Chapter 17

We celebrated Thanksgiving in a subdued manner. We continued to be on our guard. The TV gave us news of sorts explaining that the northeast and the Great Plains were frozen while the south was also caught in a wintry grip. Transportation had ground to a halt and power grids were failing across the country. The federal and state governments were unable to do anything significant to help anyone. Local governments were trying in the south but were caught in deep troubles due to weather and failing fuel supplies. The ability to police was severely limited.

We hadn’t had a visitor in three weeks. I felt we might get through Christmas without another confrontation. The snow hadn’t melted and more had come adding to the snow on the ground. I had never seen that much snow except in the “lake effect” areas up north. The roads were impassable. Even if it were something that those services could do, I’m not sure a police car or an ambulance could get through.

We stayed at the house, warm and comfortable. Christmas was coming and we worked with Sharon and Jim to find things for Trevor and Opal. Sharon and Jim made a trek using homemade snowshoes and found a small store that had been raided for any food. No one had attempted to steal the toys and crafts. Sharon and Jim brought back quite a haul. They rigged up a blanket as a drag and pulled a pile of things to the barn where we picked toys and the like for gifts. I had picked a time earlier and bought a necklace each for my new wife and my daughter. I freely admitted that I was enjoying being married to Misty and hoped she was still happy with me which she said she was.

Bob and I went out and chopped a tree for a Christmas tree. We decorated it. We did not decorate outside preferring to lay low. Inside the house was warm and we stayed comfortable. We were definitely having a white Christmas! That’s a rare event in the south. We sometimes received snow but it rarely hit at Christmas. We watched the Christmas movies on our TV through the satellite. We watched the news and weather reports also. The news reports were that the volcanos were not getting worse though there were still eruptions. The Pacific rim was suffering from volcanos and earthquakes. The rest of the world was being cooled though not as much as North America. Europe was having severe problems from the extra coldness of the weather and the disruption of many supply lines. They found that the US was more important than they thought for all sorts of materials.

The only sabre rattling was heard in the middle east. Iran launched an attack on Israel including nuclear bombs. It turned out to be a bad idea. While Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were destroyed. Most of Iran was reduced to rubble. The rest of Islam was quiet then because Israel made it clear they could protect themselves and would. They also advised the world that any attack upon Israel by an Islamic country would be considered an attack by Islam with dire results for Mecca and Medina. That produced howls of outrage but no attacks. The Islamic world believed the Israelis.

Africa was suffering from the loss of American commerce and South Africa was experiencing cold weather that had never occurred before. The Atlantic was ice bound more southerly than in recorded history. Alaska was frozen as solid as Siberia. South America was also experiencing cold weather reaching further north than ever before. Plants and animals were dying in vast numbers everywhere.

The last thing that was noticed was that the ocean levels were dropping. There was a lot of snow and ice on the ground that was affecting even the oceans. Hearing about that made me realize that when the melt off started, it would cause its own set of problems.

I talked with Misty about our food situation and we decided that, after the first of the year, everyone would go on a diet. We would need to stretch our food supply. There was no more to be had though Sharon and Jim had made a few forays looking at different stores.

During the New Year and a few days leading up to it, the temperature dropped to highs in the single digits. The weather folk said that this hadn’t happened since the middle sixties! We were more careful about going outside than ever.

We quietly celebrated the New Year with temperatures near zero Fahrenheit and snow thick on the ground. Our road was impassable if we could even have gotten the truck to it. Sharon and Jim were able to get around on their homemade snowshoes. I started making a pair for Misty and another set for me. We cleared around the back door of the house and the smaller door of the barn. Opening the big barn door was neither necessary nor wise.

About the middle of January, Sharon and Jim returned from one of their trips dragging a blanket with canned goods! They said there was more and they would go after them tomorrow. Sharon told me that it was a warehouse not a store and they closed it up behind them. I told them both to be very careful not to be seen or followed.

Bob and I went with them prepared to carry more food stuff away. We were successful in loading a much greater amount since we had prepared a sleigh that the four of us would pull. I watched the partnership of Sharon and Jim with interest. They seemed to care for one another and work well together. I noticed that Jim could handle her wit and enjoyed trading puns with her.

We loaded our homemade sleigh and hauled it home. It was a clear, sunny day though the temperature never rose above twenty degrees. There was very little melt. I thought and told Misty that, just perhaps, winter would be ending.

Two days later, we were hit with another blizzard. After all, it was still January! The days passed and we crossed into February. In late February, the temperature crossed freezing for the first time in weeks. With the bright sun and the slightly higher temperature, there was hope for spring.

We had been and continued to watch the road and listen for people out on the main road just over a mile away. One day around noon, we heard shots fired and motors. We grabbed our rifles and took our defensive positions. Our new plan put Sharon and Jim on the other side of the road in a great observation spot that was amply concealed. They got there and reported seeing a number of vehicles on the main road and that many had police lights! We waited.

Over an hour later, a county snow plow came down our road closely followed by a police car. I looked at Misty. “It looks legit. I’m going to stand with my rifle to one side.” I could see in her eyes that she was not totally comfortable with my decision but nodded reluctantly.

I stood and was quickly spotted by the occupants of the police car. I had my rifle over my arm and was wearing a pistol. The doors of the SUV opened and four men stepped out. Only one was wearing a uniform. That worried me. The one in uniform shouted, “I am Officer Dan Adams. Who are you?”