I have tried to win a weather radio from television stations for several years. As I talked on the phone, the TV was down low. I was facing the TV, eyes glazed over, concentration of the conversation. Suddenly, I focused on the TV screen...my name was about four inches high, maybe taller. A little scream escaped my lips. Of course, I had to explain to the person listening. If there was contact information given, that escaped me. They are going to call me back after the 6pm newscast.
This morning about 11 am I fed and released the hens. It was raining so hard I figured they would come to the door to talk to me. When I heard nothing all day, I was not really surprised. Sometimes, they just go under the picnic table and stay on a rainy day. Other rainy days, the spend most of the day where the tarp protects them.
When I went out at 5 pm, only Thelma and Patsy Cline were in the pen, so I fed them and closed them up for the night. I rethought that, thinking Maggie May might just be late. If so, she might find a tree to roost. The door was open as I left to drive around the block. I check the back side of my block and turned to go around the other corner where Tony lives. There she was in Tony's yard.
She recognized the car and came to me. She was looking up at the window as though she might jump in. I finished pulling into his driveway and got out. She was not having anything to do with me. The poor baby was soaked. Have you ever seen a chicken that appears to have been dunked into a bucket of water?
Grrr, she went to the other side of the car and went near blueberry bushes like she would be safe. I just followed behind, talking. She walked more slowly with each step. Finally, she looked over her should like she wanted me to pick her up. I had put a kitchen garbage bag in my pocket. I grabbed her with both hands, held her down with the left, and retrieved the garbage bag. I wrapped it around her with little trouble.
She rode around the block in my left arm, looking out the window as I drove. When I was in the driveway, she made a little noise and struggled a bit. No way! I was not going to follow her in the rain, walking with little measured chicken steps. I carried her to the pen and dumped her in.
My fleece coat was soaked. Plus, having bent over, my behind was wet.
This spring, I want more chicks. However, I cannot depend on her to train them. She would have them running all over the neighborhood. Only Thelma can be trusted.
Right now, I have to go trade the leaky milk before the streets freeze and I have problems standing or getting back up the steps.
Your turn
Do you own a weather radio? Do you like it? Does it seem your pets or livestock choose a bitterly cold, wet day to keep get you in the weather? I'm still damp, feet too, frozen, and not happy to be going out.
When we lived in Illinois, X bought two of the weather radios (one for the main floor and one for our bedroom upstairs) after there was a tornado and we knew nothing about it. It was the kind that came on automatically if there was a severe weather notice or an amber alert. I liked those radios a lot. A couple of years ago I ordered what was described as a weather radio. I thought it would do the same thing, but it doesn't come on with alerts. However, it could be used in the absence of regular power. It works with batteries, or solar power, or it has a little generator inside it. It can also be used to charge cell phones. It has a flash light, and a flashing red light. It's okay, but the light is kind of weak. I doubt if the solar power or generator would work very well. I'd like to get one of those automatic weather radios. I don't know how much they cost or where to get one. Congrats on your win.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Janie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that information. I will pay attention to what kind the station says I won. Or, I will see when it arrives.
I do hope it is not the kind that informs me if a tornado is within 100 miles of me.
Thanks. Winning gave me a thrill.
I appreciated the warnings when they were actually close to our house, but the thing came on an awful lot. We needed it because X couldn't hear or see when something bad happened. He would only believe that there was a problem if he heard it on the weather radio.
DeleteYes, I own a weather radio. I "bought" it using reward points at work. I need to get it set up in the BF's house since moving there. I grew up with a weather radio at home since I live in the Midwest & experience quite a bit of nasty weather. Call me weird, but I find listening to the broadcast, even during bad weather, very calming. Then again, I love storms.
ReplyDeletetlc,
DeleteReward points count--free is free. Police scanners re annoying, so I imagine the weather radio might by annoying, too. But, it might be interesting. I will know soon.
I have an unused weather radio, unused because I prefer getting my weather on the computer because the weather radio has to report on the Coast, the Cascades, the Valley, the Umpqua, and the desert, so it can take a long time to get the weather that I’m interested in, and the TV and radio are almost as bad. When my father moved here—he was in his ‘80s—he would listen to the TV weather and then say, “We’re supposed to get a foot of snow tonight,” an amount that would almost be unheard of here, but commonplace 60-miles away in the Cascades. He died without ever figuring out which weather was “our” weather.
ReplyDeleteTht is why I hate the weather station on tv--I have to sit through CA to NY weather before get to southeast. Then, there is nothing specific enough for my area.
DeleteDid you explain that to your father, or was that not possible.
I read up on the weather radio I will get. It has a function that enables the user to eliminate any area she does not want to be alerted about. We will see.
In Indiana, we had a weather radio but still preferred to look outside and judge for ourselves. We lived in an Ohio Valley dip, and whatever was projected rarely effected us in the same way as it affected the neighboring area. But in your case, I'd say it would give you some entertainment at least. If you're able to use your hand and wrist, an electric / battery / winding radio is perfect.
ReplyDeleteHere, we are a target for tornadoes. My director as the college that employed me was horrified when she heard where I lived. She said she had only been here six months and was warned about my town and all the tornadoes that strike.
DeleteThe only time I ever took cover while living here was when I heard the radio announcer come in the door of the radio station, screaming like a little girl that "the tornado is coming take cov...".and he was off the air. The tornado hit the station and I knew it was six blocks from me." I ran for cover.
This has backup batteries. But, I can use my hands enough to wind up a radio or light. Having a radio did not help after that tornado since our radio stations and television station had their antennas twisted to pieces. The radio reported the tornado in Tuscaloosa, about 100 miles from here. There was not even any music, just tornado news.