Jeanway

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Posts posted by Jeanway

  1. Posted · Edited by Jeanway

    Finally, the huge pot was full. She placed it on the stove then pumped the handle at the sink and filled the pitcher over and over and dumped it in the pot, then stoked the stove to get the fire up. She closed the window and was going to go outside when she caught sight of a small number of green images moving across the field outside, they disappeared into the woods. She walked out to the front porch and stood there for a few minutes to get a better look. The didn't show themselves again so she joined the rest of the family at the barn.

     

    "Abe, I saw something out in the field. It looked like the thing that was in the well is back and has brought friends this time." Becka told him. He looked towards the field and the woods. "There" She said as she pointed in that direction.

  2. Posted · Edited by Jeanway

    "I brought a pad of paper with us to show you two about 'shifting gears' ". Lida said to Able and Abbie as they sat in the truck in the yard. She drew a diagram for them so they would understand about shifting. She then explained about the 'clutch'. "This will engage the transmission. You only shift when you press down on the clutch, otherwise you'll damage the gears and the truck will be out of commision and we don't want that to happen. Here let's take a little ride and I'll explain it as I show you how to shift." She told them. She drove up the road and out of sight with Able and Abbie watching her every move.

     

    Meanwhile the hammering had started again and Abe, Aaron, Bart, Cain, Beth, Callie and Addie worked for the next few hours on the fourth and final wall of the barn.

     

    The truck was seen by Becka passing the farm out the kitchen window. Back and forth, back and forth. She could make out the faint sounds of grinding gears and a whinning engine, she chuckled to herself. The window was open and Baby Tongue and Kes sat in the sun next to her as she fed them bits of raw potato as she peeled.

  3. Posted

    "Alright children, back to work, let's go." Abe yelled from outside the barn. The children all streamed down the ladder then outside to their father who stood there clapping his hands together to hurry them along. All except for Abbie and Able who were getting in the truck with Lida. Becka stayed in the kitchen for a bit to clean up after lunch and to peel potatos to make potato salad for their supper. Once she got them on the stove to cook she went outside for a while to 'Supervise' :lol: :wink2:.

  4. Posted

    Bart took the printed PM around to everyone and read it out loud. He was so happy to hear for his lovely Taffita :lol: He slumped in one corner of the loft and read and re-read it to himself. "She MIGHT come back. She MIGHT come back." He said over and over to himself, holding the page to his chest. Everyone knew how much he cared for her and how much her leaving with Nathan affected him. :congrats:

  5. Posted

    "O.K. then Abe, who is going with us? Aaron and I can both drive, you and who else can drive? I know Able and Abigail are certainly old enough to learn. We may very well need 4 trucks, maybe 5. Becka will have to stay here with the children, right?" Lida asked. "I'm not up for another trip, yes, I want to stay here." becka added. The four younger children moaned in disappointment. "Now, you remember how tired we all were by the time we got here?" She asked them. "Yea" They said in agreement. "So it's settled then. Who is going to teach Able and Abigail how to drive a truck??" Abe looked at Lida. "Hmmm?" Lida answered. "Sure Abe, no problem, we'll start this afternoon after lunch. If you can spare them for a few hours." :lol:

  6. Posted

    It didn't take long for the smell of the fried chicken to reach everyone's noses outside. The trek to the water trough began, then into the kitchen door.

     

    Everyone was already tired. They took their time eating lunch since it meant more time to sit and not swing a hammer or drag a plank. Abe was in high spirits as was Aaron, they were starting on the fourth and final wall this afternoon.

     

    "A Barnraising is a big event you know. Usually everyone in the county would come to take part. But I think we can do it. It's hard, but I think we can." Abe told Lida and Aaron. " We've been to many back in Lafayette ya know, was great fun." Becka added. "I think sometime tomorrow we'll be able to have all four walls standing then we can start on the roofin. We should have it done by the time ILikeSeven reaches Port of Michiana. Oh, by the way, anyone checked the site? Seen if he Pmed us??" Abe asked. "I did last night Abe." Lida said. "He's tryng to get through the locks, it'll be a few days yet."

     

    Then Lida asked Abe. "How long do you think it'll take us to get to Michiana from here Abe? With the two trucks and the wagon? I was thinking, we may need more than two trucks for all those sheep." Abe answered. "Well, we can always pick up a few more along the way. I'd say it'll take us about 6 to 8 hours to drive there."

  12. Posted

    Two of the walls for the barn were built and laying on the ground. The third wall was near completion. The girls were getting rather adept at swinging a hammer. The boys showed them what to do and the girls seemed to be having fun.

     

    Lida and Becka, as usual, quit a bit early to go back in and make lunch for everyone. Becka went upstairs right off to check on Abbie, she was sound asleep, she didn't disturb her.

     

    The rendered fat was melting in two huge pots on the stove, the chickens were cut up and floured and seasoned and ready to fry. Becka cut potatos for frying into huge planks with the skin still on them. They began the frying. The house filled with the smell of spices from the chickens coating and Abbie woke up and came downstairs. "Can I help Mother?" She asked. "Well, look who's up. You feeling better Sweetie?" She asked "Much. Thanks." Abbie answered. She joined them at the stove.

  13. Posted

    Abe ate 4 corn muffins and about a pound of bacon and six hard-cooked eggs then washed it all down with a quart of cranberry juice. He burped, long and loud then stood up. "Ready children? We got a barn to build." He stated as he headed for the backdoor. Aaron, the boys and the girls followed, except for Abigail.

    She went over to her mother and whispered something in her ear. "Abe." She called out to him. "Abbie isn't feeling well this morning, she'll come out later, after lunch, alright?" Abe turned around and stuck his head back inside, gave Becka a wink and said. "Sure honey, I understand." then he left. Becka set about making a special 'brew' for Abbie. "You go back to bed now Sweetie, I'll bring it up to you when it's ready." She told her. Abbie went back upstairs holding her side.

  14. Posted · Edited by Jeanway

    Lida watched the tea cup and saucer float in the air towards her then stop right in front of her. She reached out and slid her hand under the saucer. The hot tea jiggled in the cup, she was shaking. "Who are you?" Lida asked. Then she waited for some sort of response, not knowing where or how it would come. "Anyone there?" She asked again, still nothing. she walked toward the table and sat down. "I'm here, talk to me if you can." She said. She sat quietly knowing that if there were beings about they might try to communicate with her. Then she laughed to herself. "What am I saying? Look what you've done here. I know your here, it's alright, don't be afraid of me. This explains alot." She sat and drank her tea with a smile on her face.

     

    Just then a rumble of children thundered down the stairs, Aaron in the lead, they must have smelled the bacon that was cooked and sitting on a large platter in the warming oven on the top of the stove. And corn muffins. It smelled heavenly. The back door blew open and in what appeared to be a mix of haze and smoke she saw the figures of two people blow out the door. She laughed. "Come back again when you can stay longer." She shouted. Then the door blew shut. :sly:

  20. Posted · Edited by Jeanway

    ILikeSeven had a map of the Locks. Apparently there are about 7 or 8 he has to navigate through in this manner. He says he'll PM us on his progress as he goes through each one and that will tell us approximately how far away from the Port of Michiana he is and how long before we have to head out to meet them.

     

    Everyone made it an early night, another day of hard physical labour tomorrow. All the lamps were out, all the children in bed when the adults finally fell asleep as well.

     

    Just before dawn Lida awoke to sounds below her room, the kitchen. She got up and looked into each bedroom to see if anyone was up before her. No one was, all the beds were occupied. She crept down the stairs quietly holding a lose piece of railing in her hand that she grabbed on her way down. She got to the bottom of the stairs and carefully and slowly peeked around the doorjamb into the kitchen. She couldn't believe her eyes. Plates were moving through the air by themselves. Glasses and cups were floating. The pump handle was moving up and down by itself and the stove was hot and a big kettle of water was steaming on the stove. She hung back and just watched. Hoping someone else would wake up and come downstairs. She was frozen with fear. :sly:

  21. Posted · Edited by Jeanway

    The aroma of something delicious wofted through the air. Everyone was very tired and hungry. Lida came out and told them supper was ready. "Go wash up in the trough before you come in, your Ma will have kittens you go in there all dirty like this." She told them. They all washed their face and hands and brushed off as much of the dirt from their clothes as they could.

     

    Becka and Lida had gone to the barn and killed 4 chickens and dressed them and boiled them in a huge pot. They made a chicken stew with peas and carrots and dumplings, everyone's favorite. Everyone ate their fill. Becka decided to let the girls off kitchen chores tonight since they had worked so hard outside. All the children went to the loft and Lida and Becka cleaned up. Abe and Aaron sat on the front porch, drank hot tea and chatted about Men's stuff. :sly:

     

    When they decided to join the children in the loft. As did Becka and Lida. Aaron logged onto the site. "Hey, I got a PM from ILikeSeven." He said to Lida. "Eww, where are they now?" She asked him. "He says he's at the Eisenhower Lock. He's had to get off the boat to open the lock then get back on after it went through." Aaron read outloud. "Mmm, sounds like they're having a bit of trouble to me, that can be exhausting. May take them a while to get through all of them." Lida said.

  22. Posted

    The girls began dragging the long planks over to the foundation. This took them most of the afternoon. Aaron and Abe mulled over the plans and instructed the boys with what to do next. Slowly the walls were built on the ground. The girls helped alot and took frequent rests. Lida and Becka did their share as well, but had to quit and go inside earlier than the rest to prepare supper.

  23. Posted

    Green beans mixed and on the table. The children chattered wildly about the "Thing" in the well. Abe sat quietly then cleared his throat as he swallowed the last of his sandwich. "Children? Now I'm spreaking to you girls now." He began. "We are ALL going to have to help with building the new barn. ILikeSeven and his family will be here in a week. We need all hands busy around here. We have a new flock of Dutch Sheep arriving and they'll need to be inside." The girls looked at each other. 'You want us to help BUILD the barn Pa?" Beth asked. "Yep, sorry but that's the reality of it." He answered.

     

    After the table was cleared and the kitchen cleaned up the girls, Lida and Becka joined the men outside.