Footing outside the lodge was treacherous. The good news was the freezing rain had not been prolonged, and very few branches were down as a result, but the ice under the six inches of snow created a deceitfully slippery subsurface. Jed tread cautiously as he made his way to the woodpile, grabbed an armload of logs, and worked his way back in the door. Since the wind died down, it wasn’t as cold, with the thermometer hovering at five degrees. On his second trip, he took the bucket full of hickory nut shells and spread them on the path to the woodpile. They helped a bit, but he still had to be cautious. To break a leg or sprain an ankle could be a death sentence at these temperatures. For sure, he would be staying close to the lodge.
Lizzie experimented with the acorn flour she had so painstakingly ground. It was grainy and nothing like wheat flour, but she was determined to be creative. The end result she fried on a griddle like pancakes. The pancakes turned out more like hard tortillas than pancakes, but with some of the blueberry preserves she had made in the summer, Jed liked them; it was all the confirmation Lizzie needed. Her love for Jed seemed to grow stronger every day. She longed to be able to express herself, but she knew she had to wait. It seemed all her life was about waiting!
Jed and Lizzie had just finished eating lunch when Jed heard an airplane in the distance. Instantly, he ran out the door, not even thinking to put on a coat. He slipped and fell hard, but was up quickly. An airplane was coming their way, but it wasn’t a float plane, nor did it have skis. Jed knew it couldn’t land, but he waved both arms above his head, hoping he would be seen. The pilot waggled his wings and kept on flying. Feeling the cold now that the excitement was over, Jed made his way, shivering, back into the lodge. Whether or not the pilot would report their presence, he had no idea, but for the first time in a long time he had hope. It might be only December second, but being discovered would be the best Christmas present he could ask for, and he didn’t even mind if it came early.
Impulsively, Jed picked Lizzie up in his arms and danced her around the room.