Take one Toyota and one large (very large) raccoon and push them together at 40 MPH and what do you get? A very big mess. I hear about people hitting deer all the time, and as expected, there is quite a bit of damage and sometimes injury. But when you look at a raccoon, you think to yourself, no problem. The car wins every time. As it happens, a raccoon can do quite a bit of damage to a car. We have become amused by insurance adjusters and auto mechanics as they say, “That must have been one big raccoon!” Neighbors and mail men come by and ask, “Did you see that raccoon?” We thought we would just need a new bumper, but it turns out the raccoon bent the frame of the car.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Ahh
The weather this weekend was beautiful for outdoor work. A bit cool in the mornings, but warm enough that a jacket wasn’t necessary. Gene and I opened up the doors of the workshop and spent the day working side by side on a woodworking project. A nice cool breeze filled the shop and Dolly spent some time terrorizing the chipmunks and squirrels. At one point, Dolly got tired of waiting on us and took a nap at the top of the hill, underneath the big oak. The breeze gently blew over her, and I had one of those moments in life where you know everything is perfect.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Running Into Fire
There are many advantages to living on a hill. There is always a breeze. Water runs downhill so you don’t have to deal with it. And you can see fire trucks approaching your house for a good mile before they get there.
Today was an interesting day. The weather was beautiful and Gene and I decided to get the mowing done. We both had our headphones on, and had Dolly in the house like good, safety conscious people should. We were about two hours into mowing when I glanced up and saw someone turning into our drive. I paused a moment, and discounted the truck as a neighboring farmer taking a shortcut to check on his hay bales. Then I noticed a long line of fire trucks with their lights on approaching our drive, slowing, and turning in. My heart stopped. I thought the fire alarms in the house had gone off and the security company had tried to reach us and called the fire department when we didn’t answer.
My first thought was to race to Gene and warn him. I knew that he could not see the drive and would be startled when a long line of fire trucks rounded the curve and came upon him mowing. And I was frantic to get to the house and get Dolly dog out. So I raced on my mower over to get his attention just as the first car rounded the corner. I pointed frantically at the car, then turned and raced the mower up the hill to the house, threw it in park and ran to save Dolly. I know you should never enter a burning building, but I was willing to take a chance in order to save Dolly the Wonder Dog. (Now I can hear some of you wondering, and no, I did not grab my computer!)
When I got into the house, no alarm, no signs of fire, but I wasn’t taking any chances, I scooped and ran. It turns out that the fire department was looking for a combine that was on fire. Gene was sitting calmly next to the drive talking with the fire fighter when I came barreling out of the house with a frantic dog. Dolly was busy doing her “someone is here” dance on the drive. Two calm men sat watching a burst of activity come flying out of the garage.
Once my heart stopped racing, I explained to Gene that I had my priorities right. Save the Bread Winner first, then Man’s Best Friend. I have spent the evening pointing out to Dolly that I was willing to run into fire to save her. She doesn’t seem too impressed.
Today was an interesting day. The weather was beautiful and Gene and I decided to get the mowing done. We both had our headphones on, and had Dolly in the house like good, safety conscious people should. We were about two hours into mowing when I glanced up and saw someone turning into our drive. I paused a moment, and discounted the truck as a neighboring farmer taking a shortcut to check on his hay bales. Then I noticed a long line of fire trucks with their lights on approaching our drive, slowing, and turning in. My heart stopped. I thought the fire alarms in the house had gone off and the security company had tried to reach us and called the fire department when we didn’t answer.
My first thought was to race to Gene and warn him. I knew that he could not see the drive and would be startled when a long line of fire trucks rounded the curve and came upon him mowing. And I was frantic to get to the house and get Dolly dog out. So I raced on my mower over to get his attention just as the first car rounded the corner. I pointed frantically at the car, then turned and raced the mower up the hill to the house, threw it in park and ran to save Dolly. I know you should never enter a burning building, but I was willing to take a chance in order to save Dolly the Wonder Dog. (Now I can hear some of you wondering, and no, I did not grab my computer!)
When I got into the house, no alarm, no signs of fire, but I wasn’t taking any chances, I scooped and ran. It turns out that the fire department was looking for a combine that was on fire. Gene was sitting calmly next to the drive talking with the fire fighter when I came barreling out of the house with a frantic dog. Dolly was busy doing her “someone is here” dance on the drive. Two calm men sat watching a burst of activity come flying out of the garage.
Once my heart stopped racing, I explained to Gene that I had my priorities right. Save the Bread Winner first, then Man’s Best Friend. I have spent the evening pointing out to Dolly that I was willing to run into fire to save her. She doesn’t seem too impressed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
