Mother

Some days in writing this, Leah,,,,It's a wonder I DON'T write something like that. When I write two posts a day or skip a day I often forget what time of day it is or I mix my past and present tense up. All I keep thinking about is "what if I had to actually be DOING this instead of writing about it?" Considering that I have done most of what I write about I know exactly how difficult it really would be IRL. Some of my posts reflect my thoughts on the dificculties of making sure that everything is thought out ahead of time and that it's started far enough ahead to accomplish something before it's needed, like the bread. There would be very few instant gratifications in the Valley. If we forgot to bring it along, we're going to have to make it. If we can't make it, we'll have to do without. That might spell life or death in some cases. Even though I sometimes take a bit of 'licence' with the list of what I brought along, I'm trying to stay within my intent at least. Sometimes though, it makes me wish I'd had a 'magic wagon' that I could just go to and pull out what I needed. Leah, are you sure you don't want to come in with that wagon train? I'll let you put YOUR head in my oven if you like. It's a great way to dry your hair after a shampoo in the hot springs..

I didn’t have a chance to even think about writing last night. We were all way too tired. Most of us had been in the field all day long, plowing, planting, and weeding. We wanted to get as much in now as would possibly have a chance of making it to harvest by the first frost date, probably some where around October 10th here if not sooner. I’m used to Zone 5 gardening but this altitude may play a role in it that needs to be factored in. Even in Illinois we’d have times, especially lately, when we’d have freezing weather and even snow a week or two earlier than that. It might not be severe enough to harm our fall crops or grains but it would sure take out anything else. And even the grains might be harder to harvest if they are hit by snow. There is so much that is unknown about this valley. It has its own micro-climate compared to the surrounding area but that doesn’t mean we still won’t have to compensate. I also have the feeling that our winter weather will be more severe than for a normal zone 5. Perhaps not any colder or the season shorter but I would bet from the looks of where I’m seeing certain plants growing that we’ll have extremely deep snow and probably snow storms back to back at times. I know I want us to be prepared for the possibility if it comes. One of the problems we’ve discussed several times is sanitation in the winter. We have water inside and we have a drain of sorts in the hot springs room but no proof that it won’t freeze outside and the water won’t back up. We won’t want to dump human waste or anything that might contaminate the land there so will have to have other arrangements. If by chance DS and his family DO stay with us for the winter it’s going to be even more problematic. It just isn’t feasible for 20 plus people to live in the same area without having a problem with sanitation. Laundry alone, especially if the little one is still in diapers, will be a huge undertaking and will probably have to be done almost daily. We have plenty of PVC pipe with us of various sizes, even some that could be used as a septic system but no way to run it from the cliff face across the plateau to an area deep enough to dig a septic system because of the rock base just in front of the cliff. We know it doesn’t extend too far out but we haven’t tested it the whole distance across the plateau. And even if we did manage to get the pipes out, how big would that system have to be. What would we use for lining the ‘tank’ area with. I believe in the past it was brick, or at least the one we had as a kid was, but maybe stones would work. We sure have plenty of them around. Something would have to be used to keep it from caving in and there would have to be some sort of drain field laid as well. Composting toilets were looking more efficient all the time but they would eventually have to be emptied and we’d have to have a medium to use with the system, like sawdust, soil, and etc. And would they work for that amount of people? It looks like my bread is ready to go into the oven so I better put this down and get busy. As usual, there’s a lot to do today.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Leah))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Thanks....

THANK YOU, JOHN You know, I've never hugged a worm before. You are a nice worm John. By The Way our readership for the Big Valley is at it's highest if we use the views per page as a reference. It now has the most pages of all the sections and if it keeps going may top their readership as well. Great work Writers and Readers!

Ummmm, HAS anyone done this??? I started copy and pasting but it takes forever and I only have part of the first journey done....Is there a BETTER way? I'd hate to lose all the work we've put in to this. (since October 7th I believe)

AMBH, You can make cheese out of any of those types of milk but the finished product will not necessarily be the same. I would suggest that you start with the Vinegar cheese as it is the easiest to make. It is a soft, but sometimes chewey, cheese, depending on the temps you use and the milk. Goats milk makes a much finer curd, cows milk a bit heavier. It's texture is somewhat between a cottage cheese and a cream cheese. It's taste is different than what you are used to be good. We like it mixed with different herbs or spices and maybe a bit of Mayo and spread on crackers. I also use it to replace ricotta in various recipes, like lasagna. I use the left over whey in baking though it has an undertone of vinegar to it. It is great in baked goods that call for soda. Our dogs, cats, and poultry love it and it's good for them. Here's one of my favorite sites to help you with pictures and etc. with step by step instructions (a bit different than mine at times) for a lot of different types of cheese. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese.html If you try it, please let us know how it turned out. I'm glad you are enjoying our thread. Please keep your comments coming as that is encouragement for us to continue to do the research that it takes to understand the realities of living this lifestyle. I echo MtRider though. Read it with an eye to four things.. Possibilities, probabilities, and most of all IM-probabilities and IM-possibilities. All are in here. Makes you think, doesn't it? Good luck with the cheese.

[Cheese Making, by requested. sorry it's so long, hard to make cheese short ] Monday What a heavenly night we had. Those rope springs are wonderful. They were a bit saggy by morning but we knew we’d have to tighten them for a while until they stretched out and then periodically after that. Each set of the ropes has a sort of turnbuckle on the end of the bed where they thread through holes there so it’s an easy, okay not so easy but doable, job to tighten them. We had opened the window a bit last night and this morning it was cool enough to be bundled in the quilts and I sure wanted to stay there. Mom had things under control for breakfast so I went out to help with chores. I went to check on all our new mom’s and found everyone doing fine. DD had already milked the ewe and she was letting the little ones nurse. The smallest one was having trouble getting in with the two bigger ones but I knew DD would have fed her separately. I’ll have to mention for her to feed the bigger ones so they won’t be so greedy and will let the little one in. I’ve always found that when a smaller baby wasn’t doing well it was always better to take the bigger ones away and hand feed them. They usually did better on a bottle and the little ones would get to nurse as often as they wanted. For now, we’ll see how it goes. The little goats were hopping around and falling all over each other this morning and Mom seemed to be doing fine though I didn’t bother to milk her this morning. We’d leave the babies have her exclusively so they could get all the colostrums. The milking cow had already been cared for but the new mom was a different story. The kids left her for me to check. She was way too full for the calf to take it all. She was touchy to begin with but soon settled down. The milk was thick and so yellow looking that it looked more like partially melted butter. At home I would have frozen it for later use but it doesn’t can well. It will be great for puddings and a type of baked cheese though and will be a good tonic for us all just fresh. We’ll give some to each of the dogs, puppies and cats and sour the rest of it to feed to the chickens and pigs. I sure wish our extended family were here though as that would be a great pick me up for weary travelers. It is loaded with antibodies though some don’t like it’s thick texture and strong milk smell. It is GREAT on fruit or over cereal and we’ll use as much as we can fresh. When I got to the kitchen I found Mom working on milk to make it into cheese. SO was standing nearby, hoping to learn how it was done. Mom explained to her that she had mixed last nights warm milk with left over starter from the batch before to inoculate the milk. The fermenting bacteria would work to lower the pH so that the rennet worked better on the milk protein allowing it to set solid easier. She carefully took out some of the milk to be used in the next batch and set it in the spring. We brought along dozens of packages of Junket tablets as they work just as well as special rennet to make cheese. We knew they would keep for years but if we ever have the misfortune to lose a calf or even a lamb that has had nothing but milk yet, we’d salvage the lining of the stomach to use for rennet. It could be salted, dried, and cut into pieces to float in the milk. It was the original rennet used to make cheese. We had been experimenting with Nettles and it had given us mixed results. We’d found it gave a much softer curd that was okay for a quickly eaten cheese but not for a hard cheese. At least the cheeses had all been usable as a green cheese. We would also experiment with thistle. I watched Mom and SO while I was straining the colostrums and couldn’t help but remember how carefully Mom had instructed me in all the things she’d taught me through the years. She had a way of making it seem like there was no dumb questions, only questions that went unasked. She was carefully heating the milk to just barely warm, maybe 70 degrees, being careful not to let it scald or burn. As she was using about four gallon of milk she’d had SO dissolve a Junket Tablet in cool water and then had her stir it thoroughly into the milk. They then set it aside so it wouldn’t be disturbed. In about an hour it would be ready to cut. She explained that it would look a bit like off-white jello. While they were waiting for the milk to set, Mom showed her how to make Vinegar or Panir Cheese. She had SO put the milk into a stainless steel pan and start it heating. Mom was using one of our many thermometers and told her that we were looking for about 185 degrees but that if we didn’t have a thermometer we could just watch the milk for little bubbles to occur around the edges of the milk. She told SO to be sure to stir it the whole time it was heating to prevent scorching. I got a kick out of the look on SO’s face as Mom dribbled about a quarter cup of vinegar into the cheese once it reached the right temp and while SO was still stirring. If you are using store bought milk you get a fine curd that forms within a minute but if you are using fresh milk, especially jersey milk with it’s high fat and milk solid contents, you get almost instant large curds floating in yellow whey. When all the liquid turned clear they put a lid on the pot and set it into the cold water in the spring. It could have just been set on the counter to cool in the pan but that made the curd a bit harder and we liked ours soft. I knew they would be stirring it occasionally to cool the curd fast and then would strain it through fine cheesecloth and hang it to drain over night in the cave where it was cool. Looking at the cheesecloth made me hope that my order would be coming with the wagons. We had brought a lot of quality cheesecloth along but it would wear out fast at the rate we were using it. We’d have to weave some might fine thread to get a nice cloth for fine curd. The preferred would be cotton but even though we’d planted it almost the first thing, it is debatable if it will mature well. Flax and nettle would have to do. I helped the two clean up the kitchen and then stepped outside for a few minutes to see what everyone else was up to. Surprisingly enough I saw no one. No one was in the field, nor where they on the upper plateau. I was about to turn back when I heard noise coming from further down the face of the cliff and followed the sound. DGS was just coming from the big open cave area with the make shift wheel barrel that DS had made and it was full of brush and dirt. He said “Hi Grams” but continued to wheel the load over to the edge of the plateau. I could see that all the rocks from inside the area had been moved to the front to form a low wall just under the overhanging ledge and I could see that the family was working to fit them carefully so that they would stack without needing any cement. I watched them for a while and it looked for all the world like they were working a giant puzzle. When the chain saw started up in the enclosed area I covered my ears but it only ran for a minute. I could see they were only cutting the tops of the small trees in that area, using them for the uprights of what I suspected would eventually be stalls. I was captivated at how quickly they had turned this area into a barn. They had already cut off trees growing around the outside of the area and it looked like they would be using those for fencing to make a good-sized corral. From the number of rocks, the stone wall would only be about four foot tall, if that, but I could see where it could be closed in before winter with logs. At least for now we had a dry place to milk and a place to get the smaller animals under cover in bad weather. It didn’t offer much protection from predators yet but it would. When I wandered in I realized that there was a large opening into the caves at the back of the area and not wanting to go in I asked about it. I was told it led into a big room that in turn opened into the ‘hall’ that ran through the whole cave. In other words, we could come and go to the barn through the cave. Well at least someone could come and go there and it would be easy to water the animals from the springs, either the hot or the cold one depending on what was needed. I was also told that once the opening had a door on it, the animals could be herded into the large cave room for protection if needed. When I finally made my way back to the kitchen I found Mom just showing SO how to check the curd. She told her it needed to break ‘cleanly’ when you put a finger into it and pulled up. Sure enough, it did just that with the solid gel splitting exactly right. We had a good curd harp for cutting evenly but I noticed that Mom had the long knife out instead. Probably to make sure SO knew how to do it without fancy equipment. While they started cutting the curd into about half inch cubes by cutting all the way down to the bottom with a long sharp knife, cutting across, angling the knife more and more as the pot was turned, I set up the strainer with cheese cloth so it would be ready when the curd was. When I left them SO was stirring the cut curd with her hand getting the whey to separate out, cutting the larger pieces of curd as they appeared to try to get them all to about ½ inch cubes. They would then put it on the stove and slowly start to raise the temperature, stirring by hand all the while, to about 102 degrees or very hot on your hands to make a very fine hard cheese, lower if we were going to use it as a soft cheese. Once the curd looked like scrambled eggs and sank to the bottom they would strain it, saving the whey to make ricotta cheese, and mix salt into the drained curd by hand to help preserve it. Once well drained, it would be placed in one of the cheesecloth-lined forms we’d brought along. They were basically just large stainless steel tubes, open at both ends, with several holes in the sides. We also had several made from four inch PVC pipe for smaller cheeses. The side cheesecloth was cut to fit an inch or so beyond the tube. The bottom would be fitted with a circle of cloth and another circle would be placed on top of the curd after it was put in the tube. Then a follower, in our case a piece of stainless steel that just fits inside the top of the tube, will be placed on the top and then a tall juice can was placed on top of that to push the follower down onto the cheese as it is pressed. Our home made press has turnscrews on the top that gradually presses a board onto the top of the can but I’ve used books for years to press cheese. In the past farm wives used to just put it into baskets woven with straight sides, follow it with a plate, and weight it with rocks. Basically a person just has to figure out a way to press the whey out of the cheese and in turn compress the cheese into a block. The harder and longer a cheese is pressed, the drier it will be. We usually gradually raise the pressure every six eight hours over a 24 hours period. We take the cheese out after 12 hours and smooth the sides of the cheese with a hot knife, rewrap it in clean cheesecloth and then replace it in the press. When it is out of the press the outside of the cheese is salted, it’s wrapped in a cheese cloth “bandage” and placed on an open rack somewhere cold. Used to be the refrigerator but is now the cave. We replace the bandage daily, wiping the outside with salt soaked rag, until the bandage stops getting wet and a dry rind forms on the cheese. That’s usually about two weeks. If we have it, we will dip some of the cheeses in melted wax to store it longer. If not, we’ll just watch them and use them before they dry totally or before they mold. They can do both. Making cheese entitles a lot more than just cooking it, it means a commitment to almost daily tending unless you have ideal conditions to store them. When Mom and SO finally had the cheese in the press I sent Mom to rest while we cleaned up the kitchen and started on lunch and supper. Mom’s way of resting is to set in her rocking chair and darn socks and mend clothes so we had a great chat while we were doing it. It makes the time pass faster and SO is so eager to learn. She’s a great young lady and we love her dearly.

It seems the animals have decided it's finally spring even though it's June already. First the goat, then the two ewes, and today it was the first of the cows. I knew she was close but she took me a bit by surprise as I thought it would be a couple more days yet. It was not her first time but she took her time about it. DH and I stayed home with her today while we sent the rest of the family to the Lodge for services. I did not expect any trouble with the birth and I encouraged even Mom to go along this time. I knew she wanted to choose a few more books from the library and I gave her a list of my own. It was nice to have the time alone with DH. In between checking on the cow we strolled along the river and I got a chance to find more wild mint to dry. We'd brought along a big basket and managed to fill it not only with mint but also with a variety of other herbs to dry. Once we had those all laid out on the dehydrator racks and placed near the stove we started on moving items from the wagon into the new sod bedrooms. We moved all of Mom's stuff first and made up the new bed that DS and DGS had built for her. It was high enough that she had storage under it yet not so high she couldn't get in. They had used ropes for the springs and put a dry grass filled 'tick' and the small mattress she'd been using in the wagon on it. With her foam mattress pad and some nice sheets and pillowcases we'd not used since leaving home it really looked like home. I knew she would love it. We weren't planning to move in until later in the week and she'll be surprised. We checked on the cow again and found she was still not working in earnest so we started on our own bedroom. It had a double bed similar to Mom's only we placed the futon mattress we'd been sleeping on with our foam pad one on top of that instead of a grass tick, as I wasn't sure about my allergies. Each of the family would have a similar bed so they would be up off the ground. It didn't take much to move our personal items into the 'soddy' and by the time the cow started calving we had it ready for sleeping in tonight, complete with the small camp potty settled into the alcove behind the greenhouse. DH helped me hang a curtain over the area until we could get a door up but at least the opening to the greenhouse had a door so I didn't have to worry about critters coming over the windowless knee wall of the unfinished area. DS's bedroom would be in the same area but opposite the 'bathroom' along and inside the back wall of the greenhouse. It was surprisingly comfortable looking with its small window like opening to the greenhouse area. He planned to put a sliding Plexiglas window into the opening so that he could have light and air if he needed it. I doubt he will have it open much in the summer because of the heat in the greenhouse when it's finished but the extra heat in the winter might feel good. The guys had done the same thing with the windows in the Soddy. They all slid open and closed and the two to the outside had screens on them as well. The one into the greenhouse could be opened to gain heat in the winter if needed but we hoped we'd be moved into the log cabin in front of the kitchen by then and the area used for either more of our family or for what it was intended for, the poultry. When we went out to check on the cow we found she'd wandered away. We'd untied her so she would have space to move around and she just went off to find her own birthing 'room'. We went looking, knowing that she wouldn't be far, and we were right. She had just wandered into the tree line at the end of the plateau and we found her easily, calmly washing off a good-sized bull calf, just what we'd hoped for because she'd been bred with a bull unrelated to the bull we had and that would give us two breeding lines yet keep them pure jersey. We helped her "wash" her baby so that he would get used to us right from the start. He was going to take a lot of work if he was going to be as tractable as the other young bull. When the baby was clean and on its feet we led them both slowly back to the plateau. It was indeed a slow trip as the calf kept trying to nurse and DH and I laughed when the cow finally just gave him a bellow and went on ahead of him. We tied the cow under the ledge by the cliff face so they would have some protection. I was grateful that the rain, that had been threatening all day, had held off. By the time the kids were home we'd had some time to ourselves to just relax and enjoy the quiet. It was nice. We'd have to do it more often. Mom was pleased with her new bedroom and she said the bed looked so comfortable she couldn't wait to try it out. She was joking but I could see she really needed some good night's rest. Even though we all tried to spare her any heavy work she was doing more than her share should be. I looked forward to hearing all the news from the valley and we all hurried to finish the chores so we could gather around the kitchen table and chat over supper. I'd made biscuits with cattail pollen as part of the flour and had made gravy out of some of the canned meat and broth. With a salad of fresh greens and a tomato dressing it was a simple but filling meal. I knew the kids wouldn't be all that hungry after the pot luck they shared at the Lodge but DH and I had stopped only long enough for tea and coffee and a couple of biscuits. We all did the meal justice though and there was very little left over. We were just finishing up when the rain came. The horses and oxen were turned into the pasture, which had trees for protection, but I was glad we'd tied the smaller animals under the ledge and had left the cow and calf there also. We really needed to think of getting a barn up or like the kids said, clean a couple of the more open rooms in the cave and use them for the animals. There were several that were really just deeper areas under the ledge but they were full of small big rocks and brush and we hadn't bothered to do more than tie the goats in there occasionally. We'd have to work on that soon. For now, I was looking forward to our first night in our new bedroom. Mom and I had a nice shower earlier and she has already gone to her new bed. The kids have already gone as well and DH is just closing up the stove. I'll write more tomorrow.

This morning DH and I slept late. We never even heard Mom get up and leave the wagon. I lay for a while listening to the sounds of the family doing chores and wondered if DD was sleeping in as well. The three of us had been up until 3 this morning trying to save one of the triplet lambs that were born about midnight. We had been out to check on the ewes before going to bed at nine and she was doing nothing. Didn’t even look uncomfortable but I’d slept lightly and heard her bleating about 11. DD and DSIL were already up and headed down the bank but DH walked with me around the lane and down. The sheep belonged to DD and I was glad she was there, as the ewe had no problem with us helping her. She was having trouble with a large lamb and we ended up having to push the lamb back to before we could get the legs forward to be born in the proper position. He was a big one and was trying to stand by the time the next lamb came sliding out. It was while I was shining my light around to see if the geese were being bothered by the birthing that I saw another lamb laying in the corner, still partially in the sac. The lamb must have been the first one born but it was terribly small. She was cold, even the inside of her mouth was cold when I felt it and at first I thought she was dead but then I noticed very faint breathing. I wrapped her in the big towel I’d brought down with me and started to rub her all over. As usual the doe didn’t want to feed her babies. This was her third lambing and she had done the same thing both times before. It really wasn’t her fault. She always came into milk before the babies were born and she was so full she was miserable. This was also her third set of three. She always had to be milked several times a day for the first few days before she would let her babies nurse and she did NOT like to be milked. DH and I left to take the cold baby to the kitchen to try to warm her and to send back a couple of baby bottles for DD and DSIL to feed the little ones with. While DH took the bottles and a container for the extra milk I laid the lamb on the door of the still warm oven and then stoked the firebox with biscuit wood (small fast burning wood) to get a quick hot fire. I filled a small teakettle with water and put it over the fire to heat. Then finding that the water in the reservoir on the stove was still warm enough I dipped some into an empty tote on the table. I unwrapped the lamb and placed her in a big plastic bag up to her neck, tied the bag lightly around her neck, and lowered her body into the water. I didn’t want her to be wet. I just wanted the warmth to reach her whole body and especially her belly area. I rubbed her and jostled her to keep her stimulated. She was so still but I could see she was still breathing so I kept her in the water, talking to her and encouraging her. When DH came back he had the quart container I’d sent down almost full of milk and wanted to know if he should put some in another baby bottle but I told him it would do no good to give this one anything until she was warmer and then we’d give her only warm sweetened tea. She wouldn’t be able to digest the milk for a while yet. We kept changing the water to keep it warm and it was almost an hour before she started to move on her own. When she finally bleated I knew that she must be feeling the pain of returning warmth and I took her out to hold her against my more gentle body heat. We removed the plastic bag but kept her well covered. DD and DSIL came in and once they got warm themselves they took turns holding her while I made a tea of regular black tea with a bit of sugar and salt. I was glad I’d saved the tea back as it made a good stimulant for babies like this. There were herbs that could be used such as elderflower and mint or even just a tiny bit of cayenne but they work in a different way. When I felt her mouth and found it warm I handed the bottle to DD. It took a while but she finally took about an ounce and then we let her sleep in a box on the door of the oven, which was now toasty warm. DSIL went out about 2 to check the other babies and found the ewe pushing them away so he brought those babies to the kitchen. After giving them some of the warmed milk we tucked them in beside the little one. At three we gave all three of the babies milk and left them beside the warm stove while we went to get a few hours of sleep. When I finally crawled out of the wagon I found DD already in the kitchen with Mom, feeding the babies more milk. They were all pretty active, even the littlest one and we opted to put them in with the ewe after we milked her again. DD, DH, and I each took a lamb and headed to the lower plateau. The ewe still didn’t want them to nurse but she was eager to wash all the human smell from them and we knew that after a few more milkings she’d be fine with them. We stood for a few moments watching as DSIL and DGS headed the oxen to the field hoping to get another patch plowed before it rained again. The smell of pancakes wafted down to us as Mom prepared another batch for us late sleepers for breakfast and I suddenly had an idea. I went directly to the storeroom and with the bright solar light I started to search through the totes. Dh finally came to help and we finally found what I was looking for. Whole Buckwheat. I had brought along twenty pounds of it to use for sprouting but had forgotten about it as we’d been using wild greens and lately baby greens from the garden too. What we’d been grinding for flour was groats without the hulls and I hadn’t been sure they could be grown even though I knew they could be sprouted. Buckwheat is a very short season crop and if we got them in now they would be ready for harvest in a couple of months. After some more digging I found the bag of millet seed as well. It too was a very short season crop and though the yield might be smaller it was certainly worth a try. I had been worried that our rice crop wouldn’t mature in time and with my gluten intolerance that would mean I’d have to harvest a lot of wild grain by hand or go without. I will still try to do some wild harvests but these two crops would be a good alternative and add variety to all our diets. We spent the rest of the morning planting another acre, half to millet, half to buckwheat and would do the same on Monday if more land could be plowed by then. At noon when we went to check on the lambs we found the other ewe lambing and I sent the rest of the family to eat while I stayed with her. This would be her first lambing but I shouldn’t have worried. By the time the others were back she’d given us two beautiful lambs and was busy trying to get them to nurse. The problem was she wanted the other lambs to nurse too and as their mom was still being picky they were willing and we ended up separating them with a short piece of fencing. DD milked the older ewe and fed the babies and then we all headed for various jobs. We had wanted to get moved into the new bedrooms but so far we’d been too busy and we spent the afternoon working to get the rest of the doors up and the whole cave more secure. YGS spent the afternoon with Mom and I in the new sod building helping us get the stones in the floor more level and washing the Plexiglas that had been put into the window openings. We’d have to get the greenhouse finished soon but for now I would just be glad to be somewhere with walls that felt more solid than what we’d been living in for months. The day just didn’t seem long enough though to get everything done. Another day should see us moved in but I wasn’t sure when that would be yet.

Is it Friday night already? I can barely keep up with the days they are going so fast. Wednesday and Thursday were spent mostly cutting logs and dragging them to the home plateau. We were torn between needing to work in the fields and gardens and getting enough logs cut so that we could get them in before it gets too hot to work the teams that hard. Mom and I spent Wednesday doing the laundry and doing some weeding in the garden. Thursday we both rode the wagon to the timber with the family to pick June berries and to gather raspberry and other herbs and leaves from the young new growth to dry for teas. We spent all morning gathering and part of the afternoon sorting and putting them on trays. When we were done with that SO and I went back with the wagon to gather cattail pollen. We'd found a huge patch of them in a small pond near where the family was cutting trees and I wanted to gather as much as I could to substitute for some of our flour. Gathering the pollen pretty easy as it only takes tipping the cattail spike over a sack and rubbing the pollen off into it and it didn't take us long to get a tote full of the yellow fluffy stuff. We were both wearing heavy rubber boots but my feet were still cold when we finally got out of the wet area. My feet were cold and I was sneezing. The pollen would have to be sifted but that was all that had to be done to use it. I was still stuffed up this morning and hoped that it was just from the pollen and not because I was coming down with something. Today we all went different directions with our work. DSIL and DD went to the fields to get another acre plowed and planted. It was almost too late to get the crops in but we were working now on field peas and beans so they should do well. DH, DS, and DGS, along with YGS started working on frames and doors for the new bedrooms. They used the lumber maker attachment for the chain saw to do them, as that would save logs and make it go faster. Mom worked in the kitchen while SO and I went to the garden. DSIL had taken the plow to the new areas and we worked first on raking them smooth while they were still fresh. When that was finished SO went to rake leaves and dry grasses from the areas by the cliff where the doors would be going in and put it on the new garden areas as mulch. She also used the scythe on some of the longer grass there so that could be added as well. She wasn't real good at it but still better than I would have been. I couldn't help but notice how shaggy the grass was getting despite having the animals tethered on it almost daily. The grass on the two plateaus between the home one and the lower field was really getting long and it wouldn't be long we'd have to be cutting it for hay. I worked on planting more herbs and the wild plants I wanted to cultivate near the homestead and then started the never-ending job of weeding. I was really tempted to harvest some of the fast growing greens but instead decided I would gather some wild greens for supper after I was done in the garden. Mom joined me about mid morning, after she had taken care of the morning milk and started another cheese. She sat on a bucket and weeded between the green, yellow, and purple beans. I planted another short row of greens, more radishes, and then put in more onion seed. At noon we stopped only long enough for a quick bite and then everyone headed for the field to work there. I was just starting to pull weeds out of the rice when Mom came to the edge of the plateau above me and suggested I come look at one of the does. I had checked her this morning and she didn't seem to be doing anything but had forgotten to check her at noon. Sure enough, she was well into delivering the first baby. She was tied near the second sod building and had wandered into it to kid and I quickly grabbed some of the grass that SO had raked up in the morning to put under her to make clean up easier. Then I went to find a couple of towels and a lawn chair, thinking that I might have to help and would need to be closer without bending over. By the time I got back she'd already dropped one kid and was working on another and ignoring the first so I started to clean the sac off it's face. When she started almost immediately on her third baby I moved the first one over to the other doe tied just out of reach and watched as she started washing it, as I knew she would. She has always been our 'mother'! I cleaned up the second one while the doe cleaned up the third almost like an assembly line and then gave them all back to the doe and watched as she nuzzled them to their feet to get them to nurse. I was content; they were all three does. When they were all doing okay I headed to the hot springs room to wash out the towels I'd used. Mom came along to help and we soon had them on a line in the yard drying. When Mom suggested that I take cold drinks to the family I readily agreed. I was tired of weeding and was looking for an excuse not to go back to it. I could see the family was tired. The sun had been hot all day and they were grateful for the cool lemon balm and wood sorrel tea. As I left the field I decided to get a start on the chores and stopped on the second plateau to bring the tethered sheep and buck goats back to their hut. The two ewes were huge and would be lambing any time now and we'd have to watch them carefully. I filled a water bucket for them and put it in the pen and laughed at the gander as he hissed at me from a back corner. The goose had been setting almost from the first day we'd put them in with the sheep and he would not let anyone near her. The gate had been opened all day for them to go out to graze and drink from the spring so I knew they didn't need feed. I ignored him for now but knew I would have to check the eggs soon to make sure they were doing okay. We couldn't afford for her to be setting on eggs that weren't going to hatch. Before I left I brought water and grain to the three pigs, which had been moved once again, this time to the side of the sheep fence. They were really growing but we couldn't count on pork for a year or more yet. You might know, the goose was friendly enough when I had grain in my hands. When I reached the homestead plateau I dropped the thermos and cups off at the kitchen and checked to see that Mom had everything under control for supper and then went to lead the horses to the pond for a drink. I took them only two at a time as I wasn't sure I could handle more. It took me a half dozen or more trips with the riding horses and draft ones too but they were all well behaved and I had no trouble I called the dogs to go with me to take the does to the pond. The new mom wouldn't leave her babies but I had already given her a bucket of water after the birth. The other older doe was reluctant to leave her post near the new family but the dogs knew just what to do to get her moving. She had been dry for a couple of weeks now and would be kidding in about three weeks. The two young does were both bred to kid in October. When we returned I tied all three of them under the ledge by the cliff to eat brush for the night and to keep the new mom company. The milk cows were next but they were so tame they easily followed me to the pond with the Herd dog following leisurely behind. One cow would be calving any day now and one would be fresh in a month or so. The one that we were still milking wouldn't calf until late fall and she was still giving us over two gallon of milk a day. I left the young bull for the guys to take to the pond. He was tame enough but he was strong and he WAS a bull and we never trusted him. I tethered the cows on fresh grass for the night and went to finish the rest of the chores. The ducks and the two roosters greeted me noisily as I went into the pen but only a couple of the hens left their nests. I went to each nest by turn and tossed the grumpy hens off to go eat and drink while I checked the eggs to remove those that hadn't been marked. There were a lot fewer fresh ones now and I had been saving half of them back to set for a second batch of chicks if another hen went broody. Now I would save them all to make sure we had plenty. I took a little time to pull some grass and weeds along the edge of the garden where we can't tether the animals close enough and threw that in the pen. Then I headed for the kitchen to store the eggs and get the milk bucket. At least there was only one cow to milk now and I could handle that myself. It was almost dark when the family came in to eat. The oxen had all had to be watered and fed well, the bull taken to get a drink and the equipment all cleaned and ready for another day before they could call the day over and I could see they were pretty tired. They sat around for a while and talked about what they would be doing tomorrow but they didn't stay long. I am sitting outside the wagon writing and looking out over the moonlit landscape. I can hear the sheep stirring around in their hut and wonder if I should go check on them. I guess I better get DH up to go with me though. It's not safe to go alone at night.

The last two days have been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to even write. I guess I’ll back up and start with what I missed. We went to Annarchy’s Tuesday, leaving Mom and DS home for security. I wanted them to go along as they are often the ones here and GS and SO said they would be glad to stay but Mom felt she would be very little help and wasn’t up to the ride and DS said he was having some breathing difficulties. I worry because he’s not been using his meds and inhalers as much, mostly because he is trying to save them but he says he’s doing okay on less. We finally agreed but I worried that if something happened to him there would be no way for Mom to let us know or even get to us. She might be able to saddle a horse and maybe even ride it but she only knew vaguely where we would be as we only knew vaguely ourselves. I believe we really surprised Annarchy and GS and I was glad that Chef had given me the food for the day when we were at the lodge on Sunday. I had such a good time with Annarchy. I was fascinated with her kiln. I knew we were going to have to make our own containers soon so that they would be ready for storing foods for fall. I could use a kick wheel to make pottery and knew slab and coil techniques but I wasn’t sure about being able to fire the pots. I wonder what temps can be reached in it but without Pyrometric cones to gage firing temps we might just need to experiment. But then, Native Americans used to fire their pottery just in an open fire pit and then would cover them to cool slowly. I can barely wait to check out our area of the river to see what kind of clay is there. MtR has found some nice red clay near their place so I would think we’d find some near us as it is often formed near weathering rock. Even if I don’t get a kiln built right away, I could be working on pots. I also had fun watching Mt.R running from place to place, learning about adobe. Her and DD seemed to both be interested in it and they made a good pair. I hope that DD was paying real close attention because the first thing I want her to experiment with is that kiln. Annarchy and I, with MtR joining in, had a great talk about herbs. She’s found a lot of plants I haven’t even started to think of collecting. She’s found common yarrow and has already gathered the leaves to use as a poultice and for colds and fevers and for internal bleeding. She has gathered the leaves and roots of Tall Cinquefoil to use as an astringent that is good for stopping bleeding and for diarrhea, among other things. She’s found a Canada or Glacier lily, I’m not sure which but a poultice of the root was used for snakebite in the past. It might be worth a try in a pinch. Best of all she’s found St. John’s Wort. It’s uses are so great. Most well known is as a mild antidepressant but the flowers, steeped as a tea, in a tincture, or in oil can be used as a wound treatment, especially in cases of severed nerves, cuts, bruises and so much more. It is an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, a potent anti-retrovirus, and is great for diarrhea, worms, and more. It is a great find as it is basically a long ago escapee that has naturalized all over the US but I didn’t expect it to be this far from civilization. Interestingly enough, there is a lot of those plants here. I am guessing they were not brought by man but came in on or in animals as seeds. She says there’s large patches on their land and If I don’t find it near us she will share. I really enjoyed setting near the lake and watching the beaver. Not only will they yield some really nice fur pelts but also they will be tasty to eat. I really only like the tail but from the looks of some of these animals there will be plenty of meat in that. We wandered upstream to see the waterfalls, dragging MtR with us, and I got to gather some of the wild herbs there, especially the wild tarragon. I really love the taste of it with fish and in bread. I was most touched though when Annarchy gave me a pair of gloves she’d made from the pelt of the Cougar who wanted me for lunch. They are beautiful and fit as if they were made for me. I will treasure them as much for her thoughtfulness as for their warmth. A precious gift indeed. As I hugged everyone good by late that afternoon, I had the same feeling that I’d had when leaving Q’s barn building. These are a wonderful group of people. Ones I can trust to stand together when the going gets tough. We said good by to Dr. and MtR when we reached the turnoff to Cleft in the Rocks and headed towards the Hobbit Hole. It was starting to get dusk and I knew Mom and DS would be worried about us when we didn’t get home by dark but we’d brought along a solar light to hang between the horses so that it shone onto the road. It was a bit spooky as dark ascended and I worried about the kids riding along beside the wagon. YGS was tucked in with us sound asleep but I kept watching the shadows along the edges of the road, I guess watching for something to jump out at us. Nothing did but I was glad to reach home. I guess I’ll try to catch this up later. I’m too tired to write more and everyone else is already in bed. Another big day tomorrow so I better join them.

I woke, startled in the early hours before dawn, and lay still trying to figure out what had wakened me. It had been stormy earlier and we'd had rain shortly after we'd gone to bed but it seemed quiet now. Then I heard Sasha growling low in her throat and crawled out of bed to grab a robe and a light. DH crawled out behind me and we made our way down the back steps of the wagon. The kids were already out shining lights around the soggy looking landscape but we could see nothing wrong. DH and I wandered to the garden area and shown our lights all over the area as we walked along it. DS was doing the same at the other end. Nothing. The other kids were checking the animals and GS and SO walked down to check the sheep and there was nothing there either, the trees and vines undisturbed, the sheep placidly staring out at them. The dogs nosed around the north end of the plateau for a while and then came back to curl up in their usual sleeping spot under the tarp where they could keep watch over the place and Sasha went back to lay near her pups under the wagon. Whatever it had been was gone and we all went to crawl back into our beds. Of course, I couldn't sleep by then. We were at Annarchy's most of the day yesterday (more on that later) and I should have been tired enough to sleep again. I lay there a long time trying but it was no use. After about fifteen minutes I gave up and grabbed my robe again and headed for the kitchen. After stoking the stove and putting some water on to heat I settled at the table with our inventory list and thought some about what we what we needed to do before the family arrived. I estimated we'd at least double our usage of food though there was a possibility that the family would have at least some food with them. I wouldn't count on it though and it would just be extra if they did. Our grain supply is my biggest concern. Even with all our wagons there was just no way to carry in enough grain for humans and animals alike and a lot of it was used on the trip out and during the snow storm when we fed others and the animals. It is dwindling too fast and if the supplies we ordered don't come in we will be out for both humans and animals before the crops are ready for harvest. Some of the grain we ordered might be at the Ranch now, as the messenger said we had quite a few things that were too bulky to pack in with them this time, but I don't want to count on that either. In the mean time we'll have to do what we can to stretch it. We'll be having a lot less bread and biscuits I know even with what we can gather in the wild. Not a lot of native grain substitutes this time of year. Clover flowers and then the seeds will be ready soon but though they lend protein I'm not crazy about them as a flour substitute. There are the pines of course. The inner layer can be dried and ground to mix with flour but the taste is pretty disagreeable in breads and such. We might still find cones though with their nuts intact. Not to mix with the flour so much as for other uses. The inner bark of birch and elm, especially slippery elm, makes great flour when dried well and ground. They are both sweet tasting and useful in other ways too. We should also be able to find reindeer moss here in the valley and that would be useful as flour in small quantities. Again, the taste is not going to be what anyone is used to. I'm pretty sure I saw nut-grass and that might have seeds clinging to it yet from winter but it takes a lot to harvest any of the grass seeds. Our most useful will be the cattail pollen and rootstock. The pollen will be easy and fairly fast to harvest and is usable right away but the rootstock takes more work. The pollen should be ready very soon. Once summer gets here we'll find all sorts of flour substitutes but by then we'll have more people to help. We have potatoes and other root crops left in storage but I believe we better plant what potatoes we have and replace them with wild tubers. Everyone was talking about Sweet Potatoes on Sunday at the Lodge but I set ours to sprout so late I don't think they'll be ready in time unless we have a really late winter. I might try putting one or two in the greenhouse here and sending some to Chef to put in their bigger one just to make sure we have some for storage for next year. We still have quite a few pounds of dried beans and peas that we might be able to grind and substitute for part of the grain. It makes for heavier flour but we can lighten it with whipped egg whites. I will need to make sure that I save back some of all our seed for next year just in case we have a crop failure even if it means having less this year. We'll just have to depend more on wild harvests. Thankfully with more people having gardens in the valley we'll be able to swap seeds. I'm glad I set out those cabbages and root crops from the root cellar at the homestead. They should give us seed for next year. Our garden is already yielding fresh baby greens and small radishes and we've been mixing them with wild greens to stretch them but it won't be long before we'll have abundant greens coming in. The first peas we put in are just starting to flower now and will have pods on them soon for fresh eating. The ones in the fields are just barely up. I hope they get ahead of the weeds and shade them out but I suspect we'll be out there weeding by hand soon. DD just came in and said that we did have a visitor this morning. Something has been in the hot springs room and knocked over all the bottles of shampoo and tore down the shower curtain. What ever it was, it ate the bar of scented soap that was in there but left the lye soap. That's going to be one sick animal I bet. The bottles were on a high ledge of rock near the shower and I wonder if it was a raccoon. It would have had to do some fancy climbing even at that. I guess it's time to put up some sort of door to the outside there. We normally always shower or bathe in twos so that one can keep watch but I've always worried that some critter would come in while I was in there. I could just imagine me confronting whatever it was rather than escape into the cave. Well, it's time to get chores started. I still have to skim the cream off yesterday's milk. At least it's cow's milk and that separates easily overnight, unlike goat's milk, which is naturally homogenized and doesn't give up its cream as well. Cream from cows, especially from these jerseys, gives us a rich yellow butter that we all love. What little cream we do get off of our goats milk is rich and delicious but is almost pure white and looks a lot like Crisco. Goat's milk is more easily digested because of its smaller protein and with its lower lactose content I tolerate it better. The yogurt made from goat milk is less thick but I culture mine for 24 hours anyway to make it more digestible and it doesn't get tangy as cow's milk can when cultured that long. It also makes the most soothing soap. Speaking of goats. I need to get one of the does under cover somewhere today. She was looking pretty sunk in above her tail last night and that's a sure sign of kidding soon.

As I expected the day was a busy one, filled with sawing and pounding. The first thing done was to dig more sod from the garden area so we can double or triple its size. We hope to mulch the whole garden before long and that should help keep the weeds down but for now it was enough to get it worked up so we can get more seeds in before it is too late for them. With plenty of sod to raise the front and sidewalls to the overhanging ledge we finally were able to close in the building that was supposed to have been the chicken coop and to add another larger closed in area next to it, though that isn't finished yet. We are going to need all the room we can get as fast as possible and sod seems to be the answer. Later we will be adding log cabins along the cliff face but we want to get out of the camper wagon so we can use it for others to sleep in. We aren't sure if our son and his family will want to stay here on the homestead with us or find a place of their own before winter but we figure they or one of DIL's family will be able to use the camper wagon temporarily until they get a more permanent home built. We could also put the covers back on the wagons or set them up like Michael did for temporary homes as well. I know when the time comes we'll have to bring the wagons up to the base of the pass, to use to transfer the possessions to the valley. It should be interesting to get it all down that pass but at least the wagons on the upper side will be able to go back to the ranch for others to use. The inside area of the first sod building figured out to be 16 by just about 22 feet and we used the north end to partition off two bedroom areas that were about 8 by 10 feet each. The logs we used for the center wall looked for all the world like Lincoln logs stuck into the sod at one end with short pieces holding them up at the other. It did a nice sturdy job of giving each bedroom some privacy and a doorway that could be covered with a blanket or tarp. That left a 12 by 16 foot area at the other end of the building for a sitting room. A four by four piece of Lexan Plexiglas has been placed in both the front wall there and in the wall abutting the greenhouse to make the area bright. A door opening was built into the greenhouse at the back of that south wall and just inside the greenhouse there is an opening to one of the cave rooms. Inside this opening is a small stone alcove just off to the side that will work just fine for a make shift bathroom to hold our camp potty. We tried to get DS to take a section of this building to sleep in but he chose to sleep in the cave right behind the greenhouse. DD, DSIL, and YGS will be sleeping in a cave room just down from our area and the other Gkids will be sharing a larger area closer to the hot springs. The more we explored the cliff face the more openings we found, some containing just small areas inside the cliff, some were small passages to the larger 'hall' deeper in the caves but several more, besides the ones we are using for bedrooms or storage, lead into fairly large areas which could be useful for storage. It seemed the whole cliff area is a warren of rooms and I can't help but wonder at the terrible power that formed them. Most are dry so they weren't formed by water, or at least not in the past hundred years or so. I am getting better about the caves. At least now I can look inside each one if there are lights inside and I believe I'll be able to use the 'bathroom' behind the greenhouse if I don't think about it. We have set up one of the solar shed lights in the storage room behind the kitchen and another in the fresh water spring room and I am able to be in those rooms for short periods of time. I'm glad we brought so many of the solar shed lights along as well as dozens of extra rechargeable batteries. They have long enough cords that the collector can be run to the outside and each light has a switch to turn them off and on. While the rest of the family was finishing up the frames for the windows in the new area and Mom was helping DS clean his new 'bedroom', I went to the kitchen to work on a cake. Because we had not celebrated DS's birthday on Friday I thought we'd do it tonight. I don't know if he even remembered what day it was after the messenger was here. After setting the cake in the oven I set out the ingredients for pizza, wanting to make a special meal for everyone in celebration. I set the sour dough working for the crust and then went to help clean the new bedroom areas while the cake baked. Mom's side, to the back where we hoped it would be warmer for her, proved to be a bit difficult as there were still plants clinging to the cliff walls there. I managed to get all of them down and the walls there swept but there was no sweeping the sod walls to the north. There is a door cut into the wall there that opens into the new adjoining sod building. That building is both deeper and longer and when it's finished we hope it might work as a sleeping place for our son's family if they want to stay with us and if not we can use it for DD and her family or as a barn if we get their log cabin up before winter. As in the kitchen, the dirt on the floor gave way to stone and though it was fairly bumpy, the bumpiest area will be under the bed. I was thankful that the logs for the dividing wall had been peeled and brushed before installing them and that someone had taken time to smooth them so they would fit snuggly against each other. At least we won't have to chink them for privacy. A good sweeping and a wipe down with a wet rag was really all they needed and then I went looking for nails or hooks for hanging clothes. I stopped in the kitchen and took the cake out of the oven, setting it inside the storage room to cool. I frosted it later with an egg white meringue and put a candle in the center for fun. I didn't have a gift for him but we had all agreed that we would only give Christmas gifts this year, and those only through drawing names. When I returned to the bedrooms I found Mom working on the walls in our bedroom and I put the nails down to help her do that side. There was a window in the sod to the front there and I appreciated the thoughtfulness of my family. They had the windows in the 'sitting' room by night too. The doors aren't on yet though so we decided to wait to move in until they are done. At least in the wagon I know a critter isn't going to wander in during the night. I noticed that Sasha was in and out of the building all day and several times I found her laying peacefully in a corner out of the way but I'm not sure I want a big dog living with us all summer. We might have to convince her to sleep with her puppies though she isn't spending as much time with them lately. It sounds like MtR wants one of the pups for her new family. That will work out fine as I suspect that the herd dog will be having pups before long. We seem to be blessed with dogs. The pizza and cake proved to be a big success. We took turns telling our favorite stories about DS and had a great time when he turned the tales on us. It was fun and a great way to end a long and tiring day. Now I sit here quietly writing while waiting for water to boil so I can start a big pot of barley for breakfast. When it's ready I will put it in the oven to let it cook slowly as the fire dies in the stove and then I will crawl into bed.

It is so quiet here this morning. I am sitting at the table in the kitchen writing by the light of one of the small solar lights, trying to be quiet so I don't wake the others. It is not even five o'clock yet and they need their rest. I could not sleep; too many things running through my mind and too many decisions to make. I need to get them written down before I forget. The ride home from the settlement yesterday gave me plenty of time to look around and to start organizing my thoughts. The last couple of weeks, watching all the plowing and planting that we'd been doing I had been estimating the amount of work those plowed areas signified. Not just the work plowing and getting them planted but the work involved in weeding and harvesting. I thought about the acres of corn we'd planted in the Three sisters method and began to see it for the problem it might be and I was glad we'd put some just in rows. Harvesting the acres of corn would mean walking row by row, pulling individual ears from the stalks and throwing them into a nearby wagon. That will be harder with the beans and squash vines in the way. We brought several of the old fashioned corn husking pegs that strapped on your hand to help rip the corn from the husks which are left on the stalks but I know from my own past experience that even using them, gloves and hands were pretty torn up by the end of a day. It would probably be faster to pull the corn off, husk and all, but if there is any dampness left in the corn the husks often get moldy and the corn could be ruined. It really wouldn't make a lot of difference in the time it would take to harvest either way. If memory served me right, the absolute most we might be able to glean from a field with this heritage corn would be about 75 or 100 bushel to an acre. A normal man could probably harvest about fifty bushel a day if they were experienced, a lot more if they worked long hours and had been doing it half their lives. I think the tops I read about is 100 bushel a day. Some of the family actually has harvested corn by hand but none of us are experts by any means, nor are we toughened to it. That of course brought me to the problem of having to build a corncrib before fall and to figure out a way to cover it to help keep the corn dry. It also brought me to how we were going to have enough gloves on hand to protect us as each pair shredded with the sharp husks. We were going to have to figure out how to make them from the hides we were savings and I guess I should figure out a pattern for ones that had double thumb, one on front and one on the backs so they could be turned around for double use. I've seen them but I'm not sure I can get them right. What we planted in three sisters method might be pretty difficult to harvest. I'm glad we'd planted the squash and pumpkin between the rows of corn instead of around each hill. Hopefully we can harvest the squash and pumpkins first, then perhaps the dried beans and the corn last. Or we might be able to leave the corn on the stalks and turn the animals into sections of it at time after we'd gleaned what we were able and let them have the rest; stalks, vines, and all. As we passed Cleft in the Rock Homestead and noticed the newly plowed fields there I started thinking of the amount of work involved in harvesting the oats, wheat, barley and other small grain. We'll have to cut it by hand, with a scythe, before the heads shatter, scattering the grain. Then gather bundles by hand and tying them with a piece of straw, stacking the bundles into shocks and getting them covered with another bundle to keep the rain off as they finish maturing and drying. Then hauling the bundles somewhere to lay them on a floor to thresh by hand with a flail, winnowing them on a windy day, and storing them in something we would also have to manufacture before fall. Perhaps bags or tight bins might work but if we are going to do bags we'll have to get busy on them this summer. I have a lot of material along but not enough to use for that and have enough clothing for everyone with all the newcomers coming. I'm pretty sure that our one spinning wheel and one loom isn't going to produce enough material for all our needs and there isn't going to be enough hides to go around either. I do have material on the list we sent to the ranch but with the scarcity of wagons and all it's going to be difficult enough to get all the people in with their own things. Then there are the staples everyone is hoping for, the salt and other things we can't grow ourselves. The more they try to bring in the slower going it will be for the people. It's probably going to be slow anyway with all the children there will be on this train, and a couple of babies on top of it all. They are going to have to stop to wash and dry diapers at the least. I hope DDIL has enough real diapers so that we don't have to wash every day at the least and more to the point, what about our own 'wipes' cloths. With so many coming in I don't think we will have nearly enough. We've been gathering soft leaves every time we see some and putting them in the outhouse but I can just imagine how many we'll need with these extra people. We've kind of gotten used to the routine of gathering leaves and putting any cloths we use in water to soak and then washing them every few days. We had weeks of getting used to being on the trail before we got to the valley but the newcomers won't have had that toughening up we had coming through towns and then ranch land. They are going to be thrown right into the wilderness. I remember how tired we all were when we finally arrived. I can just imagine how they are going to be. We have a lot to do to get ready for them to come; places for them to sleep out of the weather, another couple of outhouses built, more rooms in the caves cleaned for storage and for sleeping. We are going to start working on the caves and the sod house today. Sometime in the next week I want to check on the June berries. They should be ready soon. There might still be some wild strawberries and even if the berries are gone I can gather some of the new leaves and roots to dry for tea. The root tea can be used for stomach problems, menstrual difficulties, and lung ailments. The leaf is good for bladder and kidney stones, diarrhea, and as a nerve tonic. Besides, the dried leaf makes a good substitute for black tea. I noticed our planted strawberries are really growing but there won't be much of a crop this year for them. They need to put their energy into getting established. I might be able to harvest some of the leaves later in the year just for drinking. They won't be as effective medicinally though. I am still hopeful that we might get a picking of the Heritage Red Raspberries we planted, though a late one. They are pretty tough plants. The wild raspberries will be ready in a couple of weeks but the blackberries will be closer to August I'd guess. I need to gather leaves and roots from both of those now though as they have a lot of the same properties as the strawberry leaf plus raspberry leaf in particular is specific for childbirth and menstrual cramps as it strengthens the uterus. I haven't found any mulberries here but then I didn't expect to see them in this area. That's why I brought so many of them along. I'm hoping they will survive. I've seen lots of chokecherries for jelly though they won't be ready until fall. I need to harvest some of the inner bark to dry for coughs but I'll have to do it soon. The spring bark contains less cyanide than later in the year and if dried well it greatly reduces that but the inner layer of wild cherry bark has long been used for bronchial problems. I'll need it for DS's lung tea. Another thing I have to get out to pick very soon is the elderberry flowers. We will need them for the lung tea and for colds and fevers. They are also great in fritters and if I find enough of them we'll use some for that but they will be much more useful medicinally. I'll need to leave plenty to produce berries so that I can gather them in the fall for making tinctures for the flu and for jelly and pies if there's enough. Well it sounds like the family is stirring so I'll have to work on this later. We have lots of work to do today and I'm sure we can all use a hearty breakfast before we start.

Q, your post is fine. We lots of time have something out of sinc. Don't worry about it. Mt3b SOUTH of A's place SOUTH at the end of the valley? I thought you were in that old trappers cabin on the east side of the map???? The one already marked there??? Soo, just how many trappers cabins ARE in this valley? I'm going back to the Hobbit Hole and stand on the top and see if I can see where you-all are at. Oh and Q, Next time someone has trouble with my veins I'm going to tell them to call you. I used to tell them to call my veterinarian. He was SUPER... LOL. For those of you who are interested,,, our readership has gone up again. Personally I believe they are just happy to have Mt_Rider back. I know *I* am.

Sunday The oxen were slow this morning and tended to want to wander around and it took quite a bit to keep them moving. I think they’ve forgotten how to herd already but we finally got them all to the Lodge so they could go out with the Messengers and Mr.H when they left for the Ranch. There were a lot of oxen here already and I could see it was going to be a fairly slow trip back to the Ranch. I understand they are also taking the two wagons that were left above the pass as it was difficult to find sturdy enough ones in the area around the ranch. They are planning to try to get Mt_Rider’s donkey cart and MT3B’s animal cart back up the slope and some of the extra guys are planning to go up with them and help with the pulley set up. There’s no way they are getting one of the bigger wagons back up unless it is disassembled and taken up in pieces but I believe the carts might make it. We’d had brought fresh made vinegar cheese mixed with fresh herbs and homemade mayonnaise and we headed directly to the kitchen. Mom had been perfecting a homemade cracker recipe using sour dough and we brought some along for people to snack on, with the cheese, before lunch. Today only DD and DSIL stayed home to tend the stock. The rest of the family came along to help herd the oxen. YGS was proud that his pony was doing so well with the herding and he followed the others right into the pasture where they were corralling the teams. He soon joined Mom and I as we went into the kitchen, I suppose needing to fill the hollow leg that had emptied since breakfast. Chef would be riding out with the others when they left the valley to act as cook on the way back and he was busy gathering what equipment he might need on the trail. He had chosen to back pack what he needed as that would be better than trying to transfer them from a wagon to an animal and then to a wagon at the top again. This way the animals could just be taken up the alternative track and then perhaps unload it into one of the waiting wagons on top if needed. I spent some time going over various ideas for cutting back on equipment and then helping him select some food to use on the way back. They would be moving as fast as the oxen would allow which with the two wagons also, wouldn’t be all that speedy but they would probably be going from dawn to dusk most days. Because of that Chef wanted to be able to have easily prepared meals and we packed slabs of bacon, a couple of hams, a few sausages and a lot of jerky. He had already mixed up baking powder, flour, salt and pepper to make a biscuit mix and I finished it by cutting in Crisco from the storage supplies. It would keep well and be quick and easy to use for biscuits, pancakes, and even desert. We added dried fruit and vegetables, a variety of seasonings, dried beans and peas, and called it good enough. He was a bit discouraged that it wouldn’t be up to his usual fare and I made him smile by adding some powdered eggs, powdered milk, and instant mashed potatoes. I noticed though that the last thing he put in was a good-sized container of MT3B’s honey. I was glad that Chef would be going with the group. I told him about our son and his family and said our son would probably be at the fire helping, as he loved open fire cooking. Our son was well used to life in the woods and he and his family hunted and camped. I wasn’t so sure about the rest of the family. It was the little ones I was worried about. The youngest would only be a little over a year old. The oldest would turn twelve just before they left the Ranch. It was good to see Q and MT3B and I rejoiced with Q on having her son returned to her in such an unusual way. I did feel MT3B’s pain at having her sons leaving in the morning with the group but I bet she is proud that they want to go along for protection and to help the new people coming back. I know I am proud of our DGD and DGSIL. They would both be going back as well, not only to help with protection but also to help our son and his family to make the journey. They told us last night they wanted to go but were reluctant to leave us with so much to do but we all encouraged them to go. They brought their things with them today, prepared to stay at the Lodge tonight and move out when the rest of the group went. They were packed very light with guns and ammo, a small tent, sleeping bags, necessities, and light weight food though I know that Chef will see that everyone is fed. We stayed for the services and the pot luck but headed back to the Hobbit Hole right afterwards to be home in time to help with chores. Hugging the grandkids goodbye was difficult. We knew how dangerous it might be out there. I looked back once and saw DGD standing where we’d left her, looking after us. That was when I started to cry. Tears of sorrow that they were going, tears of fear for their safety, and tears of joy because I had faith they would be back in a month with our son and his family.

Ah shucks Annarchy, you are still too far away to borrow a cup of sugar from. But then, we're all a lot further away than it looks like on the map. I'm glad to see you'll be having another person at your homestead though. By the way, keep up the good work, great posts, and well try to keep Q away from you with those needles .

QUILTYS !!!!!! I put the IIII just so I wouldn't have to even THINK about IV's... You'd have to be REAL good to get one in me....Oh, I'm not a bit bothered by needles and it's a good thing, they usually have to 'get' me a few times before that one pesky vein wants to 'give' but.....well I'm one of 'those people' that the lab techs do not like to see. Now you know why I needed the IIII. (BTW MtR,,,look on a clock that has Roman Numerals and you will normally see the IIII unless it's a newer one. Mine are all antiques so that's probably why that went on the title... and,,,,, think how nice that is for your Dysclepaticitctic mind. ) Yeah, I can just SEE MtR and I running into each other if we lived together. I keep wondering if the old saying of great minds running in the same circles applies here???? But then, does that mean we ARE running in circles?

Yesterday, when the messenger was here, he had given us a small packet of letters but in my excitement I had just glanced at them and put them aside expecting to look at them as soon as he had gone. But we were so busy throughout the day that I didn't remember them until Mom and I were getting supper. Two were for Mom and as I handed them to her I saw one without a postmark or stamp and recognized the writing immediately. It was from our youngest son and it was written just before the messengers left the Ranch. THEY ARE AT THE ROCKIN' J!!!! I'm pretty sure that everyone all over the valley could have heard me yelling that. I was that excited. I can hardly believe they are that close and will be coming in on the next wagon train. He said they had a 'pretty rough time' getting to the area and that the Rocks had found them at the abandoned farm about a week after they got there and insisted they stay at the Ranch where it was safer. Then he said that our DIL's family was with him and that they would be bringing as much in as they were able to haul in the wagons the Rocks were furnishing but that they had been told we might have to meet the train at the top of the pass and transfer all the goods to wagons below so the wagons could make another trip back to the Ranch. He doesn't say how many people are with them but no matter, we'll make them welcome. My mind was whirling with the thought of housing and feeding all those people. I guess that it will almost double are food necessities and I was glad the guys had plowed as much as they could yesterday. This morning I sent one of the grandkids down to the Cleft of the Rock to check in with the MtR's to see if they needed help with getting the oxen to the Lodge Sunday and he came back saying the MTR f would be increasing their 'family' several fold also. The grandkids took the community plow down to them with orders to offer them whatever help they needed. Our SIL, DD, DH, YGS, and myself set to work in the fields here as well. With the one plow, even with changing teams and drivers half way through the day, it was impossible to get more than two acres of new sod plowed in a day and that would be exhausting for the person plowing. I tried to calculate what we could realistically still get planted that would mature before winter and decided that corn just wasn't prolific enough to warrant the space. As the Rockin' J people already had grain crops planted on the western side of the valley, according to the messenger, we opted to plant more winter storage crops. I wished we'd started more seedlings but it would not hurt to direct seed most of what we would grow. We had plenty of seed for cabbage, kale, chard, pumpkin, squash, more peas and beans for dried use, beets, carrots, turnips, onions, parsnips, rutabagas, and others and we decided they would give us decent crops for the amount of land. Most of these would require a smoother seedbed so we hooked up the disc and harrow as well as the plow so one could follow the other across the fields. That left YGS and me to do the planting for now and we barely had three rows done by noon. I could not continue after our light meal as I knew I would be useless for days if not weeks if I did but YGS was a trooper and went right back to the field with the others as soon as he was done eating At lunch time I had asked DH to bring in some of the hanging meat for supper and he came back to remind me the meat had been hanging a week now and we decided that it might be a good idea to get it taken care of. Mom had used some of the venison while we'd been gone and had even dried some of it as well so there was less of it to deal with but we had a whole goat left to preserve. We knew it would dry out considerably if we smoked it without any skin on it, nor did we have a smoke house built yet so we decided to corn most of the meat. It would use some of our precious salt but we thought this would be the fastest way to preserve the meat and it would keep long enough to use it when the others arrived. The guys skinned the meat and brought it to the kitchen for us and then they all went back to the fields leaving Mom and I to deal with the meat. We started by cutting it into chunks that would fit into our empty totes. We mixed salt with honey and spices and then added water to make enough liquid to cover the meat. We added some dried onions and garlic and then weighted the meat down in the liquid so it would stay submerged. We set the buckets in the spring room for now but later they would be placed in the coldest part of the cave. We sliced some of the meat for jerky and got it drying and then what was left we put through the grinder to use in the next couple of days, placing it in the small refrigerator. Some of the bones were put to simmer on the back of the stove but those with some meat left on them were set aside for the dogs. When I stepped outside late in the afternoon to give the dogs each some of the scrap meat I stood watching my family in the fields. For a few minutes I watched YGS wield the walk-behind planter as he went down a row and my tears wouldn't stop coming. He looked so tired. He was too young at eight for such a responsibility but there was little help for it if we were to have enough food for everyone this winter. When I returned to the kitchen I found Mom making a batch of biscuits and I could see weariness and worry written all over her. At 88 she should not need to do this amount of work either. Then I caught sight of myself in the small mirror we'd hung on a wall and barely recognized myself. I was thinner, I knew that by the way my clothes fit me now, but I could also see the echo of that weariness and worry etched in my own face. Mom always knew how to make things right though and as I went to help her with the biscuits she gave me a hug and said we'd leave it up to the Lord and it would turn out right. She then handed me a thermos and suggested I take it to the field saying that the family would probably be working late today. I knew she was right but I also knew it was her way of giving me a break to get out into the fresh air and I gladly went. By the time I got to the field the Grandkids were back from MtR's and were helping to plant. They stopped long enough for a cool drink and few minutes rest and then went back to work. It was a late meal tonight. The whole family was tired and no one spoke much at the table. YGS actually fell asleep in his chair and his dad had to carry him to his bed. Everyone helped with the clean up though and then headed to bed, leaving Mom and I sitting with a cup of tea at the table with a pad of paper in front of us. We were making out an order form to send with the messengers when they returned to the Ranch. We were hoping it could be sent and the company would still be in business or another could be found. We didn't know if our paper dollars were worth anything now but we included them as well as silver and gold along with the order, hoping that the Rocks would know how to handle it. To be safe, we wrote a letter to our son to have him check with the Rocks to see what would be best and to see if any of the items could still be gotten locally. It was after eleven when Mom and I headed for the wagon.

To IV or not to IV,,that is the question???? General consensus is that either is correct. IIII is normally used on a clock or in a time line, IV is in general useage. I can easily CHANGE it but I'm not crazy about IV's..... (sorry couldn't resist) I'd like to add my encouragement to Mt_Riders for others to join us. The only thing I might add is that when reading the posts you will notice that we are using the 'first person' to write in. It's something we just fell into early in the UN scene and has really added a quality to the reading. I believe it also makes it more realistic to those of us writing as it puts us THERE! Speaking of realism, by writing we are all exploring just how difficult some of this lifestyle might be. It is more than just writing a story. It is a learning experience for writers and readers alike. If you need help getting started be sure to pm one of us for suggestions. We need more people sharing their 'homesteading' experience. Mt_R you KNOW I try SOOOO hard NOT to post when you are but it sure has taught me editing skills. I can now change days at a blink of an eye, whip up a sudden storm, or change my animal count at will.... And for those who don't realize it,,,,MT_Rider is the master mind and chief director of this UNreality scene. Michael and I are her back-ups but she's the one we watch for major happenings in the 'scene'. She MAKES things happen so pay attention to her posts in case she sends a disaster or a celebration or whatever. (Shhh, that means the buck stops with her when any really BIG bloopers happen )

Today we had a messenger. He was obviously traveling the whole community to let us know that we have had word from the Rockin J. The news is both good and bad. Several people have been sent to bring back the extra oxen so that more people can join us in the valley. It is my sincerest hope that our son and his family will be among those coming in. The bad news is that the worst is happening in the outside world. We’ve managed to get some of our orders brought in by pack train and we will attempt to order more supplies just in case it is possible to get them delivered to the Rockin J for a future time but it sounds bad out there and I can’t help but think about my brothers and sister and how they are coping. My brothers are close together and in a position to survive if needed but my sister lives way too close to the metropolitan area and is not prepared enough. Today we will be sorting out the oxen. I will gladly send all but six of them if it will help others. I believe two of the females are bred and due within the next couple of months and we haven’t been using them for plowing or pulling but that still leaves us with two teams for plowing, logging, and the wagons. We had a family meeting today and decided that if there was to be people coming in, whether they were our family or not, it would not be for four or five weeks because of the travel time both ways. That would mean it would be too late for crops. Gardens perhaps but not field crops. We started plowing again today, hoping to at least get in beans, peas, squash, and etc for winter storage. We had four teams going most of the day. Tomorrow we will start early and on Sunday the extra oxen will be driven to the Lodge to return with the messengers. May God be with them and the returning immigrants.

Friday, June 4th. Our son's birthday. I thought I would try to catch up on my writing before the family was awake. I want to record the happenings of yesterday. We had no sooner left the lodge yesterday morning (Thursday) than it started to rumble. When the rain did come it was just a drizzle, the kind that seemed to cast a pall over everyone's mood. We were all wearing our slickers but it wasn't long before YGS asked if he could ride in the wagon with us, just to keep us company. I didn't smile as I told him that I really could use some good conversation and he took me at my word, chatting away from behind the seat where he was staying dry. DH urged me to climb back with him to be drier but I knew it wouldn't take us long to reach the MT_Rider homestead and we wanted to stop there. I played guessing games with YGS until we reached the MTR homestead. There was no one in the clearing but we followed the trail through the rocks until we came close to the cave where the MT's were living. They were glad to see us and had us tie the horses where they could graze with their own and then ushered us inside. I was not sure I would manage but I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings so I followed and found it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. I didn't follow the others when DR. MT_R took them to see the rest of the 'home' and bless MT_R, she stayed with me in an outer area. Despite the drizzling rain I shared in her joy at the view they had and we talked for a while about what they'd already found on the land. The river was fairly wide and deep here and I could just see them using a boat to go down to the Lodge but it would be a row getting it back again. Then I started to really look and could see where a horse or ox might be able to pull rafts filled with produce and goods up and down the river by walking a path next to it just as they used to do in the canals before power boats came about. I made up my mind I would particularly pay attention all along the river on our way home. When we finally crawled back into the wagon it was still raining and the horses were all in a hurry to get to the homestead. We finally suggested the kids go ahead as we were just slowing them down and they left, taking YGS with them. DH had a bit of trouble holding back our team until the others were out of sight but eventually they settled back into a smoother gait. DH and I were silent for some time, just watching the scenery pass at first, but then we started talking about the cabin. DH wanted to get it up as soon as possible but I told him it was more important to get all the early crops in and to make sure the cave was secure by closing up other 'doorways'. I told him that I didn't like the idea of critters wandering in and out of our supplies. He told me the kids had been talking about doing that and moving into some of the rooms temporarily. I thought about that for a few minutes and then we talked about getting the sod chicken coop done and using it as a house for them. Then, as I knew he would, he brought up that we needed to get out of the camper wagon and settled inside as well but I wasn't concerned about it. When he mentioned Mom though, that was a different story. I didn't know what to do about her. It would be too cool sleeping in the caves for her and soon we'd be getting into hot weather for sleeping in the wagon. I finally suggested that we close in the kitchen part of our cabin and let Mom sleep in there. When I looked at him though, he was just shaking his head. He wanted both Mom and I to be more secure. I told him I would talk to Mom about it and then we dropped the subject. There was so much work yet to be done that I didn't want to take time from that for the guys to cut logs and then get the cabin up. As I watched the sky turn darker I thought again about a lean-to for milking in. I knew it wasn't hurting the larger animals to go without a barn. Knowing them, they wouldn't be in it much if they could, preferring to be in the open. The sheep had their small sod hut and did well in it along with the buck goats but the does were the first to start blatting when rain threatened and so far we'd been putting them under the tarp by the fire pit to stay dry. We'd also been milking there when needed and that worked but if the wind were blowing, like it threatened to do today, it would be damp. Thankfully, it had only been a couple of times so far but tonight looked to be one of them. I felt a great sense of relief when we finally pulled up the incline onto the home plateau. I could see that the kids had already unsaddled their horses and had them staked out. Smoke was coming out of the chimney at the kitchen and the whole scene looked so normal yet I sensed something was wrong. The kids were standing under the tarp, looking out at the plateaus below and talking earnestly. I was out the back of the wagon almost before it stopped and DS was there to help me, telling me to take it easy. I asked him what was wrong and he told me nothing serious and not to get upset. I asked him about Mom and he said she was fine; that they were all fine and I took a sigh of relief and then waited for him to tell me what was going on. Instead he walked me over to the edge of the plateau. At first I didn't notice anything wrong and then I began to realize that dozens of the grape vines and small trees looked trampled though it was obvious that most had already been settled back into the ground. They were a sorry looking bunch of plants though. He told us it had happened before light this morning. Mom was now standing with us and took up the story. She said the dogs had started barking and they had all gotten up and grabbed guns and lights. Sasha and DD's Saint had come to stand firmly between them and whatever it was down there and they could hear one of the dogs barking from the area of the sheep and the other dog seeming to be barking from here and there along the lower plateau. The lights hadn't been strong enough to pick out more than a tall shape being harried by the dog and DS had given one of his piercing whistles to call the dogs in but they wouldn't come even for that. DGS had grabbed one of the big 12-volt lights and hooked it up but by the time he'd done that, whatever it was had gone into the woods followed by the dog, the male. DS said he thought it was a moose from its size and the deep gouges he found this morning among the vines. It was obviously drawn to the new buds on the small fruit trees and vines. The dog had returned an hour later, minus his collar and limping slightly but otherwise seemed okay. They had been spending the day trying to repair the damage to the trees. The kids were all in favor for trailing the moose but it was getting late and we still had a lot of work to do. We wondered if the moose would be drawn back to the trees or if the dogs were enough to deter it but decided there were others out there, including even the deer and that we'd need to work on some sort of fencing or deterrent. By the time we had the final few plants set back into the ground we had found that only a few had actually been broken or nibbled on. Obviously the dogs were on their job fast and the bulk of the damage had been done when the moose tried to fight off the dog. We were all damp and cold by the time we had chores done and supper on the table but it was nice to set in the steamy kitchen and relish all being back together again. This morning it is still cloudy and threatening again but so far not raining. Today will be a busy day as we are determined to get all of us under cover. This time it was just a moose in our fruit trees, who knows what next time will bring. The kids have decided they will finish the chicken coop today so that that Mom and DH and I can use it as temporary bedrooms. Then they will be finishing the doors for the rest of the openings to the caves and will be making those areas bedrooms for themselves until we can get cabins built. I'm writing here, inside the sod walls of the coop, and I don't believe it will be to bad once they had a couple of big windows in the front. It's going to take some work to get it finished by nightfall and I hear the family stirring so I better get moving.

Thursday I was up early despite the promise I made to myself that I was going to laze on this one last morning before we headed home but I was too anxious to get to the Hobbit Hole. We had been gone since Sunday morning and I was more than ready. I noted the gray, leaden sky as I walked across to the kitchen. Not the most promising day to travel in. I enjoyed a chat with Chef while I was helping him prepare breakfast. We had a common bond in both our love of growing unusual plants and in using fresh herbs all year long. He told me that he had discharged his obligation to Mr. S and J but had agreed to stay to supervise the greenhouse operation and to occasionally cook. Eventually he would have his own place but for the rest of the year he would be staying in the Lodge. I got the impression that he was in no hurry to move out and if he did, it wouldn't be far from the greenhouse. The whole family spent some time around the breakfast table talking with the B's group, learning more about how they were making out. Several had chosen to take smaller lots near the lodge and were going to be trading work or services for goods and food. I found that one was going to be opening a sort of livery and would be dealing in not only horses and oxen but other animals as well, using a trade system to 'sell' them. Two families were hoping to be able to trade wild edibles and even fish and game for grain and other foods they didn't grow themselves. One of the men was a potter and would be working on setting up a kiln and another would be doing woodworking. Our son would be happy to know that two brothers were going to be making barrels of different sizes using native hard woods and he wouldn't have to manufacture his wine barrels himself. They would also be making boats in the same shop. All of them would be raising their own gardens but would not have fields. They would be looking to trade for grain, milk, eggs, cheese and other products. There were so many products we could manufacture right here in the valley but the talk soon turned to the questions that we all had. What about steel and iron? What about salt? It was possible that we might find iron ore in the surrounding area but the ability to get it out of the ground and to smelt it easily was much more difficult. Salt was another problem as is glass. It would be good if we could order these things brought in by mule train but it was beginning to look like the disorder was serious enough outside the valley already that it might not be possible. If we could raise enough extra we might be able to barter outside the valley but people might be pretty curious as to where it came from and that could cause us some issues. Not only that but it was a long way for anyone, even on horseback, to travel even as far as the Ranch and it might be extremely dangerous to travel beyond that. With the decline of pack animals and wagons out there, it could also become increasingly difficult to get things back to the valley. I was a bit disquieted by the talk turning to forays into the outside world to "find" what we needed but could not produce. When we finally pulled out away from the Lodge it was with the buck in a cage in the back and a promise that Chef and Mr. Hughes would be out soon to see the Hobbit Hole. I jokingly told them that they were welcome to wander inside the "hole" as much as they wanted and that I would have lunch ready when they came out. Everyone was laughing as we drove away; a good start to a rather gloomy looking day.

We woke in the night to the horses being spooked by something. They settled down as soon as the family crawled out of tents and started shining lights around. I had a sudden thankfulness for battery operated flashlights but wondered what we would do when the batteries had been charged for the last time. We were cautious in our usage of these precious items though and hoped they would serve a long time. We found nothing amiss within sight of our light and a couple of the kids took guns and went into the trees to check our food box. When they returned they reported that it looked like a bear had been trying to get to it, as there were claw marks on the tree and tracks under it. A good sized one if the height of the claw marks were any indication. We finally crawled back into our beds but I believe we all slept lightly as we were all up with first light. The food box was untouched and I was glad we'd taken the precautions we had taking it away from camp. I wondered that we didn't have more problems at our homesteads with all the food setting around there but perhaps few bear crossed to the more populated areas in the valley. We took our time with breakfast, enjoying the birds singing and the fish jumping in the lake. We pulled out about 8 and made our way towards the north. About an hour and a half later, after a few more stops to gather plants, we came across wagon tracks and figured we'd hit AH Avenue and followed it northwest to pay a visit to Michael and Lori. We came to their clearing before noon and was amazed at all they had accomplished with just the two of them and a bit of help from some of the B's group. Unfortunately, we found no one at the cabin and I was very disappointed. I had hoped for a tour of their homestead and especially to see how their new dam was working. I wanted to leave some of the goat meat with them but not knowing how long they might be we just left them a few jars of pickles we thought they might enjoy. We set them carefully inside the door of the cabin with a note and then turned our horses towards the lodge. We followed the wagon tracks back to the river, enjoying the scenery and taking note of the landscape. Michael and Lori would have a lot of natural produce throughout the summer with all the berries, wild cherries, greens, and roots to gather. We stopped along the way at a beautiful little clearing that teamed with wild roses for a light lunch of leftovers. There were still hips clinging to the bushes from last year that would make a tasty tea. I was surprised at the size of them, some being as big as a dime, unusual for wild roses that normally only have pea sized hips. We didn't stay long and soon were on our way again. We arrived at the river crossing about mid afternoon and decided we still had time to visit Annarchy and her family and turned to follow Annarchy Avenue north sometimes close to the river, sometimes swerving away for a while. The water was beautifully clear and moving fairly fast, about like the East River near us. The wild flowers were blooming by the hundreds and I wished once again that I could draw or paint. We had our cameras along and DD took a few pictures with hers just so we could show them to Mom and the others when we returned. The wagon tracks led us, as we surmised, directly to Annarchy's place only we found that it was Big D's and Naomi and James who lived in the Adobe. They told us that Annarchy and GS had left on Monday to start working on their own homestead. They were so gracious though and proudly showed us around the home. It was such a difference after all the log buildings we'd been seeing. I loved it immediately and so did DD. I could see her calculating what it would take to build something like that for her family. It was only after Naomi had described how they manufactured the bricks that we began to realize how much more important a clay deposit would be than just making pots. It was so much fun to see all the interesting things A and her family had come up with. I loved the smoke house and especially the kiln. That was just the thing I was looking for as an outdoor oven at the Hobbit Hole. Or really, even an inside one if it could be built right. The time passed way to fast and we knew if we were going to reach the Lodge before dark we needed to get moving. I would have loved to follow the directions James gave us to find Annarchy but we would find them soon enough. I could only hope that they were actually closer to us than before. We arrived at the Lodge just before dusk and though we had intended to head home, decided to take Mr. Smith's offer of staying over for the night. The kids chose to set up their tents and we in our wagon but we gratefully accepted the offer of a meal and an evening's chat around the fire. It was really good to be working beside Chef again as I helped him prepare the meal and the clean up afterwards. While things were cooking he took me to see the new greenhouse that was being built on the back of the lodge where it would gather lots of south sun but benefit from the warmth of the lodge fires. It was big. I knew they had brought in the plexiglass for it but not how much. This would be twice the size of ours but then it had a lot of people to feed also. Chef was hoping to be able to grow enough winter food to help out anyone who needed fresh food during the winter months. I asked if I could bring in some of the plants I intended to wintered over to ensure that if we lost some in our greenhouse there would still be some here or visa versa and he was very willing as long as I would do likewise with some of his. Mr. H showed up for supper and we had a great talk afterwards about the various animals and plants in the valley. I told him my list of edible wild foods was growing and that I felt we could do just fine through the winter even if our crops didn't do well. I explained, however, that it would take a lot of harvesting and processing if we were to use only wild harvested foods. I had mentioned the cattail to Chef and he suggested that they might want to harvest what they reasonably could of that as the different parts came available, starting with the Spikes that he was so interested in. I felt bad I didn't try to gather some this morning and bring them to him but he said they had quite a stand just south along the lake on the Lodge side too. I told MrH we'd found some nice patches of wild strawberries but even though they were sweet, most were pretty small. We talked about getting people together to have 'gathering' parties when the raspberries started ripening in a couple of weeks so that there would be safety in numbers in that huge stand of raspberries across the lake. The June berries would be ready in a short time as well and if we could find any blackberries they would be ready in July or early August perhaps. We talked some about the wild mustard seed that could be gathered and how now would be a good time to gather mint and soon the Bee Balm or Monarda. We also discussed the fact that we'd have to think about "Sugaring" in February but that we'd have to be making the equipment for it this winter. I told him that we'd brought spiles and hose along with buckets for it but not enough and even we would be making some. I would have liked to stayed and talk late into the night but I was feeling the fatigue of the last few days and said my goodnights earlier than I normally would have. We would be headed home tomorrow but not too early thankfully. I can sleep in for once.

The family had decided that we would take a day to travel on the west side of the lake just to explore a little. I wanted a chance to check the valley for plants and trees that we might all be able to utilize and the kids mostly just liked the idea of seeing more of the valley. We left Q's place early this morning and headed over to MT3B's place. We wanted to see all their innovations and especially to check out her greenhouse. We found them had at work on meat and didn't stay long. They have done an excellent job on everything and I especially liked the greenhouse plans. I wished them luck with processing all the meat, remembering that I had quite a bit to take care of when I got back as well. Then we headed back towards the river to take a look at the old homestead place, which hardly looked old because of all the work they'd done on it. We found A doing laundry but she took a few minutes to show us around. She had a right to be proud of what they'd accomplished. We didn't want to keep her from her work and we needed to get on our way so we didn't stay long there either. From there we traveled back along the South River but only a short distance to where we could cross fairly easily. It was a beautiful spring morning and I found myself humming a song we'd sang the night before, still feeling the camaraderie we'd gained during the last couple of days. P and N had done a great job helping Q and her DH out, I don't know how they would have gotten this far without them, and MT3B and her family were right there helping too. It is good to have neighbors. I was warmed by the number of people who showed up at Q's. So many in fact that some of them had offered to help MT3B with their greenhouse before they left for home. It had been a long day but it was fun too and the food and fellowship were outstanding. It was almost as if we were back on the trail. We really do have a great group of people here. It seemed strange now, after the noise and confusion, to be where it was so void of human intervention. The only sign was the slight path that seemed too wide to be an animal trail. We traveled mostly in fairly clear land for almost two hours. The land to the west was thick with trees and beyond that were plateaus just like was above the Hobbit Hole. I could see cave after cave in the crags and further up I could see the tiny silhouettes of distant mountain goats. Further along I could make out huge curled horns on some animals and wondered if they were some of the big horn sheep that are supposed to be in this area. By noon we were almost to the lake and in the distance we could see the pass where we'd entered our new world on the east side of the valley. We spooked a large moose in the river just below the dam and stopped to watch it lumber almost clumsily across the path and into the timber to our left. I noticed there was what looked like a road cleared through the trees there and I suggested we check it out as we had all day to explore. The road was definitely cleared by man. We saw where trees had been cut and stumps pulled out of the way and at one point even saw fresh cuts on smaller trees. At first I wondered if maybe one of the B's people had chosen to build out here but I thought I knew where they had all chosen. Then it struck me that this was the land set aside for the Rockin' J people but that made the fresh cuts even more mysterious. I felt a bit of foreboding that perhaps things were getting even worse than we expected. I wondered if Jacob and Joy Rock and their family would be escaping to the valley soon. That thought had me thinking of my son and his family of course and once again I hoped they'd been able to reach the area of the Ranch and had found the Rockin' J people. I wouldn't allow myself to dwell on it though or I would be in tears. Instead I took note of the way the 'lane' wound through the trees, skirting the largest ones until we ended in a large clearing. I was amazed to see fences, some looking fairly new and several large lean-to type structures but no house or cabins. I could see what looked like narrow paths going off through the trees but we decided not to be any nosier than we were already being. There didn't appear to be anyone around but I had the strange feeling that we were being watched. It wasn't until we were turning around to leave that I noticed a movement in the trees. I had the impression of a large light-colored animal as it disappeared into the darker shadows. Too short to be a moose and too broad, perhaps a black bear in the cinnamon or blond color that is often found in these areas. I pointed it out to the others but they hadn't seen it. I'm surprised as it was so light, it might have even been white but I couldn't help think of what had happened to SF and I kept looking back to see if it might be following us. I've seen black bears before and this one was definitely a big one if that's what it was. We made our way back towards the water, intending to follow along the edge of the lake for a ways. The lake was beautiful but more rugged on this side. There were more rocky places surrounding areas of gravely/sandy beaches. In a couple of places we had to leave the lake and travel inland for a distance before going back to the waters edge. The trees were denser here, making the lake seem more protected. I could see quite a mixture of hardwoods and conifers and the underbrush was a mass of brambles that were just starting to bloom. Huge acres of raspberries that would be a huge resource for the people in the valley but also a haven for bears once the berries started to ripen. As we drove along I saw huge wild grape vines that would be useful for baskets and we stopped so we could harvest dozens of the medium sized and small vines. They were hanging from cottonwood trees and removing them was only doing the tree a service as Grape vines can pull a tree to the ground as they grow heavier. The trees were just starting to leaf out and cottonwood seeds lay in drifts all over the ground though some were starting to be matted by weather now. I couldn't help myself but to gather a pillowcase full to see how they would spin. At least they could be used for padding or insulation. I might as well have walked the whole way for the number of times I had DH stop the wagon and let me look at something. The kids teased me about feeling like they were on a botany expedition because I picked and recorded so many plants and leaves but they were willing to help out any way they could. YGS had been riding his pony for several hours yet even he was a willing participant. We camped along the lake for the night at the point where we could just barely make out the Lodge through the trees on the other side. There was a low marshy area near us and after we set up the tents and got the fire going we all went down and gathered the cattail that was growing there. We waded in the shallow water to gather the green spikes that were just starting to bloom. There were hundreds of them in all stages and I wished that I had a freezer to store some of the delicious corn on the cob like spikes. We took only enough for us for a meal, as they just didn't keep well otherwise. We also gathered some of the early green shoots and stalks to eat raw as a salad substitute, using the starchy core at the base of the shoots to cook like potatoes. Then we got very messy pulling up hundreds of the rootstock to take home, putting them into cold water to make them easier to peel later. Once home we would wash the roots well, peel them, and then crush them in water until the fiber could be removed. That would produce a pure white starch that would settle to the bottom so the water could be drained off the top. I liked to rinse the starch several times that way before I use the starch. Dried, that starch made a good flour substitute or extender and was great as a substitute for cornstarch. We had large stands of cattail around the homestead but this stand was huge and would not be hurt by our harvest. I would have to mention it to Chef as he might want to harvest some for the B's group. We set a small grate over the fire and sliced some of the goat we'd brought along and started the cattail 'potatoes' cooking. I set a large pot of water to boil and then removed the husk on the spikes, giving the husked spikes a quick rinse in water. Not until the meat and 'potatoes' were almost finished cooking did I put the cattail spikes in to boil. It only took a few minutes in boiling water to cook them. Once drained and slathered with fresh rich butter they couldn't be beat for taste. They are eaten about like corn on the cob, by nibbling the outer buds from the central hard core, but the taste was not that of corn. Hard to describe but they are delicious in their own taste. With the raw shoots it was a simple but delicious meal. As darkness settled around us we gathered in more wood to make sure we had plenty for the night. We set a Dutch oven full of oatmeal and raisins on to boil and then set it in a hole beside the fire to cook for breakfast, covering it carefully with hot coals and then a piece of the sod we'd dug from the fire pit. We had picked a small pan of wild strawberries earlier in the day and I drizzled them with honey and allowed them to set in the refrigerator through the night to use as 'topping' for the bread MT3B had sent with us. Then I mixed up a batch of 'bannock' for everyone to cook in the fire for desert. I could have gotten out our pie pans and used the bannock as a crust for a fruited pie but it was easier to wrap small 'fingers' of the biscuit like dough around a green stick and each person turning it carefully over the hot coals like roasting marshmallows until it was baked golden brown. Then rolling it in butter and in cinnamon and sugar to eat hot right off the stick. When we were all done eating we carefully cleaned up all the food and placed it either in the refrigerator or shut it carefully in a box, which we moved a distance from the camp to hang in a tree. We were in bear country and it paid to be extremely careful, especially as it was spring and they were trying to gain back the fat they'd lost during the winter. I noticed the lights from the lodge as I was climbing into the back of the wagon for the night and the sight gave me a measure of comfort. I'm not sure why though. Logically, no one could get to us easily or timely even if we did need help. There's just something about a light in the distance that spells civilization in the darkness of a wilderness.