An Eventful Week-End

EastTexFrank

Senior Member
Gold Site Supporter
I haven't been doing much lately because of the weather and then I got sick. I caught the galloping crud so I've been coughing, spluttering and snottering for almost three weeks.

Any how it was family supper on Saturday at my M-I-L's. My wife's family has it on a rotating basis every month. I got ready to go but decided at the last minute to cry off. I was feeling lousy and I didn't want to infect any of the old people that were going to be there. Now I'm 63 so when I say old people I mean really old people. My wife packed her contribution to the meal and toddled off just before six o'clock. I got comfortable on the couch and settled down for another quiet night and listened to the wind howling outside. It had been sunny but really windy all day. I mean that wind was gusting to 60 mph.

Just at seven o'clock there was a huge "whoomph" and the power went off. It tried to come back on four or five times but tripped every time. I heard the pool pump clatter and bang every time the power tried to come back on so I thought that I'd better go outside and shut it off. On the way back into the house I saw smoke rising from the "thicket". "That's interesting", I though so I walked down there to see what was going on. The wind had blown a branch on to the power lines running through the pasture, they'd arced and the sparks had fallen into the "thicket" and set the grass and underbrush on fire. It was going pretty good with that wind to fan it.

I called 911 and gave them the information. The wind was blowing away from the house so there was no real danger to me but I did move the tractors closer to house just to be sure, to be sure. I thought about hooking up the tiller and starting to cut a firebreak but decided against it. Fifteen minutes later, which isn't bad 'coz I'm at least 10 minutes from town, here comes the cavalry, four firetrucks, 2 big and 2 little, and a gooseneck with a bulldozer. Man, they were good. They had it all hosed down and a firebreak cut within 30 minutes. I filled out the report and they disappeared back to the fire station but I've still got no power and by now it's dark.

I rig up my little generator and get the lights on, feed the dogs and the power comes back on about ten o'clock. I rig everything back down and get it stowed away. My wife comes wandering back home about 15 minutes later and finds me back on the couch and she says, "I hope you haven't been too bored while I've been gone". She should be out of hospital tomorrow. Just kidding.

On Sunday I got to go play on the tractors though. When I went to inspect the damage I found one old, rotten stump and a clump of trees still smoldering. I hooked up the sprayer and attended to it. I also got the back blade out and smoothed and leveled out the firebreak they had made with the dozer. I spent the rest of the day pulling and moving scrubby trees that they had laid over and pulling the stumps that they had left.

So here it is, Monday. My wife thinks that she can't leave me at home on my own without some disaster happening and I still feel crappy. Things have got to get better soon. :shitHitsFan:
 

Cowboy

Member
Gold Site Supporter
Dang Frank , Bad nuff You aint felt good , thats quite a bit to take on when you aint 100% . Sounds like you done good . I got a giggle out of what your wife said :yum: . Sometimes if they only knew whats been done around when their gone :pat: .

Its been blowin like crazy here too , Sure hoping things green up soon or at least get some rain , its dryer then a popcorn fart & wouldn,t take much to turn everything to ashes . I sure hope you get to feelin better soon . Things gotta get better , a little seat time never hurts :tiphat: . Bob
 

Erik

Member
Bob - you can have some of my rain.
I even have standing water on the slopes in my pasture!
We get nice sunny warm weather m-th, then it starts raining Friday about noon and goes through until Sunday - every weekend the last 5 or 6, except for the ones where it snowed on us. :(
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Sorry to hear you got the crud Frank. Hope you get better real soon.

I had to laugh, ain't it just like a woman. What timing your wife had that night. :yum: :yum:
Good job on catching that early. If you had not noticed that smoke and the wind shifted it might not have been a story that made us smile. Good job.
 
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