On January 16, at 5:45 AM we rudely got woken up...
Somebody was ringing our front–door bell with such aggression and banging on the door as well!
It scares you!
Pieter opened the door and I heard a woman's voice...
Quickly done my morning robe and did greet her and invited her inside, out of the cold.
She was in such panic!
Wearing plaid pajama pants and a red wool winter coat over it...
I let her take a seat on our oak chest below the coat rack and she then tried to call 911.
But her cellphone was DEAD so she asked me to call for her, which I did.
She also asked me to call a friend, which I did and she talked briefly to her.
Then the Sheriff arrived and assessed the situation. He went into our front lawn, where she'd driven her car, to get info off her license plate.
Later he called for the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and a backup Sheriff deputy.
That elderly lady was from our neighborhood but we never met her.
By 6:41 AM I took this short video with my iPhone as the backup Sheriff drove her car carefully out of our front yard—avoiding the mail box and not again getting inside the tiled ditch next to our brick walkway.
He got escorted by another sheriff as the woman's car had NO lights!
Pieter had placed two big tiles alongside his neatly dug out trench for water control.
You can see more here: {Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} ←click link to see how our Felines supervised Pieter ten years ago...
She had broken one of the big tiles as she obviously, with one wheel drove through it...
One tile is completely gone (maybe scooped up by her car?) and the other broken...
We had early breakfast as it was impossible to go back to sleep!
I can see how this would be so scary especially these days. Was it some kind of medical issue? Glad you are safe.
ReplyDeleteDearest Debby,
DeleteYes, at 5:45 AM one does not expect to be woken up that way!
We have no other information from the Sheriff and don't want to meddle into other people's life. Glad she was not hurt!
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh no! Glad you were able to help her.
ReplyDeleteDearest Sandi,
DeleteYes, after our initial scare we did care for her the way we ought to.
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh my, that's really a scary way to be woken up but I'm glad you helped her out.
ReplyDeleteDearest Terry,
DeleteOh, it sure was scary but we both managed to calm this panicked lady down and call 911 for help.
Hugs,
Mariette
We can only hope this woman doesn't make a habit of driving around in the dark without headlights!
ReplyDeleteSorta shakes one up to be awakened for an emergency not of your own making too.
Dearest Eastside Cats,
DeleteOften such emergencies are not of our own making... but it could have ended different.
Over breakfast we discussed the variety of calls the Sheriff and EMC receive...
Hugs,
Mariette
What a mess, Mariette! I'm glad everything resolved itself in the end.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Dearest Martha Jane,
DeleteIndeed, what a mess but we all calmed down and glad nothing serious had happened!
Hugs,
Mariette
That would have been very scary to be woken early like that! I am glad you were able to help the lady, but it sounds like she shouldn't be driving.
ReplyDeleteDearest Memories of Eric and Flynn,
DeleteOh, it was quite a scare indeed and you are right, such people should not be driving...
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh, gosh, I'm glad no one was injured! How scary indeed! My first thought was a medical issue, my second to wonder if she'll have to take a driving test at this point.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, no wonder you couldn't sleep again! ❤️
Dearest Kim,
DeleteIndeed—glad no one was injured! We don't want to be more involved and hope the very best for her.
Hugs,
Mariette
A esas horas, cuando estás en el más profundo sueño, es normal sobresaltarse. nadie llama a la puerta a esas horas tan interpectivas.
ReplyDeleteDebe ser triste, vivir sola a una elevada edad y no tener a nadie que te pueda socorrer.
Un abrazo.
Querida Antónia,
DeleteSí, Pieter y yo tuvimos un duro despertar, ¡pero al final nos sentimos bendecidos por tenernos el uno al otro! Nos enfrentamos a las dificultades, pero hacerlo juntos marca la diferencia.
Abrazos,
Mariette
Talk about a 'rude' awakening. That was one. But thankfully you were able to help the lady.
ReplyDeleteI hope the drain damage is an easy repair. In GA and in NC summer storms can drop a ton of rain in a nanosecond
Hugs Cecilia
Dearest Cecilia,
DeleteYes, that sure was a 'rude' awakening!
But we indeed felt good about having helped her out and let go of this incident.
Oh, the rain we get, all year long (on February 12 we had to fight the water!) is too much but also due to living in a hilly area.
Hugs,
Mariette
Hello Mariette, I said it before, your string of adventures never stops! I hope that lady was ok, but too bad she ruined Pieter's beautiful work. In Cleveland, I also had a ditch at the edge of the road, and also a small section of fence along the driveway on both sides, because during the winter the whole thing filled up with snow, making the ditch invisible. However, that ditch was deeper and wider than yours, and if someone drove in, only a tow truck would get them out. I always warned people to use the gate, but a few people saw the smooth expanse of white and decided to drive over it. They learned the hard way, and did not even have the excuse of some kind of confusion, as did your lady. As for the inevitable ruts that appeared in the spring, you can guess whose job it was to fix them!
ReplyDelete---Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteOh, I've often said that I know the word boredom in seven languages but don't know its true feeling. This sure was an unexpected adventure in which we hardly played a role...
We both were grateful that no injury happened!
You know what the hard work means for working around nature's elements of snow and water. Pieter will have to fix the ruts from the broken main water pipe as with their heavy equipment they ruined our lawn. Life goes on...
Hugs,
Mariette
Wat een bizarre belevenis. Je schrikt je rot zo midden in de nacht. Ik wens jullie een rustig weekend toe!
ReplyDeleteLieve groet Willy
Beste Willy,
DeleteJa, dat was zeker bizar en een ware nachtmerrie.
Liefs en ook een fijn weekend.
Mariette
It is too bad this woman had such a strange wreck into your ditch and yard. But you were able to assist kindly until the sheriff arrived and sorted it all out for her. Too much excitement though. Lynn and Precious XX
ReplyDeleteDearest Lynn and Precious,
DeleteThings could have been a lot worse and we're grateful for the way it ended.
Looking forward to calmer times...
Hugs,
Mariette
I'm sorry the bang on the door startled you. And I hope she and everyone is Ok with the situation. It was dark out in the early morning hours, so it may have been hard for her to see the tile in the ditch.
ReplyDeleteHave a restful weekend, Mariette.
~Sheri
Dearest Sheri,
DeleteIt was very dark and she told us she saw our inviting lights in the front porch... but she arrived in a very strange way.
Makes us appreciate even more what those people in uniform have to live through!
Hugs,
Mariette
Not good being woken like that with the ringing of the soor bell and th banging on the door somewhat scary, who drives around with no lights and crashes into stuff, I take it she wasn't drunk or high.
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteNo, don't want to repeat such a wake–up ever again! We only once got a fire alarm at a hotel around 3:00 AM and that worked equally well!
No she was not drunk or high.
Hugs,
Mariette
Oooh what a scary yet interesting situation. So happy it all ended up ok and the woman wasn't hurt and little damage to your yard and drainage ditch. Thanks for stopping by to say Happy Birthday! xo
ReplyDeleteDearest Tommy and Teaghan,
DeleteIt sure was scary but when we went back inside we felt relieved that nothing serious did happen to her.
Enjoy a cozy evening with the Birthday boy and girl!
Hugs,
Mariette
It's commendable how calmly and compassionately you and Pieter handled the situation, especially considering the initial shock.
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings, Mariette
Dearest Veronica,
DeleteIt is our Christian duty to do so and we're glad she could sit inside with us and calm down.
Hugs,
Mariette
Scary! Yes! Happy that everything ended up well for you all...
ReplyDeleteHave a great Sunday & take care!
Titti
Dearest Titti,
DeleteYes, after we'd calmed down from the initial scare it ended up well.
Enjoy your Sunday as well.
Hugs,
Mariette
Wow, what a wake-up call!
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteYes, we don't need any more of those!
Hugs,
Mariette
I can't even imagine the scare. I would immediately think the worst.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Dearest Cristina,
DeleteYes, that's what I thought but Pieter calmly said: no somebody with bad intentions is not going to make that much noise.
Hugs,
Mariette
Wow, what a way to start the morning!
ReplyDeleteDearest Melissa,
DeleteWe both never planned to start any morning like that...!
Hugs,
Mariette
Beste Mariette,
ReplyDeleteDat is best schrikken dan.
Zo vroeg verwacht je niemand.
Gelukkig liep het goed af.
Lieve groeten,
Hilly
Beste Hilly,
DeleteNou en of was dat schrikken!
Blij dat we haar konden kalmeren en ook helpen met bellen.
Liefs,
Mariette
That is a terrible wake up call. Bless you for helping her and I am glad the situation didn't end worse. It is a shame about the tile. On a very different note, I enjoyed hearing your voice; it's such a lyrical language. :D Blessings, my dear.
ReplyDelete- Darla Sands
Dearest Darla,
DeleteIt sure was a terrible wake up call! Glad we put that out of our minds and indeed, it could have been a lot worse!
As for my Limburg's dialect a lot of people here ask me if I'm French. Our Province has a lot of French influence as we got ruled by them for quite a while.
Hugs,
Mariette
O bahm wat een schrik zeg, Mariette. En zo leuk om je stem te horen.... ik kan je best verstaan hoor.
ReplyDeleteBeste Aritha,
DeleteJa, dat was ècht schrikken maar gelukkig toch met goede afloop.
Grappig ja om mijn Limburgs te verstaan!
Liefs,
Mariette