Yes, it was cold! We have lived in our house for 12 years and in all this time we have always had natural gas that ran from the Spindle Top Gas well on our property. My Papaw/Grandfather set it up this way when he built this house back in 1982. In November, there was a day we also woke to no hot water and no heat; our 1st official cold spell. I called the people that run the well and the sweet man who has always helped us said, "Oh, they were supposed to let you know 30 days ago that your well has collapsed! They will not be fixing it at this time and you will need to convert to propane or electric for your heat and hot hot water!"
You can only imagine my shock, surprise and our conversation as I struggled being a single income family on a tight budget exactly what was next! Thank God I called the propane place in town and they were able to convert our hot water tank and heater for propane and fill the tank 1/2 full. This was only able to happen because this land is an estate and so that covered it for us at that time.
Imagine my surprise when all the sudden only 2 months had gone by and we had run out. I in my wildest dreams never thought I'd run out of gas in my house. When I was in High School, in my car, well that's another story and yes, it happened on more than one occasion! Through God's grace I contacted the propane place and explained that we had no propane and thought there was a leak. I told them it was freezing inside and I was baking banana bread just to heat the kitchen a little and that we were wearing our coats inside. Here's my 11 year old sitting on the couch trying to type!
The sweet lady asked me, "why do you think you have a leak?" I explained that Thursday 4 days ago it started smelling like egg salad really strong by the hot water heater. I then learned that when you get the "stink" your propane tank needs to be refilled! Charlie Brown said it best: Good Grief!
It sure would have been nice to know this before! So here we are in 30 degree nights and my husband doesn't get paid until this Friday, the 18th! The propane company is compassionate but at the same time we had to spend 250$ just to get them out here for the 100 gallons which doesn't even get us 1/2 full!
Thank God through his grace they came, re-lit the pilots, made sure the heater was working and let me post date my check till our payday for the extra 150$ November past due that the estate didn't cover! That is God's grace for sure into today's world I know! I took them a loaf of banana bread today as my way of blessing them for helping us. The owner of the company I love like my own Papaw, he is a kind, gentle man. He hugged us and then gave us a lesson in propane :) He remembers Kendall being 2 feet shorter and me from 2009 when we used to fill our little tanks for the grill. He always asks " how is your Mother?" and remembers her story that I will share another time, he shows my daughter and I God's love of a Father/Grandfather that I no longer have and that is how I know God has my back and His Angels are all around.... I thank Him for letting me see....
So now we are nice and toasty, know what to look and smell for and yes, are truly aware it can run out! So if you run propane and smell eggs BeWaRe your running low!
It was chilly willy!!
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