WHO: Nora & Harley WHEN: May, before the animal attack. WHERE: Interior of Newhalem, farming area. SUMMARY:Just two farmers getting to know each other. STATUS: In progress. WARNINGS: None?
The past week had been a busy one. The first few crops had been planted - potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes. Solid and hearty, they should grow fairly easily in this environment and this time of year, provided they had the right care, sunlight and watering. That, among a few other things, would be Nora’s priority for the remainder of the summer months; and she was taking it very seriously. After all, food was not something to be taken lightly; especially now that the community seemed to be steadily growing in it’s numbers.
As the weeks passed, Nora sought out comfort in the familiar - the steady routine of farming was a blessing, after so many months of being on high alert, surrounded by the unstable environment living on the road. Her friendships as well had been a comfort she didn’t hesitate to lean into. Manny, Jazmin, Attie; and now Alita - who, although she was quite younger than Nora, was very pleasant company and Nora appreciated her youthful perspective on things. It kept her from getting too serious.
Nora had offered her help as much as she could to the families that needed it - whether that was bringing food to those that were newly settling in, or just checking in to see how people were doing. She made a few batches of herbal remedies for topical things like scrapes and small cuts; as well as teas for those that were having trouble sleeping and relaxing. But when it came to more serious injuries she left that to the medics at camp. Plants were a vast resource for both food and healing, but nothing quite beat antibiotics and pharmaceutical pain killers when that was what someone truly needed.
Today was unusually warm for this time of the year, but Nora wasn’t too concerned quite yet. If it came down to it, she could find a way to get more water for the crops if the heat didn’t let up in the next few days.
Glancing out at the field, Nora caught sight of a figure she didn’t quite recognize. Ever the welcoming sort (and perhaps too curious at times for her own good), she wandered out toward the large field to see who he was.
“I haven’t met you yet,” she called out with a friendly smile as she approached him, tilting her head upward. He was tall, but then again so were most people to Nora, who stood at only 5’4”.
“I’m Nora.” Then, just as she extended her hand out to shake his, a rumble of thunder rippled through the sky. She tipped her head upwards as the first few heavy drops of rain began to tumble down. Obviously, this was a good thing for the crops; but less so for Nora who hadn’t exactly dressed warmly or planned for a sudden downpour.