Monday 29 December 2008

MTM - no power, no phone, no Internet


Well, usually I am up and ready for MTM. However, we were 11 hours without power on Sunday. The warm temperatures of +10 a few days ago melted water on land and at the lakeshore. The ice flow was several inches thick and the winds forced the ice up on the shore. The previous day was warm. But, at a few degrees above zero C. today, we achieved a point spread of 30 degrees from last week to this. It is a bit of a shock. The snow, for the most part, has gone. The poor plants need the protection. The lakes and rivers are swollen with snow melt.

There were 230,000 Hydro One customers without power yesterday in our province. The Toronto Star article headline states, Trailers flip, windows fly, thousands lose power. Hydro staff pointed out that there are many without power up here who didn't know there was no power! Many cottages are only 3-season access. Some come up here for Christmas or Thanksgiving, and I presume they would just go back home!

We are grateful to have gone back on grid last night (Sunday). However, we had no phone or Internet until late Monday night. I had a couple of things on the go, related to my family, and felt a bit strange being so isolated electronically.

There are still 90,000 without power today, according to CTV news. The Globe & Mail (I have to read it on-line, we can't get it here in town!), explains that the high winds set crews back. We saw a helicopter go by as they sought to

It was the wind that shocked us all. Over 100 km across our province. The trees bent, some broke. I was at the window when I saw one of my favourites go over. With it went nests and habitat for many critters. There are many holes in the tree and it was only a matter of time.

It will make more room in the forest, and open up our space and give the smaller shrubs, trees and brush more light. It is a crooked tree trunk, and, as I watched, it just fell over across the neighbour's driveway. It was tricky trying to phone someone to get it cut up and I totally failed at that. Many of the locals who are good with a chain saw also work for Hydro One! Fortunately, a neighbour helped hack away at it with a small chain saw and our other neighbour can get in her driveway.












Fortunately, we had invested in a generator, after the 2006 hurricane winds, and kept warm and dry, and with a few outlets could make coffee and toast.
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My Town Monday Posts created by Travis Erwin...he's on holidays!

MTM posts in December are co-hosted by e-cuneiform & Junosmom...

7 comments:

Junosmom said...

Jennifer, your link is up. Glad to hear you now have power. What a storm!

rgl said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,Jennifer. As always, your photos are worth making time to visit your site. I am glad that your neigbour is now able to get into her driveway. Weather is still the biggest factor interfering or enhancing our lives. The wind here has been unusually quiet while we have temperatures ranging from -20s to -30s. That said, we often see very high winds race across the seemingly barren fields and hills of the prairies. I hope all gets back to normal soon for you and yours.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Jennifer-we love the Shaw Festival-especially the town.

Jenn Jilks said...

Yes, NOTL, as the actors call it, is a wonderful spot. We hit on the Peach Fest - it was fun!

Hilary said...

You live in such a beautiful part of the province but when stuff like that happens, it can be so difficult. I'm glad it's beginning to sort out.

Thanks for your visit to my blog.. much appreciated. Happy New Year.

Babette Fraser Hale said...

That's a terrible wind. This seems to have been a year for them all through the continent. I always grieve for the trees, as well as the people. Hope all is back to normal soon!

Jenn Jilks said...

I think most of us have power back. The trees will regrow and we will hunker down to make our way through the rest of the winter!