Chapter 19

[West Georgia]

We woke up wrapped in each other’s arms. It’s a nice way to greet the world. We were talking quietly when there was a knock on our door. We rolled apart and covered up. “Come in,” said Shirley.

It was Janice. She was smiling in a big way. “I have news!” She exclaimed. “Bennie came over and we went into the radio room. We were listening slowly turning the frequency knob on twenty meters and heard someone calling ‘CQ.’ We made contact with Jimmy, WB9KLR, in Port Washington, Wisconsin. I gave him your call sign but told him you were married now. I looked him up like you taught me. He’s twenty-seven and single. He said his parents are okay along with a younger brother and a sister. He wants to talk with one of you two in an hour when he can get his father and mother to the radio. So, get up!”

We grinned. As she came in we were on our backs with my arm around Shirley. We were covered with the sheet and a light blanket but were naked under those. “We will but you need to get out and let us get dressed. Make some coffee. We’ll be out in a minute.”

She grinned and left closing the door. We got out of bed. We shared the bathroom and then dressed. Shirley looks great in nothing but skin. As for me, at least I don’t seem to scare her too badly. We went into the kitchen, got cups of coffee, and headed into the radio room. We had ten minutes to spare. Janice was talking to Ted and Michael on two meters. We heard Ted say that he would listen on twenty meters for the guy from Wisconsin.

Shirley moved to the HF radio and called, “ WB9KLR, WB9KLR, this is K4SAA. Jimmy, this is Shirley. Over.”

K4SAA, this is WB9KLR. Shirley, it’s good to talk to you. Janice told me a little about your community there in Georgia. My parents are here along with my younger brother and sister. We are very interested because it’s going to get very cold up here. Go ahead.”

“Jimmy, this is Shirley. Please introduce me to your parents and brother and sister. My husband, Jack, is here beside me along with Janice and our friend, Bennie.”

“Okay, Shirley. My dad and mom are Doug and Anna Shepard. My brother is Roy and my sister is Marion. They are all here. I am going to have my dad talk to you. Over.”

“Doug, Anna, Roy, Marion, we are glad to meet you. I am Shirley Mathews and Jack is here with me. Say, ‘hello, ‘ Jack.”

“Hello,” I said, “I’m glad to meet you.”

A slightly different voice came on suggesting some additional age. “Hello, Shirley and you, too, Jack. We’re glad to hear from someone. It is very quiet here. O-over.”

“We have been using the radio to locate people. Some are staying in place and some have come to join us. We have an informal net on eighty meters on 3.970 every night at eight o’clock eastern time. Our community is primarily made up of Jack’s family and hams we have contacted. We just had an influx from a failed community north of Atlanta.

“We are located in a rural area southwest of Atlanta. Most of Jack’s family were and are farmers and we are well on the way to becoming self-sufficient. The weather down here is good and we know the area well. There seem to be very few people left, many fewer than the three percent that we were told would survive. Our guess, based upon Atlanta, is maybe one tenth of that estimate at the most.

“What is your situation in Wisconsin?”

“Right now, we are just moving into spring. The lake is almost free of ice. Our concern is mostly long term. We aren’t farmers and when the power and fuel are gone, we are in trouble for next winter. I think we are going to have to leave before then.”

“I understand. We have plenty of land and potential homes down here. Are you familiar with the area between Atlanta and Birmingham along I-20?”

“No, but we are calling up a map on the computer.”

“That will work. We are located south of I-20 and west from Atlanta. We have friends off I-20 toward Birmingham as well as other areas of Georgia, primarily south of Atlanta. It’s mostly good farming area with a friendly climate. I feel like a Chamber of Commerce advertisement.”

“It’s a good advertisement. We love this area but are not prepared for winter in the conditions that are expected up here. Anna is a nurse and I sold medical equipment. Jimmy had started working as a structural engineer. Roy and Marion are high school students. The three of us guys do some hunting and fishing. What does Jack say about our skills and how they might help you?”

Shirley looked at me and I took the mike. “Anna’s skills will be immediately useful. We have two doctors, one other nurse, and one paramedic. If you know how to operate some of that medical machinery, you can put that to immediate use, also. Jimmy, Shirley and I are both engineers and we have a number of projects. Roy and Marion will find plenty to do and to learn. School may be out, but the learning never stops for any of us.”

“We would like to come down in another couple of weeks. It will take a little time to get ready and to equip ourselves for the trip.”

“That is true. I would suggest a couple of big SUV’s or a RV with both HF and VHF radios mounted. We have also found that pistols are a good idea at a minimum. Dog packs are beginning to run in cities and towns. They can present a danger. We have had a few problems with the two legged version, also.”

“We only ran into one of the later and that was after playing tag with a dog pack so I was ready even though I didn’t like it. Where do you suggest we look?”

“If your computers are still working and it seems they are, then look for new stuff. I think Milwaukee is close and should have what you need. Pick up radios and antennas there, too. Shirley likes the Yaesu 857D and its matching antenna. You will also need an antenna for eighty meters. Shirley and Jimmy can coordinate that better than you and me. As we like to say, ‘Come on down!’”

“Okay, we will get on your net and will start preparing to head your way. Thanks, Jack and you, too, Shirley. I will hand this back to Jimmy.”

“Shirley, Jack, this is Jimmy. Go ahead.”

“Jimmy, are you ready to take notes?”

“Yes, go ahead, Jack.”

“Vehicle or vehicles. I suggest an RV, big and heavy. The roads are in good shape. You can pull a small SUV if you want. It would give you sleeping and eating that is self-contained. Its disadvantage is that it’s big and hard to handle. The other option is a pair of SUV’s. They carry a lot and are still big but more agile. One man had a run-in with a rhinoceros with a small vehicle and it wasn’t fun though he survived. Either way will work. There are plenty of empty houses and furniture stores here. Bring items important to you. Everything else you might need is here.