Blackpowder and Blankets

Previously I wrote about the officer saddle cloth shortage and how we had only one supplier and due to the hospitalization of the vendor. My colleague at Fort Hood and I both had an order in and were having trouble getting a reluctant assistant to the hospitalized vendor to complete the orders. We think our order will get filled because the gentlemen wants to do the right thing and help us out but it is obvious we are going to have to find another supplier. However, during the conversation I was having with my Fort Hood associate I realized I had more problems than just a blanket shortage. It turns out that the economic problems have wiped out some of the Mom & Pop vendors that we rely on for some of the obscure items we need for our profession. Namely, my gun powder vendor has disappeared. The cav units need black powder with which to manufacture blanks for the .45s we use and to make rounds for our cannons. I have laid in a pretty good supply of gunpowder and haven't made any purchases for a while so didn't know I had a vendor problem. Thanks to Fort Hood I have a line on a new vendor for gunpowder and cannon primers. Fort Hood has also sent me the pattern and specs for the saddle cloths so I can start seeking out a future supplier. Just another example of how keeping in touch with the other guys in the profession can help overcome obstacles.