Abandoned - Aspenglow - Story 35

[Abandoned]

  It is a tasty sounding combination, perfect for in front of the fireplace on a winter evening. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 17


  In late spring of year 17 we were again short of potatoes and beeswax.  Land was being cleared across the river for more apple trees and beehives.  As soon as the beehives were moved there, coverings were built to protect them from the snow.  We traded for more beeswax and potatoes when Alfredric returned to port again.

  By late summer the first sleigh was finally filled and the second one only needed candles.  We were relieved because it meant that more food would be available in storage for us to use before it was all taken too the sleighs.  Our food surplus had been dropping although it was still high.  We headed out to the woods to collect wild foods before more snow and colder temperatures arrived.

  The children enjoyed those heavier autumn snowfalls and had a new group of snowmen, with an assortment of colorful scarves, built before the snow stopped falling.  The smell of fresh baked bread from the Monastery behind the school filled the air. The monks were sorry but they could not possibly get another monk in the kitchen to bake more bread, there were already 4 of them in the small kitchen.  The four of them baked a lot of bread in that kitchen.  Instead another monk went to work at the Guild making venison sausages.

  Our supply of iron was also low at that time and the surface iron was some distance from town, too far to go in the cold and snow.  The iron that was closest was gathered and two workers returned to the abandoned shed to scavenge for whatever iron, stone, and logs they could find there.  Our supply of iron and food improved by the end of the year.

[brads3]

1 thing i do is start the 1st building in a chain a year before the other.gives then time to build a surplus to keep the other buildings supplied. like the apple beekeeker a year before the candle maker or a mill a year before the bakery,etc.

[Abandoned]

I had a nice surplus of beeswax before I built the first candle maker.  I added more workers to candle makers, we need a lot of candles in a short amount of time, now we need more beeswax.  Unless you have other grain, bannies will use surplus of flour before it gets to bakery so building right after mill insures some flour gets there. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 18


By early spring another bakery was built by the greenhouses and mill.  We had more flour on hand than was needed by the Christmas cookie baker.  It was not long before a loaf of herb bread was warming on the hearth.

  By spring the second sleigh was full and the elves that filled it were free to work elsewhere.  The third sleigh only needed candles.  There was cheese and sausage in storage for everyone's use and everyone had a nice assortment of foods at home in their pantries.  The two Yule Taps had a nice stock of mulled wine.

  By late summer the monks at the monastery across the river had the sleigh filled with the required number of Holy Books and candles.  There were 21 books and a pair of candles for each.  A special warehouse building was built across from the monastery to store any additional books they made.  If the river boatman heard of anyone with another place of worship that needed one he would know where he could get one.  The next book that was made would go to the chapel by the goat keepers and another would be needed for the chapel that was being built in the forester's settlement.  Since it was built so close to Christmas, it was named Nativity Chapel.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 19


  Year 19 began much the same as every other year, keeping an eye on firewood and food supplies.  The supply of iron was low so our 2 miners began bringing out iron instead of coal from the mine.  They would switch back to coal mining when the monks needed it for their books.

In early summer the temperature inched up towards the freezing mark but we were glad it didn't make it.  We much preferred a snow storm than an ice storm but it was a cold damp snow that chilled one to the bone.  Fearing colds and fevers the monks built a herb healer near the education center.  The storm brought no illnesses but it did bring down a lot of branches.  As soon as clean up was done, another Christmas tree appeared, this one in front of the main Monastery.  It was beginning to feel more like Christmas every day.  Children were being good and asking about Santa and adults were humming or whistling Christmas songs.  Merry Christmas greetings could be heard all around town.

  Alfredric came to port again with more potatoes and was most grateful for the gift of a few baked potatoes and gingerbread cookies.  He took wild honey in exchange for the potatoes.  We got no beeswax from the wild bees and the candy maker had plenty of honey from our hives.  We did not need to trade for anymore beeswax since our last sleigh was almost filled.  The items for the care packages would be ready for Santa to pick up and deliver very soon.

[Gatherer]

I hope Kid didn't forget to add a deco Santa in this year's Christmas mod.

[kid1293]

  Next year... I didn't think of a deco Santa.

[Abandoned]

  Santa was a little to busy to pose for deco, he's been looking for his hat.  I think @Gatherer has it 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 20


  In early spring of year 20 a 2nd fishing pier was built across the river.  When the fisherman assigned there wanted houses close by, it was brought to our attention that we had 65 families but only 55 homes.  Our goal was to build houses for all the families before Christmas, and since the last candles were added to Santa's sleigh the monks suggested we now make a dozen candles for every household in Aspenglow.  Twelve candles times 65 houses equaled 780 more candles to make before Christmas.

  A third candlemaker was build along the wall near the education center and a special stone  warehouse was built there too by the cemetery for those candles.  When Alfredric returns we would trade for more beeswax to insure we would not run out and fail to have the candles made in time. 

  In spring, 7 nomads arrived cold, hungry, and exhausted.  Like the others who came from the highlands, they had seen the monastery tower from a distance and headed this way with hope and renewed strength.  They had enough of the cold and snow and were headed farther south, they would not stay with us.  They spent a few days in the boarding house with warm beds and hot food before heading south in the direction of Smallville with the supplies we gave them.

  Alfredric returned and we traded warm coats and leather for potatoes and beeswax and the chestnuts that he had.  We would have chestnuts roasting on an open fire for Christmas.  We would need more firewood, our supply had dropped.   We added a 3rd worker to the woodcutter in town and set out to collect branches.  There were 3 places we always made sure to collect branches before winter, the goat keepers settlement, across the river by the book-making monastery, and south of town where a lot of branches could always be found in the aspen grove.  It had been 20 years since we came through that grove from Smallville.

[Gatherer]

Santa was a little to busy to pose for deco, he's been looking for his hat.  I think @Gatherer has it 

I deny everything!


One of the reindeers must have ate it!

[Abandoned]

  We have pictures  add another lump of coal to Santa's sack 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 21


  When the group of highlanders headed south through that grove of aspens after seeing the monastery tower and finding their way to Aspenglow, the monks wondered how many others were out there that did not see the tower.  Several nights in a row there was the flicker of candlelight seen in their chapel windows.

  As always, the laborers and builders were made available to help the monks in anyway they could.  The monks understood the priorities of those workers.  By early spring of year 21, the monks had an area along the river behind the Monastery cleared of trees, branches, and wild foods.  The foundation was laid for some unknown project of their own.   Whatever it was they planned to build, it required a lot of stone and left the town in short supply.

  We noticed our supply of tools were also dwindling.  Although we had logs and iron, neither was close enough to the tiny workshop in town.  The workers were called away from the monk's building project to cut trees near the town stockpile and to gather stone and branches.  They also constructed a blacksmith across the river by the mine that was still producing iron.  Construction of the needed houses continued.  Earlier in the year 61 of the 65 houses were completed and there were 207 of the 780 candles in the warehouse, however the town continued to grow, there were more families that wanted homes which meant more houses and more candles.  By late winter there were 70 families, we needed to build 2 more homes and 840 candles would be needed.  The warehouse had 476 candles at year's end.

[Abandoned]

  Thank you @Gatherer for Santa's Hat


Edit - here is avatar pictures before and after Santa's Hat for Christmas.

[Gatherer]