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married pretty much since the dinosaurs roamed these parts.  He was just never the same without her.  He went from being a friendly ol' coot like me to being a cantankerous ol' hermit.  Still, it doesn't seem like him to pop a shot off at someone though, unless they earned it of course.  I guess I just haven't given much thought as to how he must be gettin' by out there by himself since the collapse.  I feel like I owe it to him to go and check on him.  For ol' times sake."
    "Well, we would be glad to escort you out there," Jason said.
    "I don't need no damn escort!  I'm not helpless!  I just need someone to ride shotgun," snapped Ollie,
    "Oliver!  Mind your manners!" interrupted Mildred
    "You're right Dear," he sheepishly replied.  "I'm sorry boys.  There has just been a lot to digest lately and I let it get to me."
    "Don't worry about it Sir," replied Jason.  "We would be glad to ride shotgun for you."
    "OK, let's not get all mushy here, back to business.  So other than those two, what are we looking at as far as this barter system goes?  Who's got what?" Ollie said changing the subject.
    Evan dug a piece of paper out of his pocket and began to sift through what was written on it.  "Well, you have cattle.  We have offered up security services as well as pick-up and delivery services for anyone who doesn't feel comfortable traveling right now to make their trades.  This of course requires payment in fuel to make the delivery, as well as some extra for our use back at the Homefront, or possibly a small share of the load.  The Brooks Farm has general vegetables and such for trade.  That could come in handy for lots of folks.  The Dean's still have their dairy up and running to feed themselves, but say they can ramp things up to produce butter and some basic cheese products.  They can also produce milk, but aren't quite sure if the logistics of delivery would work out.  Jimmie Lewis has been the local moonshiner around here for a while and has a stockpile of shine.  He says he can fire it up and produce more if he can get the corn and sugar, but what he has will last a while.  Even for the people who don't drink, it could be used for an antiseptic or cleaner."
    "Or dragster fuel," added Jason jokingly.
    "Yea, you joke but you're not that far off base.  That stuff can be used for all kinds of things," replied Evan.   The Skidmores have chickens and pigs to trade.  Lloyd Smith says his family will start breeding some of their egg laying chickens soon and will have plenty of extra eggs.  He also has a good-sized garden and his wife is into canning, so he says they can also trade canned produce for winter use.  Bill Duncan used to grow tobacco, but switched to corn this season.  He says he has a bunch ground up into corn meal."
    "That's it for food, but that's a good start," Evan continued.  "Other than food and our services, William Bailey has offered woodworking and carpentry services.  He also has an old saw mill he can use to rip logs into boards.  Charlie Blanchard owned the hardware store in Del Rio.  He says he has a bunch of various nuts, bolts, nails, screws, tape, wire, and such that he could use for trade items.  His brother Toby Blanchard has a junk yard of sorts with cars, equipment, appliances, and more.  He said all of that could be used for parts and pieces for trade.  Linda Cox had an alterations shop, so she has all of the fabrics and threads needed to make and or repair clothing.  And last but not least is Daryl Moses.  He's been into frontier days reenactment stuff with old muzzleloaders, long bows, animal traps, and stuff like that.  He got so into it and wanted to be so correct to the period that he started making black powder from scratch, the old way, using a mixture of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.  He was into flintlock muskets, so he makes it in FFG and FFFG grades."
    "That could be some handy stuff, added Jason.  "Heck you could reload old hi-capacity case