Couple days

Let's see...

Turns out the young man who died in the motor home ran a pub tourney and they had a fundraiser tourney at the same pub Monday night. Didn't go. Should have, perhaps, but will make restitution.

Maybe a good thing after all, for no telling if I would have made it back home before the power went out up here in the hills. Just an hour or so, long enough to nap and be startled awake when all systems were go once again. So, there I was, wide awake until way too late.

I sleep with my phone on. Habit from earlier dictate in the thumper days. It rang early. The wife was outside and noticed the water trough iced over, which shouldn't be with the floating heater. There may have still been a little scotch in my system, but I threw on some clothes anyway. (My head hurts just to write this.)

Yep, no power in the one barn. Hmmm. Checked the other outbuilding and they were fine. Checked the breaker box, click-click and nothing. Hmmm. Follow the extension cords from the space heater for the pipes and the one out to the trough. The connection was laying on the ground and it looked like it was covered in mud. Nope. Fused and charred.

Things get testy. Thumper tells me to take a corner. Neither lasts long.

Phone calls. Lots of phone calls, mostly to the mule folks. Want an electrician to check the barn. After all, the breaker should have broke. Don't like it one bit. No returned call, so rerouted cords and waited for the mule's pappy to bring a new trough heater.

Thinking while waiting. Check the box one more time. Not breakers I'd seen before. Fiddled with them and noticed one didn't click through. Gave it an extra push and 'click'. One more click and we have power. Disaster averted. Pipes safe for now. A ton of hay now going up in smoke.

Knock on wood.