Hi Bill and All....Checking in from Seattle area and the Big Storm. Thanks for all the warm wishes, and please keep them up. Our power is still out here in the outskirts of Seattle.....Looks like our area was one of the hardest hit...All 6 substations in our local community were hit, and 2 of them severely. I hear promises that we will have power by tomorrow...but other reports that it will be by the weekend.
We are OK...warm fireplace, and hot water...and gas range. No electric phones, internet, cell phone was out for awhile and still is intermittent because of the cells that were damaged. HUGE trees down in our area, some more than 100 foot tall.
We consider ourselves fortunate...Yard front and back is a total mess, with some huge 15-30 foot branches down, and all sorts of lovely looking Christmas greens...BUT NO BIG trees down for us, and none through our roof...as so many people have experienced.
We are hearing that in many areas that this is worse than the Clinton Jan 20, 1993 storm, and in some ways worse than the December 1990 storm that damaged so many homes and boats, and sent to the bottom of the lake and Sound two of the floating bridges.
Now they are worried that so many people are using burning materials inside to keep warm, that were only meant for outside use, and there are numerous cases of carbon dioxide poisoning.
Remember that Unclewest said some time ago.....Mother Nature can be just as much of a terrorist as are the murdering barbarians in the Middle East.
Be sure your car is more than half full at ALL times. (Our gas stations were out soon, and many were operated by electric power)
Be sure you have a few hundred dollars in cash, in small bills in a safe place. Without power, cash registers don't work, nor do ATM's.
I'm at the library now, with LOTS of other people trying to keep warm. Thanks for keeping current on the news....Will try to catch up when we get back on line.
This is bad, but we are all so spoiled here in the US...Think of Pakistan and India with the earthquakes, and no power and no water.....and in many cases, no blankets.
Good thing Ray Nagin isn't here....He would have learned something. How people cooperate and work together, and most don't SCREAM at the top of their voices for the Feds to come help them out of the mess.....
In the days and weeks coming there will be many stories of neighbors helping neighbors, and how the communities worked together. Our grocery stores, of course, had to get rid or throw away all dairy, meat and related products.....While they were still OK, but no refrigeration except two trucks, the employees got out BBQ's and cooked meats for hot dogs, hamburgers, and whatever else for anyone who wanted any thing...Free. ETC ETC..
Now, if I could only find some space in the house that I could wrap all the Christmas gifts we have, and haven't sent, where it was warm, AND that I had some light to see, I'd be a happy camper! Literally!
Thankfulness is a wonderful Christmas gift!
Best to all of you,
KLP aka Karen |
