Solutions by Susan L.

  I had a visit from two Hydro One workers this morning. They were in the driveway when I woke up so it meant heading out to find out what was what. Currently the power lines run behind our little row of houses which has been a problem. There are a lot of big trees. There is no easy access for any kind of work crew to get to it. This has been the second power failure in as many years due to storm damaged trees. They want to make things better, safer and easier for all concerned.
  Right now it's only the downed trees in my neighbour's yard and the fallen wires underneath them that are supporting the whole row.
  They are going to install a new hydro pole out front then bury the lines to the house. Yes! That will make things a whole lot safer.
  They had a look around the basement to see where the main panel was. They get my concerns about the sump. (The rush of Niagara Falls makes it hard to miss!) When any electrical work is done down there they will make sure the pump is hooked up to a generator. I left them my lockbox code to access a house key if I am not home when the electrician shows up to do the work.
  Hold on, there's knock at the door...the electrician is here to check out the best way to hook in the power panel to the planned, new feed. Boy, that was fast!
  Nothing will happen until new poles are installed. With crews still repairing broken poles elsewhere, it could be a couple of days.
  I confess I did something I don't normally do: a bit of name dropping. My step-brother works for Hydro One and is fairly high up. I asked the guys if they knew him. They did. What can I say? Every bit helps especially for a woman alone when it comes to this kind of thing. Sadly, we are often taken advantage of but that's another rant.
  There's so much to be thankful for. Perhaps the only name dropping should have been God's but then, He provided the connection to my step-brother. I'll be glad to see the sagging wire that crosses my back yard to the house removed. I am thankful for the farm experiences of a similar situation: burying hydro lines, rewiring work. It's where I learned the basics of electrical lingo and procedures. In fact, the farm life prepared me for everything about owning my own home. At least there's that. As for the rest? It can go in the trash.
  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Mat 7:18