No Power, Day Four

Sunday morning was bad. The house was fifty degrees when I got up at four--which was still a darn sight better than the 15 degrees outside, but still a bit too nippy for my taste. That's with the insert going, although we both fell asleep and it died down too low to heat.

I got the insert filled with wood and then began the slow cold process of getting the Royal Herald up and running. It's a great little (okay, HUGE) cook stove, but it's about a two hour process if you want a hot drink. Thank HEAVENS we brought in all those chips from when we gave our neighbor some wood a few weeks ago. They make lighting it a whole lot easier than it's been in the past.

Met three kinds of people this weekend. First are the Disaster Tourists, out rubbernecking at all the (admittedly incredible) devastation. They miss the best view of all, however--late at night, with the full moon through the ice in the trees. You can almost forget that you are unwashed and miserably dirty, with your fingers full of splinters, when you see that.

Second, are all the lovely people coming up from the valley to steal the cut wood from the side of the road. So here we are, trying not to freeze in our homes, and people are stealing our wood. Yet another reason why it's a good thing that Mojo hasn't purchased a gun yet. It's getting higher on the list, with vultures like that. Luckily we're pretty much set for wood, and all this stuff is green, but I've been looking at it for next year. We're okay, but I know many people who are not so well off and they need the wood. Much more so than YOU bastards. So go away.

Oh, and the third are the National Guard people, who my Favorite Husband met. He thought at first they were people stealing wood. Turns out they're clearing the small stuff out of the road. The locals came through and took down most of the big stuff, but we've just been driving around the piles. So the National Guard people have been turning them into proper roads again.

The cold held the ice on the trees all weekend. A new one fell over the road yesterday, and our neighbors had to go out once more with their chain saws to clear it. Insult to injury! It's supposed to warm up and rain today, which will mean no more ice, but now I'm afraid all the "tippy" trees will fall when the ground melts.

They're saying maybe power by the end of the week. Last stat I saw online has 83% of our town without power. Yesterday we stood and stared in the Home Depot at a $600 generator and discussed, but decided if we're going to spend the money we might as well spend WADS of it and get something that won't kill us in our beds. Which unfortunately very nearly happened to one lady in town, we hear this morning.

We ran the Royal Herald all day and got the room it's in up to almost 80 degrees. It was also 30 degrees outside when I got up, so it's practically bikini weather. The house stayed at about 60 degrees, so this morning wasn't nearly so painful. But we're doing okay. I'm just hoping I can fit a shower into my busy day today...maybe at the Favorite Parental Units' house...(hint hint, expect some company; get out the good china!)

Mojo