It’s What’s Up Wednesday!It’s been a doozy of a week so far. Sunday afternoon, I had a tornado or supercell go through my backyard. I’m still not sure if they’re classifying it a tornado, but when you’re stuck dealing with the aftermath, what you call it hardly
matters. I am safe. My home is safe.My poor pop-up greenhouse, not so much. The beautiful clothesline that I worked so hard to build last summer also did not fare well, mainly because the greenhouse blew over the house and got tangled up in it! I lost power as a tree fell across the power lines and into the road. At the time of this email, I am still without power/heat/water/internet, and I’m waiting patiently for the power company to clear the road and restore the lines. (It was a brief but devastating storm, and cleanup is ongoing, prioritized by need and
severity.) This isn’t an appeal for sympathy. I’m just fine. Much of this “roughing it” is old hat for me. Rather, this is a reminder that everyone needs to be prepared for such a disaster. Would you be able to live off the grid for a week until you’re reconnected with the rest of the world? Being prepared is the difference between being “just fine” or being terribly uncomfortable or in danger. Aside from the obvious water and food, these two items have saved my bacon over the past several days, so I thought I would share them with you. It’s not uncommon for us to lose power several times a year where I live, so I bought this just in case a few years ago. I always keep it charged and ready to go. As soon as my power is restored, I’ll charge it and put it in the closet, ready to go again. I can charge my phone every day for nearly three weeks with it. I’ve been able to keep in touch with family, friends and the utility company. I can also do more important things, like operate my coffee grinder, so I can still have coffee each morning. (Look, I’m not going to give up all of my creature comforts while I wait for the power to come back on!) And I can charge my laptop so that I can write to you lovely people. Several years ago, I got each of us one of these for Christmas as we all enjoy camping, for which they’re absolutely wonderful. But it really shines (ha, see what I did there?) during a power outage. It packs up flat like a pancake, and you blow it up when you need it. It’s very bright, allowing me to move around the house at night in the pitch dark with ease. In the morning, it goes on a sunny windowsill to charge. No batteries, no huge
propane lantern, simple. I can even read by it in the evening, which I’ve been doing a lot of since the power went out. Hopefully, by the time the Sunday newsletter rolls around, I will have power again. In the meantime, be prepared, my friends!
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