Hatches: Batten them down

We have been without power since last Wednesday prior to the storm. PSE is saying that it could be next week before we are back up & running.
The novelty is lost, we are running out of firewood (dry, that is...) but glad that 3' of snow hit the Rockies and not us!
The only thing that could make this worse (mentally) would be to have them tell us that February would be the soonest for power restoration.
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Stay warm! Katye

I'm back. I got off easy really, only a few days without power here. I guess we're on the tail end of a power link. Didn't get the phone back though 'til Tuesday and still no DSL and no ETA so I got a month's dial-up from the ISP I used to use. They were very gracious. I have some minor damage, LARGE limb on my FY maple hanging half broken off, wind mill blown over and lattice and cover on my potting shed blown off. Otherwise, just minor, to be expected branches and debris. I feel VERY lucky.

Here in the Renton Highlands, we still have areas that are completely out of power a few blocks away from us. My sons girlfriend happens to be in one of those unfortunate areas. Today, her home has reached a full 7 days without power. Electric company says it may be off until next week. Terrible. She says it is warmer outside than inside her house. She is happy on our couch at night.

It has made me think of what to do in the future if we ever had to go for a 7 day stretch or longer. We have no emergency plan! In my world of close-in convenience, I never think about these things. Well, now we are. ☺

Katye and Sue, sorry to hear it!! I knew there were still penty of people up north who are without power. Wish I could think of a bright side to this for you, but I think I'd be past the point of frustrated if it were me. It would be one thing if you could just take time off from your regular life - like not go to work, etc.-, but most people have to continue on even if they are in the dark. I hope you can find a way to stay warm and get some light.

Katy, glad you didn't have much damage.

Worst of all nature disaster are people that are stealing in such time. My son did not have power for 6 days, he was using generator for family with 6month boy to stay alive and one night he had to rush and search for gasoline because somebody stole his gasoline (generator itself was chained to the truck so they took what they could). Some people was not so lucky and had their generator stolen.

Brier, that is awful - disgusting. And you're right - that is so much worse than any natural disaster.

Well we're back in action and I really feel for those still without power.

We were camped out in our livingroom with ample woodstove heat and cooking ability for the 5+ days we were without power. It got old after about three days. Late on Tuesday night as I anticipated an early wake up to dash into work for a shower, hubby woke me up and said "Look!" The Christmas tree was lit with the prettiest little lights I'd ever seen. I stayed up for two hours just enjoying the flipping of switches around the house- On Off. On Off- so simple and yet so powerful!

Our earthquake preparedness kit was interesting: It contained

20 lbs of puppy chow ( dog is now 7 years old, but I bet she'd still eat it.)
25 cans of cat food (5 cats) It's a start, but wouldn't feed them for long.
Space blankets- What was I thinking? Are the humans supposed to eat these?
Fire starter sticks, waterproof matches and newspaper
A can opener ( darn cats get everything!)
Bandages, needles and thread, and antibiotic ointment ( as if I'd stitch a gaping wound on anybody)
Flashlight with 7 year old batteries
Toilet paper and kleenex LOL- the basics!
4 One hundred-hour disposable kerosene candle/lamps which proved a godsend in the power outage. Those were the only thing we used out of our kit and I wish I could remember where I got them. So we have some more preparation to do: i.e. FOOD for us.

My fridge has never been cleaner than it is right now- devoid of anything but butter and some cheese and a new gallon of milk. Cleaning out the chest freezer is a task I don't much relish, but that will be have to be done today. Give me strength.....

I hope people remember this was just a major inconvenience. If an earthquake hits that disrupts roads, gas, power, water and communications for weeks or months; this power outage will look like a walk in the park. Glad all our DG Northwesterners are coming through intact and hope holiday plans weren't too disrupted.

Kayte- hang in there up on the beautiful plateau. Your turn will come!

Poochella, thanks for the giggle about the disaster kit!!! I don't have one at all, so need to get on the stick.

We were really fortunate up here on the island - especially my general area, we were only without power for 36 hours and, of course, DH's boytoy did come in handy. I'm thinking I may have him chain it up, though, after hearing Brier's story.

Have a great day, all.

Regarding the generator theft: My heart really sinks when i hear of something like this. It's not unknown to me that "desperate times" bring out the best in MOST people (or so i choose to believe), but the worst in some. I don't like to have that latter knowledge validated though.

I'm with you, Estreya. I guess I'm a bit naive, but I still expect people to do the right thing. And I'm always just astounded when they do something like that.

Great to see you back to the real electric world, Annie!
You were more prepared than most tho. I just have a rechargable latern and used that for that one night we were out. Guess I should be more prepared tho.
But love your stories that your animals are more important than the humans, LOL
But your freezer, yuck!!!! I wouldn't want to do that either. So put a nose plug on and dig in, LOL

Do hope all get back to normal living soon tho. I am up in Bellingham with my mom and they still say many many people are still out of electricity around Seattle. So sad to hear, especially at this time of the year.

Yay! The power came back on last night. Finally we can dry our clothes and bake some cookies. We were really envious that the neighbors three houses down had theirs a day before us. Almost exactly a week, so now I don't feel guilty about plugging in the Christmas tree with the generator on! Happy Holidays everyone.

Yeehaw! Power is back on & so is Comcast! Big smiles at this house along with the continuously repeated mantra: "wow - it's so nice to flip a switch!"
I have a friend who is a first responder for Red Cross - her advice to me earlier this year was to ignore the "3 days/3 ways" campaign that the state was pushing - & to be able to have 3 WEEKS of necessities on hand. I am so glad I heeded that warning, as it came in quite handy, and was able to share with others.
It was an interesting phenomenon to not only live through, but observe the effects on people in general. The lack of information was troubling, as was the presumption by many that all had access to it via TV or internet.
I certainly hope this event is evaluated & that the flaws are noted & remedied. But most likely it will just be studied to death with no discernable outcomes. People ought to take this quite seriously, though. Especially those city-dwellers who typically have a greater dependence on the infrastructure.
Wishing you all a very warm & safe Christmas!

Katye, so glad you finally have power again! I don't know how our ancestors did it, but I'm not one to want to go back in time, that's for sure!!!

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

Well of course the ancestors didn't rely on electric heat, electric lights or electrically heated water in the first place! We're so uncomfortable because we're so unprepared, and naturally it's worse in bigger cities where we're even more dependent on "modern amenities." If DH & I ever get to build a house to replace the mobile home we live in now, you can be sure it's going to include features to keep life going in case of prolonged power outages! :-)

For those who have a greenhouse, I would like to know what measures you took to keep it warm enough for whatever you are overwintering.
I was going to get one late Autumn, but decided that it could wait until next year. With the power outage being as long as it was, I am glad for that decision. But I remain curious as to how one deals with keeping tropicals, etc. from cold damage.
It is so nice to have the sunshine today - well, for as long as it lasts!
I am going to go out & absorb as much vitamin D as possible while I pull weeds. Such fun!
Merry Christmas to you all!

Kayte, so glad you got power back in time for the holiday- or at all, for that matter! You really don't miss the things we take for granted until they are snatched away. BUt if given a choice, I'd rather be without electricity than running water- that is such a pain.....

But,I'm telling you I had to fight back tears when I saw two convoys of highline workers' trucks- one on Hwy 18 and another taking off out of Preston the other day. I was throwing kisses and waving like crazy at each truck LOL.

You are absolutely right about the 3 weeks, vs 3 days preparedness. 3 days is nothing. 3 weeks might be nothing, too, in the big scheme of things. I think in the event of the latter, tropical plants and their survival might take a back seat to finding a meal.

Merry Christmas to all gathered. Santa brought the Poochella household enamelware plates, bowls and mugs for the earthquake kit! How timely. Now we won't have to eat the spaceblankets with our bare hands, we can rip them up proper and serve them on dishes LOL.

Pooch - are you eating your spaceblankets to keep you warm on the inside? Absolutely unnecessary, as I have plenty of, let's see: tuna, peanut butter, canned vegies (you name it - I've got it. Well, no Okra here...), olives, beans (oh please...), as well as beef jerky, seaweed (in case I want to get fancy & make sushi? What was I thinking???), jars of fruit, dehydrated fruit, fresh fruit, Godiva Truffles (for celebrating when the power is restored) and matches - lots of them!
I think the 3 day campaign was for the city-dwellers - they were the first to be restored. However, if there is ever a drastic event that takes place IN Seattle, the majority of folks will most likely not be prepared to deal with anything beyond a few days. If one lives in a condo or apartment, their storage space is severely limited as is their ability to cook outside, not to mention the lack of a woodstove or fireplace. Compared to the average homeowner in the suburbs, they might be SOL. Not to make light of it, but just a dose of reality.
We have a well, so we must have a way to power the well pump. Gasoline became of prime importance too. I extended this scenario out way past my mental comfort zone: it gave me a viewpoint that I had not previously entertained. There is wisdom in being prepared to survive without reliance on an existing infrastructure. I believe we just had a glimpse and hopefully, we'll not ever have to live it out in reality.

Katye, i admire your willpower! Godiva Truffles wouldn't last a week in MY storage area. :)

Great Christmas present, Katye: getting the power back!! It's true that we should learn from this storm and be more prepared. We are stocking up on the white gas that enabled our cooking, and also powered our coleman lantern. Our house is large and we have the ability to make sure that we have enough ventilation. Also, my DH has a carbon monoxide alarm because these appliances are really not supposed to be used indoors. In my house, though, I think they are safer than candles. You have to monitor them, not leave them unattended, and NEVER go to sleep with one on. Some people actually tried to heat their small house with a propane grill and they died of carbon monoxide poisoning. So it's not something to take lightly.
The camp stove saved us plenty. We sat it right outside the back door and were able to cook our soup, eggs, etc. with no problem. Just like camping! The gas lantern gives out plenty of light, even enough for me to paint cement leaves by! So I was able to finish my Christmas gifts. We're wanting to get another white gas lantern. We've had this one for about 20 years. We also have a little propane one, but it's not nearly as good and it goes through those little disposable propane cynlinders very fast.

We're also going to invest in a couple more oil lamps and some good lamp oil. Those give of a nice light, although not as bright as the gas lantern.

In terms of the greenhouse, I have a propane heater that attaches directly to a tank. I put it on the very lowest setting, then turned the gas on so low that I can't believe it stayed lit. I had to crack a window for ventilation, but even so the greenhouse was 80 degrees. It was actually 'too' warm! (but it felt so good when we got cold in the house!) If I had not been able to easily get the propane locally, since the power was on in town, I would have likely let the greenhouse go because of not knowing how long we would be 'in the dark'. Since I knew we'd be getting the power back shortly, I chose to try to save the plants since the amount of money I have in plants out there is staggering to the imagination. I saw a smaller propane heater puts out fewer BTU's at the sporting goods store. I'm going to get one of those for next time.

Thanks for the info, Pixy. I'll be bugging you again later in the year, when I finally buy the GH.
Sounds like you kept busy during the outage - so did I: at work! It was warm & bright & with an internet connection!
The dissemination of information was pretty bleak if you had no TV/radio/internet.
I am replenishing supplies and adding some, as winter has just begun - I'm sure that there will be more storms, but hopefully on a much smaller scale.

Sheesh - some christmas. I'm full of admiration. Why is it that power outages only seem to happen in the shortest coldest days - why not summer when the windows are open and the BBQ hot? D*mned inconsiderate I say. Isn't there someone you could talk to about this?

Glad to hear things are returning to normal, and all of you are thinking of your gardens again.

Can't help but put my tuppence in about greenhouses - like Pixydish, I use a propane heater on low, too (although not up to 80F - wowo - that is some low heat!) but I also tack bubble wrap across the roof rafters and down the two slopes to limit the amount of heat escaping through the glass roof. This cuts my gas use down by half. I also use a fan (left on all year) to keep the air moving (using a surpisingly small amount of electricity - I can get the figures for you from DH if you need to build a case). This has two fold benefit - keeps the warm air in circulation, and completely stops botrytis in the green house - a real problem for still warm damp gh conditions. Has completely stopped damping off of seedlings.

You are so right about the bubble wrap. I forgot to put that in my post because I had already done that before the storm hit. I do that as a matter of course, like Laurie. And I use the regular bubble wrap, not the expensive stuff that they say is somehow 'different' from the bubble wrap I buy at Costco. It probably is a bit different, but I can't believe the insulation value is much different. I added another feature this year by putting up the bubble wrap and then adding a layer of 4ml plastic across all the walls in the inside, and across the lowest part of the ceiling where the roof starts to peak. This has made a very big difference in the heat. Generally I do not run the propane heater. I have a low voltage electric heater that runs with a fan all the time. It has several settings so I can keep it on low most of the time and then crank it up a notch if I have to. My goal is to keep the temp above freezing, not necessarily warm. With the insulation I put up, the greenhouse stays about 55 degrees, which is pretty good. I have heated shelves that I use for my succulent collection and to start seeds. Basically I made heat mats that fit exactly on each shelf. It works really well and has really kept the soils from being damp and wet.
I really do wish I had opted for twinwall, or even triple wall, polycarbonate walls on my greenhouse. I love the look of glass, and my greenhouse looks so pretty in the yard, especially in the spring and summer. But insulating it is killer!

Yippee! Today was sunny and I was outside in the yard for about 5 hours! I could not believe my luck! I got probably 100 iris trimmed and replanted in the garden, found a place for a couple of hellebores, plus got the pond up and running again and cleaned tons of leaves out of it. I got the Thalia repotted, and distributed some sedges around the shallow end. It was so satisfying! And now my hands do hurt. But oh well.

Good for you, Pixy!! Wish I could say the same thing about myself - I just puttered about inside, feeling sorry for myself that it wasn't Spring. It would have done me such a world of good to be outside.

Tomorrow my eight year old grandson comes for a couple nights - that should help with this mental fog!!! He's my sweetheart, to say the least!

Murmur, you need a treatment light. Take a look at www.alaskanorthernlights.com. I'm not kidding. These really, really help when the lack of sunshine gets to be too much in the winter. The mental fog will clear and you'll feel more like going outside when it's sunny. I swear by mine, and this is so well documented as a treatment for light-deficiency that many insurance companies will pay for them for you. I also take 5-HTP, which is an amino acid that your body uses to produce serotonin, which declines with age and also with lack of sunlight. It's the best stuff since sliced white bread. (so to speak)