Ice Storm 2009...Our Home...With Photos

Well WHAT a revolting development THIS is...
I don't mind telling you...just a hint of an ice storm in our neck of the woods, just ruins my day.  Because I went through the ice storms of 2008 and 2009 in Round Knob Canyon...and those were some rough times.

The first year, we spent about 8 days without power.  Thank goodness for the fireplace, because the fireplace turned that horrific week...into not just a week of long rough daylight hours for days on end, outside clearing downed trees and this and that...but the fireplace kept us warm in the evenings and gave us a place to cook and even a very cozy place to cuddle and tell stories through the long evenings every evening.




The first ice storm was the most horrific...because we had never experienced anything like that as adults.  I remember an ice storm back in the late 1940's or very early 1950's...but I was such a young girl about all I remember is being without power and all the ice outside when I'd look out the front door.   But the 2008 ice storm was a major hurdle for us.  We just had so many downed trees and destruction and the geezer wouldn't let me go out and help because of downed power lines....So I set in the door for 21/2days...with the front door open...wrapped in a quilt and watching him try to cut us out of the canyon....one tree at a time.

I was extremely worried about the kids.  They all live close but we lost contact with them early on...during the night of the first night.. because our cells died.  And at last account...I KNEW they were all ok...but I needed an UPDATE and OFTEN.  I was sitting in the door on the morning of day 2...after 2 long nights and 1 1/2 days stranded in the canyon...and I was watching the geezer cut and remove the many trees that had falled across our lane that was our road to freedom...and I was so SO worried about all the kids and how they were doing...Our cells had now been dead since a day and half before and I was just almost bonkers...and I just started praying..."Lord, you  know I'm not a person that needs a lot of frills...I don't need the heat on...I don't need the lights...or the television...But just please PLEASE keep my geezer safe our there and I know you're SO SO busy...but would you PLEASE give me some kind of way to know that our kids are all ok.  Our cells have been out since yesterday, Lord... and I just feel like I MUST know they're ok...so PLEASE Lord...just those 2 small things and I'm good for however long we need to go through this."

I no more than got that prayer out of my mouth...and I heard this 'ding' behind me...It was almost like that magical chime on "Home Alone #1" ....I turned around wondering WHAT in the WORLD the DING was....because we had no power...nothing.  And then it hit me...it was my cell phone!!!
I threw the quilt off and ran to the phone and my little signal light was on....I just screamed THANK YOU LORD!!!  And I frantically called Kim....She answered and I said "KIM...BE QUIET AND LISTEN...our cells have been off since day before yesterday and I just prayed and mine came on and I don't know how long the Lord is going to give me to talk ...this phone could die at any minute...sooooooooo are you and the boys all ok?"  She said "Yes" she had just talked with both of them....I told her about our damage and dad was cutting us out and we should be out by the next day....the 3rd day.  We talked a minute more...and the phone went dead again.....
I ran up to geezer and I said "I just prayed and my cell came on and I got to talk to Kim for a couple minutes and they're all ok"  Geezer said, "That's what I needed to hear...now go back in the house and watch your step on the way"  

About 3 hours later....geezer was still cutting away on the road and I was still in the door wrapped in the blanket...and I saw Kim and Kevin come sliding on foot...around the corner at the top of our hill...Kim had called Kev to come with her...they had parked in a field just down the road and walked to us to bring us a cell phone charger that we could use in the car. And I was never so glad to see those little rascals in my LIFE....  :-)

But what a nightmare that was.  NOW they say we could get ice later today and then 5-10 inches of snow on top of that.....and that it will last through the weekend...So I'm probably here for several days again....AND geezer has his doctors appointment Monday to see about his cataract surgery....OH my GOODNESS.

AND it's only early December....OH my WORD!!!

I sure hope you're safe and prepared where ever you are.  I bought the last package of buns at the store yesterday....People were wiping the shelves clean to get ready.

Kim has posted a few pics from the 2009 ice storm...so lets go on to them and I'll talk a little about each one.

THIS is a view of the canyon from the main road (North Avenue)...and this is right where we turn in to come down our lane and our mailbox is just to the left...but out of the picture.  That's the geezer clearing the road with his little snow plow...after he's cut the fallen trees and limbs off and moved them off the lane...He 'made' that little snow plow, by the way....out of an old lawn mower and a snow blade the neighbor gave him....My old geezer is one smart rascal...he can do ANYTHING  :-)

And THIS...is from the porch...looking OUT and UP the lane...that's the front field...you can barely see his toy box in the middle of the right side of the picture...and those trees behind it are the straggly remains of my tunnel of love canopy....that went up the lane and out to the mailbox...

And this is down at the fire pit at the opening to the secret garden....that's an old Metropolis street light that geezer acquired out of his mom and dad's back yard when he sold his moms home....we LOVE that old light.  And see that beautiful sky....this was a few days AFTER the disaster...

Another view of my old geezer clearing the road.  That rascal has the patience of a saint when it comes to work.  He worked for 3 days to get that road open...totally alone....and from 7am to dark 2 days...and I think he had it open by mid afternoon on the 3rd day....

And this is a close up of the geezer...Do you see that smile?....That old rascal just smiles or laughs all the time.  Here he is working in single digit temps and has been out there for hours and hours and he's still smiling....now THAT is a KEEPER....and he's a pretty happy camper...or he wouldn't smile and laugh so much...Kim had come back for more photos....she's a photographing FANATIC...and she's like the mailman....neither rain or sleet or storms....or whatever .... will keep KIM from a good photo shoot....

Geezer went on to take the remaining trees down that made my tunnel of love canopy...after the ice cleared away...He said too many were cracked and it was just too dangerous and the canopy was destroyed anyway and no need in keeping a few straggly trees...

Well....we're in for another one of these rascals tonight....UNLESS...a few of you want to join me in praying this ice storm around us.   I'm on it....shall we pray.

Peace and love from the canyon...I love you all gobs and gobs and thanks so much...for stopping by.

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