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soil, then planted onions, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, peas, zucchini, and yellow squash. She only planted one pot of each of the last two, because she had read that summer squash doesn’t preserve well.
    A sense of satisfaction made her smile when the first tiny seedlings appeared. I need to find someone who raises rabbits and see if I can get some bunny poop for fertilizer, and before these are ready to harvest, I need to get acquainted with that canner.
    She purchased a large quantity of stout fencing sufficient to enclose the yard and build a pen for a few goats, with barbed wire on the top, which would hopefully keep bears out. Uncle Ernie had included two Henry milkers in the stash, and Erin was eager to try them out.
    She had lunch a couple of times with Lydia Clark, and despite the difference in their ages, the two were quickly becoming good friends. On her trips to town, Erin was careful to watch for the troublemakers, but she saw no sign of them. She didn’t run into Tanner, either, which disappointed her.
    ***
     
    In early May, Jen invited Erin to come to Tulsa for a few days for a visit. The four friends met for dinner at a little Italian restaurant, and Erin was surprised to see that Valerie had lost weight and gotten her blonde hair cropped really short.
    “Val, you look great. Is there a man behind this transformation?” Erin teased.
    Valerie’s face burned hot pink. “As a matter of fact, yes. We’ve been out a few times, and well, I’m definitely interested.”
    “That pixie cut makes your eyes look huge. It’s a cute style for you,” Sarah commented.
    Enjoying the company and the meal, the friends caught up on each other’s news and joked about Erin becoming a country hick. “I like it,” she admitted. “The solitude, the quiet sounds of nature, the fresh air. When I need human contact, I go to town or visit the neighbors. I go to church and have gotten to know several people there. I have plenty to do, with my container garden and learning about the region. It’s a good fit for me. Now, when are you coming down for a dip in that spring-fed pool?”
    ***
     
    Jen was off work the next day, so she and Erin spent the morning shopping. For lunch, they got sandwiches and pastries from a shop near Utica Square, then drove to Woodward Park for an impromptu picnic.
    “This is something I’ve missed, living in the country. Grabbing take-out from any one of several places, I mean.”
    “Are you really happy, living in the middle of nowhere? I kinda envy you sometimes, but then I think about all the things you gave up, and I wonder.”
    “Things I gave up, like traffic jams, noise, and crowds, you mean?” Erin chuckled. “Yes, it’s a big change, but it’s worth it. Besides, when the zombie apocalypse comes, you’ll have somewhere to run to.”
    “I know you mostly edit books about various worst-case scenarios, but do you really think that something horrible could happen?”
    “‘Not ‘could’ happen. ‘Will’ happen. I have been reading and researching a lot lately, and I am convinced that Uncle Ernie was right. History is full of disasters, like wars, tsunamis, pandemics, earthquakes. Governments are overthrown and economies collapse fairly often, in the overall scheme of things. I don’t believe in zombies, to tell the truth, but haven’t you noticed the bad stuff that is going on? Terrorism, crime, unemployment, the stock market’s volatility, illegal immigrants, and racial division? It seems like we are teetering on the edge of a cliff, and it might not take much to push us over the brink. So few people are prepared for even a small crisis. Uncle Ernie tried for years to convince me to be prepared, but it took his death to make me take it seriously”
    Jen considered that for a few moments, “I hadn’t thought much about it, I guess, until just recently. I hate to dwell on the negative, but just the hint of a little bad weather does cause panicky people to rush