Thursday, April 26, 2012

Grateful

Regular readers of this blog may remember that I lost all of my jpeg files last November when my external hard drive crashed. I wrote about it {here}, if you care to read. It’s short and sad. In early December, I took the device to one of the best computer experts in our area who, after several weeks, informed me that his staff could get nothing from it. I was sad, but I’m almost embarrassed to say it’s been sitting there ever since because I just couldn’t bring myself to go get it. Pretty lame, I know.

My husband has been bugging me lately about picking the darn thing up and the fact that it’s now been five months that I’ve left it in the shop. Most recently, his chiding occurred at dinnertime, to which our son joined in and said, “You really need to go get the thing, mom. Maybe we can get it working.”

Inwardly, I rolled my eyes but I agreed to go pick it up the next day.

And I couldn’t believe what happened.

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The hard drive was shot, they told me. So I took it home and carried it into the house along with my camera bag, my handbag, my lunch bag, all the mail from the mailbox, and my coffee cup . . . and just as I was about to set the bag with the old EHD in it on the table, the thing slid out of my hands and onto the floor. Crash.

That’s it, I thought. Now I’d totally ruined it, as if it weren’t ruined to begin with.

I winced as I picked it up and placed it on the table. It was still sitting there when I left for work this morning.



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These pictures you’re looking at were found this morning by my husband after he plugged in the old hard drive to his laptop and it started right up. He called me at work all excited and began telling me which photos he was looking at. He found 40 of the hundreds of files I had. And he says that tomorrow he thinks he might be able to find more.

I was shocked, to put it mildly.

It’s a miracle. Or maybe the miracle was in the dropping.



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But this guy?

He did good today.

And when I came home, our son and I loaded everything we could find into a new EHD. The photos you see here were taken in April 2008, when we were still living at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City.


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After my husband had lost his job, and after everything that happened to us following those tough months, which turned into years, I couldn’t even bring myself to look at these images.

I got over it though – and I think it’s fitting that these files were some of the few to be recovered.


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It’s nice to have photos of George as a puppy.
 
He’s 9 mos. old in this one.
 
 
 
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And my stars, did he ever love this cat. I wrote a post about it here:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways on my paws

We thought the cat was a stray, but after the post was written, we found out that it actually lived on the farm in one of the other homes. It loved to visit our house every day and it would stay for hours. George adored this cat, and the feeling was quite mutual.

: : :
 
Today I’m thankful. It’s good to have some of my files back. And my husband is pretty proud of himself for the role he played in it.

Amen.
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ps - in reading this back, I wanted to clarify that he found 40 folders. In those folders are hundreds of images, most of which were saved, and some of which were completely empty.

60 comments:

Hilary said...

I love happy endings. I'm glad they encouraged you to go get it. Clearly it was important to your husband to try and retrieve what he could. I'm sure he knew what these photos mean to you.. and to him. I'm happy for you all. :)

Hilary said...

Amen, amen.
this week has some sunshine for both of us.
Ain't life grand?

Jill of All Trades said...

It's weird how things happen. Glad you got at least some of the photos.

JaneK said...

picture me doing the Snoopy happy dance right now for you!!!! (of course, you don't know what I look like to picture that but picture a 40 something year old :) )
"funny" what pictures you found first.... life is indeed funny that way....

thanks for sharing the news!

Country Gal said...

I am so happy you were able to retrieve your files your hubby did do a great job finding them . It is strange how things turn out sometimes when you think all is lost all it needs is a good jolt and there you have it all is not lost ! Awesome photos . Have a good day !

Unknown said...

Wonderful!!!!!

Caroline said...

smiling so big over here...love a happy ending! And that photo of George and the kitty...love!!!

Michelle said...

Miracles never cease - in machines AND humans. :-)

Low Tide High Style said...

Yay! Sometimes you have to hit something really hard to make it work! ;-) So glad you recovered those images and I hope you get the rest back too!

Kat

Cloudia said...

hooray!
George & the cat is priceless-glad you recovered it



Warm Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral

> < } } (°>

beth said...

OMG...that's the BEST news ever !

i'm going to start throwing my "dead and broken" things on the floor to see if i can fix them !!

and george and that cat....honestly i think that's my most favorite george or animal photo of your's i've ever seen !!

xo

Kimmie said...

what a lovely life God has blessed you with. He obviously has given you a gift with photography. and your dog...adorable and the type of dog I'd love to have some day.

nice to stop by...my first time!

Kimmie
mama to 8
one homemade and 7 adopted

Anonymous said...

Happy! Happy! Happy for you!

Oh my, George and the cat are too cute for words.

Debbie from Illinois

Candace said...

Beautiful photos, so glad you dropped your EHD.

GailO said...

Well miracles really do happen! Especially to people who deserve them:)

Absolutely love that picture of Georgie the puppy with that cat...how sweet:)

Ruth Andre said...

The photo of George and the cat is just the best. So nice to get these photos back. What wonderful memories.

Dawning Inspiration said...

Yea for you!!!! So glad you got those photos back. So glad your husband was able to help!

abb said...

Every once and a while we find a reason to keep 'em alive. Not often does that happen, but when it does...it's worthwhile! Hurray for the hubs! :)

Christie - Fine Lines said...

What a WONDERFUL way to end my day -- with such good news!! I am SO happy for you (what terrific shots, I can see why you were so upset)!! This just proves my long held view that when anything electronic is "shot" and there's not much left to do, bang it hard or drop it. What do we have to lose?!! It has worked for me before, too!

Stella said...

I'm so happy for you. Thank you for sharing all your travels and photo's. Stella in Hollywood.

Bluebird49 said...

I am lying here awake as usual...and read this. I can't tell you how ecstatic I am for you. Those pictures are awesome and I am so glad you showed us your sweet hubby (now with his back turned. God bless him! He did good and he should have many posts more just for that. Maybe if you dropped it harder he could have gotten ALL the pictures back.

Anyway, as your son said--that manor house has magic....

Bluebird49 said...

Oh, by the way--George and Kitty? Awesome!!

Deborah said...

As always lovely photos. So clearly the lovely horse is a thoroughbred :-)

Well I said the other day, we're alike. Also in the bad thing appearantly and being grateful. I had the same thing happening to me almost. Though I lost some photos unfortunately. But hey we have to look at the bright side, I could have lost all. Good for you, you got yours as well. Love the ones of George as a puppy - but I guess I don't have to tell you. Have a lovely weekend. I'm sure you will in the light of this.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Your post today is about resilience in more ways than one, whether you knew it or not. :-)

Daryl said...

here's what I think ... I think the EHD was old, A's computer is old .. more compatible then your newer computer .. the dropping it might have helped but I think it was more about compatibility (the repair place probably used a newer computer as well ..) BUT bottomline is its working and you can recover many memories .. especially those you were most saddened to lose .. its magic when technology plays nice. SO happy for you .. xo

The JR said...

I'm so glad you got a lot of them back!

it's me said...

so happy for you!!

Anonymous said...

It just needed a good jolt evidently. :-)) This is wonderful that you now have some of your photos back. :-)) Love George and the kitty photo... how fun is that!

barbara l. hale said...

That's so great! There is nothing better than having geek help at home. I have thanked my son again and again for easing my panic moments when it came to my computer. I have backed up most of my photos but it's a good reminder to do it again. I'm going to the Cloud next. Love these photos and most especially the last one of your George and the cat. All my cats and dogs have gotten along. But these two kind of look alike...like they are brothers beneath the skin.

Denise at Autumn Sky said...

That's great news! Now I wonder where my old drives are that were inadvertently erased by a technician....

Carolynn Anctil said...

That's awesome! It must feel a little bit like Christmas. I think the sound knock on the head is what fixed the computer, personally. And, your husband's expertise, of course.

Nellie said...

What good news to have some of your files back!

Love George and the kitty!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Rather like kicking the television when it doesn't work!

baju muslim anak said...

This is a great posting I have read. I like your article.

maillady said...

thats awesome kate.

TexWisGirl said...

that is awesome! a gift for you! maybe just needed to be shaken loose w/ a drop. :)

Annie said...

weird, very weird, but what a great outcome Kate. So pleased for you and for your family too, for encouraging you to pick it up, and for hubby getting it working! Hooray.
A red letter day as CBW has her camera back as well!
;-)

Now I'll be happy if they can just find the missing mother of three small children in the neighboring suburb here. Very sad, missing for over a week now. They lived opposite where I play tennis....far too close to home for comfort!

:-(

sharon said...

wow, those subtle little miracles that make our day! Nice find. Can't wait to see more of the pics. George has always been a handsome one!

Kay said...

that is so awesome..now can he come fix my computer? I am getting a new one, it will be here Thursday....I have a corrupted operating systgem and McAfee cannot load it's system to protect me because of that. I"ve worked two days with techs,etc.at McAfee... To heck with repairs at 200 min quoted by a good and trusted repairman...six years old, he said get a new one..so i did..
Have a great time seeing those pictures again. I loved the ones you posted.......great JOB to hubby

Robyn said...

Awesome horse picture! I really like the George and the cat also.

Yeah for wonderful surprises.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

OK, this is nothing short of a miracle.

I can't believe they told you it was fried and an accidental spill and a serendipitous attempt to make things work made everything right.

You need to buy lottery tickets. Today.

A New England Life said...

Lets here it for some good news! The boys are awesome! Hopefully your son can get even more images off the computer. Hopefully!

RURAL said...

Life is just full of wonderful surprises sometimes isn't it? I can completely understand your joy.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Launi said...

Sooo, so happy for you! It just goes to show that you must never give up hope. Miracles still happen and sometimes--there's even a bit of magic out there. :}

Anonymous said...

Dee from Tennessee


Hands down, this is the BEST news I've heard this week ---no, make that this entire month. HAPPY for you! Hope you are having a blessed day! (And I'm thinking- that "old" computer had the right "touch" - just so happy for you!

Anonymous said...

I know the feeling. So very happy you were able to recover your files. We had a similar situation a few years ago, took the computer to a reputable computer repair shop and were told all was lost due to a virus. Our plumber friend said he'd take it home and see what he could find, and low and behold he was able to save everything. Our plumber is now our computer techie.

Ellen said...

Good news indeed. So glad you were able to recover so much.

Anonymous said...

Very happy for you! Smile at dear husband and son ,there was a reason for the wait.As you sit and review you treasures your gratefulness glows through the blog .
thank you for sharing your happiness and beautiful pictures.
Sharon fr Vancouver Island

alphabet soup said...

Oh Happy Day!!! Forty folders to look in and retrieve something from is way, way better than nothing.

Ms Soup

Sweetpea said...

I have (barely) a few words for what has happened here. BLESSED INTERWEBPIXIES, THANK YOU!!!!!

CG, this is the weirdest dang blog story I've read all week and if there was an award for such (wonder-filled) weirdness as this, YOU and YOURS would get it. As there ain't, just gotta say, I am beside myself with unbounded JOY for this news.

Is the message here that we should never believe it when *they* tell us something is shot?!?

Gratitude. for everything.

Kerri Farley said...

Oh, what a wonderful post! It's made me "feel good all over"!! and I LOVE the pic of George and the Cat! You can tell they are in LOVE!

Lisa said...

Kate I have been wondering how that went for you.
Thank God that you have your photos back.
I upload hugh resoultion to zenfolio at max res. also have a extra hard drive that I have been lame in doing lately. Happy you have them back
I loved these. Hope your knee gets better . My husband has a very bad knee injury right now .
Anyways glad it going ok.

Reena said...

I so love this post ... and George with that kitty post ... just too precious!

BB said...

WOW... wish I had tried that with the one I sent to New Zealand with no result. Interesting technique. AMAZING result!! Yay!
:-)
BB

Jan's camera said...

That is wonderful news. I am loving the photo of the horse and the photos of George and the cat. I hope you are able to recover more. Good luck.

WhiskerKat said...

Kate,
Glad you were able to retrieve your long lost photos. Miracle...yes. God does work in mysterious ways. Hoping and praying that your wonderful husband will always continue to have good reports from the doctors. Can't tell you how much I enjoy visiting your blog. Absolutely wonderful! Thank you!

Sundays Child said...

Oh my goodness, I am SO happy for you! I have been wanting to ask about it .. but not wanting to ask about it .. so I'm glad this story appeared and it's great news.

Do you remember The Fonz, from Happy Days? lol He used to pound on the jukebox? Maybe your thingie just needed a bit of an adjustment? :-)

Julie

Anonymous said...

Holy Cow!.....interesting how things work.....smiles

Lili said...

This had me all goosebumpy Kate. Of course this was meant to happen this way. So happy for you! And that is just the most precious pic of George and his adorable kitty. xo ~Lili

geetlee said...

Hi Kate,
I'm glad that you were able to recover some of your images. This photo of George and the cat is unbelievably precious. I can't stop looking at it. Very very cute!