I only flew the Maule for .8 of an hour according to the hobs meter which keeps time when the engine is running. I stalled the bird with flaps down got some airspeed numbers I could use if I needed to get into a tight short landing spot. After three takeoff and landings I figured I had Tyler's Maule figured out well enough that I would put Sally in the aircraft with me. I taxied to one of the 1000 gallon fuel tanks and let gravity fill my tanks. Ben and Sally were there to assist me especially Ben as he produced a ladder I could stand on while refueling 768KF; blasted high wing aircraft are a pain to refuel but I keep my mouth shut just in case any Camel Fleas were listening.
We put the Maule to bed in Tyler's hanger and closed and locked the hanger door. We then retired to Ben's place. I asked Ben if I could heat some water for a hot shower and borrow a pair of scissors to trim my beard short enough so I could shave. Ben gave me two 5 gallon buckets he had been using to heat his water over his barbecue pit grill. He also furnished me with two plastic bowls I could dip the water out of the buckets and run it over my body. He even had a bar of soap to use ! I heated both buckets; one for me and one for Sally and we both took our dip and splash showers in about 30 minutes time. I was finally able to shave my remaining beard off which made me feel like a new man afterwards. When I came out of the bathroom Sally took one look at me and hollered for Ben to come quick as there is a handsome stranger using the bathroom shower"!
Ben was someplace out side so he never heard her or he might have come with his deer rifle or the 1911 .45 he favored as a side arm.
Sally patted my Cheek and disappeared into the same shower area I had just vacated for some dip and splash of her own..
I went and retrieved my back pack and pulled the package out that Tyler had given me from John. There was a map of the United States and a red circle drawn around a place in Texas called Corinth and a name" Atlas F Missile Silo 578-12."
There was a hand written note folded inside the map that said; Some of us bought this Silo 3 years ago and together we have spent close to $750,000 making it a great place to ride out just about anything to include a nuclear war. We are well stocked with food and ammo and there is a well stocked lake not to far away. There were only 21,000 people in Corinth before this SHTF was forced upon us. You are welcome..... and feel free to bring 4 or 5 of your flight attendant friends if they want to spend some time with us, our wives, and kids plus 3 hairy legged single guys. You are always welcome regardless.
Signed John Biscome.
Sally came in as I was reading the note so I showed her the map and note. "What do you think," I asked.
"You are my ride to where ever so it is up to you. Where ever you go I follow white man," the last bit she said in her best mimic of an India Squaw.
"Sally you do not have to follow me anywhere as you are under no obligation to me."
I could see the blood rising to her cheeks as she said, "What is wrong with me that you find so unattractive"!
Now that caught me totally off guard and I had to stop and think for a moment before i answered. "Sally I am 35 years old, 11 years older than you... I have no doubt a pretty girl like you has guys eating out of her hand at College and just about anyplace a man sees you. I never once thought you would have any kind of interest in an old guy like me so I tried to treat you with respect and a fatherly warm friendship."
She cut me off with, "First of all you are not 11 years older only ten and a half. The Chinese say the perfect age for a woman to marry a man is half his age plus 7 years.... half your age would be 17.5 plus 7 years would be 24 years and six months to be perfect except I am 24 years and 8 months which in you archaic mind may make me to old for you" !!
"This is good Sally as I do not believe I have ever seen you this worked up or mad about anything"!
"Look Jay I have known you since I was 15 years old... I have always liked and admired you... You hurt my feelings at the lake when I was almost nude and you did not even seem to notice; all you wanted were my long shirt sleeves to tie those ridiculous pants up so they would not fall down around you knees."
I raised my hand for silence and said, "Sally you could take your beauty and put a picture of you on a Playboy magazine cover and they would sell more copies of that monthly addition than they ever have in the history of Playboy as far as I am concerned. You are beautiful and I have not found one thing that you do, that pisses me off. You are smart and a good traveling companion, with a great head on your shoulders and would be a great pardner or mate for anyone I figure."
She raised her hand like I did, as if we were in a class room setting, "Then Why do you make it so hard for me to get close an intimate with you"?
Long pause on my part before I said,"You know where I am sleeping and after you think it over you are always welcome in my room Sally."
"What do you think I have been thinking about since I was 15"! Sleep hell ! I want to go now and make you appreciate a woman who has loved and liked you for longer than you will ever know."
"Well since you put it that way," I said rising.
Hand in hand we left the den area and went to my sleeping quarters. I was glad we both had our dip and splash shower and I had managed to shave.... There really was no sleeping that night until the early morning when finally we both passed out in each others arms totally exhausted.
We awoke to Ben saying and knocking on the bedroom door that, "Breakfast is ready."
We put the Maule to bed in Tyler's hanger and closed and locked the hanger door. We then retired to Ben's place. I asked Ben if I could heat some water for a hot shower and borrow a pair of scissors to trim my beard short enough so I could shave. Ben gave me two 5 gallon buckets he had been using to heat his water over his barbecue pit grill. He also furnished me with two plastic bowls I could dip the water out of the buckets and run it over my body. He even had a bar of soap to use ! I heated both buckets; one for me and one for Sally and we both took our dip and splash showers in about 30 minutes time. I was finally able to shave my remaining beard off which made me feel like a new man afterwards. When I came out of the bathroom Sally took one look at me and hollered for Ben to come quick as there is a handsome stranger using the bathroom shower"!
Ben was someplace out side so he never heard her or he might have come with his deer rifle or the 1911 .45 he favored as a side arm.
Sally patted my Cheek and disappeared into the same shower area I had just vacated for some dip and splash of her own..
I went and retrieved my back pack and pulled the package out that Tyler had given me from John. There was a map of the United States and a red circle drawn around a place in Texas called Corinth and a name" Atlas F Missile Silo 578-12."
There was a hand written note folded inside the map that said; Some of us bought this Silo 3 years ago and together we have spent close to $750,000 making it a great place to ride out just about anything to include a nuclear war. We are well stocked with food and ammo and there is a well stocked lake not to far away. There were only 21,000 people in Corinth before this SHTF was forced upon us. You are welcome..... and feel free to bring 4 or 5 of your flight attendant friends if they want to spend some time with us, our wives, and kids plus 3 hairy legged single guys. You are always welcome regardless.
Signed John Biscome.
Sally came in as I was reading the note so I showed her the map and note. "What do you think," I asked.
"You are my ride to where ever so it is up to you. Where ever you go I follow white man," the last bit she said in her best mimic of an India Squaw.
"Sally you do not have to follow me anywhere as you are under no obligation to me."
I could see the blood rising to her cheeks as she said, "What is wrong with me that you find so unattractive"!
Now that caught me totally off guard and I had to stop and think for a moment before i answered. "Sally I am 35 years old, 11 years older than you... I have no doubt a pretty girl like you has guys eating out of her hand at College and just about anyplace a man sees you. I never once thought you would have any kind of interest in an old guy like me so I tried to treat you with respect and a fatherly warm friendship."
She cut me off with, "First of all you are not 11 years older only ten and a half. The Chinese say the perfect age for a woman to marry a man is half his age plus 7 years.... half your age would be 17.5 plus 7 years would be 24 years and six months to be perfect except I am 24 years and 8 months which in you archaic mind may make me to old for you" !!
"This is good Sally as I do not believe I have ever seen you this worked up or mad about anything"!
"Look Jay I have known you since I was 15 years old... I have always liked and admired you... You hurt my feelings at the lake when I was almost nude and you did not even seem to notice; all you wanted were my long shirt sleeves to tie those ridiculous pants up so they would not fall down around you knees."
I raised my hand for silence and said, "Sally you could take your beauty and put a picture of you on a Playboy magazine cover and they would sell more copies of that monthly addition than they ever have in the history of Playboy as far as I am concerned. You are beautiful and I have not found one thing that you do, that pisses me off. You are smart and a good traveling companion, with a great head on your shoulders and would be a great pardner or mate for anyone I figure."
She raised her hand like I did, as if we were in a class room setting, "Then Why do you make it so hard for me to get close an intimate with you"?
Long pause on my part before I said,"You know where I am sleeping and after you think it over you are always welcome in my room Sally."
"What do you think I have been thinking about since I was 15"! Sleep hell ! I want to go now and make you appreciate a woman who has loved and liked you for longer than you will ever know."
"Well since you put it that way," I said rising.
Hand in hand we left the den area and went to my sleeping quarters. I was glad we both had our dip and splash shower and I had managed to shave.... There really was no sleeping that night until the early morning when finally we both passed out in each others arms totally exhausted.
We awoke to Ben saying and knocking on the bedroom door that, "Breakfast is ready."