I was lying in bed on Monday morning. A few things seemed odd. First, it was very quiet. Too quiet. However, I could hear the ice striking the roof and the windows. I knew it had to be early as it was still dark outside. I rolled onto my side to look at my alarm clock, which was dark. I sat up and looked through the bare trees to see if my neighbors had lost their power as well. They had.
I keep a large flashlight by the back door for my evening strolls with Heidi. So, I got up and slowly felt my way from my bedroom to the kitchen door. I picked up the flashlight and turned it on. I shone it at Heidi’s crate. There she was, staring at me, wondering why I was acting so strangely. I fed Heidi and brought her back to the door to encourage her to go outside. She was having none of it.
I picked her up and, on slightly wobbly feet, I took her outside. The patio was sheer ice, and I felt myself losing my balance here and there. Somehow, I reached the safety of snow and then demanded Heidi perform her morning constitutional, even though she hated the icy wetness. She did, and then we managed to slide back to the house and get inside.
We still had no power (thus no heat), and I pulled out my old tea kettle, lit the gas stove, and boiled a little water for tea. One of the best things we did when we built the house was to install a gas stove.
I called the electric company and reported the outage. They said they knew about it but had no idea when the power would return.
I decided it would be wise to get dressed and get my boots with trax-treads, my hat, coat, and gloves out.
It has been icy all day, and because my driveway is 600 feet uphill to get out of here and 600 feet downhill to get back, I decided my best bet was to stay in today.
My neighbor loaned me some battery-operated lanterns, so if the power goes out again, I am prepared with lights. I turned up the heat so that the house is a bit warmer. I am prepared.
So far, the power has remained on, and the Internet as well. However, Tuesday morning found me waking up to another round of cold temperatures and snow!
I guess Heidi and I will continue to snuggle up with her ratty old blanket. I crocheted this many years ago and never really liked it, but Heidi claimed it as her own.
Stay warm and dry, everyone!