That is solid ice. Still. Several inches thick. The rest of Backroads is mostly travelable. It's just our mile of gravel, and several sections of the blacktop county road that have not yet thawed. I'm thinking we'll go back to school Monday. Perhaps on the snow route, which does not affect me.
You might also notice that giant Christmas tree on its side. Or a big ol' cedar if you're not in the spirit yet, though that would be hard to believe, with radio stations playing carols since before Thanksgiving. That tree blew down several weeks ago, during a little storm that snapped off three of our fine branchy friends (weep, dendrophiles, weep). You notice how we let the dead rest in one big piece. Come spring, he'll probably be converted to fence posts.
This part of the road is almost flat. It's after the twisty climb that stalled the $1000 Caravan Friday evening. Because of our remoteness, talk has turned to installing one of those pricy automatic generators that pop on when the electricity goes kaput. I am not averse to the idea. The Pony and I would be hard-pressed to decipher proper generator protocol and get powered up with our current savior, Gennie. Besides, with such a modern gadget, we would even be able to run the furnace in winter, and air conditioner in summer! No more one lamp, two TVs, three computers, and a Frig. Full power, baby!
We are still in negotiations with each other. Hick says he can install it, I cry out in horror. Genius declares that Hick works with machines worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Indeed. But they are run by electricity. Not gas. I'm not blowing sky-high because Hick gets careless with his gaseous Ps and Qs.
My mom is also thinking about such a system for her house. Hick might oversee her purchase, so she doesn't get taken in that way little old ladies have of getting cheated by conniving young men. But she would never, ever, entertain the idea of having Hick install such a piece of machinery.
Mother knows best.
If Hick is like most men, he knows PLENTY about gas...
ReplyDeleteA generator just might be a good idea. Maybe Santa will bring you one.
ReplyDeleteHA on Sioux's comment. But on a serious note, we have a full house generator - even though we are in the "city" (suburbs), we are on 3 1/2 acres and when the power goes out there's only 7 of us on this one unit or whatever it is called and we're always the last to be serviced. One day we were without power for about 5 days. Hubby doesn't like to be without the TV for even a few hours, so you can imagine his distress. Ha. Anyway, it really is worth it, I think. But I'd have a professional do it :-)
ReplyDeleteSioux makes a good point, still I bet Hick is up to the task.
ReplyDeleteHick probably could power it! If you know what I mean. We have a small generator and wouldn't be without one after that tornado a few years ago. Gennie and Tahoe... I see some more stories in the making.
ReplyDeleteFull power, fat tires and big wheels are good stuff. Go Val! And keep Hick away from the gasoline.
ReplyDeleteSioux,
ReplyDeleteI think, perhaps, that subject has been discussed here or there. He is quite the expert on "gas" when driving T-Hoe home from family get-togethers, nearly reducing the size of his family by three.
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Stephen,
I think Santa believes in making us pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.
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Lynn,
We, too, have been without power for five days. That's when we bought Gennie, our little gasoline generator. Now we yearn for more power, more power, MORE POWER! We are at the end of a transformer thingy line (Hick's claims that I know nothing about electricity are not unfounded), with 38 homes. Still, we're one of the last areas serviced. I feel your pain.
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joeh,
Don't light a match near him!
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Linda,
We are searching for our GENE, a heavy lifter of wattage who can support all of our electronic crutches.
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Eileen,
Hick is trusted around the gasoline. It's the propane that our future GENE will require that worries me.