PacNorWest
Veteran Member
#38
Days filled with work took the clan to the end of August. There had been the beginnings of fall rains to water the hasty planted gardens, bringing in a decent harvest for the winter.
Days came and went, the woods yielding harvests of fox grapes and wild apples. Berries and rose hips were dried and vats and crocks of sauerkraut were put down. Hunting was not a sport but a deadly serious hedge between life and the length of winter. Deer, ducks and geese were harvested.
Meats were canned, dried and fashioned into jerky. All vegetables and fruits were canned, dried and made into fruit leathers. Cabbages, carrots packed into tubs and put in the root cellar. The potatoes were not larger than tennis balls, and Clora dug half of hers, and left the other half in the ground to grow to as much potential as the cooling weather would allow.
It progressed into the third week of October, and there was a particularly hard, rainy week; when the bells sounded from the town homes.
Corbin and his freight wagons lumbered into town, bringing a beaming Andy and his new bride Judy back into the folds of the clan. As a special surprise, Clara came for a visit, and Clora welcomed the woman with open arms.
There were changes, more than double the number of guards and outriders to ensure safe passage of the well stocked wagons. Two wagons went on North to take items to the Inn at Belnap, Abby had sent word to Corbin through a series of mail carrying riders; to bring supplies.
It was a glorious reunion despite the weather, and Donny sulked around the house with a glum face. Andy and Judy breezed into their place, told Donny thank you, but go home now and shut the door in the face of the young man that was anxious to talk to his brother.
Clora had done her best to prepare Donny for this event; but she had guests, Clara and Corbin to prepare meals for, and sit and visit with.
"Oh you look so good and happy," Clora enthused to Clara as they stood at the sink peeling potatoes and carrots for the evening meal.
"I have been so richly blessed," the words spilled out of Clara. "I simply had no idea that life could be so wonderful. I don't believe I've ever been so happy. Life at the farm is so satisfying and busy. It's such a big place that I have to have help. There is this family by the name of Dufus, that lives and helps manage the work inside and out. Angel Dufus is the ladies name, she and Mr. Dufus have 11 children and she is the most organized, capable person I have ever met. In fact, that is why I am visiting here now. Baby #12 is due in three months, and my help will be needed at the farm."
Mark and Corbin strolled out to the barn, where the work horses were now stabled, the ladies had bulging sides, new foals due after the first of the year. Donny was working, mucking stalls and talking to the ladies; lightly scolding them for pooping in the barn.
"Walk outside, will ya?" he gave a perturbed look to the bay mare who had been generous in leaving piles of fertilizer. Donny's voice carried to the two men walking down the barn aisle, making them laugh.
"I swear, they have to walk in cross legged just so they can deposit in the barn," Donny complained.
Corbin laughed again, "the only thing that leaves more manure in a barn than a horse, is a cow."
"Say," Mark interjected, "we wouldn't mind finding another cow or two. If you happen to come across one, keep us in mind."
"Not too many of'em around," Corbin said truthfully, "kinda a difficult animal to find nowdays."
Donny was muttering, "just more manure," and both men smiled.
"Between us and Tess, we need a cow, her boys need calcium and we need whipping cream," Mark teased.
"Well, when you put it that way," Donny finally teased back, "pumpkin pie can be pretty dangerous if you don't have whipping cream to use as point protector."
Mark shrugged and smiled, and suddenly Corbin gave a shout of laughter. "I just got it," he chortled. "that's a good one," he told Donny, "did you think that one up all by yourself?"
"No," Donny tossed off, "that's an inside Linderman joke, it surfaces close to Thanksgiving every year."
Andy and Judy visited after supper, and the men took coffee and dessert plates of pie into the living room to talk, and the three ladies did the dishes and gabbed in the kitchen.
Mark carefully told Corbin all about the protection team that they had encountered, and how they mentioned they had shadowed Corbin's wagons.
"Funny you should mention that, I have been getting letters," Corbin explained, "a company has been sending feelers out, creating a 'police force', is the jist of the offer. It sounds like a subscription setup, and a real recipe for extortion."
"Donny tells me that our uncle was the top mucky muck in the group that was here," Andy took his last bite of pie. Swallowing with a drink of coffee, he said, "he's a nasty sucker, don't trust him an inch. He used to set my other dad up, and then turn around and rip him plenty. It was really stupid the way they fought, it used to shock us that they would go after one another with knives. This was our dad who wouldn't say BOO to a rabbit, going berserk and rolling around and wrestling with knives in the kitchen. Mom would make us go upstairs out of the way, but sometimes we wouldn't even get out of the room before they got started."
"That's crazy," Corbin said. "How did you guys turn out so normal, if you had to put up with all that?"
"Mark and Clora," both boys said promptly. "They kept us alive."
Days filled with work took the clan to the end of August. There had been the beginnings of fall rains to water the hasty planted gardens, bringing in a decent harvest for the winter.
Days came and went, the woods yielding harvests of fox grapes and wild apples. Berries and rose hips were dried and vats and crocks of sauerkraut were put down. Hunting was not a sport but a deadly serious hedge between life and the length of winter. Deer, ducks and geese were harvested.
Meats were canned, dried and fashioned into jerky. All vegetables and fruits were canned, dried and made into fruit leathers. Cabbages, carrots packed into tubs and put in the root cellar. The potatoes were not larger than tennis balls, and Clora dug half of hers, and left the other half in the ground to grow to as much potential as the cooling weather would allow.
It progressed into the third week of October, and there was a particularly hard, rainy week; when the bells sounded from the town homes.
Corbin and his freight wagons lumbered into town, bringing a beaming Andy and his new bride Judy back into the folds of the clan. As a special surprise, Clara came for a visit, and Clora welcomed the woman with open arms.
There were changes, more than double the number of guards and outriders to ensure safe passage of the well stocked wagons. Two wagons went on North to take items to the Inn at Belnap, Abby had sent word to Corbin through a series of mail carrying riders; to bring supplies.
It was a glorious reunion despite the weather, and Donny sulked around the house with a glum face. Andy and Judy breezed into their place, told Donny thank you, but go home now and shut the door in the face of the young man that was anxious to talk to his brother.
Clora had done her best to prepare Donny for this event; but she had guests, Clara and Corbin to prepare meals for, and sit and visit with.
"Oh you look so good and happy," Clora enthused to Clara as they stood at the sink peeling potatoes and carrots for the evening meal.
"I have been so richly blessed," the words spilled out of Clara. "I simply had no idea that life could be so wonderful. I don't believe I've ever been so happy. Life at the farm is so satisfying and busy. It's such a big place that I have to have help. There is this family by the name of Dufus, that lives and helps manage the work inside and out. Angel Dufus is the ladies name, she and Mr. Dufus have 11 children and she is the most organized, capable person I have ever met. In fact, that is why I am visiting here now. Baby #12 is due in three months, and my help will be needed at the farm."
Mark and Corbin strolled out to the barn, where the work horses were now stabled, the ladies had bulging sides, new foals due after the first of the year. Donny was working, mucking stalls and talking to the ladies; lightly scolding them for pooping in the barn.
"Walk outside, will ya?" he gave a perturbed look to the bay mare who had been generous in leaving piles of fertilizer. Donny's voice carried to the two men walking down the barn aisle, making them laugh.
"I swear, they have to walk in cross legged just so they can deposit in the barn," Donny complained.
Corbin laughed again, "the only thing that leaves more manure in a barn than a horse, is a cow."
"Say," Mark interjected, "we wouldn't mind finding another cow or two. If you happen to come across one, keep us in mind."
"Not too many of'em around," Corbin said truthfully, "kinda a difficult animal to find nowdays."
Donny was muttering, "just more manure," and both men smiled.
"Between us and Tess, we need a cow, her boys need calcium and we need whipping cream," Mark teased.
"Well, when you put it that way," Donny finally teased back, "pumpkin pie can be pretty dangerous if you don't have whipping cream to use as point protector."
Mark shrugged and smiled, and suddenly Corbin gave a shout of laughter. "I just got it," he chortled. "that's a good one," he told Donny, "did you think that one up all by yourself?"
"No," Donny tossed off, "that's an inside Linderman joke, it surfaces close to Thanksgiving every year."
Andy and Judy visited after supper, and the men took coffee and dessert plates of pie into the living room to talk, and the three ladies did the dishes and gabbed in the kitchen.
Mark carefully told Corbin all about the protection team that they had encountered, and how they mentioned they had shadowed Corbin's wagons.
"Funny you should mention that, I have been getting letters," Corbin explained, "a company has been sending feelers out, creating a 'police force', is the jist of the offer. It sounds like a subscription setup, and a real recipe for extortion."
"Donny tells me that our uncle was the top mucky muck in the group that was here," Andy took his last bite of pie. Swallowing with a drink of coffee, he said, "he's a nasty sucker, don't trust him an inch. He used to set my other dad up, and then turn around and rip him plenty. It was really stupid the way they fought, it used to shock us that they would go after one another with knives. This was our dad who wouldn't say BOO to a rabbit, going berserk and rolling around and wrestling with knives in the kitchen. Mom would make us go upstairs out of the way, but sometimes we wouldn't even get out of the room before they got started."
"That's crazy," Corbin said. "How did you guys turn out so normal, if you had to put up with all that?"
"Mark and Clora," both boys said promptly. "They kept us alive."
