Charlie and the girls got home just before lunch.
Mattie needed changing and the boys would be in from the woods in a few minutes.
Alice clipped Charlie’s lead to the clothes line so he could have the run of the back-yard. Then she scrubbed up some of the new potatoes and put them into the microwave.
She chopped up the sausage left over from breakfast and browned it in the skillet and then made milk-gravy. While the gravy was thickening she shredded cabbage for slaw.
When the boys had not made it back by 11:30, Alice suggested “Lunch is almost done. I will watch Mattie if you want to take Charlie for a walk and introduce him to the property. Maybe you want to walk down to where the boys are working and see what they are up to?”
“It doesn’t feel right, sticking you with watching Mattie all the time” Krystal said.
“It is no trouble at all” Alice reassured her. “We get along famously.”
And that is how Clayton learned that his family had expanded by one over the course of the morning. He saw Krystal walking down the two-track that ran along the lip of the swamp, coming to check out their progress.
“Howdy, missy!” Ed greeted her with enthusiasm. He was jubilant over the morning’s progress and it was telling that he had almost forgotten about lunch.
He and Clayton had started out slowly as they felt their way along.
Ed liked to guide with a light hand. He floated his suggestions as that; suggestions. “Did you ever think about…” or “Maybe it would be to our advantage if…”
Clayton said he had a problem with authority. That was not quite accurate. Clayton had problems with the brain-dead, soul-sucking brown-nosers who had been his bosses. Clayton had busted his ass working for the good bosses, only to see them get stabbed in the back by the ambitious and the political players.
It had soured Clayton.
Ed avoided the problem by acting as Clayton’s partner. Clayton knew his equipment and what it could do. Ed had a better idea of the problems they were going to run into.
The system they figured out was to put a snatch-block as high as they could reach on a nearby tree and then run the cable down to a logging chain wrapped near the butt of the tree.
Clayton backed up the skid-steer and the angle of the cable from the snatch-block to the widow-maker ripped the few, remaining roots out of the ground.
Clayton backed up until the root-ball was suspended in the air near the trunk of the lifting tree.
Ed went down and chainsawed off the gnarled ball of roots that would hook and catch on every snag on the way out of the swamp. If it made sense, he hooked a second length of logging chain to tidily trimmed trunk and scooted a skidding cone onto the end.
Mattie needed changing and the boys would be in from the woods in a few minutes.
Alice clipped Charlie’s lead to the clothes line so he could have the run of the back-yard. Then she scrubbed up some of the new potatoes and put them into the microwave.
She chopped up the sausage left over from breakfast and browned it in the skillet and then made milk-gravy. While the gravy was thickening she shredded cabbage for slaw.
When the boys had not made it back by 11:30, Alice suggested “Lunch is almost done. I will watch Mattie if you want to take Charlie for a walk and introduce him to the property. Maybe you want to walk down to where the boys are working and see what they are up to?”
“It doesn’t feel right, sticking you with watching Mattie all the time” Krystal said.
“It is no trouble at all” Alice reassured her. “We get along famously.”
And that is how Clayton learned that his family had expanded by one over the course of the morning. He saw Krystal walking down the two-track that ran along the lip of the swamp, coming to check out their progress.
“Howdy, missy!” Ed greeted her with enthusiasm. He was jubilant over the morning’s progress and it was telling that he had almost forgotten about lunch.
He and Clayton had started out slowly as they felt their way along.
Ed liked to guide with a light hand. He floated his suggestions as that; suggestions. “Did you ever think about…” or “Maybe it would be to our advantage if…”
Clayton said he had a problem with authority. That was not quite accurate. Clayton had problems with the brain-dead, soul-sucking brown-nosers who had been his bosses. Clayton had busted his ass working for the good bosses, only to see them get stabbed in the back by the ambitious and the political players.
It had soured Clayton.
Ed avoided the problem by acting as Clayton’s partner. Clayton knew his equipment and what it could do. Ed had a better idea of the problems they were going to run into.
The system they figured out was to put a snatch-block as high as they could reach on a nearby tree and then run the cable down to a logging chain wrapped near the butt of the tree.
Clayton backed up the skid-steer and the angle of the cable from the snatch-block to the widow-maker ripped the few, remaining roots out of the ground.
Clayton backed up until the root-ball was suspended in the air near the trunk of the lifting tree.
Ed went down and chainsawed off the gnarled ball of roots that would hook and catch on every snag on the way out of the swamp. If it made sense, he hooked a second length of logging chain to tidily trimmed trunk and scooted a skidding cone onto the end.
If the tree was large, Ed positioned 4' long rounds every 12' or so to keep it off the ground and to facilitate "bucking" it into logs of manageable weight.
Then Clayton lowered the trunk.
Ed unhooked the cable from the snatch-block and if the tree was small enough, Clayton pulled it out of the swamp.
If it was too big, they pulled it out in 12' lengths.
It took a handful of trees before they came up with the sequence and a few more to get “the dance” slicked up and to get Ed calibrated as to how much weight the skid-steer could move. The biggest issue was traction, so keeping the skid-steer on the firm, level ground by the two-track was a game-changer.
It was into this bee-hive of activity that Krystal had walked Charlie. Krystal stayed back, well away from the ground churned up by the skid-steer until Clayton killed the engine of the skid-steer.
Krystal told him about her morning as they walked back to the house.
Ed elected to drive the truck.
Then Clayton lowered the trunk.
Ed unhooked the cable from the snatch-block and if the tree was small enough, Clayton pulled it out of the swamp.
If it was too big, they pulled it out in 12' lengths.
It took a handful of trees before they came up with the sequence and a few more to get “the dance” slicked up and to get Ed calibrated as to how much weight the skid-steer could move. The biggest issue was traction, so keeping the skid-steer on the firm, level ground by the two-track was a game-changer.
It was into this bee-hive of activity that Krystal had walked Charlie. Krystal stayed back, well away from the ground churned up by the skid-steer until Clayton killed the engine of the skid-steer.
Krystal told him about her morning as they walked back to the house.
Ed elected to drive the truck.
Clayton noticed how busy Charlie’s nose was, continuously sampling the air for the scent of game.
***
Few things promote a good night’s sleep better than an honest day’s work.
That is why Clayton’s phone going off at 2:13 AM did not awaken him instantly.
“Yeah, whatya need?” Clayton growled into the phone. His eyes were too blurry with sleep to read the caller ID.
Krystal was propped up on her elbows listening.
“Its Bob” the man on the other end yelled. “Are you in the house?”
Bob was one of the neighbors who had helped Clayton move.
“No. Why?” Clayton asked.
“Are Krystal and Mattie in there?” Bob persisted.
“No. Krystal is next to me. WHY?” Clayton asked.
“Because your house is on fire, thats why” Bob said. “If you or Krytal were trapped in there I was going to have to get you out.”
“Why wouldn’t we just walk out the door, stupid?” Clayton said.
“Maybe because somebody screwed sheets of plywood over them, stupid” Bob said.
Clayton appears to be not a morning person. 8^)
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time and writing this vignette.
And just thought of something after I posted above. Most exterior residential doors swing in, not out. i think for exposing hinges. Travel trailer doors (because of space concerns) do more often swing out..
DeleteAnd the woods lot clearing explanations are excellent by the way.
Yup. I agree regarding doors. That is why plywood was screwed over them.
DeleteOh - the plywood was screwed to the door, crossing the door frame. Not the frame itself. Which prevents the door from swinging in.
DeleteDuh - me stupid. Sorry for that - I need to pay more attention.
I sense Things Are About To Get Interesting.
ReplyDeleteKnown threats cannot be allowed to exist.
I do appreciate the wood lot clearing explanation. Logging is something I know about zero about - at The Ranch, we have enough winter/dead fall for all the wood we need.
ReplyDeleteOne note: "Clayton new..." maybe intended to be "Clayton knew"?
Yes. Thank-you.
DeleteI realized at 8:30 that I didn't have a segment for the story and power-typed one in. Shiitake mushrooms happen.
Eh, at least you put a word in the ERJ. I have been known to completely skip words which, though I type them in my head, do not make it to the screen.
DeleteGreat.... nightmare fuel. Thanks ERJ. That Clayton is sharp to bug out quickly. My thoughts would have run a different direction entirely.
ReplyDeleteIt is a terrible thing to consider but you may be prescient regarding gangs terrorizing neighborhoods and beating them into submission. Especially the ones entering the country that have had lots of practice. I hope the rural communities have the balls to fight back. I think this one would. I hope. ---ken
ReplyDeleteI think he took all the things of value with him. In a good place. Left the keys on the counter. About as tidy as one could hope. Gangs have done their job of running a trouble maker out. Don’t look back Lot said. That being the case…We’ll see where our illustrious host takes us.
ReplyDeleteMF
I am making $90 an hour telecommuting. I never imagined that it was honest to goodness yet my closest companion is earning $16 thousand a month by working on the connection, that was truly astounding for me, she prescribed me to attempt it simply. Everybody must try this job now by just
ReplyDeleteusing this website.. Www.Profit97.Com
Odd the arsonists screwing plywood over the doors first to? Insure? kills? Not noticing that the target left over several trailer loads of movement?
ReplyDeleteOr is it a declaration of war? As in we know where you are and are going for revenge?
Time to get the walk abouts (to determine easy routes of approach) and range cards done and get neighbors involved for the festivities. Some remoted shotgun shells might be useful for distraction if not force reduction, if your walk abouts show obvious areas for shooters to hide.
Got hogs?
Nope! No range cards, no shotshell distractions.
DeleteDon't wait for baddies to come to you. Don't fight on home ground. Make baddies bleed on his turf.
Your home is not your "DIP" (die in place).
Forward projection of force is life.
LOL you don't know who the "Baddies" are. You don't know where they live. You just embarrassed them because the current DA will crucify you for Self Defense and fled.
DeleteSo "General" how do you plan on overcoming these few "problems" in your GO GET THEM plan?
The Baddies will show up or not, it's their call. It's my policy to make sure a lot less of them get away with as few casualties I can. As I've worked with Cadaver Dogs, I know you don't want to do the lime and backhoe trick. The DA if connected to these Baddies will be more than curious when they fail to return with your heads.
Even Cadaver Dogs have issues with pig poop.
If you haven't drawn up a list of at 10-20 baddies in your immediate area and mapped them out by now you're WAY behind.
DeleteHere you are playing the part of normie Norm all worried about the local DA.
Pfft! Clown world.
Yep, Pfffit Clown World.
DeleteYou might want to start over at the start of the story and read it. A lot of detail that escaped your attention.
The 10-20 baddies you're preening about are not from your locality. The Young couple trucked themselves into the countryside, AWAY from the city where the "Baddies" were involved in this story.
So again, General please tell me how we know their names, addresses and otherwise Go get THEM.
Fed troll inciting violence
ReplyDelete