Thurs. Jan. 29th… blubablubabluba...Vicki...they're after me..bluba bluba doo

Remember when you had a bad day and you finally couldn’t take it anymore, so you just gave up & went to bed, expecting tomorrow to be all better? Weeeeell……give that one up! We got up this morning and noticed that all the water was gone from our swimming pool. I went out and walked all the way around the pool and found no damage to the liner wall, the skimmer or where the water re-enters the pool through the eyeball, again I found nothing... but somehow, overnight, the water completely removed itself from the pool and is all around the outside of the pool near the upright struts that hold the liner steel wall and down through the yard, under the snow. We heard it happening early this morning……… around 4:30 or so, but it just sounded like a snow plow dragging his plow on the dry roadway for about three minutes straight, then silence. We could not put our finger on where the noise came from what was making it as it happened, awakening Vicki and I from a sound sleep, awaking all the dogs and Robin in the guest room downstairs. When we found it this morning, Vicki quickly went to the basement, expecting to see water flooded into everything, but there was nothing and the water around the lower section of the liner wall was frozen solid. Still to this minute……I have found no damage and the snow from yesterday is cracked and sunken to the bottom, stretching the cover over the top, which is suspended from the wooden deck around the pool, so there is no down pressure on the sidewall, and never was. Vick called the insurance company which informed us we had a $1000.00 deductible and collapse from snow and ice are not covered. They are sending an agent out to look at it. WHY? They have almost given us their answer already. I can tell you one thing…..it didn’t collapse… and the snow on top had to go down inside when the water ran out, so now what do we call it????? I was frustrated to say the least, but tried to collect myself and brace for the next whack to come, (there is always another whack coming you know) so I went to the barn to feed the chickens. When I arrived there
WHACK! The door was frozen shut…… never to open…… until spring possibly. I went to the front door, which we had closed off because of the driving winds… but I tried to make entry there anyway, so I could get in. WHACK! The ground there had frozen and heaved enough to wedge the door up against the framework and the wheels were lifted clear off the hanger track.
Now I had no choice but to go around to the Dutch door we installed for the Donkey’s (which are now going to be Alpacas) and tried to enter there. I installed a barrel bolt to keep the top and bottom section together, and then a hook latch on both the top and bottom section of the door, so I would have to unlatch both the top and bottom. WHACK! While trying to winterize the doors against winter’s harsh winds, I installed strips to close off the cracks and I couldn’t freely access the latches to trip them, so now I had to find a flimsy piece of flat metal to sneak into the crack, yet strong enough to flip the latch up and out of the eye. After about a ½ hour of fowl language… sore, cold fingers… and dampened spirits, I got the door open, tore the stapled tarp off the opening, moved the bales of hay and entered the barn to feed the now starving chickens and bunnies. Once that was done, I started to remove the snow from the driveway and surrounding areas, which I was surprised, happened without a hitch and within about 45 minutes, I was done and in the house sipping a hot cup of coffee.
Hoping I was whacked for the last time today, I changed clothes and we went to Unicorn Glass in Montgomery, near Newburg. They have a huge stained glass store there, with more glass than we have found anywhere in New York. She has books, kits, tools and supplies, along with the largest inventory of glass you can imagine. We drive down the thruway to 17K then turn right on 208 and go about a mile to 24 Bailey road, where their store and antique barn are. After Vick got all the glass and lead came she needed for making her "Remember Me Stained Glass Hospice Hearts" and a newly designed “Breast Cancer Awareness Heart”, We headed back home……enjoying the remainder of the day. Once we got home, I whipped up a meat loaf to cook and one to wrap and freeze fro sometime later, while Robin and Vick whipped up a pan of corn bread to go with the meat loaf.
Here’s looking forward to a tasty dinner and a calm, uneventful evening and then a good night’s sleep.
(also praying for a good start to tomorrow)