paralegalnc Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 If I wasn't already behind just because of Life and that job thing that keeps me occupied for most of my week, we had a freak storm this weekend... and we had had major wind with gusts up to 50 mph.. it took out about 50% of my display. Took down our 16 ft tree with 4000 lights on it. It had to be a tornado or something, broke a galvanized steel pole!! broke it..! and broke the base and pulled it out of the ground. so my husband spent Sunday welding and fixing. now we have 5 rebar ties over 2 feet in the ground... we got the lights on... after checking them all, replacing broken lights, actually had two strands where the wires got cut,. the lights are up but not spiraled. some friends came and helped get some of it back up..but I was supposed to run tests Sunday night. I guess I am glad it did it now instead of the 29th or something. UUGGGH. I do NOT need any more issues this year. Just venting a bit.
dgrant Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 Bummer and a half...wish I was out there to assist you. Glad you have friends there that are helping you. That's a lot of work to re-accomplish. I've got rain and lots of it coming here tonight and tomorrow, so tomorrow is out for me. Well, here's to hoping you get it all going again...at least you already know where it all goes! Think positive.
Mega Arch Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 Yeah - probably more than just 50mph winds. Just glad you have time to repair.Good luck.
godman Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 Hmmm. I don't know how you guys put up with weather, Out here in sunny Southern California we get about 3 rain days a year, Of course we have no water but at least I don't have to worry about tripping a GFI
dgrant Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 Its raining here as I type this. Usually at least once a week and the nice thing about the rain, everything is GREEN! I get out to S. Calif. quite often since my family are all there and I know what its like. Worse, its been drying up for a long time. People will move to wherever the water is. Here, we can experience four seasons in one day. SImilar and more so where paralegalnc lives on the east coast. Anyway, weather is exciting for me after living for the previous 25 years in S. Calif where nothing happens! 1
Box on Rails Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 Hmmm. I don't know how you guys put up with weather, Out here in sunny Southern California we get about 3 rain days a year, Of course we have no water but at least I don't have to worry about tripping a GFI we just get visited by Santa...... Santa Anna that is. for us who live at the foot of the Cajon Pass 80 to 100 MPH winds are common this time of year so Batten down the Hatches because they are coming this week. Here is the usual equation...No rain + Santa Anna's = Big Fires. Don't get me wrong I love the weather out here in sunny Southern California, I'm just saying our displays worst enemy is wind. And What's a GFI.....
dgrant Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 Oh I hear that! I remember those winds all too well. I was born there so I do have a clue. 70-80mph winds is the usual. Got my car sand blasted once at the top of the pass when there was 105mph winds with gravel flying sidewise! 1
crackchecker Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 Hmmm. I don't know how you guys put up with weather, Out here in sunny Southern California we get about 3 rain days a year, Of course we have no water but at least I don't have to worry about tripping a GFI rain! whats that?
Steven Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 rain! whats that?Believe it or not, it rained on Halloween in the S.F. Bay Area this year. No, it wasn't enough to have a measurable effect on the drought, but at least it stopped before the trick-or-treaters came to see my display.
dgrant Posted November 4, 2014 Posted November 4, 2014 rain! whats that?Wow, out in the boonies you are! I've been there. Don't walk off the road in the Red Mountain area
Old Sarge Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 Rain, rain, r...a....I....n... where did I put that dictionary??
stachows Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 I would love just rain. We have already had sleet and SNOW this year. Yup, woke up last week to a dusting of snow already... Ugh... it's gonna be a long season again!
dgrant Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 (edited) Hope paralegalnc is getting her lights, props and stress back under control. Mother-Nature comes along and gets us all sooner or later. This year, it was apparently her turn. Next year, someone else's. I should add, "Itsmebobo" got hit with a lightening strike a short while back and it took out most of his display. Many controllers and USB adapters and etc,, toasted instantly. Unless he's got a lot of money, his show was done before it got started. I was hoping that LOR would step up and loan him replacements till he could get new ones on his own but I've heard nothing more about his predicament. Edited November 5, 2014 by dgrant
crackchecker Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 Wow, out in the boonies you are! I've been there. Don't walk off the road in the Red Mountain area I used to work for a Gold Mine up in the Red Mountain area. I like the ability to just walk out 100 yards from the road and listen to the quiet.
ItsMeBobO Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 Somehow I missed this thread. Sorry to hear about setbacks you have paralegalnc. Its a huge stress and let down to rework props and sequences or to scale back your show. I know its just a hobby. need to resist... but its easy to feel the pressure of all the people you know want to come see the show.
RaZZlo Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 Paralegalnc, that just plain sucks... Hopefully you will get it all sorted out... I'm sure it will be great.
paralegalnc Posted November 5, 2014 Author Posted November 5, 2014 well thank you all for the support and understanding. Thankfully, we had a couple days this week that were nice... it had been bitterly cold but this past weekend was 70 so my husband go the welder and got out there and "fixed" the tree.... enough for this year anyway.... he hates to say it, but it went up better this time. We had to go through all the lights because when the tree fell it popped lights out and broke many. Do you know how long it takes to test 4800 lights??? that's after I untangled them all.... a friend came and helped with putting the lights on the roof. I took two days off this week because we had personal business to do in the mornings so we used the nice afternoons to work on putting more lights out. I'm shooting for 50,000. The tree and a few other props are wired up and ready to go and ran a test. Just got to tweak some of the sequencing... having a little hardware issue which I will address in another thread. ready to throw in the towel though...until a lady came by and said "since we travel so much now I don't have time to decorate like I used to, I was wondering if I can donate all my lights and outdoor decorations to you all, we love your show every year and thought you may could put them to good use...".... ahhhh yeah we take lights as donations!
dgrant Posted November 5, 2014 Posted November 5, 2014 How very sweet of that lady to donate their lights to you! Really nice of her.
Recommended Posts