02.01.02 – 2000 – Log – Jackson
Kate has found a flock of sheep and managed to get them sheered. She has offered half of the wool to anyone that wants to clean and spin it. She wants yarn. This immediately triggered Alana and Zane who used to keep alpacas to volunteer to do it. They also put alpacas on the want list. And bam! Kate comes back with how soon can you take them? She had video of a flock with about a dozen animals. Apparently coordinates and a time came in through the emergency box for alpacas and she was holding it until the request came in. She didn’t think it qualified as an emergency. There is a push to get them set up with a fenced pasture. It will be interesting to see how easily they are domesticated. Consensus is that it probably won’t be. Future generations might be easier.
02.01.07 – 2111 – Log – Jackson
Tyler dropped by Kate’s place to borrow her tractor because the community one has a flat. Her tractor is a little smaller, but its way easier to maneuver and she has cool attachments for it. He wanted it to move some rocks in his yard and figured the new grapple tool would be fun to try out.
Kate has a tendency to start new fun projects when she gets bored with something else and Tyler, seeing the freshly completed outdoor kitchen, suspected this was one of those times so he called me, Cam, and Zane over. Cam used one of her sky scanners to search the area for heat signatures and found her in the dead wood. When we got there we discovered that she was indeed having fun. Zane took video of the setup and taunted Levi with it. Levi volunteered to help Edie and Maci rearrange the equipment set up in the community kitchen, so he was trapped there. They have decided that they want a rotisserie and some rearranging needed to be done. Levi is a fan of rotisserie chicken and Edie so it was a win-win for him. He might be a little miffed he is missing out on the fun, but not too badly. He would do just about anything for Edie.
We did rock-paper-scissors to decide who got to try the cutter-delimber machine first. Ty won. The next battle was for the wood processor, I won that one. Zane won the log loader/mover and Cam got the tractor which would keep me supplied with logs. Kate showed us how everything worked and set us up with PPE, she went home after that. We all had a blast. The girls and Levi showed up at mid day with a picnic lunch. Levi hopped on the cutter-delimber and had a great time for himself while we ate. If we fix the community tractor we can use that to sort logs and keep the wood processor busy and Kate’s tractor can be used to mulch the limbs that the limbing machine leaves behind. We could put the word out for a helper to run the wood chipper, or maybe Kate will want to do it. Maybe Kurt would join us.
02.01.10 – 1850 – Log – Tyler
We’ve worked through the marked area in the dead woods and have to stop to both mark trees and get our actual work done. The girls have humored us with our play time. It was nice to take a break. We put it on the chore list with a ‘want/need/safety’ descriptor. Becca will schedule it appropriately. It will be far less of a fire hazard after it is cleaned out.
02.02.02 – 1600 – Log – Becca
Jackson conferenced Kate and said that Maci had cooked a huge meal for lunch and was power cleaning the house. Kate asked him if she was complaining about contractions. He said no, Kate said she would swing by anyway. Kate asked if I wanted to join her, so I went. When we got there Maci had all of the cushions off of the couch and was vacuuming it out with vigor. Kate rounded her up and said ‘We need to have a quick check up. Jack will take care of the couch.’ Jack didn’t look concerned about the couch, so I did it. Kate parked her at the kitchen table and ran a scan. Maci squirmed a bit and Kate asked if she was uncomfortable. Maci said she was antsy. ‘Any contractions?’ ‘just little ones here and there, you know the Braxton-hicks.
Her contractions were about two minutes apart. Kate asked Maci ‘Mind if I take a look?’ Maci looked shocked ‘I’m not in labor!’ And then she had a big contraction, even Jackson knew it was a contraction. He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. I contacted Dakota and asked her to get ready. Kate washed up and we prepped the bed with protective items. Kate inspected Maci and declared her to be fully dilated and said that the baby was crowning. Kate sent Jackson to cleanup. I contacted Dakota again and asked her to come over. Dakota was just arriving when the baby was born. Jackson caught his son.
02.02.04 – 0600 – Log – Dakota
Maci and Jacks new baby is demanding. If he isn’t immediately appeased at the first whimper he screams his little head off. He is a healthy boy, though he is a bit smaller than Charlotte and Savannah. Kate and I have taken shifts helping with the baby and house chores. Camden has taken over the outside chores.
02.02.04 – 0904 – Log – Kate
They named the new baby after Jack. He is a healthy little fellow. He is on the thinner side and demands to eat every two hours on the spot. Jack was a bean pole with eyes until his sophomore year of high school so I’m not concerned. Maci is exhausted. I am working up the nerve to suggest supplementing with a biosimilar formula so that she and Jack can get a full night of sleep.
02.02.04 – 1003 – Log – Jackson
I’m so tired, I’m ready to fall over. Kate has suggested experimenting with formula. If he is agreeable with it, they will take over tonight and we both could get a full night of sleep. Maci is game.
02.02.04 – 1603 – Log – Dakota
We are experimenting with a biosimilar formula. Young Jack took some in a bottle this afternoon. Jack was ecstatic, partly because it gave Maci a break and partly because he got to feed his son. We are going to try feeding him this way tonight to see if we can give them a full night of sleep.
02.02.05 – 0905 – Log – Maci
Kate and Dakota made a biosimilar formula and took baby Jack last night. Kate put a little heater in the bathroom, changed out our towels with big fluffy soft ones like you get at a fancy hotel, changed out the shower head to the kind that is hand held with a hose and put a little stool for me to sit on in the tub. She sent us in there and told Jack to get us both clean. While we were in there she changed the bed and tidied the room. Clean bodies in a clean fresh bed, I slept like a rock. Six whole hours. And the bathroom was clean in the morning. I’m so happy I could burst!
02.02.05 – 1000 – Log -Jackson
We slept last night, I dreamt of the whole lot of us at a beach. Maci was preggers again. Kate was playing with Jack and Charlie, there was a new doggo, Snarf was there, and my mom was there. Ty and Cam were throwing a football back and forth. Em was there. Pete must have been too, but I didn’t see him. Everybody I love was there. I woke up with the most peaceful feeling.
02.02.07 – 1000 – Log -Edie
We have taken the electronic stores catalog and given it a physical space in one of the community building rooms for the smaller items. This is a non-community stores area, we barter with these items. We have a grocery with both refrigerated and suspended sections, and a dry goods section. There is a screen for the electronic catalog of bulky items and livestock, and the ‘want’ list. It’s interesting some of the items on the want list. Kate requested a tray of Maci’s mashed nutatos. When Levi saw the listing he wanted one too. Kate will portion it off and suspend it so she doesn’t have to cook it herself. Levi will eat it in two sittings and fuss about a bellyache.
02.04.08 – 1600 – Log – Kate
Dakota delivered a healthy baby girl today. Miss Marley after Cam’s dad Marlin. She is longer and heavier than young Jack and much calmer. Grace and Ashley are helping with house work. Dakota is tired but happy. Camden is absolutely glowing. He has already made up and suspended biosimilar formula just in case. I suspect this will become a standard practice for when mom needs a rest.
02.04.12 – 1412 – Log – Kate
There are honey bees near the cottage. Tyler is trying to convince them to move into a standard hive. I think he may try ringing them if they don’t go on their own.
02.05.11 – 2001 – Log – Kate
Ashley and Ryan had baby number two today. Everybody is healthy. Charlotte is a little confused by the new little interloper. They named the little boy Jamie. The pregnancies are averaging just over five of this worlds months.
02.06.01 – 1902 – Log – Ryan
We keep hearing Charlotte talking to someone, but when we go in the room, nobody else is there. When asked about she says she is talking to Sparkles.
02.08.14 – 1801 – Log – Camden
Lindsey and Brody had a baby girl today. Kate delivered her. They named her Riley. She is smaller than Jack was, we have a mild concern about this and will keep an eye on her. Lindsey was hesitant to nurse or even to give Kate a sample to make formula from.
02.08.20 – 1910 – Log – Kate
I found cotton. Not a lot of it though. I will use the ring device to multiply it faster. It will be nice to have. The wool is nice but it’s itchy.
02.11.05 – 2104 – Log – Camden
Grace gave birth to a robust baby boy today. She and Tyler named him Ben. Kate delivered and Dakota assisted.
02.13.20 – 1203 – Log – Maci
Kate has built a playhouse and put it out under the big oak in her yard. It is the cutest thing. She has it set up with a little fridge and a sink in the kitchen, a little sitting room, and a little bedroom upstairs. It has a covered porch. It looks like one of the painted ladies on the old world. Charlotte is in love with it.
02.13.27 – 1602 – Log – Jackson
We have a classifieds board where we put item requests and help wanted postings. Kate has started a resource search position, she pays in chickens, birbs (what we call the bigger chicken like birds – they don’t have an official name yet), ducks, geese, eggs, rabbit or ‘white meat’ in front of children, fabricated items, and sometimes percentages of finds or whatever else is needed or wanted. Ryan brings Charley to work with him. Kate has tons of toys to play with, books and puzzles, Charley has a great time for herself. She loves this low riding tricycle and is in the habit of ‘bumping’ into people or the chairs they sit in she also likes to spin out and fishtail the back end. Kate made a localized dampening device that she put on the tricycle and most of the furniture. She also set up a safe zone for adults that the tricycle can’t go into. I saw plans for a little riding track on Kates work station, I can’t wait to see it in reality. It looks like a fun little course.
02.14.06 – 1211 – Log – Tyler
Kate built a little track for Charley to ride the low tricycle on. Its pretty cool. Charley loves it. Zane asked for a full sized one for adults. He wants a good place to ride a bike.
02.14.07 – 1401 – Log – Maci
Zane asked Kate for a bike track after he saw what she made for the children. Tyler put the request in at the meeting and it was voted on so the settlement will fund it. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with.
02.15.17 – 1400 – Log – Grace
Kate has designed the ‘bike track.’ Its a little longer and wider than I expected it to be. She has it starting at the edge of town near the Cave house, it runs down to the ocean and follows the coast line to the mountain. She plans on making a boardwalk down to the beach house and maybe a pier to fish off of if there is interest. The track has a branch that runs up the mountain to the old observatory site. She plans to put a house in up there to use as a rest stop. The branch winds and jogs back and forth. At the top she has a second smaller track that runs straight down and into a large field and a wider cleared area that has moguls, to sled or ski down. The main part of the track winds around the base of the mountain and turns back inland. Part of it connects to itself, part of it branches and runs past the not so dead woods and to a clearing where she has put a skate park and another area resembling the mounds, but with a designated track to ride on. The track then heads out towards the prairie, circles out into it and runs back to town. It passes her house and ends just at the edge of town.
02.15.18 – 1002 – Log – Jackson
Kate has built a single lane road, a ski run, a luge, a skate park and a dirt bike track. On the main track she has put rest stops in every half mile or so that have a building, houses really, so that people can hydrate and use the facilities. There will be a vote to continue the road through town. Eventually the children will be old enough to have bicycles and riding on pavement is preferable.
02.15.18 – 1905 – Log – Zane
Kate built a sled run and a ski slope. We had a day of it. What fun! Thank goodness for the nano armor, everybody wiped out boarding down the ski area until we got the resistance adjusted on the propulsion systems. We will try the skate park and dirt bike track when the bruises heal up. What a neat track. Scenic too. There are some nice houses on the track with gorgeous views. People have discussed using them for mini vacations. Everybody has bikes in the fabricator queue.
02.15.27 – 2145 – Log – Tyler
Jackson got some cattle, two heifer calves and a bull calf. Maci wants the dairy. Everybody misses butter. I hope they have good luck with it. It took a bunch of us five days to get the fences and water in. Kate kitted and assembled the barn and ringed it to the site. She has quite the set up in her shop. Zane calls it her lair and thanks her for not being evil whenever he gets the chance. I don’t know that lair technically fits for her, but if she ever got pushed I don’t think the person that did the pushing would enjoy what came back their way.
The Great Experiment 