Ice Storm, Day 3: Getting Creative with What You Have

When it gets to the third day without power one gets creative:

My current kitchen.  Even has chairs for guests!

We call these "the twins".  They've given us power for a few lights, fridge and freezer, the TV and internet.  A larger generator, which we call "Big Wally", has been set up to run the pump for our Well, but only on a periodic basis.

We use an open window in the family room to feed power into the house from "the Twins", sealing the crack in the window with Duct Tape (of course)!

Electrical cords running into the family room from the window.  This is how we have kept warm.  Initially it's hard to keep remembering to bring in wood or add it to the stove.  But as the days progress it becomes second nature. 

The snapping of trees put all of our animals on edge and phone calls from neighbors reflect frightened "stray" animals showing up on doorsteps.  Hank has barely left my side for the last three days.  Gus and Bob have been safe inside their stalls.

The cords from "the Twins" run into the kitchen where they connect to the fridge and a lamp from the living room which provides light at night.

This is the end of the road for the power cords from "the Twins", arriving in the dining room, where I've set up my laptop.  I actually worked here Thursday, completing a short notice project while trees snapped around us.  Note Hank the Dog under the table, sticking close to me.

As I finish this Post I can hear the generators and chain saws outside.  Neighbors are lending a hand to fellow neighbors, including my husband, out there helping move tree limbs off our road.  That's the way of it up here, you hunker down until the danger is past, then go out and help each other. 

There is word of a "sighting", which means a power truck has been spotted in our area.  Word passes from farm to farm. 

Hopes rise that help is near.  Maybe if we're lucky, tonight we can take a shower, do laundry, cook in our (real) kitchen and listen to the lovely sound of the furnace heating the entire house.  If not, that's ok - we'll get by just fine.