool teaching the children what plants were good in the garden and which ones were to come out. And we showed them how to pull the weeds by hand, we weren't ready to give them hoes yet lol. The older two did really well and caught on quickly but the younger two were just ....well...kids lol. They would ask what to pick and I would show them a spot and when they got done with it I would show them a new spot to pull weeds in. I just drew a box in the dirt with my finger and told them to pull out everything in the box. It worked out really well too. After a short break for lunch we decided to let the kids be kids and took them swimming. Adam, Ruth and Benjamin all knew how to swim. But Ester hadn't a clue. So hubby went into the shallow water with her and taught her how to float. He told her if she could float today, practice tomorrow, then maybe by Saturday he would teach her how to swim next. She spent the entire afternoon floating around on the river and into the pond, all around the edges. She still had to be able to see and touch the bottom yet lol. I think she wants to swim with the other kids so bad that she just feels so left out. Hubby said he thinks she will be able to swim by the week-end if she is that intent on learning. She isn't afraid of the water, just cautious. She doesn't want to get in too deep of water just in case. Which isn't that bad of an idea. I don't swim too well either, mostly like a rock lol, so I understand just how she feels. After a couple of hours of swimming and exploring along the rivers edge, I finally had to make all 5 kids get out lol. Yes, I counted the hubby in there too...he is just as bad as they are about not wanting to get out. But they are all nice and clean after working in the garden all morning, so baths tonight wont be needed. Just washing face and hands will do. But they found some of the prettiest rocks down on the rivers edge. I gave them all a small jar to keep their "treasures" in with a lid so it didn't spill. Hubby said he will make them each a little wooden box with a lid so I can have my jars back. He told me when he was a little boy, how much fun he used to have collecting treasures on the river too and just how important each one was to him. He said he kept his in an old cigar box! Sounds like something right out of "To Kill A MockingBird" where the little boy collects all the things the guy leaves in the hole in the tree for him inside a cigar box and hides it in his room. Hubby said yes that it was pretty much just like that too. Men lol. Now he still collects "treasures", they are just bigger (think tools lol). After dinner we let the children sit up with us for awhile. They told us about getting to go swimming at their uncles farm in his pond. But it had a "yucky" bottom to it? Must have been mud or silt, that feels squishy between your feet and would be yucky to a child lol. Seems like they used to spend a lot of time at their uncles farm. But since they seem to fit right in here on the homestead and know a lot about animals and such, I am not surprised. It much have been their bug out spot since they were preppers too. I asked Adam about that and he said they were going to move out to his uncles farm soon. His dad had lost his job and couldn't find any work and things were getting so bad he said his father told him that it would be safer for them all to move out there. I just wish we cold have found out what ever happened to his uncle. If he was alive somewhere, would he want the children? Could he be looking for them right now? But they said all his things were there from his truck right down to his wallet. Who would walk off and leave their farm? Or their wallet either for that matter? I had a bad feeling that their uncle had come to no good end. Maybe the gang had hit their first? Or he could have got confused and wandered off? I don't think we will ever figure out that mystery. I noticed Ester and Benjamin had gotten quiet, when I looked over at them their little heads were resting on the table. They had fallen asleep. So hubby got them up and led them upstairs one at a time and tucked them in. Ruth was tired too so she went on up to bed also. Adam waited until Mr. Q came back downstairs. He wanted to ask him a question. Hubby got back and Adam said "Mr. Q? Do you think you could teach me how to shoot a gun so if needed, I could help you hunt or defend the house?" Hubby smiled at him and said "Son, I thought you would never ask! We will start teaching you tomorrow if that's okay?" I just nodded my head yes and Adam broke out in a grin three miles wide. He shouted a "Yippee" and gave us both a big hug then said he was going up to bed too. I bet he ended up having some good dreams tonight for a change. I told the hubby I was surprised that Adam didn't already know how to shoot at his age. He was too. He said by the time he was 9, he had his own .22 and went squirrel hunting with his dad often. But he being a gun smith, would make sure Adam knew his gun well before he ever let shoot it. And he would be so happy to teach him. I asked him if he had thought about maybe teaching Ruth next? He wasn't sure, but he said if he gets a chance, he would ask her. I bet that will make her day too. Well it's been a long day and will be an even long one tomorrow as I try to get laundry done for all of us here plus some extra baking. I am trying to get a little ahead so we can pick blackberries on Friday and get them made into jelly and pancake syrup. I think we will try to dry some of those too and put them in with the raspberries we are drying. Oh wouldn't that taste good on some oatmeal on a cold winters day? Well off to bed...blessings to all... Q

What about a big get together for Labor Day? After all the labor we are putting in this year, it might just be THE time to have a big doings??? Q

　 July 6 - the Valley Well I got a letter from Annarchy yesterday! That was so nice to hear from her. I planned on writing her back this afternoon so I could catch the rider with it tomorrow. I was hoping we could all get together this Sunday or next at the Lodge for services and introduce all our families. But first I had a chore for the children and I for the morning. I thought they may enjoy it had they never been, but come to find out it was something they did every year with the entire family. That something was picking berries! I knew the raspberries were ready since I had already had done two pickings, but I was hoping the blackberries would be ready also. So we gathered up every bag, sack, bucket and basket we could all carry without a struggle. Hubby walked back to the spring house with us since he had milk and eggs to put away from the morning chores he, Adam and Ruth had done. I had the to youngers with me fixing breakfast lol. Hubby and I both had our guns along just in case since there were animals out wanting the berries too. So far, we have been lucky and not seen any near us. I had a feeling it might have had something to do with the tornado earlier in the year. I knew back in TN the couple of times we had them near our home, it would take anywhere from two to four years for the wildlife to return after that. It was some pretty lean hunting years for deer and turkey right after one happened. But we were hunting berries this time, so no bears were good bears lol. Hubby helped me get the children all set up with a rich spot to pick at and I found my own. He left to go work on the corn field and then start on weeding the garden if he had time today. The children and I got to chatting about picking berries and such. I wanted to find out more about their lives, what they did, what they liked, how their family interacted, things like that. According to Adam, the berry picking was an annual day out for the family. They had their own bushes, but once a year, they would all pack up in their cars and head out to their uncles farm and he had wild berry bushes all over near there. They would pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it, filling "just baskets and baskets so tall they almost touched the sky" according to Ester and Benjamin lol. Ruth just gave them one of the rolling eyed older sister looks and smiled at me. She said they would stay over at their uncles farm and she and the women would turn the berries into jelly, jam and syrups. She said her mom and Aunt even froze just some of the berries plain for eating in the winter or to make cobblers with. Sounded like this was either a farm family or preppers also. Would explain just how Adam knew what to put in their bags and how much. Or they could have been already packed and he just grabbed them. I wasn't worried about the small stuff though. We laughed and giggled our way through to lunch time. I think the little ones ate more than they put into their buckets. Adam, not to be outdone, was racing against Ruth to see who could pick the most. Me? I was spending some much needed time with "our" children and just enjoying having them there! I lived for this, raising children. It hurt me to the depths that my own children and grandchildren weren't here, but soon maybe Jerry would at least make it. But I missed the grands too. They were all about the same age as my new children were. It helped to ease the hurt for me and I am sure it helped ease the hurt for the children too to have someone to call their own now that their blood parents were gone. They seemed to be okay for now, but every once in awhile I would see Adam's face drop like a dark cloud had suddenly went overhead. I gathered up the baskets and the children and we headed off back to the cabin to get a bite of lunch. I think the little ones were due a nap since they were both yawning to beat the band. Oh a half hour wouldn't hurt. I figured they had a little catching up to do on their rest. So after lunch, Ruth took them upstairs to lay down while I cleaned up the table. Then we did the dishes while Adam went down to see what hubby was doing. I got out a pad of paper and a pen to write Annarchy back. Ruth went outside to check on the dogs and see if she could find Adam. I grabbed a pen and started writing. I was so glad to hear from her, told her how much the hubby and I were enjoying having the children now and asked if they were going to the Lodge on Sunday? I asked her how the adobe house was coming and did they need any help? I told her I could send the hubby up to help them one day if they needed him. I wished we both could go, but with the animals here, someone had to stay and take care of them. Some days having animals is a blessing some days it isn't lol. Ruth came back up to the cabin so she and i worked on getting the berries cleaned up and washed. You can imagine all the leaves and such with little hands helping to pick them, but it was so much fun. We got more berries spread out on the drying racks and set them to the sun. The first rack I had done the other day was ready so we packed those away. They sure don't take much room when they are dried and I had my doubts as to whether this was even going to taste good, but it took up less room and we didn't have to spend half the afternoon waiting for water to boil to can them up either. I don't think I will ever get used to how long it takes for that here. After we got that done, Ruth and I made dinner together. I taught her how to mix up the biscuit dough and then knead it on the table. Once she thought her arms were about to fall off I showed her how to cut them out using a floured drinking glass. I cut one and she did the rest, very well too and then slipped them onto a cookie sheet and I set them into the oven for her. I told her she could keep an eye on them for me while I mixed up the meatloaf made from ground deer meat. It took a little longer than normal to bake them with the frequent opening and closing of the door lol, but once they were nice and golden brown on the top, I got them out for her to put into a bowl and set onto the table. We got the meatloaf into the oven and she set the table for me. I asked her if she ever got to help cook at home and she didn't but she always wanted to learn. I guessed at her age, it wouldn't hurt to learn the basics so I asked if she still wanted to learn? "Yes!!" was the answer I got, so I told her from now on, she would be the biscuit maker in the house and I would start teaching her more in the morning. And we would be including canning, smoking, and drying foods too. That is just part of cooking to me. The two youngest ones got up smelling biscuits and of course they couldn't wait for dinner and would starve to death if they didn't get a jelly biscuit right now lol. So I had Ruth make one and split it between the two of them. About that time Adam and the hubby came in for dinner. Adam told me about getting to help feed all the animals and gathering the eggs. He said Mr. Q is going to teach him how to milk the goats in the morning. He already knows how to milk the cows so that should be no problem for him. He was just grinning ear to ear as he sat down to dinner telling us all about his day with the hubby. Ruth piped in too telling how she got to make the biscuits to which Adam promptly faked choking and fell onto the floor laughing. Ha, we had such a good time at dinner tonight with all the laughter and smiles and good food! I caught hubby staring at the children more than one time, shaking his head and smiling. Yep, I think he is going to turn out to be a right good father. Well after dinner, Ruth and I cleaned up while hubby put the big dutch oven over a good bed of coals for me outside. I mixed up some dough and grabbed a container of raspberries and went outside to make a treat for us all, some raspberry cobbler! The children loved it and we all sat outside with a big dish of it and a glass of milk for dessert, chatting and laughing away. And even though the younger ones had a nap today, I could tell they were still tired. So after letting them sit up a bit longer around the fire, hubby took them inside and put them to bed. Adam and Ruth weren't far behind. Hubby and I went back out to the fire to enjoy the night with the front door propped open should anyone call out. Yes, laughter, love and hugs fill our house now. It is wonderful and I thank the good Lord for bringing these children into our lives. I pray we can do right by them and bring them up in the way they should go. Q

　 July 4th - The Valley Morning came early today with the sounds of the birds tweeting outside and children giggling inside. Oh, what a happy sound that filled the house! I rolled over and looked at the hubby. He was wide awake with a big grin on his face, listening to the children as well. I smiled at him and asked him if this was what he wanted. I expected the reply I got. "NO" So I asked him just what was it then that he wanted? "More!" was the reply I got LOL! Good thing I was still laying down! Seems the hubby wouldn't have minded a few more, plus Jerry. I pretty much felt the same but wondered how we would feed more? He got up out the bed to head off to the barn for morning chores. I soon followed to get the children up and dressed and get breakfast ready. I went to the kitchen first to light the stove so it would be ready. I turned to go get the children and there they all stood watching me, four long teeshirts the dress of the morning. Poor things had no night clothes, so hubby let them all use one of his XXXL teeshirts to sleep in. Poor Benjamin and Ester were all but swallowed up in them. How they got downstairs without falling is a mystery lol. Hubby came in from the barn with milk and eggs and then went out to finish the chores, asking Adam if he didn't want to get dressed and meet him out there? Adam rushed off to dress like his feet had wings. Not three minutes later he was out the front door on his way to the barn! I had a feeling the hubby now had a shadow, one he would be thankful to have. I was hoping that hubby would have time to talk to Adam and find out a little more about the children, what had happened and how to help him put it in perspective. I imagined at his age, he might be feeling bad about not staying in the house and trying to help defend his parents instead of out watching the children. Plus, at 13 he needed to learn how to help around the barn and such. Ruth was helping me cook while the younger two went to get dressed. I was surprised when they came back dressed right side out and shoes laced lol. Wasn't expecting that, but it had been awhile since I had been around youngers. They seemed to do alright. I fried up some scrambled eggs while Ruth made the toast and helped to set the table. I got the milk into a pitcher while Ruth got the glasses out and half filled for the younger two. They were sitting at the table already just watching me make the eggs. I told Ruth to go ahead on upstairs and get dressed for breakfast and sent the two younger ones out to the barn to tell hubby that breakfast was ready. I got the raspberry jam out that I had made while hubby was gone the other day. I was wanting to know what everyone thought of it before I went out and got more for jelly. If it wasn't to their liking, I would find other uses for the berries. Nothing around here that nature gave us would go to waste. After eating breakfast, all the children went outside. They quickly found the dogs, or was that the other way around? LOL! The dogs were so happy to have children around to play with. I told them not to go too far unless Mr. Q or I were with them just for safety. They seemed to think that between the dogs and the barn and the yard, they would have lots to do today lol. As was my old habit, I propped the front door open and opened the window too so I could see and hear what they were up to. Loud was okay, quiet needs looking into lol. But the children and the dogs spent the morning playing together as I went about the business of cleaning house and making up beds. They would learn to make their own soon enough. I would let them have a few days just to settle in and learn to be "kids" again. When I went to their rooms, the boys had taken one and the girls another. I looked in their packs, opening them out on the freshly made beds. Adam had done a fair job of packing for them, unless someone at the Rock's had given them clothes. There were 10 pairs each of socks and underwear. 5 sets of pants and shirts each and the girls had a dress thrown in there also. They had no extra shoes. Maybe we could remedy that. I might find another family who's children had outgrown theirs? Which got me to thinking...we needed that farmers market! Someone could set up an exchange table or booth for children's clothes and shoes there too! No reason it just had to be all for food was there? Maybe trade animals and such too. I put the children's clothes away for them this first time so they would know where they went. I hung their bags up on the bedpost for now. Once I had all that done, the messenger rode up with a letter for us from Mother. I had a few minutes before having to fix lunch so I sat down with a cuppa and read it. I put it into the pocket of my apron to answer after lunch. I had about an hour the way I had figured where I wouldn't have anything to do, so I would sit down and write to Mother. I missed her so much, I missed them all. But now with the children in the house, it wasn't quite so bad since I wasn't going to have much time to be missing anyone lol. Lunch was just some sliced deer meat on toast (leftover from breakfast) with a little BBQ sauce and some fresh green beans from the garden. I had picked those yesterday and had them snapped and ready in the spring house. Since it was just the first few, there wasn't enough to fire up the canner over, so we just ate those up. 　 Hubby asked the children if they would like to help him catch some fish or maybe go swimming this afternoon? They got all excited and jumping around ready to go right then. I could just see the faces falling when hubby told them they would have to wait at least an hour after they ate lunch to go swimming. But when he suggested they go fishing to pass the time, the faces lit up again lol. Adam said he used to fish a lot with his dad and uncles. Seems Benjamin knew how to fish, Ruth did too, but Ester said she would rather just watch. Hubby just winked at me. I smiled back knowing that at her age, we were betting it had something to do with "ucky" worms! So they all ran off, leaving me in the cabin to clean up the lunch dishes and have a little down time. So I grabbed a cuppa and a pad of paper and a pen to write Mother a letter: Dear Mother, I do miss you so much! But our house is now full of wonderful laughter and the sound of children playing. Adam, the oldest, is a bit quiet at times but I do suppose that is to be expected. He is the one that found all four of the parents passed away after the gang left their neighbor hood. Hubby has plans on getting him to talk it out. He wants to make sure that Adam knows none of it is his fault. The other three seem to be fine so far. They really are a joy to have here. Although, hubby wants more! I think when Jerry gets here with the next wagon train, that will be more than plenty for the winter. Unless it is just a necessity that we take more. Funny how quickly we get attached to them, isn't it? Well the calf doesn't seem to be doing any better yet, but she isn't any worse either. But she is very "blah" for lack of a better word. I will try the suggestion on getting her to drink her mothers milk out of the bucket first. If she is still not wanting mom's milk, then I will try the molasses in it and see if I can't do that detective work too. I haven't noticed anything out there that would go through the milk, but I haven't walked the pasture in a few weeks either. Maybe it's time for it? As for the menopause helpers...I can't take the black cohosh anyways. Makes my heart do funny things lol. I would like to try the essential oils though at the bed stand for the hot flashes. Sounds like it might just be the thing I need to help me through this. The rest of it I should be able to handle okay. Well we aren't having anything special for the 4th. I think our focus will be on labor day and Thanksgiving this year instead. It is pretty clear why with all the hard work we have all had to do just to get to those dates. Well time for me to get something started for dinner for my family...my family...that sure sounds good! Hugs to you and yours, Q 　

　 Saturday July3, the Valley It's been a long day today. Hubby is finally back home safe, Thank goodness! And he brought a few visitors with him. Let me tell you about the way he got them! Thursday and Friday he was at Mothers little Hill helping out. Well Mr. Rock came to him before he left for the Lodge. He said that he had a "few" orphans that he had especially for us. Hubby said he was almost afraid to ask why?! Well it wasn't anything bad. He had some children who had lost their parents. The situation as he understood it was that the families were neighbors. A group of bad men had come into their neighborhood thinking they would be easy targets. The parents saw the men coming on loud cars and motorcycles and sent the children out into the fields behind the two homes and told them NOT to come back until the men had left. The children were stunned and didn't want to leave the parents, wanting to instead stay with them and help protect their homes and families. But the parents insisted and the two oldest took the youngers out to the field to wait. The oldest boy said he heard yelling and shouting and gunshots. After a couple of hours, the men left. He waited another hour or so, almost until dark before going back to the homes to check on the parents. He found all four of them dead. So, he packed up some bags for them all and got them on the road. He was trying to get them to his uncles house but once they got there, the uncle was gone. No one knows where he went, no one saw him leave. They stayed a few days waiting in case he returned. It was clear he wasn't coming back so the children hit the road again. One person saw them walking down the road, heard their story and directed them to the Rockin' J ranch. Hubby couldn't help it and said yes! LOL Mr. Rock asked him if he didn't want to know how many of them there were? Hubby told him it didn't matter, we would take them. Well Mr. Rock asked him if four children would be a problem? NO! Hubby shouted at him. We will take them all! Mr. Rock laughed and told him okay since it isn't a problem to take them, their two horses, their milk cow and few chickens and head on home. He introduced the hubby to the children who had been peeking around the corner of the wagon all this time looking at the hubby. He called them over and told hubby "This is Adam. He is 13 and he is the oldest. This is Ester , Adam's sister and she is 7. This is Ruth, she is 12 and this is Benjamin, he's Ruth's little brother and he is 8." Now, not only were they neighbors, they were also cousins. So Mr. Rock was hoping we would take all four, knowing that it might be a little hard on us if we did. But he really wanted to keep the children together since they were family after all and may be of some comfort to each other. Hubby agreed and thought it was a good idea for them to be together also. He told Mr. Rock that the children would want for nothing. Food would always be provided and they would be home schooled and always, always there would be lots of love to go around. And to say I was surprised and overjoyed when they all pulled up to Mt. Dew homestead would be the least of it! Hubby introduced me to the children and I took them into the house to feed them while hubby put up the two horses, the cow and the chickens into the barn. He had the horses and the cow on lead ropes behind the wagon. Good thing they didn't tangle up lol. He had had the chickens in the wagon with he and the children. Anyways, I got the children inside and showed them where they now had their rooms. They were surprised to find that they didn't have to share a room with other kids. I explained that we had children but they were all grown up now with children of their own to take care of. And that we would take care of them just as well as we did our own. That there was lots of love to go around and cookies too if they could wash up and come back downstairs after figuring out who wanted to sleep where! I went back downstairs to the sounds of laughing children, so long missing in our home. It warmed me inside and I said a quick prayer of thanks and for help too. It HAD been a long time and I knew we could do this, but it would take strength and stamina, something I was in short supply of right now. But I knew that in the end it would all be okay. I had faith it would be. Hubby came back in and I asked him if they had eaten dinner yet and he said that they had plenty of sandwiches and stuff on the way home. Hubby had backed the wagon up to the front door of the cabin. I noticed it when he came through the door. I asked what was going on? He said the wagon is full. Part of it is some of Jerry's things that he sent on up ahead like his foot locker and such. Others were things he had sent for us like staples such as flour, sugar and salt. He sent word through Mr. Rock that there would be more stuff coming yet, some of his and some for the whole family. And not to worry, he had bought his own two wagons to bring the stuff in so he wouldn't need ours but he did have the guys take our team of oxen back to the ranch for him to use to get his things here with on the next trip. I was so excited! He was really coming home! Yippee!! I wanted to dance around the cabin floor or float on air I was so thrilled! He would still be working for Mr. Rock on his security team, but he would be based out of here and not the Rockin' J. I had to wonder if things were so bad out there now that they were going to abandon the Rockin' J and all move here? Was that what was going to happen? It didn't matter too much right then. Because my son was coming home after all this time. Well hubby put his things in his room and I helped him carry in some of the stuff. We didn't have the room in the kitchen now for the staples, so I used part of Jerry's room for that for now. Once he got here, we would have to move things around again. I might have to take over the spare bedroom for a pantry, even if it is in the addition. Or we could move over there and use our room now for a pantry? We would get it worked out in the next few weeks. I was glad to have the staples to that Jerry had sent. And the animals that the children had brought. They were all that was left at their uncles farm. Some of the men had went and got them since the uncles place wasn't far away from the ranch. The horses would come in very handy since they were Belgians. I always thought those were some of the most kingly looking of horses. So full and thick with muscles, their heads always held high. And their coloring, mostly blond, was a thing of beauty when they were at work in a field and the sun beat down upon them. Yep, I was sure glad to have them and hubby would be too come fall planting season! The house is quiet now, the children all tucked into their beds. I heard them up there talking for a good hour before it got quiet. I wonder what they must think of the hubby and I? Will they like it here? I know we are sure glad to have them with us. We are looking forward to giving them a loving home and helping them to grow up to be good men and women. I know they already have good manners and know to say yes sir/ma'am and no sir/ma'am, so that's a start. It will be rough to be sure for the first few weeks as we all get used to each other. I'm sure we will have issues with the oldest boy Adam also after finding all the adults as he did. But we will help him work through it and not let him turn it inward into destructive behavior. Oh my...it's going to be so much fun to have them all here. Now, it's past my bedtime. I need to take the childrens back packs up to their rooms for them in the morning then get to bed. I have to get up in the morning and make breakfast for all of us! Blessings to all... Q

Thanks Darlene....tell her if you talk to her that we will TRY to behave until she gets it all straightened out hehehe... Oh did that look like a party? Naw! We're behaving hehehe.... Q

　 July 1st - The Valley Well here we are, another day alone. It's hard when this is the first time the hubby and I have been away from each other in almost 10 years of being married. I tossed and turned all night last night, just about unable to sleep. I napped here and there, but for the most part I was miserable. I do wish he would hurry home, but I understand what he is about up there. And I AM hoping he will be coming back with at least one orphan who needs a home to call their own and a good set of parents. LOL I just wonder how good we will be. It's been awhile since either of us have had children at home, all of ours out and grown. Our oldest is 34 and the youngest will be 19 soon. It will be more like being grandparents. I hope... Well the chickens and the goats are all fine. I know Marilyn is okay, but I think the other one, the one from mom, Georgia, is pregnant. And I don't know when to expect the little goatlette either. I think you call them a kid, but not sure on that. LOL, I got a little confused so when I got done with chores I sat down and wrote Mother a note. I asked her when to expect the goatlette, what are they called and what exactly do I need to do when she delivers??????? I feel like an expectant grandma lol. Goats seem to do okay for themselves for the most part so I am hoping that this will go pretty easy too. Now, the oxen baby, Lulu's calf, Muffy seems to be kind of "off". She isn't moving much, doesn't seem to want to nurse and is just sluggish in general. So, I added all that to the note to Mother too. I don't know if she knows anything about cows and oxen (they are kind of similar ya' know) or how to go about making your own milk replacement either, but I did ask her about it. I have a feeling that the baby isn't nursing right or there is something wrong with Lulu's milk? I think if she would just nurse, she would get stronger and start coming out of this funk she is in right now. If she doesn't, I am afraid we might loose her. I would hate to have to loose her. She would end up butchered for sure because out here, we can't waste meat like that. Everything gets used. I don't have a problem with naming live stock and then eating them later either like some folks do. I was raised on a farm and know that the animals have a job to do, and that is to feed us humans. So if Muffy doesn't come out of this, she is going to end up steaks. I would rather she grow up and have little calves of her own, maybe some bulls so we could butcher them, but dang. Now I don't know whether to mess with this or let mother nature take her course? Oh my... Pork chop and tenderloin are doing okay. They aren't the only two pigs we have, but they are the only named ones lol. That big ole' pig, the breeder just kind of lays around all day after he eats like he is the king of the world. I don't mess with him much. Just throw him some slop and wonder how long it's going to be before we get to breed him to the others. They are still kind of small yet, so I am betting maybe in the fall when all the animals seem to go into a fall heat, from dogs and cats up to farm animals. They all seem to do it. It was kind of chilly out this morning for a change. I wonder if we have had a front move in? I didn't check the barometer. If it's a high, then I don't usually feel those. Those are good weather fronts. It's the low pressure ones that just tear me and hubby up. Both of us having rheumatoid arthritis, which is how we met on line and started talking by the way, and I have migraines to beat the band when a low comes in. But this was okay so I am betting it's a high pressure. So fair weather means I get to start watering the garden now. That's because they usually don't have any rain with them and if it stays put then we are in for a dry spell. Hope it don't turn to drought. I am going to ask the hubby if he can rig something up for me with all his PVC pipe to irrigate the garden with. Maybe some of his corn field too. I know we don't have enough for all of it. And we are going to have to save some for the house too just in case what we put in there when we first got here busts during the winter or somethin'. There isn't going to be any more of it, so we are trying to hold on to a little of it anyways. Well since it was cool out, I got my barn jacket on, strapped on my .380 and called the dogs up. I had two five gallon buckets and we were going berry hunting! I didn't know if the blackberries or the raspberries would be ready yet. And I hadn't checked them since the storm either, but I was hoping to find some. And just in case they were ready, I didn't want to have to run back to the barn for containers. So we set off down by the spring house where all the bushes were so thick that you could stand in one place and pick around you in a 360 almost. The dogs caught scent of a rabbit and they started yipping and yapping and dancing around and then they took off down the trail after the scent. Left me there alone they did! Little snots lol. Well shine, the littlest one came back pretty quick. She don't wander too far from me for too long of a time. She had been like that for as long as I can remember which was right after I had my strokes. Hubby put her in the house with me if he had to go outside for any reason. She has been real protective of me ever since. No strangers are allowed to touch me or she would eat them up, even though she is low to the floor like her dad, a Bassett hound. Her mom is an Aussie Shepard, Doe and she is still here with us. Yep, she looks funny lol. I am sticking a picture of Shine here in the journal so you can see her. She's my best buddy! Well the black berries were almost ready, just the first one on the ends of the bushes. I left those for the birds and the other animals. I will wait until most of them are ready. But the raspberries were all ready!! Finally!! The canning season is underway!!!! I love canning season lol. I have been canning since I got out of the eighth grade. I had helped with it before then, but that was when I was taught how to do the canning for myself. Among other household chores. It's just the way that the Old Order Brethren and Mennonites and the Amish do. Or used to, I don't know what they do now since I am no longer a member. I was shunned for getting a divorce. Jezebel. Well anyways, we were taught then how to do our canning. And the way were taught wasn't safe, so later on, once I got out on my own, I learned the right way from the nice ladies at the extension office in classes they taught. I was thinking about all the things I did as a kid while I picked both buckets full of berries. It took a bit too since I was out there alone. I didn't see one snake, for which I was very thankful because I hate snakes lol. When I got done, I called up the dogs and started back to the house. I stopped at the spring house first to make sure everything was in order. When I got back I had to get the berries washed up and cleaned. I sorted out all the little leaves that had fallen in the buckets, both old and new ones lol. And all the little sticks so they didn't get into the jam and jelly I was going to make. Yummy! And I still make my jelly and jam the old fashioned way, one cup of berries to one cup of sugar. For jelly, you mash the berries in a layer on the bottom of a pan, bring it to boiling for about 5 minutes while you stir them so they don't burn. Once they are done, you put them into a colander on top of a bowl or cheesecloth and hang it over a bowl to catch the juice. Once you get the juice, you put about one cup of juice to one cup of sugar, bring to a good rolling boil and stir all the time. Let it boil until it reaches the jell stage. One way to tell is by getting some of the liquid on the spoon. Let it cool off just a bit and tip it sideways, if it runs off in a wavy pattern, then that's the jell stage! Once it's ready, take it off of the heat and jar it up. I do about 4 or 5 cups of each at a time. No more than that because it don't work right if you use too much. That gives me about 5 pints and one half pint or jelly jar of jelly. For the jam, I just mash the berries up good, measure out 4 or 5 cups of of the mixture and add the sugar, bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly until it gets to the jell point. Then I jar it up and seal it like I do the jelly too with lids and rings. I get about 5 or 6 pints of jam that way. I think you get more because you have the berries in the mix too. And I like the jam better even with the little seed things in it. It just tastes more like raspberries to me. I also took some of the clean berries and spread them out on one of the drying racks in the smoke house. I took it and laid it out on the table by the camping spot. It sat up on a few flat rocks too so that the air can circulate underneath too. I didn't want them to mold before they dried. It was sitting straight in the sun, so I was happy with that and went back inside to make another batch of jam and get some of the last of the berries ready for either a cake or a cobbler. I was wanting a cobbler the most. So I ended up with 5 1/2 jars of raspberry jelly, 12 jars of jam, a rack full out drying in the sun and a bowl full left over for cobbler. Whew. That took up most of the day and I didn't get finished until this evening. It takes a long time to clean up all my mess to because when I can, stuff is sitting all over. And we don't have that much counter space in the house. I have stuff hanging up on nails on the wall in the kitchen now too. All my cast iron cookware except the dutch ovens are hanging on the wall. I even have a row above them where my spatula and stuff like that are hanging. Keeps hubby from having to make so many cabinets. He is going to have to make shelves pretty soon in the pantry part of the kitchen for all of the jars and such with the canning season starting. I don't want to have it all sitting on the floor lol. I am going to have to figure up our supplies too come to think of it. I know we are okay for now, but this stuff like sugar and flour aren't endlessly supplied here in the valley. Hubby is going to flour some bee's soon and see if he can follow them to their hive. His grandma taught him how to do that. Old fashioned ways are sometimes pretty useful out here. If he can flour some and find their hive, then that will solve our sugar problem. I will just replace it with honey and that IS a renewable resource here in the valley. Hubby and I make sure our place is friendly for the valleys creatures. We try to keep as many trees, natural fauna and flora intact here as we can. We are planting things that have no food value to us in the short run, like flowers and such. But in the long run, like with the bees and the honey they will. And he has some stuff to plant this fall, like the winter wheat and such we have that will encourage wild life to come up around us and eat. Makes for easy hunting. Some say it's cheating. Not really because we only hunt or fish for what we will consume and nothing more. We don't do it for sport, never have and never will. Not that we are tree huggers, far from that as a body can get. But it is just common sense when you are trying to make it on your own. Well I guess I wrote enough for one evening. I best try to get some sleep. Hubby should be home tomorrow and it might turn out to be a long long day. So I might need all the rest I can get! Blessings to all... Q 　

Hey, you come back here right now, you poor dear LOL. That's not a half bad idea lol... I like Bo and Luke. Never did care for Daisy much even though I have a dog named that hehehe. I do like the dog though... I managed to bang out one journal entry for yesterday that I am going to post. WIll try to work on one for today later.... Q

LOL okay, so I wont retire. Don't we have any other ICU/ER/cardiac trained nurses around the valley or am I it???? Haven't wrote anything for yesterday and today. I have run into a wall. I think they call it writers block? I just am having a hard time coming up with anything? I know I have to write in what hubby is doing and picking up the orphans but I keep getting everyone all mixed up LOL! I don't know what to name the kids or anything!!! Q

Does this mean I get to retire?? Q

　 June 30 - The Valley...home 　 Well hubby rode off this morning right after breakfast. He took the oxen and the wagon with a few supplies he thought they may need to help get folks down with like a block & tackle, some extra rope, you know, guy stuff lol. I made sure he had a change of clothes and some food. I hated to see him go, but I knew there was a chance he would be coming back with a new family for us. Besides that he was wanting to see Mr. H. and give him a letter to Jerry from us if he could. I sure was missing my boy now that I knew he was back and somewhere near us. So anyways, I am here alone in our cabin tonight for the first time ever. It's so quiet here...too quiet. Just me and Shine for now. Oh Shine? She's one of our dogs. She was the runt of the litter so she is half deaf and about blind so she sticks to me like glue lol. She follows me everywhere to the point she is underneath my feet so much I almost trip over her a hundred times a day! But she is so sweet and such a scardey cat. Or dog lol. Hubby named her Shine because when she first got weaned and started getting out and exploring she wandered over to where hubby had his still going at the time. He had this one container he was using to put his shine into but it had a leak he didn't know about. His shine was running out onto the floor of the garage! Well here comes the little pup, the runt of the litter over there and promptly begins to start licking up the floor, then up the side of the freezer where he had the container sitting on! That's when hubby noticed her and realized something was wrong lol. She sure did like the stuff! SO that's where she got the name Shine from. LOL NO, she doesn't still drink. We made her go to doggy AA! Anyways...I spent today all blue and mopey, missing the hubby. But I got a lot of weeds pulled, floors swept, beds all made up and the rooms dusted clean. I even cleaned the three windows we own LOL. I did make a loaf of fresh bread, some cookies too just in case. I am hoping hubby will be back in another day or two. Not sure when or if to make a big dinner tomorrow night? It always takes me two or three hours at least to cook dinner. It's cause I cook from scratch. Right down to the biscuits lol. I don't make up anything ahead of time like mixes and such. Heck, who's got the time to do that anyways? Not when it's just you ya' don't! I think I will make some more cookies tomorrow too and put them up in the spring house so no one knows what or where they are lol. I might get one or two of them that way. I think I might do some fishing tomorrow. Make a big mess of fish for dinner just in case everyone shows up tomorrow night. Listen to that will ya! everyone...like I am expecting a crowd or something! Well ya' never know... LuLu and her calf are so sweet to watch together. She really is a good mom. And she is so nice to let me milk her. Course I spoil her a little when I do it. I wrap a warm towel on her first and clean her off with it. She likes that warm towel. She stands stock still and doesn't move a muscle lol. I wonder if oxen can get engorged like humans sort of? I know when I breast fed my kids that would happen and I loved those warm towels lol. Man did I. I bet that's it. So then I wonder if the calf isn't nursing enough? She seems to be healthy though and not loosing any weight that I can see. Better keep and eye on her just in case. Have to remember to tell hubby about it too so he knows to watch the calf too. I don't want to loose her. And we don't have any milk replacement either. Shoot. Well maybe a little molasses in some of mom's milk in a bottle if she stops feeding will do the trick. Make it taste a little sweeter and she might take to it then. We can't loose this calf! Not out here, there isn't a replacement for her. Not any livestock barns yet that I know of lol. Well I will watch her just in case anyways... Well it's been a long lonely day, guess I will head off to bed. Blessings to all and Lord, keep my hubby safe please? Q

And here all this time I thought Naomi and James were Big D's kids! A maid and a butler? Out here homesteading? LOL...they must be good hearty stock and love the outdoors! I think it is kinda cool though! Ending? What ending? I thought this was the energizer bunny story...it just keeps going...and going....and going....and going....and going....and going....and going....and going....and going...hehehehehe Q Oh yea...btw...I was in town all day...hubby and I had dr. apptmnts...so I have to figure out something to post quick...might not be too long though, I'm beat!

LOL, this is why I have a binder with all the Valley stuff in it, including a pad of paper beside me on the desk with all the names on it...cuz my memory is REALLY bad. If I didn't do that, I would be lost as an Easter egg! Here's ours for anyone wanting to keep track..short list lol! The Q's Q = me Mr. Q - hubby Jerry - our oldest twin son Marilyn and Georgia - our goats Roo, Whitey, Thelma & Louise - our chickens lol LuLu & Muffy (LuLu's calf) - the only oxen with a name...haven't named the others yet Pork Chop & Tenderloin - two of our pigs That's it so far. Still need to name the two mares, the other 3 oxen and a few pigs and chickens lol. I will probably just name the horses and leave it at that. Q

　 June 29, The Valley Well here we are again diary. Another day in the books. I spent most of it mulching and weeding in the garden and then doing the same down at the corn field with the hubby. I packed us a picnic lunch that we had under a tree by the corn patch. It was romantic at least! I had a good time working our soil with the hubby. Nothing like good hard work along side your mate to make you appreciate them. He is so hard working and so wonderful. After we got done, we had decided to eat light at dinner. It was just too warm for a big heavy meal. LOL we did cool off after working the patch by going skinny dipping in the river. Good thing there aren't too many folks around yet, cuz we did things that would frighten the fishes, let alone human hehehe. But we just swam around, floated some, splashed some and in general had a good time together. Makes all that hard work worth every minute of it! I sure did have fun floating around down into the pond end. There are so many fish in there! It's really crowded in it. Hubby says we need to plan on doing some serious fishing. We have got to thin out the population before they eat all their food up in there and then they will start starving and then dying out. If we get it thinned out a bunch, then that will leave the food for the smaller fish and let them have a chance to grow up. But if we leave it as it is now, it will surely kill off all of them. Hubby says nature does it that way sometimes. I don't know about that, but I do know we will have to smoke some. I don't think we will have enough salt to just do them all that way. And I like smoked fish better too! They should stay preserved awhile if we smoke them too. But I am looking forward to a few days of fishing. Hubby said it would be easier if we had a net. Yep, but not as much fun! And they are pretty hungry now, nibbling on toes and fingers lol. After we got out and dried off, we decided to start opening some of the packages that we had piled around inside the cabin and the big ones out in the barn. We went for the biggest one out in the barn first. It was the crate that had came after we got here. I can't remember who told us it was in? Mother maybe? I don't know, but I was now the proud owner of a crate that held a medium sized green house. Well there was a problem. It had the instructions, the hardware and the Plexiglas and the rolls of plastic for it. There should have been a second crate that held the structure itself, all the metal parts. We didn't have that! Hubby said not to worry. He was going to look at the directions. It had the sizes of the metal pieces all listed out on it along with all the other parts, sizes and how many of each there were. He thought he would be able to make the missing metal pieces out of some wood. Maybe using some good sized branches that he would route out some slats into them to hold the glass with. He might still be able to use some of the hardware that came with it, like the hinges and such, but most of it would be a waste now. I wanted to cry, he just laughed and told me to have some faith in him. He would figure it out and not to worry. Well I'll tell you, after that smack of reality and disappointment, I wasn't so sure I wanted to open up anything else! So we left the rest of the barn stuff unopened and went inside the cabin. We had to open these smaller packages and get them put away where ever they needed to go. I grabbed a smaller one and opened it. Seeds! Marigolds, mint, chives, oh and some purple hull peas, zipper cream peas, corn, well just about everything we would need for next years garden! And good thing was they were all heirloom seeds! I would still be saving what I could from this years garden, but some of the things we had planted were hybrids, not heirlooms. Those I wouldn't save. And there was a bag of inoculate in there too for the corn and beans and peas. That would help them sprout up sooner and be a bit stronger plant too. Plus help them keep the insects away until they did sprout. Good stuff! And there was my little bag of rooting powder! this stuff is like gold to me! Now I could start trying to root some new and natural stuff from around the valley into our garden. I gave up on opening any more of them and decided instead to get things packed up for the hubby. He was going to go to the pass and help the new folks down into the Valley. I was going to have to stay here and tend the animals. I hated it too because I knew Mother was going as was most of our friends. I did SO want to see them, hug on them a bit and talk over what each other had been up to lately. I almost missed being on the wagon trail myself lol. Especially the late night talks around the fire with Mother. Well, no use crying over spilt milk and I packed my hubby up some clean clothes just in case. Then I packed him some food to snack on, half a loaf of bread, a jar of jam and peanut butter, two dozen cookies. I sent a good bit of jerky too and some smoked fish. He took his camp cooker and the cast iron dutch oven and a couple of jars of canned foods. He figured if nothing else he would make a stew. I thought it was too hot for that, but hey, he's a big boy, he can eat what he wants lol. I packed his emergency bag in the wagon along with his sleeping bag and camp chair. I also packed a couple of empty canvas bags. I didn't know what for, I just did it lol. And he was busy cleaning his guns to take with him. Said he heard a large cat the other night about midnight or so when he got up for a minute. He didn't want a dirty gun if he ran into it out in the valley somewhere. At least I didn't have to worry about that. He had gone over the wagon real good earlier in the day on Sunday, so I knew it was ok. He was all set to go and it was time to turn in. I held him tighter than I ever had. I made him promise to come back home. I was afraid something would happen out there. He comforted me some and I asked him if he thought we would really get some orphans this time? He wasn't sure but told me it would be nice if they had some cold milk and cookies waiting and a nice looking warm bed to come "home" to. That gave me a lot to think about as I fell asleep curled up tight against him. 　 Q

　 June 28 - the Valley Woohoo I got a message from Mother today! I'm still looking in our stuff for my digital camera. I hope the batteries are still good. I need to take pictures of Marilyn and Georgia to send to the buck we want to breed them with. Mother said they have to pin the picture up so the buck gets used to seeing them before they get bred. Maybe it's so he doesn't get confused as to who they are? I don't know, but seems strange to me. If Mother said to do it, by gosh, I'll do it. Still...seems kind of strange. But the idea of feeding my girls chocolates... I think we will just say I did that one and not really do it. I have this stash of chocolate. And I'll be hanged if goats get it before I do! Course, then I had to explain to hubby tonight while we were doing chores, just why I was singing to the girls. Boy, did I ever get a funny look! I hated to tell him that it wasn't the first time, nor probably the last that I had sang to them. I think the goats are the only ones that can stand Patsy Cline for any length of time LOL! I hope they like rose petals instead of the whole thing. Hate to feed them thorns, just don't seem right! I didn't really understand what she meant about putting the girls with a buck. Just in the same pen? LOL I could see it now, some crabby-azzed female goat and this week in the knees buck out in the field...Now nanny, you know I love ya', just calm down honey and this will all be over soon! No, you dirty buck, I saw you looking at that other Nanny last night! You just get away from me you nasty thing! LOLOL...seems like they aren't too far from humans with that kind of thing. Hubby is getting too much fun out of me trying to figure this out! 　 Anyway, I asked the messenger to stop by tomorrow or the next time he was out our way. I had a letter that needed delivered if they didn't mind. I gave him a drink of milk and a hand full of cookies to take with him on the ride. Young kids have got to be taken care of lol. And that's me, the foster mom to so many kids I had lost count of them all. And I got to thinking about them, wondering how they were getting along out there now in all the bs that was happening. Would I ever hear "Mom" again? Used to be I never knew when one would call out of the blue just wanting to chat and find out how we were doing. That was my cue to ask what was wrong lol. And most times, there was that little something that they needed help figuring out. I didn't mind, to me, after a child reaches 18 they might be legal adults but they were still kids to me. I took my job seriously. They were my kids for life. And they all knew it. Would we get kids here that needed a mom and dad for life too? I sure hoped so, but since no one said anything direct yet, I didn't want to go getting my hopes up just to have them dashed apart. But, I couldn't help myself. I started fixing up the spare rooms best that I could. I even tacked up curtains made of kid print material over the logs where there wasn't even a window. Just to give it the look that there was one. Kind of cheered the rooms up a bit. And made them more kid friendly. There was one room though that we made more for an adult or older teen. I figured Jerry might get to stay with us until he got his place up, so I fixed that room up with him in mind. Guy type stuff lol. Hubby even made a chest that was similar to a foot locker for the end of the bed. I kind of had to wonder what he had been up to in the barn lately. Lots of sawing and hammering going on out there! Seems he had made a couple of shelves to go in the bedrooms. Nothing fancy, mostly made of rough sawn wood, but I could fix them up with curtains tacked over the front to hide what was on the shelves. At least it was a little bit of privacy. We didn't put doors up except for the one room, and even then, it was left open for now. And the upstairs window had a piece of cheese cloth tacked over it for screen. We had brought some we thought, but couldn't find it. Might still be out in the wagon. Hubby would run across it today or tomorrow while he finished cleaning it out. He needed it empty to go help get the folks down into the valley with and tote their stuff to the lodge or where ever they were going. And lucky me, I get to stay home and tend to the homestead. I minded it this time, most times I don't. But I knew most everyone would be there helping. And I wanted to help in the worst way and say hi to all the new comers. But someone had to stay home and that someone was me again. Almost made me wish I had strong muscles too! I stopped fixing rooms to have a bite of lunch. I wanted some more fish for dinner so I took my lunch with me down to the little river by us and ate while I fished. Oh well, I don't mind a little dirt in my jam sandwich lol. No peanut butter. I was saving that for kids. And the hubby lol. He's just a big kid anyways. Which reminded me I was gettin low on cookies. So after I caught about 8 bream, I went back to the cabin and cleaned fish. All the chum went into a hole out in the garden. I just took the post hole diggers of hubby's and made it as deep as I could get it, dumped the fish guts in and covered it back up. It works really good under tomatoes if you don't have any miracle grow. I used it back in TN every year in the garden too. Course it was convenient that crappie season hit right before the gardens went in every year! I got out my flour, sugar, cinnamon, some butter and some baking powder and two eggs. I was making a double batch of snicker doodles. Hubby and his friends used to make them disappear in a hurry back in TN, so I knew it was one of his favorites. Even though he insisted that he didn't like sweets, yeah right! The mouse that kept eating those cookies had gained a few pounds since we got married LOL. But snicker doodles are one of the easiest kinds of sugar type cookies to make. And I realized we had a limited amount of sugar. But you have got to have a little bit of comfort food around. Nothing like a glass of fresh milk and a few cookies after the evening chores before hitting the bed! It did ease things a bit around here, made it feel more like home and the cabin smelt so good for a day after making them! So I mixed the batter after getting the stove stoked back up. I was going to have to stoke it up for dinner anyways. Didn't matter how hot is was outside, dinner still had to be made. So I got the cookies done and then started cooking fish and hush puppies, made some salad out of fresh greens. What I wouldn't give for a head of cabbage to make slaw with! I didn't plant any because I cannot grow it no matter how hard I try. Never works. Maybe someone else in the valley grew it and would want to trade for something I had? Which got me to thinking about a farmers market type set up near the lodge while I was cooking. I would have to include that thought into my conversation with Mr. S. when I next saw him. I wondered if there were any plans being made to do something like that? I think it would help the whole community if we did. And if folks knew they had somewhere to sell their wares too, like pots and baskets and such, why it could turn into a really good thing! I just hoped Mr. S. would see the need and take it to Mr. R.... After dinner, I took hubby with me outside after I had finished cleaning up. We sat out there on our front porch in the chairs talking about what it was that we saw for our future here in the valley. What was it that two older disabled people could realistically hope to accomplish? Hubby wanted us to be comfortable and happy. Able to provide what ever we needed ourselves or to be able to barter with others for it. He wanted time to be able to make cabinets and such. He loved to make things out of wood with his own hands and a few non-electric tools that he had brought with him for that. He also wanted to be able to produce some shine and not just for drinking but for me and others to be able to make medical tinctures out of. But yes, there would have to be a little taste put back for parties too lol. He wasn't fooling me there! He loved having the animals here and wanted a few more goats and a lot more chickens (he loves his fried chicken!). He liked being able to hunt and fish, providing us with meat. He enjoyed being out in the woods hunting, even if he didn't get anything. It relaxed him and gave him some quite time he used to talk to God with. Then he asked me what was it that I wanted. I just wanted time to sew and to fish lol. I wanted to be retired and not have to do all the hard work we now found ourselves doing to keep us alive. I knew in my heart I would work till the day I died, but it was a nice fantasy anyways. I told him that I would love to make quilts, to barter with them. I wanted to raise horses too for the people of the Valley. But once everyone had one or two, I didn't think there would be much need of a horse trader lol. So I would make the quilts to fill in the gaps. He thought I had some good ideas, but didn't think that would bring in enough. I asked him if his wood working wouldn't also help with that? And then would we have enough to barter for what we needed that we couldn't do ourselves? He thought it just might be. And then I reminded him that with both of us at 50 years old now, it wouldn't be too much longer that we would have to have someone here to look after us, or at least look in on us daily (I hoped). He didn't like that idea and felt that we would always be able to do for each other. He wasn't one that liked depending on other folks. I agreed I really didn't either, but I was trying to be real about all of it. We got quiet, both scooching our chairs together so we could sit quiet, holding hands and looking out to the Valley over the little river. Quite a scene in the setting sun light. There was a warm breeze blowing tonight. It would make for rough sleeping with the humidity up. But we would manage, even without the a/c. You could see the rabbits out nibbling the grass, the dogs snoring and yipping as they slept in the yard, once in awhile, at catfish would roll in the water. It was so peaceful here now in the Valley. Would that change with all the people coming in? I asked hubby if he thought this place would get over crowded and did he see a day that we would move out of it? He hoped not. He planned on this being our last move. Ever. He wanted us to retire here, to be buried here. I agreed. We sat watching the wildlife a bit longer before going inside to bed. I can't help but still wonder what the impact of so many folks will be on this once quiet and untouched valley hidden away from all the hustle and bustle of the world. It will change it for sure, but will it be for the better? Blessings to all, Q

I promise not to find any more dead bodies if Cee Gee hurries up and reads the thread LOL. Really though, it's good to have you back! You were missed a LOT. Now, get to posting! hehehe Q

　 　 June 27 the Valley A rider stopped by today to let us know that the messenger service would be starting up in the Valley again. I scribbled out Mother a note. I told her I would have a BIG letter for her following, but this one was just to ask her advice on a problem I was having. Well a couple lol. I knew Mother would know her natural medicines, and since I was just beginning and still having to look up everything in my books, just what was THE best thing we had locally to deal with menopause? Especially the hot flashes which were just about to drive me nuts and freeze or burn the hubby out of the cabin at night lol. It had gotten so bad that hubby almost NEVER came into the cabin during the day. Poor man. Then I had a question about the girls, Marilyn and Georgia, our goats. I wanted to breed them. We wanted to have about a half dozen of them. I needed to know when and how to stop the milk? And when to have them bred. Did you just throw them in with a male goat (what are they called?) and a few roses and hope for the best? Did they need romantic music or what? LOL, I was lost as an Easter egg! Man, was I ever glad they started the messenger service back up! I had SOOOO many questions for folks and the only way to ask was to go visit and all of us being so dern busy right now, it just seemed like there was NO time for it. This was just the thing! Well we got up this morning and got chores done. I love my times in the morning before the world gets moving. The peace and quiet of the Valley really hits home then. I love it here, I know I haven't said much about that. But I do and so does hubby. We have been pretty much hermits most of our married life together. And it has made us still feel like we are on our honeymoon too. Besides that, we just didn't have anyone around us that felt like we did. About prepping and such. It was nice to have a whole valley full of folks like us now. And as I sat milking the girls and Lulu the oxen, I worried about there being so many of us in here too. What about the animals? It wouldn't have been a problem for the wild cats and bears and such to be where they were, it was just that WE were here now, invading their territory, pushing them out of it basically. I don't imagine I would be too happy to have that happen to me. So I don't imagine they were either. No wonder they want to attack us! And what about all of us hunting and fishing. It wont make a dent right away, no, but in a year or two it will make a difference. And there wont be the animal population that there is now. So did they have a conservation practice they wanted to put into action? Like bag limits on the fish/animals in the valley? Might not be a bad idea, and NO I am the furthest thing from a tree-hugger that there is! But I DO believe in what God told us to do, our first job and that was to be good stewards of our animals and of our resources. What of that? So many questions, so few answers.... Well we got lots of milk this morning, so I gave the extra to Tenderloin and Pork Chop, our two pigs. What can I say, hubby named them LOL. Sounded like he and SF spent too much time together of late. Either that or they were both smart alecs, horror of horrors! Yikes, better think of something else quick! Hahahaha! I got a double batch of bread dough rising this morning. One was for a loaf, but the other was for rolls. I was also mixing up a batch of all purpose dough for dough nuts in the morning. A little treat for the hubby. I had some lard that needed used up since it was used for some frying, like eggs. It didn't have any bad tastes to it (like frying fish would leave) so I thought it would be okay for dough nuts. And it was lol. I have them hid in my make-shift cupboards and pulled the curtain across the opening shut so hubby wouldn't find them before breakfast. If he did, they would be gone before morning. Along with a glass of tea. I was going to go hunting arrowroot and such today, but we needed laundry done bad, so I did wash in between messing with the bread dough. Kind of gives you a break in between ya' know? So you don't get so tired of doing just the one thing. I can do that with bread and laundry and stuff, but once canning season starts, all bets are off. And we had thought about going to the Lodge today too but we didn't know if anyone would be there or not. Hubby talked to Mr. S when they were working on N's cabin and he had said something to hubby about starting up the Counsel but didn't know what we all thought about it. Hubby said he wanted to tell Mr. S. he thought about it like he asked and had come up with an idea or two for him to mull over. One was using the Matriarch or Patriarch of each family to represent them on the Counsel or to just be there for each meeting. I don't know what the other one was lol. And I do have to get those packages stuck over in the corner opened up soon. If there are going to be kids here, then yep, before they get them open LOL. Besides if one has the kefir or the seeds in it that we ordered, then it needs to be taken care of and put up so that no damage comes to them. I hope it's seeds since the zipper cream peas were on back order yet when we left. It was so bad there were only two places on line selling them. And they wanted almost an arm and a leg for them compared to what they used to cost (IRL too right now!). SO I guess hubby and I will open a few later this evening after dinner. I sure hope it's seeds and kefir! Yes, I think about strange things during the day while I am working. Dinner is almost done so better close for now and get hubby in so he can wash up in time. I HATE to serve him a cold dinner! Blessings to all reading Q

No bears here but we do get an occasional bobcat, turkeys, deer, foxes, etc...No, we did get one bear about 4 or 5 years back. Caused quite an uproar. It was just doing that migration thing, trying to get back to where it once lived I think. Took TN conservation officers 4 days to track it down. Dern thing was caught right over by the hospital where I worked too lol. And you would be welcome around here any time. Q

ROFL...they must have taught the ones here in our yard the same trick. We have tons of wild turkeys around here. Between them and the deer, we are about to get run out of the neighborhood!

　 June 26 - The Valley Sabbath Day...It has been especially nice this Sabbath as we celebrate the new addition to our house. Now to fill it! Hubby thinks that we will do that eventually. But for this winter, we would be able to take a couple, more than that with Jerry being here also, would take our food reserves down to about nothing in the Spring. I wont do that to us. I know between 3 adults and maybe 2 or 3 children, we will have to stretch things as it is. That is why I am now on a hunt for anything and everything that we can use for food. All the berries within my reach will be picked. Arrowroot, cattails, grape leaves, mint, etc...will all be picked and dried and made into things that we can use for food. I am going down to the river in the morning to start harvesting some of the arrowroot there now. There isn't much as it's fairly early for it, but I need a few to try this out with. I wont take more than a handful at best. I need to dry it then pound it into a fine powder. That will be the thickener for my pie fillings and for the preserves that I will make with the berries and fruit trees. I am also having the hubby make up some more spray tomorrow for the fruit trees and get that last application on them. It's just made from dish soap (some of my last), hot sauce, and water. But it works enough to keep the bugs off of the fruit. Now the birds are going to be a whole other problem and I am not quite sure what to do with that. Back home we had big nets that we threw over the trees to keep the birds from eating all the fruit off of them. I didn't bring those with us because we had no idea if we would have fruit trees or not. And we had so many other things that we knew we would need. No room for maybe items lol. And with gathering all the extra food came the problem of having something to store it all in. Hubby thought he could make some boxes for the root crops out of saplings and such that we wouldn't burn in the stove, like pine because of the quick creosote build up it would cause. I told him to at least make a dozen and we would see where we were after that. I could sew up some bags with a bolt of muslin I had with a loose weave. I knew we didn't have enough clay around that was clean to make pots with. I wondered where I could find it so that I could make some big pots by roping the clay out. I didn't need anything fancy, just something usable. Maybe someone was already making them and would want to barter for them? A quilt or two might bring me a few pots...hummmm...we were going to have to put up a notice Wanted: note on the bulletin board at the Lodge again lol. I was thinking someone needs to make a bigger bulletin board at this rate! I got to thinking about having stuff available to store crops in again. I knew our apples would go to pie filling and most of the rest would get dried out. But, we wanted to have some fresh around for the youngers. That meant they would have to be stored away from all the other fruits and veggies. So I got to thinking crates would be used for those if we had them unpacked in time or stuff in those put into something else. I thought maybe we could do that. Boy hubby sure had his work cut out this winter! He was going to have to make at least two dressers for the youngers and then one for us and I wanted one just for linens and the quilts. That would free up some crates. Now for the veggies...well I could make baskets. Those weren't hard and I could make two or three in an afternoon if I had all my materials at hand. I was going to have to go get some green branches and some reeds from the cattails for those. I could weave a few baskets from the grape vines too. Oh and I wanted to make a wreath from that too. Not too hard. You have to get fresh vines, because after they dry, they just don't bend well at all and have a tendency to snap instead. So, just cut three or four long and fresh vines, make sure the ends meet and then make a circle. Now, at the end of the circle, make an overhand knot. Pull it tight if you want a smaller circle. I like mine kind of big. Now, just start wrapping them into a circle until you come to the end of the vines. Tuck those ends into the wreath so they are snug. Now, if it isn't full enough, get three more vines. Tuck those ends deep into the wreath so they wont come loose. Start wrapping the vines into the same circle. When you come to the end of the vines, tuck those deep into the wreath so they wont come loose. Now we need a way to keep this from coming apart! Get one of the thicker, longer vines. Tuck the big end deep into the wreath again in a different spot. Now, instead of wrapping it into a circle, you wrap it around the wreath in circles! Just keep wrapping it around until you come to the end. Tuck that in too. If it's all snug and not falling apart, your done. If you want more then just repeat the last part until it's wrapped enough for you! Now you can decorate it with what ever you want. I was going to decorate mine with the seasons. I would tuck dried colored leaves in for fall, tuck in pine boughs for winter and put on a big red ribbon at the bottom. For spring, I would tuck in fresh flowers daily. Summer would see little flags and such tucked into the wreath! Yes, it wasn't something that would sustain life nor limb, but you have to have a little fun once in awhile or else what is this all for? I have another problem to address this next week and that is the fruit trees. As I said before, they are very old and about half dead. We wont get a full harvest off of them, but we will get a decent amount of fruit, enough for our small family. I will stretch it as far as I can too. Pie fillings, drying and such. But, I am going to have to start some new trees with what is left. So I will transplant some suckers this week and see how they do. Most times if you get a good root ball with them they will do fine after getting through the initial shock. We have a few suckers under the cherry, not many and quite a few under the apple. So those will be what we end up with the most of. As long as they are kept watered well, out of long periods of direct sun light it should work. If not, then I will do moundings and other methods. I have one cherry tree branch that is rather long. So, that will be staked to the ground and some soil mounded up over the smaller branches that have good leaves on them. What happens is it will start to root by fall. Once it roots, you can cut the branch off from the mother tree. It is how a lot of folks used to propagate cane plants with like raspberries and black berries. They also did this with low hanging fruit tree branches! Nothing ventured, nothing gained! But fruit is something we are all going to need to have in our diets to keep them balanced and us working well. Without fruit in our diets, we would all become sickly. Not something we want to happen, especially not with the thought of having children around again. Well it's late and need to get up early and go do chores then off to weed the garden. Then I will go out for awhile and gather what I can from natures bounty. Blessings to all... Q

Thanks for clearing that up. It did sound like everyone was coming through Mothers place this time instead of where we came through originally. I couldn't figure out why they were coming a different direction unless it had something to do with security and all. LOL, I don't know whats going on behind the scenes, I just write here. LOL.... Q

　 Thursday late - the Valley I am making this journal entry late tonight since I have been up with the oxen cow since we got back home from mt3b's place. She went into labor this morning I guess because she delivered tonight. We never had oxen before so we didn't realize she had been in labor or I would have stayed home with her. That was dangerous. She could have calved here alone and if she had a problem, she would have died without anyone to help her! I realize they have been having calves all this time without people around, but still, she is a prized and honored member of our family. Without her, we wouldn't have made it here to the homestead. But she delivered just fine. And it's a girl! LOL. I will let the calf milk for a few days, more like a week. Then I will start drawing some off of her for us. She didn't seem to mind me helping her or touching her any. I think she was pretty well used to us messing with her by now. And I have been touching her udders now and again, just so she would be used to it. I know that oxen milk in France is considered far and above regular cows milk for butter, cream and the milk. They say it makes sweeter and better tasting butter. We shall see! So now, we have another oxen here at Mt. Dew farm! I can't wait to tell hubby in the morning! Well we did go to mt3b's place for a bit today and helped to feed the men, including the hubby, who were working on N's cabin. It was so nice to see Annarchy too! I hadn't seen her in awhile and it was good to catch up with her. They didn't get much storm damage either, just the same as the rest of us had gotten, well besides N that is. And hubby says they got the cabin all framed in today and they guys are staying overnight to finish roughing it in tomorrow. I bet N is going to fall out of the saddle when he sees his new home. LOL we gals got together and made up a big yellow ribbon to put across the front door! Mt3b had some left in her craft stuff and we sewed enough together to make a good sashing for the door. LOL I would love to see N's face when he sees it hehehe. But we all had a good time catching up with each other and making new friends there today. It is always nice to get to know the folks here in the valley. There aren't many of us really, less than 100? they tell me. I wasn't sure between our wagon train and who was already here maybe or had gotten here from the ranch since we had? What ever the case, we are few in number and soon to grow too. Word is that the next train is is due July 1st to Mothers (Little Hill, that big pass where we came into the valley). The only problem with that is they have to get all those folks and their stuff down that pass that we went through to get here. So since they will have to be there at least two or three days, hubby is going to have to take our wagon and the one oxen up there and I will have to stay behind to take care of the animals. I could probably ride up on one of the horses for a day, but with all the wild animal sightings around here lately, I don't dare leave our livestock open to predators that long. One mountain lion could do a lot of damage in three days time. Or a bear and her cubs. Or what have you. And you can't just go to the livestock barn and get replacements here. Our animals are part of the family on this homestead and we treat them and feed them well. I wont leave them open to attack like that. Especially the dogs. If they got tangled with something, it would kill them or hurt them bad. I need to stay home don't I? Well I have been working on the quilts to the spare beds. I have one to finish then they will all be done. I doesn't take me but a day to whip one out anymore, I have been making them for 30+ years LOL. And they are tied with yarn, not quilted so that takes off a LOT of time getting them done. They hold together just as well tied as quilted and for just guest rooms, they work fine. If we do get any of the orphans, I am sure they will work good for the kids. I have been planning and thinking about what we will need to get through the winter here and to the next harvest as far as food. Now, most people don't understand...the hubby and I have lived this life for at least ten years now. We lived off of what we gardened, what we fished and what we hunted. Most of what we bought at the store was cat food, milk, butter, cereals like oatmeal and grits. Things like flour, yeast, salt and sugar. We got our coffee in the green bean form and roasted/ground our own. So when we figured out what we needed, we doubled it plus a little more. So, instead of needing two deer for a year we figured five. One medium sized doe per person for a year. Then we have the pigs. We used one pig per two people per year. So we will have to butcher and cure two medium hogs. Fish are a thing we can get year round. I wont be putting much of that up, just a few of them smoked for the worst of winter when we wont want to be out on the river breaking ice, but in the cabin around the fire lol. And on it goes. But we have a good idea what to shoot for and that will be what happens here. I will save out enough produce in the garden to go to seed for the next two years, not one. Then everything else will be canned or dried or preserved some how, right down to the last cherry lol. Hubby has made me some racks for outside to dry fruit and veggies on. I will put them to work shortly starting with the fruit. Cherries and blackberries will be first since they are both about ready. I can't wait for the dried cherries! I eat them like candy they are so good. Well it's late and we have had a full day. I'm off to bed. Blessings to you... Q

LOL since I am so behind, I will probably use yours and Ann's to get caught up. As long as you both don't mind if I just kind of re-write what yall wrote anyways. I don't want to plagiarize anyone! Q

Here is one writer in the story that sure appreciates your comments miki! I am sure the others will chime in too. You, the readers, are what makes it all worth it to me. If yall keep reading, I think we will all keep writing! And it's so much fun researching things to put into the posts. Things that might help us all if tshtf. I know I sure have learned a lot so far. Q