We've Got Power!

After Tropical Storm Lee blew in on September 5 and knocked out our power during the night, we had to rough it.  This is the September 6 paper which we didn't get until the next day because of the tree across the road.  Believe it or not, no paper is one of the hardest parts of roughing it!

As the day wore on, we began to worry about our huge freezer in the hay barn (background), crammed full of chickens, ducks, and produce from the garden.  Using a cell phone, Herb called Lowes' and bought their last generator with a credit card.  As soon as the tree was removed, he headed out to get it.  It weighs almost 200 lbs. so he used "Kubota power" to unload it.

In the fading light of day, Herb put the generator together inside the hay barn. A generator must be used outdoors and yet must be protected from the elements, so we figured we would put it in the barn and leave the large door open.

Meanwhile, Zephyr and Misty played outside the barn.  Thanks to the power of prayer, Zephyr is still with us and improving daily.

It was all fun and games until Misty interfered with the stick that I was throwing for Zephyr.  Misty suddenly experienced "Zephyr power" bowling her over with a snarl!  She's pretty smart--Zephyr didn't have to "tell" her again!

Back in the barn, Herb got the 7-gallon tank filled with gas, enough for 12 hours.  This generator inhales gasoline!  The moment of truth had arrived, and Herb plugged in the freezer . . .

Ta-da!  We've got power!  Just in time for us to run in to Chickamauga for supper at Los Potros, easy in our minds knowing that our food was going to stay frozen.  Ahh, the power of a nice, hot meal in the tummy!

When we looked out on the morning of the 7th, still without power in the house, we were thankful to see the grass greening up already.  That was the "power of rain" at work.

Thanks to a camping burner set on our useless electric stove, we had hot water for drip coffee made in our useless electric coffee maker.  We were able to read the newspaper by solar-generated power--daylight!  Later, Herb heated a large pot of water in the turkey fryer (which we use to scald chickens for plucking) so I could wash dishes and let them drip dry in our useless dish washer.  I was really thankful for propane power!  In fact, we think our next stove should be a propane one since power outages are becoming more frequent.

Our main thought in getting the generator was to save our frozen food, but the one we got generates 5000 watts.  So that morning Herb used some brain power and strung all our outdoor extension cords together, enough to just reach into the kitchen and hook up one of the refrigerators.  I took advantage of the current to charge my dying cellphone.  I thought about carting my I-Mac in and hooking it up to the surge protector, but it didn't seem worth the trouble since we had no internet power.

Instead, we spent the day doing other things.  We read.  I scrap-booked.  Herb played solitaire on his laptop, thanks to battery power.  And we played with the dogs.  (Note that Misty is keeping a respectful distance from Zephyr and her stick!)

In the afternoon, not being such a happy camper any more, I drove over to the power company.  (When I called, their message said we were not on the outage list, and I just wasn't
taking any chances of a third day without power!)  On the way down the road, I met a neighbor we'd never met in almost three years because she was strolling down the road.  That's the power of being without power!

Finally about 9:30 that night, the "new" neighbor called to tell me the power trucks were outside her house at the front end of the road.  Herb was already in bed, but I stayed up a little longer and read by my battery-powered head lamp.  Suddenly, after 42 hours, the lights came on.

NOW we've got power!