Let there be lights!

It’s Friday morning, and thankfully Thomas Edison’s invention has been restored to my farm once again.  Last weekend’s ice storm and all its fury gave us unwelcomed challenges on our farm as we dealt with no electricity for five days.  Being without power forced us to step back in time and adopt old-fashioned methods to care for our cattle and stay warm.  It made us realize what a gift the great inventor gave us when he invented the light bulb.

Thanks to wind, freezing rain, and toppling trees, wire lines came crashing down.  There was no electric power in much of the region.   A few neighbors had generators churning out emergency power so milking parlors, or swine and poultry houses could continue to operate and keep residents comfortable.

On our beef farm, the small generator we had on standby remained quiet.  We anticipated the power company would restore the electric in short order and life would return to normal.  In the interim, our barn’s water fountains were quickly drained by thirsty cattle that didn’t know they should ration their consumption due to the energy crisis we were facing.

Our high tensile fence wires hung coated with icicles.  No pulsating electrical discouragement was carried through the four strands that now sagged slightly under the extra weight of ice.  The fence that I count on every day to keep potentially curious cows on the right side of the fence was no longer working.  I was glad that the fierce storm and its ice discouraged them from venturing too far from their protective shelter.

Complaining about the weather was not an option.  There was too much work to do.  In the aftermath of the storm’s damage, we were thankful that none of the enormous branches that had splintered giant trees on our farms had landed on any buildings.  Miraculously, they had all fallen away from house and barn roofs and lay strewn across the frozen fields and lawns.  The sound of trees snapping under the weight of the ice resonated through our woodland as the domino effect brought timbers toppling down the slopes.

After the storm subsided, my husband Mike fitted the tractor with tire chains and proceeded to push the worst of the branches away from farm lanes and buildings that blocked our paths to cattle that were anxiously looking for hay and water.

The hours since electric had vanished from our farms added into days.  We tried to appreciate the overwhelming task that the utility company workers had before them in returning peoples’ lives to twenty-first century normalcy.  But we were having our own issues with pre-AC/DC farm life.  With each day and each announcement that power had been restored just over the hill, it was more and more frustrating to remain in the dark

On Monday morning, I escaped the cold at home and went to work at the county Ag Center.  The building and the office of the Agricultural Coordinator was spared the power outage.  There was heat, running water, lights, and comfort.  I kept hoping for good news at home throughout the day, but it didn't come.

As I returned home from the office Wednesday evening, my spirits lifted with every new mile of lighted Christmas decorations.  My anticipation of welcoming porch lights at my farmhouse made my heart race, as well as my car!  I almost cheered when I saw our next door neighbors’ homes were once again electrified.  Let there be lights at home, I prayed.  As I turned onto our road, however, my heart sank as the moon silhouetted a still-darkened house where candle flames flickered a dim welcome.

Discouraged and disappointed, I joined my family for yet one more night of discomfort.  As I began to proclaim how hard it was to see power restored so close by and yet not far enough to help us, the village fire sirens began to blare.  My daughter Emilie wisely pointed out that at least we still had our home, even if it was cold.  That may no longer be the case for whomever the volunteer fire fighters were helping that same evening.

During the past century, we have changed the world with technological improvements and inventions.  This week we were humbled by an act of God and reminded of the difficult life farmers of the past faced without electricity.

As we celebrate the Christmas season when God sent his son to light a dark world, remember to take time to pray for the people who risk their lives to help others --- police and soldiers, firefighters and electrical linemen.  Remember, too, the millions of people around the world who face each day without the blessings we too often take for granted.  May you have a New Year that shines brightly and brings light to others.

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