A storm was forecast and I believed that it would happen, but I did not think it all the way through. Driving back from the City on Thursday, after a wonderful visit with A who came from afar to care for her Nannkids, I listened to the radio. All along the way the news forecast a fierce snow storm to blow in Friday. Upon arriving home, I saw that a fir tree had fallen over. The house had been de-frocked by me, prior to leaving for the City. The owner is wanting to put it on the market for sale, and asked that I leave the house to her and her real estate agent to photograph. As I had no idea what photos they would be taking but assuming that the photos will be published, I did not want art work, electronics or other defining items to be in the pictures. It took quite a while to re-stage it. After arriving on Friday, I began putting the interior back. Being tired, I went to bed early with the idea of awakening around 1 am to continue, prior to the storm’s coming. I did figure that With the storm could come the loss of electricity. So, Up at one, worked all morning; made stew, ginger tea and other things I wanted to have should the weather really be as awful as predicted. It was.
In the beginning, which was not until around 11 am, it was beautiful. Big, fluffy snow flakes, that never stopped falling. However, as they fell, apparently they took the electric lines somewhere with them. The power went out.
I had boiled water, made a hot water bottle, cooked, vacuumed, set out candles, stacked wood by the fireplace but did not imagine what 47 degrees would actually feel like. As the night wore on, I slept fitfully by the fire in order to keep it fed with wood. It truly is darkest before dawn. But n the darkness I saw blinking lights. A large snow plow with emergency lights was plowing the long drives of two neighbors across the valley. It was a reassuring sight. It was not until I went outside at nine to shovel through the 14 inches of snow toward the shed where my car is parked that I saw he had cleared my drive as well. I had such a welling of joy; I was not completely cut off from the outside world. All I had to do was shovel away the snow in front of the doors.
As a child, long before I could drive, I remember my father telling my older siblings things about cars. One was, always gas up the car before a big storm. I don’t know the reason he gave on why one should do this. However I know it wasn’t so that I could charge my phone. What a gift that was. I had switched out the land line in the house to an old-fashioned cord phone, but my communication with my landlord and neighbors is by text. During the night, I set my phone to airplane mode to conserve the battery, not knowing if I would get to my car.
During the night, it had only taken a second to learn not to flip the switch for lights when entering a room. The flickering flame of the lighted candles made me feel warmer although they did not add any heat.
After the dawn, I spent the day hauling wood, shoveling, washing dishes in cold water, heating my stew in the fireplace, making tea the same way. According to my nearest neighbor, the electric was expected to be fixed on Monday, 12 am. By now I am wearing, two sweaters, Russian boiled-felt boots, a coat, two pairs of gloves, hat and scarf while sitting in the same room as the fireplace.
The day was turning to night when the neighbor texted that the electric come-on had been updated by 24 hours. At that very moment, 27 hours later, the lights above the mantel which I had switched on for a signal, flicked on. A moment later, the furnace kicked. I headed immediately to the basement to watch the sump pump in action, as it had been 9 inches from flooding the floor. A huge feeling of relief washed over me as the warmth began to penetrate. Not a fun experience.