The weather forecast indicated there could be a wintry mix today.
My front yard is proof that they were correct. Sitting on the front porch this morning, I could hear tree limbs snapping and falling under the weight of the ice on their branches. At 6 AM, thunder and lightning reverberated, creating the perfect opportunity to get up and make a pot of coffee.
Had we not done that when we did, there would have been no coffee without a bunch of hoopla.
Shortly after the coffee was finished, the power went out. It has been off for almost three hours. We reside in the foothills of the Appalachian Trail, and our house is tucked underneath Skyline Drive. So, when the power is off, nothing works, including internet and cell coverage.
This makes it hard to report the outage to our electrical provider.
At one point, I had purchased a generator that I would run on the front porch. I had extension cords set so that I could run, the refrigerator, the internet and my computer, the TV, and a few lights. We can use the wood stove for heat and gallon jugs of water from the lake to flush toilets. This is enough to make things livable.
Recently, the generator stopped generating.
I have not had the time to get it looked at, so we are using the wood stove and candles. This brings up the next discussion we have had recently: purchasing a whole-house generator. I even have a contractor coming in the next few weeks to quote the cost of installing a complete system. The cost is substantial, and the ROI is measured in years.
Sadly, most of the time, the whole house generator will sit unused.
However, when it is needed, it will come on a few seconds after the power goes off. We are waiting for a contractor to discuss how much wattage we will need. Should the generator be able to run the HVAC? Or just the lights, and basic electric items? What is the cost difference, bit to install, and later, to run the unit.
Today, already having the unit would have made the morning less eventful.
Yesterday’s forecast had the storm ending mid-morning and then the sun was to come out. By 10:00 AM, the sun was to be shining, and the temperature was to rise to 50 degrees. It’s 10:30 AM in our front yard now, and there is no hint that the sun will be appearing soon. And all of the trees are still covered in ice.
The weight of this ice, the wintry mix, is no doubt the reason we are without power.
And back to the cell service, I cannot report the outage as I am getting no signal. If the power does not return soon, I will drive out to the main highway and see if I can get a signal there. Often the power will be out for an hour or so. Once, a few years ago, we were without power for five days.
That time, I refilled the 5-gallon gas can twice before the power was restored.
I am hoping that this outage is only temporary. Without a generator to run the refrigerator, we will need to eat a lot very quickly. And the freezer’s contents will gradually thaw out and spoil. I understand that some of this is covered by insurance, but the thought of losing perfectly healthy food is sickening.
So, that’s been my morning so far.
(5 PM Update)
The power just came back on. Opening the refrigerator, the milk temped at 42 degrees. The freezer still has frozen products in it. I probably didn’t need to haul water up from the lake to use in the toilets. But that is done now, and I did get some exercise. And the temperature got to 50 degrees and the ice melted completely.
