quiltys41

Wow, we have a fan! That's just so cool. Thanks Miki for letting us know you are out there reading this story. It's a lot of fun to do. And comments like yours make it all the much more fun to write! Q

Good morning everyone...I see we are all ready to go and hubby has us hitched up too so lets roll! Get this wagon train a moving! ~~~That was my reply to Michael this morning. Oh what a day it was. Up early, eating light on the trail and then having to stop on that teeny tiny ledge waiting for Chef to get his wagon wheel fixed. That would have scared me to death when it broke. Do you wonder if he would have went over the edge when it did without a little help from above? It could have been a real disaster and Chef could have been hurt or worse. I just thank the good Lord for keeping him safe. I know there are those who are still depending upon him for their daily food and aren't able to cook for themselves yet. That should change soon with all the impromptu classes Chef has been holding for them. Ha! They will end up being able to cook better than the rest of us soon. I was glad to see mt3b back up and around after being slowly warmed back up! She had a bad bout of hypothermia from sludging through the mud and cold water the day of the Chinook. And I see where Mt.R. has given us all some good warning signs to look for with that so I wont re-hash them again here. But I did want to add that they did good with the warm liquids, making her sit up to drink them and not just reclining, but all the way sitting up. And warming her slowly is best. Even having the dog next to her to provide some warmth is a good idea. Out here in the wilds you have to do this with what you have on hand and that isn't too much. It's not like back in the world where you can hook them up to a warmed IV and put a cubbie blanket on them as a nurse lol. So we are better off using a pile of quilts and taking them off one at a time slowly as they warm up. Another person in there with them is best, sans clothing if possible. The skin to skin contact being the best. If not, go ahead and use the dogs, cats... and the hand/foot warmers too. I think they did everything really well which is why mt3b is up and at em today instead of down and sick or worse. And hypothermia if not reversed can kill. There is no messing around out here. We are in dangerous territory with many things out here that can take a bodies life if you're not careful. Hypothermia just being one of them. Okay enough lecture lol. I am going to have to cut this short and get some sleep. We have more rough trail ahead tomorrow then a promise of a flat area with a stream going through it. I will spend some time before bed tonight getting the dirty clothes around in hopes that we will have enough time to do some washing in the stream. If they don't get dry in time, I will just hang them up in the wagon. But I can't stand wearing dirty clothes. Hubby always says you can be poor without having to be dirty too and soap is cheap. Or it used to be lol. Now it's scarce or will be soon until we can figure out how to make it with the ashes from the fires. I am hoping one of the people here already have some experience in that so they can teach the rest of us! Well off to do some cooking and gather the laundry... Q

I think I nodded off on that last journal entry. I was just so tired after pushing along all day and having gotten up so early. It was an exhausting day for most all of us. I know that I spent most of the day doing lite things and napping. I just didn't have the strength left to do much more than that. I got the animals taken care of while the hubby checked over the wagon and the tack. Chef had made something for dinner that night, but I don't think I ever made it there. When I woke up the next morning, I was about starved! I was so tired that I can't even remember what I had for breakfast yesterday. Or dinner either for that matter. Or much of what happened yesterday lol. I do remember hubby and I having a prayer together for help for making the rest of the trip. If it's this hard here on out, I can't see everyone going one day and stopping the next like we had to do yesterday. I have a whole new respect for our forefathers (and mothers too) and what they must have went through to get to the west! This is NOT for sissies, no way no how. So, I wonder if we are moving out today? I am just sitting here in the wagon right now, sipping on my morning coffee and about to do my morning Bible study. I have missed that the past few mornings. And I don't feel right for the whole day if I don't get that in. Makes me feel like I am missing the best part of my day that way. Well best get to it before someone comes hollaring we're moving out again lol. Yep, it's only 6am... Q

Okay, I don't want to say it, but there is a warm wind blowing up here from the SW and at 7:30 pm the temp is now UP to 61!!!! It hasn't been in the 60's here for a few weeks. And tomorrow night it's suposed to get down to 16! There's mud up to my eyeballs out there in the back yard. Why do we have to keep writing our real weather?????? LOL Okay Mother ( and Mt. R.), I'll quit now. But it just really does seem that way.... I'm just worried with it going up into the 60's and a bad cold front coming...that usually spells for us here. Well I guess I will check back in tomorrow and see if Michael is waking us all up again....I am going to hide his little triangle LOL... Q

Hey, did we all work so hard yesterday getting back on the trail that we are worn out today? LOL... I know it's pouring here and we are starting to flood...why is this thing starting to mirror IRL? I'm afraid to write any more Q

Another interesting day on the trail...well we woke up early thanks to Michael or we would have been way behind on our day. Seems those Chinook winds were just starting up when Mt.R and Mr. H came back to warn us all to get ready to pack up and head out by 4 am. I don't think we all made that, but we did try. And it was a challenge too. Since our wagon was ready for the most part with the animals we have all inside except for the oxen, all we had to do was feed them and then we went about the camp helping others get animals fed or what ever was needed. The snow was melting at a rate that I had never seen happen before. I mean I was raised in Northern Indiana in the "Lake Effect Snow" area. I had seen it come down that fast before, piling up half a foot within an hour, but I had NEVER seen it melt as fast as it could come down! And that wind was warm too. I should have known something was up when we woke up because I had kicked off all the covers some time in the night and there were NO hot flashes involved lol. I had worn my heavy Carhart barn jacket out to help with the animals but quickly ditched that and went with just a regular jean jacket so I didn't over heat out there. Hubby spent his morning helping the other men get the wagons out of what was left of the snow drifts. Mothers was the worst one to get out, hers was covered over before the Chinook started. But they did manage to get all the wagons out of the snow and onto the trail. We ended up somewhere in the middle this time so we could see wagons ahead and behind us. And it was muddy! Oh the mud! As fast as the snow was melting, the ground wasn't able to absorb it quick enough plus it was still frozen in spots too making it all the harder to get rid of that water. So the puddles started. And with all the oxen tromping through them and the wagon wheel ruts, it fast became another hazard to deal with. Some of the people had to get out and pull the oxen along or else they just didn't want to go any further in the mud. Can't blame them, I didn't want to either, but it was important to get out of this valley and onto higher ground before these puddles turn into streams and then small ponds too at this rate lol. But that mud...it was still cold. It wasn't warm like the wind. And the water was cold too. And here we all were, sloshing through it and trudging along warm on top and cold feet and ankles. Some of the folks like me had mud past their knees. Okay, some of us are not too graceful lol. I know while I was out pulling our oxen along I was slipping and sliding all over the place in that mud. One time I tripped over something on the ground, a tree root maybe?, and fell. But I caught myself and landed on my knees and hands...in the cold mud. UGH. I had to retreat to the back of the wagon and try to grab an old torn quilt from the stack I had hurried to fold up before we moved out. I wanted to put that down to stand up on and change my clothes without getting any more of that darn mud all over the place. I didn't want to have to scrub the entire wagon down later! So I get my clothes changed and sat up front of the wagon with the hubby for awhile. It was nice to be out of that darn mud! But I knew the first sign of the oxen wanting to stop again, I was going to have to go back down in it and lead them again. We had to move fast and get to higher ground, so stopping the train for stubborn oxen was not an option we had. We really pushed them too. They had to get a move on and keep going at a fast pace for the entire day. We couldn't stop in the valley or else we ran the risk of being caught up in a torrent of water! And being drown is my worst fear, so you can bet I was hollering at those animals to get us going just as much as everyone else up and down the wagon train was doing. You could hear different people yelling in the wind. Oh and that wind. Let me tell ya'. I think it almost tipped us over a few times. Felt like the wagon was going to come right up and over when it caught is just right. I hated turning a bend that would put the wind sideways to us. It was easier on the oxen than heading into it, but it scared the snockers out of me with the wagon rocking back and forth! And it had the chickens and the dogs back inside the wagon in an uproar. Chickens squawking, dogs whining, hubby yelling...oh Calgon, take me away!!! LOL. Come on, you have to laugh before you cry...but just sitting up there in the wagon seat, listening and taking in all the sounds around us of the wind, the people and the animals on this wagon train was something else. I filed it away in my brain as one of the highlights of this trip to remember and think about and tell tales about as I get older. I was so ready to stop by noon lol, but today there was no stopping for lunch and we had had NO breakfast either. I went to the back of the wagon and scrounged around for some jerky and such just to take the edge off of our hunger. Word was out that Chef was making a meal for all of us tonight. I was hoping that I would be awake for it and not end up nodding off before I got a chance to eat. Man was I ever tired. That's what I get for staying up late writing! But long about six p.m., just when I thought we would never stop nor this day ever come to an end, we rounded one last bend and came onto an opening up on a hill top. It was wide enough to get everyones wagons in it and the animals would have grass to graze tonight! Yipee! The more grass they could get the better it was. That would help them out a lot and it would cut down on the amount of hay we would have to dole out to them. And that was a good thing! I was so happy we had stopped. I crawled into the back of the wagon to lay out the quilts for sleeping tonight. There was still too much mud and the ground still too cold to be setting up a tent out there. Plus the wind wasn't quite done yet. But it still felt warm. And since it wasn't blowing near as hard, it was kind of nice! I saw the men out in the circle trying to get a fire going for Chef. I knew what ever it was he was cooking up was going to be yummy! And I thought about that while I fed our chickens and our dogs. Hubby had unhitched the oxen and gotten them settled in for the night, giving them a little extra grain for all the hard wonderful work they had done for us today in getting us to higher ground and to safety. Well as safe as you can be out here in the middle of nowhere in a wagon train lol. I just am so hungry but I am so tired too that I thought I would spend some of the time waiting for dinner writing what had happe .

4 a.m.??? Are you nuts? oh Okay Michael, thanks for waking us up. A chinook huh? All I know about them is that they used to fly over our house in TN a lot out of Ft. Campbell. Not that kind of chinook? LOL okay. I thought we were going to try and outrun helicopters in the early morning darkness hehehe. Well looks like I had best get busy packing here. All the animals are all ready to go, just need to potty the dogs first. I am going to get dressed and run over to the fire and put on that 30 cup pot of ours with coffee. I'll get that to brewing while I start in packing up the quilts and such and getting the wagon straightened back out. It will have to be with a lick and a promise though since we don't have much time here....oh me! Q

Ah what a day this has been. We hitched a ride with Annarchy and crew over to the homestead to check it out. They are such sweet people and it was nice to spend a little time talking with them and getting to know them a little better while we rode over. And everyone was right, it sure didn't look like much riding up to it. I tucked that thought into my head to use on our place too. And you couldn't see the greenhouse either as you rode up to the place. I liked that also...nice cammo job! Well I got to wandering around the barn, looking for a bag or two of corn that hadn't been claimed yet. We wanted one for seed and one for the chickens for feed. We could have gotten one for us too I suppose, but I didn't want to be greedy about this stuff. There might be someone else who needed one...oh hey, lets take an extra one anyway. Because there might be someone back at one of the camps that has a need for it but couldn't get over here to get it themselves I told the hubby. I hate it when men grumble at you and question your every move lol. I was going to go inside the house and see the greenhouse and check out how they laid out their kitchen and such but Annarchy came walking up to me and put a stop to that. Seems she had found a smoke house that was full! But no one could figure out how long the stuff had been hanging in there. I asked about a date on the note that was originally found in the house? No date? Humm...okay. I was concerned more with if it had been in there long enough! Most times you can leave meat in a smokehouse until you need it. The meat is cured and not cooked and when it's done, it should have a nice light brown color to it. And this meat definitely qualified for that! Okay, there is no "off" smell to any of it, just heavenly smoke cured smells. So, here's the deal. This meat is really salty which means it was cured a long time. It should still be good since many smoked meats were meant to last a long time. I would grab a ham or two and one of the pepperoni sticks in the back (maybe a communal pizza party?) The jerky should still be good. I would leave the chicken though. It looks like it might be starting to turn. Maybe take that out and bury it so that it wont draw large predators around the homestead? Most of this meat should be good for another few years yet. So I would leave most and just take a little in case the family comes back or others happen upon this place in need like we did. I'm glad mt3b's sketched this place out and SF made some notes about it. I will have Mr. Q get with him on making us one of these smoke houses also. And it was so good to see mt3b's again! I think we about squeezed the stuffings out of each other hugging so hard! They are such sweet people and so willing to pitch in and help others. It was great to have people that are like them on our wagon train. Well really, I couldn't think of one bad person at all, even those in the other group had their place. They kept the rest of us on our toes with all their questions and wanting to learn new things. And I imagine that kind of request from them will only increase after this little ordeal. I left the smokehouse and wandered back on up to the main house in search of Mother and the green house. I found her and Annarchy talking about all the different plants in here. And there were a lot! I was amazed at how many plants you could cram into this size space. But then they have been left to their own accords and have re seeded and such on their own instead of being messed with by people., So stands to reason that the fittest have survived thus far. So any plants we would take would probably stand the trip and prosper once planted at our homesteads. I found the corner I was most interested in. The greens! Yes, there was about enough for a bowl full or two so I carefully snipped off the largest leaves on the outside of the plants, leaving the inner leaves to grow out unhindered. And I did the same with the collards, just taking a few of those to flavor the turnip greens. They are pretty strong all by themselves, so I usually mixed collards with another green type. And I found two turnips in the back that had went to seed, so I snipped the seeds off into a baggy that Annarchy had supplied for us. I would plant those in our garden this year with our other seeds. Most times when you have greens like this and there isn't a turnip underneath, they are meant for greens only. I was hoping though that we would find some with a tuber attached. I looked around a bit, keeping an ear out to what Mother and Annarchy were talking about while trying to find anything else that I would need at our homestead that I had forgotten to pack away. I had basil and oregano seed but no sage. And here was some in the greenhouse! So I carefully dug away just a little part of the plant, looked around under the benches for a bit and came up with a large bag of small pots! Okay, now for the potting soil. I kept mine off to the side of my re-potting bench so it wasn't right underfoot. Looking off to the right, nope. But there underneath some plants on the left were bags of potting soil. Bingo! So I took a little soil and put into the small planter. Then I went to the sage and lifted what I had pulled away, up and out of the dirt there and put it into the small pot. Then I put some more dirt around the plant, leaving enough room inside the small pot for watering. I didn't see any straws lying around or I would have put one of those in with the plant right down beside the roots for watering. So now I had my sage plant! I was listening to Annarchy talking about the Elder bush. I had to ask her about it because it sounded just exactly like a smooth bark or staghorn sumac! I remembered my mom using the seeds from them when we were kids to make us pink lemonade! And it does taste just like that too! You take 2 or 3 cups of berries off the heads and put those into a quart jar. Pour into the jar COLD water only. Warm water releases the tannins in the seeds and makes it very bitter! Now shake the jar around until you have a good color. Shake it hard too, don't be afraid of it lol. Next take the contents of the jar and run them through a cloth. An old t shirt will work just fine or any cloth with a tight enough weave to catch the seeds and such. Okay now add some sweetener like honey or maple syrup to taste and stir it up. Get it iced cold and drink away! Some people may want to thin it out a little with some more water first if it's too strong for you. And those seed heads are easy to keep too. You just cut them off of the plant every fall and leave them somewhere warm and dry, like an attic. They will usually keep pretty good until the next years batch is ready to cut again! Well, we heard the guys yelling at us to come on, it was time to go. I grabbed my bag, my plant and ran out to the smoke house and grabbed a couple of ham hocks too from the pile inside the smokehouse door. Okay I was ready and off we went! We made it back to the camp here just fine and I am just so tickled with my greens and stuff that we brought back! I got so caught up in the smokehouse/barn/greenhouse that I never did have a chance to take a good look at the way they had the place laid out inside! Oh well, maybe someone else did and I will pick their brain about it later on. But now it's time for bed. See everyone tomorrow... Q

Oh good morning one and all! Isn't it a glorious day? We are all back together, well sort of, and it stopped snowing for now. The dogs are perked up too and ready to go out and do their business and mark some territory lol. I'll have hubby take them outside while I wrangle up something for breakfast. I suppose I could use the left over chili, a couple of eggs, a bit of milk, some of the dwindling supply of cheese and make some omelets! Oh that sounds good. So that's what we will have. There is just enough chili left to make into two omelets. Waste not, want not! Maybe I can talk the hubby into making a couple of biscuits out in the fire in his cool cast iron baker! I think we still have an open jar of blackberry jelly too somewhere. I don't know how well that goes with chili cheese omelets but it sounds good! Well I was sure disappointed that the collards and the other "good" greens went to the other camp! I was so looking forward to some beans and greens. Oh well, maybe I can pick out just enough for a small pot while I am over there today. And yes, I'm going even if I have to hoof it lol. I'd much rather ride but we only have the oxen for now. Maybe some kind soul will lend me a horse or a donkey for the ride there and back. Something that wont mind a little load. Never know what kind of goodies we may find hidden away there. I don't remember if anyone went upstairs and checked the bedrooms and closets either. I know some people like to tuck away things upstairs in their bedrooms so they can keep a close eye on them. Not that I want valuables as the world sees them. I was thinking more along the lines of extra sheets, towels, soaps. Maybe some extra guns and ammo hanging around up there too? Never know what you will find. But I wont be taking the last of anything though. That is just wrong unless it's something that will get ruined if not used and left sitting. Like the stuff in the root cellar. I am kind of hoping to find some sewing stuff there. I am looking specifically for needles. That is something that you really can't replace is sewing machine needles! Hand sewing needles can be made out of bone from what I hear, but I'm not so sure it would be that easy to replace the machine needles. So I will keep an eye out for them. And they are small and easy to carry too. Another thing I will look for is jeans. Any size will do since I can alter them without much problem. I will even take ones with broken zippers, need patched, etc...that's where it comes in handy to find a sewing room. Most ladies pile that stuff away in there to be fixed another day. So it makes a good place to look for clothes! Something else I want to look for along the clothes idea is clothesline and pins! Would be nice to have clothesline and not just a rope strung up. The coated line would be best, but beggars can't be choosy. And I am wondering about that corn. I know we are getting a little low on ours since we use the cracked corn for the chickens and also grind some into cornmeal for us. I really didn't think we would go through this much! So now we find ourselves with the real possibility of running short before we get any harvested out of the garden. And what if we don't get any out of the garden for one reason or another, like hail or wind damage? Oh yep, we will be in a world of hurt then. Well I got to get moving here and fix breakfast (IRL too lol) and feed chickens. Then I am going to get ready for the day. Maybe go over and talk to Mother and see what ideas she has come up with or if there is something she saw yesterday at that homestead that she wants brought back that I can get for her. Well....up and at 'em! Q

Wow, what a day!! I'm writing this down by lantern since I am so keyed up that I can't sleep. Thought maybe a bit of writing in the journal would help me relax. I gave up on the sewing after nailing my fingers a few hundred times LOL... Well where to start? Okay, Mother decided to let some of the younger folks go out to look for the rest of our wagon train today. I could tell by the look on her face that this was no easy decision and she was having a time of it. But we all trust and respect Mother and knew she would make the right choice. I snuck in a few prayers for her and the riders too. Most of us that were out of our wagons gathered around her and the radio after watching the riders leave our camp. It was kind of scary watching them go too. One had to wonder what they would find out there and if they would make it back to our camp okay. But we had to find them and we had to let that little boys parents know he was okay. I know if I were them, I would be frantic! And would probably want to ride along to look for him, against everyone else's better judgment. But that's just part of being a mom. When one of your chicks is in trouble, it's d**m the torpedo's and full speed ahead. All sound reasoning tends to fly out the window,. Anyways...we heard the group check in not to long after they had rode around the bend. It was staticy but you could understand them then. And we all paced and wondered until they checked in again saying they had found an abandoned homestead. Complete with a barn that had animal feed in it! WooHoo...oh did we ever need that! And there was a note on the door that said the owners were called away in a hurry and might never return. We were welcome to what ever food we needed! I was anxious to hear a report on what was in the house and thought we were getting just that when the radio crackled to life again... But NO, it was Mr.H and a search party from the rest of the wagon train!! Yippee~ they found us!! Oh it was so good to hear all of them in the background shouting lol. I said a quick prayer of thanks to God for bringing us all through this so far. I drifted off back to my wagon so no one else would see me crying. All tears of joy though, just tears of joy. But that's me, tender hearted. And I cry at the drop of a hat lol. (IRL too, just part of a left hemisphere stroke...) I was just SO happy that we had all made it through this blizzard. And so thankful too. Things could for sure and for certain have turned out a lot worse. We could have easily lost one person, the little boy, had people not been looking out for each other. That is one thing I have noticed the past week or two and that is we have begun to think like a small community. Almost like a family really. There seems to be more sharing and helping each other going on now. And I am sure after this little side adventure to our trip, it will be strengthened all the more, those bonds that are growing between us all. I just thank the Lord for each and every one of them. And that was what I was reflecting on when someone ran by our wagon yelling about food in a root cellar and a greenhouse at the homestead? Seems I had missed everyone coming into camp and then taking off to the homestead. I had myself almost asleep all snuggled down into the quilts there in our wagon. I was just kind of enjoying some down time in the middle of the day...playing with the dogs inside (they lay on their backs and momma does the scratching "game" LOL) and feeding the chickens. Then I got all snuggled in with the dogs laying at my feet keeping them nice and toasty warm. And I was just about to doze off when who ever it was ran by us. I can't believe I missed all the commotion? I must have been more tired than I thought. And worried too. So when that worry was relieved, I guess the stress dropped and my body said "enough already" and I ended up being really tired! Mr. Q went out around the fire with everyone though and he said there were people shouting and hugging and quite a few tears when Mt.R and krew rode into camp. I bet! I know all of us were so worried! He also said that Mother, Mt.R and a few others went on over to the homestead to check it out and see what's there. I don't think we will move over that way since half the wagons are over the top covered with snow! I know we don't have the luxury of time to wait until it all melts before we move out too. Our supplies are getting low so we need to be on our way to the new place before long. I suppose that means Mr. Q Will get another lesson on snow shoveling. At least Michael wont have to worry this time that Mr. Q is filling in his walk way LOL. I heard riders coming, hard not too, everyone was so happy! Sounded like they were all talking at once, so I thought I better get up and get dressed and get out there to see what all the fuss was about. Seems there is a root cellar there and it was about full of good food right down to a separate room for the apples and pears! And there is a greenhouse too complete with turnip greens Yahoo!!! Oh my what I wouldn't give right now for a pot of beans and greens with a chunk of fat back in it! Just one slice of onion and a piece of cornbread to go with it. Oh my that sounds sooooo good...I think we are all going to get a chance to go over and get something out of the green house tomorrow. So I better try going back to sleep again. Maybe this time I will try counting bowls of beans and greens instead of sheep! Nite all sleep tight And thank you again Lord for reuniting us all together again. Safe and sound. Q

PLease tell 'Hubby' the next time he shovels you out to look WHERE he puts the snow. I had just cleared a path from our wagon out to the inner circle and when I came back out with the pots for collecting more snow so we had more water there was a nice path leading out from your wagon and my path was filled in? LOL ROFL...okay. I will try to "school" him on propper snow shoveling manners. Sorry about that and I will send him out to shovel you back out if ya' want LOL... Q Q you hubby must be kin to mine(Saintsfan aka SF) . He was reading over my shoulder and I was explaining about the story line and that he and the boys were shoveling snow in the story and he gave me one of those horrified looks and ds#3 (N aka the marine) said cuss that. I was rofl while trying to type my part of the story this morning. <snicker>...yep I got the horrified look too! Poor man, I thought he was going to faint. Got all pale looking and started sweating hehehe...I told hin that I wont ask him to do it IRL though. That calmed him right down. Men! Ahem...Michael? You might not want to tell Mother what happened to her walk-way? Q

PLease tell 'Hubby' the next time he shovels you out to look WHERE he puts the snow. I had just cleared a path from our wagon out to the inner circle and when I came back out with the pots for collecting more snow so we had more water there was a nice path leading out from your wagon and my path was filled in? LOL ROFL...okay. I will try to "school" him on propper snow shoveling manners. Sorry about that and I will send him out to shovel you back out if ya' want LOL... Q

Oh my look at the snow! I was hoping earlier that it would let up some, but I guess not. It looks about the same as yesterday! I am trying not to get worried when I see all of it falling. I know that for every day it snows, it will take a day at least to melt it. So if it snows two days, we will be here at least four days. Ugh. And here I hate snow too. It's no wonder. Such cold and stuff is hard to work in and it makes the arthritis kick it up a notch in the pain department. So my hands aren't wanting to work real well today. I guess sewing will be slow, but it will limber my hands up and get them to working again. First things first though. Hubby is going to bank snow up on the one side of the wagon that's against the wind. That way the underside of the wagon doesn't have all that wind whipping around down there making the inside of the wagon colder. And snow is a good insulator too. If he banks it up enough, it might help hold some heat in on that side. Then I can put some of the totes with the clothes and things like that in them on the other side of the wagon for insulation. I hate to do it, but I have a couple of bags with quilt batting shoved in them that I could take out and use as covers for the front opening of the wagon along with the plastic and the quilt that is already up there covering the entrance. I think the pallet of old canvas and barn blankets topped with the sleeping bags on the floor is enough insulation for sleeping on. And with all the quilts we have (now I am thanking God for that gift of quilt making He gave me!) piled up on top of that, we should be able to stay pretty warm in here. I don't want to have to put that wood stove together in here if we don't need to. I don't think we have much wood left anyways. Maybe enough for one fire or two? And we would be hard pressed to find any wood now since it would be all covered up in snow. The dogs have been doing really good in here with us in the wagon. And it's hard to roll over when you have dogs on either side of you when you are sleeping, but now I am so grateful to them for their body heat! And the chicks seem to be just fine in their cages in here. I worry about leaving them in too long though. If it starts to warm up some, I will have hubby put them outside under the wagon in their cages. With that snow banked up and no wind blowing down there, they should stay warm enough. And of course, no eggs this morning. They don't like changes in their routine. And if they get a change, they stop laying for a couple of days until they get back into one. I think we have a few extra right now though that I put in the kitchen box wrapped in some kitchen hand towels. I don't think it will hurt if they are frozen either. Well I am going to go see Mother for a minute after I take the dogs out to potty. I hate to go out in the cold, but I will take each one on a lead, one at a time. I don't need them getting out in this storm and getting turned around in strange country. Too many new scents to follow and trees to mark. Okay, dogs are done. I have myself tied up to the lead lines going in between each wagon so I don't get lost. Seems funny not having us all together. I feel as if I lost part of my family. I just pray the rest of them are making out as well as some of us are here. I worry about that other group. They just don't seem too well prepared. Mostly mentally. Oh they seem to have the right equipment and all, but when it comes to using it or dealing with their animals, some of them act like they don't have a clue and don't really care if they get one either. I hope they don't turn out to be like some who expect others to do all their work for them while they just sit back and don't do anything. I would hate that for MrH. He seems like such a nice man...Oh here's Mothers wagon. Mother? Hi dear lady! I brought you some Celestial seasonings flavored teas. I have peppermint, sleepy time, morning thunder and a few others. Do you have water going? I will go out and get another big pot of snow while I am dressed for it if you want? Oh good, okay. Will one of you boys hand me that big stock pot right there? Yes, that one please. Thank you dear young man. Mother, I'll be right back in.... Ah, there you go, more snow. Just what you always wanted, right? I just came over to see how you all are getting along in here and to bring you some tea bags that I had. Oh yes, and I had Mr. Q hang a huge cast iron pot of chili out there on the fire the men got going. I put chili powder, ground meat, dehydrated onions and beans in it. Oh and a couple of quarts of chopped tomatoes too. I don't know that it will be enough to feed everyone but I thought maybe if every body could add a quart or two of something to the pot we could keep it going for a day or two. I know they might like some while they are out watching the livestock too and keeping guard. Well it's out there and ready if anyone wants to get some. Mother, do you want me to have Mr.Mt.R come over and give you a rub down? You look as if you are having a hard time today in the weather and cramped conditions. Okay. Well I am going back to the wagon. Oh I was just going to do some sewing today. It's just to keep my hands busy and working so that they don't go cold and stiffen up again. Well yall be careful. If you need anything, just give a shout out. Oh, one other thing Mr.Q came up with. Well two really. The first was he tied an extra rope out off the one between the wagons going on out of the circle. Just in case we had to go out that way for something there is now a lead rope going that direction for us. I don't know if anyone else would need to put one out there too? And the second was that he is banking snow up against the wagon on the wind side to use as a break so that we don't have all that cold air whipping up under the wagon. I noticed a big difference already inside the wagon. We aren't nearly as cold as we were. Just thought I would mention that if anyone else wanted to try it to help keep their wagon floors warm and less wind whipping through them. Alright, I really do have to get back to the wagon. Both the dogs and the chickens are inside the wagon. If you need us Mother, you just call.... Q

Okay, so evidently hubby and I were in the right group lol. I guess we were somewhere behind Mother and AH's wagons? LOL Hubby is still wondering about having to shovel snow and since he has never done that before, he's laughing about having to do it in a story. Poor guy. I do have to wonder how long yall are planning on us being stuck there? Q

Good morning everyone! Well it looks like we made it through the night okay. I see people up and about already. Michael looks like a man on a mission...I wonder why he didn't tie a rope out on the back side of his wagon too? I'll have to get the hubby to mention it to him later. You never know when the snow will thicken back up again. I'm hoping it wont at all. Hubby is getting bundled up to go out and help shovel snow in the middle of our "circle" so they can get a fire going out there. I can't imagine it being too much fun to milk today with the cold hands. Would be nice if they can warm them first. And I'll see about hanging that pot of chili out there after I put some more canned meat and tomatoes in the pot. Would be nice, I'll just leave it out and who ever wants a dish can get one. Chili is good on a cold snowy day. Maybe if everyone added something to the big kettle, we could keep it going for awhile. Since it's still snowing, I don't imagine we will be moving today at all. So I need to dig out some mending and such to keep me warm and busy today. I do have a quilt that I have been piecing along the way too to keep me busy. I could work on that some more. I will have to send hubby back to the Library wagon to see Lori for something he can read. He loves history, especially the war of Northern aggression. I wonder if she will have anything he can read in there? I do hope someone will be able to ride up today and see if they can spot the other half of our train. Or will they wait until it completely stops snowing? The way that storm came up on us yesterday, I don't know if it will matter if it's snowing or not around here. This is some of the strangest weather I have ever seen. Reminds me of that movie about Shangrala where that plane crashed in the mountains in China and the people got together and started walking away from the crash to try and make it to safety. They got caught up in a bad snow storm and these people from the other side of the mountain came and got them. Took them to their home on the other side of the mountains where it was not even snowing. It was a perfect place with perfect weather...hahaha if only... Well guess I'll get around here and take the pups out to potty and get all the animals fed. Kind of makes it easier having the chicks inside in their carriers. I might go over and see Mother later and take her some tea bags. I have some Celestial Seasonings she might like. Later... Q

Well that pretty morning didn't last long. Here it is about mid morning and the sky is darkening up and clouds are moving in fast. They look dark, low and heavy. The animals are acting up again too. They all keep trying to put their behinds to the wind lol. That's not working out too well either since we are headed right into it. The chickens are just huddled up together in the cages and strangely silent this morning. Most times Roo is just crowing away at anything. Strange chicken...anyways... I noticed the temperature is dropping too so I am heading back into the wagon here while hubby keeps a firm hand on the oxen team. I need to find those clips I had the other night so I can secure the plastic and the quilts onto the back opening of the wagon better...Ah Ha! Here they are, all tucked into the box with the kitchen stuff where they are supposed to be. Now who would have thought to look there? Oh now that made a difference! I don't feel that bad draft blowing through the wagon now honey. What? Oh yeah, I did get that pot of beans started before we left. I have it wrapped in some quilts back here. Oh duh..okay. Let me change them out with some other ones and I will bring you up the warm quilts for your lap. Good idea darlin'. At least it will keep your legs and feet warm wrapped up tight in them. Here, put on your gloves while I take the team for a minute. Yes, I can do it for a minute...geeze honey! Men! Ooppps...sorry darlin'. Maybe you better take them back before I end us up in a ditch. No, I didn't mean to make us slide sideways like that. About skert me half to death! Um, don't look now darlin' but I can't help but notice that wall of clouds up there? Yeah, the one that looks like a white curtain. Wait, those aren't clouds! OMG...that's snow!!! Oh darn, best hold on. See if we can get a little closer to the back of that wagon ahead of us and try to keep it in sight. If that is snow, we are in deep doo doo! Oh my look at the size of those flakes going past! Look like dinner plate flakes lol. The ones you used to try and catch on your tongue when you were a kid. Yeah and in just a minute we will have so many flakes around us you wouldn't be able to NOT catch one! I can't believe we are getting into snow this late in the season. Is this normal for up here??? I'm a Southern Belle, we don't do snow real well ya' know! Yeah, I know honey, we are used to snow for a day or two and then it melts off. But this stuff is piling up so fast I have to wonder if it will melt off that fast. Looks more like the kind that hangs around for a week or so. Oh man! What if we get stuck here? The trail is way to small for us to circle wagons here. We are going to have to hope that someone will come back and tell us what we need to do. Nope, don't stop now. Just keep us behind that last wagon and keep going until someone tells us to stop or that wagon ahead of us stops lol. Then I guess we are going to have to stop. Well someone just rode past us. This snow is getting so heavy that I couldn't see who it was, could you? Nope, me either. Honey, should I make a spot to bring the chickens in? I don't know about leaving them out there on the wagon in all this mess. It's only two small cages. I'm sure I can find a place to set them or hang them up from one of the top metal straps holding the tarp on the wagon. Oh thank you darlin'! I know the chickens will be more than thankful! Okay, let me crawl back here and get started. Hummm...okay if I slide over the crates with the kitchen stuff in it...oh Hi puppies! Yes, momma knows there is a bad wind blowing. Yall just stay in here and lay down. Okay, I know I had some rawhide bones tucked away for an emergency to keep them in the wagon with. Oh yeah, here they are...here...ya'll take these to chew on and lay on your blankies. Let momma get her work done and I will pet yall later. Okay..have a spot made for the chickens. The beans are still pretty warm and getting mushie too. Should I get out some canned hamburger and tomatoes and some chili powder and just make a big pot of chili instead? I think I will and then we will have enough to share with the rest of the wagons around us if it's needed. Oh my! Darlin...where did the other wagon go to? HUH? What do you mean it disappeared??? Oh chit! I don't know, just keep going I guess. We will either run into someone or have to stop pretty soon. This snow is getting really deep and the oxen are really having a time of it aren't they? Yeah, I have the pups tucked in good and dinner all ready to throw on the Coleman stove when we stop. Yep, I got that little propane heater out too and a couple of those cannisters if we need them. Okay. I will keep an eye out...hey? Did you hear that? Sounds like a whistle blowing? OMG lol. I can hear Mt.R's donkey...just barely but I can hear it. Hehehe...Whao...watch that! I'm not real fond of skating in a wagon honey. Yeah I know, but if I can't laugh I am gonna cry. Here we are out here in this mess freezing to death. Are we nuts? Oh a rider! I think it's someone from Mothers wagon! Okay, we will keep going a bit further to the opening. Then circle with the rest of the group. Huh? What do you mean we lost the others in front of yall? Oh my! Okay, we will make do and work with what we have. You heard the boy darlin', lets keep these babies moving to the clearing! Yes, you are doing a wonderful job! Okay, there's the clearing over there it looks like. Oh ouch, that wagon almost crunched that tree. I guess it's pretty slippery over in the pines there. Just saying a prayer here... follow that wagon ahead of us over into them. Alright, we got circled. Let me go get the Coleman out and get the chili working. I'll bring in the chickens while you secure the wagon and get the oxen unhitched. Here is some rope honey. Tie one to the wagon ahead of us, one to the wagon behind us and one loose on the back side of the wagon. Um...just in case. Okay, you go see if Mother needs us to do anything else. I'll be here when you get back. And I'll try to get that chili ready, this place warmed up some and see if I can dig out those extra quilts I have packed into stuff for padding. Someone might be mighty glad to have one of them even if they have a patch missing or a small tear in it. Heck, I might put them on my lap and fix them now while dinner is working. Yeah, if I can get it warm enough to hold the needle funny man. Now scoot with you and go check with Mother! Ha, I see she put him to work shoveling. Hope he doesn't overdo it. {{Mother..IRL hubby has NEVER EVER had to shovel snow. He laughed when I told him what you was making him do. I told him it's just like shoveling anything else LOL}} Well the chili is ready and I got two of the quilts mended fast like. Not real good, but it will do for now. The dogs are fast asleep since they ate. Was glad they went out with the hubby before he went to Mothers. At least I don't have to get all duded up and take them out! The chickens are out for the night too. I have extra quilts piled up on our pallet on the floor for tonight. I just hope we can stay warm enough in here. And I know those little cannisters are going to last long. I just hope we don't have to break out our wood stove! It's a pain to put together, but if we have to, I'll help do it. It's meant for a canvas tent so it should work in the wagon okay if we put the vent pipe out the back flap. I don't think we will have enough wood for it for more than a day or two though. Then what? Lord, please don't let us be stuck here too long. Oh good! I am so glad you are back honey! Oh my, here, put these warm clothes on and I will get you a big bowl of chili to warm up. What? Okay, here take these over to Mothers wagon first. She can give the quilts out to who ever needs them. Then get back here and get warmed up! Hey, you back to stay now? Oh good. Here let me help you get that cold wet stuff off and get you into some warm dry clothes. Okay, now here is a bowl of chili and a couple of biscuits left over from the other day to crumble up into it. Darlin'? What are we going to do? Do you think this snow is going to last much longer? I mean it's already piling up out there really fast. And we are separated from the front of the wagon train. Oh I do hope they are safe too. I will add them to my prayers tonight before we turn in. Maybe I should add all of us in there. I know we are going to be in a world of hurt if we get stuck here too long. Yeah, it was good chili, and thank you hon. Ready for bed? Okay, yep I do imagine you're tired after all that fighting the oxen and then shoveling the break. Lets turn in for the night. I love you too my wonderful husband. I just pray we all get out of here alright. Q

mt3b...thank you so much! And if it wasn't 1 a.m. I would print it out lol. But I will print it tomorrow and put it in my kitchen binder. I am going to try it next week when I have burritos scheduled on the menu! Q

Good morning everyone! Oh doesn't it look to be a pretty day out today?! Yep, I am one of THOSE people lol. Cheery and chatty in the morning. Hey don't growl at me lol, I can't help it! I never used to be this way until I retired and had the time to slow down and enjoy the mornings. This one is a good one. No pink skies, no strange looking clouds, the aminals have settled down...alls right in our little world so far. But then we have a long day on the trail ahead of us and anything could happen. I just pray we have an easy routine (Is there such a thing in a wagon train? LOL) day of it going over some rougher terrain than we are used to. Seems like the oxen are holding up to it though. And I am so glad we all got an extra team to help out. I know there is going to come a point before we get to the valley where we may have to start switching them out during the day so that one team doesn't get so tuckered out! Maybe stopping about noonish to change them over? Ah, we shall see... And since we are getting into the rougher terrain now, hubby will be doing most all of the driving of our wagon. He has the brute strength to do it, where as I don't. I would love to be able to, but to me, that is the "manly" type stuff that they need to do, not us. Not unless we are needed to help out. I know that is going to get some into a tizzy, my thinking that way lol. And it would be very different if I were alone, say widowed. But since I do have a husband, I will let him handle this. It's his place, not mine. But you can bet I will be right beside him in case I am needed to help out with them. And learning all that I can about handling them and the wagon. Just in case something would ever happen to him then I would be able to do it. But while he is able, he's got the job! Besides that, I can do some mending or some other chore that needs done while I am sitting there too. But really, being disabled and week on my right side, I just don't have the ability to handle them when things get tough. And I don't want pride to get in the way of safety for us. Enough said... I guess I will get another pot of beans soaking for dinner again before we start out today. I think I will mash them up tonight and make refries. I have a jar or two left of that taco meat I had canned up using some chopped venison. Mighty tasty! And I will see if I can't find some greens when we stop tonight too. I am going to soak some dehydrated tomato and onions in water today to use with this tonight too. I will make a bowl of it with the beans in the bottom, a little meat on top of that, some greens, tomato and onion on the top and a little of that powdered sour cream stuff made up and a drop or two of that on the top of the bowls. Just sounds good and different using up the stuff we have on hand in the wagon. I am kicking myself now for not printing off that stuff on how to make your own tortillas. Sure would have made this a little more realistic lol than just eating it out of the bowl. Oh well, live and learn. Well best get the coffee on and wake the hubby so he can get the oxen hitched up and ready to go. I need to feed the dogs and the chickens yet to. This day is starting to get ahead of me already! Q

Well if I think about that hot shower back at the Rockin' J, maybe that will help warm me up because it is getting cold out there. We hung up some extra quilts at the back and the front entrances to the wagon to help hold the heat in and the cold out. Hubby lit the Coleman stove so I could cook dinner inside. I have him leaving a crack in the top of one of the quilts so the fumes can get out. I don't want to run us out of the wagon lol. Since the hens are still laying, I am making an omelet with some of the dehydrated veggies I had soaking today. And with a tad bit of real whole milk that I got from Mother this evening, it makes such a nice fluffy omelet! I didn't put any meat in it thinking that the eggs would contain enough protein to make up for the lack of meat. I really am trying to watch what we are eating and making sure we get enough vitamins and minerals and proteins. And to keep from getting food fatigue. That one is hard to do with such limited supplies right now, but lucky for us, we eat a lot of beans and love them! Good thing too because it looks like we are going to have to eat a lot of them before we get our garden produce coming in. Well I am still dreaming of the night at the Rockin' J. Sure was a good time being there with all of us around the fire and being treated to some of the best BBQ I have tasted since we left TN. And I have been thinking about the 80 acres and what kind of business we might set up on it. I'm sure I could do something with my nursing in that area, but I was thinking more of something like home-making skills or quilting lessons? Maybe a quilt shop? I don't know, we will have to see what hubby is dreaming up too since he is such a wilderness man lol. He is good at identifying plants, hunting and all that. I am learning it, or trying to! He's a good teacher an has a lot of patience with this ole' gal who has a hard time learning anything new. I hope he will consider doing something with his plumbing and electrical skills too. He does know some solar electrical and is really good with wells too though. I don't think we will have a problem having a business, just deciding which one will do the whole community the best good. Our dogs are all cuddled up here in the wagon with us. It's just too raw outside for them. They are hunting dogs and have been trained for rabbit, squirrel and other small animals. They do their jobs well and we take good care of them, kind of baby them really in payment for their work. But they are acting a mite strange tonight. All huddled together like that. I have seen them act that way before and nothing good came of it. Last one was an earthquake lol. I don't think we will have that problem out here will we??? And they did it too right before that big ice storm hit us in KY and TN in the winter of 09/08. That was a mess. And some people just don't think animals can really predict anything. But I don't think that way. I believe they can and have been paying attention to that kind of thing for years. It's kind of like going by the "signs". Nature has her own way of letting us know before something happens. But you have to watch the signs to be able to tell it. Like clouds for instance...if you see rooster combs and mares tails in the sky at evening, then it will be raining the next evening! Works most of the time too. There are a lot of signs like that the hubby knows and I try to learn them. I watch the woolly worms for signs on winter too. Stuff like that fascinates me. Guess they would call me a naturalist back in the world? I know they do the hubby. He was just so happy to see the tracking class that was presented. Hubby is good at tracking different animals. And he does know some of the ones out west here from having lived in Denver a couple of years and hunting out and around there too. He didn't care for the fishing though. He hates trout LOL... And I have picked up a few of the tracking signs too like the cats, deer, coon, etc... I don't know some of the ones out here though like the mountain lions. I would probably just see it as a bigger cat sign or track than what I am used to (bob cats, etc...) and steer clear! Well guess I had better sign off. I want to do a little reading out of the Good Book before turning out the lights for the night. Got a long day ahead of us and it's getting harder to get along. I think we are climbing in elevation now as the breathing gets a little rough at times. But I'm sure we will just be fine once we get used to the thinner air around these parts. Night all and God Bless... Q and Mr. Q