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This is going to be a lot of information, but there is still a lot going, and possibly getting horses in the next couple chapters. That will be interesting. New characters, and beautiul horses. Possible visit...wait & see.

LIFE

Chapter 40

The storm hit early Friday morning, and it was unreal. It was almost tornado force winds. It hit us, and I didn't think it was going to let up. When the brunt of it passed, and we were left with just the rain, we got out looking to see what it had done. There was a lot of brush, a few more downed trees where they had been working, and some of the tarps had been blown off. Some of the building supplies for the heifer sheds was blown across the field, but other than that everything was fine. No one was hurt as I made sure everyone stayed in the building, or the cabins.

We were having sketchy power at the cabins, but they were mainly running on power supplied by the solar panels. We were going to have to get more of the big generators for bouts of storms, or lack of sunshine to power the solar panels. I figured a small generator like we had at first, having one of the bigger ones would be sufficient for each cabin. They could build a small shelter at the back of each cabin, and have it run into the breaker boxes. This was doable without any dangers.

Once the rain let up, men started piling out rounding up materials, tarps, and recovering equipment. We were taking a break for the weekend, and I figured a trip for everyone into Fairbanks was a good idea. I really needed to stock up on a bunch of groceries, and just a change of scenery was needed for everyone.

We voted to do it on Saturday, planning on eating in town, and coming back with our supplies. We would put everything up, and then Sunday we were planning on a big cookout weather permitting. Monday we were all going to go back to work bright and early.

The weather had calmed down a lot over the weekend. After a trip into Fairbanks for supplies, and just a day of getting away from it all we were ready to hunker down, and do some work.

Jake and his crew were working on the longhouse inside with the electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation, building the beehive fireplace in the front of it for the living room. There were men working on building the stairs, and erecting the walls for the separate rooms upstairs. Up there would be a game room, and a television room. Downstairs would be the kitchen, dining area, and then the living room with the fireplace. A building running along thhe side of the longhouse would house their laundry facilities. There would be five washers, and five dryers.

Emmett and his men finished in our house, and I was moving furniture around to the different rooms. There was a delivery the other day, and I was so happy to have gotten it. I purchased a Steinway & Sons baby grand piano. It was beautiul. I had a small music room, and we even had stands for Edward's guitars. I had no idea he played any instruments. Still stuff to learn about each other.

Emmett and his men were going to see about helping Jake with the longhouse, but if everything was running alright in there they were moving over to finish the horse barns. I knew they had to work on the loft making the rooms, and then the rest of the loft to store hay. Edward and about five of the men were to a point they could stop on the cutting down of trees, and they were going to start on the fencing for the horses. I had a John Deere tractor, with an auger delivered getting prepared for this. It was ours, and I had more attachments I wanted Edward to look at for it. It would help dig up my garden, and there was an attachment for a snow plow. Cool!

The horse barn was still in need of quite a few things done to it. There was a loft to be finished, and the ten bedrooms constructed up there. Only half the loft was going to be used for housing. There would be hay in the other half. There would be ten bedrooms, and two bathrooms built. One would be for men with two showers in each one. The other would be for women only.

I plan to hire hopefully an even number of men, and women. I was on the phone with employment agencies private, and government offices letting them all know the type of people I would be needing. They were not sending anyone until I got the major part of the ranch up, and running.

I walked over to the horse barns, and went inside to see how things were going. They were working on the electrical, and plumbing needs of the barn. I told them they were going to have to extend this to the upstairs as soon as they got to working on this part. They were already preparing for this as Emmett had told them earlier. Emmett was fixing to move his crew to work on the inside.

They were putting a set of stairs going up to the loft on both ends. One to get to the hay, and the other to get to the rooms for the employees. It was also going to be big enough there would be a small sitting area outside the rooms. I was getting excited to see all this come about.

The storage building was going to hold a large amount of hay, and feed for the horses and cattle. I found out from Alice it would be a wise move to build a couple silos down near the heifer sheds. They would need silage to feed dairy cows if I was going to use the milk produced. Another thing I didn't know. Alright, I'd get the materials to build the dang silos. I also talked to Alice about possibly building a small chicken coup for personal use of the eggs. She said we could start with about twenty five chickens, and maybe three roosters, as one rooster can handle about ten hens. If I didn't want them fertilized, then I could go with two roosters, and it would be fine. They would need to be watched.

So much to think about, and so much to get ready. But, it was coming together slowly, but surely. I kept finding things I wanted for us, for the ranch, to be as independent as possible.

The longhouse is done except for emptying the two trailers sitting outside with all the furniture, and appliances or the different rooms. I was just about to break out in dance as everything was coming to a head. I was loving it. My dream coming true.

Edward had stopped looking at me, and broke out laughing. I turned looking at him throwing my hands on my hips, giving him one hell of a look. It only made him break out laughing that much harder. Sean, and Seth joined in. Fuckers!

I got a few things I also need to get from the storage building for the kitchen in the longhouse. Jared is feeling a lot better, and getting up and about in short periods of time. He keeps trying to help, but between me and Esme he doesn't have a chance. I had him go over to the longhouse, and sit putting books in the library section downstairs. I figured that was a calm enough exercise for him. He really was doing a lot better, and I thanked God for it.

He never wanted to leave to go recover anywhere else. He said he was fine right here.

Gianna and Leah were making subs, with homemade fresh potato chips for dinner. They were just about through with that, and fixing to move over to the longhouse to check out the new appliances. Maggie was trying her hand at making homemade ice cream. She was also prepping fresh fruit to go with it. Sounded yummy to me.

Emmett was still working on the horse barns. They had the rooms sectioned off, the wiring, and plumbing done. They still had insulation, and the walls to put up. The area for the hay to be stored was finished. There were separate stairs to reach it at the other end of the barn. The stairway going up to the rooms had an area underneath them for two washer, and dryers for washing horses blankets. They were from a company that made industrial washers & dryers for handling equine attire.

I also had a tack room at the beginning, middle, and the end of the horse barns. This would hold their saddles, horse feed, blankets, bits, leads, pads, brushes, shampoos, everything they would need. There were also six washing bays; three at the middle, and three at the end of the barn.

Edward was having fun using the new tractor with the auger to dig post holes for the fencing. I had a load of hay coming in from Alaska Feed in Fairbanks due either today, or tomorrow. I planned on putting this in the loft of the horse barn. The next load was coming in from David Woods Hay Service. They were bringing big bales of hay, and would bring me a big load of rolled hay later once I got my horses. There was also talk going on of delivering some alfala, which is good for the horses, too.

I had a supply of vitamins, meds, wraps, ointments, and other things Paul and Sean were recommending to have on hand. I didn't want to be in need of anything especially during the winter months.

Later that evening I talked to Edward about how long he thought it would be before they had the fencing up for the horses field. He said within a week, if they were able to keep the pace they had right now. If they ran into any problems, then a couple weeks at the most.

I told him I was going to call Max tomorrow, and see about the horses he was getting me. I also was going to call about the horse trailers I was wanting. I was also looking at a trailer for hauling cattle. We had two eighteen wheeler trucks, Peterbilt, waiting for us in Seattle. I also had two horse trailers, four horse with living quarters I was looking at when we got there. They also offered free delivery I wouldn't have to worry about on the horse trailers.

I had Sean, and Paul that could drive eighteen wheelers, so they would be going with me and Edward. The horse trailers had sleeping quarters in one to sleep six, and the other four. They were plenty big.

I was getting excited to start bringing the horses home. I could hardly wait any longer.

I was calling Max right after breakfast to see what he had ready for me. I had Lise and Sasha with me, and Baxter was still riding with Edward. He sometimes rode with Sean, which was unusual.

Max was unusually cordial. He said he had me about twenty dapple vanners, and thirty friesians. They were fifteen mares, and five stallions in the dapples, and twenty mares, with ten stallions in the friesians. He also said because I was buying my horses from him strictly that he was sending me a present. A beautiful jet black stallion friesian about three years old, and he had a very impressionable lineage. I could hardly wait to see him...hell, all of them. Max also offered me some colts almost a year old. There were four of them if I wanted them. I told him yes I would take them.

Max knew of my fascination with Fredrik the Great, a friesian they named the Fabio of horses. He was magnificient. If this horse was as good as he said, I was naming him Alexander the Great, and I was training him to be as close to Fredrik as possible. I needed to look around for a trainer, or two.

At present we were trying to figure a plan to get them up here to my ranch. Max mentioned flying them, but I wasn't to sure about this. I talked to Sean and Paul, my two veterinarians, and they said it was very safe. They also mentioned trailering them by eighteen wheelers. I told them of my having bought two eighteen wheel Peterbilts that were waiting for us in Seattle. They both offered to drive them.

That part was taken care of, and both four horse trailers were being delivered. I was still going to have to bring a cattle hauler from Seattle. I had a couple Wilson cattle haulers waiting along with the trucks. I was not getting any cattle as of yet. They still had to build the heifer sheds, and then there were silos being airlifted from Seattle. I had two silos for the cattle, and one for chicken feed. I was looking into a prefab chicken coup to handle about thirty chickens. It would be doable in a matter of days, and could be insulated for the winter easily.

I had a small silo for chicken feed, but two big ones for cattle feed. They were pretty much already assembled, but would need anchored in the ground, and a blow hose to fill with new feed as needed. The same with the ones for the cattle.

Max had sent me pics of the horses he had for me so far, an most of them were beautiful. The dapples ranged in different colors, and slight breeds , but they were all beautiful. I had a few specific ones I wanted, and he had them for me. There are different shades of black in the friesians. He wouldn't send me a pic of the gift friesian. He knew I would know which one it was when I saw them all. Well I was ready...for them all.

We discussed different modes of transporting them up here, and the majority of them were going to be flown into Fairbanks International Airport. That way there would be no quarantine as they would be checked out before they left by a veterinarian, and checked out by Sean & Paul when they arrived. I would then transport them to the ranch. I was also buying two 4Star horse trailers. They would transport ten horses the distance of one hundred thirty miles to the ranch within two, or three hours. We could do this, and not be in a hurry to forgo any injuries.

I would then have Sean and Paul, along with Alice checking them out. I know it's going to take quite a few days to allow them to acclimate to their new surroundings. I would have rolls of hay out around the field, with troughs along the fencing. I would have them put out to pasture a couple hours every day, with them being brought back in to be brushed, and down for the night.

With everything left to do I figured by next weekend we could start having horses flown in. I should have the hay, feed, trailers, troughs, everything set to handle them.

Alright people. We are coming down to the wire. The next couple chapters should have them about ready to receive horses. It's looking good with finishing up a lot of the building. They still got a bit more to do, like the greenhouse, chicken coup, finishing the heifer sheds to receive cattle, but it's getting there. More people coming in, too.

So hold on. Let me know what ya'll think.

Thanks muches...