Avalon- The Construction

by L. Michael Rusin

  Easy Goat’s Milk Soap

  Ingredients:

  •4 cups pure goat’s milk

  •13 cups lard (slightly melted)

  •1-2 cups lye, made from wood ashes

  •1 cup hot water

  •½ cup honey

  Directions for Preparation:

  Use a non-reacting container (preferably enamel or stainless steel) and add goat’s milk, honey, and hot water. Stir well and slowly add the lye to the mixture. Leave it to cool until it reaches 85°F. Warm the lard to the same temperature and pour this into the lye mixture. Using a wooden spatula, stir until the consistency is like honey, pour the honeyed base into the molds.

  This soap was an excellent cleaner and the use of goat’s milk made it gentle on the women’s hands. Fragrance was added using different herbs, making it much like any other homemade soap. It wasn’t hard for them to do as long as they followed rudimentary safety rules.

  In the past soap-makers knew what they were doing. They knew by dunking a feather into the lye, how much of the feather would be dissolved by the lye for a particular type of batch. They knew how much of an egg should float above the water line. They taught this principle to the children and those learning how to make soap. The women learned quickly soap was an important addition to their stockpile of basic necessities

  They set up a trap line to catch small animals, such as rabbits and other small creatures unfortunate enough to happen along and become ensnared. The soldiers and one of the women visited the trap line twice a day to clear or reset the traps. Others collected fish from the fish trap and searched for dead wood fallen from the branches of trees to augment the ever-needed supply of firewood.

  Another vital essential came from Sergeant Bill Kitt, a trained agronomist who became bored one day and joined the Army. He was skilled in finding edibles plants or herbs that could spice up or improve the flavor of their food.

  He explained the three-basic plants to the settlement.

  “THALLOPHYTA is the first group. It consists of plants such as bacteria, yeast, mold, mildew, rust, mushrooms (fungi), diatoms, seaweed, and pond scum (algae). These lowly plants have no roots, stems or leaves. They can be microscopic (yeast and bacteria) up to longer than two hundred feet, such as giant kelp. Thallophytes are divided into two groups, the algae and the fungi. Lichen is one of those plants that attach themselves to rocks. They break down eventually and become soil.

  “The second is BROYPHTA. These are fern, horsetails and club mosses. Ancient fossils have been found that show these plants once grew to forest size in certain areas on the earth.

  “SPERMATOPHYTA is the last. They are grasses, wild flowers, shrubs, vines, cacti, and trees. They are seed-producing plants and are considered the most complex form. Their sizes range from as small as a fraction of an inch to well over several hundred feet.

  “Once we understand plant forms, we can find them to manufacture useful tools such as: rope, to bind, climb; fasten together our tools; and to make glue, clothing, building materials, shelter, food and medicines. No one characteristic can be measured as being the best of the three types for being the most useful but need of something in particular is the main priority. Medicine is probably second along with building materials.

  “Tomorrow we will go out into this great mountain meadow and identify some of the more useful plants for cooking and other life-sustaining implementations.”

  The next morning, they went together in small groups to see firsthand those plants that would feed them and provide for them other essential needs. They found: Hair-Cap, which pioneers used to stuff furniture, Club Moss, better known as Ground Pine or Ground Cedar, used for Christmas decorations. Scouring Rush was a Horse Tail plant used in days long gone to scour pots and pans, Big Blue-Stem, Wild Rice, and Timothy Grass which can be used for animal feed, thistle used for rope makings and other bindings and will brew into a nice tea. Of course, there were blackberries and other berries.

  Sergeant Kit guided them until they learned where to look and find these plants, and the places where they grow on their own.

  The outings went on for days. Aside from the natural plants, they discovered wild honeybees and marked the area so they could harvest the honey later on. They also found an abundance of wildlife throughout the canyon. Left unmolested for so many years, the animals were plentiful and provided much nourishment for the small group. A pair of rabbits was trapped in a live animal trap; a male and a female. More females were trapped later on and they insured a steady meat source for the canyon people.

  Soldiers taught group members how to use certain knots that would help in their everyday tasks. It was vital to be able to lash things together without nails or other fastenings. It was also important to know how to store food by securing essentials in bags tied with twine or rope and hauled up onto a tree limb for protection from hungry little critters. There were classes in direction finding, weather forecasting and weather phenomenon recognition. The soldiers and Marines taught these novices about shelter-building and fire-making, as well as finding, collecting and storing potable water.

  Many of the soldiers developed close relationships with the women in the group, and Eric worried that there would be problems later when they had to leave. They couldn’t stay. That was not their objective. They were an expedition party and they needed to keep moving in order to discover what was out there. Leaving was going to be difficult for some of them.

  ◆◆◆

  They searched in and around the large stand of trees and across the meadows and found hemp, nettle and yucca plants growing freely. Classes on lashing and rope-making added to the skills of the canyon people, which helped them learn vital survival techniques from the soldiers.

  They learned how to lay plants out in the sun to dry before use and to crush the stalks with a round smooth rock to expose the inner material, called pith. They broke the pith into small sections, with their fingers. This yielded long strips of fibers that were rubbed between the hands while rotating over a round smooth piece of wood. The fiber strip became soft and pliable.

  To make a long piece of cordage, they simply braided several strips together. Once they achieved the desired diameter, they secured one end onto a solid object and wrapped the pieces first in one direction and then the other direction with a new piece. Eventually, they had usable lashing material and ropes. The group learned how to use knots to secure things, to climb with, or to use for general purposes. The most important lashings were square knots, loop knots such as bowlines, overhand loops, hundi knots, harness knots, sheep bend knots and heaving line knots. They learned how to splice and work rope together into itself or onto another piece of rope to keep the ends from unraveling or fraying.

  The Medic demonstrated first-aid techniques, emphasizing fractures. He explained the various types of fractures, such as closed fractures, where the bone is broken underneath the skin but the skin and tissue surrounding the bone is not damaged. He told them some of the signs and symptoms of a fracture.

  “Listen up, folks! A fracture can obviously be determined when a fragment of the bone protrudes through the skin, but there are other indications, as well. For instance, there could be tenderness or pain when light pressure is applied to the injured location and swelling as well as discoloration of the skin at the site of the injury is obvious.

  “If the victim experiences a deep, sharp pain when attempting to move the injured limb, encourage the victim to NOT move that part of the body. This could cause further damage that can compound the injury. Instead, he should be immobilized by splinting to prevent any sharp edges of a broken bone moving about under the flesh. This can cause severe damage to the area around the fractured bone, which can cause secondary infections.

  “When splinting, always apply the proven parable of ‘splint them where they lie,’ meaning simply to splint prior to moving the victim. Immobilize the injured area by applying a sling if it is an arm. If the leg is broken, tie strips or pieces of twine or cloth com
pletely around solid boards or branches so that they are tied numerous times to ensure proper immobilization.”

  He also told them some of the signs and symptoms of shock.

  “Once a victim goes into shock there is an increased possibility of death, so it is imperative to stop the flow of blood from a wound immediately.”

  The medic also taught them other tricks such as how to stop a nosebleed using powdered dry Witch Hazel, to use cornmeal as a substitute for talcum powder, to use the gum of juniper trees to fill a decayed tooth, and to use leaves from the spice bush to make a tea for treating fever and chills.

  ◆◆◆

  After they had been in the canyon for several months, Eric thought they should venture out and have a look at the world once again. Charles spoke to Eric about the soldiers leaving,

  “I think there may be some problems getting all of your men to leave. Many of them have become quite attached to some of the women. I hope that won’t be a problem.”

  Eric had been having the same thoughts,

  “We’re going to have to help them come to terms with our departure. It’s time we head out of here and make our way to San Francisco. But first, we need to find out what’s out there waiting for us.”

  Chapter 10

  The Plague Subsides

  Eric decided to take a few men to scout outside the area beyond the canyon to see if there were any signs of life. A short expedition wouldn’t hurt anything, he hoped. They were getting too comfortable here, their mission was to see what was left of the Pacific coast and find survivors. He wondered if there were any more after the ravages of the plague. They had been gone nearly a year and had not received one single radio message from the group they had split off from. That bothered him. They had to get going. That was their mission.

  That evening he discussed the plan with Charles and his men.

  “We’ve been here about four months now, Charles. You and your people have been kind enough to shelter us from the plague. You gave us a place to stay, shared your food and warm hospitality with us, and we appreciate that.

  “We hope your confidence in us has been restored. It’s hoped we will have the opportunity to meet up with anyone who survived the plague once we leave here.

  “I sure hope we’ll have the opportunity to meet up with Al Gomez again, if he survived the plague. My plan is for some of us to leave here for a few days to see what is beyond the canyon walls now, after the last few months have gone by. We need to know what’s left of the world. After all, that was our original mission.

  “In the morning Tim and I, along with two others, will go out and scout around and see what we can find. We’ll come back if it’s safe. Then our group will head toward San Francisco. Everyone needs to get a good night’s rest. I’ll let you know in the morning who will be going.”

  Everyone was solemn that evening. No one wanted to see the soldiers and Marines leave. But for a day or two only, that was tolerable if they had to go, and certainly not gone for good. It was inevitable of course, and they all knew it. Both Eric and Charles had a few conversations about the subject a number of times.

  Eric hoped he wouldn’t have any trouble with his men when it was time for them to go. This place was safe and comfortable, but it wasn’t where they needed to be. He knew they could always return if they wanted to, but he prayed that wouldn’t be necessary. He wanted more than anything, in that moment, to know the plague had run its course.

  The next morning Eric, Tim, and two other soldiers packed food, water, and ammunition. Eric selected two soldiers who didn’t appear to have a girlfriend. They would head toward the beach and then turn south. If things looked safe after a couple of days, they would return for the others and leave the canyon for good. That thought gave him a twinge of regret.

  Charles accompanied them to the hidden tunnel and the small team began their journey. This time Eric paid attention to specific landmarks and compass headings. It felt like a long time had passed since they left Fort Lewis. While it hadn’t been quite a year, it seemed like a lot longer.

  In a few hours, they found themselves back at the beach highway. It was deserted. They came across what was left of the family of four that had warned them about the plague, lying there, bones covered in clothing. The soldiers gave the skeletons a wide berth and worked their way farther south but found nothing. The beach was barren except for the four soldiers leaving footprints along the way. In the surf were a few bones laying on the sand but most of the people’s bodies that had dropped and died from the plague were gone, including most of the bones.

  They walked for two more days after having to move up and across cliffs as the beach disappeared, camping each night to rest and eat, without any fires, constantly moving farther south in the morning. They found nothing of any significance. On the third night, they decided to turn around and head back to the canyon to get the rest of the men. They would resume their mission and they would travel south above the beach and surf. Why not explore a different area as they headed to San Francisco, was Eric’s thought?

  They trudged along until they arrived at the place where the family of skeletons lay. It was a good marking spot. Then they followed the crooked path that led them back to the hidden entryway into the canyon. Once through the tunnel, Eric gave a loud whistle before going any farther. He didn’t want to risk one of his own soldiers firing at them. It took Charles about a half-hour to get to where Eric and his people waited.

  Charles approached them, followed by two soldiers. He was anxious to find out about the world beyond the canyon.

  “What did you find out there?”

  Eric smiled, he liked Charles. He was here with the others simply trying to live their lives without strife or confrontation. Eric sensed gentleness in this man that was unlike the rough and tough men he had been around for most of his adult life.

  Marines, first and foremost in a fight, we and our people will not back down from a confrontation.

  Charles was different. He never sought confrontation he simply wanted to live in peace. His biggest worry seemed to be whether they would remain comfortable and safe from the terrible world beyond their canyon walls.

  There were people out there who wanted to create suffering and humiliation for almost everyone they came in contact with. Eric respected Charles and, in some ways, wished he could be like him. But he was the consummate Marine sniper. One who was always willing to do whatever was necessary to protect those for whom he was responsible. He searched out confrontation, but not like the slavers, who created misery by enslaving their fellow men and women. They were eating children, for heaven’s sake! People like that needed to engage people like Eric. He would hunt them down and make every effort to kill as many of them as he possibly could before they got him.

  Charles was still talking, and Eric was jolted back from his thoughts.

  “I’m sorry Charles, didn’t mean to be rude, but I was zoned for a second there. Can you say that again please?”

  Charles smiled he realized the man in front of him was a leader and, like himself, was burdened with a large responsibility. They were different, but they were the same in many ways.

  “Did you find anything significant on your trip?”

  He waited for an answer. Eric was staring off into the distance toward a big stand of trees. A sudden movement above caught his eye and an eagle or perhaps a hawk was in search of a meal. It reminded him that he was hungry too. He looked at Charles.

  “Are you folks cooking breakfast? Let’s walk, and I’ll tell you all about our trip. I’m pretty sure we’re gonna make this our last night with you people. We should be moving out in the morning. I want you to know that we will try to stay in touch periodically if we can. I’m fairly certain that some of my troopers will not be looking forward to leaving. Unfortunately, we have a mission to complete and we have to take care of business.”

  Charles looked at them and, with a turn of his head, indicated that they should head toward the camp. They walke
d along, crushing gravel beneath their feet. Someone coughed occasionally, but other than that they walked in silence. It wasn’t long before the camp settlement came into view. Everyone who was nearby came to greet them. They were all eager to hear what Eric and his men had found, what they saw and, most importantly, what they were going to do next.

  Everyone was sad to see the morning come when the soldiers and Marines left the canyon. Eric found one of the women quite attractive but had resisted the urge to become too involved. They had shared some meals together and had taken a few walks, but no promises were made. It had been simply small talk and no more.

  The chances were pretty good that she would be here for quite a long time and he hoped that he would be back. Perhaps on the next visit they would be able to explore a deeper relationship and perhaps make his interest in her known.

  Eric suspected she already knew how he felt. Her name was Angela. Her family had lived north of San Francisco. They were old-time immigrants and wine producers originally from Portugal. Most of her family had been killed or hauled off by the slavers, however she had managed to hide inside of an empty wine vat. She had stayed in the huge container for two days and two nights before she felt it was safe to come out of hiding. She had been very thirsty, and her first search was for water.

  Her hair was as black as coal and she had green eyes that flashed at Eric when she looked his way; like two magnificent precious emeralds. She stood about 5'3'' with gorgeous legs and the smallest waist he had ever seen on a woman. She normally wore a long dress, but one day he had gone to the bathing pond and when he walked past the privacy wall, he found her standing naked, combing her hair.