It'll save having to move so much dirt." Whoa, hold on there! We're going to need every inch of soil on this valley's floor to grow food. How are we g...ing to do that if it's all piled up in these berms?" They'll scrape off the topsoil and set it aside. Then they'll use the dump truck to haul sand from the desert for the bulk of the berms. Once the berms are built, they'll put the soil in terraces along the sides and top so that we can farm the berms, too. That should minimize the impact on our. “Or Pickles.”“Poor Pickles,” I said. “In a cage. How abusive.”“I have special canned cat food at the house waiting for him. He’ll be okay. You and me, though ... What’s on your mind for dinner?”“Can we go to that new steakhouse? I’ve heard...”“So have I,” he said.“I can pay my own way.”“Hardly! You’ve saved me a lot of trouble by volunteering to transport me and my companion. Dinner’s a vestige of payback.”“A vestige?”“Of payback, Gee. I’d take you to dinner, wheels or no wheels.”“I didn’t call. Only the far-off sound of a dog barkingruptures the near primordial serenity.Kerrie is first to break the spell."You don't like me very much, do you? I shouldn't really be surprised. Iadmit I can be a bit overbearing at times. That's one of the words myhusband used when he packed his bags last August. He said that beingshackled to an overbearing Irish sow like me for fifteen years was longerthan he'd have done for armed robbery. I flew at him, I'm ashamed to say.I'd just been told I needed to. "Local help. It's a small price to pay."Hurry up." Great! We're in the lobby. How do you like your eggs?" Scrambled. Moist, almost sloppy." Got it."There's a knock at my door in about ten decicycles. I peek through thepeep hole and see Julie and a second girl. If it's a show they want. Ithrow open the door."Hello, ladies. What can I do for you?"I'm stark naked, hanging out for all to see. Julie starts to laugh buther friend just stares, mouth open, eyes as big as golf balls."Hey, Alex. This is.