Chapter 46
With the grizzly task of cleanup behind them, Marty turned his thoughts to the Winter that seemed to be behind them now. “You know,” he began, “if this coming Winter is like the one just ended, we are going to need more propane, than we have. The tanks is about half full, but now there are more people living on the place and the trailers are heated with propane.”
“Can we find some wood stoves and convert them over,” asked Ron? We can heat and cook with a good wood stove.”
“We are going to start clearing more woods for pasture and crops, so there will be an abundance of firewood,” said Marty, “and I am sure Rodney and Al will want to help.”
“There is a large wood stove in the barn behind the house,” said Al, “Apparently the old couple that lived there converted to propane at some point. I don't see why we can't convert the house back.”
“It is decided then,” said Marty, “We start prowling for more solar panels, batteries, and now wood stoves and wood heaters if we can find them.”
“Don't forget stove pipe,” added Rodney.
Marty asked the ladies if they had anything to add to the list, and told them the plan. “You all be careful,” she warned Marty, “If you see an old treadle sewing machine, I would like to get Janet and Barbara, trained, in the mean time, mine will do double duty, but with all these kids, we need to get busy making some clothes.”
“I'll keep an eye out,” Marty promised.”
The men folk loaded up in Al's old four door pickup and headed to town pulling a sixteen foot trailer. They made it to the town of Raleigh and were surprised to see a couple of stores apparently open for business. Marty approached a man on the street and asked if the stores were indeed open, and the gentleman informed him they were but only for barter, or gold, or silver, no paper money or credit was being accepted.
“I have some silver with me,” said Marty, “Let's see what things cost.”
“I have the coins we took off the thugs,” Ron reminded them all, This is as good a place as any to spend some, if we can get what we need.”
There was a lot of used furniture, obviously scavenged from abandoned homes and a six burner Home Comfort wood stove complete with hot water reservoir and a large box full of stove pipe. “It will never fit in our trailer,” said Ron, “but with the double class doors on Rodney and Janet's trailer, it would be a cinch to get it in the house.”
“I was going to cover those glass doors in the Winter to try and conserve heat, but have them open during the warmer weather. I'm glad I haven't had time to do it now,” said Rodney. “Only problem I see is I don't have any gold or silver, and nothing to trade.”
“You have an equal stake in the coins we took off the gang, everyone of us should get an equal share,” Marty replied. “Let me talk to fellow,” said Al, “I have been a horse trader my whole life.”
Al, found the owner and the two of them disappeared into a back office, Marty and Ron, continued looking through the store until Ron, spotted a box full of cast iron cookware. “If we are going to start eating at our respective homes, we are going to need some cookware and dishes and a lot of other things. Al and Barbara should have plenty of everything form the old couple that lived there before,” Ron said.
“Let's try and get the cast iron too,” said Marty, “Martha could never resist a piece of Griswold.”
Al and and the owner came from the back room and they were both smiling. “Rodney, give the gentleman one of your twenty dollar gold pieces and we can load up your stove and stove pipe,” instructed Al.
“Really,” asked Rodney incredulously?
“Really,” said Al, “oh and you are going to be clearing a lot for him and preparing it for planting in the next week or so.”
Marty made a deal for the cast iron and found it was all Griswold and Wagner. Ron and Rodney found some silverware and dishes and both ended up with a nearly new percolator. “Now if we can find some coffee, we will be in hight cotton,” laughed Ron.
Marty was almost out the door, when he remembered the treadle sewing machine, he turned and went back in and asked the owner. The owner of the store took Marty next door to his home and showed him the machine that had belonged to his wife. “She didn't make it through the sickness,” he said sadly, “but I kept most of her things here at the house. Somehow I couldn't bear the thought of strangers handling her things. You seem like good people and Al told me about the kids, take it and use it in good health, I think there is a box of add ons as well as buttons, needles and a lot of thread. Grab that young man and let's get it loaded before I change my mind.”