Page 26 - Homestead By Ann Newhouse
P. 26

Time had passed and, for the last few days, I had made the effort to try and sit on the veranda for a couple of hours. I was slowly beginning to feel my old self again. I had made a couple of local friends who would come and sit with me and chat, between doing their chores. I had been introduced to Mitch’s mother who appeared to be a friendly, gentle lady. John had hired her to cook and clean for him and his son. Mitch was a typical teenager who found living on the homestead a little confining, for his ambitions and energy. He wanted to leave and go to the big city, the nearest being Albuquerque. I gather his mother was willing to allow him to go, but John was reluctant to give his permission. John seemed afraid his son, Josh, would follow suit.
As my feet healed, I had started to take longer walks on my crutches, to survey the area. The Homestead was set out in a horse-shoe shape. With the big house in the centre, set in about an acre of land, and fenced off from the rest of the log cabins. Each cabin had enough land attached to sow crops, a vegetable plot and room to keep chickens, pigs or sheep and a horse. Some cabins had smaller areas, like the one containing the restaurant and bar, or some used as workshops for farm implements. Around the living areas of the Homestead there were numerous paddocks, pastures and shelters for the livestock. There was also a small airstrip on the outskirts for small planes to land.
Many of the inhabitants worked on the cattle drives, when part of the herd would move to greener pastures or head off to market for buying and selling. There were four mature men who oversaw the drives, along with Mitch and Josh, filling in when needed. They were usually away for three to four days.
John would oversee all transactions to do with the Homestead and everyone had to answer to him. Sofie was head nurse at the medical hall and had an assistant called, Johanne. She was a qualified midwife and had delivered a few babies in the last year. The cabins had housed many families, some having moved on, finding the valley too isolated. As the cabins become empty, John rented them to suitable families passing though. Some had stayed and made a life under John’s regime. Many would say it was not easy, but safe and secure. They had access to the services of a flying doctor who would come, perhaps, once a week on request, or in the case of an emergency.
The Homestead seemed to be a very busy and well-run setup. I considered the idea of maybe staying here if John Tirrell approved and if I could earn my keep. I would, perhaps, ask Sofie if she could arrange a meeting with her father.
One evening, I pottered around the cabin making supper for Sofie and myself. This would be the first time I had cooked and indeed been up on my feet all day. I had started to feel the stiffness in my


































































































   24   25   26   27   28