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Thursday, May 5, 2011

Shed Fire!

This morning, while it was still fairly dark, I woke up as it started to rain.  While I was semi-dozing off, I heard what sounded to be the rumble of a train.  With all of the tornadoes recently, I started looking out the window to see what the sky was like.  Ethan asked what I was doing, and I told him it sounded like a train.  He said, "Yup, it does." (We can hear a train from our house if the wind is right.)

I then thought I heard an animal in distress, so I thought maybe one of our cows was having a calf.  I sat up and peeked out the window again.  This time I noticed a warm yellow glow coming from the shed where our lambs and ewes are presently at.  This warm yellow glow was flickering and flashing.  And I continued to hear a rumble.  I immediately exclaimed, "The shed is on fire!!"

Ethan looked out the window, jumped out of bed, and ran towards the mudroom. I followed right behind. 

We both threw on our mud boots and ran outside into the rain in our pj's, Ethan towards the hydrant and I towards the end of the hose, which was by the shed.

I then stopped.

I looked at the flashing, dancing yellow glow reflecting off of the white inside of the shed's siding.

There was no use of turning on the faucet.

It was just the hood of a work light left on blowing in the wind, erratically casting its glow on the shed walls.

And a train in the distance.

And no new calf.

So we went back to bed, I told my husband sorry I am a dork, and I managed to fall asleep again only to dream of barn fires.  I must say, we have way cooler barns in my dreams.

10 comments:

Jean said...

Hahaha, what a scare! Be glad it is just that!!! I woke up to one real barn fire Thanksgiving morning back in 1986. My face was facing the window. By the time neighbor realized, fire was already going through hay filled roof. It was horrible! It was too hot to watch from their front porch (about 200 feet away) so I simply held their sobbing 6 year old on my lap (nobody was really paying attention to her) in their dining room. After firefighters left, I looking down over the dirt bank into milking area seeing 28 mounds of ashes in each stations. We then "adopted" their critters that escaped (was not tied in pens inside) into our own barn until neighbor could decide what he should do. He ended up selling off everything (was renting) and moved to Florida to start own landscaping company. My sister now live (still renting from same landowner) in that house. I sure do not wish this type of fire on anybody, not even on my own enemy!

The Beginning Farmer's Wife said...

It was quite a scare! It's always so sad to hear of stories like yours where there really was a fire. When my dad was growing up, they lost their barn to a fire. My aunt and uncle lost their's to a fire too when I was growing up. I think for both of them, it was the end of their livestock. They continued with row crops though. I know I worried about the sheep in our shed, but I also thought that this might be it for us.

Katy said...

You totally had me going there! I felt so bad for you!

Unknown said...

Oh gosh! Thank goodness it wasn't for real -- my heart would have dropped!!

Unknown said...

HOLY WOW that gets the blood pumpin!! so glad it was a false alarm!!

Anonymous said...

My goodness... what a way to wake up!! So glad it wasn't what you thought it was. Those moments of realization are some of the sweetest of all!

God bless~ Andrea
xoxoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Uhhg, this had me so upset for you!! We did have a barn fire a few years ago and I pulled this same stunt on my husband last year. We both ran out in our pajamas in the middle of the night only to get their and realize it was just the way the wind was playing with the trees that made it look like a fire. I don't think I'll ever stop being paranoid about fire. So glad that things were ok for you! :)

Lindsay said...

I'm so glad there wasn't a fire! I read horse stories growing up since I was and still am addicted to horses and the worst thing I can imagine is a barn fire! Or shed in this case. Well any building housing animals who can't escape on their own. Great story for the blog though!

Jennie rains said...

Hi becca this jennie. I hope you get this ive been trying to get ahold of you. Im glad things are going so good for you and ethan hope to hear back from you soon

MaidenFarmer said...

Wow- so glad it was a false alarm, but I too had my heart in my mouth for you - I could really sense exactly what you were doing- strain to 'hear' the night, stand at the window and peer out- I do it myself.
My farmhouse is set on the side of a ridge with lots of wild things living in the shadows of its dense eucalypt shelter-noisy bunch they are and it will take me several lifetimes to learn all thier signature noises and relax that it's not a fox stealthily in the hen house-this time! And Australia is so wild as a continent anyway, every time the wind picks up I worry about a forest fire......
Thank you for the great stories!
PS....I only wish I HAD a barn!

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