Long story, but neat {at least I think so}.
Today I called Miss Utility for a power line marking ahead of a satellite TV installation. The customer support rep said BARC Electric would be out between now {10am} and September 18. When we got home from our errands this morning, there was a BARC Electric truck on our road, doing something with the power lines that cut across our property. I leaned my head out the window and asked if they were here to mark the power lines. “No, ma’am, that’s another truck.” Oh, I said, well, there’s this wire that runs near the barn from this line {pointing directly overhead}, it’s green, appears to be grounded, but doesn’t appear to “go” to anything. Do you know what it is? He said he’d come have a look.
A few minutes later this {enormous} power line truck comes up the driveway. Two guys get out and explain that that line by the barn is there to maintain the right of way for the power company, but that there is no power to the wire. Someone before us had power in that barn, and a transformer on that pole, but now nothing. I will have to call the engineers and see about getting it hooked back up. Oh, I said, feeling dejected. I want the line to be nothing so I can pull it down, but also, something, so I can turn the lights on in the future barn… Anyway…
“Do you know how to get into that field over there, the one with the power poles?” Sure, there’s a rock crossing down below that last building – are you going to take that {gigantic} truck over there? “We’ve done it before!” Alright then… But hey, since you’re here…I have another question. There are a few places around the property with wires just sticking up out of the ground. Three places, actually. The lines appear to be dead, but we can’t figure out what they’re for or where they go… Can I just cut them off at the ground? “We can cut them for you, ma’am, if you want us to.” It’s really no problem for me to do it, I just want to make sure it’s okay to cut them. So, they back their {I mean, HUGE} power truck around and head down the driveway. He give me a “You mean, this one?” hand signal from 200 feet away, so I walk on down to see. Yes, those are the ones. “Hey,” the other guy calls out, from 20 feet away, “here’s a bunch coming up right here by the {guest} house!” What?!? {That makes FOUR places} “Ya, and what’s this giant PVC pipe here, by the barn?” Um…. He pulls it up – it’s empty. It’s at least 6 inches across, with a nice big PVC cap on top, and the hole goes at least 18 inches into the ground – but there’s nothing there. No wires and no visible tunnel or anything. Um…? So ya, there are wires like those two sets there, one in the field and another in the barn – any ideas? “They probably tried to run ‘private wire’ {that means, homeowner installed} from the {guest} house to the {“activity”} barn, to avoid putting in a separate meter. Down the hill? Now, I’m not sure about that…” Oh, well, don’t cut them then. I guess I need to do some more research…
Here’s where the story gets good!
I heard the guy ask Caden if our dog {Findlay} was a Border Collie. He told him no, he’s a Scotch Collie. So a little while later the guy asks me. “What kind of dogs are those?” Scotch Collies, I said. “Oh, I used to breed Border Collies.” Really? Do you have sheep? “No, but I used to work with them for a few people. Do these dogs herd like Border Collies?” They do, but you know how Border Collies are always…”on”? These guys are known to have an “off switch,” they are also reliable as homestead guardian dogs. “So, a good all-around dog?” Yes, exactly. In fact, there’s this farm down the road that has sheep and collies, and I’m hoping to get in touch with them about training these guys… “David Clark and his wife Cheryl? Ya, I know them. They’re great people.” Ya, that’s them – do you think they’d help me? “Definitely, I’m sure they’d be very helpful. We’re from over in Bath County and there’s a lady there {insert name here. I’ve already forgotten…Maybe her?} that’s a world renowned herder…” I didn’t know that! Isn’t there a guy in Highland County….what’s his name, Mc-something… “Ya, McCaig, I used to work for him. Man, it’s a small world, isn’t it?” Yes. It sure is. And I am absolutely thrilled to
