In 1991 the 4th day was filled with anxiety – when would this be over? Word was that utility trucks from all over Iowa were coming in to help and I actually remember a truck on my road checking poles and wires – I thought he might stop but he kept going. There was very little news on the radio of help coming so once again my routine was the same – go to town for water, haul wood to the house and take care of everybody the best I could. I can’t remember what I ate during those days. Here’s the pink sled I hauled the wood in – I can’t get rid of it – too many memories.
I think Day 4 was simply a repeat of Day 3 – anxiety about heat and lights and how do you explain to animals why they’re locked in the dark barn? I worried about the animals far more than I did myself just because I couldn’t explain to them – I know they were cold. I do remember coming into the house and it was nearly the same temperature as outside – ha! Not really but I thought it.
Still no phone call from the ex-husband. Rick and I didn’t get married until 1997 so I’m talking about an ex husband.
………..
And now my van story – about 3 months ago I was in a double row of cars in a parking lot and I was pulling forward to leave. At the same time a lady was backing out from the front row and I hurriedly backed up to get out of her way and turned too sharp and scraped the side of my van against the next guy’s front bumper. Thankfully his bumper was just scuffed and not damaged too badly – my van was not so lucky. The side door and back fender were really scraped and dented.
So I’m off to the insurance office (this is Farmer Tim’s Farm Bureau office) where I reported the accident and was told how to proceed. I went to the body shop and got a price – I have $1000 deductible – but the total came to $5600!!!!!! Holy Cow!
So my van was scheduled to be at the body shop on October 6. I have had to drive Red everywhere which means only one dog unless I hold Hazel on my lap plus I can’t drive on the gravel so I can’t avoid the pilot car and all the construction in Garner. sigh
Today, November 4 I still don’t have my van!!! They’re having trouble with the motor on the rider’s side door – and I’ll bet that hasn’t been opened a hundred times in 10 years! I only take the dogs in the car with me and they get in the driver’s side sliding door – every. single.time!!! They can’t get the new motor to work.
Okay, now here’s the heartbreaking side note. Since I’ve had to drive Red everywhere I do not know when it happened but somebody hit my back end – put a big divot and scrape along the back fender. I am just sick.
Parts for this vintage vehicle are next to impossible to find. Tim has always warned me not to wreck it and as soon as I get my van back, I’ll have to leave Red there to be fixed. My insurance will go sky high!!!!
Poor Red! I have been so careful with her – not much mileage because the only place I always drove it was to church – until winter and then I parked it till spring.
I wish I had just traded off my van – it’s 10 years old with 80,000 miles. Hind sight is 20/20.
I’m sorry that’s such a long story …. That’s why I have t told it before now.
I am exhausted just writing this post!
One reader photo
Loved reading your story, very interesting and exhausting, glad I didn’t have to live it, LOL
but you do what you have to when you have to. Keeper is beautiful, all the animals are.
and your house with the fall leaves, o wow, just beautiful.
We went through the same thing in March of 1993, the storm of the century! We were without power, telephones and water for 12 days. We had thunder snow, and about 30 inches of snow. The trees and power poles that were snapped in half was incredible. There were straight line winds. I was at my parents in Blairsville, with the dogs. They were in FL. Being a native Floridian, this was not something I had ever experienced. This was not something GA had ever had before, either. We get crazy with an inch of snow! I went to bed the first night, not thinking about the heat and woke up to temps inside the house in the 30’s. Being in the mountains it took us a several days just to get into town. My saving grace was my dad had a generator. He said it was hard to start, but I had no problem, knowing I would have lights and water. So I know how you felt. Hopefully, we don’t have to go through that again.
days, just to get out
Laura – I did not know your story, Laura! It’s a helpless feeling, isn’t it? I recently came across the photo album of your visit to Country Threads – wish I could attach one here. It was your mom, you and Sally? The pictures were taken during a visit after the Mpls market. I simply cannot imagine you guys getting 30” of snow! Did you have any way to move it? Why would you own a snow shovel, of course. What about the roads? With winter setting in this weekend I shudder to think about the next few months.
No we did not have a snow shovel. I had four wheel drive on my SVU, but with that much snow, did not do any good. Several of us got out, with our garden shovels, and tried moving enough snow, so my car could get out. It took us all day, but we didn’t have anything else to do!
I remember that trip. I, always, loved coming to your shop. It was very inspiring!
Laura vs – I didn’t think you had a snow shovel!! Oh, good Lord, what a nightmare and I imagine the highways weren’t cleared either. No, that snow would have been too deep for four wheel drive! When market was in Minneapolis we were blown away by the number of shop owners that drove 2 hours to come to our shop! In our old chicken house!!! We had a good staff or we couldn’t have done it all.
Keeper is majestic! Wow, what a great photo.
My power went out again last night. I’m so glad I checked the batteries in the big flashlight. I used it for over 3 hours. Nothing like what you went through, but when it just goes out without any warning in the dark, I get a little anxious. We always had LOTS of oxygen tanks. My husband was on 11 during the day and 14 at night. At that rate a tank doesn’t last long. When you’re sitting in the dark, a lot of issues come to mind. I can only imagine how hard your situation was….and for days, not hours.
I told my neighbor here we go resetting the clocks again!
I’m so glad you have a friend, farmer Tim, to help you with the insurance. Now you get to deal with it twice. Shame on the person who scraped Red. Something will give them payback for hit and run. And it will be worse than fessing up.
Great quilts today, as always. At Church today, I demonstrated pillow cases. There is a group of fellows making beds frames for children, someone found sheets without pillow cases, so some ladies are raiding our stash to make cases. Somebody else will secure mattresses from local businesses.
Jo – does your power go out often? How in the world did you manage all those oxygen tanks? Did you have to load them up and take them to be filled? Oh. JO! I love to hear somebody is making beds, someone getting mattresses – it takes a village, doesn’t it?
Yes, it does take a village. Because I got kicked out of jail, making pillow cases is a good project to get into.
The power seems to go out more often now that we have so many gambling places. A lot of bars are selling along with their liquor licenses and converting to gambling joints. I think it’s sad. Now we are getting a lot of social media business. The “Cloud” is a huge building and adding on. Facebook and Meta. Some I’ve not heard of also. They all use so much power.
Jo,- I love that you’re making pillowcases!! What an honorable project. Oh, I dread power going out – but ours doesn’t very often now. Casinos and gambling joints – really? Wyoming – I would never have imagined. And what about all this oxygen tanks – how did you manage those???
How wonderful to have a group making bed frames, then others helping with bedding, mattresses and pillow cases. What a wonderful gift to the children.
Mary, thanks for your stories…we really appreciate them:)
Mary, I’m sorry little red got a ding. Ouch! But since you love her, why not use her. What are you saving her for? For someone else to have a perfect little red. Here is an example. My inlaws have had a lake cabin for 50 plus years and worked on it and fixed it up, so that it is “perfect”. During those times, “we”, kids and grandkids were only allowed to go there when they were there. And one time, my mother in law complained that someone have greasy fingers and touched the screen door when they went out. They wanted everything clean and perfect. That would be ideal, wouldn’t it? One time a granddaughter wanted to go out there with her 21 year old friends for a couple days, nope that wasn’t going to happen. What did they save it for? Now they are selling it. They saved it for strangers to enjoy.
Lori…my dear husband loves his 60th Anniversary Ford F150 so much, he bought it when he was 60..and would never drive it in the winter..then my bff said to him just about this vey same thing…what are you saving it for, the next owner!? He drives it in the winter, of course it’s not brand new anymore, but still is so beautiful, and well-taken care of!
Cynthia – that’s what my friend Bob says, too – what am I saving it for? It’s a 2004 so after 20 years it’s considered vintage and Chevrolet made only a few of them for 2 years.
Mary,Your beautiful Big Red is a very cool car! Mostly we protect vehicles from the salt on the roads in winter so they don’t rust out so fast. In Marshall once in a blue moon I see a yellow one, and even more rarely a red one even! So cool of a vehicle! (Car envy here)!
Cynthia – soon Red will sit for the winter – as soon as salt has been put in the road. I do remember one year I actually drove it to church on Christmas Day – hmm, I wonder why now. SSR Roadsters were made in 3 colors – red, black and yellow. If you see a different color it’s been custom painted – at least that’s what I’ve been told.
Lori – you are absolutely right! Same goes for the nicest towels, the best dishes, etc. my friend Bob tells me this, too and that’s what I’ve done for a month now. It’s just a two seater tho and Hazel has to ride on my lap hitch is not easy nor is it safe. Sorry about your lake house! What a shame – we should all take a lesson here.
I just love reading the Pink Sled Chronicles! Kudos to you for braving the storm to care for your animals. Yesterday was a beautiful day here & I took a walk down my lane to visit my neighbors goat herd. They are so friendly coming over for pets but the big Billy goat Zeus was watching over his harem & he is very protective of his girls. Keeper & Three are so handsome. Three looks like my last cat Sonny Boy who left a very big hole in my heart when he passed. So sorry about your car mishaps. Last year I was returning from taking my neighbor on an errand & someone drove right through a stop sign into the side of my car. Such a hassle dealing with insurance & getting it repaired.
Des – I have never experienced body shop woes – they’re now talking about taking it to a Chrysler dealer to fix the door – what??? I’m tempted to just pick it up and live with that door not opening – I don’t use it anyway!!!!!
That’s what I was thinking. Forget about the van’s passenger side door not working. You don’t use it anyway and the next owner won’t care either. It’s not going to affect your trade in value.
LOVED the photo of Keeper. He looks so majestic-which of course he is.
Hanks mom – I called them this morning – that door will still open manually!! I don’t need an electric door on that side!!
Mary, isn’t your insurance taking care of the costs after your deductible? (I probably don’t know how insurance works by my inquiry.)
Cynthia – I just raised my deductible to $1000 and it’s not the cost that is the issue – it’s that they’ve had it over a month!! And it’s been extremely inconvenient – along with the highway being closed so I can’t take the gravel with Red. Yes, my insurance is paying for it but at this point I don’t even care. I could have bought another van by now.
Thankyou for the Blog Mary! What a story
You should write a book!
Keeper is 50 percent German Shepard wow awesome!!!! Cool
I love the tied quilts in last photo! So beautiful!!! Is yarn what is used to tie a quilt?
Anyway awesome blog, as always, Thankyou!💜
Bea – Our church quilting group is making Christmas lap quilts for a local nursing home. We need to make 50, and have 38 completely done. We want to give the quilts to them at the end of November or early December so they can enjoy them. We use crochet thread to tie them, and I do all the binding on them and then wash them before we give them away. This is the fourth year we have done it I think. (to a defferent home each year) It’s a fun project. Thank you for your comment about them.
I too, have been enjoying your story, it must have seemed like much more than the four days you have described -with no outcome yet! We recently went two days without power, not opening the refrigerator and walking around wrapped in quilts. Thankfully, the weather wasn’t too terrible frigid but it seemed like it. And with short days, not lights or TV, it seemed much longer than two days.
I’m sure by now everyone has seen the horrible UPS plane crash in Louisville. I watched in great sadness because I grew up not far from what is now the greatly expanded airport. The UPS expansion took neighborhoods of little bungalows built right after the conclusion of WWII. My dad’s best friend and bowling partner lost his family’s home to a government buy out for UPS to fly hundreds of those huge jets all over the world daily. Sadly, the residents were not given enough to by comparable houses in nice neighborhoods where they had lived so those who had no mortgages were once again saddled with debt. Living close to the airport had some benefits; on the way home from church, daddy would often pull off the road so we could watch planes land and take off. And as a kid we could go up on an observation deck and watch people load planes and see the planes taxi and take off close up. Of course, that was when passenger planes where prop jets that wouldn’t blow us off the observation deck. My childhood home may have been within the shelter-in-place area last evening.
Minnie is growing slowly and is cuter than ever. She likes the dogs, Sammie still thinks she is the kitten’s dog mom and Nelson still can’t figure out why a cat wants to rub on him. The best is Olivia and Minnie, they are always together, sleep and eat together and wrestle endlessly.
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I’m waiting for the end of your compelling story. I am just like you, I worry more about my animals than other humans because our animals rely on us for comfort and shelter, they don’t understand when things go awry. Blessings to all.
Linda – very interesting to hear about the airport and the govt buyout – sad that those people lost their homes. Is it anything for the big people in the world and to hell with the little guys? Sounds like it. Mortie is probably bigger than Minnie already – it’s Three that watches over Mortie like a big brother.
What a saga. I think people who live in town sometimes don’t realize how much harsher winter can be on a farm, especially with animals to care for. I marvel at all you did especially as you were all alone without any help. You are a tough cookie for sure! I’m so sorry about Red and your van. I think vehicles aren’t built as sturdy as they once were. The slightest contact with another vehicle can cause such expensive damage. Hope it will all work out for the best. God bless you Mary!
What an ordeal you went through in 1991. We put in a Generac whole house generator a few years back. The unit wasn’t cheap, but I LOVE the insurance it provides when there is a storm. It is so nice when we lose power and it’s less than a minute and the Generac kicks in. We don’t have to do anything and when the power comes back on, the Generac just stops running. It’s like the best magic trick in the world. I feel fortunate to have this luxury! I love the pictures of your place and feel like I’ve gone there and meet you in person. Thanks again for taking your time to share with us Mary!!
What a story you’ve been telling – should be a children’s book.
When our red pickup was sideswiped in our bank’s parking lot last spring, the damage was $3,600. The lady left the scene but the bank had lots of video cameras so were able to identify who did the damage. The worst part was not the damage though – Caitlin was sleeping in the front seat and must have hit the dash with her right side. Now she’s scared to be in any vehicle. She cries and hyperventilates. The hair above the bruise turned dark brown which is how we knew she was injured. Several haircuts later it’s still visible. Damage to the truck is nothing compared to what happened to sweet Caitlin.
After our little Havanese had knee surgery, we didn’t want her jumping around in the car … front, back, front, back! We bought a canvas crate for her. We used seat belts and bungee cords to keep it in place on the back seat. We also put a nice soft cushion in the bottom for her. The first couple of times we made her use it there was some complaining, but after that, she just jumped right in, we’d zip up the door, and off we’d go. Even though she could no longer look outside, she could see us, and she felt safe and comfortable. The bonus was, when we travelled, since the crate was collapsible we took it into hotel rooms and she felt totally comfortable in her own little space. Sorry for the long story, but hopefully that might be a solution for Caitlin’s car anxiety. Good luck!
Candy – oh, I loved your story and it wasn’t too long at all. Sounds like a very safe solution and maybe Caitlin would like it – she’d still be in her own familiar space as you explained. I hope Gloria reads this.
God bless Jay for adopting the German shepherd. I took a dog from a friend who didn’t want her anymore. Huge commitment and cost! But now the little pup has a charmed life.
Hi Mary, l was also looking at Keeper and his profile, and thought he was German shepherd, those ears! Tough luck with your van and little red! I don’t drive, couldn’t cope with other people on the road! Went to the mall today, too much walking, so my knees are sore ,resting in bed now. Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy – I had Keeper’s DNA done and he is indeed 51% German Shepherd!!
Mary that picture of Keeper is absolutely beautiful! Those ears!! My son just adopted a German Shepherd mix after their 14 yr old yellow lab passed. They’re having some issues with Parker & hoping he’s not as aggressive after neutering. Let’s just say he takes his job protecting the home seriously! Trouble is he went after one of my son’s grown boys! My son is using a training collar & said the beep & voice commands are helping. Parker really is a beautiful pup, can’t wait to meet him!
Alice – oh, I hope it works out because otherwise he will be just another dog returned to the shelter because of problems. I so hope the collar works! Hugs to Boots!
Mary my son & daughter in law are like me, no dog/cat goes back to the shelter! They’re talking about taking him to a professional trainer if the neutering doesn’t work. Boots is doing great, he’s a year & a half now & adores Ron!
Alice – I so hope the dog comes around – being protective is in his DNA but maybe after neutering and getting a bit older, he will change. Doesn’t it just kill you when you see posts about people returning dogs because they’re having a baby or they’re moving or their new apt manager won’t allow dogs or the dog isn’t perfect???? Smoke nearly comes out my ears.
Mary, what a story you have been sharing with us. I cannot imagine how exhausted you must have been yet so determined to look after all your animals.
What a saga! It’s amazing what we can do when there’s not many options. It kills me that you still have that pink sled!
That’s a handsome picture of Keeper. We’re adopting another German shepherd on Thursday, from a woman in hospice. It breaks my heart and I know hers, too, but we’ll take good care of her baby.
Jay – thank you for adopting your friend’s German Shepherd. There will be a special place in heaven for you .
Jay – thank you for taking in the GS!!! I know the woman in hospice can now die in peace with her beloved dog being cared for. This is one of my greatest fears – if I died today what would happen to my beloved pets????