Outside the safe zone, yellow sand billowed through the air, staining the sky a dark crimson. Evelyn Ford cut a bundle of green grass, then headed home carrying it and her sickle.
There were quite a few other people cutting grass along the way. Whenever they ran into someone they knew, everyone would exchange warm greetings.
Zion Lowell had set up a shed by the pond. He was the only person in the safe zone who knew how to weave bamboo baskets, so many people who wanted to learn the craft from him would watch him work every day.
When Evelyn Ford approached, he had just finished weaving a pack basket.
"Here for your basket?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Lowell."
"It was nothing. The basket's in the pond. Go on and grab it."
The finished baskets had to be soaked in water for a day or two to make them sturdy. Evelyn Ford pulled the large bamboo basket out of the pond, shook the water from it, and walked over to Zion Lowell.
