For the past few days we have been hearing about a spring storm that could dump up to 18" of snow in our region. Early in the evening yesterday the snow started in earnest, it had been snowing on and off all day long, and when I woke up this morning it was like an absolutely amazing winter wonderland.
I got dressed, put on my boots and bundled up, put my phone in my pocket and went outside. It was so beautiful.
There was snow everywhere. The trees were so very heavy with the snow. It was wet, heavy, every surface was covered. I worked slowly and carefully as I moved snow from the back porch, off the back stairs, and then made a little path in the front. I stopped frequently and just tried to take it all in.
A little while later I Larry, my snow guy showed up. He is very careful and was particularly so today. The temperature was so high, the ground is not frozen on the top, and the snow was so heavy that it was hard to plow it all. I think that about 12" or more fell. Larry and I had a good talk, me on the stairs, him in his little cab. He has a great smile and I let him know how much I appreciated just being able to take a little time to talk, to share a smile, to wish each other a very good weekend.
I came into the house, feeling very good about having worked up a good sweat and that I could easily get in and out of the house, as if I was going anywhere.
I decided to watch Rachael Maddow, i did not watch the show last night. I sat down with a cup of tea and a bowl of fruit and started watching last night's show. All of a sudden the tv went black and silent. I looked at my Bose radio and yes, the time was not showing up. It became stunningly silent. It slowly sunk in the power was out. I did not just zip into action, I reeled for a little bit. My phone was not fully charged, I worried about not having a phone. Should I use the phone? I decided yes, I called Emera (electric company) and the recording said over 53,000 customers were without power, there was no estimate to when power would be restored and they would be working throughout the weekend to asses the damages.
That call was not comforting. I am on my last day of quarantine. I live alone. I don't have a generator. There is a pandemic. I stopped and did my Immunity Boosting Tai Chi series. I did my Tai Chi form. Breathing in and out, it helped. I sat down and just let myself be scared, to release the fear, to just let the tears flow. Then I got to work. I called the Hardware Store, they said no generators. Who could I call? Where would it be warm? I called Steve and Vicki, Steve answered, such a mensch he is, he listened. He said he would think about what I needed and either him or Vicki would get back to me in a few minutes. I called Ron, they do not have a generator either, but do have wood stove, yes I could come there if the power stayed out.
It was just a few minutes later when Steve called back. There was a plan, Nate would call and yes there was a generator and they would bring it to my house and set it up.
That meant that I would have some heat. I could charge up my phone. I could stay at home. The fear was less, I felt more hopeful that I would
get through this or at least I had an idea of what I could do for the day and until tomorrow morning.
I loaded up a big plastic bag with snow and put it in the cooler on the porch, I put food from the refrigerator out on the porch. I got out all the battery lanterns, candles, and checked out the light bulbs that I had bought earlier this winter that charge up when turned on with power so that they work without power for quite a few hours, they worked. Let there be light. I had more than enough light. I didn't open the freezer and the food was fine on the porch.
By the time I did my "getting ready" preparations Matt showed up with the generator. I had gone to the garage and gotten my power cords, and he started hooking up. I asked him if he thought that there was a better heater at the hardware store, he thought there was, so off he went to get a new heater. The generator was set up on the back porch and we got it started. I tried it myself, after several attempt of pulling the started cord it caught I could do it, and if not there were at least 3 people on the street that I could call for help.
I had a plan. I was as ready as I could be for the day without power. I ate a little lunch. Then I got bedding from upstairs and brought down to make a bed on the couch. Then what else, take a nap.
....and I woke up to sounds, sounds in my house. I looked at the Bose, the same one that was blank when I went to sleep, the wrong time showed up, and then wow the furnace kicked on.
I had prepared for the worse and it was 4 pm and the power was back. The power was back. What a day. It is still snowing on and off, not really much accumulation. It is going to warm up, this will all melt away. The snow will much more easily be a memory than my quarantine, our social/physical distancing, this pandemic, the response of the federal government.....I won't go down that road right now.
It is Friday night. I am snuggled down for the night. I am safe, I am well. I am grateful. Today was not the last straw. I don't think that I want to find out what it might be.
I got dressed, put on my boots and bundled up, put my phone in my pocket and went outside. It was so beautiful.
There was snow everywhere. The trees were so very heavy with the snow. It was wet, heavy, every surface was covered. I worked slowly and carefully as I moved snow from the back porch, off the back stairs, and then made a little path in the front. I stopped frequently and just tried to take it all in.
I came into the house, feeling very good about having worked up a good sweat and that I could easily get in and out of the house, as if I was going anywhere.
I decided to watch Rachael Maddow, i did not watch the show last night. I sat down with a cup of tea and a bowl of fruit and started watching last night's show. All of a sudden the tv went black and silent. I looked at my Bose radio and yes, the time was not showing up. It became stunningly silent. It slowly sunk in the power was out. I did not just zip into action, I reeled for a little bit. My phone was not fully charged, I worried about not having a phone. Should I use the phone? I decided yes, I called Emera (electric company) and the recording said over 53,000 customers were without power, there was no estimate to when power would be restored and they would be working throughout the weekend to asses the damages.
That call was not comforting. I am on my last day of quarantine. I live alone. I don't have a generator. There is a pandemic. I stopped and did my Immunity Boosting Tai Chi series. I did my Tai Chi form. Breathing in and out, it helped. I sat down and just let myself be scared, to release the fear, to just let the tears flow. Then I got to work. I called the Hardware Store, they said no generators. Who could I call? Where would it be warm? I called Steve and Vicki, Steve answered, such a mensch he is, he listened. He said he would think about what I needed and either him or Vicki would get back to me in a few minutes. I called Ron, they do not have a generator either, but do have wood stove, yes I could come there if the power stayed out.
It was just a few minutes later when Steve called back. There was a plan, Nate would call and yes there was a generator and they would bring it to my house and set it up.
That meant that I would have some heat. I could charge up my phone. I could stay at home. The fear was less, I felt more hopeful that I would
I loaded up a big plastic bag with snow and put it in the cooler on the porch, I put food from the refrigerator out on the porch. I got out all the battery lanterns, candles, and checked out the light bulbs that I had bought earlier this winter that charge up when turned on with power so that they work without power for quite a few hours, they worked. Let there be light. I had more than enough light. I didn't open the freezer and the food was fine on the porch.
By the time I did my "getting ready" preparations Matt showed up with the generator. I had gone to the garage and gotten my power cords, and he started hooking up. I asked him if he thought that there was a better heater at the hardware store, he thought there was, so off he went to get a new heater. The generator was set up on the back porch and we got it started. I tried it myself, after several attempt of pulling the started cord it caught I could do it, and if not there were at least 3 people on the street that I could call for help.
I had a plan. I was as ready as I could be for the day without power. I ate a little lunch. Then I got bedding from upstairs and brought down to make a bed on the couch. Then what else, take a nap.
....and I woke up to sounds, sounds in my house. I looked at the Bose, the same one that was blank when I went to sleep, the wrong time showed up, and then wow the furnace kicked on.
I had prepared for the worse and it was 4 pm and the power was back. The power was back. What a day. It is still snowing on and off, not really much accumulation. It is going to warm up, this will all melt away. The snow will much more easily be a memory than my quarantine, our social/physical distancing, this pandemic, the response of the federal government.....I won't go down that road right now.
It is Friday night. I am snuggled down for the night. I am safe, I am well. I am grateful. Today was not the last straw. I don't think that I want to find out what it might be.
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