Alone on the Oregon Trail by Vanessa Carvo Page B

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    He would not be able to provide his family with enough food to last the winter and that was serious considering that farmers all around depended on Grayson for their winter food as well. This year was critically affected by the lack of rain and we were now seeing the last minute effects of the damage.
    Grayson’s farm was not the only farm that was in danger of being destroyed by drought, for many farmers all around had the same problem. Many of the farmers got together one week to discuss what they could do about their losses and how they would help each other survive through the winter.
    Our neighbors happened to be God fearing people and we knew that we would be fine with them, but there were many people miles around that were not so Christian and the fears began creeping into everyone’s minds what would happen when people began starving. Many of the neighbors near us had decided that if we all had to, we would all gather in our barn and live in a group so that we could help one another.
    We also agreed that we would limit the number of people who could join us. Grayson said that this would cause future problems, but we would have to deal with them when they would arise.
    It was decided that if things escalated to taking extreme measures then would be the time that local neighbors who had agreed, would come together and our home was chosen because of the large barn that was capable of holding everyone and keeping them warm through the winter months.
    People would stay together and work together and would be able to survive and help one another out. Other farms would be left to sitting and waiting out the winter, and all animals would be taken care, some of them being herded to our land and some being left where they were and they would be tended to weekly.
    Everyone began the task of gathering up all the food and water supplies, as well as medical and bedding supplies and they would have them ready to bring to our home. Grayson and some other men got together and prepared the barn and the pastures to hold the people and the animals that might be coming to love there through the winter. We would of course, live in our home and for special occasions or people with any special needs; they would live in the house while everyone else would live in the barn.
    All babies born would be inside the home as well. Grayson and the men who had been helping him began building partitions inside the barn to separate the women and daughters from the men and the sons.
    Things were coming along beautifully when we received some visitors who had caught wind of the plans and they had come to question us about our plans, demanding to know what they were supposed to do when things got seriously dangerous.
    This is the problem that Grayson had talked about earlier and as he stayed close to his shotgun just inside the house, he explained to them that they would not be invited and that we could not take everyone and if they were wise they would draw nigh to God and begin to prepare for the trials ahead.
    He finished his statements and then slowly closed the door. After closing the door we heard the men say, “Well, we will just have to deal with you later then, Mr. Love.” On hearing that it sent chills up and down my spine and Grayson knew that trouble was ahead of us. He called a meeting the same day with our friends and their plans sprung forward ahead of time, bringing families together to prepare for anything that would begin happening.
    Grayson fully expected homes to be burnt and ransacked, and there would be no stopping them all. All agreed that the main concern now was the safety of the people and keeping our farm safe.
    The prairie farms had fallen short this year for our crops and there was nothing we could do about it by this time. They had tried some new irrigational techniques, but since the damage from the twisters and hail storms this year, there was no more hope left to save the crops. Prairie farms could bring blessings