Blessings, Darlings!
It's been bloody hot here lately - massive heat wave, more days over 90 degrees so far this summer than we usually get ALL summer, many days over 100 degrees.
What happens at the end of a heat wave? MASSIVE THUNDER STORMS. Which came thru' yesterday afternoon. At 3 pm the temperature had been 99 or 100 degrees. At 4 pm the temperature was lower, but humidity was 100 percent, there was thunder, pouring rain, and we had no power. For that matter, 400,000 of our closest friends and neighbors had no power, either.
We being, well, into books, we just broke out the reading we were behind on and sat on couches by windows and read. Then napped. Three hours into the blackout I broke out the radio and found out just how widespread the problem was. Not as bad as when Hurricane Isabel came thru', but the worst we've had since then. Lots of roads closed from downed trees, and the trees took down power lines.
Oh, and since power was out at one of the water stations .... again with the water restrictions. Not that anyone was going to water their yards after the rain, or was going to run their dish or clothes washers with no power, eh?
Since we are Prepared For Most Things, I did the cooking part of dinner outside (steamed chicken for 10 minutes, cooked bean thread in same water for 5 seconds). I moved the 1.5 liter bottle of iced tea from the big freezer to the fridge. I did go to the town north of us (where power lines are all buried!) and get a little dry ice just in case we ended up late on the repair list - BGE officials weren't ruling out repairs taking several days.
We got lucky - power was back here at 11:30 pm. Fans! Air conditioning! Most important: we could work today, and that's apparently tied in to paying our bills. And I could can the cherries today that I'd bought but NOT canned when it was 100 dang degrees out.
How's summer treating you?
Frondly, Fern
Shit that catches the attention of a no-bullshit Crone. You're in touch with your inner child? I'm in touch with my inner Baba Yaga.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Water, Water NOWHERE!
Blessings, Darlings!
I just got emergency e-mail from my city - mandatory water restrictions are in place, due to water main issue. No outside water use allowed (watering, car washing), no flushing toilets after urination, limit use of dish and clothes washers, take quicker showers, etc. Repairs are expected to take 4 days.
You already know that water is one of the necessities of life. "They" say that we need a minimum of 1 gallon a day for drinking & cooking - more if you add hygene, dishwashing, laundry, other household cleaning, and pets.
I, of course, and in the midst of rotating my stored water here. I had planned on washing and refilling 5 5-gallon containers 4 2-liter ones. I'd just finished emptying them! So I'm going to be low on emergency water for at least 4 days. Oh, I have a 3 day supply of 1 gallon each freshly filled and in place, but the deep supplies were just emptied.
And since we're in a drought, that's going to be a bit of a problem for my garden. I have probably 12 to 15 gallons left in the rain barrel and that's it. That ought to get the garden thru' the next 4 days, but it will be close - no rain is forecast, and the heat comes back for the 4th of July on into next week.
At least I don't NEED to do laundry. I just stripped the linens, but they can wait 4 days (or more, I have some depth in linens).
Still, this is not a total 'no water' situation. We have water, lower pressure of course, and we're under orders to use at least 1/3 less. I have enough water in the rain barrel to get the garden thru' 4 days.
So we'll be fine, but I won't be able to wash and top of the supplies for an ACTUAL emergency, and I do NOT like feeling this vulnerable.
I'd like to pick up another two 2 1/2 gallon containers of spring water, but I suppose I don't really NEED them. I'm trying to train myself to not throw money at every 'issue', but let time and creativity work on them. Ironically, earlier today I clipped coupons for 'Wet Ones' wipes, figuring I should get some of those when they go on sale, for water emergencies. But, again, I'll not buy them since it's not a full-on 'need' and they are not on sale this week.
Never a dull moment, eh?
Frondly, Fern
I just got emergency e-mail from my city - mandatory water restrictions are in place, due to water main issue. No outside water use allowed (watering, car washing), no flushing toilets after urination, limit use of dish and clothes washers, take quicker showers, etc. Repairs are expected to take 4 days.
You already know that water is one of the necessities of life. "They" say that we need a minimum of 1 gallon a day for drinking & cooking - more if you add hygene, dishwashing, laundry, other household cleaning, and pets.
I, of course, and in the midst of rotating my stored water here. I had planned on washing and refilling 5 5-gallon containers 4 2-liter ones. I'd just finished emptying them! So I'm going to be low on emergency water for at least 4 days. Oh, I have a 3 day supply of 1 gallon each freshly filled and in place, but the deep supplies were just emptied.
And since we're in a drought, that's going to be a bit of a problem for my garden. I have probably 12 to 15 gallons left in the rain barrel and that's it. That ought to get the garden thru' the next 4 days, but it will be close - no rain is forecast, and the heat comes back for the 4th of July on into next week.
At least I don't NEED to do laundry. I just stripped the linens, but they can wait 4 days (or more, I have some depth in linens).
Still, this is not a total 'no water' situation. We have water, lower pressure of course, and we're under orders to use at least 1/3 less. I have enough water in the rain barrel to get the garden thru' 4 days.
So we'll be fine, but I won't be able to wash and top of the supplies for an ACTUAL emergency, and I do NOT like feeling this vulnerable.
I'd like to pick up another two 2 1/2 gallon containers of spring water, but I suppose I don't really NEED them. I'm trying to train myself to not throw money at every 'issue', but let time and creativity work on them. Ironically, earlier today I clipped coupons for 'Wet Ones' wipes, figuring I should get some of those when they go on sale, for water emergencies. But, again, I'll not buy them since it's not a full-on 'need' and they are not on sale this week.
Never a dull moment, eh?
Frondly, Fern