One of my friends who reads this blog is Diane Malcom.  Diane commented about country living being the best.  She’s right.   There’s living…and then there’s living in the country!

Sometimes, however, there are inconveniences.  Power outages are one inconvenience.   We have storms in the forecast this evening, and I saw Appalachian Power’s trucks in the area earlier today.   Usually Mike and I are in the group without power.  I can recite AEP’s phone number from memory!!   Following last week’s June 29 storm where so many folks in our area were affected, we were not.     (Well, there was a six-hour outage, but one that small doesn’t even count!)    Just up the river about a mile on Barnrock Road,  folks did not have power for several days.    There’s no public water in this area, so when the power is off, there is also no water.   Miserable.

Before we had a generator, if there was a storm forecast, we’d run water in the bathtub, fill plastic bottles and the teakettle, and hurry around doing all of the things that required power.  People in the country are very attuned to weather, and it’s our nature to prepare. 

A few years back, we set money aside for a full-house generator.  It was installled the winter of 2010.   The generator was installed on one day and went into use for a 36-hour period the very next day.  Talk about luck!   You will never hear me brag about a car, and I own no fine jewelry–no diamond ring in my possession.   However,  I will tell you that I kept that generator box in Mike’s shop for weeks beyond what was necessary, as I wanted to make sure everyone who came in saw it.   We were playing Rook around that time, and I could not wait for my friends to see that Generac box.  Just so proud.    Can anyone relate?   The generator is up there at the top of my list of  favorite things.

It’s a Generac, so I call her Genny. 

However, she’s a bit slutty.  Won’t do anything unless her boyfriend Wally tells her to.  

Wally Watermelon….

Genny thinks Wally is a gas!  Wally thinks Genny is a little square.

Wally isn’t really ours. He just stays here loafing around until Genny needs him.     At first his owner, Ferrellgas, frowned on his appearance. Eventually, however, they came to accept him, and I’ve even sent them pictures.

It’s all worth it…we have to keep the house comfortable for our pets. 

As I look at this picture, I feel a need to put a disclaimer…small print.   I’d change the font size here if I knew how!

Gracie is a beautiful dog, but she is also one dirty little dog.  I’ve been waiting until it’s cooler to bathe her as I’ll have to do it outside where she can stand on the rough pavement.   Her hindquarters are so weak that I’m fearful she would injure herself if groomed professionally.

I’m looking for a day with low humidity in the 80’s.   We have warm water outside so it won’t be shockingly cold.  I’ll bathe her and then drive her around on the golfcart until she dries enough to bring inside.  (She’s afraid of blow dryers.)  

Until then, she’s just stinkin’ and I don’t care.