You asked......

So, you may wonder why this blog opens with the image of a fire extinguisher.  And to think that I was worried that I would have nothing exciting to share on this first post…  Read on. 

Wednesday dawned with the most awful weather from Iowa to Ohio through the evening, so Susanne Branson and I voted to depart on Thursday.  Susanne had flown in from Denver to help with the last preparations and then the drive to Henrietta. The first day went well although while leaving I did manage to run over one of the front bushes crushing it in half with the truck as I backed the trailer out of a tight spot in the driveway.  Let’s face it, I was very stressed.  Hopefully, the buyers won’t be too upset.  We managed to make it to Ashtabula, OH that night, leaving a brief 3.5 hr drive to Henrietta the next morning. 

The cats had been kenneled for 38 days at Stonemill Pet Resorts in Tipton (highly recommend), yet were amazingly in good spirits for the trip. Bob was actually very chill and voted with his feet to ride in the back amongst all the boxes rather than his little felt hut in the front.  At each stop, I would check on the cats.  I would call his name and he would pop up from some spot in the back.  Otto just wanted to be held.  They have settled in here pretty well.  Bob is pacing a lot trying to find a secret spot to hide in, but Otto is fully at home.

We arrived on Friday after most of the stuff had been unloaded, thanks to my youngest sister Debbie who was able to meet the movers and supervise.  On the way to the barn afterwards to drop off the trailer, Susanne and I discovered this wonderful bar and grill just 1.5 miles from the house. Sort of like a very upscale Hilltop.  It was jam-packed and Susanne couldn’t figure where I would park.  I channeled Bill Coester and magically a spot just big enough to pull the truck and trailer along the side of the parking lot opened up. IYKYK.  Susanne got a tour of the new farm and approved.

Saturday and Sunday were spent unpacking and amazingly everything is going to fit.  There are maybe 2 pieces that I regret bringing.  Monday was scheduled for delivery of my refrigerator, washer and dryer to complete the appliances.  Installation of internet was also scheduled.  So, the contractor shows up to do the installation and after a short while I hear a big shock, the lights flicker, and there is a slight smell of smoke from the basement.  I hear nothing from the technician, go looking, but can’t see him anywhere.  Some time goes by, and he appears asking if I have a ladder. ???? Some more time goes by and he comes upstairs to tell me that despite drilling far from the breaker box to thread the cable, he had somehow managed to hit a line. So, now he has to call in an electrician. Oh, and, there are scorch marks in the basement ceiling.  As it turns out, his drill touched the line from the Generac generator to the transformer.  He very nearly killed himself and very nearly destroyed the transformer.  As I type this, the power is out and another electrician is here replacing the line that he drilled into.

Now, this is not just any technician – this guy calls and asks (1) can he

park in my driveway, (2) do I have any pets that need to be contained, and (3) since he is stopping at Tim Horton’s on the way over would I like him to bring me something?  Wow.   RGE is now coming to inspect and hopefully, the power can be turned on and I am good to go.  The electrician has asked if he can take the wire back to mount over his desk at work as a trophy.  I said sure.  And this is why I am headed over to Lowe’s this evening to get fire extinguishers for the house.

And, lastly, a bit of trivia.  The last time I visited Susanne, we could not find the breaker box anywhere in her basement; it turned out it was on the outside of the house. Go figure. Today I learned that the reason is so first responders can immediately cut power if needed.  Thankfully, RGE agreed that this work could be listed as a repair.  Because….as of January, code now requires breaker boxes to be outside of new builds. My build was permitted in 2025.  If RGE had not been so gracious, I would have had to have the breaker box moved or some sort of additional disconnect placed outside the house at additional cost and effort.  I just dodged a huge bullet.

The horses arrive Tuesday evening and I cannot wait to see them.

Miss you all. 

New address:

8 Chatwood Lane

Henrietta, NY  14467