Chapter 62. Coal, coal and More Coal.

Well their plans had changed, not terribly changed, just delayed.Helping when asked was no hardship really and the crew were happy to go along.In Minnie’s words ‘it doesn’t matter what we’re doing as long as we’re together’.Words to live by thought Will as he wrote his log.Just the details of arriving in Newton, having dinner and making a deal.Not much else to write so Will closed the book and pushed away from his desk.He had rose early today, with the sun, and was about to start breakfast.Tea had been made and a cup had already been enjoyed with the sunrise.

Will had found their shopping cart deep in a store room and had it ready to go.If last time was anything to go by then shopping was going to be busy.“Hey daaaaaaad.”, came a call.“Hey , have you seen my red shirt, the one with the short sleeves.”, another call from below, “And my yellow hat, it’s gone.”.Will was looking at the hat, it had been left on his desk, for some reason.And he was pretty sure the clothes in question were in the wash, probably washed and dried, but that he was not sure of.“Minnie, will you stop yelling, it’s too early to get up.”, that was Naomi’s annoyed voice now.“Sorry.”, Minnie yelled back, twice as loud.Yup a fun day was incoming.

Will stopped by the laundry room and did find Minnie clothes, all clean and folded.He stopped by their cabin to give them to her.But opening the door he found a mess.Clothes everywhere, hard to tell where the floor was ,it was that bad.“What the heck is happening?”, Will asked.“Oh hey dad, oh goody, you found my stuff.”, it was yanked from his hand, and she ran to the head.Deciding to leave this alone he left and headed to the galley for more tea and start breakfast.Easiest way he knew to settle things was to cook bacon.Passing Naomi’s room he could hear mutterings and clatterings, he thought about knocking and asking if everything was okay, but decided not to.

Starting the kettle boiling, getting out frying pans took a few minutes.When he got potatoes going, bacon sliced and ready, Minnie had finally finished dressing and entered the mess with a “Ta-da, I’m here.”.She did look pretty snappy today, clean clothes, fur smooth and shiny, hat tilted to one side.“Looking good Min,” Will said.“Thanks but you…you’re going to change right?You look like a troll today, those shorts and shirt don’t match and where’s your hat, if we’re all going out you have to take more care dad, we’re the crew of the Rose, best boat on the lake, you gotta dress the part.”, replied Minnie.Will had thought he looked fine but apparently it wasn’t up to standard and she did have a point.“I’ll change after we eat, it’s pretty early so the town isn’t really awake yet, this was just my morning stuff.”.I just got told off, he thought, my mom would be proud of her. “All right, but don’t forget to shave too, you’re kinda stubbly, unless you are gonna grow your face fur out?”, Minnie said.Laughing Will said no.“I promise, after we eat.”.

The smell of cooking potatoes and bacon had lured Naomi out finally.She was also particularly well dressed today, with a yellow hat like Minnie’s.Will had noticed she was not overly fond of wearing dresses or skirts, in favour of shorts or long pants.But today was an exception, a blue mid length summer dress and a grey wooly shawl.Will didn’t really know much about women’s fashion here but she looked very fetching today.Minnie clapped her hands “You’re awfully pretty today Naomi.”.“Thanks Min, sorry about snapping earlier, I woke up with a start…bad dream.” Naomi answered.Minnie brushed it off “Me too, sorry yeah, I had the noisies, just excited for today.”.

Will had the kettle boiling for tea, bacon cooking nicely, eggs ready to go.And a nice surprise for Minnie, a jug of fresh milk.He had left very early and found a friendly farmer just starting to milk his cows.“Oh yay, thanks dad, I love it so and it’s been sooo long”, and she drank a mug full.He started putting loaded platters on the table and sat down to eat.When it was just the three of them the galley was plenty of room to eat in, especially breakfast.The evening meal was usually on deck, but it looked like those days were coming to an end.You could just feel the change in the air, autumn was coming.

Minnie and Naomi had gone on deck to see if Newton was awake yet.Will was taking care of dishes and thinking about soap.Laketown was rich in oils of all different kinds and used a good part of that for making soap.What they had was pretty good.Small bars that lathered up well for hands and for bathing.They also used it for dishes along with wood ash and sand for scrubbing the pots and pans.Soap with a higher lye content was used for their laundry, a large wooden tub and scrub board, wrung dry by hand and then….That was it!His next project.A washing machine or two, hand cranked that could wash large loads.And maybe even a wringer system to get the excess water out to make hang drying quicker.Right now laundry was done once a week, and it took all day.Hmmm, he thought, maybe even use steam to dry clothes somehow.Set up one of the holds with clotheslines and heat it with steam pipes, or radiators full of hot water.Still have a laundry day but things would be easier.As he thought of all this his hands washed and dried, wiped down and put away.Laughing to find he was all done he poured another cuppa and climbed on deck.

“Hey dad..oh oh, you got that look on your face.”, said Minnie.Naomi glanced up from her book, “Yes, he does.What are you planning captain?”.Will laughed “I was thinking about laundry, we’re gonna make it easier.”.“No more scrubbing?”, asked Minnie, “Cause I would like that, not more scrubbing but no more scrubbing….you know what I mean.”.Will nodded, “I do, but I need to write this down, add to our shopping list, ahh I still need to get changed too.Be right back.”.He drank his tea up and went to their cabin.

A quick shave and a good wash. Clean clothes, what to wear he thought. Seeing that Minnie and Naomi had made an effort today he might as well try too. Seeing that Minnie had tidied up somewhat he could look through the various closets and wardrobes. Shorts, kaftans, kilts, such a variety of clothes. Mostly left by previous captains and he had just never gotten around to throwing them out. “Gotta get around to that too.”, he muttered. Finally he decided on plain old denim pants and a short sleeved green shirt, and a yellow hat. Wide brimmed, flat on top, very aptly called a boater. Even the ribbon was yellow. Looking in the floor length mirror he though he was very spiffy. Shoes were a different proposal though. The only thing to make them out of in this world was leather. So it was either work boots or plain leather lace up shoes. Another thing to go shopping for today.

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Cleaning up his mess took minutes and he went back on deck.As soon as he came up the gangway Minnie cheered, “Good for you, so much better and where did you get that wonderful hat”, Will told her he just came across it in one of the wardrobes.“I’m glad you approve though.”, he laughed.Naomi also gave him her seal of approval, saying he looked “ very bricky today.”, and then it was her turn to explain.“It’s what young people say, my friends and me anyway.When someone is tall and strong looking, well dressed, like a big brick house.Then it’s just bricky.”.Minnie liked that and told Will he was definitely a brick today.“Thanks guys, I think we have all cleaned up very well and will do the Rose proud.” said Will, then pointing toward the town.“I think they’re finally awake over there, who’s ready to go?”.

Walking down the dock, Will pushing the cart, Minnie riding in it.A fine day, not too hot so far, nice breeze coming off the water.Naomi was looking over their shopping list, adding this and that as she thought of it.Minnie double checked every item, also adding things she needed.“We’ll need another cart if we get everyone our lists.”, Will said.But if was honest he had a few things on there too, it wasn’t just the others, he did like to shop.As they reached the lands end there were a few younger children fishing off the shore, just casting into the reeds mostly for fun.They greeted the crew happily and had many questions about life on the boat. Will enjoyed talking with them, as did Minnie and Naomi, and sitting with the kids was enjoyable.They even cast the rods out much further for the little ones and pulled in a few floaters.But their time ended when a parent was calling and the children went running home.

The town was beginning to bustle with activity so they started on the Main Street and checked out each and every store and business. Their purchases grew and grew and were carefully packed into Wills cart. No perishables yet though, the food vendors and shops would be their last places to visit. Book store, leather works, lenses and glass store, general merchandise, hardware and chandlers. The clothing shops, now they took some time. Minnie wanted one of nearly everything she saw. Pants, shorts, even some skirts and kilts, shirts, socks, under garments. They had ample cold weather gear aboard the Rose, but there were fur hats and gloves at the milliners she just had to have. New boots at the cobblers, a couple of pairs of different shoes. The cobbler was delighted to have such an enthusiastic client as Minnie, her feet were a challenge as they were quite different than his regular jobs.

Naomi had picked out nearly as much as Minnie had, for clothes and shoes and such.She had been a little shy to spend so much at first but Will let her know that she was valuable to them and “it’s just money, or credit here.I wouldn’t mind if we were broke as a joke, as long as we have each other and our life.”.And he meant it, money bought things and you could always use stuff but people were more important to him.That look on Minnie face when she was at her happiest, or on Naomi’s when someone enjoyed one of her hard worked meals.The simple things.

Now for shopping Will hadn’t been lacking either.When they reached the carters he had purchased a second cart, just in case.When they reached the street that the food stores were on, well it was a good thing.Wheels of cheese, casks of pickles and crackers, several bottles of wine, a few dozen bottles of beer and ale.Their usual stores were covered by the village as were all the supplies for the incoming coal crew, this was extras for themselves.The bakery was especially appreciated, they loved fresh bread and buns, pies and cakes.Naomi was a wiz at baking but sometimes it was nice to get ‘takeout’.

There was a jam and jelly vendor, who also had syrups of different fruits. A few jars of each kind made its way into Wills carts. The candy store…what a treasure hunt they had in there. Pound of boiled sweets, taffy, candy sticks, candied fruits and candied vegetables. The only thing missing was chocolate and Will still had hope that they would find this eventually, there was coffee here and cocoa grew in the same climate. But there was practically every other kind of candy sold and they spent quite a bit of time and credit here.

The last few things they bought was fresh milk, buttermilk and cream.Also fresh meat pies for their afternoon meal, steak and kidney and chicken.The carts were roped together and Will easily pulled them, loaded as they were.The streets here were level and well maintained like everything in Newton.The street cleaners were very active and quick to pick up any animal droppings from the many horses and oxen pulling wagons.

Now that their shopping was done they were all a bit weary, not exactly tired, but just overwhelmed by all the hubbub.“There’s so many people dad, like hundreds.They’re nice and all but wow”, said Minnie.“And it’s noisy, everyone yelling about their stuff, just yammering on and on.”, added Naomi.“Yeah, I’m used to the boat, just us and nice and quiet.”, agreed Will.Spying a tea house with an outside shaded yard, he asked the others if they would like to stop for a tea and cakies.They were very interested as shopping was hard work.He parked the carts to the side and as they entered a young man waved them to an outside table.Flower beds and manicured grass made a very pleasant sitting area and it was nice to relax in the warm afternoon.The young lad came over and recognized them as he got a good look.“Captain Will!Welcome welcome, do you remember me, I came along with you last time.Minnie and Naomi too, it’s so good to see you again”, he gushed.Minnie laughed “Of course we remember you Howard.Do you live here too?”.Howard nodded “I live here too, we both work here, sally and me, mom and dad too, well dad mostly works on the farm, we have cows and chickens, but he does stuff here too, my older brothers are on the farm, mom likes the shop better ….do you all want tea.”.

Will blinked “Um yes please, and do you have any cake or sandwiches perhaps.”.Minnie said no to the yuck water, but asked for milk and lots please, Naomi was happy with tea.Howard hurried off to get their drinks, passing Sally who had a double decker tray of cakes.Placing that in the middle of their table she left without saying a word.Will was holding off on cake until he had tea but Minnie and Naomi attacked the cake tray.“Oooh nummy nums”, Minnie mumbled, Naomi nodded, mouth full too.After a few minutes Howard returned with tea and milk.“Here you go captain, I remember how much you like tea, and milk for First Mate Minnie, and tea for Second Mate Naomi, I sure hope you like it, it’s nice and fresh too, just made the tea, and dad brought the milk in a little while ago, do you like the cakes, Sally and mom made them today, Sally’s my sister, if you need anything just call me okay”, and he left a rather dazed crew behind.

Will sampled a couple of the cakes and they were very good. “These are very good captain, as good as mine you think?”, asked Naomi. Now Will had been married for fifty years and knew a trap when he heard it. “These are very tasty but not as nice as the ones you make for us.”, he said, taking a sip of tea. Minnie kicked his foot under the table and laughed. They took their time, enjoying the afternoon and each others company, Howard came by with a teapot and a milk jug for refills. Sally came and checked on the cake tray, finding it empty she smiled shyly and pointed at it. Howard came over too “She’s asking if you want more cakes, she doesn’t talk too much, a cow kicked her in the neck and really hurt her a couple of weeks ago it’s still very bad and the physician said she might not ever talk like she used to, but I’m here for her, we’re twins, not look the same twins but born at same time, I can talk for her, dad says I talk for more than three people but that's all right isn’t it”, he asked. Will shrugged, “I don’t talk too much, Minnie does, and Naomi a little less. You just have lots to say.”. As they talked Will signed the receipt to pay for tea, and put down their credit number. Thanking Howard and Sally for their hospitality they went back to shopping. Being mostly done the lists were checked to see if everything was checked off. Will hadn’t been able to find any tree sap but the apothecary had promised to search while they were out on the lake. Apart from that everyone was happy with their purchases. The wooden cart wheels rumbled on the long quay as they made the way back to the Rose. Dark clouds were coming up fast from the north so they hurried along to batten everything down, it was going to be an interesting evening.