Warm

We are. Despite the stove guy NOT CALLING US that the stove was back at his shop...he didn't want to come up our driveway because it is muddy and there are some bushes that might scratch his truck....local folks got our stove back home for us.


The boss called stove guy day before yesterday and got the news. We were not exactly happy, but at least we knew that it was in New York State.


The boss then called a really, really, really nice businessman in town who offered to let the stove guy drop it off in his yard on the flat....which was done.


Then that man dropped his own work in his busiest season of the year, in the busiest time of that season now that it has frozen up, to bring the stove up with his logging equipment and very carefully set it in place. He also gave us some wood. He would not take any money.


Alan and the boss plumbed and wired and messed with stuff all day. The water hoses Becky and I carefully sequestered in the milk house against the day froze the minute they took them outdoors. And blew up. Alan had to go buy more hose.


The underground stove hoses I have been keeping thawed by burning a fire in the little stove thingy Alan built froze as soon as the men dismantled it.


 "Hot Hands" hand warmers, hot coffee, hot mac and cheese and all Alan's grout clothes from his job in the city were needed to keep them going. The boss banged his hands up working so stiff from the cold. I don't think either of them needed any rocking last night, but I put hot water bottles in the beds so they were extra warm.


It took them from eight in the morning to evening milking time to get it functional...of course cows had to be milked...the girls and I did that. And fed, which the boss and Liz and I did. And of course the cows broke things and created havoc and got out of the feed yard fence just for fun.


But then, but the start of evening milking, Alan was building a fire. There were still some frozen hoses and some assorted bugs with the plenum to work out, but by the time we went to bed last night we had honest to God and thanks to God HEAT.


We left it on all night, something which we never do, and I got up to a warm house. I am sitting here, comfortable. Genuinely comfy, cozy, and contented. It is like being reborn to joy. I don't think I will ever take being warm enough for granted again.


Thank you to everyone who helped, everyone who thought of us, cared, prayed, worried etc. and especially thank you Hiram for bringing that puppy home for us. We will see you repaid somehow and soon.