Mid week I was startled to find this short rainbow calling me to look up from my boots. There was rain on the horizon, but brilliant blue sky above and the rainbow’s color reminded me of the balance of life. Even during a crazy week of too many things to do and unexpected weather, power outages…there is still the smiling beauty of a rainbow, as if to say I’m here if you choose to look up. This week was one of remembering to spot the rainbows.
The sky gave no indication on Sunday evening of what was in store the following morning. Many of us had been watching the forecast, Chad was excitedly planning a skiing adventure, Lewis and Lovett were wondering aloud if Mrs. Thaw would really let it snow, and I was stuck somewhere in the middle. Snow is so much fun, but can make things more difficult any time of year, and it can be especially troublesome when the grass is green, chickens are on pasture and you’re not expecting significant snowfall.
There is a certain quality to the early morning when it is snowing. My first impression when I woke up was something is weird. Indeed, the morning light of the third week of April is not often accompanied by a snow storm. I was greeted by the thumping footsteps of Lovett running into our bedroom to announce the snowfall. There was at least 6-8 inches of wet heavy snow waiting for us outside on our first day of April vacation.
I walked down to the barn to start morning chores and I could hear the creaks and cracks of protesting and breaking branches in the woods. I began to fill up grain buckets to feed the chickens and stopped for a few minutes to chat with Scott about the snow. When I turned back to my grain buckets I only was able to run the electric auger for a few seconds when the motor stopped. At 8:30 our power went out.
This time around I had a plan: our newly purchased, but not yet put into service, tractor driven PTO (Power Take Off) generator had the capacity to generate enough electricity to run the whole farm! We purchased the generator this winter after a long power outage last fall brought the investment to the top of the list. The farmer we bought it from showed me how to use it and ran his welder with it, so I knew it worked, but I had not done any setup to prepare for its use here at the farm.
The most urgent need of electricity on a windy, cloudy day in April are the baby chicks in the brooder. They rely on electric heat lamps to keep them warm. I tested the generator, checked to make sure there was sufficient oil in the gear box, and got power to the chicks. Then there was the matter of the various freezers on the farm and getting the grain out of the bins to feed the chickens. If the power stayed out for a few hours then we would need to get power to the farm well near our house, which is on a separate meter, to make sure everyone has water.
I had ample opportunity to put the generator to use. We did not have our power restored until about 1:30 pm the following afternoon. I had a few wiring struggles to make everything work properly, but just a few minutes before the power was turned back on, I had all the kinks worked out:) Next time the power goes out we will be even more prepared.
On Monday afternoon, Racey and the kids left to visit with some friends for the April vacation. After the scramble and excitement of learning a new piece of equipment and trying to keep electricity to all things, I finally sat down at the kitchen table and absorbed the silence of the house. I missed them already.
My plan for Monday and Tuesday had been to work on the chicken coop. Instead that got pushed back a few days and I have been working hard to get the coop ready in time for next week. This morning I got the end walls finished and thanked the weather for a very still day, which made managing the plastic much easier. Thank you wind and thank you rainbows.
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