To run the fiber optic, they dig 4' deep holes manually, roughly every 100' and then use boring equipment to tunnel the cable underground to the next prairie dog hole. So the boring crew can safely navigate underground, the neighborhood is peppered with dozens of multi-colored flags marking underground gas, electric, water, sewer, cable & telephone lines. To further complicate, we have contributed a sprinkler system to this underground maze.
To provide temporary water service when the water lines are replaced, they are laying down pipes above ground fed by hydrants which will hook up to individual houses when the water mains are replaced.
Quite an undertaking. Free entertainment for the old couple.
The fiber optic work has been going on for a week or so and finally worked their way to our yard. Surprising how long it takes. The boring equipment was doing its thing when … oops, an underground electric line was cut. Apparently the flags and painted lines marking the electric were 5' off. The boring machine became electrified and the operator was trapped in his pod as the danger of electrocution was very real. Poor guy. Stuck there for most of the afternoon before Xcel Energy was able to safely free him. A co-worker tossed him a sandwich.
Meanwhile, we went out to eat. Returning, our garage door opener failed. It requires electricity. Who knew? Apparently, in the process of extracting the borer, the electrical line to our house was cut. No power. Just unlucky us with the darkened house. And a realization, followed by a few minutes of panic that we were not carrying a house key and we, ever diligent, always lock up when leaving the house. Some minutes of hyper-ventilation and 4-7-8 breathing, wondering if locksmiths are still a thing and do they make house calls and then contemplating a burglar entrance through a broken window, I happily discovered a house key hooked to the car key fob. Whew. In the good old days of manual, get out of the car to lift the garage door, this would not have been a problem.
So we settled down for a long dark night. What should one do in a power outage? My first thought was to eat all the ice cream in the freezer before it melted. And find candles and matches but we decided the phone flashlight was all we needed to find the bathroom. I suppose we own a retro flashlight, but where would that be? The main pain point was being unable to watch the Frost - Fleet game.
But voila, Xcel fairly rapidly laid on-the-ground electrical cable through our woods and connected our meter to our neighbor’s supply. So we spent only a couple hours back the 1850’s - and thankfully it is not the deep mid-winter. Back to semi-normalcy, but it’s not clear if we are paying for our neighbor’s power or vice versa.
But of course, the severed power line must be repaired. Time passes. ... now 6 full days piggy-backing off the neighbor's power and finally a Xcel crew is swarming the yard with high tech devices to find the break, boring equipment to tunnel a new line and if all else fails, a backhoe. The lawns are a bit of a disaster at this point.
We take modern conveniences - like electricity - for granted. We are spoiled. I remember a time when nearly every thunder storm resulted in a period of lights out. Now it is a rare event. Sort of like a flat tire. Once in a blue moon.
Pretty exciting lives we lead, eh?
Copyright © 2026 Dave Hoplin
