After watching the Meders finish off the butter, then carry the trays into a room they referred to as their ice house, Adam and Shiloh were invited to the house where Mrs. Meder and her daughter prepared lunch.
“Adam, how’s your Pa? Is he still loud and bossy?” asked Mr. Meder.
Grinning, Adam said, “He’s fine. Marie got him to soften his voice in the house, but when he’s out directing work he’s still just as loud and bossy.”
“Well, good. You have to be that way for your men to respect you. And what about you, Adam? Your voice is deep as your Pa’s.” Shiloh chuckled. “Well, missy, do you have an opinion?”
Shiloh stiffened, wondering if she had done something to offend the man, but when she looked up and saw the sparkle in his eyes, she smiled warmly. “He can be just as loud and bossy as his father.”
“Mr. Meder, do you remember Shiloh?” asked Adam. “She was about seven when you were at the Ponderosa.”
“Is this Amos’s daughter?” Shiloh blushed. Looking back at Adam, Moses said, “So you were just waiting for her to grow up?”
“They all do,” said Adam, laughing.
“Say, did you ever get out to Boston to go to that college you were always talking about?”
“Yes, sir. I studied architecture and engineering.”
“Well, you were the one always coming up with ideas for the ranch. Were you able to do any of ‘em?”
“Quite a few.”
“While you’re learning how to run a creamery, maybe you can keep an eye out for things we can do to improve things around here. Sarah was the one with the idea to start all this. I was just getting too old to be building lumber mills, and this way, I’m not away from home. It’s not real hard work either. You just got to do it all at just the right time. And the way I hear Virginia City is growing, you should have all the customers you need.”
Mrs. Meder and Angeline placed serving dishes on the table, and took their places. After grace was said, Angeline handed the bread and butter to Adam. “You and Shiloh should taste this. This is what you two will learn to make.”
Mrs. Meder set a plate of cheese next to Shiloh. “This, too. Shiloh, do you remember us?”
“Honestly Mrs. Meder, I’m afraid I don’t remember many things that happened before Micah died.”
“Oh, Mama, Papa, I didn’t tell you. Adam said he died about two years after we left.”
“Oh child,” said Mrs. Meder, taking Shiloh’s hand. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Hoping to get past the topic quickly, Adam added, “Amos died a little over a year ago, just before Shiloh came home from college.”
Mr. and Mrs. Meder glanced at each other, then looked apologetically at Shiloh. “Did I just hear Adam say you went to college, too?” asked Mr. Meder.
Taking a deep breath, Shiloh forced a smile. “Yes, I did. It was Adam’s idea for me to go.”
“And she did well. She took some business courses so she would be able to run the ranch, and she took music courses. She plays the piano beautifully,” said Adam proudly.
Shiloh cut her eyes toward him and gave him a half smile that had Adam smiling back in relief.
“So you want to start a creamery? Will this be for the Ponderosa or the Flying W?”
“Actually, I was thinking of a partnership between the two ranches.”
“You won’t merge them now?”
“No, they’ll stay separate. Shiloh built the Flying W ranch back up to where it was before Amos took ill. In fact, she increased the ranch holdings and revived the horse business. It will keep the Whitney name,” explained Adam.
“I remember how Amos fussed over those horses. I think he liked those horses more than he liked people.”
“Shiloh is just as fussy, and sometimes I think she prefers her horses to most people,” said Adam, looking over at Shiloh with an amused grin.
When she looked back with raised eyebrows, Moses said, “You better watch out there, Adam. Doesn’t look like she lets you get away with much.” Shiloh laughed.
“Well, she does try,” said Adam, laughing with her.
“Angeline is going to show you two how to make the butter and the cheese. We make butter and cheese from the same milk, and what’s left, the whey, goes to the pigs, so nothing is wasted,” said Moses. “Except for any of the buttermilk we don’t use or give away. We only sell the buttermilk we make just before it’s shipped. It doesn’t keep long enough to hold it in the ice house from the early batches.”
Mrs. Meder took Shiloh’s hand again. “I hold a little of the whey back. If you use it when you make your bread in place of water, it will make your bread softer.”
Shiloh cocked her head and smiled. “Really? I’ll have to try that.”
After lunch, Angeline took Adam and Shiloh back to the cheese house where the skimmed milk from the morning’s butter making was waiting. “We can only get this milk through part of the process. It will stand overnight, and then be used tomorrow. Today, we’ll finish with the milk from yesterday.”
By the time Angeline had shown them how to go from making the curd to pressing and storing the cheese, it was early evening. “Now when you do this a few times, it won’t take as long. If you have someone doing this for you, you’ll want to make sure they do all these steps properly or you won’t have anything at the end but a pile of mush.”
Shiloh looked around the part of the cheese house where the aging cheese was stored. “This is an awful lot of cheese. How do you know which is ready to sell?”
“We use these numbered wooden blocks,” she said, picking up one of the blocks off a shelf of cheese. “The high numbers go with the most recently made cheese. The lower numbers go with the older cheese. Every time we add a new batch of cheese, the blocks get moved. These bandages wrapped around the cheese get changed every day until they’re dry, and then the cheese sits until a rind is formed, usually about two to three weeks. After that we dip them in wax. And that’s how they’re shipped,” she added, finishing her explanation as she walked with them to the house.
That evening at the dinner table, the subject was cheese. “Adam, what do you think? Is cheese making something you think you’ll want to do?” asked Moses.
“I don’t think learning the process will be the hard part. Designing the buildings we’ll need with the right equipment and the correct temperatures might be a challenge. You have some fairly steady weather here on the coast, but we run hot and cold in the Sierra.”
“I’ll make sure you have a list of all the equipment we use here along with the holding temperatures you’ll need for each building. Shiloh, what do you think?”
Shiloh had been lost in thought, going over and over in her head what they had done so she wouldn’t forget it before she could write it down. “I’m sorry, what did you ask?”
“What do you think?”
She smiled. “Anytime I get to learn something new is always a treat for me. But there’s a lot to remember. I’m going to write it down so I’ll have it to refer to.”
“Well, you two will have a full day tomorrow again,” said Angeline. “I’ll show you the first part of the process tomorrow morning…making the butter. And I’ll show you how to make the rennet.”
“Rennet?” said Shiloh.
“That’s what we added to the milk to make the curds. It’s part of the stomach of a calf or kid.”
Shiloh’s face filled with concern. “You kill a calf for its stomach?”
Seeing the anxiety on her face, Moses answered. “Yes and no. We’ve never had to kill a healthy animal just for its stomach. There’s usually a few that just don’t survive. They’re weak from birth and never gain any strength. Those are the ones we use for the rennet.”
After the meal, Shiloh excused herself to the bedroom where she took out her journal and pencil and started writing everything she could remember about the day.
Adam and Moses had retreated to the front porch for the evening, and were enjoying coffee that Mrs. Meder had brought out. “Adam, I hope we didn’t upset Shiloh too much about the calves.”
“Mr. Meder, she’s lived on a ranch all her life. She knows animals die and why. She’s fine.”
“Son, you’re not a young boy anymore…you’re a man. Call me Moses,” he said just before he blew a smoke ring from the last pull from his pipe.
Adam smiled. “I noticed you only use a couple of breeds for the dairy cattle. Is there a reason for that?”
“Among our herd, we’re finding that certain breeds produce milk longer than others. But I wouldn’t worry about that until you get going. The milk of any breed will do. What do you run on the Ponderosa?”
Chuckling, Adam said, “We started with anything we could get our hands on, but in the last ten years or so we’ve brought Longhorns and Herefords up from Texas. I don’t see us using any of those for dairy cows. They’re too valuable as beef.”
“You know, they’ve started raising cattle just for dairy back East. Don’t have any idea how long it’ll take to come out here, but in the meantime, we’re doing just fine with the ones we’ve got. What about crops? Do you do any farming now?”
“We grow enough to support the herd and ourselves and the ranch hands.”
“Corn?”
Knowing where Moses was going, Adam smiled and answered, “We’ve started adding some corn as feed. We grow around ten acres of corn right now.”
“Good. Add that to the hay you give the dairy cows. Makes a difference in the milk. You’ll have to keep ‘em close to the dairy ‘cause they’ll have to be milked every day.”
Adam and Shiloh worked the next day with Angeline, learning how to make butter and how to make rennet. Adam thought the rennet would be difficult for Shiloh; not because of the calf, but rather the hands on explanation of which of the stomachs would be used. When Angeline gave her the knife, and she went right to work separating and slicing, he laughed to himself. She had said at Jim’s that there was a lot about her he didn’t know. He was beginning to understand what she meant.
You know, some people thought this one is the worst of them all…kind of a fantasy that never would have happened. I don’t know about that. All these places really did exist back then. The Lick House was real and accurately described, the Cliff House and the beach, too. And Santa Cruz in the mid-1800s was the way I described it. The Meders were real, and so was their dairy. In fact a couple of those buildings are still there. Thomas Maquire and his opera house in San Francisco and VC were real. Even the San Francisco mayors I have in the stories were all real. This one’s a story back, but Eliza Biscaciante was real and her story was real. She eventually regained her popularity in South America (from Adam’s encouragement, of course!), but she was singing in Gentlemen’s Clubs in San Francisco for drinks at one point. I love working history into my stories.
I suppose my favorite part of all of this was their time on the beach. I’ve been to that very beach, but it’s not a little hideaway any longer…it’s got quite a surfing crowd these days. But the description of the creek coming off the bluff down through the woods is true as well as the small pool of water on the beach. And you can get stuck on that beach at high tide. The cliffs are so high, you can’t climb out. You either have to swim around the points or you have to wait for the tide to go back out. A lot did happen in this one, but as I said, I think this one is my favorite of them all.
Thanks so much, Marie. I think you have just a little ways to go to the end of this one.
I was in a lot of pain last weekend so I didn’t get to finish it. I’ve been busy all week so I’m looking forward to figuring out where I left off. I love this story. I’m loving the entire series! I love long long stories and a series to boot? What more could I ask for! Okay, off to figure out where I left off before I hurt my back last weekend. 🙂
~ A great way to start a new beginning! I look forward to reading each chapter and commenting about them as I read them. 🙂 I just love this couple!
~ Poor Shiloh, she doesn’t do well on those stage coaches. I don’t think I would have either! I just can’t imagine having to travel via a stage coach to get anywhere. I’m glad they arrived at Sacramento safe and sound…Who is this mysterious man?
~ What an opulent hotel, Adam. Presidential Suite? Very impressive indeed! Who was the gent inquiring about them that didn’t want to identify himself? Hmmmm
~ Adam was very adamant about not letting Shiloh sing even if it was for just one night. I can’t blame him though, they’re on their honeymoon! Somehow I don’t think Shiloh will be in that beautiful nightgown and robe too long after breakfast is over. 😉
~ Oh snap! That witch, Natalie Peterson and Will! I just knew he was the “mystery man”. Those two…ooooooh, this is going to get GOOD! LOL
~ Who is this mysterious thug? No doubt a hinchman for Will. I was hoping Adam would get him and show him a thing or two. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him, Will, or that nasty Natalie.
~ I sure would have loved to been at dinner! The food sounded divine. Is Adam and Shiloh moving to SFO? I must keep reading! 🙂
~ I don’t like this Daniel guy. Not respecting the institution of marriage. I think he has a thing for Shiloh. He’s trouble indeed!
~ What is that no good Daniel up to? It seems the whole world is after poor Shiloh. First it’s Will, Natalie and the mystery man, now Daniel. Somehow I think their honeymoon is going to be a firestorm!
~ It’s almost like she saw a ghost! Who…or what did she see? The plot thickens. 😮
~ Shiloh is so good to go along with Adam, even though these types of events are what she despises the most. She’s such a trooper. The mayor’s wife was so excited to see they had a celebrity in the house, however, she was quite rude to drag her around like a rag doll. Poor Shiloh. Oh boy, the well just got deep! Will is going to make it tough for Adam and his new firm. I know Adam will work it out. Don’t mess with a Cartwright, buddy! That darn Peterson woman…I can just see her body language now; like she’s got the upper hand and she’s going to make Shiloh’s life a living hell. rrrrr
~ Well, the mayor’s reception went well….Cartwrights 1, Will and Natalie, 0. ROTFL
~ What a powerful chapter. How stupid is Will? I mean to come to the hotel where Adam and Shiloh are staying and make such a scene. Did he think it would end well for him? Now the hotel has his face and he will be escorted out if he tries to step in again. I can’t wait to see what Natalie has up here sleeve. I almost feel sorry for her, though…Natalie, that is…She’s just a pawn in this scheme. I’m not sure if she wants Will or if she wants Adam, but she’s a sad lost soul; I pity her.
~ How cute was this chapter. I loved the “escort” Shiloh had for the banquet hall and the “password”. Pretty clever of shiloh to come up with something only Adam would know. I loved their banter at the breakfast table. Too cute!
~ How sweet are Mary and Harold? The seawall thing was so fun! I don’t think I would want to do it in the dead of winter but it might be something fun to share with your beloved in the summer! I loved this chapter!
~ The Alta California is nothing but a sleazy rag paper. On the front page no doubt. I wonder how much money Will paid them to run that article. He’s such a sleaze bag. I sure hope Shiloh does not find out about this; she’ll be heartbroken thinking she’s caused all of this drama for Adam. What she doesn’t know is if you mess with the Cartwrights, you’re messing with a mighty empire nobody can defend against.
~ What a lighthearted chapter. It was so good to see Shiloh smile and be childlike again. I was so sorry Adam couldn’t fully enjoy it with her. 🙁 I hope she is able to get him to feel the inner child he never got to experience. I was just glad they were finally free of all the drama which had encapsulated them in SFO. I just wonder if there is not drama around the bend….
~ Will is a scoundrel! Thank goodness the mayor sees through his stupidness and told him to keep his personal life out of his professional one. I have a sneaking suspicion good ole Will is going to amp it up a notch to try and discredit Adam with not only SFO but with Shiloh, too! Spec, Spec, Spec…She’s a character! I love that girl! ROTFL
~ Sounds like they’re finally going to be able to have the honeymoon they were expecting. The little town they are going to visit sounds delightful. The thought of Shiloh getting kidnapped by Will…makes me shiver.
~ Okay, I don’t know if I was stone cold drunk would I try a fried grasshopper. LOL but wow, that was too funny! The food sounded fantastic, however, I don’t do any seafood or fish, but I do love empanadas! Loved seeing them having such a great time in Spanishtown, even if the jerk who’s following them showed up.
~ What is Daniel up to and what does he want with Will? Those two along with Natalie; a deadly combo. 🙁 Shiloh seeing Micah? What?? Oh poor thing. She wants so much for her brother to be alive. :'(
~ I feel so bad for them, they can’t seem to catch a break on the drama left behind at SFO. Hopefully their time in Santa Cruz will be more enjoyable. The clipper ship sounded lovely.
~ Shiloh’s so cute. She’s a feisty thing and Adam has her hands full. I can understand her frustration with Adam not being forthright about the accusations Will thrusted upon him trying to get the Mayor to take away the contract for the courthouse, but at the same time I see Adam’s point, why burden her with the nonsense when he knew there was no merit to it and the mayor dismissed Will’s claim? She has so much already on her plate and what purpose would it serve her for him to tell her about Will’s ridiculous attempts to try and hurt him and the new company he is with.
~ What a great chapter. It seems maybe they should have gone to Santa Cruz for their honeymoon instead and just let everyone think they were going to San Francisco. LOL Loved how she got a bit tipsy again. Very cute! “Liar,” she said. ROTFL Loved it!
~Somehow I don’t think Shiloh’s to keen on learning the ropes of a dairy farm. LOL She did seem to enjoy the trip to the Meder farm though. 🙂
~ Interesting on how they made cheese and butter back then. I don’t think I like the whole rennent thing though. 🙁 Thank goodness I wasn’t born back in the 19th century or on a farm. I’m too much of a city girl! LOL
~ Why do I feel something is going to happen while they’re camping? Sounds blissful though…If you like camping and fishing. Seems it’s right up Shiloh’s alley!
~ I think Adam may have trouble getting Shiloh to leave their little private slice of heaven. I loved this chapter. I’m glad everything is going so well…for now. 😉
~ Shame on you, Adam Cartwright, for making Shiloh…no forcing her to face her fear of the water the way you did. He needs to realize you have to slowly let someone adjust to a fear. Help them in a safe environment. He’s lucky it didn’t backfire on him and her fear become worse when she was knocked about by the wave that took her under. I’m a good swimmer and that’s happened to me on more than one occasion and it’s scary as heck! Oh, Adam, I’m not happy with you. 🙁 Thank goodness Shiloh is strong and is willing to try it again.
~ My heart stopped when Adam called for Shiloh and she didn’t answer. I thought I can only imagine the fear that set in to him as he called her and no answer came. I can breathe again.
~ Ick…I don’t know if I would want to wake up to raccoons, skunks, and rabbits in my camp. LOL
~ Awe, I wonder if she is pregnant. She’ll make a great mom. She just doesn’t know it yet. 🙂
~ I never thought Ben would be such a “traditionalist” not wanting to move The Ponderosa forward. I can see how that would frustrate Adam. He’ll have to use his ingenuity at the Flying W.
~ I hope she’s not going to have issues having children. They’ll both make great parents. I kind of hope she is with child. 🙂
~ This poor couple haven’t had much of a honeymoon when they’ve been in the city. I guess that’s why Shiloh enjoyed the beach and Santa Cruz so much. Nobody knew them and most of all, they were away from Will!
~ Wow! What a great ending! Such a great opportunity for both Adam, Shiloh, and both ranches to be involved with the railroad. I know it was hard for Shiloh to have Adam sign the contracts instead of her now that she was married to him. I’m glad those times have changed! While I still am somewhat of a traditionalist at heart, I believe a woman can stand firmly on her own and share equally in a marriage partnership. It seems Shiloh and I think a lot alike. 🙂
Looking forward to the next story in the series!
Thanks for such a sweet tender story. I hope we get to see Will and his sidekick again. I love seeing them make fools of themselves. LOL