Some rural residents still in the dark

While the effects of the late January ice storm that swept the region were felt by nearly all, the debilitating weather system has had a lingering presence with many of the county's rural residents, as many country homes remain without power.

For the past 30 years, Joe and Susan Wells have made their home in the rural part of Clay County, approximately two miles west of Greenway. In that time, the couple has raised their two adult children, son Nathan and daughter Kiley, and become known as caring neighbors by the rest of the small community.

With the family having a background in agriculture -- Joe raises cattle on several acres of land near the home -- the Wellses have grown accustomed to both the benefits and detractions which go along with residing in a rural area.

At the moment, the largest of those difficulties is linked to the slower, more difficult process of having their power restored.

"You come home to a dark house every night," said Susan, a math teacher at Rector Elementary.

The darkness has been a problem for Susan, who would often use her time at home to grade her students' assignments, both from her own class and the group she tutors after school.

"It has put a dent in a lot of the things that I do for school at home that I can't get done in the dark," Susan said. "I've had to make some adjustments so I can take care of more things at school."

The storm also has resulted in additional work for Joe, who has been busy since ice blanketed the area removing fallen tree limbs from miles of fence row. Fortunately, the damage was not as bad as it could have been. The fencing used to keep the cattle in their fields has done just that for the most part. The couple reported mostly minor damage to their fences, with only a few isolated areas where crossings could occur.

"It hasn't been great by any means, but things haven't been as bad as they could be either," Susan said.

Previous storms have hit the Wellses hard. From replacing whole fence rows to having straight-line winds push a tree through their roof, the family has had encounters with the destructive fury of nature.

Calling upon these experiences, the couple has been able to make do without some of the comforts so many take for granted.

"It gets annoying not being able to take a bath at home because we have an electric water heater, but at least we still have a home to come to at the end of the day," Susan said.

The couple has been bathing at the homes of relatives during the outage.

Still, they try to remain positive. Susan noted the couple has Clay County water, which stayed in operation throughout the storm and its aftermath. The Wellses also use a wood stove to provide heat.

While they weren't able to save all their food, the couple did manage to salvage a good portion of their supplies for the initial few days by keeping their freezer closed as much as possible and packed tight with ice.

The Wellses have been spending their evenings in conversation with each other, going over the day's events and sharing stories and memories of times past. They also have kept up with current events through reading by candlelight.

"We're okay," Susan said of the couple's overall condition. "That doesn't mean we're not ready to have our power back, though."

The Wellses say they understand the massive damage their power provider Clay County Electric has suffered due to the number of downed poles and lines. They're going about their regular daily routines as best they can.

"It's not an ideal situation, but it's hardly the end of the world, either," Susan said. "We're just taking everything a day at a time."