The backyard of the house was completely overwhelmed by weeds and long grasses. At some point a kudzu plant had sprawled across the pathway to the garage and the entire building was covered in the green leafy plant, obscuring its walls and rooftop. Carol looked back at it and sighed before trudging through the yard with the others toward the house. They weren't going to stay at this place long, but it looked as though it was relatively untouched and it was far enough from the road to make it feel a little safer.
They waited on the doorstep as Rick, Daryl and T-Dog cleared the inside of the house, checking each room for a stray walker or animal that could pose a danger. Carol took Lori's elbow, having noticed that the woman looked about ready to topple over from the heat and exhaustion that was plaguing all of them this spring. It was not an easy time for anyone, and being pregnant it was even worse for Lori. "Don't worry, it won't take them long. It doesn't look like the house has seen any activity for a long time." She tried to sound optimistic and Lori gave her a tired smile in return.
Glenn was peering through the side windows, moving the weeds out of the way. "It looks small, but clean. Maybe we'll be lucky and there won't be anything inside." He shrugged and moved back to join them, taking Maggie's hand.
He was right, and it wasn't more than a few minutes more before Rick stepped outside to let them know that it was secure. "Carol and Maggie, could you check the kitchen for supplies? Glenn, could you check the bathrooms for medicines? Beth, could you help Lori set up a sleep space in the living room? I think we can stay the night here, at the very least. Daryl and I are going to see if we can get into that garage, maybe see what's inside, and then we'll secure the windows and doors." He nodded sharply and they all moved to start doing a task, requested or not.
Carol and Maggie went into the small kitchen together, both frowning at the dirty space. Whoever lived here was a slob, and then nature had taken over to grow mold on whatever was sitting in the sink. Maggie sighed and started opening the cabinets above the counter, while Carol moved to kneel on the floor and look below the counter space. They mostly worked in silence, but the thud of cans showed that they were finding some food.
"Look, four cans of stew, and three boxes of mac & cheese. There are a bunch of beans and other veggies too." Maggie was grinning now, looking down at Carol as she finished looking through the pots and pans under one part of the counter.
"I didn't find much food, but if we want a new skillet or pan there are plenty here." Carol sighed and sat back on her heels, "There is some Crisco and vegetable oil down here though, so if we want to fry something it would be an option."
"Fried and canned might not work, but maybe we can pack it up in the back of one of the cars and use it for frying any vegetables we find in the old gardens." Maggie shrugged and helped Carol to her feet again. "Or we could use the Crisco to make biscuits over a camp fire."
"That sounds like a good idea, and those would be easy to make." Carol looked over the stack of cans that lined the counter, it was more than they usually found in their temporary shelters. "Let's go tell Rick that we have food for tonight."