Lights Out!

So the country adventure for this past weekend was no Hydro. This is not a drill! On Friday night, around 9pm, the power went out. After a day of freezing rain from the east, the wind switched direction and started howling from the west. Now imagine tall things, like trees and hydro poles, getting rained on from the east. It freezes, makes them heavy with ice on one side. Now imagine going around to the other side, and giving them a push, like a 60 km/hr gust of wind may do. Do you get the picture? Timberrrrrrrrrrr!!!!



Now power means no furnace which means no heat, and in these parts it also means no water, since there is nothing to power the well pump. Luckily we have a propane fireplace in the living room, which lived up to the task of heating the whole house. We were originally told it may be up to a week before we got power back, so we went about pulling out candles, getting water, all the necessary things one must do to spend that much time in the dark. And then I got down to the nitty gritty – the really important stuff that needed to be done – rearranging the living room so there was room for the Christmas tree! A woman has her priorities!

Coincidently, the army was in town this weekend. They were here camping (suckers!) and on a training manuvre to do some disaster training. We were kind enough to supply them with a real live disaster (about 10,000 people sans power) When we went into town on Saturday to get water, we went to the firestation, and were promptly sent to the legion where we were told the army boys were set up to deal with our needs. When we arrived at the legion, we were informed that the army was dealing only with their mock disasters, and were in no way set up to deal with our needs. They were ready for an Avian Flu outbreak of mass proportions, and they had mock purified water, but couldn't actually supply us dry citizens with no running water with any real water. These are the men and women keeping our country safe ladies and gentlemen. Mock safe at least.

Our power was back on when we came home last night at 9pm, from Steve’s parents house where we had gone to bathe and eat, and most importantly, charge all the electronic devices that we “just can’t live without.” Although I would have risen to the challenge of surviving without power for a week, I’m certainly glad to have it back!