Lightning Struck and Other Tales

This past Monday I went into town to have lunch with my daughter.  On the way home I got a semi-frantic call from Ron saying we had been struck by lightning.  Well, crap.  He called our electric cooperative and they had already figured out the problem and were working on it.  Our power was still out when I got home but popped back on shortly afterwards.  Almost everything came back on.  Unfortunately, both TV's in the house were toast and so was the satellite TV system.

The DirecTV people will be out here on Saturday to replace the system and Ron has already replaced the smaller of the two televisions.  Doesn't that look cute in the large space for the much larger TV?   He will pick up the larger one today or tomorrow so it's here when the DirecTV guy arrives.  Our large TV was nearly 15 years old so I'm sure the replacement will be better and brighter and also less expensive but I liked the old TV.

I have been accumulating a list of chores for our favorite plumber.  The kitchen sink in the studio drains slowly and one of the hoses out in the pasture has no water pressure.  You get the idea.  Nothing massive or catastrophic but a growing list none the less.  I called the plumbers last week and set up an appointment for this morning.  Then yesterday I went out to feed the pony and there was no water coming out of that hose but I was standing in an ever enlarging lake.  The hose pipe had separated just below ground level. 

Thank goodness the plumber is coming!  When Ron went out to turn off the water last night so we didn't flood the pasture he discovered there is a pinhole leak in the main water line.  So he not only turned the water off but also cut power to the well.

Plumb Level is the plumbing firm we use.  They are busy so sometimes it takes  a few days to get an appointment but they arrive on time and do great work.  They also require all their plumbers to create an estimate before they start work.  The estimate for all the various jobs this morning is over $800.  Well, crap.  Again.

I sincerely hope there won't be any more systems crumbling this week.  We have a group of ladies coming out here on Saturday and I would really appreciate it if toilet worked, lights came on and the animals are all still healthy.

A quick note on the animals.... after several fecal exams that showed very high parasite loads, all are doing fine.  We treated all the animals several times and have now gotten the parasites beaten back.  This cooler weather should help but what would be biggest help is a month or two of dry conditions.  Please?  If anyone is listening?  Some sun and a breeze and cool weather would be perfect!  Thank you.