Electricity returns

There's so much more to write, but no time to write it in. Life is going by so quickly. It seems like I move from one more huge thing that I have to focus on, to the next.

This week, it's Christmas.

But last week, it was ice storm city. The electricity was out for four days... if it hadn't been for the generator, I don't know how we would have watered the animals (and ourselves) since our well has an electric pump. We also wouldn't have had heat, since despite a wood furnace, we have forced hot water that distributes the heat around the house, that is, if there actually is water. Kind of makes you think how precarious the whole system is. Today, almost a week after the storm hit, there are still 100 families with no electricity in our town, and almost 4000 families without electricity in Western Massachusetts.



The damage was extraordinary. There are trees down everywhere. For several days there were dangling electric lines crossing the road. The schools are still closed.



As with any disaster, community spirit and helpfulness was abundant. When I walked into the Hardware Store, I found a box of emergency analog telephones for those folks who didn't have or couldn't find their own.

It probably doesn't help that we got several inches of snow last night and are supposed to get a foot tomorrow...



More ice storm pictures here.