So here I am, my second night here in the U.S. A squall line moved through this part of Maryland as my mother and I were watching The Countdown.
My mother looked out through the patio door and asked me, "Is that tree on fire?"It was. A branch fell from the tree and hit a power line. We called 911. (The operator asked a lot of questions, BTW.) I took ten minutes for the fire truck to arrive.
Little stocky fireman asked me"What happened, Buddy?" Nobody ever called me “Buddy” before.
Anyway, they called the power company and drove away. End of story. The lights are out down the street.