Yesterday Valentina came and helped me throw out some mags, she also moved a bookcase and turned a large rug around and move a table in a new position. Lots of vacuuming and shuffling of books and objects. After she left I put everything back on the shelves. In the process dropped a cheap battery clock and it stopped. I like it because when the power goes out, at least I have that one clock keeping the time.

This clock cost 50 cents at a yard sale, but has been faithful, so put in a new battery to see if it'd work. No. Shaking it and thumping it on my knee didn't work either. Before tossing it gave one more try and pried the face off it with scissors and pressed down on the second hand mechanism and voila--it started working again. Must be a Timex--it took a lickin and kept on tickin.

About 5pm, the lights went out after barely a gust of wind from a storm front toppled trees onto four power lines. It was getting dark out so lit a candle then decided to ride around in the car with air conditioning. As I was pulling out of driveway, saw a utility truck with a holding tank and two Port a Potty's strapped to the back pull into my neighbors driveway. The neighbor has a hunting camp behind my property--he's rarely ever there.

I was suspicious because several years ago a septic tank pumper truck went into the woods about two miles away dumped his load. I couldn't smell it from my house, but if you drove by, the stench would make your eyes water. I among others called the EPA, and they and the county bermed up all entrances into those lonely country roads so a**holes couldn't dump stuff anymore.

Anyway I followed this guy and penned him up in the neighbor's yard and asked if he was lost. He said he was looking for a state park. There ain't no damn state park within 50 miles. He took off like a scalded cat. Later I saw the Port a Potty's dumped by the side of the road and got a number off one. I went home and got out my Coleman battery lantern and did the crossword. Finally, three and a half hours later the power came on.

I phoned the Potty number and a nice lady said the driver was looking for an entrance into DeSoto National Forest (I live surrounded by this forest) because an archaeologists and some volunteers were conducting a dig at the site of discovered Indian habitation. Ooooh, I've got to get there before they leave. Right now the cutaway road was so muddy the Potty driver couldn't get in.

No wonder the Potty driver looked so discomfited. Here he was in a strange place, lost on a dark country road in the woods where the only lights in the houses he passed came from the flicker of candles. Whooooo, bet he won't forget that trip.

susil