The Power Is Back

Monday morning during 5 am coffee time in the driveway.

Last night, we were finally able to eat out for dinner.  We did not feel like cooking on the Coleman camping stove again, although I was getting pretty good at making temporary cookware out of aluminum foil and my husband could switch out a propane tank like it was going out of style.

No grill in the backyard.  We were planning on getting one at the "after holiday sales" before the storm ever came to life.

Camping in our garage.  Except for the excessive heat, it was actually kind of fun.  I am sure that I would not be writing that if we did not get our power back yet.

"Roughing-it" means instant coffee and it was actually pretty good instant coffee.  Our house was still standing, our water was running, and our pets and family were safe, so this was really just an inconvenience.

Reading Little House on the Prairie and watching the TV show as a kid turned out to be practical training, although I did not have a washboard or clothes pins.  I made up my own wash cycles: spin, doggie paddle, individual dunk, group dunk, soak and rinse.  This is how I must amuse myself when Husband is at work and I do not have internet access.  Oh yeah, and you go through clothes really fast when it is hot with no air conditioning.

The dryer was efficient and totally green!

The birds were fine.  I guess it is easier to keep cool when one is tiny!

Some nonessential stuff got done, too.  I had been meaning to plant these zinnias...

...and mulch the garden.  Those pinks are dianthus.  I planted them thinking they were annuals, but they come back every year sending out hundreds of blooms in early spring.  They are just about into their second bloom of the season.

Parrot Garden with geraniums and lamb's ear.

Insect-watching became "substitute internet".  Thankfully, my camera was charged. 

The bumblebees love the lavender.

We finally got the power back last night around 9 pm.  We could hear our neighbors cheering!  I am so glad that all we had to deal with was a lack of power and am very grateful that everyone was safe.  That was the longest that my husband and I have ever been without power in our lives at about 90 hours.