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Click hereLenore took a sip of milk from her cup before screwing the top back on. "John," she said, her tone thoughtful, "the sheep you mentioned, how much do you know about them?"
"Like the breed?" She nodded at him, and John's eyes narrowed in thought. "I'm not exactly sure." he replied.
"What are you thinking?" Rachel asked, looking at the older woman.
"I'm thinking about wool!" Lenore leaned forward, her eyes bright with excitement. "All of the clothes and blankets we can make!"
Verre turned. "Do you know how to turn wool into yarn or clothes?"
"In theory. I know the basics, at least, but it'll probably take me a bit to remember everything," Lenore admitted. "I used to do a project with my classes every year. I had a few friends from my knitting club that
spun their own yarn, and they'd bring in their spinning wheels and drop spindles. I got to be decent with the spindle, and they're relatively simple to make. But I'm not sure how to make knitting needles or crochet hooks." She ran a hand through her hair and shrugged. "Most of the fabric has survived over the years, but there's been lots of wear and tear." Rachel nodded. It was a rare item of clothing that hadn't been mended, and most shirts were either missing buttons or had mismatched ones. "But we need to start practicing and learning this stuff. "
"I don't know anything about making yarn or knitting," John responded, "but I know how to shear sheep. Used to help out for extra money every spring and summer. We can probably find tools around for combing and carding, all that. And if we decide to get serious about it, we'll need to expand the flock considerably."
"Do you mean - trade?" Rachel's eyebrows shot up in surprise when he nodded.
"Sheep are an excellent resource either way, provided you have the space to care for them. Milk, of course, and meat and wool if you're inclined. Their manure is excellent for compost, also."
"If we made enough to have surplus, there are trading centers, open markets," Lenore said thoughtfully. "Though, I'd really like to avoid those kinds of places if possible. Crowds make me nervous, nowadays. Some of the outposts used to be alright - but it's been years since I've been to one."
"Agreed," John replied. "But if we needed something, it's good to have options." He gestured for Rachel to join him in the driver's seat, holding out a hand as an assist.
"I've been thinking about lunch," Rachel announced as she turned in the seat, twisting towards the other in the wagon. Gabriel rubbed his hands together, his eyes wide with excitement. "Carrots, beets, biscuits...and pasta, I think-"
"-I've really missed carb loading," Verre murmured in a dreamy voice, and Lenore chuckled.
"-and venison cutlets as the main dish." The others oohed and aahed. "I have an idea for a rub. It involves roasted garlic," Rachel concluded with a huge grin. John smiled into his collar, admiring the way she glowed. "And maybe pork chops for dinner? I could do breakfast burritos in the morning..."
"Alright," John said, nodding at the others. "Let's go home."
- COMMENTS
n_th7 months agowas waiting for the non/reluctance since it is in this genre but it never came. Good story but wrong category!
kdlucas8 months agoI love this story. I come back and read it again and again. Sometimes I think about the next part. What would happen to them as a couple, do they build a community around them of trusted people they know, and are there more couples we would meet? So many of us would enjoy reading the next installment. Please think about it.
Jipsyabout 2 years agoPlease keep writing about this 'family' because this is an excellent story.
I want to know if they have a child, gather more people and are successful in the things that they talked about!!!
Please, please please!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymousalmost 3 years agoGreat romance story!
I certainly didn't need to read about any disasters or dangers, just enjoyed the relationship develop between John and Rachel. And I like that it wasn't smooth sailing, there were natural doubts. Loved John.
EquilibriumorEminencealmost 4 years agoI really enjoyed the whole story. Thanks so much! Being a greedy person, I desperately want sequels set in this world.
Bliss_Deverauxalmost 4 years agoAuthorRegarding Time: The culture and civilization are not quite the same as we currently know it. Schooling, in general, is much more condensed / concentrated.
Basic university degrees, for example, are what we in the States would think of as AA degrees - general education, taking about two years, after which you move onto a specific field of study. High school is also somewhat abbreviated.
Hope this helps. : )
- Bliss
WhoGivesAShitover 4 years agoIt’s sometimes confusing, how they discuss time. They speak as if it’s been many years since society ‘fell’. In the first chapter, John describes several years of war. He’s had time to scavenge a great deal of goods and supplies, and setup many remote caches for storage and emergencies. That takes a lot of time. Rachel was in college when the city was evacuated; then had (3) year-long relationships between running, fighting to survive, and fitting-in with new groups. It would seem that only about 10 years could have passed since everything changed, but Rachel is still in her 20s.
So really, how long is this after the calamities?
Anonymousalmost 5 years agoLoved the story so far
Please continue writing
And!
Any chance finding out about what happened to the rest of the group at the river?
Be safe
Anonymousalmost 5 years agoAnother great chapter. I see you continue to bring the characters along and add depth to them. I love the flow of the story also. I hope the new women do not get involved with the love between Rachel and John. Let them enjoy the love they have found (this is a romance story after all, lol). The boy will add another dimension to the story and I see all kind of bonding happening with this group. Thanks for your time and imagination.
Crusader235almost 5 years agoExcellent story, worthy of the five stars I gave your series. Sad to see it's "conclusion" you say. This could go on for several more chapters.
