A.T.Hagan
Inactive
September 13 - The Beginning of the Middle
The sun hung just above the trees on the west side of the pasture and they threw long shadows that were slowly creeping closer. John poured himself another glass of lemonade - made with real lemons that had been a lucky score at the Archer market last weekend from a shipment that had made it up from the southern end of the state. He'd spent the day in the garden and it felt good to sit in the late afternoon sun on the porch after a good bath. His stomach growled but he ignored it. Ann wouldn't be home for at least another few minutes yet and they were waiting supper on her arrival. He'd had the girls give the house a good cleaning that morning and he'd come in and helped them cook supper so that everything would be perfect for when she got home. He had to admit the sensibility of her arrangements but he still missed her company nonetheless. He clicked on the little portable radio to catch the last of the evening news
<i>China watchers in the U.S. and Europe are discussing a news article appearing on page six of yesterday's Hong Kong Daily News which reports a change in leadership of the Chinese Central Military Command. This command is the means by which the Chinese Communist Party controls the Chinese military - the People's Liberation Army. In the past a change of leadership in this post has oft times presaged a change in leadership at the highest levels of the P.R.C. The U.S. government has offered no comment on this news story. There is still no official word from the Chinese government.
In national news President Bush blasted the leaders of the coalition blocks that have locked horns over the manner by which the U.S. Congress will be reconstituted. Fierce political infighting has crossed party lines as the New Reality bloc of Midwestern and Western states demand that congressional representatives and senators to replace those lost to the Impact and its aftermath be appointed by their respective state legislatures on the basis of the actual post-Impact U.S. population distribution.
Death tolls have still not been fully determined but Eastern Recovery Command and FEMA authorities state they believe it will finalize between thirty seven and thirty eight million casualties approximately four fifths of which were in the Atlantic seaboard states with the remainder being spread across the Gulf Coast states and lesser numbers attributable to casualties resulting from the earthquakes and flooding following the asteroid impact.
The opposing view is presented by the Stability bloc of Atlantic and Gulf Coast states that demand all Congressional appointments be based on the population distribution as determined by the last census which they state is required by the Constitution. Neither side has yet managed to prevail in the struggle.
Eighty seven Congressional Representatives and Senators who were in Washington during the summer recess as well as three Supreme Court Justices were lost when they could not be located in time to evacuate them before the giant waves hit or were lost in the collision between two of the large Sikorsky helicopters used in the evacuation as they were lifting off from the grounds of the Capitol.
This deadlock is frustrating the President's attempts to push forward with the full implementation of the National Reconstruction Corp programs. One of those programs includes the absorption of assets from those insurance companies in the U.S. that are unable to meet their financial liabilities resulting from Impact and Post-Impact claims. These assets would be used in funding the National Reconstruction Corp projects. This move is being vigorously opposed by the insurance industry. A friend-of-the-court briefing has been filed in favor of the insurance industry's position by representatives of the National Bankers Association who fear that banks left insolvent by East Coast losses may also be absorbed into the NRC.
President Bush is said to be pushing for an expedited decision by the surviving five man, one woman Supreme Court also based now in Denver. The Court has not yet said if it would hear the case nor how long they would need to rule if they did
In the Southwest the Arizona Department of Public Safety reports increasing incidences of cross-border raids by a previously unknown group calling themselves the "Villaists". The last such reported raid resulted in a half-hour long running fire fight between the bandits and local residents in the town of Douglas situated on the Mexican border. Two Villaists were reported killed and one towns person wounded. Arizona National Guard troops are being moved to the border area in response.
A spokesperson for the Eastern Recovery Command report the first aid shipments have begun to arrive from Australia and Japan which is targeted at East and Gulf Coast disaster areas. Aid shipments from the South American Pacific nations of Chile and Peru are due to begin arriving this week. Foreign aid to the devastated areas of the U.S. was delayed when difficulties were encountered in getting permissions to bring the material into the country.</i>
John had just taken the last swallow of lemonade in the glass when he saw the blue University of Florida van pull up in front of the gate so he set down his glass - <i>Breaking news from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia reports eruptions of gun fire in the Saudi capital city as reports of an att…</i> switched off the radio and went to meet his wife at the gate. He was just giving her a kiss when a man stepped out of the van with a small suitcase and a five gallon bucket in his hands. John glanced at him not recognizing the face at first then realizing it was Luke Hatcher. "Luke!" he exclaimed, "My God, you look bad… Well, sorry about putting it that way, but you really haven't been taking care of yourself."
The doctor stuck out his hand and shook with John. "Hi John" he said, "that's why I'm here. One of Lisa's friends ratted me out to her and she raised Hell with the hospital director so he packed me off to here for a few days to get her out of his hair!"
Taking Ann by the hand he said, "Well come inside you two! We've got supper ready to put on the table and we'll fatten you both up right proper."
His wife smiled. "Sounds good to me! They do feed us at the university but well… it's not exactly cordon bleau nor is there a lot of it. That's a big part of the reason why Luke looks like he does I think. That and the big lug not having enough sense to sleep once in a while."
Luke smiled, "Being a doctor in a disaster area is never easy. Oh, by the way, Ann said this is for you." He handed the bucket to John.
John examined the sealed, unlabled white plastic bucket and said, "What's this?"
Ann replied, "Crown vetch seed. Dr Martin in Forages and Feeds thinks it might do well here if the winter turns out to be what they think it will be. He'd like you to try it in the pasture. Says it ought to provide some winter grazing if you plant it with rye. He'll bring you enough rye grass seed and the seeder again for the pasture as soon are they're finished with it. I think he's concerned that the extension farm pasture is too close to town and they might not be able to keep grazing animals on it through the winter so he wants to try it someplace further out of town. Might be a way to save on feed if it works."
Her husband nodded his head. "Crown vetch. I've heard of it but I can't recall much about it. Ought to be something on it in Morrison's <I>Feeds and Feeding</I> or one of the others. I'll take a look at it this weekend."
They stepped through the door and the girls ran up to meet them. "Daddy!" Heather yelled and ran up to hug her father. He picked her up and swung her around. Melinda ran up and hugged her mother who gave her a big hug and kiss. She then hugged Brittany and Heather when her father let her go. Luke looked at Melinda and asked, "How have you been feeling? Has your tummy been giving your any more trouble?"
Brittany poked her in the ribs and said, "Only when she eats too many green peanuts out of the peanut hay!"
Melinda whirled around to confront her accoster then turned back to the doctor, "No sir," she replied "My 'ppendix has been fine since you gave me that medicine." Then she poked Brittany back and said, "And I don't either eat too many peanuts out of the peanut hay!"
Everyone chuckled at that and Ann said, "No, I think she learned that lesson when she was six!"
Robert poked his head through the kitchen door and said, "Y'all come on and set to the table. I just took the biscuits out of the oven."
The sun hung just above the trees on the west side of the pasture and they threw long shadows that were slowly creeping closer. John poured himself another glass of lemonade - made with real lemons that had been a lucky score at the Archer market last weekend from a shipment that had made it up from the southern end of the state. He'd spent the day in the garden and it felt good to sit in the late afternoon sun on the porch after a good bath. His stomach growled but he ignored it. Ann wouldn't be home for at least another few minutes yet and they were waiting supper on her arrival. He'd had the girls give the house a good cleaning that morning and he'd come in and helped them cook supper so that everything would be perfect for when she got home. He had to admit the sensibility of her arrangements but he still missed her company nonetheless. He clicked on the little portable radio to catch the last of the evening news
<i>China watchers in the U.S. and Europe are discussing a news article appearing on page six of yesterday's Hong Kong Daily News which reports a change in leadership of the Chinese Central Military Command. This command is the means by which the Chinese Communist Party controls the Chinese military - the People's Liberation Army. In the past a change of leadership in this post has oft times presaged a change in leadership at the highest levels of the P.R.C. The U.S. government has offered no comment on this news story. There is still no official word from the Chinese government.
In national news President Bush blasted the leaders of the coalition blocks that have locked horns over the manner by which the U.S. Congress will be reconstituted. Fierce political infighting has crossed party lines as the New Reality bloc of Midwestern and Western states demand that congressional representatives and senators to replace those lost to the Impact and its aftermath be appointed by their respective state legislatures on the basis of the actual post-Impact U.S. population distribution.
Death tolls have still not been fully determined but Eastern Recovery Command and FEMA authorities state they believe it will finalize between thirty seven and thirty eight million casualties approximately four fifths of which were in the Atlantic seaboard states with the remainder being spread across the Gulf Coast states and lesser numbers attributable to casualties resulting from the earthquakes and flooding following the asteroid impact.
The opposing view is presented by the Stability bloc of Atlantic and Gulf Coast states that demand all Congressional appointments be based on the population distribution as determined by the last census which they state is required by the Constitution. Neither side has yet managed to prevail in the struggle.
Eighty seven Congressional Representatives and Senators who were in Washington during the summer recess as well as three Supreme Court Justices were lost when they could not be located in time to evacuate them before the giant waves hit or were lost in the collision between two of the large Sikorsky helicopters used in the evacuation as they were lifting off from the grounds of the Capitol.
This deadlock is frustrating the President's attempts to push forward with the full implementation of the National Reconstruction Corp programs. One of those programs includes the absorption of assets from those insurance companies in the U.S. that are unable to meet their financial liabilities resulting from Impact and Post-Impact claims. These assets would be used in funding the National Reconstruction Corp projects. This move is being vigorously opposed by the insurance industry. A friend-of-the-court briefing has been filed in favor of the insurance industry's position by representatives of the National Bankers Association who fear that banks left insolvent by East Coast losses may also be absorbed into the NRC.
President Bush is said to be pushing for an expedited decision by the surviving five man, one woman Supreme Court also based now in Denver. The Court has not yet said if it would hear the case nor how long they would need to rule if they did
In the Southwest the Arizona Department of Public Safety reports increasing incidences of cross-border raids by a previously unknown group calling themselves the "Villaists". The last such reported raid resulted in a half-hour long running fire fight between the bandits and local residents in the town of Douglas situated on the Mexican border. Two Villaists were reported killed and one towns person wounded. Arizona National Guard troops are being moved to the border area in response.
A spokesperson for the Eastern Recovery Command report the first aid shipments have begun to arrive from Australia and Japan which is targeted at East and Gulf Coast disaster areas. Aid shipments from the South American Pacific nations of Chile and Peru are due to begin arriving this week. Foreign aid to the devastated areas of the U.S. was delayed when difficulties were encountered in getting permissions to bring the material into the country.</i>
John had just taken the last swallow of lemonade in the glass when he saw the blue University of Florida van pull up in front of the gate so he set down his glass - <i>Breaking news from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia reports eruptions of gun fire in the Saudi capital city as reports of an att…</i> switched off the radio and went to meet his wife at the gate. He was just giving her a kiss when a man stepped out of the van with a small suitcase and a five gallon bucket in his hands. John glanced at him not recognizing the face at first then realizing it was Luke Hatcher. "Luke!" he exclaimed, "My God, you look bad… Well, sorry about putting it that way, but you really haven't been taking care of yourself."
The doctor stuck out his hand and shook with John. "Hi John" he said, "that's why I'm here. One of Lisa's friends ratted me out to her and she raised Hell with the hospital director so he packed me off to here for a few days to get her out of his hair!"
Taking Ann by the hand he said, "Well come inside you two! We've got supper ready to put on the table and we'll fatten you both up right proper."
His wife smiled. "Sounds good to me! They do feed us at the university but well… it's not exactly cordon bleau nor is there a lot of it. That's a big part of the reason why Luke looks like he does I think. That and the big lug not having enough sense to sleep once in a while."
Luke smiled, "Being a doctor in a disaster area is never easy. Oh, by the way, Ann said this is for you." He handed the bucket to John.
John examined the sealed, unlabled white plastic bucket and said, "What's this?"
Ann replied, "Crown vetch seed. Dr Martin in Forages and Feeds thinks it might do well here if the winter turns out to be what they think it will be. He'd like you to try it in the pasture. Says it ought to provide some winter grazing if you plant it with rye. He'll bring you enough rye grass seed and the seeder again for the pasture as soon are they're finished with it. I think he's concerned that the extension farm pasture is too close to town and they might not be able to keep grazing animals on it through the winter so he wants to try it someplace further out of town. Might be a way to save on feed if it works."
Her husband nodded his head. "Crown vetch. I've heard of it but I can't recall much about it. Ought to be something on it in Morrison's <I>Feeds and Feeding</I> or one of the others. I'll take a look at it this weekend."
They stepped through the door and the girls ran up to meet them. "Daddy!" Heather yelled and ran up to hug her father. He picked her up and swung her around. Melinda ran up and hugged her mother who gave her a big hug and kiss. She then hugged Brittany and Heather when her father let her go. Luke looked at Melinda and asked, "How have you been feeling? Has your tummy been giving your any more trouble?"
Brittany poked her in the ribs and said, "Only when she eats too many green peanuts out of the peanut hay!"
Melinda whirled around to confront her accoster then turned back to the doctor, "No sir," she replied "My 'ppendix has been fine since you gave me that medicine." Then she poked Brittany back and said, "And I don't either eat too many peanuts out of the peanut hay!"
Everyone chuckled at that and Ann said, "No, I think she learned that lesson when she was six!"
Robert poked his head through the kitchen door and said, "Y'all come on and set to the table. I just took the biscuits out of the oven."
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