The Journal: Ash Fall (16 page)

“I think the only thing I haven’t been able
to get started on is the fuel. The propane tank is good, we used
very little over the winter since the furnace never ran, so it only
fueled the water heater. The drums of gas are almost empty because
of using the generator,” I said with a frown. “It’s going to cost a
small fortune for a hundred gallons of gas. Once I start back to
work at the Resort, I should be able to refill it a little at a
time.”

“Let me do that for you,” John offered. “For
us.”

“No, John, that’s too much money,” I
protested.

He took me by the shoulders, making me face
him. “I want to do this, Allexa, for you, for me, for the family
you care so much about. I don’t want you worried or stressed out
that something isn’t done that could be,” he insisted. “I owe you
so much. Please, let me do this.”

“You called me Allexa, not Allex. You must be
very adamant about this, John. Okay, you win,” I relented.
“Besides, if I don’t agree, you’ll just go behind my back and have
one of the boys do it anyway.”

He laughed, giving me a big hug. “Thank you,
Allex. It means a great deal to me to contribute.”

JOURNAL ENTRY: June 14

The news tonight was filled with the increase in
earthquake swarms along the West Coast, along with new volcanic
activity in Mexico. The pictures of all the upheaval are
frightening.

* * *

June 15

“I’ll be back in five days,” John said,
holding me tight.

“You better be,” I replied with a smile I
didn’t feel. I hated seeing him leave so early.

He tossed his overnight bag into the front
seat of the Green Way truck he still had, and headed for Sawyer
Airport.

Trying not to worry about John, I spent some
time in the greenhouse, enjoying the coziness, the smell of fresh
dirt, and the gurgling sound of the water as the pump moved it
around, constantly aerating it so the new fish could breathe. The
solar array on the house was functioning perfectly, providing power
to the greenhouse during the day as well as charging the six
batteries, and the batteries powered the pumps at night. It was
none too soon; the power went out this morning and hasn’t come back
on yet.

I picked up a handful of soil and let it sift
through my fingers, deciding then that there was no real reason to
wait on trying my hand at indoor growing.

I raked the surface smooth in the first grow
box, then dug a very shallow trench and watered it. From my stash
of seeds I selected some radish and sprinkled them in the groove,
covered them and watered again. I decided on a row of green beans
too.

There was one narrower box near the cook
stove that I had decided would be for herbs and that became my
project for the day.

Back at the raised beds by the garden, I dug
up some oregano, tarragon and chives, and moved them into the
greenhouse, nestling them into the soil. This would also be a good
place for the rosemary bush that I had to move indoors every
winter. I was sure it would flourish being in soil instead of a
pot. The four foot tall Bay Laurel tree would be perfect next to
the fish pond. I was told I’d never be able to grow a Bay tree up
here, it was just too cold. Now here it was, almost five years old
and thriving, giving me those tangy leaves to spice up my soups and
stews. I decided against moving any spearmint indoors. It’s very
hardy outdoors and spreads well; too well.

I dug into the seed bucket again, and found
some basil, dill and parsley seeds. Those three annuals were the
herbs I used the most, and the thought of having them all year long
was so enticing, I just had to get some planted. All of those had
already sprouted out in the garden, and would give all of us plenty
of fresh herbs all summer, with some for drying, but I wanted them
indoors too. I had to admit that in part, it was because I wanted
to see things green and growing during the winter.

The last perennial herb to transplant was the
thyme. I dug a large chunk of creeping thyme from near the back
steps to the deck and replanted it in one of the hanging baskets,
positioning the new plant so its tendrils were already draped over
the edge of the black plastic pot.

I gave everything one more watering and,
satisfied with the day’s work, closed the door and went inside.
John had only been gone a few hours and already the house felt so
empty.

CHAPTER 17

June 16

Moose Creek was not a wealthy community in
terms of money, but it was rich in diversity. People there were
do-it-yourselfers and artists of all kinds.

With the abundance of rural land, many had
taken to the woods to live and do their crafts. Whether it was
pottery or woodworking, the isolation of the area allowed anyone
who wished to work long hours without disturbing neighbors.
Furniture derived from steamed and bent saplings or delicately
carved burls were always available at local craft shows along with
hand thrown pottery or wall hangings of birch bark. Somewhere out
in our woods there was a blacksmith who was known to forge the most
intricately twisted wrought iron utensils.

As independent as these artisans were, I’d
found they leaned to being independent in only their craft. They
still needed to buy groceries, gas for their cars and obtain dental
work for the children they birthed at home. Very few of them had
gardens, choosing instead to devote their time to making beautiful
things to sell. Even fewer stocked their pantries to make it
through the harsh and snowy winters, which I found very
confusing.

When the earthquake hit down south, splitting
our country in half and interrupting the supply lines, I think many
of them must have headed to the larger cities. Either that or they
died. No matter what it was that drove them out of their homes,
most of them were now gone.

I found that particularly sad. I really
thought they were the types of people who would survive without
society. I was wrong.

* * *

“Where in the world did you find that?” I
asked Jason. He was cutting a T1-11 sheet of wood and proceeded to
nail it to the outside of the greenhouse.

“I went to see Toivo and Sharron hoping to
get some milled wood suitable for siding,” Jason said. “The place
is empty, though, Mom. Eerily empty. Like they just went out for a
walk in the woods and didn’t come back. Their truck is gone. The
icebox was cleaned out, and there are still canned goods on the
shelf. It looks like they froze and burst. There are clothes still
hanging in the closets.” He paused for a minute, searching for
words. I knew this must be difficult for him since Toivo was a good
friend of his and they shared a love of wood craft.

“Anyway, I looked around and found two sheets
of this,” he pointed to the rough wood siding, “and since it
matches your house, I took it. I did leave them a note, just in
case they come back. Oh, and in their work shop, I found stain
that’s a reasonable match to your siding. It won’t be long and this
addition will look like it was always here.” He smiled at that. He
took great pride in his work and especially how he could blend
something into an existing structure.

“I think my greatest find was sandpaper!”
Jason said excitedly. “Sharron must have resupplied their stock
just before everything shut down, which would have made sense since
they usually wintered in.”

I’d known Toivo and Sharron for years before
Jason came to live up here. While Toivo built beautiful furniture
and cabinets, it was Sharron that brought it all to life with the
finishing touches of baby-smooth sanding and glowing stains.

“I’m saddened that they’re gone.” I said.
“Maybe we should be starting our own list, Jason, of places you’ve
searched that appear empty. If the owners are still gone come next
Fall, more things might be salvageable. I know Sharron was a canner
and she might have left behind some jars or equipment that the
community can use.”

June 17

Lately I have spent most of my time out in
the garden, coaxing the little plants to grow. The weather had been
cooperating, perfect even, for growing things. The hailstorm that
damaged my new seedlings had been mostly forgotten, and things were
now flourishing.

“Mom!” Eric called out, clearly excited about
something.

“I’m out in the garden,” I answered.

“I found the most amazing thing today!”

The foraging my two sons had been doing had
taken on a life of its own in the way of friendly competition. I
just wished they didn’t venture into possibly dangerous situations
alone.

“What did you find today?” I asked, bemused
by his enthusiasm. When he unveiled a window, currently leaning in
the bed of the pickup truck, I found myself just as excited. It was
almost identical in size to the one that was shot out during the
Wheeler fight, the one that was still boarded up. I was stunned
with the thought of having light back in my dining room!

“Oh my! Wherever did you find it?”

“I took Emi over to Joshua’s to see the
animals and spotted a house down the road not too far from his
farm. I asked him about it, thinking I might find some manual
tools. The place has been empty for two years. Joshua and I did a
bit of browsing,” Eric said, then Joshua got out of the pickup.

He tipped his head in my direction.
“Afternoon, Miss Allexa.”

“It’s nice to see you, Joshua.” I smiled at
him and then turned back to Eric. “Where’s Emilee?”

“Oh, she’s still with Martha. I’m not sure
who is watching who, but they’re getting along right nicely.
There’s no need to worry about her,” Joshua answered first.

“I needed Joshua’s help to get the window out
and now back in. We might need your help too, Mom. You game?”

* * *

We worked the next hour or so removing the
plywood that boarded up the opening, cleaning out the splintered
wood, and then lifting the new window into place. I held the window
steady from the outside, Joshua fitted and shifted the frame, and
then Eric secured the new window in place. A small filler piece of
siding was needed, and with a dab of the stain Jason had brought
back from Toivo’s, the window was done.

“You don’t know how happy this makes me,” I
sighed, giving both young men a hug. I tested the window’s lock and
then slid the filthy glass open. While I cleaned the dirt and
cobwebs from the corners, Eric installed the screen so once again
there was airflow.

“I think I’d better get Joshua back to his
chores and retrieve my daughter. Martha probably has her mucking
out stalls by now,” Eric laughed.

JOURNAL ENTRY: June 18

We’re now on day three of no power. I think I’ll
give Tom White a call in the morning. Many of the townspeople
equate electricity to normalcy. It’s a way of life and they don’t
want to be without.

* * *

“Eric, have you taught Emilee how to shoot
yet? If not, I think it would be a good idea. She’ll be twelve next
month.”

“Yes I have, but we had to leave the
mini-rifle I had for her in Florida,” Eric said. “You wouldn’t
happen to have one, would you? You seem to have everything
else.”

“No, I don’t. I do have a small .22 hand gun.
It’s a Berretta Bobcat, a five shot automatic, although the slide
is a bit stiff. Maybe you or John can loosen that.”

“Speaking of John, when is he coming back?”
Eric asked.

I smiled. “He’s due back tomorrow.”

I know he’d been gone for longer stretches
when he was working, though it felt different when my mind knew he
was hundreds of miles away, and not just ten or twenty.

“I’ll go get the gun for Emilee.”

All hand guns in the house were kept loaded
and ready for use, safeties on. I released the magazine and racked
the slide to eject the chambered round, and then placed the gun on
the table in front of Eric.

“I hate to say this, Mom, but that’s really
cute,” he said laughing, picking up the palm-sized weapon.

“I know, that’s why I bought it. We both know
that a .22 is just as deadly as a .38 or a 9mm when it hits its
target, and one should never underestimate the power of a weapon
just because of its size!” I grinned. “Maybe I can give this to Emi
as a birthday present next month?”

“She would love it, guaranteed.”

* * *

Jason stopped by this afternoon to see if I
had any work for him. Eric was still there, and was just itching
for his brother to notice the new window. He didn’t have to wait
long.

“Okay, Eric, you win,” Jason said, punching
his older brother in the arm. “Your halo just got a bit shinier.
Where did you find it?”While Eric relayed the tale about his find,
it occurred to me that the halo reference was about how these two
were trying to please their mom, and it made me smile.

CHAPTER 18

June 19

When the phone rings at seven in the morning,
it’s never good news.

My heart sank at John’s news. “Your flight’s
been cancelled? Why?”

“I’m not sure. I think it’s because the plane
wasn’t full. It’s the economics of fuel usage. Don’t worry; I’m on
the next flight tomorrow morning.” John’s soft North Carolina
accent was filled with anxiety.

I pouted. “Maybe you should have stayed
here.”

“I will get back!” John insisted.

I didn’t want to worry him with words that
the power had been out as long as he’d been gone, and that my
contact in Marquette wasn’t answering his phone.

JOURNAL ENTRY: JUNE 19

I waited and waited all day, and still no word from
John. Tom White still isn’t answering his phone either.

* * *