It was a November Friday with thunder and falling snow

Sitting in my easy chair, I began to wonder if it would interrupt my TV show

The sky rumbled and on the winter blanket, the lightning seemed even more bright

My toilets flushed, clothes washed and on the tube, not a blink that night

Talked with operations, no worries, some outages scattered here and there

Phones covered, crews were working with the usual Cherryland flair

Off to bed I went, repairs in progress, the routine was getting done

Rested and fresh, I was up to shovel the drive with the rising sun

First to the barn I went to toss the horses some fresh hay

Outside I heard it for the first time, a great sound to start the day

I heard it to the south and amazed as it was also to the north of me

It was not Beethoven or Garth Brooks but simply beautiful as could be

With my new aluminum snow scoop sliding across the drive

The sound drifted to my ears reminding me of the greatness of being alive

It may have been an hour, time flies doing the driveway to such a song

The melody in stereo was steady, playing across the landscape so strong

All too soon my work was done, with regret I left the concert and went into the house

Inside with a smile on my face and spring in my step, I quickly found my spouse

“Do you know what is happening right outside our door?” I asked in an excited voice

I explained the concert from both sides for which we had a reason to rejoice

The morning inside was busy but I found time to stop once or twice to eat

Each time I would stick my head out the door to briefly catch the music that was so sweet

Lunch, the third meal of the morning was done, back outside to get the paper and enjoy the air

The tune was still playing until I turned for home and it simply stopped right there

No more melody, music, or notes resounding across the land in such great crescendo

Saddened I looked to the north and then to the south wondering where it did go

Resolved to its absence, I remain confident that one day the sound will return

Its memory will be enough to help the fire in this co-op heart continue to burn

By now, you are probably wondering what is this man talking about?

Well, now is the time I will reveal the music that makes me jump and shout

I am a Cherryland Co-op member while those homes around me are served by an IOU

In the stormy night, my neighbors lost their power and were left with one thing to do

Neighbor to the north and to the south, poured the gas and pulled the cord to self generate

Being IOU customers and not Cherryland members this is often their fate

A generator buzzing, choking and snorting is an annoyance to some

To a Cherryland worker like me, it was sweet music whose time had come

At our co-op, we rarely hear a member exclaim, “How long must I generate today?”

Most often, we simply reply, “Don’t bother, the red truck is on its way!”

So, the next time I am dreamy eyed and humming a happy tune with a smile

You will know the generators north and south have been singing a really long while

Tony Anderson, General Manager

Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Grawn, MI