The Journey...............(A on-going story...^8^)

[Geista]

(The Beginning)

Day 1 Late Night

Today I have started to gather everything I need to survive,

1.) I have gathered what edible foods and supplies I may save for future consuption and as well any Dry Goods that are in the house.

2.) I have gather all and any Tools that maybe of use, wether it be for (Fire-making, Cooking, Fuel Gathering (Wood & Burnable Materials), and General (Building Stuff).

If I build anything I will cross that bridge when I get to it, so to speak. 3nodding

3.) And lastly, any clothing I may need for shurity. (Cold/Winter Seasons, Hot/Summer Seasons.)

Mostly for Winter Seasons for it will be the most detrimental to my helath should I have no protection from it.
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I have started to fill my Car, and am now writing to start my Journey away from civilazation, as my countiers Currency is be made worthless from a colapse of our Economy.

And as well for safty because of the "New Plague" which is the only name given for a sickness that started to spread just prior to the Economic Breakdown.

If I stay away from large numbers of people I should stay safe from the sickness, since from last I heard it was only by contact of bodily fuilds.

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I now get to the most serious matter, if any find this journal and read it it is my wish it be yours for if it is found and I am not that surly means I have come a-foul of something and have perished.

May God Bless any and all who suffer in this time where the Economy and our World has reached a Critical Mass, and as well may God Bless me in my Journey and in all of my Survivial.

I am Jay, that is the only thing you need know of my name. It is the year 2022, of the 23 day of April. And I must go and finish packing the rest of my supplies.................  

[Geista]

Day 2 Mid Evening...........

I wake up hoping and praying that everything that has happened is a elaborate dream, but sadly find it isnt and that everything is very real indeed...............

I get up and get dressed and ready for whats ahead.

I have loaded the car completely and am staying this last night in the house before I secure it and leave possibly for good.

(I may have to come back some day, assuming someone hasnt taken up residence in it.)

I remember every memory fondly, the day I stayed up all day long and into the next moring waitng for New Years for so many years.........

The times I remember the softness of the covers on my bed as I went to sleep at night...............

My Parents, (It seems ages ago) sharing time with me watching movies, playing board games and laughting and being happy...............

My pets over the years..............Goldfish, Pet Dogs & Cats, Goats once a long time ago, even our ducks we had.,,,,,,,,,,,,Sigh.

Soon to be left with our old house to sit and waste away year by year, I will miss our old house and this place dearly as any one person can miss a place where they grew up.

I am placing these things in the hands of a higer power and will than my own and going away for a while.  

[Geista]

Day 2 Nighttime...............................

I went to the one source of water that is still useable nearby, the neightbors swimming pool and with luck found it to have water still in it.

So I drawed enough water out of it for one last bath in our house, carring the water to our house from the pool and heating it over a fire and then filling our Bath-Tub inside the house.

(I know it was a lot of work, but I wanted one last bath in my old house.)

Then after having the nice (But a little scalding bath) I dried off and hung up the towel I used to be picked up when I leave on the shower bar.
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I gathered only what covers I needed and made a bed from them and layed it open so it would be easy to get into.

(Then said my prayers for eveyone, and also one for myself as I set out on my Journey, and for all of my extened family who live far away from me.)

Then I layed down and covered up, and though to myself ":What a way to start a adventure" and after some twisting & turning finally went to bed.  

[Geista]

Day 3 Early Morning.....................

I got up, woken by the alarm I set up on my Cellphone since there isnt any power for my little bed-side alarm clock I would usually use.

I still absent mindedly hit the alarm button on the clock and didnt realize for a few moments that the noise wasnt stopping.

Then it dawned on me and I reached over and graspt my cellphone tinkered with it and stopped the alarm...........I have to get up and and go this is the day I head out...........
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So I get up and dressed, I get the covers first and fold them as neatly as possible and bring them into the living room to start gathering the absolute last things from inside the house to take and put into the car.

They are set to the side where I will put all of the covers and blankets and such I will take with me.

I go first into the area between my room and my Mother & Fathers room and gather all of the thickest and woolyiest covers and bring them into the living room and fold them and start making a pile until it is half my higth.

I then go into the side room and gather my camping (Sleeping bag) from Boy Scouts, and then come back into the area between my room and my parents and get my old sleeping bag Ive had since I was like 7 or 8.

I unzip both of them, then lay the bigger one inside of the other and zip them both up so it is like two socks put together and then roll them up together.

So covers accounted for, I think..................

Whats Next?.............

Oh Right!!!!

I go into my room and gather my old tabboggins and put them together and make sure I have all 3 of them. (I hated tabboggins when I was younger, so there werent many I had.)

Gathered all of the gloves I had in my room, went from my room to our back-porch and gathered more gloves. (Including all the pairs of *Heavy Duty* gloves we have.) and put them in a plastic bag from under our sink, along with the tabboggins.

I then took the bag with the tabboggins and gloves and sat it in its own pile beside the covers and sleeping bags I had put together earlier.

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Now........What else can I take that I can use?????

Oh, right. Face-Palm.

Hats, I may need some of them.

I go and with some digging around find my own and my Mom's straw hats we both have.

These may come in hand sometime during hot times. (Ironicly, I think It may get used in the same manner it was used last, gardening and pulling weeds.)

So I put the two straw hats inside each other and turn them up-side down, so I have something to put things in, I think perhaps a few Bib-Caps to I may be able to use them.

I walk to another room which is our sort of "Guest Room" and gather a few of my Dad's caps he seems to have collected all those years before.

I turn them upside down and put them into the open space presented by the straw hats.

I go into the kitchen and think, what else am I missing?????

Oh, he had a few lighters and some ciggarretes hiden some where in the "Guest Room" I think. (So he could smoke so he wouldnt be in the kitchen all hours of the night.)

Of couse if he went to sleep and had a lighted one in his mouth it would have been bad, but that never happened..........not that me and my Mother knew of back when they were still living.............

So I wnet from the kitchen back to the "Guest Room" and searched and rummaged threw the drawers and in the vanity mirror dresser and found his lights two of them and 3 ciggarrettes...... He had a few left for a special occasion.

I put the Cigs. back and put the two lighters into the opening still left in the bottom of the Hats that had been put together.

I took the hats and lighter and placed them together in the lving room once I had made my way back from straighting the room back to the way it was before.  

[Geista]

Day 3 Almost Noon

I had managed to gather everything together and decided to eat something.

I went to my small forest of canned goods I had set-up in the right side of the kitchen floor and closed my eyes and said "Ennie, Mennie, Minney, MOE!!!! and point in one direction........

Drats , Spinach...........Oh well beggars cant be choosey.

I took the can removed the label, and went from our ketching straight to the back door, out over our wood decks steps to a small spot I decided to make a fire.
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I took out my fire making kit, which I have had for a few years at this point and think "You have to get used to making fires sometime with this thing."

I got to our little storage shed building and gather some old cardboard from some boxes inside and bring it back to the spot where I want to make my fire.

We have a stone path at the bottom steps of wooden deck leading from the back door, it should be safe to make a fire here I think.

I take the old cardboard and see how damp it maybe, lol

It isnt damp so much, its like sand paper the soft outside worn away a long time ago or perhaps dirt dobber wasps may have eat at it to make thier nest in the shed's roof.

I also go and gather som small twigs from the trees nearby trying to get the ones that have been broken off for a while since they should be fairly dried out, and a few bigger limbs to for when the fire gets a bit hotter.

I lay the cardboard carefully in a small pile, wig-wam style like a capital a standing up in strips ( "A" ) over the twigs which I left a small hole to start the fire which is filled with paper I brought outside from the kitchen.

First try, I take the small metal striker and run the metal plate over it and it starts making sparks..............

Scratch...Scratch.....Scratch..Scratch..Scratch, I get sparks but they arnt enough to catch the paper............Hmmmmmmmmmmmm need something a bit better.

I reach into my pocket, take out a small lighter.

"Hey Thats Cheating!!!!!!!" I think to myself, you will have to learn boy.

I put the lighter up, and think intently on what would help the matter, hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I got it

I go inside and get one of my Dad's pocket knifes......
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"Hey, pocket knifes would be amazingly useful."

I remind myself to come back and gather all of them after I eat.
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I got to the spot where my Dad usually sits and open drawer and find one right off the bat sitting just inside on the other side the drawer's knob.

I go back out side to make small set-up for a fire..........I straight'in it back up.....(It fell down while I was gone...... )

I take one of the bigger limbs and peel sveral strips of bark off it, and then strip it int fibery bits and then put it when the paer was...carefully so I dont cause it to colapse again.

Then I take the small metal striker and run the metal plate over it and it starts making sparks again as before..............

Scratch...Scratch.....Scratch..Scratch..Scratch, I start getting some good sparks them after a few moments the fibery bits start to smoke I slowly blow on the smoking bits and it catches and I carefully place the papers back against it and feed it till it is a nice hand sized fire.

I take the can and open it wiht an old manual can opener which I crank and crank, till finally I get the lid open and peeled back and I sit it right next to the fire and watch it cook.

After about five minutes, (At least my my watch still works......Sigh )

I check the can, the water inside it boiling slightly and I goin inside and get a fork from a kitchen drawer and a small plastic container of vinegar.......(Might as well while I still have it to use. ) from under the sink, and walk back to my fire.

I check the Spinach out with my fork and see it looks just as stringy as I remembered it to be..........

I take a bite and find it is cooked, at least. Even though with vinegar it wont still be as appitizing but it will do.........

After a little while, I have finished eating my Spinach and am truely done with that "Green Stuff" and put the fire out by smothering it with a metal lid that we used to feed our pet cat with......

Back to work,............I am still leaving today no matter what..........  

[Geista]

Day 3 Just after Noon

I go back inside and remember to get all of the "Pocket knifes" I can find....... sweatdrop

I walk in the backdoor, and into our kitchen, and go to work looking threw the drawers and cabinets.

After a few minutes of looking I manage to find five of them biggrin

Then I close the drawers and go into the "Guest Room" and check it out and find three more of the little buggers. ^8^

Then to my room, I go threw the drawers and find two of them. 3nodding

So grand total of.....................10, some how I though there would be more but thats okay any extra I cant or dont use can be a source of Trade Items in the future.

So I go into the kitchen and put all 10 of the knifes into a zip-lock bag and then bring them into the living room and place them in thier own pile.
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No for the loading.......................... stressed stressed stressed

Hope this isnt going to take as long as I think it will. sweatdrop
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I go to the covers and sleeping bags first and take them to the car first and stow them as levely and flat as I can on the back seats with all of the other clothes I am saving.

Then the hats, I gather those together from thier pile and move them out and place them on top of the shoes I have in the left-side back-seat floor board.

Then the tabboggins and gloves in thier baggie I put them together in I moved it out and placed it as well on top of the shoes to.
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Okay, that has moved all of the last/last amout of saved items I have piled up....

What else do I need to get before I leave sweatdrop sweatdrop sweatdrop

Right, "My things, My Memories"........ crying cry

I go inside, and to my Mothers room and get a picture with a dull silver frame.................(Me & My Mother & Father) many years ago together posing for the picture in very nice clothes.

I will take this.............. 3nodding

My Mom's Teddy I gave her for her Birthday one year.............

I will take this as well...................... 3nodding

And I am definatly not going to forget...........The Ring... 3nodding

My Ring................Given to my Mother by her Mother, passed down to me and if I have children it will be thiers one day. (My Grand-Mother's Ameytheist --Wedding Ring).

The with that done, I look around the room and..........................Sigh

By Mom, see ya later one day when everything is as God Wills it to be. 3nodding sweatdrop

I take those things bac into the living room and place them in a pile on one of our T.V tables.

I then go into the "Guest Room" and find something I want to take that has some sentaimental value.

My Father's favorite picture, one of me and him with my.......... (I think its Mom, taking the picture).

This........I will take it to. 3nodding

I turn around and look, bye Daddy love ya and remember me always.

I take the picture and return with it to the living room and put it on top of the other picture and decide to go ahead and put them into the car.

I walk from the living room to the front door, then to my car and place these items carefully on the front dash as far as they will sit against the window.

I go back in and say to myself..........."Anything else, Anything at all before I leave...." I dont want to leave but I need to. crying sad

Ah, ha my books................ need some of them and then I can go. sweatdrop 3nodding

I get one more box and make a bee-line for my room.

I go to my room threw the living room and to my dresser and start load the box with my favorties.

Narnian Chronicles, Adventures Of Earth-Sea, The Cat Who Could Walk Threw Walls................... so many but I can take them all......remember "Only the best and most favorite ones" I think to myself and after a few minutes I have filled the box and take it to the car and place it with lid closed on top of the furthest right-side pile of clothes on top.  

[Geista]

Day 3 Just a bit after Noon............

I though to myself, "Hey, remember to make sure youve seperated the "Most Important books!!!! " scream

So I reached over to the box with my books in it and take out our Bibles (Mine & My Parents)........Have to have those.

Removed my book "Survival Guide & Skills" that I bought several years ago on a week before Christmas as an early X-Mas prsent for myself. ^8^

And lastly, Dante's "The Inferno" for the heck of it. (It always seems to draw my attention away when I read it, I am full absorbed by it.) ^9^

I put those in my Car's glove-compartment.
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I think to myself finally I must have all of the main stuff now. sweatdrop rolleyes

Then I said to myself "Just a little more and I will be gone............ sad crying
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I went to the back pourch and gather several flower pots and emptied them at the edge of the wooden deck off our back pourch.

I got the small ground trawl off the deck rail where I had left it when I first packed my Car.......................Now for some ruffage. xp

I walked around the deck, and to my Parents small veggie garden and looked over what plants were availible...........(Thank God, My parents had a Garden and had me help take care of it and I kept it even after they passed) biggrin biggrin

I took the flower post over and around the opening in the fence where the gate was hanging open and started to carefully dig the veggies out.

............... Dig dig dig dig.

Dig dig dig dig...............

..............Dig dig dig dig dig dig.

Phew............ sweatdrop

I managed to save three tomato plants, one bean plant I think and a squash plant.

I took them over to the nieghtbors pool and water each of them and then took them over to the car and carefully placed then on a small wire shelf which I had duct taped onto the back of the passenger side seat, then tapped each pot into place as well. xd xd xd
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Now for one last serach for goodies, Off To The Side-Room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went around the house to the small side room which we only use for storage it is a long and kinda cramped space running the width of the house and about a person and a half wide inside it.

I walked carefully up the old wooden steps and jammed the door open.................(It always was like that, weather had warped it over the years and its door never did get replaced.)

I went in side and started moving and stacking and pulling out everything.

The place was full of old junk and a lof of thing my Uncle has had us keep for him and he never returned to claim.

Then I see his bow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Of course my Uncles Compound Bow, its in here!!!!!!!!!!) blaugh

I take it up and carefully test the strength of the pull and as well if it is still working as far as I can tell............... sweatdrop

I look it up and down and test the string in it and look over the pullys and such and find it to be in working order........ lol 3nodding

I look and manage to find six arrows for it which I carefully take with it and place in the car leaned up in the back seat.

I go back to the little side room, and rummage some more and find our (My familes) old fishing poles....................

These are ancient!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xp xp sweatdrop

But two are used able while one old cane pole sitting there I picked up.............arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrragggggggggghhhhhh..........colapsed into a bunch of splinters and dust when I picked it up. scream stressed sweatdrop

But at least two of them are used able and somewhat good shape............ sweatdrop xp

I take them back to the car and lean them up beside the bow.

I think that is it..............

I look at my watch it is about almost 2:23.

Good, still a few hours before dark smile and I have a bit of time to go see if I can find any provisions in town before dark and finally setting out to the first spot that might be promising. 3nodding  

[Geista]

Day 3 Mid after-Noon

I had looked at my watch and then decided to make sure everything was in the Car.

...........Clothes....Check.
...........Food....Check
.......Self-Protection.....Check & Check
........Tools & Misc.......Check & Check
......................Hunting stuff.............Check
.............Special things.............Check

Okay, looks like I have everything.

I just need to go get all of the spare gas cans and put them in the Truck and go see what items I can plunder in town if I can find anything....

I go from my car all the way around the house to the little garage we have and open the door and start searching for gas cans.

I looked high and low and in the corners and managed to find three spare gas cans and a large glass pickle jar........... (Probibally a container my dad used for storing some gas when working on lawn-mowers.)

I took all three of them and put them into my Dad's old Ranger and took the my keys from my pocket and started it up.

Checked the present gas level...............Half a tank..........good plenty for going into town and finding some useful thing to take on my trip....If I dont get way-layed first by people...........

I was just about to back-up and head into town and realized "I need to hide my Car."

So I got back out shaking my head "Should have though that threw first" I though as I got into my Car and pulled it around the house and along side the back of the house where it wouldnt be as visible for oncoming traffic.

Okay, now to go to town and see what there is avialible if anything.  

[Geista]

Day 3 Just a few hours before dark..............

I back into the truck, I fumbled with the keys and finally managed to get the old truck's key seperated and turned the ignition over........... (It hadnt been started in a few months.)

Click..click .........click click click.

Vooooooooorrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmm, vvvvvm vvvvvm vvvvvvm.

Purring like a kitten. lol

I backed out and into the appropriate lane and started towards town, about a ten minute drive............. ("Wonder if I will meet anyone?" I think aloud, and also "How dangerious is it to be out in a truck in broad daylight after your whole worldy exsistance has changed?"

I had probiably better try to take as many back round as possible, and stay on the sly if I can............. "Nothing like driving a semi-beat-up Dodge Ranger 80's something model to draw attention" sweatdrop rolleyes

I drive slowly even at I watch to see if anyone be it person or animal is moving as I drive.

I thankfully see no people, but interestingly a lot of wildlife, I guess without so many people a few days kinda flush out the wild animal population in our area" I think some what cautiously as I slow to a stop as three deer pass in front of the truck and over into the next dip across the road.......

The houses seem to be abandoned, perhaps good.......... sweatdrop

Maybe a source of extra supplies as well, if no-ones home that is. pirate

Slowly I make it to the main four-way stop just outside of town, it is odd to me to see it so quite and without any traffic or traffic lights............Of course it isnt an idellic scene either.....................

A car is in the ditch on the right side of the four-way on its side and very dinged up....................

another vehicle this time a Semi without a trailer is runup-on the left side embankment but otherwise look almost unharmed as if it slowled down as it came to a stop against the embankment............

I decide the best place to look for gas first is the furthest gas station I know on the out-squirts of town................Marathon station/ Southern Louisianian Fried-Chicken.

So I turn right and carefully make my way down the long hill as I watch for any signs of life on the way to the station............