Ha! Well, I won't repeat the last post, though it would all be appropriate. Exactly one week after the last storm, a bigger, colder storm came blasting through, cutting our power for 4 1/2 days, this time, and leaving us under two feet of new snow. There was snow way down to 1000 ft (we're at 2500) at this latitude.
But, we keep learning, right? So, for example, instead of putting food outside in bins to keep it cold, it turns out to be more convenient and at least as effective to pack large containers with snow and put them in the fridge and freezer. I had already buried the frozen DiGiorno's in the snow (under ordinary circumstances, our go-to last-minute meal option), so I just left them and dug 'em up this morning. Next time we're too lazy to cook, we'll discover how they fared.
Little treats every day help. Swedish Fish, popcorn, pudding, pancakes. A bit sad that something like that works for us sixty-somethings, but there you go.
Also, we discovered that, with this much snow, our little, all-wheel drive Suby can't negotiate our steep, hilly/curvy driveway/road, even all chained up. We got stuck on Echo Glen and needed our wonderful neighbor, Scott, to dig us out with his little Bobcat. We had to leave the car about 1/4 mile away, at the nearest plowed road and hike back home. Next day, though, Scott made it all the way to the top of our driveway with the mighty little plow, so we could park at home, again. Scott's the man!
LOVE the snow--but it's really the power thing that makes it a bit of a challenge--especially for Tom and his work. So. We will have ourselves a generator by next winter. Keeping the computers going and the toilets flushing would make a storm mostly pure fun without the negative undertones...
Today, we have "liquid sunshine" all day (and tomorrow?) to help with snow-removal (though it will be around for many weeks, even if no more white stuff falls from the sky). It's a warmer, gentler storm, this time.
It's always a little disconcerting to me that, as an avowed tree-hugger, I miss certain things so much, like my computer, indoor running water, a phone or a brighter light. I've become very accustomed to a lifestyle that doesn't have to set aside hours a day to keep fire going for warmth or snow melted for washing.
We rely so heavily on there being some kind of power available at all times. Oh, we'll solarize at some point, of course. And get a more efficient furnace, etc. Still, my personal mantra of "simplify where ever possible" doesn't seem to show up in any significant way as our being any different than the average energy-hog American. Certainly, we haven't measurably sacrificed.(By the way, there's a shot of a PG&E truck--a favorite sight in these parts--parked near our mailboxes the day before power was restored.)
But, that's an ongoing challenge and we'll keep at it. Meanwhile, we're grateful for the beauty AND the usually-available power we still consume as we live out here in the trees. We know that it's special to live in the boonies with all the comforts of city folk.
