Retreat (Robledo Mountain #3)Chapter 9 free porn video

This is a FigCaption - special HTML5 tag for Image (like short description, you can remove it)

The next morning, bright and early, Tom and I loaded up the wagon and drove it over to the back door of the bank, where Levi was waiting for us. I signed the withdrawal receipt and accepted a deposit receipt of $35,000 for the sale of 4,000 head of cattle to Richard King. We loaded the bags of money into the steel wagon box, locked it up, and drove it back over to the hotel.

In the hotel restaurant, we found the ladies waiting for us, along with Richard King, a total of twenty vaqueros, and Raphael with Frank. After a quick breakfast, we mounted up and rode for home, with Raphael and Frank driving the wagon and everyone else on horseback.

With such a large party, no one was really worried about being attacked, but, without being told, the Estancia vaqueros disappeared once we were out of town to perform screening and scouting duty. The Captain was a little confused by the departure of the vaqueros until we explained what they were doing.

We pulled into Mr. Mendoza’s stable late the next afternoon, tired and hungry. Anna and Yolanda left their horses with us, and walked over to the restaurant. We got all the horses taken care of and introduced Mr. Mendoza to Captain King. Captain King’s vaqueros were invited to spend the night in the hayloft with the Estancia vaqueros, and they rapidly accepted the offer after being told about the abysmal accommodations offered by the hotel.

The vaqueros all disappeared into the restaurant for their supper, while the rest of us joined Mr. Mendoza at his work table behind the stable. There we all relaxed and brought Mr. Mendoza up to date on the cattle sale and gun fight. Captain King seemed to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. He listened attentively to everything that was being said, including the hiring of Frank. I made a mental note to myself to be careful about what I said around this man.

Captain King and Frank were apparently invited to supper, as Mr. Mendoza made sure to include them in our walk over to the restaurant. We stopped just inside the back door as usual to watch the kitchen dance for a few moments, before going into the dining room. Captain King looked around at the huge table with all the place settings and asked if this was a special function room.

“Well, in a way it is,” I replied. “This is the Mendoza family dining room. Mrs. Mendoza owns the restaurant and most of the family works either here or hauling freight for Mr. Mendoza, so the entire extended family eats their meals here.”

He was about to ask more questions when the ladies came in bearing the platters and bowls filled with our supper. The kids all trailed in behind them, and we all dug in. Captain King listened with fascination to the various discussions going on around the table. I told Anna in Apache that I couldn’t wait to see his reaction to meal time at the Hacienda, if supper here fascinated him so much. She beamed me one of her special smiles and agreed that it would be interesting to watch.

After supper, with the table cleared and the after-supper coffee served, Anna picked up the guitar from behind the chair. She handed it to me without a word. I tuned the guitar and sang what had become my standard opening song, “Keeper of the Stars”. When I was done, Mrs. Mendoza said that she’d heard that the visit to El Paso was interesting. I grinned at her and sang “Mi Vida Loca”, which had everyone including Frank and the Captain grinning.

I played a few more requests, before the kids started begging tio Pablo to play the lion song. Anna threw me a huge super megawatt Anna smile as I started the introduction of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. Anna and Yolanda got all the kids and most of the adult’s ready and I started singing. Everyone came in on queue, and we went through the song twice before I brought it a close. The second time around, even the Captain had joined in and was smiling.

The kids were happy, and they all thanked me as they filed out to get ready for bed. I mixed things up after that, singing “Do You Know Where You’re Going To”, “I Have a Dream”, and “Hooked on a Feeling”, before finishing up with “Anna’s Song”.

We talked for a while longer, enjoying the coffee before everyone headed across the courtyard to bed. Anna and I escorted the Captain to the guest bedroom in the house where his saddlebags were laying on the bed, and bade him a good night, telling him we’d see him at breakfast in the restaurant.

With a good night’s sleep and a filling breakfast under our belts, we left Las Cruces the next morning right on time. The vaqueros, very aware of the danger that could be waiting anywhere between Las Cruces and the Estancia, pulled their disappearing act as soon as we were out of Las Cruces. They rejoined us once we were on the Estancia, knowing that the Scout/Sniper teams had already spotted us and alerted everyone on the Estancia.

We stopped just inside the Estancia for the ladies to relieve themselves, and I took the opportunity to send a message to Hector, asking him to meet us at the Hacienda for lunch with a cattle buyer, and to start rounding up 4,000 head of cattle.

The captain watched curiously as I sent the message with the little mirror we all carried, and was surprised to see an acknowledging flash from the mountains. I explained that I had sent a message to the Ranch Segundo, asking him to start rounding up 4,000 head of cattle and meet us for lunch at the Hacienda.

We had resumed our ride when the message came back from Hector telling us he would get the roundup started, and would meet us at the Hacienda. I acknowledged the message as we rode and returned to talking with the Captain who was full of the usual questions. I explained about the annual flooding and the need for the levees as well as the road work he could see going on in the distance.

A few minutes before we reached the bridge, the lead vaquero came up beside me and told us he was taking the Captain’s vaqueros to the Ranch where they would stay until they left. I nodded and told him to draw any additional supplies needed for the extra vaqueros from the store. He nodded and spurred his horse off towards the Ranch operations area, waving for the other vaqueros to follow him.

Captain King was again full of questions about why the vaqueros were riding away and I explained that they all lived at the Ranch operations area, while we lived at the Hacienda. I laughed, telling him he would understand better after tomorrow morning’s ride. In the meantime, we would spend the afternoon unpacking and relaxing at the Hacienda, where many of his questions could be answered much more easily.

We’d just crossed the bridge when Captain King asked, “How much farther to the Hacienda?”

“It’s just over the top of that slope,” I replied, pointing at the slope where the top of the Hacienda was visible.

Anna rode up next to me to get a better look at Captain King’s face as we crested the slope, and he got his first look at the Hacienda. She giggled a little as his eye’s bulged out in shock at the size and the architecture.

He was just starting to get over his shock, when three of the young cousins came running out of the courtyard door to get our horses and take them down to the stable. We all laughed at his expression.

“You’ll get used to it soon enough,” I said congenially.

Anna and Yolanda took the Captain to the room he’d be using while he was here. I sent Raphael and Frank up to the terrace to relax for a few minutes, while Tom and I unloaded our part of the wagon and hauled the bags of coins into the study and then into the cave. When we got upstairs to the terrace, the ladies and the Captain were already there, enjoying coffee with Frank and Raphael.

Frank and Raphael left a few minutes later to deliver the vaqueros’ packages to the ranch, before taking the wagon to the village. As they were leaving, the Captain got up. He walked to the railing and looked out over the river towards the Doña Ana Mountains.

The rest of us sat sipping our coffee with smiles on our faces, knowing that he was still trying to process what he had seen so far. Eventually, he turned around and rejoined us at the table, telling us it was a magnificent view.

Hector arrived a few minutes later, and while we were introducing him to the Captain, Cristina, Celia, and Carla brought out our lunch.

Over lunch we talked about the roundup, and I asked Hector how long it would take to round up 4,000 head with the extra fifteen vaqueros the Captain had brought with him. His immediate reply of about five days surprised the Captain.

Seeing his surprise Hector elaborated. “Between your fifteen vaqueros, and the forty or so vaqueros currently available we’ll round up 5,000 head in the next three days, then spend two days culling that down to 4,000 head your vaqueros find acceptable.”

With a surprised look on his face the Captain asked, “How many vaqueros do you have?”

“The Estancia currently has eighty vaqueros.” Hector replied. “At any given time, twenty are on security duty patrolling the Estancia, and ten are working on the roads or loading and hauling stones for the masons. The other ten are getting ready to deliver the monthly beef quotas to the forts we currently supply.”

Miranda made a rare appearance outside the kitchen, bringing us a plate of biscochitos to snack on shortly after lunch. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the terrace drinking coffee, snacking on biscochitos, and answering the Captain’s questions about the Estancia.

The Captain was again surprised when Beth and Izabella came out on the terrace, leading the rest of the kids to welcome us home. After a round of hugs for everybody we introduced all the kids to the Captain and explained which ones were ours, and which ones were Tomas’ and Giuseppe’s. As the kids were leaving, chatting away to each other, the Captain asked how many languages they were speaking.

I listened for a moment and told him, “Sounds like four at the moment.” I listened for another moment and smiled. “Nope, it’s five languages. English, Spanish, Apache, Italian, and German.”

“Good lord man! How do they understand each other?” he asked.

Anna laughed and explained, “Everyone on the Estancia is required to be fluent in English, Spanish, and Apache. The kids also learn Latin in school, but since Giuseppe’s kids are Italian they are teaching the other Hacienda kids that language also. The German was picked up informally, from the masons’ kids at school.”

“School? What school? Why Apache?” he asked.

We all laughed at his confused look. Anna and Yolanda answered all his questions about the school, as well as the relationship to the Apache and their security work on the Estancia. They finished up just as Cristina announced that supper would be ready in a few minutes.

We all walked into the dining room, to find everyone already seated at a much bigger table. Seeing my puzzled look Anna told me that it had been delivered yesterday and set up this morning before we arrived. With that puzzle solved, I introduced the Captain to everyone, including the three babies lying in bassinets next to their mothers.

Supper was the usual riot of conversations in multiple languages with the kids constantly shifting between languages depending on who they were talking to. The Captain ate supper with a look of amazement on his face, as he tried to follow along while the kids told us about school, riding their horses, and the new friends they’d made while we’d been gone.

0
0

13.05.2020
22
0

Same as Retreat (Robledo Mountain #3)
Chapter 9 Videos

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 4

I woke up suddenly, feeling the sun shining on my face through the windows and French doors of my bedroom. One moment I was blissfully asleep and the next I was awake. From the strength of the sunlight playing on my tightly shut eyelids it must have been near noon. I lay there, in absolute silence, trying to figure out why I was still in bed so late in the day. That proved to be too much effort, so I drifted back off to sleep. The next time I woke up, it was from a nightmare. A short...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 10

After the Monday morning staff meeting, I holed up in the study with Tom and Yolanda. I’d been wrong in El Paso. It didn’t take two days to give them the background and go over the tentative plans Anna and I had been working on. It took all week, and even then I’d just scratched the surface of the background. The major problem, as always, was trying to figure out how to answer their questions in terms they could understand. I tried to stay away from things they didn’t need to know about....

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 7

Although they were always on our minds, we put the unsettling spirit visits behind us and got on with our lives. I spent as much time as I could in the RV cave melting gold, but it was only a couple of hours most days, and the small mountain of gold seemed to defy my attempts to reduce its size. Giuseppe returned from his short trip to the base of the Doña Ana Mountains late Wednesday afternoon in a jubilant mood. Over supper he informed us that he’d found the rock we needed to build the...

Robledo MountainChapter 4

Leading all five of my horses, I walked into the Las Cruces of 1850 for the first time late that afternoon about four, after nearly a full day of walking. Mr. Mendoza’s Livery Stable and Freight Yard was easily found. The first person I saw directed me to the distinctive building with the wooden second floor at the north end of town. Luckily, Mr. Mendoza was outside talking to a young boy. When he saw me, he looked surprised. He quickly dismissed the boy, telling him to muck out two specific...

Robledo MountainChapter 11

The stable boy had my wagon and mules waiting for me, after I checked out the next morning. I made quick work of loading the door and jambs on the wagon, before heading to the bank. Levi had everything ready to go, and in less than three minutes after I entered, I was back in the wagon and started for home. I spent another three butt numbing days getting home! The next morning, I loaded up the empty panniers on the mules, saddled up the horse, closed up the wall and house, and left for Las...

Robledo MountainChapter 13

I checked out of the hotel and was at the restaurant a little before eight, getting my Anna fix. Just as Anna was bringing my coffee, Jorge and Giuseppe walked in together. While we were eating, I reminded them I had to get my horse and mules from the stables, and then make a few stops in town for supplies before leaving. I paid for the breakfasts, said my goodbye to Anna, and walked over to the stables. I spent a few minutes talking to Mr. Mendoza, while the stable boy got my horse and...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 3

“I’m sure glad this is all over,” I said to Anna, four days later, as we were leaving our bedroom to get JJ and go downstairs to breakfast. For three of those days, Anna and I babysat the Greenburgs until lunch when we were replaced by Tom and Yolanda. That left my afternoons free to visit the various parts of the Estancia, usually with the older kids, as well as get in some shooting practice. The other day was spent in the Estancia meeting, where we reviewed the progress we’d made against...

Robledo MountainChapter 3

I was up at first light, ate another MRE, and was on my way back to the RV shortly after 7AM. Although I was paying attention to possible threats, both animal and human along the way, I was replaying yesterday over and over in my mind. Finally, just before arriving at the little plateau and my RV, I decided that I had more information than my pea brain could handle, and I needed to let my subconscious work on it for a while. For now, I would act as though I was in fact in the Robledo...

Robledo MountainChapter 27

“Wake up, Paul! Raiders are attacking the camp!” This was no whisper. Dream Laura was fairly screaming in my ear. It was just after daybreak, and Laura’s voice woke me to the screams, rifle fire, and shotgun blasts coming from the camp. I slipped on my boots, holstered the pistol, and grabbed my rifle. Once outside I ran to the edge of the plateau. With a quick glance I saw ten or eleven bodies around the outside of the mason’s camp, and a handful of men running away from the camp. Tom was...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 12

We both woke up in the middle of the night to a crashing, raging, howling storm blowing outside. The rainy season had begun with a vengeance. We’d fallen asleep without closing the French doors, which were still standing wide open. Gusts of wind came blowing through periodically, causing the curtains to billow up and swirl around the doors. I got up to close the doors and Anna asked me to leave one of them open, so we could hear the rain and watch the lightening. I returned to bed to find...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 2

We were up early, and after breakfast, we rounded up the deputy and the stage coach manager before walking over to the bank. The four of us walked into the banker’s office over his objections. I closed the door and told him to shut up and listen, as Anna looked away to hide her smile. I asked the banker if the ‘Mayor’ had been up to date on his rental payments for the stable and house. When he said that he was current, I turned to the Deputy. “I want a complete inventory of the stables to...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 12

“Damn Paul! None of this was here two years ago! How many people live in this village?” The questions were coming rapid fire from Steve, as we sat on our horses looking out over the village from the hills. We’d insisted that Steve spend his first day on the Estancia recovering from his trip. The only thing remotely resembling a discussion of our plans, was getting him to accept that he would need to ride a horse to Austin and back. Well, that and convincing him that his chances of surviving...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 1

My head was pounding! Somehow, around the pain, I thought, ‘After seventy some years, you’d think I’d remember never to mix distilled and fermented alcohol!’ I may have looked twenty years old, but I was well over seventy. Getting sent back over 160 year’s in time was bad enough. Throw in losing everyone and everything I knew, and it was even tougher. Losing fifty years off my apparent age paled in comparison, but it was rough, too. Well, losing the years, both in time and age, had its good...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 11

Tom and I were becoming bored. The Segundos were all doing their jobs well. Cattle were being delivered on time, and the herd continued to grow. The land along the river was being cleared and prepared for planting, while early harvesting in the greenhouses had already started for some of the crops, like tomatoes. Building activities were continuing at a furious pace, with the fences, roads, water retention buildings, and School/Community Center all in different stages. We spent quite a bit...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 13

I was on the terrace on a fine bright sunny afternoon, staring in horror at the list of things I’d come up with for Steve to do when he got back from Austin. No matter how I looked at it, I just couldn’t see how he would ever get everything on the list done in the time-frame we wanted. I was seriously starting to think that maybe we’d over extended ourselves this time, and we would have to push the time-frame out another year, when something in my brain sparked. I suddenly remembered a...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 15

“What do you mean something funny is going on in the land office, Paul?” Steve asked. Tom, Steve, and I were in the family dining room going over our land plans one last time, after finishing a large breakfast. Anna, Yolanda, and the boys were with Mrs. Mendoza over in the house writing up the invitations after she agreed to host the meeting tomorrow. “I’m not sure what, but something just wasn’t right about the map in the land office when we were there the other day. In all the excitement...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 18

Our final day in Santa Fe was hectic as Tom and I, with the ready assistance of the escort teams, gathered supplies for the trip home in the morning, and picked up the trunks, booze, and books that afternoon. With little fanfare, we departed Santa Fe the next morning after a good breakfast with the Judge, Hiram, Helen, and Steve. We assured all of them but most especially Helen that we’d be back the first week in November with the ladies and babies. Pushing the animals hard we travelled...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 15

As the day of Tom and Yolanda’s wedding approached, activity around the Hacienda exploded. We were expecting fifty people from Las Cruces to begin arriving three days before the wedding, all expecting accommodation at the Hacienda. Luckily most of those people were Yolanda’s extended family, so putting as many as five or six into a single room wasn’t going to cause much concern. Regardless, for the very first time, every room in the Hacienda was going to be used. Every room was assigned to a...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 4

When we left for Las Cruces Thursday morning, it was with the knowledge that Miguel had a team scouting either side of the road a mile ahead of us for the entire trip. That settled both Anna’s and my nerves, significantly. Beth and Izabella opted to ride in the wagon with the baby while Celia drove. She had asked to go with us for reasons of her own, which I privately hoped included seeing George during the visit. I still couldn’t figure out the situation with Izabella and Alejandro. They...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 5

We found Juan inventorying a large stack of adobe bricks on one side of the yard. His back was to us as we walked up, and we heard him mumbling something under his breath about crazy stupid Anglos. Tom and I grinned at each other. I cleared my throat, watching Juan jump and turn around with a startled look on his face. “I hope it isn’t us you’re mad at, Juan. I just got back, so it can’t be me.” He laughed and said, “No, it’s those soldiers at the fort. They can’t make up their minds...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 8

We pulled out of the Hacienda bright and early on Thursday, the 11th of October, 1855, right on schedule. By we, I mean Tom, Yolanda, Anna and me along with Raphael, who was driving the wagon we were taking with us, and a team of vaqueros who were going along for security. The wagon Raphael was driving was one of the original wagons, with the steel box bolted behind the driver’s seat. Tom and I had loaded the box with 2000 gold bars late the night before. The Estancia was getting low on...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 14

I led a procession of four teams, the wagons, and the final four teams down the road. Instead of staying on the Camino Real to Mesilla, I detoured to Las Cruces, rode down the middle of Main Street and then on to Mesilla. By the time the day was done, everyone in Las Cruces and Mesilla was going to know who I was, and that neither I nor the Estancia Dos Santos was to be trifled with. Entering Mesilla, I slowed my horse until I was beside the lead vaquero. “Rodrigo, when we get to the plaza,...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 16

“What can I do to help?” I asked Anna after breakfast the next morning. The ladies were clearing the family table, to start getting the room ready for the meeting set to start in a couple of hours. Tom, Steve, and I were finishing the last of our coffee, and from the way the ladies were moving through the room, it was very apparent that we were in the way. Anna beamed me one of her smiles and gave me a small kiss. “Take these other two, and go keep grandfather company. You three will only...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 17

“Mi Pablo, please get your work done quickly, and stay safe,” Anna said quietly with tears in her eyes. We were standing in front of the restaurant holding each other closely as we said our goodbyes. “My love, I promise not to fight any windmills on this trip, and I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble. You take care of the kids, keep the Estancia running, and stay safe while I’m gone. I’ll be home as soon as I can,” I told her while thumbing the tears from her eyes. She nodded, gave me a...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Chapter 19

It seemed like the entire Estancia had turned out to wish us all safe travels. Both sides of the road, from the bottom of the slope to the bridge were lined with people, as were both sides of the road from the opposite side of the bridge to the Camino Real. Anna and I sat on our horses at the top of the slope, watching the procession of ten outriders, twenty escorts, the coach, four gold wagons, a supply wagon, and twenty more escorts move down the slope, across the bridge, and up to the...

Retreat Robledo Mountain 3Epilogue

The small slim man, known as ‘The Boss’, was almost swallowed by the overstuffed chair in which he was sitting. Drinking from a large glass of whiskey, he reflected on his life as the mantle clock softly chimed in the new year. His wife, an abstemious young lady, was asleep in bed, and had been for a few hours. Their only real fight in almost eleven years of marriage, had centered on the fact that she was a lark and he was a night owl. Neither could understand the strong biological drives of...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 18

As I’d warned during the meeting, 1858 and 1859 proved to be busy years for everyone associated with the Estancia and the various business enterprises. The Estancia got back to work after the holidays on January 3rd, the same day our guests left for their return trip home. The normal Estancia wintertime repair work continued on, although at a reduced pace, while ten teams were assigned to Tom and Giuseppe to quarry a hole at the southern end of the Robledo Mountains. That hole, measuring 200...

Robledo MountainChapter 5

I was two days out from Trujillo Gulch and had just saddled up for the days ride, when the faint sounds of gun shots came from the east. Without thinking, I mounted up and rode towards the sound of the gunfire. I was two miles west of the Camino Real, and figured that was where the gun fire was coming from. As I rode, I realized what I’d done, and debated with myself whether this was really the smartest course of action. I may be a defender, but was I to be everyone’s defender? The thought...

Robledo MountainChapter 14

Taking down the adobe bricks from the cave entrance, I thought about the next step that I dreaded so much. A heavy door of wood and adobe bricks was going to need sturdy support from the wood door jamb it was going to be hung on, which meant burying the jamb a minimum of nine inches. Digging down into nine inches of rock was not going to be easy. I started digging the hole for the left support jamb using the largest cold chisel and the heaviest hammer I had. The floor here didn’t seem to be...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 8

The trip from the Hacienda to the meeting site was thankfully uneventful, although I must admit to having a sense of unease until we’d passed the area of the last mountain lion attack. The weather had moderated and become warmer, but we weren’t fooled. The seasonal spring winds were nearing their end, but we had to expect to have to deal with them, and dust storms, for the next couple of weeks. We arrived in the clearing mid-afternoon of the day before the meeting. Miguel, using hand...

Robledo MountainChapter 15

I fell into a deep sleep, while watching a kaleidoscope of shadows dance around the room. Flashes of lightning backlit the curtains on the window. For the third time in as many years, and the second time in as many weeks, Dream Laura visited my dreams that night. She was getting stronger, as tonight’s visit had us sitting across from each other at the picnic table on the covered patio of our old house, the patio we had built together just after we’d bought the house. Everything seemed...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 3

Sunday morning, we finally rolled out of bed at eight. I convinced Anna to try the shower with me. We talked about last night, laughing as we soaped each other up. All that shower fun really tired me out. I was very tempted to just go back to bed, but Anna insisted that we have breakfast and get ready for church. Anna got dressed, opened the curtains and French doors, and cleaned up the room. I unsuccessfully tempted her the entire time, trying to change her mind and enjoy the day in bed with...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 5

I made my way back through the courtyard and into the house heading for the dining room intent on having another cup of coffee. Before I could sit down, however, Mr. Greenburg saw me. “Paul, if you have time this morning, and you’re feeling up to it, Rachael and I would like to talk with you for a little while regarding our discussions before you were hurt.” A quick glance at Anna and with her small nod of approval, I replied, “Certainly, Sir. I’m at your disposal. How about we get a coffee...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 9

At my insistence, we pushed hard on the way back home, knocking two days off the return trip. The dull ache in my shoulder hadn’t returned at all since we left the Hacienda, so I felt comfortable pushing a little harder. As we dismounted in front of the courtyard gate, I asked the cousin who took my horse to send a message asking Nantan and Miguel to dinner this evening. Saddlebags over our shoulders and carrying our bedrolls, we entered the Hacienda looking forward to seeing our wives and...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 9

Anna and I were both up earlier than normal; either from a good night of rest, excitement over the trip to Taos or, more likely, a combination of both. We did our standard Tai Chi and then an extended session of practice with me teaching Anna the next kata in her progression. At the rate she was going she would soon be ready to start learning Krav Maga. When we were finished I gave Anna a big smile, pulled her into a hug before giving her a big kiss, and telling her she was doing extremely...

Robledo MountainChapter 26

I was sitting in the restaurant the next morning, finishing up breakfast and thinking about how Anna’s smile seemed to make my day. I’d just taken my last bite when Anna came over with fresh coffee and sat down, giving me another one of my Anna smiles, and asking me what I had planned for the day. Swallowing my last bite and taking a sip of coffee I said, “I was hoping to talk my fiancée into spending the morning riding with me, and perhaps start learning to shoot. Do you think she would...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 12

I woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed than I had since the mountain lion attack. Stretching my arms out to my side, I looked at my right hand, flexed my fingers, and laughed at the thought that I could play the guitar again. I hadn’t realized until yesterday afternoon how much I missed it. Jumping out of bed, I ran through my tai chi exercises and the katas, before cleaning up with a basin of water, and getting dressed. I was whistling as I walked in the back door of the...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 11

Tom and I were relaxing after breakfast, enjoying our umpteenth cup of fresh hot coffee when the ladies had decided we’d had enough time. “So, Pablo, you’ve had your breakfast and coffee, now tell us about the trip,” she demanded in an almost imperial voice. Looking around the table, I realized for the first time that Tom and I were the only men in the room. “As you command, my Lady,” I replied giving her a sitting bow. “But first, where is everyone?” “Well, it is harvest time, Paul. Tomas...

Robledo MountainChapter 2

Early the next morning I awoke and stretched out on the queen size bed, luxuriating in the feel of crisp cool cotton sheets and thinking about how good I felt. All those minor joint aches and pains I’d learned to live with over the years simply weren’t there. And those dreams! I rarely remembered my dreams after waking, but somehow, I knew that I remembered every one of last night’s dreams. The dreams of my past, both good and bad. With a yawn and a final stretch, I got up and started my...

Robledo MountainChapter 24

I was up before first light the next morning. I found two of the ladies already up and quietly preparing to make breakfast for the camp. I walked down to the river and soaked my head in the water to wake me up, as well as help tame my hair. When I lifted my head from the river, I found Giuseppe and Hector had joined me. After relieving ourselves we walked back up to the campfire where the ladies handed us each a cup of coffee. We sat drinking our coffee and enjoying the quiet of the...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 5

The next week seemed to fly by as we instituted the various classes, continued settling into the hacienda, worked to turn the Estancia into a farm, and prepared for new arrivals; all while Anna and I prepared to leave on our honeymoon. The days always started with our early morning Tai Chi and ended with talking and singing in what was becoming known as the music room before Anna and I went off to explore whatever new possibilities she had thought up. As I expected, training the cousins to...

Robledo MountainChapter 23

Standing at the opening of the cave, they stared inside in stunned disbelief. I cleared my throat, regaining their attention. “No one else besides you three know about this. I expect it to remain that way. The cave and what’s in it are never discussed outside this room, and then only if the door is closed and barred.” Handing Mr. Mendoza the lantern, I watched from the doorway as they wandered around exploring. All I could see was the soft glow of the light when they were in the smaller cave...

Robledo MountainChapter 28

Six weeks later I was again lying in Mr. Mendoza’s hayloft. Tom’s even breathing and soft snores provided background accompaniment, as I marveled at everything that had happened in such a short time. With the exception of the six days Tom and I spent on a trip to El Paso, and a two-day trip to the Hacienda, the four of us had spent virtually all of our time together. The first morning of our two-week visit at the Hacienda they’d seen me practicing Tai Chi on the plateau in the early dawn....

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 8

The second week in Santa Fe started out much as the first had gone. I spent the morning with Anna who had narrowed down the selection of cutlery to two different styles and now needed me to help her make the final selection. As usual we both liked one pattern over the other, so the cutlery was paid for and consigned to Mendoza Freight for delivery. The china pattern was a different story. Anna still couldn’t find anything she liked, so I suggested she explore the possibility of getting a...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 14

“Good morning Maco,” I said, walking into the dining room for breakfast. “We missed you at breakfast yesterday and again at dinner last night.” “Good morning Paul, or rather, good night for me,” Maco answered wearily. “I just stopped by to have breakfast with Beth since I haven’t seen her for a couple of days.” “What have you been doing to be so tired?” “I was the Scout hidden behind you yesterday. All of us were in our hides at three yesterday morning and we stayed in place until three...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 10

We skipped our exercises and practice for the second day in a row, in the interest of leaving town early in the morning before anyone else was awake. I’d paid for the room and stables for four weeks the day after we’d checked in. We still had two days of the four weeks left, so there was no issue with just leaving. After one last check of the room, we walked downstairs carrying the saddlebags and scabbards and slipped out the back door to the stables where we saddled the horses, added the...

Robledo MountainChapter 12

I was up early the next morning after a restless night, dreading the conversation Anna wanted to have. Walking into the restaurant I was surprised to get my normal Anna smile, hug, and kiss. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all. She pointed me back to my usual table and brought over two cups of coffee. Sitting down, she said that breakfast would be out in a few minutes and asked how I’d slept. “Not well. It was a restless sleep that had me tossing and turning all night,” I...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 7

We rode into my usual camp in the copse of trees just north of Santa Fe two weeks later. Her wounds were healing nicely. She hardly seemed to notice the wound in her arm at all, but was still slightly favoring her side. However, we were both tired. Tired of riding, tired of trail food, tired of sleeping on the ground, tired of being dirty, and just plain tired. I helped Anna off her horse, took her in my arms, and hugged her tight giving her a big kiss in the process. “One more night of...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 16

I left Tomas alone for a few days. He went to the village and rode along the river with Jesus and others he’d picked from the files. He was getting a feel for the land where he was going to be responsible for growing crops. The day before the election, Tomas asked to see me after breakfast. I asked Clara to send a coffee service up to the terrace and Tomas followed me upstairs. We sat down at a table enjoying the early morning sunshine. As I poured our coffees I asked Tomas what was on his...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 17

We all rode out after breakfast the next morning. The half day ride was quick. We all saw the Estancia through George’s eyes, as he talked about what a change there had been since his last trip north along the Camino Real. Crossing the river just before noon, we rode up the slope and I discovered that this was the first time he’d seen the Hacienda in all its glory. We gave the horses over to the cousins, after pulling our weapons and saddle bags off. Anna and I led George through the...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 15

“¡Juan! ¡El hombre malo!” I yelled as Tom and I walked into his office the next morning. “¡Dios Mio!” he exclaimed. “You startled me,” he said shaking his finger at us before reaching for a towel to clean up the small amount of ink he’d spilled on the countertop. “It’s good to see both of you again. Let me put these books up and we can talk.” Tom and I busied ourselves getting coffee before sitting down at the small table. Juan grabbed his coffee off the counter and joined us. “So, my...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 17

Before going to bed, Tom and I worked on the mortar shells in the den. “Paul are you sure this is going to work?” Tom asked skeptically, as he applied hide glue around the brass sides at the bottom of the 12-gauge shotgun shell. “It should work just fine, at least for the shotgun shells, Tom. The tricky part of all this is the caps in the top of the shells.” Squinting, I focused my mind on dabbing just a little hide glue on the percussion cap before sticking it inside the plunger cap and...

Robledo MountainChapter 32

Tom, Giuseppe and I were relaxing after lunch while we waited for the ladies to arrive. A little after one o’clock, one of the cousins came into the camp telling us that wagons from Las Cruces were on their way. I thanked him, and the three of us went up to the slope, where we used our monoculars to watch the wagons. There were ten heavily laden wagons about a mile away moving slowly up the road. With a groan I said, “My back is already starting to hurt, just thinking about unloading those...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 4

Standing at the terrace railing with a light breeze blowing from the north while sipping a fresh cup of coffee the next morning, I watched the gaggle head down the slope before breaking into their separate groups. Giuseppe and Sofia with their escort of three of the cousins headed off towards the site of yesterday’s ambush. Tom and Yolanda rode out to practice shooting, while Miguel and the cousins led their group of farmers across the river to begin another day of Apache training. My mind...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 6

We slept in a little later than usual the next morning. While late, we could have joined everyone for breakfast, but Anna had other ideas. She remembered my warning that we’d be missing both soft beds and hot water for the next month or longer. Rolling over on top of me, she said she wanted one more memory of a nice soft bed before we showered. Eventually we made it to the shower and enjoyed the hot water. After a good breakfast, we loaded up the horses and mules, and double checked our...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 11

I sat at the picnic table on the patio looking out at the nightly spectacle of glorious colors as the sun set behind Picacho Peak. A song with a snappy beat wafted softly over the outside speakers hidden in rose bushes climbing up both sides of the patio on their trellises reaching for the roof. I couldn’t quite make out the words to the song, but it was very familiar. If I didn’t know better, I’d believe I was actually back in my twenty-first century home. But I did know better. “You’ve...

Refuge Robledo Mountain 2Chapter 14

After breakfast, the next morning, we all went our separate ways. The Padre, Yolanda, and Sofia were taking her kids to school while Alejandro went out to visit his cousins on the upper plateau. He was a little sad to see the others leaving but brightened up when Anna said he would be starting school in a few days and would go with them in the mornings. Tom and Giuseppe went off to check the dams and the quarry. I told Cristina we were going to be using the study most of the day and asked her...

Railroad Robledo Mountain 4Chapter 6

I shared my dream with Anna the next morning before we got out of bed. She agreed with Dream Laura’s thoughts on both JT and ‘the Boss’, which didn’t really surprise me as I’d noticed before how alike their thought processes were. While Anna showered, dressed, and left to check on JJ, I sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, and tried to meditate, something I’d never really been all that good at. Maybe I was trying too hard or perhaps I was just too rusty, but a half-hour later, I gave...

Porn Trends