Tuesday, December 29, 2009

AH IT'S CHRISTMAS, THAT SPECIAL TIME OF YEAR

On Wednesday morning past, the forecast was for freezing rain late in the day to continue through out all day on Christmas Eve.  Thoughts always turn to the loss of power when they forcast freezing rain.  By Christmas morning we had escaped (we thought) because the rain had quit just before the temperature began to drop below 32 degrees.  At least we wouldn't lose our power but we still had heavy snow coming for two days accompanied by three days of high winds.
We called the sons in Lincoln  and told them that Christmas was postponed a day. Actually we left the decision up to them. I explained the worst that could happen is that would be snowed in with me for three or four days.  Dan was unwilling to take that chance.
Christmas Eve services were called off at church, we let the Courthouse close for the whole day, and we had the snow blower tractor plugged in and ready to  clear the area.  Everything was great.
So, on Christmas Eve, our daughters family came down the lane for a little party. The power went out. The blizzard was raging outside. Information from the neighbors indicated that the kennel was also out of power.
We sat and layed in our living room all night where there was enough auxillary heat to keep it about 55 degrees.  (a propane heater on the porch that will kind of heat the house if you open the window.) We started the blower tractor and let it run all night knowing that it wouldn't start if it weren't plugged in.
The first pic is of me, about 6 AM on Christmas.  Marilyn thinks I'm out there clearing snow so I can get my generator out of the shed, loaded onto the pickup, and hooked to the power pole behind the house.
I am in fact doing that, but mainly I'm trying warming up in the tractor. It has a great heater and the house was cold when I left Marilyn and the grandchildren sawing logs under a lot of blankets.

In the pioneering spirit, I got out and did what needed to be done first thing Christmas morning, I hooked up the generator, and then dug out the satelite dish so the big screen would work. We have had to clear snow from the dish several times before but we've never come close to having to dig our way down to it through the snow.


The pic above on the right is of the dog getting ready to help me unload my small snow blower so I could load my generator. On the left is proof that we were successful in our labors. Our power came back on at noon on Christmas day. The only casualty was a ballast on one of our flourescent fixtures in the kitchen. I don't think it appreciated the 149 volts of power my generator was putting out. The ballast is now replaced, we continue to blow out our lane everyday because the stinking wind won't go down, and Christmas is going to happen next Saturday. Maybe.

16 comments:

EV said...

I’ve shared this same experience in Wisconsin. And being “on call” had to brave the roads and the weather at 2 AM. I was younger then.

I’m told John B. L. Soule actually coined the phrase, “Go West young man.”, accredited to Horace Greeley.

I thought it was “South”.

I’m older now and that mistake has worked out well. Although …. Texas has this thing called August which bears it’s teeth every year.

Be safe and stay warm!

Live Well, Laugh Often and Love Much said...

Hmmm Far from Normal at your end of the world too ! We will be having our Christmas on Saturday as well. The kids will be back. Char and Ralph are home. I thik we all were just a week early last week. Hvve fun in the snow, send more our way! Be safe & Merry Christmas !

Shannon said...

Okay, good lord have mercy, that is allot of white stuff. Hope you are staying warm.

Kendra Lynn said...

wow...that's a LOT of snow. My husband would be in heaven. Glad you guys survived...hope Christmas happens. lol

Kendra

Paul Nichols said...

It was a wintry day here on Christmas, too. We still have a couple of gifts in the house for folks who were supposed to be with us on Christmas Day.

Don't know how you did it all these years. You're a great family in more ways than one.

Lanny said...

oh I am terribly envious. I really need to get my snow envy under control, move or stop reading blogs from snowy country during December and January. Hmmmm. I know that snow like that also brings hardship. So forgive my shallowness as I envy your inconvenience, messiness and downright potential danger.

Merry Christmas!

SwampWoman said...

Dang, and I thought I had it bad because frost killed my tomatoes last night.

Jim said...

I thought we had it bad because there was frost on the golf course and play was delayed for over an hour!
Wonder why I stayed down South?

I do hope you guys get your Christmas. And I really appreciate you being in the Pioneering Force of America (PFA). Our country needs those to keep the ethanol pumping.

So, my wishes in the order you will celebrate:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
..
I really liked the picture of your communications dish with the path shovelled (??)(Well, dug anyway. Probably blown.).
Do you have some more snow pictures?
Were the dogs okay?
..
Mrs. Jim once was worried about Adi because we kept the house so cold during the winter nights. The vet reminded her that Adi was a dog.
..

Rachel said...

Wow Cliff, that's a lot of snow! It sure is pretty. We've had two little snows so far. One barely a rabbit tracker and the other about 2 inches, but it all melted fast.

I'm surprised you didn't sleep inside the tractor with the nice heater!!

Happy New Year!!

Paul Nichols said...

Happy New Year, Cliff and Marilyn. Lots a blessings for you in 2010.
Paul and Gloria

Granny Annie said...

Isn't it wonderful to know that Christmas comes whenever you want it? We celebrated with family the weekend before which worked great with the snow hitting us Christmas Eve. I must say it looks like you got more than your fair share. Hope your Christmas was a blessed one whenever it occurred with Christ at center stage.

Jim said...

HAPPY NEW YEAR, CLIFF AND MARILYN!!

I do hope nothing breaks up there, your thermometer says -13 tonight with a few hours still to go until morning. Just snuggle in, stay by the fire and make sure all the animals are warm.
Then stay warm!
..

Jerry in Texas said...

Compared to yours, our snowfall is laughable. Still, I'm ready for winter to be overwith already.

Happy New Year, Morrows!

Dan said...

That snow blower looks like it just fired a rocket. Thanks for the Christmas Dad, it was fun!!

Ralph said...

Cliff
That is a lot of snow. This might ber one of the few times I can actually say, "I'm glad I wasn't there".
The bright side is you guys get to celebrate Christma twice in 2010.
Ralph

Peter said...

I just made a new years resolution Cliff and I don't do that often... "I'm not gonna complain about our hot weather anymore" (well not often anyway)