CAMPING HAPPILY

My driveway in central Massachusetts, December 12, 2008 -- yes, we suffered through the ice storm. Our power went out Thursday evening and we slept not a wink what with the limbs falling from the trees with a loud crack and then banging against the house. We took at least six direct hits and countless close encounters. Luckily very little damage was done. That's me with chain saw in hand getting soaking wet while cutting and dragging cut pieces to the pile out by the curb. With the help of our neighbor (in red jacket), Ellen and I worked until my chain saw decided to quit, and the neighbor's ran out of gas. It was late in the day anyway. The next day my daughter and her boyfriend came by and the four of use worked on cutting and dragging the stuff from the rest of the yard. Ellen and I, along with Dawg Sadie, spent Friday night in the house without power -- meaning no heat, but decided to move in with friends in the city until power was restored. It wasn't until this past Monday in the late afternoon when the guys with their bucket truck from the power company rolled down our street and turned on our block. Welcome relief to back in our own bed. This was our first experience of being forced out of our home due to a weather event, or for any other reason for that matter. It is very stressful. We lost all of our food in the refrigerator and some of the frozen foods in the freezers. And to top it all off, I caught a bad cold from working in the cold and wet for two days. And that my friends is why I have not blogged for the past week or so. It snowed about two inches yesterday morning which requred me to bring the snowblower around from its summer storage, and tomorrow morning we are due a nor-easter snow event. Last I heard we are in the 6-10" belt. Oh, Joy.