The Typical Day

The wind has finally stopped blowing, but just in case you haven't had enough, I thought I would share the following:

Below you will find the story that accompanies this photo that I shared with y'all the other day:

This particular day took place in March of 2004.

It's been an interesting day. I guess I should begin by saying that I plan to incorporate today’s happenings into the book that my mom suggested I write. Its title will be, “If My Mother Could See Me Now” and the chapter will be entitled, “The Typical Day”. The title of the chapter came to me as I was standing in my attic today amidst 50 mph winds (they had died down considerably) gazing at the brilliant, blue sky. Suddenly I broke out into laughter and received a very perplexed, albeit amused, stare from DH. Let me start from the beginning.

This morning I received a request via e-mail from a few wonderful people on a scrapbooking group I am a part of. They had asked me what a typical day would entail for me. I thought, "That sounds like fun! Why not pick today?"

After what we experienced today, it suddenly seemed quite comical to think of this as a typical day. A typical day?! Do people really have those?!

This morning I had planned to get a full day of school in. Ha! I should know better than to plan something like that! It all began in a very orderly, quiet manner, even going so far as to have everyone on task and working on math by 7:30 (that should have been my first clue). All was quiet, with the exception of the wind whistling itself into an uproar outside. Homemade cookies were baking in the oven and my 2 students were working diligently. DH came in at 9:00(2nd clue), smuggled a couple of cookies and asked for my assistance on a windmill. I took one look outside and asked him why this seemed to be so urgent and could it not wait for things to calm down a bit. His reply was, “No. We need the water at Big Mill and the wind is blowing now”.

Let me add here that this well has been down for about 10 days and a couple of guys came down from the Frying Pan Ranch to help pull it on Tuesday. All that was left to do was connect the rods. Yesterday, DH and DS cleaned out the storage tank so all systems were go.

DH packed up the truck with all the essential tools, we all clammored in and we made our way to the designated area. I was really apprehensive when DH began to climb the tower. He just looked at me and asked, “Do you want to climb it”? No thank you very much, I will choose to keep my feet planted very firmly on solid ground. So DH proceeded to give me directions (which I might add is very rare, very rare indeed as he seems to think that I possess the uncanny ability to read his mind. At times I am quite capable of this. Then there are times, as when we are working on a windmill, when the gift seems to escape me entirely and I require a bit of instruction).

So DH ascends the tower and I begin to pray. I might also include here that I spent the rest of the day doing so. The wind was really out of hand and it was only the grace of God that kept my husband attached to that tower. Needless to say, I was supposed to communicate to him when the sucker rod was connected as he turned the fan blades. I thought I did that, however, the wind kept my message from reaching the man that was clinging to the side of the windmill. Now, I can be really loud when I need to be, but the wind had the upper hand and try as I might, I could not be heard and my hand signals were apparently not sent in He-man language. So DH made his way to the ground where I proceeded to tell him that he still needed to move the wheel a bit more so that I could fit the rods together. He is not happy at that point and tells me that I should have told him that before he came down. (Um, I TRIED!) He then says that the wind is only blowing about 10 times harder up on top of the tower and he can’t hear me.

So up he goes once more and we are successful in our attempt to connect the sucker rods. Hey, I didn't even drop the rod back into the well casing! For those of you that don't know, that means the well must be pulled again. Don't ask me how I know this. I didn’t even get grouchy when DH sprayed the pipe that connects the windmill to the storage tank pipe and the lubricant ended up lubricating my face more than it did the pipe. Nasty stuff. Not recommended as a facial moisturizer. Reminder, keep mouth closed.

Our children, who were 9 and 12, wisely chose to find refuge in the truck after DS decided he had run after his hat one too many times. He collected his sister who was very nearly on the verge of being blown away and safely deposited her in the cab. Their eyes were wide as saucers and they were most surely thinking that their parents had taken a leave of their senses.

I released the brake and the windmill creaked and turned to catch the raging winds. The sucker rod brought that cold, clear mountain water to the surface in record time and we breathed a sigh of relief as it began to splash into the empty storage tank. Glancing up at the windmill housing and watching the blades whip themselves into a frenzied blur, I remember thinking that there is no place on earth I would rather be and I gave a quick prayer of thanks to God.

Thank You for letting me live this amazing life.

Thank You for protecting my husband while he was plastered against the windmill.

Thank You for not letting the wind carry my children away.

Thank You for the wind which brings this precious water to the surface.

You can turn it down a notch or two whenever You're ready.

As soon as the tank is filled would be good.

Just a suggestion.

Thank You.

DH followed us back to the house in the tractor. The kids and I drove up to the house about 10 minutes before he did and settled back into our schoolwork. Not 5 minutes after we got back, we heard this horrendous, ripping sound that sent chills up my back. The house shook and rattled! After holding our breath for a minute (and sending up another prayer), I cautiously ventured outside and saw that the roof of our home was perched at an unusual angle. DH drove up as I stood in front of the house in disbelief. He parked the tractor and we walked around the house. The west side of the house was now sporting a very large, gaping sunroof. The tin had folded over on itself and was gathered at the north side of the house, with an unusually large overhang outside our bedroom. The sky was quickly filling with angry pieces of pink insulation that were whipping around the new opening and we noticed numerous loose rafter pieces that were hanging askew, threatening to join the others that littered the ground.

DH climbed up into the attic and I followed after checking on the kids. DD was scared and DS was simply stunned. I comforted them before climbing up after hubby where we began to pile what insulation we could into a protected corner. (This is when I began to laugh) It was either laugh or cry and I couldn't help but think about the request I had received this morning. DH then chained part of the roof down and we called it good.

The North wall in DD's room had shifted away from the house so she is calmly sleeping in our bedroom tonight. The pipe that vents our water heater has disappeared and the light fixture in the laundry room is askew as well. There are little pinholes of light peeking through the dining room and kitchen ceiling and some sheet rock damage, but we are safe.

Tomorrow a carpenter is coming out to assess the damage and at the moment, all is well and the wind is behaving itself. It’s been quite a day! Sigh ~ I hope that your day was much less exciting, but thank you for letting me share my ‘typical’ day. Let's hope we don't have too many more of these! There is never a dull moment around here, but this kind of excitement, I can do without!