Post by Paddy by Grace on Apr 8, 2009 16:14:54 GMT -7
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 1 (A print & share resource)
Dear Readers,
As Bob would say, don't anything without talking to The Lord first. Without Him on your side, anything you might do will be useless. There were a number of things that had to be left out of the 'Overthrown/Aftermath' - story, and after prayerful consideration, I would like to try to change that. I will be following the same story line from the beginning for these additions.
As they began to repack the S.U.V. Kathy couldn't help but notice the sheer volume of food. While Bob and Tim were covering the headlights and tail lights with the duct tape to help hide their movement, she looked into the pick up. Behind the front seat were a number of weapons as well as box after box of ammunition. Sitting next to them was a water purifier. Then there was another box about a foot square with nothing but bars of soap. On and On it went, both in the front of the truck, and in the bed.
"Bob? How in the world did you ever get all of this put together? I don't think you've missed anything. How did you find the time and money to do all of this?"
"A wise man once said, 'Do something. Do it right now. No matter how big or small, if you do anything, it is infinitely better than sitting around later thinking about what you should have done'. A wiser man, Paul said to do all we can, and then stand. ALL is a pretty broad term, so I did what I could, a little at a time, and now I'm here.
I don't think I have to mention that weapons would be a good idea. As today has proved the first two people at the scene of any violent crime are the criminal and the victim. Kathy, you know I'm not a criminal, but I refuse to be a victim. As for all of this," He waved his hand at the parked vehicles. "It was a little at a time. I buy a big bag of rice this week, I eat next month. I also buy another extra bag of rice as often as I can. If not rice, then spices, ammunition, all kinds of things.
The point is DO SOMETHING, and DO IT NOW. If you wait, you lose. Maybe some money, maybe your life, but you still lose."
"O.K. I understand that, but I mean where did you find all of this stuff? Didn't anyone ask why you were getting all of this? I can't imagine you walking out of the store with a box of bar soap under your arm."
"As I said. Bit by bit. Nobody thinks a thing about someone buying one or two bars of soap. They don't even remember it, even if you do it every week to ten days or so. That helps to keep a low profile. Also, you would be amazed at some of the deals you can get at garage sales."
"Garage sales? Are you serious?"
"Yes I am. You know we had them. Truth is, that's where the box of soap you mentioned came from. Garage sales allowed me to take advantage of things like that, camping equipment, and other things, while gaining experience in the fine art of bargaining at the same time." He paused to pick up a stuffed back pack. She saw the letters 'U.S.' stamped on the bag. Bob spoke again. "Like this thing. U. S. Army issue ruck sack with a waist band. They asked for ten, I countered with five and we settled on seven. It was a bargain at ten."
"How did you explain all of this to Nancy?"
"Sometimes I had a reasonable answer for her, like the generator. Other times I just bought things and when she insisted I return it to the store, I just had to stick to my guns and refuse. She didn't like it, but she had no real reason to complain about it, so she eventually gave up. The things I picked up in garage sales that didn't work out, either went to a charity, or was sold in our next garage sale."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 2
As Kathy sat silently after the angel had disappeared from her sight, she looked out the window of the truck, watching the scene go by. It was just after the full moon, which allowed her to see, and aided in the night driving with such little light coming from the headlights.
She had much to think about. She had always respected Bob. Though she admitted to herself that at times he did seem to be a little different. While others embraced the latest technology, Bob seemed to be going the opposite direction. He relied on things that had to be worked manually. Like the time Tim had his electronic log splitter die while cutting up logs to be split for the fireplace that coming winter. Bob, as always, was helping Tim with the chore.
"I guess that's it for today." Tim had said. "I was hoping to get this finished today."
"So, let's finish." Bob had said.
"How? The splitter is dead."
"Just watch."
Bob had gone to his garage across the street. He put some things in his pick up and driven back to where Tim stood, wondering what Bob was up to. Bob parked and started to unload his equipment. In just a short time he used metal fence posts and metal plates to assemble a rectangular box like structure. The upper plate had a log splitting wedge welded to it, pointed down. Then he bolted a hydraulic car jack to the lower part. The placed another metal plate on the top of the jack. He reached over and picked up one of the logs and placed it on the jack plate, and began to pump the jack. Slowly the log raised until it came in contact with the wedge, and then was split in two as the jack continued to push it higher. Once the pieces had fallen aside, he lowered the jack and grabbed the next log. Placing it on the jack, he looked at Tim and said, "Your turn."
The wood was split and stacked before the end of the day.
"Whatever gave you the idea for that?" Kathy had asked when she saw it.
"My determination to make sure my family stays warm in the winter. Well, that and the fact that I don't like being totally dependant on high technology. As today shows, sometimes that technology breaks down at exactly the wrong time. So don't depend on it. Depend on God and yourself."
After the events of today, she now understood what he had meant much better. Looking out the window as she thought, Kathy suddenly realized she had no idea where they were.
"Where are we Bob?"
"About twenty-five miles northwest of town."
"I don't recognize anything around here. Are you sure?"
Before answering, Bob reached into the pocket on the back of Kathy's seat. He pulled out a large well worn book, and handed it to her.
"This is a 'back roads' atlas. It shows every jeep trail and cow path known in the state. I've been using it for years. Back roads may not be the shortest way to get somewhere, but when the traffic is backed up because of an accident or something, on the main roads, they can be a lot faster. I think I've driven every back road in this part of the state. And tonight, that knowledge becomes priceless."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 3
"Wait a minute. I thought you were following the directions of the angel." Kathy said.
"I am. He showed me we need too keep going this direction, and left us a few minutes ago. As long as we follow his directions, I'm not worried."
"Bob after everything today, not to mention the angel on the hood, I believe you are hearing from God. Has he told you anything about our future?"
Bob sighed. "Kathy, it is like I've always said. If you know the scripture, you know what happens from here on out. Things do nothing but get worse until the return of Jesus."
"Worse! Bob we are running for our lives. How can it get worse?"
"Remember Job? He lost everything but his wife and his integrity."
"I guess I need to refresh my understanding of The Bible." She fell silent again as she thought about things. She noticed that Bob, who had been traveling slowly to start with, was slowing even more.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Just making a turn that I've been looking for."
"Turn? There aren't any roads around here, are there? I mean there isn't anything but pasture land around here that I can see."
"I know, and I mean no offense, but you are looking for the wrong thing. You are thinking of paved roads. Kathy we can't afford such comforts at this time. Ah. Here we are."
Kathy looked out the window in time to see a sign go by as Bob turned off the pavement.
"BOB! That sign said 'DANGER GAS UNDER PRESSURE', do you think this is a good idea?"
Bob chuckled to himself. "I hardly think we have anything to worry about. I don't think The Lord would bring us here just to get blown up. Besides, this is a good thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Your reaction tells the story. You're concerned about something happening to us. Don't you think others feel the same way? That means we are unlikely to find anyone down this service road for the gas line. The same can be said for electric power lines, and railroad tracks. They have service roads that are rough, but usually passable. They aren't well traveled and allow us to move undetected.
Yes, I do believe The Lord knows where He is taking us, and just how to get us there. The only thing left for us is to trust and obey."
Kathy fell silent again as the vehicles bounced down the service road. Her mind was a whirl with all kinds of thoughts. After what she had seen so far this day, she had to agree with one thing. All that was left was to trust and obey.
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 4
Dawn was fast approaching. Kathy was doing her best to try to get some sleep when she and Bob were both startled when her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen to see who was calling, and so wasn't ready when Bob hit the brakes.
"What happened?"
"Don't answer that." Bob said.
"It's alright. It's just Tim."
"Kathy, don't answer that and let me have it."
Wondering what the excitement was about, she handed him the phone. Bob opened the door with a quick, "Come with me." over his shoulder and headed back to Tim and the S.U.V. She caught up with him just in time to hear him say to her husband, "Give me the phone."
"Who are you calling?" He asked as he handed it to Bob.
"Nobody, and neither are the two of you."
With that, Bob removed the battery from each phone, then turned and threw both phones and their batteries as far into the brush as he could.
"HEY! Bob that's an expensive phone. What are you doing?" Tim demanded.
"I'm sure it is. Listen to me, both of you. Do you remember the commercials that they used to have where all the different companies claimed to have more bars, in more places than anyone else?"
They both nodded yes.
"Have you considered what that really means?"
"It shows the signal strength." Tim said.
"That is only half of it. The way these phones work is by sending out a signal to the nearest cell tower. THAT tells the tower where you are. The information is sent by the tower to the main system. That way the system knows where to send the incoming calls. So anyone who has access to the providers system only needs to ask where such and such a number is currently located, and you are caught. What good is it to hide anywhere and then tell your enemies where you are by a simple phone call?"
Bob saw Tim about to speak and waved him to silence.
"I know what you are going to say Tim. Turning the phone off doesn't work. It still keeps in contact with the towers even while off. And even if you take out the battery, as soon as you put it back it, the phone contacts a tower and your right back where you started. The same is true of lap tops, or any other device that you communicate with. If you have anything like that, get rid of it right now."
"Mr. Bob, does that include my C.D. player?" Tom asked from his place in the back of the S.U.V.
"No Tom. Your C.D. player is safe."
"I'm sure glad to hear that."
The adults couldn't help but laugh at the statement.
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 5
As Bob sat next to his son, Kathy couldn't help but notice he was in fairly good shape for someone who hadn't had any food or water for three days. She had heard that a human couldn't last much over three days without water. Alex should be all but unconscious from dehydration.
"Alex. Don't get me wrong, but if you haven't had any food or water for three days, how can you be on your feet?"
"I know I said that, but it's not quite true, thanks to Dad. Years ago he taught me how to make different types of snares. By the way Dad, the rabbit snare was the only one that worked. Nothing tripped the others."
"What's a rabbit snare, and how do you make it?" Sam wanted to know.
"You first tie your shoelaces kind of like a lasso. Then, when you find a rabbit trail you push a stick into the ground on each side of it. Then hang the lasso between them, after you anchor it to one of the sticks or a big rock or something. When the rabbit comes along he gets his head caught in the lasso and the anchor makes sure he is still there when you come back."
"What about water?" Kathy asked.
"Oh, that was easy. I made an air well."
"Air well? I never heard of it."
"Come on, I'll show you."
Alex led Kathy, Tim and their children to a nearby clearing. There they found a sheet of plastic. It was held down by both dirt and rocks. On one side was a tube sticking out, and there was a rock in the center of it. The rock depressed the sheet so that it looked like a crater.
"This is my air well." Alex began. "Everyone knows there is moisture in the ground. Everyone also knows that the sun heats the ground and makes the moisture evaporate. So, what you do is dig a hole about a foot to a foot and a half deep and put a cup or some kind of container in the middle of the hole, with a tube leading from the container to the edge of the hole. Then cover the hole with a sheet of plastic. Seal the edges with dirt and rocks so that no moisture escapes and it will collect on the plastic. Now what you do is put a rock on the plastic right over the container. As the moisture condenses on the plastic the drops slide down the plastic and drop into the container. Then you just sip through the tube."
"O.K. I understand how you might have plastic sheeting around, but where did you get you get the tube?" Kathy asked.
"Lets' just say I hope I don't have to use my windshield washers any time soon. Hey Dad, that guy in that movie was right about rabbits as well as dolphins."
"What?" Tim asked.
Bob answered. There was an old movie called 'The Old Man and the Sea'. It is the story about an old man in a small boat who hooks a huge fish that drags him out to sea. The rest of the film is how he managed to stay alive until he made it back to shore. At one point he caught a dolphin. However in a small boat he had no way to cook it, so he ate it raw. His comment was something like 'Dolphin cooked is a very good fish. Dolphin raw is a bad fish.'." Bob looked at Alex. "Couldn't you get the flint and steel to work?"
"I was afraid to start a fire. I thought the smoke might give me away in the day time, and the light at night."
"That was probably wise."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 6
As they drew closer to the Mississippi River, Bob was starting to believe that they had left their troubles behind them. They had pulled all three vehicles to the side of the road for a rest break, just before a curve. Alex had gone into the brush to relieve himself, and now came out of the bushes in a hurry.
"Dad. I think we have a problem."
"What would that be?"
"I went kind of deep into the bushes to, um, well, you know. Anyway, I heard something. I went a little deeper and I found out this road makes a hairpin turn. On the other side of the curve is a check point."
"Kathy, Tim stay here with the children. Show me Son."
Together they quietly worked their way to the spot where Alex had seen the checkpoint. Sure enough, it was there. Three men with body armor, automatic weapons, and a four wheel drive S.U.V.
"What do we do? We have to go down this road or turn around."
"We can't turn around, Son. We've been led here for a reason. Let me think."
Bob looked at the scene. Soon he had an idea. The S.U.V. wasn't blocking the entire road. These men clearly thought that just by being there with weapons would intimidate any who came down the road. That was their mistake.
"Alex listen closely. Behind the drivers seat of my truck you'll find a small white box. Grab three of the soda cans in it, and bring them to me."
"You planning on bribing they with soda?"
"Just get them Son."
Alex soon returned with the cans.
"Are these what you wanted Dad?"
"Yes. Thank you. Now here is what I want you to do."
"Wait a minute Dad. Why do these cans have fuses sticking out of them?"
"I'll explain later. I want you to drive my truck. Have Tim drive you mothers car, and Kathy drives your car. I want you guys to pull up to the checkpoint nice and slow. Just like nothing is wrong. When I make my move, hammer down and swing around their 4X4 and don't slow down."
"What move? And what about you?"
"Don't worry about me. Just get moving."
Alex knew better than to argue when his father spoke in that tone of voice. He got back to the others, relayed his fathers instructions, and not waiting for an argument, climbed into the truck and started the engine.
The three vehicles pulled slowly up to the checkpoint. Alex tried to look for his father, without looking like he was looking for him. As he looked at the brush out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the soda cans come flying out of the woods with the fuse burning. Even before it hit the ground, a second can came from the same place. Then a third. He hit the gas. As the truck lurched forward, he saw smoke start to pour out of the first can, then the second. A cloud appeared from nowhere. It only got thicker as the third can began to fume. He followed his fathers orders and kept moving around the S.U.V. and didn't look back.
They were ten miles down the road before Alex pulled over. The others did the same. As they got out to talk about what to do. Before they could even get started the S.U.V. from the checkpoint pulled up behind them. Alex, Tim, and Kathy all grabbed weapons and prepared to fire.
"I hope you aren't going to shoot me." A familiar voice called out to them.
"Dad?"
"It's me Son."
"What happened back there Bob?" Tim asked.
"And what were those cans?" Alex chimed in.
"As you guys got close, I threw the smoke grenades. That provided cover for you. While they were choking on the smoke, and trying to figure it out, I 'borrowed' their 4X4."
"Where did you get smoke grenades?" Kathy wanted to know.
"I made them. First I got some of those half sized soda cans. Then I picked up what the local fireworks store called smoke grenades. Really they aren't. They don't make large enough amounts of smoke. I sliced them open and put the tablets inside them in the empty cans. Add the fuse that came with them, and seal them with duct tape. Each can had about the equivalent of four of the store bought grenades. Makes a lot more smoke that way. Come on. Lets' get on down the road. It won't be long before they start looking for this car, and I want to be long gone before they find it."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 7
The group had once again stopped to rest, after leaving the 'Molly B.'. Kathy used the chance to quiz Bob.
"Alright Bob, I want to know how you have done all of this."
"I told you, Kathy. Bit by bit."
"No, no. I'm not talking about your stuff. I mean how have you learned to do everything you've been doing. It seems like no matter what happens, you have the answer. How is that possible?"
"Oh, that. Kathy, I didn't live a sheltered life. I've got scars I will carry to my grave. Mostly from a foolishly spent youth. During that time, I learned a lot of things. Believe it or not, I learned a lot from the Boy Scouts. As a matter of fact, look at this."
Bob grabbed a well worn book from behind the front seat of the truck.
"This is one of my most important books. A Boy Scout Handbook from the mid sixties. It has so many things to teach a person. Morse code for example."
"Isn't that kind of old fashioned?"
"You tell me. What does three dots followed by three dashes, with three more dots mean?"
"Everyone knows that. It's S.O.S."
"That's right. Now what is the letter A?"
"Um, I don't know."
"You're not alone. Most people don't know Morse code. They don't even have a chart to tell them how to read it. That means I can send messages that most people will be totally clueless about. Another nice thing is that Morse can be sent using lights, noises, like the old telegraph, or even written out. But Morse code isn't all that is in here. Can you take balls of twine and make a rope?"
"No."
"Can you make a rope bridge that is safe?"
"No."
"What about an emergency shelter? Can you make one of those using only things like tree branches and a knife?"
"No."
"See what I mean? The Boy Scouts were teaching young men how to survive in the wilderness, long before I was born. They had it down to a science. The only bad thing was when they were forced to become 'politically correct', a lot of those things went away. That's why this is an older manual.
But that, of course, wasn't my only teacher. I learned a lot from listening to veterans when I was a boy. It's amazing what you can do with your own two hands when you have to. I never could stand it when someone would tell me either, 'I can't do that.' or 'You can't do that.' while I knew it could be done. Those smoke grenades for example. Maybe they weren't all slick and polished, or state of the art, but they worked. And in the end, that was what was important."
"What about food, Bob? I know you've got quite a bit in the 4X4, but that won't last forever."
"Got that covered as well. Take a look."
Bob again reached into the truck and pulled our what looked like a deck of playing cards, and handed them to her. Kathy looked at the box. The end of the box said;
EDIBLE WILD FOOD CARDS
U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC.
Stamford, CT 06902 U.S.A.
"But whatever make you decide to collect all of this stuff, besides being nudged by The Lord?"
"You know the old saying. 'Plan for the worst and hope for the best.' I took that seriously. I once heard of people that died during Katrina in their own attics. The reason why is they didn't plan ahead. When the water rose and forced them up, they didn't think about getting out. They didn't take an ax, or even a hammer to make a hole in the roof. Had they done so, many of them would have lived. When I would hear about such things, I'd think, 'What would I do?' and then do it."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 8
"O.K., O.K. Bob. I understand about getting ready to survive in bad times. I can even see how the Boy Scouts helped you to prepare for what is happening now. But what about other things? Like when you rescued us from the gang members."
"That was a matter of Gods' grace, and my training as a soldier. They weren't professionals. If they had been, we wouldn't be talking now.
"But Bob, you won."
"No Kathy. We lost. Now it's true that I scared them off at first, but they came back later. Then they were scared off a second time, with heavy losses on both occasions. But make no mistake about it. We lost. If we had won, we would be sitting at home right now. As it is, before your family came to my house both of your cars were useless pieces of junk. As of now, I'm certain that there is nothing of value left in your home. They've taken it all. And my home, it's nothing but a pile of scorched concrete, burned wood, and ashes. No Kathy, we didn't win. We lost, big time."
"But you jumped right into the middle of them and saved us."
Bob chuckled before answering.
"Hardly. If I had 'jumped into the middle of them' we would all be dead by now. What I did was to stand off a ways and use a rifle. That and the element of suprize are what made the difference.
You see, they had handguns and a single shotgun. Both are short range weapons. I was using a rifle that will reach out and touch someone at about one hundred yards. When I opened fire on them I was at least fifty yards away. It takes a professional soldier a lot of practice to be able to hit even a man sized target with a pistol at that range. And I was standing behind a tree, which made me even a smaller target. Those people weren't professionals. I put down three of them before any of them had the first idea where the fire was coming from. Even then, at that range, a handgun is a poor choice of weapons. For the average person, a target at that range is an impossibility with a pistol. Oh yes, they sprayed the area with bullets, but none came close to me. In the mean time, with the rifle I was downing man after man.
Once they realized that they were on the losing end of the deal, they scattered. Then I was able to get you out of there. But when they came back, it was in force. True, the booby traps I had waiting for them made them leave a second time. Which gave us the chance to get out. But all in all, we lost. They hold our property, and we are running for our lives. The only victory we can claim is that God in His mercy allowed us to all get away. That is all.
I guess it comes down to what my favorite science fiction writer once said in a book. 'A wise man, in the course of a long life, is prepared to abandon his luggage, several times'."
"Meaning, we can't go back?"
"Meaning, we can't go back."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 9
When the group set out once again, Tim was riding shotgun with Bob, and had his own set of questions.
"Bob, do you mind if I ask you about some things?"
"Ask away."
"I heard some of the things you said to Kathy. They make me wonder. I mean, I know that uniforms are easy to come by, so anyone can look like a 'professional' as you've put it. But how do you tell the difference?"
"That is easier to say than it is to understand. It isn't any one thing, it is a combination of things. Mostly attitude and actions. You are right about one thing. A uniform does not make a soldier. But you can tell a soldier from a civilian. Mostly it is by the way they act. For example, take a road block. A professional will have people BEHIND the car or whatever they are using to block the road. Only one man, or at most two, will come out to check the oncoming vehicle. The rest will stay behind cover.
The two things that you need to look for are actions. First, a professional will always have someone watching his back. take those gang bangers that attacked your house on that first day. Obviously they didn't have any kind of attack plan, besides overwhelming you and killing any who resisted. if they had been real soldiers, they would have either waited you out, or offered you a chance to surrender and then taken what they wanted. They didn't expect to be hit from behind, themselves.
Secondly, a professional is very observant. He tries to see everything that is going on around him at all times."
"Sounds like being paranoid or something."
"No. Not at all. It's not that he expects to be attacked. He simply wants to know what is going on. Alert, but without fear. Take those guys at the checkpoint the other day. As you all pulled up, all three of them started towards you. A professional would have left at least one person by the 4X4. After all, someone might steal it when they were otherwise occupied."
"Alert, but without fear." Tim repeated. "I take it that is what you've been doing all these years."
"Something like that. I watched the news, checked outside sources on the Internet, and began to put things aside as best as I could. As scripture says,
1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
I was doing what I could for my family, like anyone would. The difference was that I believed these days were almost here, and that meant that I took it a little further than most people did.
BW, Vietnam Vet
(Continued below)
Dear Readers,
As Bob would say, don't anything without talking to The Lord first. Without Him on your side, anything you might do will be useless. There were a number of things that had to be left out of the 'Overthrown/Aftermath' - story, and after prayerful consideration, I would like to try to change that. I will be following the same story line from the beginning for these additions.
As they began to repack the S.U.V. Kathy couldn't help but notice the sheer volume of food. While Bob and Tim were covering the headlights and tail lights with the duct tape to help hide their movement, she looked into the pick up. Behind the front seat were a number of weapons as well as box after box of ammunition. Sitting next to them was a water purifier. Then there was another box about a foot square with nothing but bars of soap. On and On it went, both in the front of the truck, and in the bed.
"Bob? How in the world did you ever get all of this put together? I don't think you've missed anything. How did you find the time and money to do all of this?"
"A wise man once said, 'Do something. Do it right now. No matter how big or small, if you do anything, it is infinitely better than sitting around later thinking about what you should have done'. A wiser man, Paul said to do all we can, and then stand. ALL is a pretty broad term, so I did what I could, a little at a time, and now I'm here.
I don't think I have to mention that weapons would be a good idea. As today has proved the first two people at the scene of any violent crime are the criminal and the victim. Kathy, you know I'm not a criminal, but I refuse to be a victim. As for all of this," He waved his hand at the parked vehicles. "It was a little at a time. I buy a big bag of rice this week, I eat next month. I also buy another extra bag of rice as often as I can. If not rice, then spices, ammunition, all kinds of things.
The point is DO SOMETHING, and DO IT NOW. If you wait, you lose. Maybe some money, maybe your life, but you still lose."
"O.K. I understand that, but I mean where did you find all of this stuff? Didn't anyone ask why you were getting all of this? I can't imagine you walking out of the store with a box of bar soap under your arm."
"As I said. Bit by bit. Nobody thinks a thing about someone buying one or two bars of soap. They don't even remember it, even if you do it every week to ten days or so. That helps to keep a low profile. Also, you would be amazed at some of the deals you can get at garage sales."
"Garage sales? Are you serious?"
"Yes I am. You know we had them. Truth is, that's where the box of soap you mentioned came from. Garage sales allowed me to take advantage of things like that, camping equipment, and other things, while gaining experience in the fine art of bargaining at the same time." He paused to pick up a stuffed back pack. She saw the letters 'U.S.' stamped on the bag. Bob spoke again. "Like this thing. U. S. Army issue ruck sack with a waist band. They asked for ten, I countered with five and we settled on seven. It was a bargain at ten."
"How did you explain all of this to Nancy?"
"Sometimes I had a reasonable answer for her, like the generator. Other times I just bought things and when she insisted I return it to the store, I just had to stick to my guns and refuse. She didn't like it, but she had no real reason to complain about it, so she eventually gave up. The things I picked up in garage sales that didn't work out, either went to a charity, or was sold in our next garage sale."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 2
As Kathy sat silently after the angel had disappeared from her sight, she looked out the window of the truck, watching the scene go by. It was just after the full moon, which allowed her to see, and aided in the night driving with such little light coming from the headlights.
She had much to think about. She had always respected Bob. Though she admitted to herself that at times he did seem to be a little different. While others embraced the latest technology, Bob seemed to be going the opposite direction. He relied on things that had to be worked manually. Like the time Tim had his electronic log splitter die while cutting up logs to be split for the fireplace that coming winter. Bob, as always, was helping Tim with the chore.
"I guess that's it for today." Tim had said. "I was hoping to get this finished today."
"So, let's finish." Bob had said.
"How? The splitter is dead."
"Just watch."
Bob had gone to his garage across the street. He put some things in his pick up and driven back to where Tim stood, wondering what Bob was up to. Bob parked and started to unload his equipment. In just a short time he used metal fence posts and metal plates to assemble a rectangular box like structure. The upper plate had a log splitting wedge welded to it, pointed down. Then he bolted a hydraulic car jack to the lower part. The placed another metal plate on the top of the jack. He reached over and picked up one of the logs and placed it on the jack plate, and began to pump the jack. Slowly the log raised until it came in contact with the wedge, and then was split in two as the jack continued to push it higher. Once the pieces had fallen aside, he lowered the jack and grabbed the next log. Placing it on the jack, he looked at Tim and said, "Your turn."
The wood was split and stacked before the end of the day.
"Whatever gave you the idea for that?" Kathy had asked when she saw it.
"My determination to make sure my family stays warm in the winter. Well, that and the fact that I don't like being totally dependant on high technology. As today shows, sometimes that technology breaks down at exactly the wrong time. So don't depend on it. Depend on God and yourself."
After the events of today, she now understood what he had meant much better. Looking out the window as she thought, Kathy suddenly realized she had no idea where they were.
"Where are we Bob?"
"About twenty-five miles northwest of town."
"I don't recognize anything around here. Are you sure?"
Before answering, Bob reached into the pocket on the back of Kathy's seat. He pulled out a large well worn book, and handed it to her.
"This is a 'back roads' atlas. It shows every jeep trail and cow path known in the state. I've been using it for years. Back roads may not be the shortest way to get somewhere, but when the traffic is backed up because of an accident or something, on the main roads, they can be a lot faster. I think I've driven every back road in this part of the state. And tonight, that knowledge becomes priceless."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 3
"Wait a minute. I thought you were following the directions of the angel." Kathy said.
"I am. He showed me we need too keep going this direction, and left us a few minutes ago. As long as we follow his directions, I'm not worried."
"Bob after everything today, not to mention the angel on the hood, I believe you are hearing from God. Has he told you anything about our future?"
Bob sighed. "Kathy, it is like I've always said. If you know the scripture, you know what happens from here on out. Things do nothing but get worse until the return of Jesus."
"Worse! Bob we are running for our lives. How can it get worse?"
"Remember Job? He lost everything but his wife and his integrity."
"I guess I need to refresh my understanding of The Bible." She fell silent again as she thought about things. She noticed that Bob, who had been traveling slowly to start with, was slowing even more.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Just making a turn that I've been looking for."
"Turn? There aren't any roads around here, are there? I mean there isn't anything but pasture land around here that I can see."
"I know, and I mean no offense, but you are looking for the wrong thing. You are thinking of paved roads. Kathy we can't afford such comforts at this time. Ah. Here we are."
Kathy looked out the window in time to see a sign go by as Bob turned off the pavement.
"BOB! That sign said 'DANGER GAS UNDER PRESSURE', do you think this is a good idea?"
Bob chuckled to himself. "I hardly think we have anything to worry about. I don't think The Lord would bring us here just to get blown up. Besides, this is a good thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Your reaction tells the story. You're concerned about something happening to us. Don't you think others feel the same way? That means we are unlikely to find anyone down this service road for the gas line. The same can be said for electric power lines, and railroad tracks. They have service roads that are rough, but usually passable. They aren't well traveled and allow us to move undetected.
Yes, I do believe The Lord knows where He is taking us, and just how to get us there. The only thing left for us is to trust and obey."
Kathy fell silent again as the vehicles bounced down the service road. Her mind was a whirl with all kinds of thoughts. After what she had seen so far this day, she had to agree with one thing. All that was left was to trust and obey.
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 4
Dawn was fast approaching. Kathy was doing her best to try to get some sleep when she and Bob were both startled when her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen to see who was calling, and so wasn't ready when Bob hit the brakes.
"What happened?"
"Don't answer that." Bob said.
"It's alright. It's just Tim."
"Kathy, don't answer that and let me have it."
Wondering what the excitement was about, she handed him the phone. Bob opened the door with a quick, "Come with me." over his shoulder and headed back to Tim and the S.U.V. She caught up with him just in time to hear him say to her husband, "Give me the phone."
"Who are you calling?" He asked as he handed it to Bob.
"Nobody, and neither are the two of you."
With that, Bob removed the battery from each phone, then turned and threw both phones and their batteries as far into the brush as he could.
"HEY! Bob that's an expensive phone. What are you doing?" Tim demanded.
"I'm sure it is. Listen to me, both of you. Do you remember the commercials that they used to have where all the different companies claimed to have more bars, in more places than anyone else?"
They both nodded yes.
"Have you considered what that really means?"
"It shows the signal strength." Tim said.
"That is only half of it. The way these phones work is by sending out a signal to the nearest cell tower. THAT tells the tower where you are. The information is sent by the tower to the main system. That way the system knows where to send the incoming calls. So anyone who has access to the providers system only needs to ask where such and such a number is currently located, and you are caught. What good is it to hide anywhere and then tell your enemies where you are by a simple phone call?"
Bob saw Tim about to speak and waved him to silence.
"I know what you are going to say Tim. Turning the phone off doesn't work. It still keeps in contact with the towers even while off. And even if you take out the battery, as soon as you put it back it, the phone contacts a tower and your right back where you started. The same is true of lap tops, or any other device that you communicate with. If you have anything like that, get rid of it right now."
"Mr. Bob, does that include my C.D. player?" Tom asked from his place in the back of the S.U.V.
"No Tom. Your C.D. player is safe."
"I'm sure glad to hear that."
The adults couldn't help but laugh at the statement.
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 5
As Bob sat next to his son, Kathy couldn't help but notice he was in fairly good shape for someone who hadn't had any food or water for three days. She had heard that a human couldn't last much over three days without water. Alex should be all but unconscious from dehydration.
"Alex. Don't get me wrong, but if you haven't had any food or water for three days, how can you be on your feet?"
"I know I said that, but it's not quite true, thanks to Dad. Years ago he taught me how to make different types of snares. By the way Dad, the rabbit snare was the only one that worked. Nothing tripped the others."
"What's a rabbit snare, and how do you make it?" Sam wanted to know.
"You first tie your shoelaces kind of like a lasso. Then, when you find a rabbit trail you push a stick into the ground on each side of it. Then hang the lasso between them, after you anchor it to one of the sticks or a big rock or something. When the rabbit comes along he gets his head caught in the lasso and the anchor makes sure he is still there when you come back."
"What about water?" Kathy asked.
"Oh, that was easy. I made an air well."
"Air well? I never heard of it."
"Come on, I'll show you."
Alex led Kathy, Tim and their children to a nearby clearing. There they found a sheet of plastic. It was held down by both dirt and rocks. On one side was a tube sticking out, and there was a rock in the center of it. The rock depressed the sheet so that it looked like a crater.
"This is my air well." Alex began. "Everyone knows there is moisture in the ground. Everyone also knows that the sun heats the ground and makes the moisture evaporate. So, what you do is dig a hole about a foot to a foot and a half deep and put a cup or some kind of container in the middle of the hole, with a tube leading from the container to the edge of the hole. Then cover the hole with a sheet of plastic. Seal the edges with dirt and rocks so that no moisture escapes and it will collect on the plastic. Now what you do is put a rock on the plastic right over the container. As the moisture condenses on the plastic the drops slide down the plastic and drop into the container. Then you just sip through the tube."
"O.K. I understand how you might have plastic sheeting around, but where did you get you get the tube?" Kathy asked.
"Lets' just say I hope I don't have to use my windshield washers any time soon. Hey Dad, that guy in that movie was right about rabbits as well as dolphins."
"What?" Tim asked.
Bob answered. There was an old movie called 'The Old Man and the Sea'. It is the story about an old man in a small boat who hooks a huge fish that drags him out to sea. The rest of the film is how he managed to stay alive until he made it back to shore. At one point he caught a dolphin. However in a small boat he had no way to cook it, so he ate it raw. His comment was something like 'Dolphin cooked is a very good fish. Dolphin raw is a bad fish.'." Bob looked at Alex. "Couldn't you get the flint and steel to work?"
"I was afraid to start a fire. I thought the smoke might give me away in the day time, and the light at night."
"That was probably wise."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 6
As they drew closer to the Mississippi River, Bob was starting to believe that they had left their troubles behind them. They had pulled all three vehicles to the side of the road for a rest break, just before a curve. Alex had gone into the brush to relieve himself, and now came out of the bushes in a hurry.
"Dad. I think we have a problem."
"What would that be?"
"I went kind of deep into the bushes to, um, well, you know. Anyway, I heard something. I went a little deeper and I found out this road makes a hairpin turn. On the other side of the curve is a check point."
"Kathy, Tim stay here with the children. Show me Son."
Together they quietly worked their way to the spot where Alex had seen the checkpoint. Sure enough, it was there. Three men with body armor, automatic weapons, and a four wheel drive S.U.V.
"What do we do? We have to go down this road or turn around."
"We can't turn around, Son. We've been led here for a reason. Let me think."
Bob looked at the scene. Soon he had an idea. The S.U.V. wasn't blocking the entire road. These men clearly thought that just by being there with weapons would intimidate any who came down the road. That was their mistake.
"Alex listen closely. Behind the drivers seat of my truck you'll find a small white box. Grab three of the soda cans in it, and bring them to me."
"You planning on bribing they with soda?"
"Just get them Son."
Alex soon returned with the cans.
"Are these what you wanted Dad?"
"Yes. Thank you. Now here is what I want you to do."
"Wait a minute Dad. Why do these cans have fuses sticking out of them?"
"I'll explain later. I want you to drive my truck. Have Tim drive you mothers car, and Kathy drives your car. I want you guys to pull up to the checkpoint nice and slow. Just like nothing is wrong. When I make my move, hammer down and swing around their 4X4 and don't slow down."
"What move? And what about you?"
"Don't worry about me. Just get moving."
Alex knew better than to argue when his father spoke in that tone of voice. He got back to the others, relayed his fathers instructions, and not waiting for an argument, climbed into the truck and started the engine.
The three vehicles pulled slowly up to the checkpoint. Alex tried to look for his father, without looking like he was looking for him. As he looked at the brush out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the soda cans come flying out of the woods with the fuse burning. Even before it hit the ground, a second can came from the same place. Then a third. He hit the gas. As the truck lurched forward, he saw smoke start to pour out of the first can, then the second. A cloud appeared from nowhere. It only got thicker as the third can began to fume. He followed his fathers orders and kept moving around the S.U.V. and didn't look back.
They were ten miles down the road before Alex pulled over. The others did the same. As they got out to talk about what to do. Before they could even get started the S.U.V. from the checkpoint pulled up behind them. Alex, Tim, and Kathy all grabbed weapons and prepared to fire.
"I hope you aren't going to shoot me." A familiar voice called out to them.
"Dad?"
"It's me Son."
"What happened back there Bob?" Tim asked.
"And what were those cans?" Alex chimed in.
"As you guys got close, I threw the smoke grenades. That provided cover for you. While they were choking on the smoke, and trying to figure it out, I 'borrowed' their 4X4."
"Where did you get smoke grenades?" Kathy wanted to know.
"I made them. First I got some of those half sized soda cans. Then I picked up what the local fireworks store called smoke grenades. Really they aren't. They don't make large enough amounts of smoke. I sliced them open and put the tablets inside them in the empty cans. Add the fuse that came with them, and seal them with duct tape. Each can had about the equivalent of four of the store bought grenades. Makes a lot more smoke that way. Come on. Lets' get on down the road. It won't be long before they start looking for this car, and I want to be long gone before they find it."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 7
The group had once again stopped to rest, after leaving the 'Molly B.'. Kathy used the chance to quiz Bob.
"Alright Bob, I want to know how you have done all of this."
"I told you, Kathy. Bit by bit."
"No, no. I'm not talking about your stuff. I mean how have you learned to do everything you've been doing. It seems like no matter what happens, you have the answer. How is that possible?"
"Oh, that. Kathy, I didn't live a sheltered life. I've got scars I will carry to my grave. Mostly from a foolishly spent youth. During that time, I learned a lot of things. Believe it or not, I learned a lot from the Boy Scouts. As a matter of fact, look at this."
Bob grabbed a well worn book from behind the front seat of the truck.
"This is one of my most important books. A Boy Scout Handbook from the mid sixties. It has so many things to teach a person. Morse code for example."
"Isn't that kind of old fashioned?"
"You tell me. What does three dots followed by three dashes, with three more dots mean?"
"Everyone knows that. It's S.O.S."
"That's right. Now what is the letter A?"
"Um, I don't know."
"You're not alone. Most people don't know Morse code. They don't even have a chart to tell them how to read it. That means I can send messages that most people will be totally clueless about. Another nice thing is that Morse can be sent using lights, noises, like the old telegraph, or even written out. But Morse code isn't all that is in here. Can you take balls of twine and make a rope?"
"No."
"Can you make a rope bridge that is safe?"
"No."
"What about an emergency shelter? Can you make one of those using only things like tree branches and a knife?"
"No."
"See what I mean? The Boy Scouts were teaching young men how to survive in the wilderness, long before I was born. They had it down to a science. The only bad thing was when they were forced to become 'politically correct', a lot of those things went away. That's why this is an older manual.
But that, of course, wasn't my only teacher. I learned a lot from listening to veterans when I was a boy. It's amazing what you can do with your own two hands when you have to. I never could stand it when someone would tell me either, 'I can't do that.' or 'You can't do that.' while I knew it could be done. Those smoke grenades for example. Maybe they weren't all slick and polished, or state of the art, but they worked. And in the end, that was what was important."
"What about food, Bob? I know you've got quite a bit in the 4X4, but that won't last forever."
"Got that covered as well. Take a look."
Bob again reached into the truck and pulled our what looked like a deck of playing cards, and handed them to her. Kathy looked at the box. The end of the box said;
EDIBLE WILD FOOD CARDS
U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC.
Stamford, CT 06902 U.S.A.
"But whatever make you decide to collect all of this stuff, besides being nudged by The Lord?"
"You know the old saying. 'Plan for the worst and hope for the best.' I took that seriously. I once heard of people that died during Katrina in their own attics. The reason why is they didn't plan ahead. When the water rose and forced them up, they didn't think about getting out. They didn't take an ax, or even a hammer to make a hole in the roof. Had they done so, many of them would have lived. When I would hear about such things, I'd think, 'What would I do?' and then do it."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 8
"O.K., O.K. Bob. I understand about getting ready to survive in bad times. I can even see how the Boy Scouts helped you to prepare for what is happening now. But what about other things? Like when you rescued us from the gang members."
"That was a matter of Gods' grace, and my training as a soldier. They weren't professionals. If they had been, we wouldn't be talking now.
"But Bob, you won."
"No Kathy. We lost. Now it's true that I scared them off at first, but they came back later. Then they were scared off a second time, with heavy losses on both occasions. But make no mistake about it. We lost. If we had won, we would be sitting at home right now. As it is, before your family came to my house both of your cars were useless pieces of junk. As of now, I'm certain that there is nothing of value left in your home. They've taken it all. And my home, it's nothing but a pile of scorched concrete, burned wood, and ashes. No Kathy, we didn't win. We lost, big time."
"But you jumped right into the middle of them and saved us."
Bob chuckled before answering.
"Hardly. If I had 'jumped into the middle of them' we would all be dead by now. What I did was to stand off a ways and use a rifle. That and the element of suprize are what made the difference.
You see, they had handguns and a single shotgun. Both are short range weapons. I was using a rifle that will reach out and touch someone at about one hundred yards. When I opened fire on them I was at least fifty yards away. It takes a professional soldier a lot of practice to be able to hit even a man sized target with a pistol at that range. And I was standing behind a tree, which made me even a smaller target. Those people weren't professionals. I put down three of them before any of them had the first idea where the fire was coming from. Even then, at that range, a handgun is a poor choice of weapons. For the average person, a target at that range is an impossibility with a pistol. Oh yes, they sprayed the area with bullets, but none came close to me. In the mean time, with the rifle I was downing man after man.
Once they realized that they were on the losing end of the deal, they scattered. Then I was able to get you out of there. But when they came back, it was in force. True, the booby traps I had waiting for them made them leave a second time. Which gave us the chance to get out. But all in all, we lost. They hold our property, and we are running for our lives. The only victory we can claim is that God in His mercy allowed us to all get away. That is all.
I guess it comes down to what my favorite science fiction writer once said in a book. 'A wise man, in the course of a long life, is prepared to abandon his luggage, several times'."
"Meaning, we can't go back?"
"Meaning, we can't go back."
BW, Vietnam Vet
Conversations With Bob - Pt. 9
When the group set out once again, Tim was riding shotgun with Bob, and had his own set of questions.
"Bob, do you mind if I ask you about some things?"
"Ask away."
"I heard some of the things you said to Kathy. They make me wonder. I mean, I know that uniforms are easy to come by, so anyone can look like a 'professional' as you've put it. But how do you tell the difference?"
"That is easier to say than it is to understand. It isn't any one thing, it is a combination of things. Mostly attitude and actions. You are right about one thing. A uniform does not make a soldier. But you can tell a soldier from a civilian. Mostly it is by the way they act. For example, take a road block. A professional will have people BEHIND the car or whatever they are using to block the road. Only one man, or at most two, will come out to check the oncoming vehicle. The rest will stay behind cover.
The two things that you need to look for are actions. First, a professional will always have someone watching his back. take those gang bangers that attacked your house on that first day. Obviously they didn't have any kind of attack plan, besides overwhelming you and killing any who resisted. if they had been real soldiers, they would have either waited you out, or offered you a chance to surrender and then taken what they wanted. They didn't expect to be hit from behind, themselves.
Secondly, a professional is very observant. He tries to see everything that is going on around him at all times."
"Sounds like being paranoid or something."
"No. Not at all. It's not that he expects to be attacked. He simply wants to know what is going on. Alert, but without fear. Take those guys at the checkpoint the other day. As you all pulled up, all three of them started towards you. A professional would have left at least one person by the 4X4. After all, someone might steal it when they were otherwise occupied."
"Alert, but without fear." Tim repeated. "I take it that is what you've been doing all these years."
"Something like that. I watched the news, checked outside sources on the Internet, and began to put things aside as best as I could. As scripture says,
1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
I was doing what I could for my family, like anyone would. The difference was that I believed these days were almost here, and that meant that I took it a little further than most people did.
BW, Vietnam Vet
(Continued below)