We just came back on the grid here in Western Arkansas, after 7 days off. What an experience! We are still discussing how it all went and what we will change for the next event. Ice storms are not rare down here, and we could be facing it again. We have a generator, propane stove, wood insert in the fireplace, and a well, so we had heat, hot food and running water. What we didn't have was adequate watering for the animals. We spent at least two hours every morning thawing out chicken and rabbit waterers and dog and goat pans. We also had to chip the ice off the firewood because unsplit and uncovered wood is just one big icecube. We were much better prepared than most (thanks, Y2K) but not as well as we should have been. I am thankful I still remember how to wash dishes in less than a gallon of water, and I know now that I can do without washing my hair everyday. I didn't miss the TV much, and the light from oil lamps is very flattering. Am I ready to go completely off-grid? Nope. I'm very grateful for the luxuries I have. And I'm very, very grateful to be back online with y'all. Happy New Year!

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), January 01, 2001

Answers

Welcome back Melina. We have been forced off the grid by storms etc. every couple of years for 5 to 10 days and we learn something new everytime. We now have a little routine when we hear freezing rain. Cover the woodpile with tarps (if for some reason it is uncovered) fill every bucket, barrel, bath tub etc. with water, and hope it stops before the trees come crashing down on the lines.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 01, 2001.

Melina b. Welcome back to the world of the living! We were watchin the news about those terrible storms ya'll were havin out there but of course, they never tell it like it really is. It's always much worse on the local level than what the media covers. I suppose politics are more important to them than peoples' hardships. Glad things have knda straightened out for you! hoot. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), January 01, 2001.

What fun!! Glad you have power back and that even though it was tough you came out all right. I hope you are happy and warm, and a belated Happy New year to you!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), January 01, 2001.

Melina B. Glad all is well with you. We too, live in Arkansas. I never thought I would be glad I lived so close to the highway. We only had our lights off for a few days. Water came on two days later. We took and brought in animal water several times a day. Just left it out there every few hours and replaced it and brought it in to thaw.While one bottle or bucket was out the other was in to thaw.

I know one thing; I would never live through a real winter up north. Cold air is not my friend! I can't breath in that stuff. Went through an entire enhaler. WHEW!

We learned that one can live without electric if you have wood heat, but water is an entirely different matter. I still had water under the cabinets from Y2K( Really procrastinated about throwing it all out) Glad I did. We used all of it and it was still good. We were very thankful to have it. And it was nice to have wood to share with others. We keep our wood under the back section of our house. There is a roof but not a floor or walls.( My future BIG kitchen, away from the rest of the house) Can't wait!

You know the thing I missed the most when it was all said and done was this forum and all of you. And I am so glad you are back.

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), January 02, 2001.

Melina, thanks so much for posting. You are helping me (and I hope others) keep the resolve to maintain our emergency preps, especially the water part. I'm glad you did so well. Welcome back and Happy New Year.

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), January 02, 2001.

My husband talked to his mom in Ft. Smith AR Saturday. She didn't lose power this time--did a couple of weeks ago--but his sister and married nephew did. Anyway she told him about going to the grocery that afternoon and hearing people complain that they had lost the food in their refrigerators to spoilage. I was just dumbfounded that they had so little ingenuity, initiative, and personal responsibility to deal with the problem (obviously not Countrysiders!) They couldn't figure out that food could be stored on a cold porch or unheated room. Water could be left in jugs overnight to be put into freeze then placed into a cooler during the day since the weather has stayed cold.

It just blew me away that people were so helpless in the face of a crisis. I guess it was a good thing these people didn't have to deal with anything as serious as Y2K was supposed to have been. By the way, my mom-in-law sure did appreciate the emergency goods my husband bought and put in her house for her when the lights went out a couple of weeks ago. She said she didn't waste any time replacing them when she got her power back on.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), January 02, 2001.

Melina B., it's not as fun at "playing at being Amish" as you thought, is it? My husbands fathers family is Amish, so I know a few of their tricks. Bring all frozen waterers and keep the extra water, or bring in snow or ice to melt, in one area designated for that purpose. I put a kerosene heater in the milk house (it's block and is very insulated) and bring all water in there to melt and stay "warm" and ready to use, snow/ice can be melted here too. In a pinch, a small easily heated room can be used in the house or basement, if you have an exterior door in and out, those buckets get heavy having to tramp all over the house!

We get at least one ice storm a year here, power can be off from a day to all week, depending how far out you are, so everyone out here is prepared to be self sufficient for that long at least. I can light an Aladdin lamp in near darkness, and not break the mantle finally!

Better luck with the next outage.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), January 03, 2001.