When I awoke this morning, I didn’t think I would be able to write today. I awoke during the night when the power went out because of a storm and then went back to sleep. The power goes out frequently during our storms here in the Midwest, so, I didn’t think anything of it. We have a generator that will run most of our house and water our cattle at the flip of a switch. Super Dad awoke early and I told him the power was out, so he headed outside to turn on the generator. Then he came back and brought me to the window to look outside. He couldn’t turn the generator on and flip the switch because a tree had fallen against the pole breaking several electrical wires.

Both entrances to our driveway had live wires hanging down and lying on the driveway. There were also live wires lying across my van, a truck, and the front step of our house. We thought the electrical company would come quickly when we reported several live wires down. When they hadn’t come after about three hours, I called back. I told them that I had seven children at home, including a toddler, and there were live wires all over our yard. They recommended that I keep the children in the house.

Now there is some great advice, possibly from a non-parent. Lets see, we have no electricity, its 80 degrees, and humid. Hey kids, let’s sit in the house and swelter and twiddle our thumbs. Add into the mixture that four of my children at home have ADHD and you may be getting close to a nightmare.

I did what any desperate middle-aged adoptive parent would do. I loaded them up and drove almost into the cow pen to get around the low and downed wires. I dropped two of them off and took the others to the store where there was air conditioning. It has now been 12 hours and the electrical company has yet to send anyone to fix our wires.

However, the ever-resourceful Super Dad somehow wired another way to run most of the house directly from the basement circuit breaker box. The John Deere diesel tractor is humming away outside and at least it is cool inside, for now. I grilled chicken for supper, so we are set for today.



Photo Credit: 2008 Julia Fuller.