“Dang it, now I’m hungry.” Emma laughed.
“That bacon is making me hungry. It smells good.” BJ said.
“How is the ice coming? Is it staying frozen in the chest freezer?” Paadi asked, sipping coffee.
“It’s coming, I’m glad we started a few days ahead, it takes time for it to freeze and the more I add to the chest freezer, the longer it stays frozen. By the time the bacon is done, I’ll have a lot of ice in there. If we keep trading out the thawing ice, and refreezing it, that freezer should stay nice and cool. During the winter, it will be nice to store a lot of meat in there. It should last us all winter. The same with the other chest freezer.” BJ said and poured himself more coffee.
“It really feels good to have this meat. If we can stock up this fall, I’d like to can a lot of venison.” Emma said.
“How is Daisy doing? And the pups?” BJ asked, Daisy had delivered four large puppies the night before. They’d put her in the storage room, away from the children who were making her nervous. They’d been warned to leave her alone. Two puppies had been stillborn and had been buried. No one told the children. Buddy was at Emma’s feet and had fretted and sniffed and worried over the puppies. Emma had brought him out to give Daisy a break.
“She’s doing better. Between Buddy and the kids, she wasn’t very happy. I’d checked on her earlier and she was a lot better, calmer. The four babies are nursing well.” She smiled.
“That’s good. I’m sure in a few weeks, those puppies will be running and ruling the roost.” BJ laughed.
“It’s time to turn the fire off the pressure canner. We can let it set for maybe twenty minutes and then move it to the table to cool the rest of the way. That will give us enough time to process the next batch of meat, and use the spices.” Paadi said, looking at her watch.
Emma turned off the fire and the rocker began to slow its insistent rocking. It got a bit quieter, since the hiss of the pressure canner was fairly loud. Both women got up and washed their hands in a bowl of soapy water.
“BJ, can you get us another propane? We’ve been using this can for quite a long time. It’s feeling light. If it runs out, and the pressure canner is on, we’ll need to switch it out pronto, so the pressure doesn’t go down too far.” Paadi said, looking over her glasses. BJ grinned and nodded.
“Take Buddy with you, I think he needs a romp in the woods, get some of that anxiety worked out. Daisy snapped at him, and I think he’s feeling a little abused.” Emma laughed.
“Sure thing, we boys know when we’re not wanted, don’t we Buddy.” BJ asked in a sing song voice, and the dog’s tail wagged excitedly. Paadi snorted.
“Glad you figured it out, chowderhead.” She laughed at the look on his face. BJ shook his head, grinning. Emma suspected that the two were actually flirting. She’d seen over the last weeks that the two had been getting closer. Spending more time together, with the two children. Emma knew both were still grieving over their loved ones, but she also saw a spark between the two. She was glad, they suited each other, he was calm and easy going, and she, well, Paadi was Paadi, a handful.
Paadi helped Emma bring the container with meat from the lake. Setting it between them, they began to cut chunks of meat. Brian had deboned it for them and they’d used the bones for a hearty stew with the potatoes and onions from the garden. She’d also thrown in canned carrots, from the store. It wasn’t as good as fresh, but it was good. She’d also thrown fresh spinach and chives into the mix. They’d made cornbread in the sun oven, a wonderful dinner. Cooking and eating outdoors had been nice. The house had a table set up inside, but it was hot.
Emma had brought up the possibility of putting in a few extra windows. Brian and BJ had looked dubious about it. It had been discussed and the conclusion had been, though nice, they had the fans as well as the large tent out front for hot nights. Also, during the winter, the house would stay much warmer without excess windows. Since their front door was all glass, there would be a lot of heat loss via that. So, that matter had been put to rest.
The women cut the meat into one-inch chunks. The pressure canners, All-American, were forty-one, quart canners. They could hold nineteen, quart jars each. They could do large batches at a time. Once they had the meat they wanted cut up, they put the container back into the water. They spiced the meat, turning it and then they began to load the clean jars. Paadi washed her hands and moved the still hot pressure canner to the table. Once they got the other canner loaded, they’d start the process of canning all over again.
“Well, well, isn’t this just nice. Two beautiful women.” A man said behind them and both women jumped and turned around. Emma’s mind went blank for a moment. Then she thought, Mole and Pirate, the two men Brian and BJ had warned them about. Her eyes looked for the children, her heart slamming hard into her chest. She heard Paadi curse under her breath. They’d been caught with their guard down.
“Smelled that wonderful food. Figured we’d come and check you out. Good thing we did, ain’t that right, Jeri?” Mole laughed, scratching his gut. He was filthy and Emma could smell him from fifteen feet away. His breath was redolent of beer and serious halitosis.
