Two-thirds of this wonderful country is blanketed by a serious winter storm. We are no exception. I cannot remember ever experiencing this kind of cold! It has gotten me to thinking.
Most people, especially in urban areas, don't think about being without electricity much. It is usually taken for granted that the light will come on when we flip the switch. It did this morning....for about 10 minutes then darkness. (I do mean darkness as it was about 5am.) It made me grateful.
Yes, I said grateful. Grateful that I've experienced many an hour without electricity (almost every big storm when you live in the country). I knew where my flashlight was, was easily able to light my gas fireplace, had candles handy and even an "antique" phone that simply plugs into the phone jack - no power needed. These items along with a gas stove mean you can stay reasonably warm and even have a meal. Unfortunately, this does not protect those pipes to the second-story bathroom that run up our outside NW wall. The hot water is now non-existent to our faucets in one bath, but the shower is good. (I've left the hot water faucets open so there is someplace for the water to go when it thaws and offered up a prayer.)
Facing this same situation? Maybe suffering from the rolling blackouts? Set the heater a little warmer (not too much), open cabinet doors to expose plumbing, drip your faucets, locate flashlights/candles/etc, get out the extra blankets, keep the blinds closed, avoid opening outside doors too often, and make sure you have an old phone or fully charged cellphone.
What a Groundhog Day!
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