...and there was LIGHT!!!

[thistlebloom]

Woke up to a little snow yesterday morning, the day went on, snow melted, rain began, the wind picked up... and we had ourselves a regular storm!

At 2:50 the power went out and the wind blew harder. We lit the oil lamps and found the flashlights, moved the vehicles away from any potential falling tree zone and stoked the wood stove.

DH suggested emptying the refrigerator into coolers. A little premature I told him, the power will be back on in an hour!

It's amazing how completely dark a house can be without the little ambient electronic lights on various appliances. Quiet too without the fridge or water heater washer or dryer making noise. And outside the neighborhood was like pitch!

We stepped outside right before bed and the sky was brilliantly clear with millions of stars.
The wind howled on and we wondered if the little garage tent with my tractor and the 4 wheeler would fly off in the night.

This morning the digital clocks were still dark. Got up and was thankful to have a wood burner to keep the house warm, and a gas stove to be able to cook on.

Had a friend look up what was happening in the area (we spent some time in the truck trying to find some local news on the radio to no avail) and she read from our electric company's web page that we were in for a long power outage. At least a week it said due to the incredible damage wreaked upon power lines by fallen trees and other storm related damage. Worse than the '96 ice storm apparently.

So I mentally prepared to hunker down, do laundry in the bathtub, take bucket baths, and heat all our water on the stove for the next week or two. I kept reminding my overly optimistic dh that the power was going to be off for at least a WEEK. But he remained hopeful.

Then sitting on the couch this evening, bathed in the cozy glow of candles and firelight, and thinking that if I actually did go to bed at 8:00 I would probably wake up at midnight and that would be that for sleep. suddenly a light went on! The water heater started to tick and the refrigerator began humming! Whaaat? We grinned at each other and I said, I love it when I'm wrong!

I love civilization! I love electricity! I love my computer! 29 hours without and I don't take it for granted. I'm extremely grateful for what we have.

On the news just now they said that there are many thousands still with no power, and I really feel for them. Probably most don't have an alternate heat source and it's getting cold out there now.

 

[PhilaGardener]

Glad you are back on! We forget how convenient it is to flip a switch, until that does nothing. I hope restorations will proceed quickly - early in the winter for such big problems, but I suppose they can happen anytime, anywhere.

 

[Nyboy]

Glad you got your power back. I love power failures, I make a lot of money, people here check into hotels. I have a generator I got used from where else CL. You might want to think of getting one, used are only a couple hundred dollars.

 

[so lucky]

We get so accustomed to the convenience of electricity. When our power was off for nearly a week, I still found myself flipping the light switch when going into the bathroom, even when I had a flashlight in my other hand.
I really need to get a generator. DH is not willing to act on this. I may have to do it myself.

 

[ninnymary]

Our power is always going out but luckily it comes back within an hour, and usually within 15 minutes. But it does mess up our clocks on the stove, microwave and radio and we have to reset.

Mary

 

[digitS']

We didn't lose power (I just lost strength ...). I stayed out of the hospital waiting room. I'd imagine that place was insanely busy by the looks of the fire departments' social media ..!

Are your neighborhood kids in Lakeland School District, Thistle'? That one and the Priest River schools seem to be the only ones still closed today in northern ID.

The further from Spokane, the less problems the windstorm was. I know there were astronomical wind gusts at the ski areas but, I mean down where so many people live, the trees were falling like dominoes! A very large spruce tree fell about 300 yards away, in the people's front yard and right past the house. There was a house fire (vacant home) just on the other side of the elementary school from us, one of many.

Spokane and the valley schools are still closed. Here is one at 5 mile and I believe the other picture is from the South Hill.




Steve