Mother

Thanks for the tip Leah. Good one to know. For those who are interested in watching Oats be cut and shocked, here's a good video. I've heled do this several times in the past and the only thing I can see that I would do different is the guy cutting is doing more work than he needs to. He could be sweeping the scythe back and forth. I prefer a scythe with a cradle as it puts the grains down straight and makes it easier to bundle. They also don't show that the blade should be wetted (sharpened) often to keep it sharp or the job is really tough. Wheat and other grains are harvested mostly the same way. I've seen shocks like that only with another bundle laid across on top to help shed water as the grain matures. http://minktoast.net/2009/08/26/harvesting...-cork-csa-oats/

I just wanted to mention that some of us are still haveing to deal with various things.... Stay tuned though, I believe there's more coming soon. Just picture us doing all that sweaty haying, and weeding and canning and dehydrating and picking berries and etc etc.....

Aboard DayLily.... It will be just fine for you to join us in the valley when the wagon train comes in. It is my understanding that the wagon train will have already left the Ranch so you are ON YOU WAY. You don't have to write about the trip if you don't feel like it. We are waiting for Mt_Rider to post that the wagon train is at the valley and then we will make sure there are wagons there to help everyone in. After that you will be able to post YOUR version of how we got you in, where you went (to the lodge first, etc) and etc. Then you can just post as you can about what you are doing. Post your list either here or perhaps even in the preparing thread if you like where the rest of the lists are posted. Either is fine. I suspect that you have a couple of weeks "In Real Life" before MtR will have the train reach the valley. That gives you a bit of time to figure out a few things...First of course your list. You get one wagon furnished for a family of four which will not be coming down into the valley. It is the same with the teams except that I'm not sure if the teams will be going back to the ranch again or staying in the valley. You may, however, if you can afford it and find them, buy your own wagon or even an extra wagon and teams and we WILL help you get them into the valley just like our wagons came in. Riding horses and livestock will be up to you to bring along. Because this is a late train you are coming in with, you most likely got to the ranch by vehicle, probably in a caravan for safety, or even flying in but you would have had what you could bring along that way or had shipped to the ranch ahead of time and it would have been transferred to a wagon at the ranch for the wilderness journey. It's up to you to decided how you got there as that is your story. If you DID provide your own or an extra wagon and team, you would have to figure out how you got them to the ranch and from where. All part of the exercise and part of the fun too. LOL You may have been able to bring in fruit trees and etc. but at this time of year they would not have been dormant and they wouldn't give you any fruit this year at any rate. You might have had other vegetable plants though, just remember, you only have at that the most three months to grow anything before winter hits us in the valley. Some plants like cole crops would be hardier for fall compared to tomatoes etc unless you have a greenhouse and a way to heat it. I guess what I'm saying is be aware of your limitations this late in the year and plan accordingly for it. Mr. Smith has a small orchard behind the lodge and is willing to share it's fruit with those in the valley. Remember though, there are going to be a lot of us after this last train so we aren't sure how far it will stretch. There are, however, still blackberries and various and sundry other wild fruits available in the valley. Some wild apple trees, at least crab apples type anyway, and a host of other fruits and wild foods mentioned here and there througout the thread. (Mosstly using what would be indigenous to Glacier National Park area with a twist of Zone 5 added in which gives us a bit of leeway) If you are ambitious you will be able to gather and process a lot of that to help see you through. I really am glad to have you join us Daylily. Hopefully it will encourage others to try their had at it too. If you need any help don't hesitate to pm me. Hey, Leah, haven't you learned to handle those big kids yet???

Wednesday July 21 Well, C, L, and family are moved. Neither the camper wagon nor the conestogas would fit through the waterfall cave as it isn’t opened up enough yet so they were loaded and sent down the river to cross at Cleft in the Rocks. Everything else was moved across on the low cart that the sleigh came on and in the sleigh. We didn’t have to move everything at once but it just seemed better, while we had the good weather, to get it all over there. We will be bringing the milk animals over when they are set up to care for the milk and the pigs and poultry will be going over as soon as they get an area for them. Thanks to some prior planning almost everything went well. Mom and I stayed behind and directed traffic from this end and L’s mom did the same at the other end. I don’t imagine it was an easy task over there with six areas and the storage cave to place items into. Lunch was just sandwiches with fresh veggies and dip. It had been put into two big totes and set in the spring room. We thought about putting it in the waterfall cave as it was much colder there but the area was not totally closed in yet for security. It turned out that most of the family was across the river at lunchtime so we sent it over on the second sleigh load. We had spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread planned for supper and once Mom and I had the greens fixed, the bread sliced and buttered ready to toast, and the spaghetti in the oven to keep warm we took a walk over to see how things were going. I had gotten used of being in the cave behind the waterfalls but I couldn’t help notice how noisy it was walking through. The family had gotten a lot of the big boulders rolled either to the back to form a wall there or to the front to form a sort of safety wall behind the falls but it would still be easy for someone to fall over if they were too close. We’d warned the kids repeatedly but still would not allow any of them to be on their own in the passage. I wondered how the horses had pulled the sleigh and cart across with out spooking. I could see that eventually we’d be able to get the bigger wagons across too but it was going to take more work and there was already enough to do. I was amazed at the work that had been done on the homestead since I’d last been across. The roof was all on and the window openings were all fitted with screens and Plexiglas but some still needed shutters. The cook stove was installed in the kitchen but the fireplace there was still not built. The other wood stoves were in place but had no chimneys yet. There wasn’t much for furniture because, like our family, C and L’s family had decided to forego it in place of more supplies knowing they could build most of what they needed. The areas had built-in bunks below for the adults and the children would be sleeping on the floor in the lofts. Some of the unpacked boxes would be used for seating until they were emptied but mostly, like us, they were using lawn chairs they’d used on the trail. I like the way they set up the kitchen. It’s obvious that someone had been watching carefully at the Hobbit Hole and had implemented some of the step saving techniques we have here and a few more. The cook stove is only a few steps from where the fireplace will be and there are shelving pegs already in the wall beside it to eventually hold shelves, floor to ceiling. There is a solar chimney built almost directly over the stove, not only to take away some of the heat in the summer but also to give natural light in the day time on the stove just like ours does. It would also most likely work to pull heat from the other areas if the doors were left open between them. A worktable was standing near the stove and I could see where eventually a dry sink of sorts might be built across the room from the cooking area. The whole cooking area sat at the back of the room and that left a large area for eating and relaxing yet still be out of the path of the outside door. I daydreamed a bit about our own eventual kitchen but not for long as it was time to get back and start chores before everyone came back for supper. The wagons were just heading back down river for the crossing when Mom, Karen, and I left on foot. It took us about fifteen minutes to walk the distance but it had gotten so hot and muggy that I was almost ‘glowing’ when we got back, a Victorian term for sweating mightily. It was even hotter in the kitchen with the stove still hot and I almost hated to stoke it back up again. I did though as we’d decided to stick in a cobbler to make the meal special. While Mom was making the cobbler, Karen and I went out to start the chores. She is getting really good at milking and seems eager to learn whatever she can about the animals. She is getting better at using sign but is still a bit shy about trying to get our attention when we aren’t looking at her. We headed first to the pasture to check on the animals there and found one of the fence wires down and several of the animals outside the fence, the dogs patiently keeping guard. We got the wire back up and managed with the help of the dogs to get all the animals back inside and accounted for but I couldn’t help but to think about how easily they got out in the short time we’d been gone. They could have probably gotten out back home too but there they would only be preyed upon by well fed coyotes, here it would be hungry wolves. Not to mention that they could roam for miles here without being seen by anyone. We will be moving them to fresh grass tomorrow so that should keep them content for a while. The current pasture really is taken too far down. With this latest heat, if it doesn’t rain, I’m concerned the grass will die. I stopped to check the pigs and give them a bit of grain. Just in the three weeks they’d been all together they’d managed to ‘pigorate’ the whole area we’d put them in. We’ll be moving them as well but not planting the area until spring for safety sake. The earlier pig areas will be planted soon to winter crops. With a heavy mulch they should be fine. I have been babying some seedlings in the greenhouse since they got it closed in and they have grown terrifically in there with all that sun. It’s been hard to keep them watered but I believe my work will pay off in cabbage, kale, chard, and dozens of other fall crops. I noticed the flax was doing really well and I looked forward to a big crop. Once it was cut we would be able to sew winter wheat into the stubble. That would ensure a good snow cover to keep the ground from freezing too hard. That is probably going to be the only way we’ll get a winter crop here. Karen and I were just finishing up the milking when we heard the wagons coming up the road. The rest would probably be here soon and I sent Karen in with the milk and to help Mom with supper while I went to feed the poultry and gather eggs. The others would take care of the larger animals. I was glad that we had the stream running through the pastures now as that meant we didn’t have to take the animals to the pond but there was still the bull to handle and though we had an ‘understanding’ I’m not sure he understood the same things I did. Supper was something of a short celebration. Everyone was tired and no one wanted to be traveling back across the river after dark even if they were in the sleigh which we encouraged them to use tonight. We’d had them leave one of the Conestoga’s at the homestead for their use and they’d have the small cart as well. I thought L and her cousin both looked worn out tonight but they both said they were doing fine. I believe they were looking forward to sleeping in their own homes again even if those homes were small. It was quiet tonight. Anna and YGS played a couple of games of checkers but the rest of us mostly just sat and made plans. Some of C’s family will be coming tomorrow to help move animals and help in the fields. Some of us will be weeding but the others will be cutting hay again. I spent the rest of the evening working on the loom. DGD and SO worked on the other loom and the spinning wheel while DD taught Karen how to Tat. The guys were working on the plans for bringing water from the fresh springs to the kitchen and maybe hot water from the hot springs as well. Just the thought of hot and cold running water to the kitchen brings a smile.

I'm really sorry you couldn't join us earlier Daylily but there IS one more wagon train coming in soon. You COULD be on that one if you'd like. I noticed that you are new to Mrs. S so you might not know that I, too, have so many allergies that it makes my head spin,,,welll actually literally sometimes. I also have a lot of other health issues. I have chosen to down play them in this thread so that I could focus on more of the general lifestyle of living in the wilderness in order to help others. I did addressed some of my health issues in Illinois Story (Fireside Forum) though and I have been preparing for years with my allergies and health issues in mind. Mt_Rider has MS; MT3B has a hearing loss; and Quilty has health problems as well. They have all chosen to share with us the issues they would have to face in the wilderness. It is one way we can 'write/think' through our situations. Why not join us and share your triumphs and troubles with your issues. What DID you bring along? How DO you handle life in this situation if you were suddenly,,,,,You choose the reason and the how,,,,thrown into our valley at the end of July with very little time to get prepared for a probable harsh winter, given your family's health problems. You can still get a fall garden in. What would you plant and would you be able to bring seedlings along to speed it along? Would you want to live in the 'country' or in the 'settlement' and if so, why and what will you be doing there, what would you be building to live in or would you find a place with a cave like some of us, perhaps be a family member of one of the 'B's' group? You don't have to be a great writer. Just change your reality, put yourself into a wagon with all you choose to bring along and give us a first person view of what it's like for you from that point on. Don't worry, someone will help you bring your things down "Mother's Little Hill" at that pass and get you to where you want to be. Now, if you feel that's asking too much, why not at least make a list of what you WOULD bring and post it here in the comments section. That might help me and many others in a similar situation to better cope with some of the same issues. I'm glad you have enjoyed the thread. I keep hoping that none of the readers, or the writers for that matter, are becoming bored with the day to day grind we are starting to face. It WOULD be that way in real life and it's a way to work through thoughts and ideas as we go along. We are grateful to have CeeGee back with us and we would welcome another 'survivalist' in our mists. (((((Daylily))))) Anyone else out there? I understand this will be the last wagon train coming in. If you would like to join us,,, get your story straight,(or even slanted ),, and line your wagon (or one of the Rocks') with the one in front and head for the valley. You should be here in a couple of weeks....and if you want, you could start with life on the trail so that you'd be able to work through some of that like we did. Just remember, you will be coming with MtR's family and some orphans and other famlies and will be following the same trail we took. Mr. Hughes will be your wagon master. MT3B's sons, N and P, will be there to help get you through so if you DO decide to write about your life on the trail,,,, don't be surprised if MT3B "writes" you into their story just to give you something to react to. Thanks for the continuing words of encouragement, everyone.

Yesterday was lost in a blur of activity starting with three baby Nigerians born in the night, Sunday night, to the last of our original does, 1 doe, 2 bucks. Then we were up before dawn yesterday because one of C’s cows, one of the multi colored ones, calved in the night and the blood brought the wolves to the edge of the clearing spooking everything in the pasture. They are getting braver and it’s not even winter. They probably have young ones to feed. Thanks to the dogs they wouldn’t come out in the open and scattered with a few shots directed at them. It was quite a job to get the animals settled though. Almost everyone worked across the river yesterday trying to finish the fencing over there so we can move some of the animals across. Despite tying all the easily handled animals out on the surrounding grass and brush each day, our pastures badly needs to be rested. Today was spent sorting livestock and getting the larger animals and those who were not close to having babies moved over the river. We should have just herded them down river, crossed them at the Cleft in the Rock and than back up but that was such a long trek that we knew it would take us all day and we didn’t want to take a chance of them getting into a garden or field there. It wasn’t easy but once we had a few of them going into the cave behind the falls the others mostly followed. It helped that some of them were ours and had been in the cave before but some of those cows were downright ornery and sheep,,, well what can I say they are SO dumb. Our bull, two rams, the miniature/exotic animals, all the animals with babies and any that looked close to birthing, and the milk animals were all kept at the Hobbit Hole for now. C and L’s and family will be moving across tomorrow even though there is still work to be done on the ‘long house’. L’s brothers and SIL’s and Ben and Matt have already moved across. Some of the milk animals will go over after they have gotten settled. Karen and Anna have decided to stay with us. Anna was disappointed at first as she is friends with B but Karen held firm on this, convincing her sister that she would be seeing the rest of the kids almost daily anyway and they would have their own room here and not infringing on someone’s privacy. Karen has insisted that she will help out wherever she is needed most during the day but we have all decided that we will not allow her to do more than her fair share just because she feels a sense of obligation to us for taking them in. We are all in this together and will all share according to our ability. We have decided, when we start school with the kids, some subjects will be taught here, others across the river on alternate days. L is not happy about the kids not gong to a regular school but understands that it is too far for the kids to go to the settlement to attend something there. I suggested that we check with MtR about their kids to see what their schooling plans are. They are a lot closer to the settlement so they might be planning to have them attend there but if not, perhaps we can occasionally have sessions together, at least until winter. We spent today trying to figure out what food to send across the river, and what to keep here. We finally just set it at half and half for most items except for the baking supplies, as we’ll be doing a lot of that here. If they run out they come for more. We took stock of the salt we had on hand. With what we had left and what C brought with them and the five pounds per family we got with the mules we figure that we will be okay at least through the winter. If the fifty pounds I ordered comes with the wagons bringing MtR’s family we will be good for longer but I am not expecting it. One thing that will help is that C and his BIL found a salt lick above their property. It hasn’t been used for a while but he says it looks like it has been used for years by the wildlife, probably in the spring and early summer. We should be able to drive the livestock up there periodically so they can get the salt and save on ours. If there’s one here, there are probably others in the valley but we’re still going to need a source of edible salt for us and I fear that will have to come from ‘outside’. It’s one of the issues I plan to bring up at our next council meeting. I was so grateful to see material had come in on the mules for the use of the orphans. On Sunday, Karen and I chose some we thought would work for winter as we’d managed to clothe them and Matt and Ben with summer clothes already. I also chose some that we could make underclothing for them as well. Ben and Matt will be growing fast and we’re going to have trouble keeping up with them. I’m glad we will be having a clothing exchange at the Lodge. It will help us all to clothe our families with less work. Still, wilderness work is hard on clothing and if our family is any indication, we’re all going to have to be more cautious with it if we want it to last. We’re also going to have to replace some of it with skins and homespun soon if we want to augment what comes in from outside. That is, IF anything does come in. Well, it’s late and I need to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day with all the moving. It’s sure going to seem quiet around here tomorrow night.

Welcome back MtR. We have missed you. Great posts too. It's nice to get caught up on your family.

It rained in the night and was still raining early this morning and I thought we would have to cancel our trip to the Lodge but DH had the guys help him put the surrey type top on the sleigh and said we would be fine. It was an ingenious affair that had a metal frame that set down in brackets around the outside of the box. The top was a heavy canvas that really did have a fringe around the edge but it also had heavy-duty clear plastic curtains that could hang down all the way round and snap into place to close the whole box of the sleigh in. It was too stuffy to have them on today but we folded it up under the front seat just in case as it was still threatening rain. I could tell that Karen was nervous but I just squeezed her hand to let her know it was okay. I had her keep an eye out for various herbs and plants that we might gather on the way back and that seemed to occupy her mind. We arrived in plenty of time to visit the library first and pick out books but I soon left Karen there with the promise I would be back to get her before the service and then went to find the women with the yarn for us. I was amazed at the amount of yarn they had been able to produce in a short time, certainly a lot more than wed be able to turn out on our wheel. They were pleased with the haunch of deer and the prairie chickens I had brought in with me. I didnt want to bring too much at a time to them for fear it would not keep in the heat. At least I knew they could dehydrate the deer if they wanted though I had to explain to them how to do it. They had been experimenting with various fibers and I was pleased with the mixture of Nettle and wool that turned out a bit like the flax mixture Id seen in the past. Last week I had brought some of the hair we brushed from the Saint Barnyards and they had that spun as well. It was a bit coarse but looked like it was sturdy and, if I worked it up tight enough, fairly waterproof. I couldnt wait to get started on several projects I had in mind. I met DH coming back from talking with the guys about the barrels and he said wed need to bring the bigger wagon in later this week or next Sunday to pick up at least one of the barrels hed ordered. I would have liked to see where they were making them but it was almost time for the service and I wanted to make sure that Chef didnt need help in the kitchen before lunch. I found Chef in the greenhouse choosing some herbs for a salad hed put together. I awed at the amount of plants he had in there. I knew that Id have to get mine going soon as well or we wouldnt have edible plants big enough to be usable come winter. We were still playing around with the venting on ours and I was interested to see that Chef had installed an automatic but non-electric thermostatically controlled vent in his. When I drooled over it and asked where hed gotten it he smiled and said it had been ordered a year ago and by the good graces of God had been at the ranch when hed gone back. It works with special waxes that expand when heated moving a cylinder that pushes open the vent. When the wax cools it contracts and the weight of the vent and a SS spring closes the vent. When I went back to the Library I almost missed seeing Karen. She was curled in a chair in a corner, supposedly reading but I could see her relief that Id come for her. She had a large stack of books, some Id chosen earlier and some shed chosen for herself and for others. We took them to the sleigh before going to find a seat near DH. As always, it was good to be among friends and to hear an uplifting message. There wasnt as many in attendance today as last week but then that was partly because our large crowd was missing and so was MT3Bs. I was overjoyed to see her there though and made a point of giving her a large hug. She seems tired but then I bet I do too. We all are working against time trying to get as much done as we can. The message today reminded me that we really are Gods creations and we need to remember that His love and faithfulness does last forever. He will not let us fail here. I believe that others got the message as well because the songs of praise were heartfelt and full of joy. I was still hearing the songs in my mind as we went to lunch. When the messenger had brought us our packet of letters from the mule train there had been one from Lois and I took time to read it to the group. It was so wonderful to hear from those we all loved and worried about. Im tucking Loiss letter in here to keep it safe with Leahs. Dear Mother, We are doing okay up on our Mountain with family and friends all around. Some great farmers around here. We also have the fields to raise the grains for man and beast, as well as the tools to do it. We are fortunate that so many of the farms have been here for many years, and kept most of the old farming implements. Dinners are usually for a large group so when cleaning a large batch of dandelion greens for cooking we wash them in my wringer washing machine. Daughters business is doing laundry. Our gardens are doing quite well. Berries are plentiful, fortunately the quince bush is doing well, so we wont miss the lemons for canning. We have enjoyed beet greens and the spinach and Swiss chard. Lois I gave CeeGee her comfrey roots before we left and she assured me that if we ran into trouble with the births we could send someone for help. I told her that when they got further with their stack wood home we were going to come to see it. Wed have gone today but it was already starting to thunder and we hurriedly got our packages and said a quick good bye and crawled into the sleigh. We were only just on the road outside of the settlement when we decided to stop to put on the plastic curtains in case it did rain. They werent too difficult as they just snapped on but it didnt take long to realize that it was too hot with them closed and we opened the bottoms enough to get some air. We did manage to stop on the way home to gather a large supply of Bearberry or Kinnikinik leaves. Better known to some as Uva Ursi. The leaves are used short term for all manner of urinary tract infections and disorders. The leaves are a tobacco substitute and the fruit, when just ripe can be used in a lot of ways, even as a type of wine. Well have to go back later in the summer to gather some. The rain started just before we got back to the homestead and we found people coming from various directions to help us unload and unhitch. Karen and I made our way to the kitchen and found the women making pizzas. They were fast becoming a favorite Sunday night meal. Someone had the adobe oven heated for them and a big pot of beans ready to be put into the oven after supper. We gathered chairs and went to the greenhouse to eat, watching the rain stream down the glass in sheets and listening to the thunder roll. Its nice setting here listening to the conversation around me as I write. Someone mentioned that one of the Nigerian does was restless tonight so Ill have to check her in bit. L said she was feeling restless too and we all laughed but I could see she really was uncomfortable. If the goat isnt doing anything that needs my attention tonight Id like to work a while on the floor loom. Im anxious to see how smooth it is to use. It looks like DS and DH did a good job with it and with the wall loom. I have a piece already started on the upright wall loom. Its not as automatic as I hope the floor one will be but it gives me a lot of versatility with hand weaving. Well, guess I better check that goat before it gets too late.

It has been such a busy week that we had decided not to go into the lodge until tomorrow to pick up packages and even then not all of us will be going this time. C and L’s family hope to be able to move into the new ‘longhouse’ next week but it will depend on if they get the sod roof on the building. They have been working some long hours over there. Everyone has been here for chores but the bulk of the laundry, cooking, and clean up has fallen to just a few of us. Mostly L’s Mom, my Mom, the two expecting mothers and myself have been trying to keep up. And even then the mothers have been sticking the two toddlers in strollers and going over at least once a day to check on progress while Baby T takes a nap and us three matriarchs take a rest under a shade tree. Well, rest might not be exactly the word as we are usually working on vegetables either for supper or for dehydrating. I am so grateful for the amount of produce starting to come from the garden. These long hot days have made things grow well but it’s been hard to keep up with it all. Most of the produce is being dehydrated but the cucumbers are starting to come in strongly and we’re starting to pickle them. For now we are just making a dill crock, using one of the totes. It’s a pretty effective use of our salt. With the coolness in the spring room the brine is keeping well. Later in the year we’ll be making mixed pickles using cauliflower, broccoli, onion, peppers, and cukes. I’ve been using wild grape leaves in the bottom of the tote to help crisp the pickles. With a little garlic and mustard seed and of course dill, they are turning out great and will be even better after they have sat a couple of months. The problem is that we are using salt and vinegar which we aren’t sure we can replace. I know that there are a couple of old apple trees in the woods above the house and they look like they are fruiting. Even if they are not the greatest for fresh eating or drying we should be able to make vinegar from them. There is a small orchard at the Lodge though and Mr. S assures me that the fruit will be distributed to everyone that needs or wants it. We can use them for dehydrating if need be and use the wild ones for the juice for vinegar. Grinding the apples won’t be a problem but pressing them in quantity might be. I’m hoping we’ll be able to come up with a homemade press before they are ready, another thing to put on that growing list of things to do. We’ve been working at getting an inventory going so we can divide the supplies between the two homesteads. Once C and L’s family get moved they say they are going to attempt to cook for themselves except perhaps to come here once or twice a week to make bread and other baked goods. They are trying to set up their hot springs for laundry as we have here but have had more difficulty with the drainage than we have. I worry about how they will make out over there with two new babies and moms who have already pushed themselves pretty far. Those babies should be here soon. Both mothers are due the end of July. They joke about racing each other but I can see that even though this is not the first for either of them, they are a bit nervous with no hospital and probably not even a nurse in attendance. I wish we at least had a midwife here in the valley but I guess we’ll have to do with what we have. We’ve put together a couple of ‘birthing’ kits so we’ll be ready when the time comes. We are all feeling a lot of frustration with trying to juggle between getting a place ready for the new comers and keeping up with the necessities of securing food for the year but I can understand the new mom’s wanting a place of their own for those babies to get settled in to. It can’t be easy living in the soddy with all the kids underfoot and with crowded conditions. We really need to do something to ease the sanitation situation too. Our sawdust/compost toilets seem to be working for now but we don’t want to get into a situation where we have to remove the sewage before it’s had a chance to compost. I was out looking at the fruit in the orchard today. There are quite a few strawberries on our plants but they are not quite ready yet. It looks like we will be able to take some of the rhubarb by fall too. We could probably take it now but I tasted it and it’s pretty tart. If we wait it will need very little sugar if we mix it with other fruit. The Red Heritage raspberries are almost ready too. I’m amazed at them having fruit the first year but they are advertised as doing that. We should have a lot of them. I’d like to try my hand at making vinegar out of other fruit besides apples and the raspberries might be good for that. We won’t have domestic grapes before next year, likewise for some of the other bush fruits, but the wild grapes are plentiful and some of those grapes are bigger than I expected. Usually they are about pea sized but some of those around the hot springs are almost marble sized. They aren’t ready yet of course but later we should have lots of grape juice. There are so many things I need to be out gathering. Soon the mustard, peppergrass, and shepherd purse will be going to seed and I want to be sure to gather some. The wild mustard seed can be used just like domestic mustard seed and the other two make a great pepper substitute. I also want to look for wild ginger. I believe that Karen would go with me if she were free to go. She seems very interested in the plants and animals. DH and I and L’s parents had a talk with her last night. Well we talked and she wrote or signed. She’s starting to learn a few of the basic ones and it makes communication easier. She’s been working very hard across the river but we told her we wanted her to have a choice. Her and Anna could live there with L’s parents and use the loft for a bedroom or they could stay with us, using one of the rooms in the ‘bunk house’ or in one of the cave rooms if they preferred. We could see she was undecided and we told her to talk it over with Anna, that there was no need to decide right now. I have talked her into coming with us to the Lodge tomorrow. I sort of bribed her by saying that she needed to choose some books from the library for her and Anna to read. She really does love to read. It will only be Dh, Mom, Karen, and I going tomorrow. The rest will be working either at the Hobbit Hole or across the river. I felt they all needed a rest but they say they have too much to do. I feel the same way. I really should be staying home and getting more done but I have a special letter I’d like to read to everyone and I am hoping that the spinners have our yarn ready. We have more game to bring them. Dh also is going to be talking to the guys who make the barrels. He’d asked about getting some for the cider and etc. He wants to check on their progress. I also have some comfrey root for CeeGee to plant. She can use the root in her healing salves. Because her plant won’t be big enough to harvest before late fall I’m bringing her extra to use now. I’m hoping she will give me “credit” for the possible future need of medical help. With two babies coming you never know. Tomorrow will come early enough, I should get into bed but it’s so nice setting here under the tarp in the yard, feeling the cool breeze that smells like rain. It’s been hot and dry and if it doesn’t rain soon we’re going to have to divert the stream to irrigate trees and bushes or carry water to each. So far the fields are holding up okay but the trees and vines are looking stressed. Maybe we’ll be able to do that Monday.

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up. Real life has stepped in to interfere with some of the posting lately but bear with us and we'll try to get back up to speed. A few of the writers could use your prayers if you will be so kind. At least we have the mule train in, thanks to Q in MT_Rider's absence, and now we all have to get our packages from the lodge. It will be fun to see what came in them. They will only be what a mule could carry in it's packs but it should be intersting to see what we 'needed'. In the mean time, don't forget you can leave a comment or two. It's been kind of quiet in here.

Dear MT3B, We have been having the same problem here with trying to decide how much is enough wood for winter. Not only how much but where will we stack that amount so that it will be within reach during the possibly long winter storms without having to carry it a great distance in blizzard conditions. I’m pretty sure we’ll be facing that often and possibly early. One of the problems we’re dealing with is the fact that we not only have to cut standing dead wood for use now for cooking but also for this coming winter as green wood needs to be cured for at the least six to eight months before use and preferably a year. That means we would have to cut two winters worth of wood for heating and also a whole years cooking wood if it’s green. Of course, in real life it doesn’t work that way and we’re just trying to get ahead far enough to keep us in wood now and to have enough for the coming winter. All wood will burn but some wood will give more heat for the work. If we use our past winters as a guide we used approximately 6 cord of good hard wood to heat our relatively small but not all that well insulated home each year with our older wood furnace. If we were using soft or junk wood it took a whole lot more. As the valley has a relatively small percentage of hard wood it would be safe to say that most of our firewood will be evergreen, or of the softer wood variety. If it is dead and dry, that gives one a nice hot fire but doesn’t hold as well. We are hoping to have a variety before winter but will take what we can get. The other consideration is whether the wood is green or cured. All green wood smokes and gives off a lot less heat. It takes at the very least six months to cure green wood and even dead wood will need to be dried if it has been laying on the ground where it could pick up moisture. That means that not all wood we cut will be as usable now. Of course, that amount doesn’t include cooking and that adds another dimension as well as cords. That will depend on what you are using to cook with and again the type of wood. Pine will give one a quick hot fire to cook fast but it will burn out easily. We call that biscuit wood because biscuits take a quick hot fire but don’t take long to bake. Dry corncobs are a type of biscuit fuel. Hot quick fires work well in heating the adobe ovens though and those will hold the heat longer. To have a fire that holds it’s heat longer you need to add hard wood once the fire is going well. Hardwood is what makes the coals so useful for cooking in an open fire. The cook stove takes smaller pieces that add to the work as well. One thing I’ve learned over the years of heating and cooking with wood is that you never have enough. We are planning on having ten cord stacked here and ten across at our son’s homestead but if we can get fifteen or more at each place we will. It sounds like a terrific amount, and it is, but that wood could prove to be a lifesaver if we have an early winter and a late spring. We are zone five in this small pocket of a valley but around us is zones four and below. We could easily be hit with an early or a late storm just as we had in our zone five at home occasionally. And if we don’t need that much, we’ll have good cured, dry wood for cooking next summer or perhaps a start on the following year’s winter fuel. Somehow though, I doubt it will be too much. We’ve been trying to calculate what we use for cooking here and it is amazing the amount we go through daily. I’m sure the new adobe oven and cook area we’ve set up will be beneficial as well the hay box cooker and solar ones in saving us fuel but wood is really our main source of fuel yet. We are counting on Solar gain in the winter from the greenhouse as well as the insulating value of the caves to help save on the amount of wood we use. The use of the hot springs for heating the caves and thus the cabins in front will help too. I only wish we’d had room to bring along our passive solar collectors but we are hoping to fashion some out of Plexiglas and other items we’ve brought with us for that purpose. We just have not had the time to do so yet. A solar collector would concentrate the suns heat and force it by convection to another area, like inside the caves or into some sort of heat sink (storage) like rocks. The warm air moving through the rocks would heat them and the rocks would in turn give off their heat at night when the sun was gone. There will have to be a way to stop the heat loss back into the collector at night but that would be easily done with draft controls. I keep thinking of the pioneer and how some of the modern things we can do now would have amazed them. Lightweight but almost invincible plastic would have been almost astonishing to them but the ability to use it to harvest the heat from the sun would have been magic. Please take great care of yourself in these busy times. Know that I am praying for you and your family daily. ((((((MT3B))))) Mother

It was almost noon when a messenger rode up to the Hobbit Hole. I was outside working in the garden so sent one of the children to get a note I had written to MT3B. The messenger had several letters for us and told us that the mule train had arrived at the Lodge this morning. He said there were a few packages that he couldn’t bring with him waiting at the lodge for us too. He told us that one of the people with the mule train had come with him as far as MtR’s place to give them the good news that her family were all fine and would be coming to the valley as soon as the wagons got back and they could get them loaded. I could just imagine the joy and praise at Cleft in the Rocks today. I said a few prayers of thanksgiving myself when he also told us that Quiltys’ son Jerry was back safe and sound. Once he told us how serious the situation outside the valley was I was worried for Mt3b’s sons who had gone out with the empty wagons. I prayed they would be safe out there. I wished I could have taken time to write a bit more in that note to MT3B. I would have told her how much I was thinking about her and her family but the messenger didn’t want to stay long as he still had to stop at Annarchy and Big D’s place before heading across the river to AH. I didn’t even get a chance to read the mail the messenger brought but I’ll do that as soon as we have everything settled for the night and I have a few moments.

Today was spent working on a couple of special projects we’d been putting off but with the weather turning so hot we didn’t want to wait longer. When it had rained before the family found some leaks in the caves, a couple right over the ‘hall’ that leads from ‘room’ to ‘room’. When they did some investigating they found holes in the ‘roof’ and today they were making use of those holes. Each opening was cleared of dirt from above right down to the rocks underneath and a square log structure was built above them. One, right over the “hall” was big enough to make into a ‘doorway’ that could be used as an escape route with a ladder below. A couple of small ones were going to be used as chimneys for stoves for some of the rooms. Those would have stone and adobe surrounding them and the metal chimney’s would be pushed into them from below and sealed around. My favorites though were the two solar chimneys that would be used to pull hot air from the rooms in front of the cliff face causing a breeze to be drawn through. The solar chimneys were built of logs with a piece of clear Plexiglas set into the front of them. The structures would act as small solar collectors, heating by the sun shining through the front glass. Once heated, the hot air would escape through vents in the top, creating a draft that would pull air through them from below. One of these was almost right above the wood stove in the kitchen. It has been terribly hot in the kitchen with the long hours needed to prepare the food for so many and even raising the tarps on the side didn’t help. The chimney worked wonderfully with the exception that we’d have to keep the greenhouse closed off or it pulled heat from there into the kitchen. The second one of these was over the hall behind the barn area and once they got the solar chimney closed in and it started working it was amazing how it worked. By opening or closing doors or windows on the front of the caves it would start a suction that would pull air in from outside and vent the heat/damp from inside the cave and from the rooms in front of the caves. Again, we’d have to keep doors closed between areas we didn’t want vented, like the hot springs or the cold springs area but now we have a nice draft system that works with the power of the sun and maybe even with just the rising heat itself and we also have two escape routes from inside the caves. While most of the family was working above, several of us were working on an outside cooking area. The whole thing was built from stone and adobe and the steel plate we'd used on the trail. The structure looked a bit like a fireplace only with the sheet steel acting as the cook top and the opening was to the outside, away from where we stand. That would mean we’d have to feed the fire from the outside but it would be a lot cooler to stand nearby and cook. We built up two levels under the cook top for the fires so we could have more or less heat to the surface as we needed. Both fire ‘pits’ could be used for cooking directly in or over the fire or for grilling as well. The chimney for both fires was actually at the end towards the kitchen and was connected to a large adobe oven in such a way that we could either vent the smoke through the oven to use it for smoking meats or we could direct vent the smoke to the chimney without it going through the oven by flipping a metal flab forward or backwards with a lever. In turn, the oven, like the old-fashioned ‘bustle’ ovens, could have a fire built inside it and when the whole thing was hot, the ashes and coals would be raked out, and the door closed to make a heat holding oven. I’d used those types of ovens in the past and they were amazing in their baking power though it took some thought to use them. We had been able to make this one big enough for several shelves, made with rebar we’d brought along, and about three by five foot inside. We wanted it to be big enough to be a ‘community’ oven for both families most of the year if possible. Right after heating the oven would be very hot, though in this sized one it will most likely be hotter on the bottom shelf where the fire had been than the top one. We should be able to bake things like bread and biscuits first as the oven would be hottest then. After they come out we should still have enough heat to bake cookies or cakes or a roast or casserole. Later in the day, the oven might be used for a slow cooker throughout the night or if it’s too cool for that, to dehydrate foods. We had two solar ovens but hadn’t been using them as the stove was usually going anyway and they weren’t big enough to cook enough food for the crew we were feeding. Today, though, we dug them out of storage to use with smaller quantities of food. It was the same with the insulated cookers. They were big, but not big enough so today I worked on making a large hay-box cooker from a packing crate. I made it so our largest cast iron pot would fit in it by filling the outer area with dry grass and leaving only a depression big enough for the pot. We would be able to bring the contents to a boil for only a few minutes before putting the pot into the hay box and closing it up. The contents would stay hot just like in the insulated cookers and finish cooking. We'd have to keep an eye on it the first few times to make sure it kept the contents hot enough not to spoil and if it cooled then boil it for a few minutes again before sticking it back in. Tonight I worked on cutting an old quilt down to use above the pot for insulation under the lid on the box. It might not be as effective as the commercial ones with their Thinsulate material but I had used hay boxes before and know it will work. DH had been working on a dehydrating cabinet most of the day yesterday while the rest were across the river and I had him bring it to set near the kitchen. He’d used a couple of sheets of plywood, covering the slanted front with opaque Plexiglas we’d brought along. He still had to make the frames for the shelves so I could cover them with some of the nylon screen I’d brought but then it would be usable. The only problem we had was a way to waterproof the wood to make it last longer. I know that certain trees give off a resin that can be dissolved with alcohol and then used as a varnish and I'll have to look into that. All this was set up under the overhang to the south side of the kitchen and already I was contemplating how we could screen it in or at least give it more shade. When the cabin is built it will be part of, but separate from, the kitchen so we can still at least bake outside all year long. It would be nice if we could close it in during the winter but open it during the summer. Maybe some day. Tomorrow, we’ll be back to work in fields and across the river. C and L’s family should be ready to move across in a week or two at the most. I’m looking forward to trying out the new oven but as some of the adobe is new, we’ll have to let it dry good and then start with a small fire to cure it first. We’ve already tried the fireplace part to see how the smoke moved and it was okay but we think it could use a taller chimney to get the smoke up above the ledge so that a wind doesn't blow it into the cooking area. With the oven and chimney being near the kitchen we might be able to build a stone chimney all the way up and somehow connect the cook stove on the inside. That way we'd save pipe. All in all, it was a really productive day. Things are becoming more convenient and more comfortable and more homelike each day.

Congratulations to the new parents YEAH!!!. And prayers for MIL. We understand busy. We'll be looking forward to your post. (((((Annarchy))))))

We had a small problem with Karen and Anna early this morning. Almost the whole family was going to be working on the homestead across the river today but Karen had just indicated that she would stay and help me do laundry as she had some laundry also. The milking was the last of the chores and the others were already eating breakfast so they could get an early start and Anna had come in fussing about Karen not being ready to go. Karen shook her head at Anna and indicated washing clothes with her hands. She pointed to Anna and made the motion again and I know that Anna understood that Karen was telling her she was going to stay here and do laundry as well but Anna said well then she would just get ready to go. Karen took Anna’s arm as she started to turn away and shook her head at her, telling her no and Anna got mad. She went on about how Karen wasn’t her mother and couldn’t tell her what to do and that no one could tell her what to do and started to leave the barn. Karen looked at me but I remembered what CeeGee had said and quietly told Karen that she would have to decide how she wanted to handle this. Karen stood up and started after Anna but the younger girl had already been stopped at the door by running into DH. When he asked where the fire was Anna started trying to enlist his help in saying she could go but bless his heart, he took a second to look over at me and I just nodded towards Karen. I’d already told him what CeeGee had said. He put his hand out to stop Anna’s tirade and when she quieted he told her in a tone that brooked no nonsense that Karen was the head of their family now and if Karen said no then that was it. She would NOT go. At first Anna just stared at him, then she looked at me but I only agreed with DH, and then she turned and ran out of the barn. I told Karen to go make sure she didn’t do anything stupid but not to give into her or she’d have no end of troubles. I told her that if she had trouble with Anna and needed reinforcements to let us know. She was pulling her notepad and pencil out of a pocket as she ran from the barn. As I went back to milking DH said he’d go make himself available if needed but he was chuckling when he left the barn. It was the first time we’d seen Karen take charge like that and we both felt it was a good sign as long as she didn’t get overly protective of Anna. The fact that she’d let her go with us on Sunday showed she probably wouldn’t. She just wanted Anna to learn responsibility for helping to take care of their things. I thought about Karen needing that notebook even in a crisis like this and I knew that Karen couldn’t help the loss of her voice. I thought of the possibilities that she may have hurt her voice screaming or perhaps trying NOT to scream, or maybe someone had choked her to the point of injuring her voice box. She always seemed to have a scarf around her neck or to have a high collar until just recently when it got too hot but I’d seen no bruises. She seemed so frustrated sometimes, like today, when she wanted to speak but didn’t try. I made up my mind to find a time to talk with her if she would agree. If indeed she could not speak then we needed to teach her sign language so she could communicate without her notebook. Several of us in the family, including YGS knew at least the rudimentary signs and we could easily all learn more, Anna included. I don’t know how Karen managed it but Anna did stay home and she did help with the laundry though her anger was very obvious in all she did. L’s Mom, my Mom, Karen, Anna and I started the laundry right after we had the kitchen cleaned and the milk cared for. The family had taken sandwiches with them for lunch so we didn’t expect them back but about 11:30 we heard voices and went to investigate. We’d been in the hot springs cave where we had the tubs all set but as we stepped across the small bridge and around the curve of the cliff we could see several of the kids and a couple of adults coming towards us in a hurry. We met half way across the clearing and I could see that Mathew was holding his hand all wrapped in a handkerchief and I could see blood seeping through. I sent someone to get the med kit from the pantry and took him into the kitchen, setting him at the table. Everyone crowded around and I could see everyone was upset. I finally determined that they had tried to stop the bleeding with pressure and it would stop but then start again. When I unwrapped his hand I saw that it was the tip of his little finger and he’d taken just the very end off, obviously, from what everyone was saying, with a knife he’d been using to cut bread. His eyes were as big as saucers and I could see the sweat on his face and knew he was starting to be a bit shocky and the finger was still bleeding. When the med kit came I gave him a bit of Bach Rescue Remedy. I’d have to find something different to use when I ran out of it but I had brought a large supply along. I had blood stop powder too but I really wanted to make sure that wound was clean and it wasn’t bleeding enough to endanger his life so I had him put the hand in a basin of soapy water. It hurt him at first but he was pretty brave and just kept it there, swishing it around and watching the water turn reddish while I joked with him about what the bread looked like and was anyone trying to eat it for lunch. When I felt the wound had been cleaned well enough I gently dried it with sterile gauze. We couldn’t afford an infection at this point. I tried the blood stop powder from my kit first and it seemed to stop the bleeding but if he moved the finger it would start again. I finally pulled out some herbs and came up with horsetail powder and after warning him that it was going to sting and waiting for him to tell me to go ahead, I sprinkled it on. It hurt for a few minutes but it stopped the bleeding, as I knew it would. It was also antiseptic and healing and I knew it would soon have the pain abating. If that hadn’t worked I would have tried sugar but that tends to take longer. I could also have tried the skin from the inside of a fresh eggshell and as last resort a spider web. There was little else we could do for the wound except to carefully wrap it with a finger guard so he didn’t bump it and start it bleeding again. It was not a wound that would hamper him later in life as it was just the bare tip but he would probably have a scar there. It was going to be painful for a while but we had aspirin and other painkillers to help with that, at least for now yet. But the whole episode was a serious reminder that we all needed to be careful. At least Anna had lost her pique and when B decided to stay with Anna so they could entertain Matt and keep his mind off the wound she seemed to be back to her usual easy going self. I saw her go to Karen though and ask if it was okay if she stayed with Matt and B instead of finishing the laundry. I could see Karen was undecided so I suggested that Anna and B both help hang up the last of the wet clothes and then help to get some lunch for Matt and those of us left at the homestead while the rest of us cleaned up the wash area. I worked in the garden this afternoon so I could keep an eye on Matt who was setting with the girls under a tree trying to play Chinese checkers but he seemed to be doing fine. By the time the rest of the family was home he was acting as if he wished everyone would forget his carelessness. He even went to do his part of the chores as best he could. He was way too old for his years and I had the thought that perhaps he was a bit like Karen, he felt he needed to be head of the family with his brother. I had a chance to talk with Karen tonight when we were doing the milking together. I simply asked her if she would like to learn some sign language to make it easier for her to communicate with us. She hung her head at first and didn’t look at me. I explained that YGS had had some speech difficulties when he was younger and we’d all learned simple signs so his attempts at communication weren’t so frustrating for him and that we’d all be glad to learn more to help her until she was able to talk again. I told her I had brought a book along on signing because I felt it might be good for us to refresh our memories in case we ever needed to communicate without sound in a dangerous situation. I said that SF and MT3B would probably be glad to give us some pointers on it too. She pulled out her pad and wrote. “What if I never do talk again?” I hugged her and told her that it would be okay with us either way. Our loving her wasn’t dependent on her being able to speak. Then I asked her if she’d like to have one of the nurses look at her throat and she looked a bit scared. I asked if she’d like to talk about it and she shook her head no. I let it drop. I just simply hugged her again. So far I was the only one she’d let touch her.

Please forgive my posting about Leather Britches right after MT3B did. I wrote this yesterday for posting today. It seems we both had the same idea. They say great minds run in the same circle... Great Mind Mommato3boys This morning almost everyone, including the older kids, worked in the hay field turning the last cut hay. The hay that had been turned once on Saturday was dry today and they worked on that next to get it stacked. We opted to have the stacks along the road at the edge of the hay field to make it easier for us to move get it to the barn by the cliff for the smaller animals or to feed to the larger animals that would be wintered on the hay field. They used the small cart, throwing forkfuls of dry grass onto it from both sides until it was stacked full and then bringing it to the tee pee like structures to place it in bundles around them. It was probably dry enough to stack, or cock without the tripods but we wanted to make sure. They only had half the cut area stacked by lunch and instead of working on the homestead across the river the family decided to finish the hay. The clouds were threatening enough that we were afraid it would all get rained on. A hot wind had picked up mid morning and by late afternoon the rest of the cut hay was ready to stack too as long as we put it around one of the teepees to finish drying. Mom helped L and her cousin in the kitchen today but L’s mom and I went to the garden to pick the first of the fresh beans. We should have been working on laundry. The way the wind blew today it would have been done and probably nice and soft too. L had done some diapers this morning early and they were ready to take down already before noon. As this was our first picking of beans I thought it would be a light one, perhaps enough for a couple of meals but was amazed to find handfuls of perfect sized beans hanging under the leaves of the plants. We picked for almost two hours. The one thing about picking in the garden is that you have time to chat and to think. I thought about yesterday at the Lodge and how nice it was to see Quiltys and the others for that few minutes I got a chance to visit before they had to head home but it sure would be nice to have a nice long talk. Q’s new family sure are nice kids. They were so polite when they asked about setting in the sleigh. Next time I will be sure not to be occupied ahead of time and we will give them a ride. I almost can’t wait until winter so we can give sleigh rides in earnest. Almost is the key word here. It will come soon enough I’m sure. Supper tonight was a big roast with rice and green beans. Instead of a salad tonight we had fresh veggies from the garden. There were plenty of radishes, some small carrots, and a few small cucumbers and zucchini. The carrots and radishes were just washed and eaten plain but the Cukes and zukes were sliced and mixed with small onions and sour cream. With a little dried dill and a bit of vinegar, salt, and pepper it was very tasty. Everyone was so tired tonight but several people stayed after supper was cleared away to help process the beans. We formed an assembly line to first wash and then very lightly blanch the beans. The blanching wasn’t absolutely necessary but would help stop the enzymes that might otherwise affect the taste of the beans later in the winter. They were dried with towels and then pierced through at one end and strung almost like popcorn for a Christmas tree. I told the kids that the pioneer sometimes called them Leather Britches because they looked like pants on a clothesline when they were drying. In the past the strings were often hung from the rafters where it was usually warm and they would dry in a hurry. Often the beans would hang there all winter and taken off as needed but we would be pulling ours off when brittle and storing in sealed containers. We had five big buckets full of them from this one picking and were just over half done with stringing them on cords by ten and I finally had everyone help spread them on drying racks and stack them on the table to be taken to the screen house in the morning. If it rained I’d have someone bring in the rack that we’d made to hold the trays and we’d set them near the cook stove. Stringing them is more work but a much faster way to dry them and I would need the drying racks for berries before they were dry. I hoped we’d be able to start picking blackberries tomorrow but with the trays full of beans I wasn’t sure what to do with them. C and L had brought a lot of canning jars with them but not nearly enough for us to can everything we needed. We still had plenty of tent screening that we’d brought along to make drying trays out of but we hadn’t had a chance to work on the frames for them yet. I will get up early tomorrow and see if I can improvise from some of the limbs cut from the logs. All evening something had been niggling at the back of my mind as we worked. The screen house was working out great for a drying room but we had to take the trays in each night or risk some critters getting into them. It was a lot of work to carry them in, stack them on in the pantry at night and carry them back out the next day. We didn’t dare leave them in the kitchen as the tarps weren’t secure either and the few times we’d left food out accidentally we’d had raccoon in there. As I was going through the greenhouse the idea finally took hold. I stopped to look around in the dim light and realized that we needed something similar to dry food. Not the greenhouse of course. It would be too moist if it had beds planted but in the past we’d built a big cabinet with a slanted front covered with opaque Plexiglas. It had double back doors that opened and slots for dozens of trays. The whole thing was on wheels and could be moved easily from place to place yet it was covered from the rain and protected from critters. There were screened vents placed both low down and also up high that could be opened to draw air through the food or closed to keep the night damp air out. We had several sheets of plywood that had protected the Plexiglas on the floor of the wagons but we were saving those for emergency window covers just in case. I wonder though if they will hold up as well as something made from logs. I wouldn’t want pine. That would be too smelly for the food. I’ll have to ask if we have any hardwood trees that we could make boards out of or if perhaps someone can think of a way to seal the plywood so it holds up longer. Well I’m tired and everyone else has already gone to bed so I will stop writing and head that direction myself.

We left the lodge later than usual. We had waited for the messengers to return to the Lodge. Mr. Smith had sent them to the pass to see if there was any sight of the mule train that was supposed to be coming in to the valley with packages and whatever supplies could be found. But even when the young men had climbed to the top of a big overlook there was no sign of the mules or drivers. We knew from what the newcomers had said that the mule train would not be bringing in a huge supply, mostly just what wouldn’t fit in the wagons this time and what had come in after they left, but some people might have packages coming in yet. That is, if there was any mail service left out there. We would just have to wait. If we didn’t hear anything from the ranch in a couple of weeks Mr. Smith would send a few riders out to get the news. The ride home was quiet except for the noise of harness and saddles and the slow clopping sound of the horse’s hooves on the dirt road. The toddlers fell asleep almost as soon as we started moving and other than a few quiet conversations from the riders most of us were lost in our own thoughts. In my mind I was going over the conversation I’d had with CeeGee before we left. I’d gotten a chance to talk with her alone so that I could ask if she had any advise for handling the problem of Karen not speaking. Anna had told me that Karen was talking just fine when the men attacked but she said her sister hadn’t said a word since. Anna didn’t know for sure what had happened with Karen as she’d been locked in their cargo van in pain for what seemed to be two days before Karen had come to let her out without a word but with tears streaming down her face. When Anna had asked her about their parents she’d only shook her head. Anna knew they were dead but their bodies were nowhere around when she came out of the van. Karen had gotten one of the vehicles in their caravan running and had driven it until it ran out of gas. Then they’d taken what clothes they’d had with them and started walking at night and hiding during the day until a lady had found them hiding in a barn, eating raw eggs. After she convinced them that they were safe and fed them a hot meal she’d taken them to a hospital where Anna had her arm set and the cast put on. The Rocks had come to the hospital to get them but Anna didn’t know why or how they knew. Cee Gee explained that “not only has Karen made a tremendous sacrifice for her sibling, but now will feel great responsibility for her. Even if she knew any of the "adults" that she sees taking care of her sister she will see them as a threat until she is certain that they are safe. Make sure that she is involved in all decisions that concern her family. She most likely feels that in the absence of their parents, she is the head of HER family. And of course give her time, patience, and lots of love.” I had thought of some of that but not that Karen might see us as a threat. She did let Anna go with us today but not until after several people encouraged her to do so. She almost changed her mind and came but then couldn’t make herself do it. I was sure she didn’t feel she could handle the crowd. I will have to make an effort to put her more in charge of decisions for Anna even though I know that Anna feels she’s old enough to make her own. I was pleasantly surprised to find that L, her cousin, and Karen had supper ready when we got home. They had six big pizza ready for the oven and four already baked setting on the warming cupboard of the stove hot. They also had prepared a big salad with a rich creamy looking dressing. I could smell something sweet too and found cookies in the pantry. I told them that I guessed it was time we got them moved, they were ready to handle the kitchen duties by themselves. They really have come a long way in just a week. On top of that, DS, DH, and Karen had done all the chores except the milking and the family made short work of that and was soon digging into thick cheesy filled pizzas. I worried about the women doing too much but they assured me that Karen had done a lot of the heavier work. When L told me that she really did feel more energetic I wondered if that was just because she was getting more rest and good wholesome food or if that baby was going to come sooner than expected. I am glad this won’t be a first time for either of the women but I did put the medical personnel on alert just in case. I sure wish Q lived closer. After supper Dh took me into the greenhouse to see what I thought of the planting beds he and DS had built there. The whole front one was ready to fill. It was simply small logs smoothed on two sides to fit together tightly. It was L shaped along the front of the greenhouse with the short foot of the L against the sod wall of the living room area. The dirt would be up against the sod on the backside and we weren’t sure how this would work but would try it this year at least. I was afraid that weed roots would fill the beds but DH says we’ll start with some of the weed barrier we brought along between the dirt and the sod. That bed was about three foot wide and I wasn’t sure I could reach across it to work in it. I wouldn’t be alone in the work though so it would be fine. Down the center of the greenhouse there would be numerous beds built with their length from front to back. Each would be at least five foot wide but could be worked from either side or the ends. They would set not quite under the overhanging ledge and should get quite a bit of sunshine. There would be another bed built against the cabin wall once it was up but the back of the greenhouse, under the overhanging ledge, would only hold a potting table and supplies along with room to set and enjoy the sunshine for those of us who need it for arthritic joints in the winter. The greenhouse wasn’t as big as Chef’s but it was also only the first one. We hoped there would be enough plexi for two more greenhouses, one across the river and one to the north along our cliff, closer to the hot springs for warmth. It was shaded there now but the trees would be bare there during the winter, making it ideal for more permanent food crops, such as the two avocado trees that Chef has waiting for me. Bless him, I have no clue where he got the things but he knew how much I loved avocados. Of course, I might have to wait three years to get them but I can be patient. If I have to!

I just got done talking to Mt_Rider and she STILLLLLLLLL doesn't have her internet repaired. She IS working on it though . In the mean time, she will be writing another post and either trying to post it at a nearby library or sending it to me again to post for her. She says she really misses being able to read all our posts and will have a ton to catch up on. She's been looking for that Mule Train that's supposed to be coming in and if she "finds" it she's going to bring them in so we can get some MAIL!!!!!! I want to welcome CeeGee back. She's got some interesting people with her and I can't wait to see what she does with them. She's graciously allowed me to 'borrow' her in tonight's post. Thanks CeeGee! I've been asked for a 'cast of charactors' from the 'extras' and I'm going to try to work on that soon. I'll have a few of the main ones but a few of you have your own B's people you use and you can add them if you'd like. Writers,,,we seem to have some problem with the weather in the valley so I believe we'll work it this way. We do need rain for crops so go ahead and write your own weather in but keep it simple so that no one has to deal with a bad storm or ? If you live near a writer who has 'made' it rain but it does not fit in with your post please remember that we look like we are close on the map but in actuality we can be miles apart. Feel free to ignore the weather next door. The only time you will need to "react" to the weather is when MtR or I specifically TELL you that the valley is having a certain weather event, like the hail storm. You never know when "fate" will hit If anyone has questions. or needs some clarification on anything, don't hesitate to pm me or post them here and I'll try to help at least until MTR finds her voice. I know that some of our writers will be getting involved in spring work so be patient with them. We will be writing as we can, some daily, some not as often. We'll just see how well things go. Last, I want to thank Leah for her wonderful additon to the thread. It was fun to "hear" from another survival group. (I almost KEPT the chocolate ) Thanks for thinking of it Leah If there are others out there that would like to do the same and "send in" a letter, please pm me with them and I'll work them in where appropriate. We have the mule train coming soon (we have to get Quiltys Jerry back to her or she's going to start looking for that chocolate!!) and that would have 'mail'. We also have another wagon train coming in in a couple of weeks and it will carry mail too. After that we'll have to see about having a 'special' messenger occassionally perhaps. So if you want to join in the fun but don't want to jump in fully, perhaps you would like to write us a "letter" letting us know how your survival group is doing. Writers,,,, You ladies are super!!!!

Sunday Morning July 11 We arrived early at the Lodge but I’m pretty sure that we made quite a sight coming into the yard. The guys had managed to get the runners off the sleigh and put the wheels on and that’s what several of us were riding in today. Because it had the typical scrolled look of the classic sleigh it probably looked like it was skimming over green “snow” from a distance. The great crowd of horses and riders that trailed along and the fact that it was painted bright read had to make it even more conspicuous. I loved it though. We had hooked up one of the flashier Gypsy Vanner horses to it and it made almost as good of time as those riding. DS said there had been a canvas surrey top for it and a set of sleigh bells in one of the boxes but they hadn’t taken time to put them on. A second bench had been put in the back though and Mom and L’s mom and the toddlers, in car seats no less, were my passengers. The food was settled under the seats and we could smell the sweet savory smell of baked beans and fresh corn bread the whole way. Still, I got quite a few stares from those already in the yard that early. They all had good-natured smiles though and a few asked where Santa was. DH has a long almost white beard and he’d been teased more than once about being that jolly old man. I left the rest of the family to introduce the newcomers and bring the food and headed to the kitchen to visit with Chef and see what I could do to help before the services. I was stopped by Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones who asked me if I would mind meeting with them and MtR for a few minutes. We went into the small office and I found Chef there as well. I greeted him and MtR with warm hugs and then sat to listen. Mr. S explained that they wanted to set up a council for the valley but because of all the new comers they would prefer to work with MtR and myself who had already been appointed as liaisons and representatives for the Mrs. S group on the wagon train. He and Mr. Jones would represent the B’s and the Rocks and Chef was to be an impartial member who only voted if there was a tie. Perhaps, in a year, when we’ve all gotten to know each other better there would be elections to the position but for now he’s going to announce that if there are any questions of problems within the valley that each group bring them to one of their representatives and in turn we would bring it to the council. The council would only meet when there was a need but occasionally there would be meetings of the whole community to discuss issues concerning them all. It certainly wasn’t an ideal, ‘let’s elect our leaders’, US constitution type situation but after all, Mr. S and Mr. J owned the valley and I didn’t blame them for being cautious. We had willingly come on their terms originally and so far I couldn’t see that either of those men intended anything other than what they represented. It was no different than any other survival group. Someone has to take charge or it will fall apart as each goes their own way and that jeopardized the safety of the whole group. Their way of taking charge had been about as gentle and as hands off as it could be so far despite the fact they’d spent an enormous amount of money to provide this safe haven. I agreed on the condition that I reserved the right to see how fairly the system worked. A community is only as good as the individual’s respect for each other. The meeting ended with the decision that we would meet after the last wagon train came in. By then we’d have a more accurate picture of what was happening in the country and a count of the number of people we had in the valley. At that time we’d try to examine the prospects of survival for the winter to see if there was anything more that could be suggested. Chef and I walked together to the kitchen and found C and DGS and DD working there as if they’d done it together their whole lives, which in fact they had. I laughed when Chef, with the slightest of dissatisfaction in his tone, said that there was nothing left for him to do before lunch and then saw him light up when I said yes there was,,,, show me his greenhouse. The group had done a wonderful job of repairing the building and I could see that he already had the beds in and filled with soil. Some were already filled with plants, those he’d brought back with him this last trip and some from before. As we were talking about the plants, Chris, one of the new members of CeeGee’s group came in and Chef introduced him to me. It wasn’t long before we were having a lively discussion about medicinal plants. It seems that Chris is a pharmacist and is interested in what could be substituted for meds. He’s very knowledgeable about individual components in plants that were isolated to make so many of the meds. I can see we’re going to get along famously. The meeting was super today with so many people in attendance. The meal was nothing short of miraculous with so many people to feed. We had brought a lot more than just beans and cornbread and obviously so had everyone else. It was sort of like the parable of the Loaves and the Fishes. No matter how many people we feed here there’s always some left. I prayed that would stay with us the whole winter. I had asked for a chance to speak to the group and when it was my turn to talk I produced a letter that came with a small package wrapped in beaver fur and tied with twine. The note is written on the back of some wrapping paper. C brought it too me from the Rockin’ J. I read it to the group. Dear Mother and all from MrsS who are in the valley; - HippieDad and I have been stocking our 30 acre compound near the Washington coast. Having several years work put into it in case of needing to bug out here was helpful. We have moved there now, and many family and friends have come with us. We have houses (or at least shacks) for each group. They will be improved as we have time, energy, and materials. - Our mix of trades is good, however we didn't get a dentist. The kids wish we didn't have a schoolteacher! As you know we have several religions in our group - the first thing new that was built after we got here was a Buddhist Temple! Fortunately, we're known in the small town close by; otherwise a Buddhist Temple might cause some trouble with locals. A Scottish Buddhist monk who wears a kilt?! Add his tiny wife who can kick your hat off, Granny Clampett who can teach you a lot about food preserving and knife fighting, an old hippie who plays drums and can bake like nobody's business, a tall blond giant who knows all about trees, a young man who even in these times can make a computer work, a curly-haired woman that cleans like a whirlwind, a rather dour fellow who is good at carpentry and fence-mending... and it's a good thing we didn't just show up out of the blue! HippieDad goes to a Methodist church in town when he can and we deliver meals (now on bicycles pulling carts) to the elderly and bake them cookies; some of the younger generation have worked jobs there from time to time. We have every age from in the 80s right on down to a 4-month-pregnant woman (that's a little scary but we will cope). - Fields including hulless grain have been planted, animals doing well, the bounty from the sea is good. Bow-hunting lessons are part of the school curriculum. A few coyotes around, but the kids are running trap lines, and one of the couples knows how to tan hides. I understand they're edible too, we might try cooking one in barbecue sauce just to see. - Here's hoping all is well in your valley, knowing you it will all work out for the best... Love and blessings to all; Leah and HippieDad P.S. There was a package with this note ( I hope it made it) containing some seeds - hulless oats and wheat, Breadseed Poppy, Multi-hued Quinoa, Culinary Flax, Proso Millet, etc. and a leather pouch of leather working needles. At the very last second, I managed to fit in a bag with about 1 1/2 cups of baking cocoa. Can I pack, or what? I then gave the seeds to Chef to use for the whole community even if it only meant to propagate the seeds for next year. Some of those seeds would be impossible to get later. I gave the leather working needles to Mr. Smith to be put in the library for lending out occasionally. The cocoa was another story. No one asked but if they had, I would have told them that I gave it to Chef earlier to be secreted away for use at our community Christmas celebration, whenever that might be. By then, I was sure that any supply of chocolate or cocoa that anyone had would be way too precious to be used for anything less than a celebration. I watched as the people in front of me absorbed the knowledge that there were others out there who have gone to bay. Others whom we might be able to stay in contact with even if it is not often. I wonder how many were starting to think about alternative ways for us to communicate with other survival groups. What other survival groups ARE out there? Who are they? How can we know? Maybe we will hear from others. I hope so.

Dear MT3B, I was so happy to get a letter from you. I have been wondering how you were making out with your new family and with all the people you now have to worry about. I can understand that totally. Even if they are adults it doesn’t stop us from wanting to do what we can to care for them. Like us, it sounds like you are really gearing up for winter. You asked about the sour smell on the little girls hair. If you don’t already use it, rain water is often better for the hair. You can then try adding a vinegar rinse after washing as it will return the pH balance to normal and in turn would help the smell. It takes only about a fourth of a cup in a pint of water and just work it through the curls like a conditioner. You can rinse it again but expect a bit of a smell until the hair is dry and then it will be gone. I like to use herb vinegar for my hair. I use a handful of sage, nettle, and rosemary and steep it in a quart of vinegar in the sun for several days or a week and then strain and use it as needed. It keeps well and leaves the hair shiny, especially the nettle. I was thinking of you the other day as I used a bit of your wonderful honey for an unusual application and thought you might be interested. Honey, especially raw honey, makes a great facial for weather-roughened skin. You just gently smooth a small amount all over your face and then gently tap your fingers all over it until it gets really tacky or until you just can’t stand it any longer, then rinse it with tepid water and pat your face dry. I hate being sticky so I have to use it just before a shower so I can rinse it that way but it works really well. I also used some of the honeycomb to make a lotion by solar steeping oil or a fat with various herbs until the fat or oil has a nice rich smell. I especially like roses and strawberry leaf but lemon and mint are both great for lots of things too. I strain the oil and heat it with honeycomb until melted and then stir the mixture as it cools. The amount of wax determines the texture of the product. Less makes a lotion, more makes a salve or cream. If you make it thick enough you can use it as a lip salve or if you use medicinal herbs like chickweed or comfrey it can be used on cuts and bruises. The small amount of honey that is in the comb adds healing properties to the salve. Well, I see the messenger coming up the lane so better get this ready for him. Please take care of yourself as well as the others. ((((((MT3B)))))) Mother

Today has been a busy one but at least not as unorganized as some of our days. No new babies and no rain. By ten o’clock the family was out in the field turning the cut hay so it would dry more thoroughly and cutting more. This is good experience for when we will have to cut grain. It will build our backs for the work. I am continually amazed at the growth the garden makes. I’m assuming it is the solar gain we have at this altitude. We have been getting daily salads, radishes, and even some small beets and carrots as we thin them. We are still using wild greens but they are getting tougher and better for cooking as potherbs. Several of us took the older children back out to pick more raspberries. We were all a bit nervous after the bear sighting but we couldn’t allow our fears to stop us from gathering food for the winter. One person always acted as a spotter and we had the guns with us. We picked almost fifteen gallons before we turned our attention to gathering other things as well. We came back with nettles, and mallow, being careful to gather only the small leaves or tips to use as cooked greens though the mallow has a bit of a slimy taste and is best in soups. We were lucky enough to find some with ‘cheeses’ already forming. These are the green seedpods of the mallow. They make a great ‘snack’ and the kids had fun picking them to eat on the spot. The adults managed to actually pick some to bring back to add to a sort of gumbo we were planning for tonight. They are good, if tiny, substitutes for okra. Even the leaves can be substituted for their thickening ability. The nettles are the hardest to gather but with gloves and long sleeves it’s fairly easy. I love the tender tips cooked for greens but I gathered whole plants so I could dry some of the leaves for later use and then utilize the older leaves and stalks to make a fertilizer ‘sun’ tea to water plants with. We gathered the flower stalks of the Burdock plant to peel and add to the gumbo as they make a fairly good vegetable. We found some nice young wild mustard and picked enough to use and to dry and then gathered some of the wild onions from a patch I’d found earlier. Our own onions in the garden weren’t ready yet. When we got back from the woods we took all the children, the toddlers included, down into the area around the pasture to pick clover flowers. The flowers make a wonderful healthful tea and can even be ground when very dry to make a sweet/green tasting flour substitute or addition. I showed the kids how to pick one of the ‘petals’ and suck on it to get the nectar out of it and that might have been a mistake as we didn’t get as many flowers as I’d planned but we had fun doing it. Even little E and her cousin picked flowers but often it was a whole plant along with it. That’s okay; we’ll dry the leaves for use later as well. I showed the children the bees working among the flowers and explained that if they watched them closely enough they might be able to find their honey and if we asked really nicely they might ‘share’ it with us. I told them the bee’s homes were often in a big tree so they were definitely not to follow any of the bees into the woods but they could try to find the direction the bees were all going. It was fun watching the older kids get organized to watch on all four sides of the field, hoping to see a line of bees going back to the hive. They are really starting to get the idea of using their brains as much as their brawn. After we picked the flowers we took all the children over the river to check on the progress of the homestead there and I was amazed to see the start of what looked like a long house on the plateau in front of the cave openings. Instead of the usual 16 by 20 or so feet that are normal from the trees in the area, they had started a series of cabins all hooked together meaning that the outside wall of one was actually the dividing wall between cabins. They were using two cuts on each dividing log and that made every other room smaller by a foot or so but it was sturdy yet allowed them to build several cabins all at once and save logs. Each ‘cabin/room’ was set tightly against the cliff face and we were shown how each roof would be a different height to take advantage of small ledges along the face to act as overhangs to keep the roofs from leaking. I was fascinated when C showed us the naturally formed ‘chimney’ they’d found at one spot in the cliff face and how they would put a fireplace as well as the cook stove in that area and it would be the community kitchen. It would act as a great room for them all. It was interested how they’d come up with an idea to build all the cabins at once, not leaving anyone to wait or share a space. There were six ‘cabins’ all together, counting the great room. We hadn’t talked to Karen and Anna yet, but if they chose to live with C and the family they would be given the loft in L’s parents cabin. For now the whole structure was only a couple of logs high but it would have a roof slanting to the front with a loft in the highest section of each area for the kids to sleep in or for storage. Those lofts would all open into each other but could be curtained for privacy or left open for heat. The doors in the bottom areas, for going from one cabin to the other or to the great room, would all be at the back, under the lofts and the whole area could be closed in as a hallway if needed. Each cabin would have Plexiglas windows to the front with screens for comfort and shutters for safety. One drawback was the same as here. The slanted roofs would mean water running off the front into the ‘yards’ and there would have to be some sort of gutters put up to direct that water to rain barrels or away from the area. I really like the idea and we’ve decided we would adopt that method here before winter but for now we knew we had to get C and his family settled, preferably before those babies come. We have everything ready for going to the lodge tomorrow and will just have to load last minute food. I was not surprised to find that neither of our expectant Mom’s wanted to go, nor was I surprised that Karen wouldn’t go either. DS and DH will be staying home with them. We will be having an early start to our day to get chores and breakfast done and cleaned up before we go.

Friday July 9 (I believe) (This one is mine but as I wrote in a hurry I make excuses in advance for it's bloopers ) I’m not even sure I want to write about today. It started early with blatting coming from the barn and we all thought something had gotten into the animals there but it turned out to be another of the large white goats kidding. It was obvious that it was her first time and she was NOT happy about it. C stayed to help me with this one in case I had trouble with her but once she settled into her work she was okay. It did give C and I a chance to talk though. He told me that only a few of the pigs he brought were his but three of them were the family’s for taking in the orphans, a gift from Mr. Rock. He said that as far as they were concerned we’d just put them all together and share the meat or young later. He said that three of the sheep belonged to Anna and Karen and some of the poultry as well, a gift from Mrs. Rock so they would feel like they had something to contribute and have something of their own. I asked him about Karen and Anna and he told me what little he knew and then I asked if he had thought about where they were living. He told me that Mrs. Rock had asked him specifically if he thought his Mom would take them in. Of course he told her yes. He knows me so well. Then he said that Karen was super help with the kids and Anna fit in well but that he was worried that they were going to need more emotional support than he and L could give them. With the new baby and all there just wasn’t going to be time and though they could use the help, he didn’t want to take advantage of the girls. We were quiet for a while; watching the new mom wash a good sized healthy baby and then he asked if we would be able to have the girls live here. I could tell that he really wanted the extra help for L but was trying to be fair. I told him of course we’d find room here but I suggested that we give Karen the choice. I said that perhaps Karen would be willing to go over daily to help L with the baby and the work in exchange for your taking care of her sheep. If they stay here we’ll let the poultry stay here as well. C was relieved at the idea. He had been really concerned about them with six kids already let alone two more. I told him not to worry, we’d all pitch in to help out and that would make it easier for us all. By the time we had the chores done the new momma goat had given us two bucks and one doe and was tending them as if she was an old hand. Strangely enough, all three were very evenly dark with only a couple of white markings. They were very curly looking and I wondered again what the doe had been bred to. C tied her securely to milk her so she’d get used to us right away but she wasn’t going to stand any of it. I knew if we wanted to milk her in the future we’d need to get that bag developed right away so we cross tied her and tied a leg so she couldn’t kick, then C leaned his head into her flank to put her a bit off balance. With the kids trying to get their share she finally gave in and let him milk but I could tell that this would not be a goat I would milk until she settled down. I could handle the little Nigerian dwarfs and the seasoned milkers but I wasn’t up to a new one. C promised that he would milk her for a while and see if he could get her settled. I knew that the other would do it as well. DS, DD, DSIL, and DGD all milked and I knew that DGS could do it in a pinch too though he had only started milking on the trail. SO was learning as well and so were L’s brothers. DH never really did much of it but I knew he could if he had to. The rest of the day was almost a blur. There is just so much to do here. Doing chores and preparing meals takes a big part of the day and today we decided to get some of the hay cut. The weather looked fair and if we were lucky, we would be able to start stacking it on Monday. So on top of meals, the kitchen was busy trying to keep the workers in cool drinks and snacks. Thankfully the children were eager runners today. I could see the improvement in the cutting and laying out of the hay as the day progressed. It started out pretty choppy and the hay laying all crooked but by the time they were less than a quarter way across the field the grass was evenly cut and the hay laying all neatly in a row. By late afternoon we had one of the new Nigerians kidding, obviously another first time mother who seemed not to have any idea of what was going on. It was almost 8 tonight before she finally was done but amazingly she gave us five tiny little kids. One was born dead but the other four, all does, were up and nursing when I left there a little while ago. That is one thing I like about Nigerians. They are known for having multiple babies and the babies are usually resilient right from the start. I can’t help but think of all the pregnant animals we have here. Horses, oxen, cows, goats and who knows what else. I haven’t even begun to check over the rabbits yet. At least they will be divided between the two homesteads but the same amount of feed is going to be needed. We will have to be butchering them by fall and probably drying or salting and smoking the meat. I’m so tired tonight I can barely stay awake. Best get to bed. Tomorrow we want to get a few extra dishes prepared to take with us to the Lodge on Sunday. With so many more people in the valley we’ll need lots of food for the Pot Luck.

Posted for MT_RIDER Diary.....THE HILL Despite the drastic news we'd received regarding our DD's/SIL/Grsons and my parents, there was even good news in that. My brother and niece were nearly here too. And GF, her DD and SIL. Hey! The Valley would have veterinarians. I was thrilled that they had decided to come to the Valley. We were introduced to a lot of the others from this wagon train, including the large contingent from Mother's clan. Her son/DIL and their many girls and DIL's family. There were also some orphans who'd become attached to that clan. Not surprising. A lot of us were opening our homes to children in need. L looked absolutely exhausted and who can blame her. This was a rugged life and her that far along in a pregnancy. DH would liked to have given her a treatment or advised more rest but....with the HILL coming up, who can really rest? So he kept his thots to himself. Our supper was some roast venison, mixed into a stir fry with more rice and some spinach and young green onions from our garden. We still had some garlic and they had soy sauce. They had thought to butcher a young rooster but DH told them he couldn't eat chicken at all so we'd have to fix separate pots in that case. We had brought some cookies we'd made before coming and it was a good time. The little girls got overly tired and cranky but were soothed to bed early by the promise to sleep inside Mom&Dad's tent. Then they began to cry and Machela promised to sleep there too. In the end, the "gals" all slept in that tent and the "menfolk" found their own tents. Quite early the next morning, Mother"s DH came over with a plan to load some of our wagons first. Late last evening, someone had driven up our one wagon to the base of the HILL. MrMother offered to use their wagons to haul all of our things down to the base camp and stack it there. Then they would return up to the HILL to haul down the things for their own families. It meant a little shuffling and shifting. It was a lot of work but many people stayed to help. By noon, we were all nearly dropping with fatigue but I was in the donkey cart [once again being pulled by MM and Jack] with Kaylee/Kaila and heading down the switchbacks. As the chickens chuckled and protested in the cages behind us, I kept the twins busy with guessing games and chatter. The Jenson family had been ranchers in Montana for three generations. The children's father had been raising Dexter cattle and chickens for their main income. The Dexter cattle are a small version of cattle. The breed is now split into those that lean more heavily towards milking qualities and those with heavy meat qualities. They had brought plenty of both types. Dexters are good at foraging for their food and are very hardy. The Jenson-Hans also raised some field crops and other livestock, such as swine. So when they had to move, one entire hayrack [quickly modified at the Rockin' J to accommodate being pulled by oxen] was dedicated to hog cages. Some are an old English breed and others are very odd breed with thick black hair [nearly furry] and toes that are not split. {I'll add links when I can access the Internet again.. } Due to that abnormality, they are called Mulefoot pigs. Both breeds are hardy foragers. At the beginning of the wagon train, Mother's son asked if he could place some swine on the hayrack as well and there certainly was room. They carried hog panels so that the pigs could be removed from the pens on some of the longer stops during the trip. This hay wagon full of pigs was......um, CHALLENGING to get lowered down the cliff. Many ropes were used to ensure the cages remained secure. The pigs were taken down as slowly as possible but they were not happy about being in such a steep incline. The noise was nearly deafening. I tried not to watch. That wagon representing so many hams and breakfasts of bacon... The pigs shifted their significant weight and that was definitely not helping the descent. By the time the wagon leveled out again, all the ropes had to be checked again and a couple re-knotted for the rest of the descent down the switchbacks. I was glad that a member of the Rockin' J staff had control of that wagon. There were also two metal grain wagons that had also been modified to be pulled by the teams of oxen. These had been used in the fields since the 1970's and now were filled with bags/buckets of seed grain and eating grains. Also the tools and small implements necessary for farm/ranch life. Both were covered with sturdy, tight canvas covers. These loads were steady and there was no real problem. We saw that our four male oxen were set to pull one of these wagons and a set of Percheron [horse] mares pulled the other. A set of Shetland ponies pulling their small cart was led carefully down the HILL. The twins were excited to tell me that their ponies were bringing the extra saddles and other horse tack. They had been tied to the back of one of the household Conestoga wagons for the trip. After everyone's goods had been transported down by sledge [if the wagon stayed at the top for a return to the Rockin' J ] or by wagons/carts entering the Valley....then came the livestock. Due to what livestock does to the trail, they had to come last. [..hooves and slippery manure ] As with our own experience, the goats and sheep had no problem. The horses were the most cautious and the cattle lumbered down when driven to it. All were eventually corralled into the temporary pens at the base camp....not without some real rodeo going on, however. It was good to be able to eat a communal meal cooked by Chef and his assistants. Some of our household goods were to be stored under a tarp for a later trip. In the morning, the MtRiders and Mother's clan would bring people, wagons, carts and livestock home to Cleft of the Rock and Hobbit Hole. For now, sleep came fast upon all of us. MtRider

POSTED FOR MT _RIDER Some of the punctuation did not translate well in the copy and paste I hope I didn't miss any repairs. {In real life, my Internet connection is gone. We're hit with so much right now that I'm not sure even where THAT problem is in the lineup to be dealt with. "Denise" is staying with us this week so I've laboriously typed this on her [unfamiliar] laptop...intending to send it by email to Mother...so she can post it for me. I may be able to do that at our local library too.....if I only have the energy to drive down there. I have hours of reading to catch up to all of your posts as well and am SO missing this each day. This too shall pass..... :group hug: ] Dear Diary.....The HILL, the Children How in the world am I EVER going to record this most significant of days???? It's been a while since I've had a chance to take a deep breath, let alone write in this diary. But...for the sake of posterity and all... I'm going to give it a try. MrMtR and I were very anxious for THAT morning to arrive. We were both up before dawn and awaiting word that Wagon Train #2 had arrived in the upper meadow. Wagons from the B-Group were there to collect the contents of their loved ones' wagons. They were getting ready to begin the long ascent up the switchbacks to the loading-wagons-zone, just below the BIG HILL. Unable to wait any longer to meet our second set of new children, we rushed to pack up a number of things and prepared to ride up with Miz MM and Jack. There is only room for 5 wagons at a time up there so we could not bring ours up yet. We trailed behind the wagons and chattered back and forth about the days long ago when our first DD's arrived; sisters, nearly teenagers. We laughed about the significant differences between that airport meeting with a waiting red, while today, we'd greet new children on a cliff side with donkeys and a Conestoga wagon. Our first DD's came with the clothes on their back and a small satchel of family photos and mementos. This group would bring multiple wagons, flocks and herds of livestock, and our donkey cart would be loaded with chickens. Upon reaching the bottom of the cliff some time later, we were disappointed to learn the first of the wagon train had not yet arrived at the top. So of course we went on up to meet them. Our group was not slated to descend today anyway so we'd spend the day with the children and tonight as well. MrMtR dismounted Jack but I had to make poor MM carry me up the incline, at least part of the way. You know....this durned hill is MUCH steeper than I remember! Whooooooeeeee! How DID we get those wagons down the first time? I had to walk up the final steeeeep part of that HILL but I wrapped the long line around my waist and MM was pulling me anyway. It helped. Note to self: ....um, I do NOT want to climb this hill again. Am I stating this clearly enough???? I wish the rest of our family was arriving with this wagon train, but we'd gotten word last nite that only our six Jenson-Han children were here. We'd suspected that the Maui group and my parents may not have gotten thru from Colorado in time. But when they do arrive, I think I'll stay at the bottom and wait for them. After I'd had a rest....laying flat out under that big tree just back from the edge....DH and I mounted up, deciding to go back up the trail. Impatient, aren't we? The folks from Mother's clan were as antsy as we were! But just then the first of that wagon train came round that last bend. Then we all had to get out of the way or begin to help unload cargo to the sledge. Mother's clan and DH&I watched with fond recollections as person after person peered over that HILL! Everyone said oooohs and aaaahs when they saw our beautiful Big Valley. But then they looked DOWN. Some gasped. Some squeaked. One shrieked and began declaring "NO WAY...NO HOW!" I think we heard that one from Mt3b. And she made it down. So we did a bit of reassurance for some of them. DH and I waited [impatiently] for the tail end of the wagon trail to arrive at the meadow just back from the EDGE. The livestock was driven up into a circle formed by the last half of the train. [The front half lined up to descend today.] This would be where our children were. YES! There was Nathan on a palomino horse. We hurried over to add our donkey power to the final straying cattle and that one crazy escaping goat. Finally all were contained. And we rode over next to our son. We all leaped down to the ground [not much of a leap from our donkeys but his mount is tall] and gave big hugs of greeting as tho we'd known this boy all his life. We gave Thanks to God when he said yes, his siblings were all just fine. A younger boy with similar part-Asian features rode up. "This is Ben" introduced Nathan. We liked Ben's quick smile and he allowed us to hug him too. Their wagons were on the right hand side. As we four unloaded our mounts and released them from their tack, I noticed a boy and girl working together to remove the yoke from a span of oxen. Hey, that's O2 and H2O....our female oxen that we sent back with Nathan and the donkey cart. The dark-haired teens turned as Ben ran up and hollered to them. "Its Dad and Mom. They've come up to meet us!" Micah and Machela joined Ben as he ran back to us, grabbing our hands and pulling us forward to meet his siblings. At fourteen, we weren't as certain that they would accept hugs and there was a second of indecision. Then from behind, two squealing little girls in pigtails came running and leaped at the twins. Followed by Nate, they were chattering about, "our new Dad and Mom". Nathan came to the rescue with introductions and Machela came forward holding Kaila on her hip. We made a big four way hug. Of course Kaylee wanted a hug and Micah helped by lifting her up as well for a second big hug. Then Nate lifted up Ben and joined in one huge eight-person hug. The twins reached over to be taken into our arms and ....well, we nearly melted. The older children were grinning widely. If one looked closely though, there was a shade of grief still present. That wasn't going away for a while. It shouldn't....for a while. God, help us to always honor the memory of their first parents. There was no one taking video, or even photos of this moment. Not this time. We'd have to remember this the old fashioned way. So we set about making this day special. There were many folks to help with the loading and hauling down the hillside. Our turn would be tomorrow. This day we would spend as a new family. We started a campfire and I pulled out some dough that MrMtR had mixed up last nite. We made Indian fry bread with cinnamon and sugar. We had some eggs from their chickens [which we'd been introduced to...as well as ALL the other animals! ] who were in cages on the grass by now. We had some smoked fish and Machela had perfected campfire rice. It was a marvelous second breakfast. The little girls wanted to sit on our laps and even Ben was wanting to tell us all about his horse. We'd glance now and then at the older sibs but they were generously happy for the attention we paid their young brother and sisters. I left DH to the game of kick ball and walked with Machela over to her sheep. I had lots of questions about them [knowing only goats] and it gave the quiet girl a chance to share one of her favorite interests. I asked her frankly how she was doing, how she felt about this solution to their need after the death of their parents. Her eyes glistened with tears while she told me proudly of her parents. But she was glad to come to the Valley. They had had some encounters that frightened her and the was smart enough to realize the dangers. Not that they hadn't had danger even on their trip here. As we sat under a tree near her sheep, I held her while she released a bit more of the grief she held. Then she told of their wilderness journey: the day they outran the hail storm, the rescue of the folks at Canyon's End Ranch, and of the other events, big and small, during their time since the Rockin' J. After a while. Nathan and DH came walking up. "Macky, I think it's time." said Nathan quietly. "Can I stay, Nate?" she said, taking my hand. He nodded and sat down. DH, somewhat confused, sat also. It was then that he told us of the phone calls to our cell phones. The frantic message left that was a plea for help from our DD2. About actually talking to Bro who was crossing Iowa. The plans for rescue that had been sent out under the leadership of Q's son, Jerry. On a day that had been so golden up till now, it was all the more shocking. "Does Q know?" I asked. "Oh, she's still at their homestead." "Yes, MrHughes was going to tell her...or rather, MrQ." said Nathan. "I'm sorry if I should have told you immediately. I'dd hoped to give you a bit of time to meet the rest of the children." We assured him that he'd done exactly right; that nothing could be done from here...except to pray. And we all began that right then and there. These children must have been taught to pray from their youngest years. Machela offered such sweet and fervent words on behalf of "her new grandparents, older sisters and Dh and young nephews". Nathan asked for wisdom for Jerry and his team and for the safety of everyone. At some point in the telling, Micah had brought the younger ones in from play and he offered a quick and shy prayer of thanks for bringing them a new family and parents. In some ways, those were the moments in which we became a family. When we all experienced such strong emotions....for those lost in this world of chaos; for those in danger or, since this news was two weeks old, not really knowing how anything came out. A mutual sharing beneath the shadow of death and grief and worry. But there was joy in our time together now, and we felt that too. And our party of thanksgiving continued. MtRider

The rain held off for the day but with it being so wet there was no work in the fields or gardens. The older children went with the adults who were going to cut trees and bring logs up to the plateau. They came back about an hour later with only a couple of buckets full of raspberries and full of the excitement of seeing a bear on the other side of the patch. Three of the adults had been with the kids and they had no trouble with the animal but they hurried the children back to the homestead, just as frightened as the kids. It was a real wake up call for everyone. I suspected the bear was there. When Mom and I had been looking for the bull I noticed what looked like claw marks on a tree but had forgotten about it in the turmoil of the family coming. From the description the bear was a black bear and it didn’t stay around long when the shouting started. It was just after berries but I wondered at first why it wandered into an area where more people were populating. Then I remembered that some of the Rocks had moved into the western side of the valley and that might have moved some of the bears out of their normal range. There probably was no danger this time but I was glad that we had this warning. Now everyone knows why we wear the whistles and small emergency kits around our necks. The family was selective in their logging. They didn’t clear any particular area besides clearing a road to the maple grove above the homestead so we would have easier access to them in early spring. They worked until noon bring in enough logs to get a start on the log cabin that would replace the temporary kitchen but left them at the edge of the plateau to be cleaned of bark before use. After lunch almost all the young adults went across the river to work, taking the older children with them. The rest of us watched the little ones and worked on the berries. We also had milk and cream to work on and I spent part of the afternoon making and washing butter. Supper was not fish, it was lasagna with home made noodles, fresh ricotta cheese and canned tomato sauce. BIG pans of lasagna. The garden was giving enough greens now for salad almost every day and we’d been experimenting with the olive oil that C’s family had brought along by the gallons. We found that by using a bit of honey and some powdered Real Lemon and ground mustard we could make a great Honey/mustard dressing. Today I added rich, thick cream and it turned out great. With desert being fresh raspberries over biscuits with cream on top, it was a very satisfying meal. By evening we were all tired and it took an effort to get the kitchen cleaned up and the bread started. I’m writing by the small light of a candle lantern setting under the tarp in the cool evening. Dh is setting beside me and we can hear the family getting settled in for the night. I am ready to join them but it’s so nice just setting here in the quiet listening to the night sounds.