Mother

(IRL- We have had some recipes in PL but not specific threads for campfire/trail recipes. I think it would be a great idea. We only have that one recipe on the comments thread and can easily copy that to the recipe thread. I'll see what I can do about getting it going. )

Easter EASTER. It can't be Easter yet can it? Easter must be early this year if we left March 1st and we've been out five weeks, that makes it April 4th doesn't it? Yes, that's right. Easter is on the 4th this year. Okay, then we need to be getting our thoughts together.

I vote we have a community meal as was suggested. We can make it a pot luck so PCS does't have to do all the cooking. Bring your own table service please. Should we invite the Benefactor's group so we can get to know them better? Umm will they be able to bring a dish to pass each? I'm sure that CeeGee will have realized it's easter and have a special service planned for us, then the meal afterwards.

Would be nice if we had an Easter Egg hunt for the little ones. Maybe we can plan it for first thing in the morning if we get our heads and eggs together later today. Onion skins makes a nice orangish/brownish tint for eggs, fresh carrot juice makes an orange. The beets will work too. Red cabbage and grape juice will each give a nice pinkish tint too. Instant coffee makes a nice brown color, Parsley makes a green, and I have several different blends of hebal teas that make lovely colors as well. They will mostly be pastel though. For some highly decorated eggs I think I might have some of the big kids use crayons to color the boiled eggs after the kids have all gone to bed. We have plenty of crayons along as all of us love to use them.

We'll all have to remember that Sunday or not we are going to have to get everything done that we can't do on the trail. I hope to get bread baked ahead of time and for our family that's a lot of bread. Some of us like toast in the mornings and we were just talking about dried beef gravy on toast today. Mom wants to get some cookies and muffins made as well so that we can just grab and go when breakfast or snacks are in a hurry. DD said she'd make pies if we had time as she's the pie maker in the family.

Speaking of pies, We have a dozen or more of those pie irons for the fire. Some are round, some square, some have holes in the bottom for cooking meat and some are double ones. We have a couple panini ones as well. One is specially made for baking bread (small slender ones) and some are just meant to have dough wrapped around them and baked into spirals. We use them all the time and for a whole lot more than just sandwiches or bread pies. We make cakes, pancakes and eggs, bake biscuits in them, and more. The are almost like mini Dutch ovens in that respect. Those who have them along will have to get together and do some pie iron cooking one of these days. We also have a lot of different hand held grills for use in the fire. A couple of flat square basket types that hold meat or whatever securely, some three, five, and eight hotdog cookers, a couple of different types of popcorn poppers, and some that are just single hand held grills. They have really come in handy on the road lately.

I can't believe that we're almost there already and it's only a little after 2. I'm ready to give the horses and me a rest. We have laundry sloshing around in the barrels and I'm hoping to get them rinsed and hung out before dark. The dew on the white things will help brighten them come morning. I believe I can see the lead wagons turning off the road now.

First of all, to add credance to MT3B's pizza for lunch, we make pizza on an open fire all the time and have made it in a heavy fry pan just as she describes. I also can do a large pizza in my Dutch oven just by putting a round cake pan in the bottom of the dutch with a few rocks under it to hold it away from the bottom. That keeps it from burning. I put on the lid and cover the lid with coals from the fire, effectively making an oven. In fact, you can cook anything in THAT oven that you can cook in your oven at home, you just have to manage the coals to get the correct heat.

AMBH, TEOTWAWKI is an acronysm for The End Of The World As We Know It

A dakota fire hole is a specific way of digging two holes into the ground so that one acts as a draft for the fire in the other. It effectively hides the flames from being seen and helps cut down on smoke. Here's one link to it but there are others if you want to look them up.

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/the-dakota-fire-hole/

Cooking red beans is fairly easy on the trail. They are usually soaked overnight and then rinsed (you can bring them to a boil and let them set covered for an hour before rinsing and then cooking as well just as you would at home) The pioneer used to bring the beans to a boil and then wrap them well in a quilt or blankets (or they used a box stufffed with hay to insulate the pan well) and let them slow cook all day. (The beans stay hot enough to soften and usually cooked through) At the end of the day they would again bring the beans to a boil, maybe adding some salt pork or bacon and let it simmer while they were preparing other foods like corn bread or biscuits.

This is effectively a fireless cooker or fireless cookng. I have a specific one that is stainless steel on the outside with thinsulate material sandwhiched between outer and inner layers. It hold two stainless steel pans so that I can cook two different foods at the same time. It has an insulated snap down lid. I use it all the time both camping and at home. Alot of things can be cooked in this way, even meat safely, as long as the pieces are fairly small and everything is boiled before putting them into the 'cooker'. I boil most of mine about ten minutes. If it is going to take too long to cook that way I sometimes reboil things after several hours to make sure they stay cooking. You would be surprised how hot they will stay though.

There are a whole lot of cast iron cooking books out there. If you haven't cooked on an open fire before you might want to start with learning about that. Here's a Mrs. S link for it.

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...mp;hl=open+fire

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...mp;hl=open+fire

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...mp;hl=open+fire

There is also a LOT of information for cooking in a Dutch Oven on the web. Just type in Dutch Oven. Someone else want to jump in here with their favorite books?

Cooking pasta while camping, in my opinion, is not much different than at home except that on the trail it is apt to be added as part of a stew or soup and cooked in the broth. Often when camping I will add boiling water to pasta and just let it set without further cooking. I watch it though and get it drained and a bit of butter or oil added as soon as it's tender so it doesn't over cook.

When I make sourdough biscuits I mix up my starter with some of the flour and liquid and let it work for a while until it's nice and bubbly. Depends on the temperature of the area. Then I add the rest of my ingredients to make a dough and quickly form the dough into biscuits. I let them raise just like yeast bread until they are about double in size in a warm place and then bake them in a fairly hot oven so they get crispy on the outside and tender done on the inside just as for Baking powder biscuits. I usually use a tiny bit of soda in my recipe to help neutralize some of the acids and to help the raise.

Those are not ultimate ways to do things though. I'm sure others will be jumping in with more answers for you.

I'm glad you are enjoying the threads. I know those of us IN it are having a great time and learning a lot just like you.

Good morning eveyone. Like Michael I am smiling this morning. I'm still chuckling about the "fork" incidence. It is exactly what WOULD have happened to us.

We are up and ready to go this morning. I'm SO looking forward to stopping early and for all of tomorrow. Maybe if we are lucky Sasha will decide to have her puppies while we are setting still. By the way, thanks for the newspapers MT3B. I'm sure they are going to come in handy. CeeGee, I'll take you up on your offer as well. I was having difficulties trying to decide what I would do with all those pups. We won't know for sure if she has been 'traveling' long enough to have been bred by a random male or if she was bred with a Saint before being turned out or escaping her home. I'm pretty sure she is a purebred, probably registered, and I would expect the pups to have at least some of the Saint traits. We'll be able to tell better after they are born. It just seems strange that anyone would breed the dog and then dump it somewhere. I suppose she could have gotten accidentally lost when they were traveling as so many people are doing today in search of work. I love a mystery though and if DGS gets a chance to get on the internet with his lap top computer (so far he hasn't been able to make a connection) I'm going to have him look up her tag numbers to see if we can at least see where she was from.

I think it's wonderful that Saintsfan is teaching sign language. We used it for a time when DGS was having speech problems as a toddler and still use it occassionally with a nephew who is hearing impaired though he now has a cochlear implant and is doing well. I believe everyone should know at least the basic signs for communication. Did you know that animals and birds communicate in signs as well as vocally? It's really interesting to learn what they are saying to each other. It also helps us to know what body language or signs NOT to give them. Anyway, I'm ready for a refresher course in sign language myself. Is he using ASL?

CeeGee, I am really looking forward to Sunday Morning Services. And I'm also anxious to hear that "Sing off" between your boys and Michael. I might enjoy joining in on that myself. I love show tunes. Music has a way of soothing even the most weary soul so I say the more music the better. Perhaps tonight or Sunday night we can have a sing along around the campfire.

Well I best get my breakfast eaten. We're only having home made grape nuts cereal with milk this morning to save time and clean up. We'll have biscuits with peanut butter and jelly for lunch as we should have a chance to cook a decent meal once we reach camp tonight. Mom was up early baking cookies in our camp oven and the smell was really enticing but we'll save them for later tonight as a special treat around the camp fire. The smell will be a pleasant one to travel with though

The thermoses are filled with tea and coffee so I guess we'll be able to take off as soon as the rest of the camp is ready. Stay alert on the trail. We might not have as much trouble with humans as we did closer to the towns but we'll have to start watching for wildife.

This is the place to make comments on all our Wagon's Ho threads. Notice that the threads have been pinned at the top of the forum so they will be easier to find.

We have been having a lot of fun and learning even more with our "first person" posting and we want to know that we've really appreciated others not jumping in with outside comments as this makes the story flow so much better.

We did think that some of you might welcome a place to make comments on those threads though. We're hoping for not only comments but suggestions for making it better, and even pointing out our BLOOPERS.

You can still choose to join us in our Journey. Go to the 'Preparation' thread and hop in there. Put yourself "in the moment", get your wagons packed and join us on the road. We've still got a ways to go so there's lots of time to get in on the fun and education.

The day was pretty uneventful and I have to say I enjoyed it for a change. I am tired of adventure and excitement. I wonder how soon I will be saying just the opposite!

I am increasingly grateful for the dehydrated foods we thought to bring along. They are lightweight and are versatile but our favorites are those recipes that were originally used for back packing. I debated if I should make these up ahead of time and prepackage them and now I'm glad that I stayed up nights putting the ingredients together inside zip lock bags in vaccuum sealed bags. We are going to have one I especially like tonight. A salad, made from shredded dehydrated Cabbage and carrots and various herbs and seasonings with a bit of sugar. I added water this morning and tonight I added oil and a touch of vinegar to make a type of cole slaw. While it is not as good as fresh, it's very tasty. We had canned ham and maccaroni and cheese to go with it.

We've been having sprouts almost daily, as fresh greens. I keep a large container going at all times and so far they've been a wonderful addition to our diets, especially when added to wild greens.

Sasha B. is settling in nicely and is content to lay on the small spot of floor at the back of the wagon. I am assuming that she's walked so much lately that she's just glad to be riding. She seems so exhausted and has shown little interest in anything but sleeping and eating, not even in our other dogs who insist on coming to the door and whining to come in. She seems to be house broken as she whines to go out occassionally but heels nicely on a rope and readily comes back into the wagon when she's done. I believe she may have been a show dog at one point as she obeys commands immediately and well. When she's better I'll test her further but for now she needs to rest.

MT3B, I will willingly take you up on the offer of papers. Normally I would use old sheets or blankets but I'm not sure I want to be washing them by hand any time soon. I don't think she's real close to having her pups but If she keeps up like she is, she'll more than likely just have them right in the middle of the doorway as there just is no room elsewhere for her. The other wagons are full. I guess I'll be happy as long as she doesn't choose my bed.

I am having difficulties driving the horses for any length of time. Rather than my muscles getting used to it, the continous strain is taking a toll. The Gkids are taking turns relieving me from the task. Even the GS who has the injured leg has been driving. He says he might as well be useful but I can sometimes see that he's using the leg way too much and worry about it healing properly. Mom and I try to walk part of each day now but only fifteen or twenty minutes at a time, several times a day and only if the road is smooth. We can't afford to fall and break something but neither can we afford to let our muscles tighten and become weaker. Sometimes Sasha will walk with us but more often than not she stays put inside.

The day has been long and I'm off to bed. Good night everyone.

MT3B, it's a deal. One of her pups for one bag of kibble. Shhh, Saintsfan will believe it's HIS idea when we get done with him. I'm sure one bag won't go far for SB but with the extra we can spare here it will get her past that first transition to other foods. I suspect she hasn't had a lot of meat lately but has probably been eating vegetation.

I certainly agree with you about the feral animals. That's what my first thought was when she threw herself at me after the gun shots made the cat shy back. (IRL we've had that happen here with two neighbor dogs that were starving. They attacked and killed our cats in a frenzy. It was not nice.) It is the nature of St. Bernards to save people, not harm them but survival is very strong in most animals, especially dogs. So far Sasha seems to have retained her civility. I'm just glad that Bill found those tags or we'd have had to isolate her for two weeks at least. That does bring up a point though. Are all our own dogs protected from rabies. With them running with the herds and around the area at night it's always possible they will come in contact with a rabid animal. I might add that there are two forms of rabies. The furious type with animals acting viscious and manic and the 'dumb' form whre an animal just sets with head down, usually drooling or acting as if it has something caught in its throat. Too many times a person has reached into their pets mouth thinking they are choking on something and have exposed themselves to the rabies. Be cautious even with your own animals.

Annarchy, I'm glad you told us about how you tanned that hide but I know from my own experience that there is a LOT of physical work involved in that. You are too modest but I believe your knowledge and skills could be used in the future for barter. I'm pretty sure that at some point in the future we're all going to treasure a well tanned hide.

What will you use and how will you string the claws for the necklaces? Should I have saved the sinew from the cat? I'm hoping that Sasha will eat the meat after it's dried. She won't even chew on the bones of it now.

Could you explain 'situational awareness" a bit more? Especially in reguards to wagon train travel.

(((((( ))))))

Sasha BERTIE it IS

I DID deserve that dressing down. I'm SO glad MtR cares enough to let me know I did something really stupid and well.... I really needed that hug too. (Sniff sniff...blow nose) I really have trouble telling lies (stories yes, lies no) and I just can't promise not to do something stupid again, just not THAT particular stupid (I hope).

I'm afraid you HAVE been exposed but as everyone seems on the mend you are probably in no danger. It's nice to know that I'm not the ONLY one who goes off half cocked and forgets the RULES!!!!

You know of course that we're holding up the whole wagon train? I'm okay, really, just still a bit shook up over almost being lunch for some big overgrown feline.

Mother hugs MtR again before grabbing hold of dog and pulling her towards the wagon.

We'll discuss how we can fatten her up tonight. MT3B, I might have to take you up on that offer of dog food but I really can't make myself have you run short. As for rabies, under all that matted fur there had been a collar with tags. Bill with the library wagon found them. One was this years rabies tag so we should be safe there but who knows what else she might be harboring. At least I didn't find fleas on her. As you can see, she's taken really well to MtR but then all animals like her instinctively. I relly don't know. I'm as worried about her fitting in as you are. I'll try to keep her close to our wagon for a while.

You are right about one thing though. You named her so now we have to keep her ! Problem is, Barney will have to be her second name as the other tag she has on her collar says Sasha.

Common Sasha Barney, into the wagon so we can get back on the road.

Glad to hear your DS isn't coming down with this crud. I hope MtR doesn't get it. Tomorrow the Benefactors people will be going back to their own group so maybe we can do the same. It will be nice to be able to be part of the group again. Be safer too. And well, maybe the next time we're stopped for more than a night maybe we can do some communal meals and all of us get some variety in our diets.

Thanks Annarchy, I'd had that thought myself but just wasn't about to tackle that cat after it scared me almost to death. Strange how you actually called it right on both accounts, a dog AND a cat. Is it a cougar? I didn't even take time to really look at it. It was big, it was dark and it was menacing. That was enough look for me. Have you got what you need to tan the hide. Are you using the brain? I can donate some salt if you want to wait with the tanning for a bit.

I find myself a bit shakey yet this morning. Strange what adrenalin will do to a person. When it's gone it leaves one sort of weak. That's MY story anyway. LOL I really wouldn't have expected that of myself, having dealt with wild life of all sorts for well over 25 years. I also wouldn't have expected me to take such risks either. Dumb foolheartedness really. It just goes to show that no matter how well versed you think you are in some skill, like knowing wildlife, there's always that one time of not paying attention to detail.

Like you, Ann, I'm thinking of all the what if's. I guess it all turned out for the best. We don't have that cat stalking us any longer for one thing. Another is that we also don't have the dog following us either but now I seem to have a bigger problem on my hands. We planned on being able to feed the dogs we brought along, including DD's Saint but we didn't plan on TWO big dogs and this one seems to be very pregnant as well. (Thanks for pointing that out to me this morning Michael, didn't notice that last night) After what happened last night I can't bring myself to abandon her. I will make a promise to all of you though. If we find we can't feed her, we'll put her down so she doesn't suffer and no one else has to worry about her turning on someone or the animals in hunger. Though I must say, other than being extremely protective of me, she shows no signs of visciousness to anything. Even seems to have a fair amount of training. Our 7 YO GS has been setting by her all morning feeding her scraps of meat and she's as dainty as can be. She's also taken a liking to my Mom and even more interesting, Mom is willing to let her. How could she not when the dog probably just saved her DD's life. She's slipping the dog pieces of fresh cornbread.

I guess we'll start by taking that cat meat Annarchy, unless someone else wants it. Maybe I can string strips of it on some cord and dry it as we drive along today. It sure puts off a strong odor but I believe the dogs will eat it. At least this hungry one. I bet all of us would eat it if we got hungry enough.

DGD is driving today thankfully. Big dog is riding inside the Gypsy wagon but NOT on the bed. 'Get down you big galoof!!' Big sigh, somehow I believe our lives here in the Gypsy wagon just took a strange turn.

Has anyone tried skimming cream while jiggling along in a wagon? I forgot it this morning.

NO, NO cream you dumb dog. **sheesh**

A woman's scream is heard and then the strange eerie scream of an animal. Several shots are fired in the night, two small caliber and then a minute or two later a couple of rifles sound their sharp crack.

Mother is setting on the ground near the rope corral that holds some of the smaller animals for the night. A large Saint Bernard is lying by her side and starts to growl when someone tries to approach. The dog has blood on its fur. A couple guards have guns trained on the dog. Two guards are over near the tree line checking carefully through the brush there. Mother is a bit shaken but starts to talk. Course, she always does that when she's nervous anyway and she has pretty good reason for being nervous. Mother's DH comes running but she stops him.

...It's okay, I think….I'm not hurt and I believe this dog just saved my life. I'm afraid it might be hurt. Let me see if it will let me get up. Easy there, it's okay. They aren't going to hurt you. Easy there. HEY, quit licking me, you slobber. Stop it. NO! Let DH help me. Good dog. Well, that wasn't very graceful but I'm up at least. You all want to move back a bit and see if this thing will let me at least go back to the fire?

Umm, okay, so I guess it's going to go back with me. Good maybe I can see where it's injured. I believe I need to set down though. Can someone bring me a better light? Good dog, lay down, come on, it's okay, DOWN! That's better.

(People are asking what happened as the guards are coming back from the trees. Mother is checking over the dog as she talks.)

As usual I couldn't sleep tonight so I came out here about an hour ago to set near the fire. I could just see the livestock milling around in the rope corral that had been set up for them to graze in. The guards had been making periodic rounds of the animals and had just stopped by to grab a cup of coffee and a short chat before moving on to the other side of the camp to see how the guards were making out over there. They'd only been gone a few minutes when I noticed one of our small Nigerian kids had wander under the rope to nibble some grass several feet away. Still not knowing if it was animal or human that seemed to have been following us for two days I decided to walk over and convince the kid to go back to it's mom.

I've been carrying a small 22 pistol in my pocket, the only thing I feel confident I can use well. I pulled it out and wandered in the direction of the animals. I was just working my way around the kid to ease it back without spooking it when I heard a slight sound behind me. The first scream you heard was me when I saw that huge cat crouching not fifty feet from me. The second was the sound of that cat as this dog came sailing out from nowhere and went for the cat's throat. They ended up almost at my feet by the time the guards got there.

Poor baby has some scratches on its ears and chest. Don't look to be too deep but they're going to need to be cleaned. I'm just not sure it's going to let me. (DH and DD are there and after years of wildlife rescue both know what Mother will need and bring her rags and a basin of hot water)

Oh, Mr. Hughes I see the cat didn't get away. But with this dog growling like it is maybe you guys better put it some place a bit further away. Quiet there big one. It's okay

I fired a couple of shots but only in the air to try to scare it off. One of you guys must have killed it. I was afraid you would hit the dog but as soon as the cat took off it came right to me and almost laid on top of me. I wasn't sure which I should be more afraid of for a few minutes. I'm pretty sure the guards would have shot the dog too if they hadn't been afraid of hitting me and it was obvious pretty fast that it wasn't intending on hurting me but was protecting me instead.

No, this isn't DD's Saint. She's the one you hear whining in the wagon back there. I have no idea who it belongs to but I believe it might be what's been following us. Well, maybe the cat has too as I believe they have a huge territory and maybe the dog was following the cat. I really don't know. Poor thing is almost skin and bones. I have no idea how we will feed it but I think it deserves a chance since it seems to have saved my life.

I can't thank you guards enough for being right there so fast as well. Oh, you saw me walk out and came right away. Yeah, that was a dumb thing to do but you had just been there and everything seemed fine except that the animals were restless and I should have paid attention to that and realized. You know, I hadn't felt like anyone was watching be the whole while I was by the fire tonight, first time in days. I wonder if the dog was watching the cat instead of me.

You know, I believe I'm starting to shake. I might need someone to help me work on a couple of these cuts. Quiet, stop that growling! DGD, you've helped me before, will it let you near me? No, guess not. Go get my med kit at the back of the wagon. I've got some Homeopathic Mag Phoshorica in there that's used for calming. I think there's enough in there for both of us.

We can talk more in the morning but for now, I just hope we can get the dog calmed, fixed up and all get some sleep. It's been a really long day. Night everyone, and thanks for everything.

(As an aside, I took this story line from a real life happening. I actually did have a Saint Bernard dog save me from a bull by attacking it's throat and the dog acted just like this one. For the rest of it's life she was extremely protective of me though she seemed to know the good guys from the bad and I always listened to her judgement.

I would love to have you write your ideas of what we would do on a wagon train if this happened. More guards, secure the animals better, Make some rules for no one outside of the wagon circle except the guards? Remember the hot showers though and the latrines. What if it had been a human out there? With a gun? Are you going to be afraid of the dog if it stays in the wagon train? Any other thoughts? )

I'm late checking in today. Just too many things going on. I didn't get much sleep last night. I sat outside some of the night because I didn't want to wake DH and Mom with my coughing. I didn't stay long either time I was out there because I kept getting the feeling I was being watched. When I talked to the guard about it they said that everything had been quiet and they'd seen nothing unusual. For some reason I just can't shake this feeling that there's something out there and our own animals actions seem to back that feeling up. LOL, okay I don't believe that paranoia runs in our family so I'm going to tell myself to ignore it even though I've always trusted my intuition in the past.

Then of course, I slept late. Lori, I did get that note from Michael but unfortunately I didn't catch MtR before she decided to be FRISKY this morning. Who would have thought she'd have been out of her tent early enough to do so Umm, problem is,,, I don't think we can get you a new heart all that soon. Could you wait until we mail order it?

I'm in a lot of pain, still coughing but surprisingly enough am feeling a bit better too. Well enough to try driving today while DGD drives her mom's oxen and DD goes into town. I really didn't have a big list but the family has thought of some things, namely we'd like some of the fresh produce. They are also going to look for some herbs for me if any might be available, even in capsule or tea form. Most of what I need I have plants, seeds, or cuttings of but they won't be ready until long after we've arrived. I feel we might need them on the trail if we keep running into 'bugs' along the trail. We've decided to see if we can get a few more gel cell 6 volt batteries for the solar system or something comparable like a deep cycle one. They won't give us more power but will give us more storage and that might be important in times of no sun.

Of course there's the M&M's. Now that people have been mentioning them our "ladies" seem to think that more chocolate might be a good idea. Suddenly they are asking if we can grow chocolate. I told them chocolate and even carob needs a more tropical climate than where we're going (I do have some along to see if they can be grown but don't tell them in case it doesn't work out) I told them there is always chocolate mint, which has a mint flavor but only the smell of chocolate. ( I have some of these along too) We might be able to grow Himalayan Honeysuckle with it's sort of chocolate caramel tasting berry but it would be a real tender plant. Problem is, I don't have one of those along. Sooo, it looks like they have decided to stock up on cocoa and/or carob, which ever they can get easiest. Somehow I suspect that those town women might have already noticed that chocolate could be scarce. Anyone have a recipe for M&M's?

Makes me glad I'm allergic to it and don't have those cravings. AND it's a good thing I have a recipe to make PEEPS. Marshmallows, mmmmmm. Can't have holidays without Peeps, can you and I know you can't have a camp fire without roasting marshmallows. (well, okay so some people need chocolate and graham crackers with their marshmallows)

Seriously now, Oh you WERE serious about that chocolate. uMmm okay.

MT3B, if you feel that your family is being caught by the same 'bug' we all have back here, be sure to join us as we're trying desperately not to spread it too far. It doesn't appear to be serious but it weakens and we sure don't need a wagon train FULL of weak people. Truth be known though, if we keep seeing this pop up all over we might as well just pull back together with it as to have the bigger part lagging behind. I believe the Benefactor's ill people will be well enough to go back to their train tomorrow if no one else comes down with it.

Did anyone notice that when you drive/ride/walk hour after hour that your mind can wander? Even our guards have admitted that the long hours get to them and makes them a bit dull. That might not be so good. We need to stay on out toes, especially while we are going through these populated areas. But my mind wants to linger on what the Taxi driver is thinking as he drives us back and forth from town to a WAGON TRAIN!!!!! Each time he has to drive further away to reach us. Each time is he looking at us thinking,,,,"These people are NUTS!" or is he wondering if he and his family should be going with us??? And the last thought on the Taxi driver is.. Do we want him to bring the last people to our CAMP tonight, Maybe someone and some guards should meet that last taxi on the road some distance back???

Is tonight the place we're supposed to have hot showers? Did I miss them last night? I've forgotten already. I wake up each morning and look out the wagon flap and see all the wagons in the circle. I think, Yup, we are still on the wagon train, but where ARE we.

AND NO! we are NOT there yet! Darn big kids, but they sure make it a whole lot of fun traveling. (We aren't there yet,,,Are we?)

Evening (((((MtR))))), good to see you out of your tent for a few. Ice Cream? Did you say ICE CREAM. I hadn't even realized that I missed it until you mentioned it,, Gee thanks, Now I'll have to make some. After all,, we have all this rich cream. We have a bit of sweeteners of various kinds left, a few eggs. Hmmmm, 12-volt refrigerator with small freezer! I have my Donvier non electric Ice Cream maker. Hmmm.. Course, it only makes a quart at a time with it's freezer gel pan.....

Let's see, Ice cream, hot showers. What more could a gal want to dream about. Crawling back into the Gypsy wagon as the grandkids call it so I can get to dreamin'.

(((((everyone))))))

Good grief MtR. What IS that donkey having fits about? She keeps looking over through the trees. Must be something in there she wants. Wouldn't you think she'd be more interested in that nice big Jack over among the Benefactors animals? Here, give her a carrot or two. That might help. What a night. DD's Saint has been goofy all night too. Big sigh!

Hoping MT3B's family get back soon.

Finally, the wagon is stopped and I'm starting to get my legs under me again. I'm grateful that the guys found this spot even if it is too close to town for my comfort. MT3B, be sure to let us know right away when your guys get back and if it goes on too long we'll send someone else in to check. We have a folding three wheel bike here someone can use and if need be we'll send a couple in on horseback.

I'm really sorry I wasn't able to help your DIL2B with her shoulder but I sure would hate to have her get this crud. I feel like the whole inside of our wagon is one mass of germs from my sneezing. I hope Mom doesn't catch it. We made up a bleach solution this morning and have been spraying it in the air with a spray bottle in lieu of lysol. Not sure it is going to help but it makes me feel I'm doing something.

They tell me that MtR is still not feeling up to par but at least it's not this nasty bug. I am amazed at what she accomplishes with having MS. Can't be easy for her. Well, it's not easy for any of us really, let alone if we have health issues.

Strangely enough, there are few things I really miss. Running hot water for showers that ease the muscle spasms that I am prone to are the biggest one for me. We have some modern 12-volt/solar/LP equipment along but are using them only very occasionally. I wanted to bring along an antique wood burning water heater that we had but that thing weighed a TON and we couldn't justify the convenience. Instead our son brought along the pipe and equipment needed to make a hot water heater in one of our wood stoves IF any of them makes it to the land. I'm still not convinced that we won't have to jettison some of them along the way.

Then of course, my aching body misses our queen sized super padded mattress. Sleeping on bags of grain with a four inch foam just is NOT the same.....

More than anything I miss my younger son and his family. It was the hardest thing I've done in years to leave them. We have hopes that they will be joining us but we all know that's it's possible they may not make it.

Our horse’s shoes are holding up well. DSIL has been keeping an eye on them. His grandfather farmed with horses his whole life and he helped him for years. He also knows livestock so we know he will be a blessing in the future.

I'm amazed that our cows and goats are still producing well despite the miles of travel each day without adequate grazing. This morning I set almost a half-gallon of cream to churn into butter today.

I want to warn everyone to keep the fires very low key tonight if at all. So far the wind is away from the town so our smoke and cooking smells should be safe from detection unless someone is close by but the flickering light might be seen through the trees. Still, it might be wise to put them out as soon as they are no longer needed and do so with dirt, not water, as that causes a terrific amount of smoke. Perhaps we should have a discussion on different types of hidden fires, such as the Dakota Hole fire, and other ways for us to be more hidden, if hiding a whole wagon train can be done that is?

Let's stay as quiet as we can just to avoid trouble. We've doubled the guard tonight but let's all stay alert.

AHCHOO!!! BLOW BLOW BLOW this runny nose. Humph! I must be in the 'second wave' of sickness going around as several of those in the 'infirmary' circle are coughing and sneezing this morning. Those that had it first are well on their way to mending though are still suffering from the exhaustion that seems to come with this. I don't expect this to last any longer but I believe our wagons will stay isolated for a few days yet as no one in the other two circles seem to be coming down with it. We must be confining it well but not eradicating the germ yet.

At least this sickness gave me a chance to get to know some of the people from the Benefactor's wagon train. They are all very pleasant but from the looks of their clothing and how inept most of them were around the camp I'm not sure how well they are making out in their camp. Their clothing seemed appropriate enough on first look but was more designer oriented than serviceable. I gather from talking with them that most were very well off financially most of their lives but have suffered reversals of their fortunes in the recent months. I spent many hours in the night on Friday night with the mother of the little girl who was so sick. She is almost 8 months pregnant with their second child and is understandably concerned for the baby. She asked a lot of questions about herbs she could take for various things but as she had no clue what any of them were, except for the Raspberry leaf I mentioned for toning and strengthening the uterus, I tried not to give her too much information.

I asked a few questions about the Benefactors but she seemed reluctant to talk about them. She said she was a distant relative of MrJ but didn't know either of them very well. She just knew they were very wealthy and well respected and had been really nice to them all. She said that some of them were getting very low on supplies but that the Benefactors had promised them they would be able to secure more at one of the towns soon. I hope so as I believe that a lot of people on our train have lists started as well. All in all though, it really sounds like we are doing better than they are.

Anarchy, that sounds like quite a find with those fish, (well even the ring is a GREAT find for later for barter) and coming across some cowslip to go with them was a nice addition. I can see I'll have to follow you next time you go looking. Yum Yum! I'm glad your MIL has decided to try to hook up with us. I hope she's safe on the trip here, it sounds like it's getting really bad out there. Hey, did you see any more signs of big doglike tracks or any tracts for that matter? The whole time I was out yesterday I felt like I was being 'watched'. Then, there is the strange actions of our animals. DD's Saint Bernard was constantly over in the tree line sniffing about and even the horses kept turning their ears that direction a sure sign something is going on. I had almost forgotten it yesterday but last night in the night in a bout of insomnia I was watching out the back plastic window of the wagon and was sure I saw a darker shadow moving in the trees. I couldn't tell what it was and none of the animals or dogs seem to be bothered by it so it's probably nothing.

Stephanie, I'm sure sorry you are leaving us. I understand about needing to help family though. I will be praying you can convince them to return with you when the time comes for you to rejoin us. Please, stay alert and safe out there. It really sounds like it's getting rougher by the day.

Our circle of wagons is ready to move out, no thanks to me as I'm just setting in my lawn chair trying to conserve my energy for the day. The ones who were well last night cooked a big pot of soup and we have that in the insulated cookers to stay hot for eating throughout the day. We managed to get a big pot of hot water going as well and put the hot water into several large thermoses for drinks along the trail.

Now, If I can just drag myself into the wagon again, I'll be ready to see how travel in the wagon feels today, *groan*

YAWN Oh excuse me. Have I missed the whole day?

I've been resting almost all day, mostly because I could barely get out of bed this morning. I believe my stupidity has finally caught up with me, a lot sooner than I expected too.

When the family made the decision to come on this journey I was very leery of my physical stamina. I voiced that to my family and they told me that if I would pace myself I should be okay. They said they would do all they could to help me and they have. They have held up their end of the bargain but I have not held up mine. Several of them have even gently reminded me of it several times in the last few days. But NO!!! I had to be strong and brave and push myself to do what I saw as my responsibility. Well, THAT didn't work!

I was so looking forward to services this morning (did we have them? No one has said.) I woke to stomach wrenching dizziness, pain and fatigue. A sure sign of a serious flare. One look at me trying to pull myself out of our bed had not only DH but also my Mom shaking their heads at me and pointing back to the bed. Sad that my almost 88 year old mom can outwork me....Of course, SHE knows how to PACE herself, allowing others to do what she no longer can feel comfortable doing. Wouldn't you think a person would learn by my age?

I am a bit less dizzy now but I can't even begin to imagine the problems I will face tomorrow on the road if this hasn't let up totally. Just the thought of going back through that ditch is enough to make me pale already. YUK! I most likely won't be driving for a few days at least. The 20 year old GD is going to try her hand at it,,,,AFTER someone gets us back to the road again that is. She has handled horses before, quite a bit in fact, but never drove a team before. She's been helping to drive our oxen teams though and spent a couple of days helping PCS. I'm sure she will be fine, but darn, those horses were just letting me think I was the boss.

Anyway, I've only admitted this because I know that we need to take care of ourselves on this trip. YES, we are forced into doing things we aren't used to doing but don't take chances with your health. Ask for help if you need it so you don't get down totally. You are no help at all that way. I know that one for sure!

Also, don't forget that there's such a thing as emotional fatigue too. Talk it out if you are being bothered by something. Stephanie shared with us her issue with lack of privacy. That's a big one for most of us.

This journey is only going to get tougher and there's going to be times that all of us will HAVE to push ourselves beyond our endurance. Best to build up some reserves for that time while we still can. I fully believe we are in for a rough ride.

How did YOUR Sunday go? I'd really like to know what I missed.

Oh dear, what a day...PHew, it feels good to set still for a change. Laundry, Laundry and more laundry, having trying to coordinate getting the ill ones to the doctor, getting meals and etc was trying but we had lots of hands to help and it all went very smoothly.

It was a blessing to find we didn't have anything serious to deal with and ohhhh my,,, ORANGES too. And apples. One would think that we were living in an alien world and it hadn't been less than a week since leaving home.

There were a few more highlights as well to this beautifully sunny and warm day.

One was Mr.Mt_R coming to our circle and adjusting all who wanted to be adjusted. I was all for pushing all those sick people out of the way and rushing to the front of the line but I was polite and waited until he had tended those before asking for some help myself. I feel SOOOOOO much better now. Thank you so much for offering to help us out. Truthfully, everyone does seem to be feeling a bit better tonight. Lots of coughing going on but at least now they can get the crud out of their lungs and bronchial. We had been following Q's advise and not giving anything for the fever until it reached over 102 but there were a couple of young ones that even meds wouldn't bring the fever down. The wonders Mr.Mt_R worked did the trick.

One was the entertainment by Stephanie and Critters. Mom and I were on the way to the latrines and happened to be near enough to at least enjoy the show. We laughed until we were almost in tears. A much needed laugh I might add. Of course, we aren't allowed to "mention" what the 'play' was about but I believe it will take on a historic aspect with the group from now on. Thank you Stephanie, for that wonderful rendition of the "Great Afghan Chase of 2009"!!

Then of course, there was the addition of Mommato3boys and her family to our group. We are all so glad you joined us here. I'm surprised you even found us but then I suppose it's kind of hard to bring in this many wagons and animals without leaving some sort of trail. I certainly hope you didn't follow MY path through that LITTLE Ditch. It was definitely one of those don't try this at home times. LOL. I believe I'm getting better though and it's good that I can experience it for little ditches as I'm sure there's going to be a whole lot worse before we get there. I suspect that this was just Ditch 101.

The afternoon gave me time for a short walk in the woods and surrounding meadows. As I suspected it was pretty early for much in the way of potherbs but I was thrilled to find white willow along the stream. We have used a lot of my supply so we filled a basket with bark and twigs to dry for replacement.

While harvesting the willow I found a wonderful span of watercress in the stream below. I'm always a little leery of using cress from any but the swiftest moving streams as this was but to make sure we will soak it in water that's had a couple of water purification tablets dissolved in it. Then it will be a peppery nutritious addition to our diet. They are great chopped fine and sprinkled on a bowl of soup or used on a sandwich.

We found some small patches of lambs quarter and larger patches of winter cress. Not enough for potherbs but a nice addition to a salad especially since some of the winter cress was nicely white in the center, always less bitter. I found a beautiful patch of violets. The tiny leaves and flowers are great in a salad, especially with the addition of the watercress to give them a bite. I added some tiny purslane leaves for a bit of a lemony taste but there wasn't a lot of them either. As salads go there wasn't as much as I'd have liked. Another week or two would have seen a lot more.

A great find was wild rosehips still hanging on bushes. They are tiny, not big like the domestic variety but tasty made into tea and are full of vitamin C. We only took a small amount of them as they are tedious to pick.

We found tiny new shoots of mallow plants and I had some of the people with me dig up the roots to dry for a soothing tea or poultice. The mallow leaves will work too and though fuzzy, the very early ones will be good good in our salad.

Then we found nettles growing robustly even this early in the year. I took out a plastic bag for these and turning it inside out with my hand inside I picked the whole bag full. They can be used cooked as a potherb but it would take a whole lot more to make a meal. No, I wanted them to make a tea to use as a hair rinse. It leaves the hair shiny and soft. They also make a great tea after dried, tasting a bit like green tea. We might come back tomorrow and pick a lot more. I'm sure there were a whole lot more edibles and medicinals out there but I was too tired to be able to search for them. If we come to gather more nettles I'll do a bit more looking tomorrow.

Well, the work is done for the day unless someone needs me in the night. We are all clean, well fed, comfortable and ready to relax around the fire, my favorite time of the day. I'm hoping that someone will start singing. There's nothing nicer than a tune to start the day and a tune to end it.

Good morning Michael. Great song. What a pleasant way to greet the day. Good morning everyone.

Just reporting in that we have quite a few sick people over here. Three wagons from the Benefactor's group came last night and another this morning. The illness seems to be confined to coughing, runny noses, and sneezing mostly but a few have fevers and aches with it, indicating a bit more serious virus.

One little girl from the other group was seriously congested and our OTC meds weren't cutting it so we finally put some onion poultices on her chest in the night. That seems to have relieved it quite a bit and she's finally able to breathe better. I really believe that she should be one of those going to see that doctor. Michael, I can't thank you enough for finding him. I'd really like to try to make sure we aren't dealing with H1N1 though I'm not sure he can tell us with any certainty if it is or not as that test takes a few days to come back. The symptoms just don't quite seem to fit though so perhaps we are just dealing with a nasty common flu virus.

I will try to talk the parents into letting us send their children to the doctor in the care of some of the sick adults or we aren't going to have enough room for everyone. I suppose a few could ride horses over if needed though and that would give you the protection you asked for. We'll have everyone that's going ready to go at any time you say. Fifteen miles is a fair distance to travel. Strange to think of that though when just last week fifteen miles was just fifteen minutes away. How drastically our concepts of time and place have changed in just five days.

We'll start washing first thing this morning but instead of going to the stream we'll do most of it here in several large tubs. We have a central fire started in the "infirmary" circle as well. (Thanks to all of you who brought us wood) I will want to boil the handkerchiefs and other clothing just to make sure we kill some germs. I do have a lot of dry bleach along but would like to save that for when on the trail again.

Breakfast will be varied over here. We have a big pot of oatmeal ready but also have some loaves of bread for toasting, have jams and jellies set out, and will make eggs and bacon for any that prefer that. It's really good to be able to use the fire to cook over and save our precious fuel for inclement weather. I will say, it's a bit harder on the back cooking this way though. I’m glad I brought my lawn chair. Phew!

We've already started a big pot of nutritious soup for lunch. Everyone added what they had to it and we'll let it simmer all day. There's lots of rich broth forming on it for those who can't stomach anything heavier. We've got some fresh meat in various wagons (in coolers) that need to be used up so we're going to be cooking that too. We’ll probably cook rice to go with it. I’d love some of PCS’s gumbo but I know she’s still not feeling well from that snakebite and needs her rest. It will taste just as good later down the road, maybe even better. We’ll make a rich gravy for topping the rice and will also have a bit of sweetening for any that likes their rice that way.

With plenty of milk and lots of eggs Mom’s agreed to try her hand at making custard over an open fire this morning as it makes a nice light nutritious food for those not feeling well. We set some yogurt last night along with some milk set to clabber for cottage cheese. I’ll also probably make some soft vinegar cheese as well.

A few fish wouldn't go amiss to add some fresh variety to our diets so we'll be sending a few of the well people from here to try their hand at bringing a few back but we will try to arrange to be at the fishing area only when others aren't going to be there.

I doubt we’ll find enough spring greens in this area to feed the whole train but I’d like to at least see if there are any usable herbs around. Would anyone want to go along? I don’t think I’m coming down with anything but could stay a bit apart from you. We will probably need a guard though as some of the animals are still keeping watch towards the heavily wooded area. There must be something out there that makes them at least curious. Anarchy, have you noticed anything more? It’s rather strange, as the dogs aren’t barking at whatever it is.

Well, can’t stand here ‘jawing’ any longer, there’s work to do if I plan to rest a bit tomorrow. Have a great day everyone.

YES,,,,,If you check out the other thread you can see that we're already on the trail but haven't gotten far yet.

Get you 'stuff' packed and meet us out there.

Annarchy, we've been hearing that sound as well. Our dogs are restless and have wined towards the wooded are a couple of times. They don't seem nervous, just antsy. A couple of our guys went out and found big dog type tracks as well but didn't see anything else. Knowing wildlife like I do, I don't expect it will just out and out attack a wagon or a tent but I hope the guards are on the alert just the same. Feels a bit creepy to be over here by ourselves.

I'm grateful for the stopover though. I think a couple of days of no jostling will really help GS's leg and we can start getting some hot packs on it. I finally got some steam going for those with congestion tonight. That should relieve things somewhat.

Lots to do tomorrow what with the LITTLE ditch managing to take out a lot of stuff in our wagons. Nothing broken as far as we can see but a lot rearranged, and a bit of wagon repair.

I'm off to bed for a while but if anyone needs me just let me know.

(((((((distant hugs to keep down contagion)))))

You want me to drive these horse WHERE?

Are we there yet?

Just thought I'd make all you mothers feel at home! I've only heard that ten times today and that was from the BIG kids ... The littlest has been content playing LEGO's and sleeping away the afternoon. He's till feverish but doesn't seem quite as miserable as he was. Injured GS is a bit grumbly about not being able to just put on the brace he got at the hospital and crawl out of the wagon. That knee is still so swollen he can't even GET the brace on.

He's really not a problem though. He's as great guy and has been helping to entertain his little brother. At 22 he thinks he's invincible though and he really does just wants to be doing his share.

Does anyone know where we're stopping tonight? If I heard it I forgot it, it's been that kind of day.

Sorry, Mt_R, I was talking at the same time as you. I'll keep my eye out for early spring medicinal herbs though it's still a bit early yet. Plus using them from along the road carries the chance of them being covered with exhaust chemcals or sprays. We might get willow bark along the streams though.

I do have a suggestion. If anyone has vitamin C in their supplies or we can get some in a nearby town that they start taking it now if they haven't been already. It might cut down on the new cases or the severity of the disease. Additionally, if we can get to a town with a health food store I would like to stock more Gelsemium and Bryonia. Both specifics for fevers/colds/flu among other things. Perhaps even Bach Rescue Remedy and maybe....

Okay, so if get near somewhere that has a health food store I'll just make a list. I brought a very large supply of natural meds but if we have two trains of people going down we could need a lot more.

Quilty's, I had actually considered this option myself. I believe you are correct in needing to stop the contagion before it spreads worse. Because our GS has a fever it's wise to keep it controlled. Our family has all been around my GS so we will volunteer to drop back, all five wagons. That way we will have protection with extra numbers. Also, we will already be isolated if more of us come down with it. We are heavily armed and there are enough of us that we can act as our own guard at least at night.

The one problem I see with this is if it gets dusty or muddy. In a normal wagon train, to be fair, the lead wagon of one day would be the tail the next to avoid having to slog through dust or mud day after day in the same position as it puts a terrible burden on the teams. So far we are on paved or gravel roads so don't expect mud but we could hit some dust if it gets dry. That dust will only make the symptoms worse. Remember, we will be at the back of BOTH wagon trains as the Benefactors are ahead of us most of the time. It will also have to be decided if we are traveling behind the last wagons or behind the animals.

As for others joining us, I believe Annarchy said something about sneezing but if it's just sinus or ? I'd hate to have her catch something from us. Perhaps she could just isolate herself a bit until she decides what it is. Of course, anyone with a fever probably should join us.

I have enough natural health care and in-home health care education and experience that I can handle most cold/flu situations. I have a very large selection of herbs and homeopathic remedies as well so we can use them first and only resort to our precious medications if needed. I suggest that we pull no medically trained people out of line unless they feel they have been seriously exposed or feel they are coming down with the same symptoms. I thought of you when I say this, Q, as you and my DD and injured GS may have been exposed to something different at the hospital the other night.

Unless someone objects, we'll be dropping back as soon as we get to an area wide enough to do so. Q, thank you for thinking of the good of the train. I will be adding my prayers to others.

I set my internal alarm clock last night to awaken at HOT SHOWER time. It was still raining and cold out. The camper wagon was almost as wet inside from humidity. I could hear water dripping off the 'inside' of the top and lay there for a few minutes wondering how many wet areas I'd have to tend to and how I could change the humidity without sacrificing warmth.

It was mostly dark inside the wagon. Mom's privacy curtains block almost all light from the clear plastic windows in front but through the one in back I could see the trees by the soft glow of the light at the shower building. I suddenly had a deepening of appreciation for that light and the fact that hot running water was there for us to use.

Within minutes Mom and I were helping each other down the back steps with towels in hand and headed to the showers. We passed a couple of guards along the way but didn't know them. I knew that DH was out there some where on guard as well. It was a good feeling to know that people were willing to give up their sleep to help protect us. It was obvious that there were a lot of people who had internal alarm clocks set this morning as the showers were full and it took us longer to get back to the wagon than expected. DH was at the wagon and already starting to feed the animals by the time we got back. We hastened to get breakfast finished. We had started it last night by putting corn meal cooked with left over meat into bread pans in the 12 volt refrigerators to set up. It made a sort of scrapple that we sliced, dredged in flour and fried in saved bacon fat. I like mine with gravy but didn't want to take time with it so instead we all ate it with fresh rich creamy butter.

While we were getting hitched up, animal's milked, and things stored away Mom made dozens of buttermilk biscuits for lunch. We had put beans to soak last night and she brought them to a boil and put them in the insulated cooker with small bits of canned ham, dehydrated veggies, and seasonings to cook during the day for supper. I'm beginning to realize how tough it would be for me without her help, emotionally and physically.

Both GS's were doing better this morning. The older one has slept better and the younger one's fever is down though he is going to be riding with us today so we can keep an eye on him. He's still sneezing and blowing and I'm really grateful for the packets of Kleenex I had in the wagon but at this rate they won't last long. I'm going to have to dig out the handkerchiefs that I brought.

I believe we have everything done. I sent goat's milk over to CGA,, got the cream from last night set for butter, I've got the invalids tucked in, and I believe we are ready to go.

Michael, we've got a big box of LEGO's here too. Believe it or not, the Oldest GS has them for now. (He loves them too and even electrifies them with batteries) Youngest one is playing with his small tractors but will get some of the LEGO's later. And Um Michael, aren't you glad you decided to stay? You'd have missed the LEGO's if you hadn't. (well, okay, AFTER Lori gets back)

(((Mt_Rider,,,,,You KNOW it's true, that you bring on these things IRL. I'm just trying to prepare the other members of this part for that possibility ))

(That's Mt_Riders fault, every time she posts one of these UNreality exercises it happens. I keep wondering when the wagons are showing up at my door. LOL

Hey, Michael, weren't YOU the one that said we should try out some of these things IRL? )

Annarchy, I'm afraid you caught that sneezing from us. DGS ran a fever all day today, sneezed, coughed, blew and etc (and went to the doctor IRL, not H1N1 he says)

Tomorrow HAS to be better. We have to think positive to get us through the days. We still have weeks to go yet. I, for one, would relish a monotonous fifteen mile day for a change. Now I'm going to get some sleep in case Michael gets us up early again tomorrow morning.