Have you ever spent hours in the ocean trying to body surf the perfect wave? Time ticks by as you wait with quiet anticipation for that deep pull on your legs that signals the coming of a big one that will send you speeding like a dolphin toward the soft sandy shore?
As I sat staring at the bright blue-green waters of South Padre last week I suddenly realized that catching a wave is exactly like waiting for cell reception on the country.
Cell reception was not too much of a problem when we bought the property. If we stood at the high point of the land we could usually snag a few bars and call the civilized world.
That was February.
By July, as the house was taking shape, you practically had to stand on the newly framed roof to order a pizza. The difference a few months makes?
Leaves.
February means naked trees while July presents the pillars of glory fully dressed and interfering with those invisible waves connecting me to the cell tower. And while I greatly appreciate the well watered spring we had, the trees this July are fuller and stretching taller than last year.
Great for the view, bad for communication.
Nowadays you might find me walking slowly through the house or on one of the porches, then suddenly freezing to raise a cell phone to my ear. Like a cat stalking a field mouse, I stalk signal bars. I have seriously given thought to climbing our tower just to make a phone call.
My friends and family think I avoid them, or worse hang up on them when disconnected. Because like those fish-filled swells racing toward the beach, cell signals around here come and go, usually leaving me stranded twenty feet from the shore.
So to all of those of you who have not received a call back, or those of you who cursed my rudeness for hanging up on you, I can only say that we are working on it. My techie husband has been brainstorming contraptions that will eventually have our farm looking like a FEMA station, but we WILL have cell reception!
I know what you’re thinking, “just get a land-line!” I did bring that up with Andy but the look on his face said, “antiquated… who are you woman?!”
It really could be a new reality show…
Ten techies stranded in the middle of nowhere will test all of their skill and powers of invention to regain communication with the outside world. Who will prevail?
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