in the country

There are many things that make country life interesting:

• cold winds that have no wind break, only open fields to swirl through
• wells that you are responsible to and for - your only source of water
• security farm lights that may be the only light beyond the night stars
• many animals that count on you for care - often waiting in a big red barn

Winter tests the best of us in all of these areas. 
                                                                             How cold is too cold it asks....well let's just see!

 

And, often to the rescue in the country are the unsung heroes -- our contractors.  They have a relationship with each farm, as they are usually neighbors.  They know us when we call.  They are less concerned about generating money on a service call, then getting a farm up and working again.

Several years ago, a wind storm took down a giant of a Cottonwood tree adjacent to our driveway.  One mighty branch slashed the electrical box right off our brick wall.  When I called our Electrician, Dale, (after 5 p.m. I might add) he came immediately over, dropping everything.  He worked until after dark.  When we found that the electrical company would not attach the street power line until they passed their co-zillion pages of rules....Dale was on the phone with them, defending that farms need to have power (no well, no security light).  When they still said that we would have to wait for at least three days....it was Dale that brought us a generator to provide a source of power.  And -- when the Electrical folks finally showed up at 10:00 p.m. that night (two locals that worked for the power company and went against work orders to wait  - stating "that's not how we do things in the country") -- Dale returned to work by their side until our power was restored in the wee hours.  That is our Electrician.

When we first bought our home, we toiled on it until early spring, making the move prior to having a new well dug.  When the local plumbing company we had been working with and had contracted with to dig a new well heard we were moving in, they moved us to the top of their list -- digging in the early spring through a rain storm.  They were knee deep in mud, but shared with us, "you will have water before you move in".  That is our plumber.

And, yesterday, in the frigid -50 below wind chill, when our furnace had difficulty staying on with the winds slamming the intake vent....a call to our Heating & Air Conditioning company was met with a "What's the problem Dave?" and a "Here's what you can do".  They talked us through cutting the intake pipe with a hack saw and diverting it to taking in basement air.  No bill, no service call....just help.  Jeff ended with a "call me in the spring if you need help reattaching that pipe for outdoor air."  That is our furnace guy.

Yes, there are many things that make country life interesting, none the least are these unsung heroes.

Keep warm!