Nothing For Granted

Turn the tap and water flows.  Flip a switch and the lights go on.  Simple things that most of us expect and take for granted.  Spend a day or two (thankfully, not more) without electricity and water and appreciation grows in leaps and bounds.  Everything is pretty much back to normal (and I realize that's a relative term) here.  Plants watered, dishes washed, toilets flushed.  Life is good.

The subject on everyone's lips is the storm and its aftermath.  Consensus is that it was the most intense electrical storm that anyone can remember.  A friend in Mt. Aukum spent some anxious hours as firefighters fought blazing fields across the road from his ranch.  He was told that lightning started over fifty fires in the area, fortunately mostly small ones.  On the home front, I had to make a number of calls, but found out I didn't have to have an electrician come to check the wiring to a couple of outlets.  Seeing sparks fly when I tried to plug the computer back in had me scared silly that I was going to burn the house down.  It seems just the receptacles must be replaced.  Tree Guy has become my new Go-To Guy and he'll be by sometime today to do just that.

There was a change in my landscape yesterday.  The kid who delivered a load of grain and alfalfa on Monday hemmed and hawed and kicked the tires on that old boat and trailer that has sat by the driveway for seven years.  It's been an obstacle and an eyesore.  "Ever think of getting rid of that anytime soon?," said Kid.  "Anytime you want to come and take it away," said I.  Yesterday Kid, his dad, and a friend came and hooked it up.  Dad had to be as excited as Kid.  It must be a guy thing.  I'd been ready to fill the ugly thing with dirt and plant it with flowers, but these males considered it a treasure.  Happy sailing!