Monday, July 12, 2010

Not The Pioneer Woman


We knew we were going to be in for a wild & wooly night on Friday, the Weather Bureau had predicted very high winds & freezing cold driving rain throughout the Hills. MOTH got up around 2a.m. on Saturday morning for a wander & noticed the power was out. And it stayed out for 30 hours!!! As the mains gas supply doesn't reach us here in the Hills & we are totally reliant on electricity, we were stuffed. The sky was so dark all day Saturday, which made the house exactly the same. I dug out every candle I could find, & bunkered down in front of the fire. It was too dark in the BFH for MOTH to do any work. Food & drinks needed to be heated up outside in the rain on the BBQ gas ring - MOTH tried to hold up the umbrella for me, but it was blowing so hard I just got drenched. We sat & ate dinner on Saturday night, all talked out, just staring sat each other. Our bedroom was as cold as a slide-out mortuary drawer & I ended up wearing a tracksuit to bed just to keep warm. When the power was finally restored at noon on Sunday, I dropped to my knees in thanks!

We lost the contents of our freezer, which is no drama as things can be replaced. But what the experience did reinforce was that I need my hair dryer, T.V., electric blanket, instant energy cooktops, washing machine, etc to function. So don't put my name forward for the next reality TV show involving a trek across the country in a covered wagon. I'd be voted out on the first night!

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13 comments:

  1. My idea of tough too Millie....need that industrial strength hairdryer to tame my wild curls too! Glad you and MOTH are now warm and toasty again....xv

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  2. Wow, you really did tough it out on the weekend Millie. I think I would have booked into a hotel for the weekend!

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  3. I can so relate. Several years ago we had a terrible ice storm. We were without power for eight days and we were some of the lucky ones! It was fun for about 8 hours-and then it was a nightmare! Happy all is well now Millie.

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  4. Losing power is not fun. Your story reminded me of when we lost power due to an ice storm several years ago. We had gas, but no electricity. Camped out in the living room for four nights because that's where the gas fireplace was. Ugh. I'd not want to go through that again. I'm not a pioneer woman either!

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  5. You Poor thing down here closer to the City we were only out for an Hour and that was bad enough, looks like there is more of this weather on it's way so keep out those Trackies and keep warm. Jacki

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  6. Millie, a few simple pieces of equipment will save you from such a tough time if or when this happens again. check this out, you can buy them in Big W or KMart for less than $20.00 the gas cans cost less than $5 for a 4 pack

    http://www.torbandreiner.com/images/French%20Flower%20Making/camping_gas_cooker.jpg

    and

    http://glopexshopping.com/images/4%20gas%20canisters.jpg

    you could also get one of these

    http://www.camping-caravan-outdoors.co.uk/images/41jlsdoLnhL.jpg

    these are things you can use at other times. I use my little cooker to do wok stir fry to go woth a BBQ meal, Iuse the cooker outside.

    I think its called live and learn. But yes I understand re the need for creature comforts...sortry but I have to go back to bed with my warm electic balnket on it...

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  7. Oh my gosh! I am so sorry. I thought of you sanding while I was scraping yesterday. Glad you have you power on now. I too could not be a pioneer woman, I would have died for sure in child birth or by sunburn. Have a great day with electricity. Love, Heidi

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  8. So sorry Miss Millie. After sleeping for several nights in a huge down coat during a snow storm this past winter (and the winter before we were out for 7 DAYS!), we are adding a generator to the property!! It is so hard to describe, but there is just something so terribly depressing about losing all power. Glad you're back up and running!
    xo,
    joan

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  9. Oh dear Millie, what a horrible weekend, to be without power... and for 30 hours.
    So sorry, dear friend and glad to hear that it is back on again and you can live again.

    I hope that you are having a great week
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  10. I too would make an awful pioneer woman - the cold, the heat, the clothing they wore, washing, cooking over a fire......
    Because our animals can not survive without heat in winter nor fans in summer we have a backup generator. I have always said if/when we move we will have a small generator. I am just too used to my comforts. One year we would have been out for a week without the generator. An ice storm toppled electric poles like dominoes.

    Our son and family are now visiting the other grandparents. Yes, we ate Tim Tams from Australia. Warren and I filled our days enjoying our family. We made home made ice cream, ate fresh blueberries, raspberries, and bing cherries. The first of the sweet corn was at the farmers market and tasted wonderful. I fed them good Iowa pork and ham. And all the snack food they can not get in Australia. We had a wonderful visit. Look for pictures on the blog as soon as my office work and house work is to the non emergency status.

    Good to hear your time without power is now a memory.

    Rebecca

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  11. Awful! Ugh Millie what a way to spend your weekend. Its the sort of situation where you start off thinking it will be a character building challenge and a bit of an adventure. . . but then the awful reality clicks in. I hope there was plenty of wine around to get you through.

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  12. Ooo tough one Millie, no fun at all!!

    I've always said if I was on Survivior I wouldn't even make it to the first vote out...they would have killed me first for all the whinging.
    xoxo

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  13. Oh what a pain losing power for that long! We lost ours for a day a little while back and it drove me crazy!!

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And none will hear the postman's knock
Without a quickening of the heart.
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
~W.H. Auden

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