Repairing the gas line

Yesterday, while digging in their front yard, our next-door neighbors ruptured a gas pipe. Two fire engines showed up as gas fumes filled the area, and we were told to stay indoors with the windows closed, and not to light any matches.

The leak was stopped in about an hour, but then PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) had to send a crew out overnight to replace the gas line to the street. That took from nightfall (about 6 p.m.) to just before dawn, and was accompanied by major spotlights throughout the night, and a certain amount of intermittent noise as well. This photo was taken from my upstairs study at 12:35 a.m.