We Are So Blessed!

What a day!
4:20 P.M. - We were sitting in our all season room reading, saying to each other that we'd better be thinking about getting ready to head over to Nancy and Ron's house. We were going to play games there this evening, and figured we could read for another half hour or so.
4:24 P.M. - A thunderous crash! Snap! Sparks flying. What in the world was going on?  It was our utility pole. It snapped off and was laying on the ground, along with the transformer. Wires were pulled off of the house. The cows were going berserk!
4:25 P.M. - Called Alliant emergency number. Do you have an emergency? Yes, I believe it is! She promised to send a crew.
5:00 P.M. - First Alliant truck arrives. The lineman looked over the situation and then went down the road to disconnect the power.  He then proceeded to take the downed transformer off of the broken pole.  I began lighting candles.








5:40 P.M. - Second truck arrives. This one brought a new utility pole. Right behind him came a third truck. They pulled up what remained in the ground and prepared to set a new pole.
6:00 P.M. - New pole on the ground, being 'fitted' for the new transformer.  Sounds like drilling and pounding.
6:05 P.M. - Uh-oh! Need to go to the bathroom! But, no water, no flush, and no washy washy! I believe I'll wait a while.
6:10 P.M. - New pole is in the ground! They're backfilling. Rusty is watching the process, nervously. This is very good progress! I might be able to use the bathroom soon!
6:13 P.M. - They moved the third truck, blocked my view and now I can't see what's going on!
6:15 P.M. - Man in bucket going to the top of the pole. Looks like they're about to hoist up a new transformer.
6:20 P.M. - Really dark out now, but the crew has great work lights!
6:25 P.M. - So thankful that this happened today! Its a fairly warm day, a day that we are home, not in Florida or the Bahamas, not freezing for stock tank waterers, not cold in the house, and not while I was out feeding the cows! The way the cows ran through the gate, if I'd been out there among them I might have been trampled in the stampede! Or electrocuted! Also thankful for this crew of Alliant guys! They're doing a great job.
6:30 P.M. - New transformer going up.
6:45 P.M. - Transformer secured to the new pole. Looks like the big truck that brought the new pole is packing up. I've been playing my guitar, since it's my only non-electrical entertainment system. But, now I'm pretty sure I have blisters on my finger tips!
6:55 P.M. - Not sure what they're doing now. They have the pole set and braced with a new anchor wire. I'm hearing tapping....maybe putting in a new ground rod?
6:57 P.M. - Man in bucket going up again. Looks like they're getting ready to reconnect the wires to the transformer.
7:01 P.M. - Decided to use the outdoor toilet. Now, I'm thirsty! People with electrically dependent water supply systems should always keep a pitcher of water ready for such a time as this!  Sure thankful for all these candles. Heat and light!
7:10 P.M. - The wire going to the shop is about to be reconnected.
7:15 P.M. - They're reattaching the wire that was pulled off the house. What a crew!
7:25 P.M. - The third truck left, apparently to go down the road and restore power. The guys here are connecting the house wire to the transformer. They had to trim off a couple tree branches too. Looks like we're going to have power soon!
7:45 P.M. - Lights are on!