Water, Water, Everywhere…

I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to be away so long. But sometimes life intervenes. Do you remember that line from the Ancient Mariner? I’ve had reason to lately. Several weeks back I woke up at two in the morning to hear a curious rushing sound. Half-asleep, I stumbled out into the hall. It couldn’t be, I thought. But it was. A burst pipe. In the second floor bathroom. Surrounded by swirling, gushing water, it took me a few moments to realize I had to get down to the basement fast to turn off the main water valve. That accomplished, before I even changed out of my night clothes I did the next thing I always do in an emergency. I phoned my next-door neighbors—who else? Thanks to their help, things were soon under control. My insurance company was notified, and we were waiting for a plumber and a restoration company to show up. Since then I’ve been dealing with the aftermath. Someday I hope to have my house back the way it was. But I’ll never underestimate the power of water. Or of good neighbors. And who knows? My experience might turn into an interesting story someday. (That’s just one of the many nice things about being a writer!)

Snowed In

Yes, that’s a feeling many of us across the country have been experiencing lately, isn’t it?  Now at least, according to the weather forecasters in our little corner of the earth, things are going to improve.  The snow blowers will get a rest, children will go back to school, and gradually things will return to normal.  During this latest storm I didn’t get a chance to do as much reading (or writing) as I hoped.  I was too busy trying to keep the water pipes which lead to a utility sink in our attached garage from freezing, and at the same time  keep the intake and exhaust pipes from our furnace clear of ice and snow.  But none of that has stopped me from appreciating the breathtaking winter scenes just outside my windows.  The drifts of snow look as if a talented sculptor, not the howling wind, has been at work.  The trees, their branches still snow-covered, are more works of art.  And my wonderful next door neighbor helped, as usual, by insisting on clearing my long, brick-paver driveway along with his.  Other, newer neighbors, bravely went ahead with a pre-snow-planned party.  The party turned out great.  Our hosts didn’t wince even once when most of us arrived on foot, stamping and dripping white stuff all over their beautiful, brand-new entranceway.  And those are the things I’ll remember about the first snowstorm of  January, 2014.  How’s the weather where you are?