Scare tactics

We took our sweet time milking the cows this morning. It isn't milk tanker day, we got the grain truck in all right yesterday, most of the driveways are clear, and Alan is home from school, so we just coasted through chores. Al went up and dug the sheep a path so they can come down with the heifers after hiding in the tool shed during the storm. We puttered instead of pushing hard to get done and it was kind of nice. We even spent perhaps more time than usual sitting on thecurb behind the last few cows, talking about this and that, because for the first time in days we didn't HAVE to rush.

Thus when we came inside and the phone was beeping I hurried guiltily over to take the message, which I expected would be the girls telling me that they got back to college all right after their storm induced mini vacation. Instead I heard incoherent sobbing, and someone saying, "Oh, my God, oh my God," for about thirty seconds before it was cut off. To me it sounded just like Liz.
I was scared to death.
Total panic.
I called the guys in to listen and the boss thought it was the girls too.

While I called Becky's cell phone in worried haste, only to have it drop the call before taking me to voice mail, Alan kept calmly saying, "It's not the girls, mom, it's a prank call or somebody out of school and getting high."

I didn't believe him. I couldn't believe him. The roads are mostly cleared, but visibility is debatable because of the wind, and there is plenty of drifting. And those are my babies out there on the rush hour highway, no matter that they can and do both vote.

He was right though. When I finally managed to get Becky on the phone, they were fine. I wonder whether it was in fact a prank call or if it was a wrong number and some other mother is going to get some kind of frightening news from her daughters this morning.
I hope it is the former.