Modern Every Day Heros

catspaw66

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With so many "superheros" in the movies and on TV today, I would like to say something about REAL heros. The men and women who get out there during and after ice storms, to bring electricity back to the freezing residents of the dark houses.

In case you can't tell, where I live was in an ice superstorm. It started dropping freezing rain, sleet and some snow. at noon LAST Thursday, and kept raining for 24 hours. We ended up with over an inch and a half of ice on everything, with up to 3 inches of snow and sleet on top of that. Trees were snapping with the sounds of cannons all Thursday night and Friday and Friday night.

My electricity went out 7:30 Thursday night, and its fate was sealed before dawn Friday morning when a small (6") tree fell on my wire and tore the weathehead and meter base out of the wall. The electric company man came saturday and had to cut the wires -for safety sake- Saturday afternoon.

The rest of the road got their power on Sunday, but I had to do repairs before they could hook me up.

My electricity was finally hooked up about noon yesterday. They had to cut the tree enough to snake the cables out and give them a clear path, then had to hook up the cables to the weatherhead with ice from the thawing trees dumping down on them like cold, hard confetti.

The next time you see an electric lineman, tell him or her Thank you for being around. Too many of us say, well it is their job, why should they be thanked? Because they routinely risk their lives for your comfort.

catspaw66, Silly, Julie, Sheba, Sugar, Spice.
 

Winchester

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It's not just power company people. It's everybody who's out there when we need them. I love our plow guys in the winter time....they've been really good to us for the most part. And they're state, not local. 

Terry, I'm really glad you and the ladies are OK.
 
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catspaw66

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Thank you. We (I) just got a little cold, tired and grouchy. The lowest it got inside was 54F But that meant I had to keep cramming oak in the woodstove 24 hours a day. Got my toitie flushing water by dipping a 2 gal bucket in the sand filter. Cut back on calories and actually lost a few pounds. Blood pressure was nicely down this morning, too.

Most of the crew that worked on my line were local. We don't get plows up this road, but they keep the main roads fairly clear. They couldn't pre-treat this time. It started as rain, then freezing rain. The pre-treat would have just washed off.

When I went to town Monday for my new meter base, it looked like a crystal fairyland out there. Today, a decent part of it had melted off, particularly on the pine trees. The oaks and other deciduous trees still were coated, though.
 
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jcat

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Ice is the worst. It's a good thing you have a wood-burning stove! It must be heavenly to have your power back now. :vibes::vibes::vibes: that the ice goes away and stays away!
 
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catspaw66

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A wood stove kept me warm in the Christmas 2000 ice storm also. I was in the other house at the time. Out of electricity for 7 days.
 

fhicat

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I bought Christmas cards to hand out to my UPS/USPS delivery person, the electric guy retained by my apartment landlady and the snow plower who comes by at 4am.
 
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