May 29th, 2011
in Dilworth, Minnesota! Remember in my last post (about the RRV Zoo) how I said the temperature went from about 50 degrees to well over 80 in an afternoon and it was SO HOT and MUGGY!? Of COURSE that is the PERFECT setup for a GINORMOUS STORM! After putting the kids to bed, the sirens went off due to the 90 mile an hour winds (no, not an exaggeration here) and rain. Then...you guessed it THE POWER WENT OUT. No big deal you'd think except that I hadn't had the time to get our "storm survival kit" ready this season (it's been so flippin' cold afterall!). I had the candles, but only ONE of the flashlights had working batteries, and I couldn't locate the battery powered radio I kept "for emergencies"! GOOD ONE, BRANDI! Once I located it, THAT'S RIGHT...the batteries were dead and I didn't have 8 size C batteries on hand! Good Grief!
We got the kids and the dogs crammed into the TINY basement bathroom with most of the candles, blankets, pillows and SNACKS....they were TOTALLY set and actually seemed to be enjoying themselves.....check it out:
Then I snuck off and went back upstairs to watch the storm wreak it's havoc. I think in a past life, or maybe one of my future ones, I was (will be) a storm chaser....I LOVE STORMS - watching them, feeling them, and even smelling them. It didn't last too long; however, we were utlimately without power for almost 2 days - now THAT was a challenge! I bet the sales of generators went through the roof in Fargo, ND during that time!! Chad ended up borrowing one from work and I learned how to gas it up and string really long extention cords through the house! I also got to clean out the back of where the fridge sits - YUCK!
Parker had just learned about people who lived during "Pioneer Times" his last week or so of school, so we also spent time talking about how things were "back in the day" and TRIED to keep busy with things that do NOT require electricity! It was actually kind of fun and I can see how families who actually lived back then were closer that families appear to be now. Did you know that if you are carrying a candle around a dark house, you actually have to hold it WAY ABOVE YOUR HEAD so the light reflects off of objects so you can see? You can't SEE ANYTHING when you hold it out in front of your eyes....all you see is light! And know what else? A big honkin' candle gets HEAVY after a while and your shoulder gets sore!! Good thing Pioneer ladies were muscular due to the chores they did back then! THIS girl, NOT SO MUCH!
Secretly, I wished it had lasted a little longer....when I got my set of Little House on the Prairie books in 3rd grade, I'd always wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder....and just for a day (or so) I got to do that!
And for those of you wondering, the day after the storm, I went (my truck still had power afterall!) to Target (a mile down the road and THEY had power!) and stocked up on batteries and flashlights with a basket to hold them in (along with my little battery powered radio) and stashed them under the sink in the tiny little basement we call our "safe zone" when the sirens go off!
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