An Old Man And His Axe: A Prepper fiction book of survival in an EMP grid down post apocalyptic world (Old Preppers Die Hard 1) (11 page)

“Well you did and you did it twice today as far as I can tell. You didn’t even notice she had got up early and put on a bit of makeup for you today.” Jeremy said accusingly.

“Shit, I was going to get around to complementing her. I really did notice but I didn’t know how to bring it up.” Farley said before the screen door opened and Becky came out carrying the lantern Farley said they could use until they left.

“Yea and it was the first time in weeks I could see in that bathroom mirror good. Here you go, Farley, I am not mad at you, everything is o.k.” Becky said attempting to hand him the lantern.

“I am not leaving for good and you all will be needing that, matter of fact go ahead and keep it. You will need it where you are going also and the batteries should last a long time if you’re careful.” Farley said before catching himself and regretting saying anything about the batteries running out that might cause Becky more despair.

“That reminds me, I got some spares I can give you to go with it.” Farley said thinking he could just rely on his rechargeable batteries and portable solar panel.

“That is awful nice of you, you don’t have to do it, you know. I got a little bit of money I can give you for them.” Becky said a bit worriedly.

“Oh, I don’t need any money up here, let’s have ourselves another cup of coffee and discuss our plans for the day. Jeremy, there is hope for you yet; you can make a good cup of coffee.” Farley said with a smile and everyone settled down to hear Farley’s plans for the day.

“I figured I would go do a scout over that end of the lake, there are less people that might be around over that way and I might want to move over there one day. You see I got in mind putting me in a bug out garden soon and I need to settle on where it’s best to do it at. Then of course we got your gas situation to consider so I thought I might look around for some while I was out. Keep your home fires burning on that Rocket Stove and I’ll be back.” Farley said.

“What is a bug out garden?” Jeremy asked.

“Oh, that’s a term us preppers sometimes use to describe a garden you put in with survival seeds. Bugging out just means leaving your home and going somewhere you think might have better chances for your survival to live at for awhile.” Farley said regarding his audience.

“So are you bugging out of here, Farley?” Becky asked, regarding him.

“No, I told you I am just going for a scout; tell you what, I will be back this evening regardless, o.k.?” Farley said as Becky and Jeremy brightened up.

“Can I go Farley?” Jeremy asked.

“You might need me to help you.” The boy said trying to wheedle an invitation out of him.

“I got more gas than you do, we could use my car.” Becky said trying to get in on the adventure.

“Whoa, whoa! When did this trip turn into a picnic? I told you all I would be back this evening and there is no way I am leaving my preps here unattended.” Farley said, frustrated.

“Oh, I didn’t think about your stuff not being protected. I just thought it would be nice to get off this place for a bit.” Becky said soothingly.

“We could still be of help to you maybe.” Jeremy said hopefully.

Farley eyed the two for a minute and said what the hell, everyone could go but they needed to have a little talk about it first. He explained how the roads weren’t safe anymore to be just traveling about on and that he had no legal claim on the place that he was going to and had just stayed there once and it had belonged to a friend of a friend he didn’t think would be coming to the lake because of their age but that there was no telling if it was occupied or not.

He chose his words carefully so as not to upset Becky any more than he had to but he didn’t beat around the bush either in regards to how bad things had got in the city and that he didn’t have any home to go to anymore except for what he was considering. He elaborated a bit about his homesteading dreams and prepping realities but these things didn’t seem to discourage the pair from wanting to accompany him today.

“What’s that old weird saying? “Hung by my own petard” Farley thought before agreeing to let the pair travel with him today. I got grief of my own and now I am taking on others, he groused.

“I got a bream still on the stringer down at the dock. Won’t make much of a meal for 3 but I could cook him up before we leave. I hate to waste even a fish that small.” Becky said waiting on Farley to tell her what to do with it.

“I saw some coon tracks on the shore. Instead of messing with the squirrels today, I will teach Jeremy how to trap a raccoon, maybe. They taste pretty good if you get the fat off them and parboil them a bit.” Farley said.

“If you catch him and clean him, I will cook him.” Becky said surprising her son that she didn’t turn her nose up at the idea.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any barbecue sauce around here would you?” Farley said and when she said she did Farley advised her that they were in for a treat if they got lucky.

“Come on, Jeremy, I will show you how to make a quick and fast set for old Mr. Raccoon. You will get to use my survival axe also; you’re going to like that one. I need to use the saw on it.” Farley said going to his van to get it.

“You got an axe with a saw on it?” Jeremy said incredulously.

“It’s a lot more practical than it sounds, hang on I will show it to you in a minute.” Farley said digging around in his gear before finally coming up with the tool called a Lil Trucker and handing it to Jeremy for examination.

“Now what we are going to make here is something called a deadfall. Basically, what we are going to do is make a trigger that will drop one of those heavy rocks they are using for landscaping around here on the critters head, killing him instantly. There is a bunch of different ways to accomplish this task but since I am in a hurry I am going to make what is called a split stick deadfall.” Farley said and set about doing so.

The idea is that a stick is cut in two pieces and a bait stick, usually smaller is in between them. The two sides of the stick are balanced vertically.

When the bait stick is moved, the structure falls quickly and the prey is injured or killed.

In my opinion this is the easiest deadfall
trap
to set up and deploy.

Trap constructed by Murray Yazer

This is a close-up of how the bait stick fits into a notch between the two end-to-end vertical sticks. The notch can be square, as in this case, or rounded.

You see this jimping on the back of my knife? It can help in shaving magnesium and getting sparks from a ferro rod. They can also be used to catch and hold the wire hanger on a cook pot to raise or move it but today I am just going to cut a light notch in a piece of wood and use it to wear a square slot into it.

Buy a custom knife from someone who actually takes pride in every single piece, and ACTUALLY makes their own knife rather than just market it. Silver Stag!

Trap constructed by Walter Muma

A side view of the meeting of the two vertical sticks, showing the bait stick going through the notch between them.