Just a couple days before the weather hit in earnest, Mark had the foresight to adapt the coach to use a portable propane tank. And none too soon. Even though we had filled our propane tank just two weeks before, all the cold weather depleted it very quickly and by the time the snow hit our coach tank was nearing empty. He took the 20 pound tank we use on the grill out and filled it up the day before the snow, and we thought we were set.
Monday morning we woke up to four inches of snow. By Tuesday morning, the portable LP tank was getting low and Mark braved the bad roads to find anyplace that might be open and had LP to sell. I woke up with a phone call from Mark telling me to turn down the thermostat and start the generator! !! Bad news is even worse first thing in the morning...before coffee.
But eventually, I was able to absorb the severity of the situation and did my best to comply. What we didn't realize until now was that the power company had turned off power in our neighborhood early in the morning and our house had been running on batteries for a couple hours. No amount of coaxing would get the generator going. It took Mark and James (son-in-law) almost two hours to manage it. Then he got to work getting the RV engine started, which also took a while. (RVs don't like frigid weather!) I, on the other hand, donned my snowflake winter coverall and spent the morning in front of the Hoffman's fireplace. Crocheting.
Once the RV was back under control again, Mark resumed his efforts to find propane--the lack of which was still a prevailing problem. The good Lord had a hand in that effort, we have no doubt. There was no propane to be found in the whole city of Shreveport and surrounding areas, yet God guided Mark into a situation where he was able to find all the propane we needed to get through this cold spell. Eventually he called Ferrel Gas Company in Bossier (north of Shreveport). They were not officially open, but they would fill his tanks. However, they couldn't accept a credit card because their machine wasn't working--cash only. He mentioned that to the fellow at the gas station where he was looking for propane at the time, whose every propane tank was empty, and as a "thank you" for the information, the gentleman decided to take some of his empty tanks and go along. He offered to pay for Mark's propane and bill his credit card (his machine was apparently working). Long story short-- Mark filled up the tank we had and bought an extra one, giving us sufficient heating fuel for a few days.
Now, for the rest of the story...
It turns out that James and Melanie, who own an Airstream, had two forty pound propane tanks that were mostly full, which we could have made use of all along--and eventually did. God was all set to provide for us--and not just one way, but two.
For the next five days the temperature never rose above freezing. The snow wasn't going anywhere for a while, and to make matters worse, the sky delivered freezing rain on top of the snow. The power problem was solved. The propane problem was solved. But much to our dismay, the roof of the carport under which we had stowed our car to, "protect it from the weather," collapsed under the weight of the snow and ice. Being from snow country, we should have known better. Nevertheless, it never occurred to us the danger that was lurking over our car. Louisiana carports are not designed to hold up heavy, wet snow. Our vehicle was trapped under the debris of the carport until the snow melted sufficiently for the menfolk to remove it. We got it out on Saturday, four days later.
Mark took the car into the body shop yesterday for an estimate of repairs. After looking it over, they reported that they would have to replace the entire roof. They would also have to remove the doors and fender on the passenger side to repair all the scrapes and repaint. The labor cost would likely push the project into the category of "too expensive to fix"-- total loss. We won't know for sure until they get a decision back from the insurance company, probably later this week. In the meantime, Mark put a "bandaid" on the roof to keep out rain and moisture, and it's perfectly drivable for now.
In my morning devotions today, I read, "Thank God for everything." Everything?, I questioned. But as I pondered that thought, I realized something profound. It is in times of trouble that God shines best. When there's a bridge, God doesn't need to part the waters. When we're surrounded by rivers and lakes, God doesn't need to bring water from a rock. When our fridge is full of food, God doesn't need to provide manna. You get the picture. That doesn't mean God isn't responsible for our good fortune, when we have it. It just means we don't recognize God's hand as readily when things are going well.
So, while thanking God for everything isn't always easy, it is the right thing to do. God will bring good to us, in some form or another, through every situation...because that is the nature of God. So I choose to say, "Thank you, Lord," for our winter woes-- for the troubles with the generator, for the difficulties finding propane, for the trapped and damaged car. "I trust you to carry us through them all, and bring us out better, stronger, and wiser than we were before."
Lesson learned: Run, run, run from the snow and freezing weather, regardless of plans.
Be safe, and God Bless!
More pictures...
 |
| Olive and the chickens |
 |
| Icicles! |
 |
| Beautiful, treacherous snow |
 |
| The sad condition of the car's roof |
 |
| The "bandaid" ... Eternabond tape for RV roof repairs did the trick |
 |
| Free at last |
 |
| Asher is the little farm boy. The chickens are his. He has a budding egg business. Here he is on his way back into the house after filling their feeder. |
