Calamity in America (11 page)

Every business we had passed had been broken into and when we got into the regular business district it was the same.  Every single business looked like it had been broken into.  We counted six businesses that had burned down.  It was very eerie riding through town and there was no noise and no people.  It was kinda freaking us out and we turned around and looped back toward home again taking different streets this time.  Taking different streets on the return trip allowed us to not only see more different areas but also prevented anyone from setting up an ambush for us.

There were obviously still people around but we did not see anyone.  And we did not hear anything.  We could have shouted but neither of us did that.  It just didn’t seem right to make any noise and break the eerie silence.  Even when we talked it was in very low tones.  So we just rode on back toward home not having gone near as far as we had planned to go.  It was just too spooky or maybe just sad was a better term.

Near the edge of town we stopped at a park and ate our lunches.  We had traveled past the big mass of train tracks on our side of the city and it was strange to not see a single thing moving there.  Normally there is always a train going this way or that way but nothing today.  It was peaceful at the small park and the lack of any noise other than the birds seemed much more normal here than in the city.  Many of the trees in the park showed signs of the ice damage with broken limbs on the ground or broken branches still hanging in the trees.  By the end of summer this park would just look like a wild area without any maintenance to keep it looking ‘park-like’.

The creek that ran through part of the city that we had crossed over had plenty of water in it.  So anyone still living near it would be able get plenty of water.  There were actually a fair amount of surface water sources in and near the city.  The water would have to be boiled of course before you drank it but there was plenty available at least for those who wanted it.

Lunch done we started again for home.  We did not talk much and both of us looked closely at all the houses we passed in the hope of seeing someone we could stop and talk to.  By the time we got back home we were both disappointed in our trip and rather depressed at what we had seen.  When we got off the bikes at home Beth came over to get a hug and we held each other for several minutes.  We were both quite sure the city was not totally deserted but there were obviously way fewer people living there now.  We could both understand their reluctance in meeting new people.

Over the next couple weeks we kept pretty busy.  We got our chickens from the neighbor and put in the rest of the garden.  Plus there were plenty of wild greens growing now to add to our diets.  I had old chicken waterers and feeders stored along with plenty of chicken wire (most of it used).  We kept the chickens in the coop for a couple days then we just let them free range to find their own food.  We did put them back in the coop every night to keep them safe from all the critters that would like to eat them.  In just a short time the chickens became used to the routine the same as we did.

I had assumed that we would likely have to butcher all our chickens before next winter because we had no feed for them but the neighbor said he might have a plan for that if one of us had a truck that still ran in the fall.

We fenced off the garden to keep the chickens out at least until everything was big enough so they wouldn’t bother it.  The fence would also keep some of the wild critters out of the garden also.

I did find enough pipe and stuff I needed to run a water line from the windmill to the house.  The water would gravity feed to the house but just barely and we had basically no pressure.  But we were not complaining.  We had water in the house and did not have to carry it.  Showers were out of the question but we could take a bath without all the work of carrying the water.  Next winter I would have to disconnect the pipe so it would not freeze and we would again have to carry water.

Both Beth and I were plenty busy enough to not worry about the world at large at least for now.  We had no beggars or visitors come out from the city though once in awhile a neighbor would stop by.  Sometimes to ask for help or to trade or mostly just to visit.  We did the same and would usually ride our bikes to go visiting.

I did start my truck at least once each month and let it run for awhile.  We did the same with Beth’s car.  So far both vehicles would still start and run fine on the old gas they had in them.  I was curious to see just how long they would continue to run on that old gas.  My guess was that the gas did not deteriorate much over the cold months of winter but would over the warm summer months.  I couldn’t do much about it no matter what.

Over the winter months we had both done a lot of reading in that pile of books.  After the electric power went out I think we both realized that we were really on our own and we read and read to learn as much as could.

I had grown up doing just about everything we had to do now but that did not mean I still didn’t have more to learn.  We were both quite concerned about the future.  Beth brought up one thing.

“How are we going to can anything if we run out of new canning lids?”

“We have quite a few and maybe if we are very careful when we open the jars we could maybe re-use the old lids.  In the past the lids were just one of the things that we had to buy in town.  The lids were always pretty cheap so we always kept plenty on hand.”

“I think we have to plan on not getting any more lids.  Here in this book it says how to dry many things besides just fruit so you do not have to can or freeze them.  It even shows how to make a dryer.”

I looked over the diagrams for the home made food dryer and read some of what was in the book.  The dryer was similar to the one we had here already but we had never used it for vegetables and only had ever used it for fruits or to dry herbs and such.

“Do you have what we need around here to make one or two more of the dryers?”

“Yes I’m sure I could make at least two of them.  I could likely make several but two more should be plenty.”

“We should still save all the used lids and we could put the dried food in jars and use the old lids to keep bugs and stuff out of the dried stuff.  The used lids would not have to make a totally tight seal.”

“That’s a good idea.  And we would have the used lids if we ever did need to try and re-use them for canning.”

So that was how I ended up making one more of the food dryers.  They did not use any electricity; you just had to set them in the sun to work.  It took longer to make one now without being able to use any power tools but at least I had all the old hand tools that I needed.  When I was done I thought it turned out pretty good. 

We tried it out right away by drying some of the wild herbs we gathered.  They dried a lot faster in the dryer than they did when we would just hang them.  By the time the garden had grown enough so we had things to pick I had another dryer made that incorporated a few improvements over the first one to better serve our needs.

Chapter 16

Beth and I were working in the garden when little seven or eight year old Justin came riding his bike up to our place.  He was totally out of breath from going as fast as could.

“Need …..help……….House…on…fire.”

I looked at Beth and she just said, “Go.  We will follow when Justin catches his breath.”

I dropped me hoe and ran to my bike.  On the way I grabbed a plastic five gallon pail which I hooked over the handle bars as I was already pedaling as fast as I could in the direction of Justin’s house.  After going about a half mile or so I could see smoke in the distance and I tried hard to increase my speed.

When I got there I jumped off the bike and with pail in hand I ran to the line of men, women, and children that were carrying pails of water from the pond up toward the house. 

The house was on fire but it must have started on the outside the house.  The back of the structure was burning but it looked like we just might be able to save at least most of the house.

The next couple hours or so were a blur of dipping the pail full of water from the pond and then going as fast as was reasonable up to the house and throwing the water on the fire.  A man was up on the roof with a bucket on a rope that he would lower it down to be filled by one of the water carriers so he could then dump it on the fire from above.

At some point Beth was there and handing out bottles of clean water from our place for everyone to drink.  Beth had used our big wood hauling cart loaded down with clean drinking water to supply those fighting the fire.  She knew that the hard work in the heat would require everyone to drink plenty of water.  And we needed clean water so no one would get sick and there was just no time to boil enough. 

Beth had filled two five gallon blue water carriers, all the water bottles we had saved and washed out, mixed other clean containers that would hold water, and even a large stock pot with a tethered enameled dipper so anyone could quickly dip the dipper full and get a drink before going back to work again.

Other women did have a fire going and were boiling water for when Beth’s water ran out.  More and more people were showing up to help.  Some brought food and were cooking some up to feed the others when the fire was either put out or we all gave up on the house.

Then it was over.  The fire was out.  Many just collapsed where ever they were standing.  The house was mostly saved but no way would it be fit to live in ever again.  Gradually we all gathered together.  Justin’s parents were thanking everyone that had come to help.  Justin’s mom was crying but still was thanking everyone.

Most of the items in the house could be salvaged but the house itself could not.  Another could not be built because we just did have the building materials even if we all chipped in.  The family of five now had no home.  All of us were trying hard to think of a solution.  Many of us could take in one or two of the family members but breaking up the family just was not an option and none of us could take in all five of them.

Then a man stood up and said loudly, “The Johnson farm!”

We all just looked at him for a minute not knowing what he was talking about.

“The Johnson farm is only a couple miles from here.  Remember they moved out and the place was up for sale?  They can move in there.  We can all help them move and maybe help take care of the garden here and they can plant a small garden at their new place with some of the faster growing plants.”

Everyone looked at everyone else.  It was the perfect solution to this devastating situation.  Then Justin’s father, Ralph spoke.

“We can’t just take someone else’s house!”

“Yes you can and you have to.  Times are different now.  You have to think of your family.  We all have to use every resource that is available to us just to stay alive.  That farm is sitting there vacant and you need a place to stay.  Those are the facts.”

Everyone was nodding their heads in agreement.  Ralph looked over at his wife, Jeannie and she was drying her eyes and then nodded her head.  A cheer went up in the crowd.  Instantly there were smiles.  We as a group had faced an untenable situation and had worked together and together we found a viable solution.  

While it was sad day when they had lost their home at least they now would have a ‘new’ home and they still would have most of their possessions.  They also had the support of all of their neighbors from near and far.

Over the next couple weeks we all worked together to help them get moved in to their new home.  Food, clothes, all worthwhile equipment were all moved to the new location.  Most of the neighbors donated food and other items besides supplying all the manpower.  No one could help every day because we all had to take care of our own places but every day some helpers were on hand.

When all was said and done the family was settled in.  They now even had a few chickens that someone or maybe more than one had donated.  All of us knew that the same situation could happen to any of us at any time.  That fact made us all want to lend a hand as much as we could.

The family received help tending their big garden at their old place and a new garden plot was worked up at the new place.  Some plants were planted in the new garden.  Things like lettuce that would grow rapidly and could produce some before fall came.  Never did anyone help that they did not receive a heart felt thank you each time. 

I think the group effort brought us all together and gave everyone hope for our futures. We all knew now that we were not left all alone to face this crisis.  We had friends and neighbors who would be there to help any of us who needed a hand up.  That simple fact brightened everyone’s outlook for the maybe bad times ahead.

Another benefit of this catastrophe is that many of the neighbors met for the first time.  Many found they had things in common with their newly met neighbors.  Also there was more trading going on between these new partners.  Seems we all had skills or equipment, or items that others did not and needed.  There was never any kind of money that ever changed hands only barter.  Sometimes these deals would entail a future promise.  A calf next spring, help with firewood gathering this fall or winter, a half a beef when it got cold enough so it would not spoil, and many other things that were really just promises.

For Beth and me we ended up helping others build food dryers and I built three more which I traded off.  Beth and I did trade our knowledge of local edible and medicinal plants but mostly this knowledge of ours was given away freely.

Chapter 17

The summer moved on and gradually started the change to fall.  Some of the garden produce we dried and some we canned.  When the produce would just start to ripen we would take some of the first early ones and dry them then cook them to see how it worked out.  Some worked fine and some we decided to only can instead of drying.