The Carroll Electric power went off at our rural residence a little after 10 last night. I had been watching a mystery show on TV and didn't get to see how it ended. Everyone else's power was off in our area, too, and it was pitch dark.
My wife and I stumbled around feeling for a flashlight. We finally located one, lit some candles, turned on a battery-operated lantern, and lit a kerosene lamp. I then located the house's wall phone, and tried to call the power company.
As usual, holding the flashlight, the company's phone number, and the telephone, a few oaths were elicited.
"All right, all right, I know your normal working hours are between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., but I didn't choose to lose the electricity at 10 p.m."
"Why do I have to punch in my phone number when I can hardly see the phone? Don't you have caller ID?"
After a series of requests which I could hardly understand, and punching in a 1, 2, 3, or 4, I got the message across that our power was off.
"Would you like us to call you when the power is restored?"
"No, I can assume that when the lights come on, the power is back on!"
The electric company guys were soon in the area, and about two and a-half hours later, the power came on. It was a little after midnight by then, and we had been asleep.
I got up and began blowing out candles and lanterns, turning some things on, and other things off, and started resetting clocks. I was resetting the stove's clock and the microwave's clock.
My wife came scowling into the kitchen. "What are you doing?"
"I'm resetting clocks."
"Well, that can wait until morning."
Going back to bed, I went soundly to sleep.
At 1:30 a.m., I was awakened by the alert tune that sounds when someone drives past our house on my land. I got up, saw no one, and the dogs remained quiet. I went back to bed, and resumed my interrupted dream.
At 2:30 a.m., the alert device again resonated loudly. I got up again, saw no signs of any vehicles. So what had triggered the vehicle sensors? A UFO?
"I give up!" I snarled. I read the rest of the gory book I had been reading during the past week.
Nobody better talk to me today.
-- Louis Houston is a resident of Siloam Springs. His book "The Grape-Toned Studebaker" is available locally and from Amazon.com. Send any questions or comments to [email protected] or call 524-6926. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 09/02/2015