Bad transformer finally fixed

For several years, there has been an ugly looking transformer in the alley right behind my house and art studio. I am not sure how old it was--because it was there when we brought the house fifteen years ago--but I first became aware of the fact that it needed replacing thirteen years ago (or thereabouts) when the power line fell and hit the back of the house.

The repairmen who worked on fixing the mess from the fallen power line, pointed out that the transformer was ancient and should be replaced...but given how far behind Excel Energy was in replacing transformers, it would probably have to explode and catch on fire first (setting both my house and the neighbor's house, along with my wife's art studio on fire in the process--because all these buildings are that close together and one of them is directly under the telephone pole that the transformer is on).

And every time that other repairmen and electricians have been out in the alley since then, they would remark, "Damn, that is not good."

I dunno...

...how how many dinosaurs...

...nested on top of this transformer.

A couple of days ago, I am sitting out in the studio, along with the studio cat, pretending that I was going to get around to taking the latest batch of pottery photos (I swear that I am going to do them today) when I heard some people talking in the alley. Sticking my head outside, I see a bunch of Excel Energy employees and two trucks, and them looking up at the transformer.

And I overhear "that tree probably saved that transformer..." which I really hoped did not refer to this transformer.

Then they moved on, and I went back to pretending to get ready to take photos while actually thinking about and outlining my latest bit of fiction (an Ancient Egyptian story).

Yesterday, we got a message on the answering machine from Excel saying, "Tomorrow you will experience a brief three hour power blackout while we work on a transformer in your neighborhood."

Oh could it be that they were going to replace the transformer at last?

Well, I wasn't holding my breath.

And today, this is what I saw when I went out and looked up at the transformer.

Behold!

A brand new transformer!

So a big thanks to Excel Energy for finally replacing that transformer--hopefully, it lasts a hundred years (because that seems about the speed that one can expect them to be replaced and updated in my neighborhood).