Hick Handy to the Rescue

Monday evening, a little storm rolled through. I guess Hick was oblivious to it, since he was OUT IN IT on the way to find a part for a hose on Poolio. He said he put some chemicals in Poolio, then went to mow the yard, and when he came back, a hose had come loose, and was shooting into the air like a fountain. Not that it matters. We're in the country. Poolio is in the back yard. Nothing to damage.

Anyhoo...we had that chat with me leaning over the back porch rail, talking down 16 feet to Hick on the ground. It had just started to sprinkle. Clouds were darkening. About a half hour later, New Delly went mute and paralyzed. I got the yellow triangle of annoyance in my internet icon. Meh. I could still listen to music and read what I had on screen already.

Hick returned. I made him Poor Man's Chicken and Dumplings for supper. It's one of his favorites. Two cans chicken broth, two cans cream of chicken soup, 10 (8-inch) flour tortillas cut into dumpling sizes, two cans of white meat chicken. I add some minced garlic, a little butter, and grind in some black pepper. You bring the liquids to a boil, stir in the tortilla dumplings (keep stirring!) and let them boil for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and stir in the chicken. VOILA! Chicken and dumplings! Actually, that makes A LOT! It would be two meals for Hick and Genius, who are big eaters.

Anyhoo...I was sitting on the short couch while Hick ate his supper in the La-Z-Boy. He had just set down his bowl when his phone made that NEW TEXT noise. Hick picked up his phone, and SQUEALED. Or maybe EXCLAIMED. So he squealaimed. Or exealed. It was a funny noise. I couldn't tell if he was excited about some junk for sale, or shocked that someone had died.

"Look at this! It just happened! It's the house where you turn off, when we come the other way because the bridge is flooded."

"I know where you're talking about. But that house is brick."

"No. Well, yeah. But this is the SECOND house. Right next to it. I know the guy who lives there."

"That's terrible, with everything going on. It will be a pain to get someone to fix it. I guess it happened when that storm went through while you were in town."

"I hope they're not in it! My buddy says it just happened. I'm going over there to check."

"Wait! Don't be lifting any trees! Don't go inside and let something fall on you!"

"I won't. I just want to make sure him and his wife are okay. They might need some help carrying some stuff out."

Off he went. Hick Handy to the rescue. He was only gone about 15 minutes.

"They must have had 8 strapping young boys there, carrying stuff out. I don't know who it was, but some crew was already helping them."

It's the thought that counts. Just like Hick's thoughts when he built our house: "I didn't want no trees around it that could fall on it."