Not A Happy Camper

It came as no surprise, really, and at first we felt charmed: an ice storm that knocks out power just as we were going to bed anyway. At 9:30 Tuesday night, we thought maybe our fairytale luck would hold out and the power come back on just before time to get up on Wednesday. Well, fairy tales don’t all come true. We’re still without electricity, and told it might be midnight Friday (or later) that we’ll be able to get back to normal. For reasons we haven’t been told, 13000 residents of a couple of counties lost power at the same time, though the various neighborhoods are getting it restored in dribs and drabs, and looks like we’ll be among the last.

Luckily, the town of Floyd has power, so I’m at the library checking email, picking up some milk, and just generally getting out of the house as a hedge against a raging cabin fever. Ann has been home too, til this morning, and made it safely to work. We got on each other’s nerves at first, but settled into the new and slower rhythm, and had a nice evening by candle light.

Our road is still really very bad, but the hardtop roads are passable. And we’re okay with wood for heat, gas for cooking and water from the well-head (we have artesian pressure and put a faucet directly on the well casing.) I have an unread Orion, National Geographic, Christian Century and Blue Ridge Country Magazine. We have a couple of gallons of kerosene and a new wick in the Aladdin lamp. And plenty of dog food for you know who.

But even though I tried the old fashioned way of writing, my pen just didn’t want to put anything down on a legal pad, balking at the absence of cut and paste, copy and move, and quick access to the net for word-check and little bits of research. How spoiled I am.

Meanwhile, our neighbor down the road didn’t notice any change in her lifestlye. She lives alone in a house about the size of our front room without electricity or running water. Her choice. And times like this, I wish I was a little more resilient to doing without.

Chances are good I won’t be able to post again tomorrow. And dang, I’ve gotten some keeper pix from the ice storm I’m eager to show you, not to mention the two more creek ice shots in the series I started on Tuesday. So don’t give up on me, and thanks to those who emailed to inquire about our health and safety. We’re off the grid temporarily, but hanging in there. Hope you are too!