Power Back!

Being without power has made me realize that even in a cabin in the woods, there’s not much I can do without it. I don’t live “off the grid,” so I’m nearly as dependent on electricity as someone who lives in the suburbs.

Food: I couldn’t open the refrigerator door unless I wanted to let the cold air out, so I had to use the contents of my emergency kit, which wasn’t particularly exciting stuff.

Cooking: the backpacking stove is handy but since I can’t use it inside and it was raining buckets outside and electricity was working just 3-4 miles away, going out to eat was far easier. Plus, the selection of food was much better.

Cleaning: The broom only works on non-carpeted areas. I couldn’t even iron.

Water: The pump doesn’t work without electric, though I had water in my emergency kit. With nearly 10” of rain (Yes, you read that right) falling since Saturday night there was also plenty outside. I have one of those backpacking showers but this isn’t ideal for hair washing. I also limited dishwashing as without firing up the backpacking stove I couldn’t heat water.

Light: I have battery-powered camp lanterns and oil lanterns but neither provides the level of light that an electric light does—especially when daylight is nearly as dark as night. The headlamp is the best thing to use for reading.

Entertainment: No TV, no computer. Bored dogs get into trouble quickly. The cats slept. I read a lot.

Bottom line: I’m awfully glad the electricity is back on.

Other news: The lane is completely washed out. Water raced down the mountain, digging foot-deep channels in the road. Four wheel drive is needed right now to get in and out. The ground is so soaked that trees are starting to fall. I actually saw one (small) behind the cabin fall this morning when I was out walking the dogs. On my drive to work, I saw a larger one had fallen on a power line and was blocking one lane of the road. But this was another power company, so this time I wasn’t affected.