Friday the 13th has always been a lucky day for me! I don't know why, but that day has always brought a gift of some sort- a good experience, or the meeting of a interesting person. Yesterday was a "Friday the 13th" that held in it's hand a bit of unexpected adventure!
A bit before 5:00 p.m. the lights went out! Here in Michigan it was already getting dark! I'm currently in a country subdivision, taking care of two elderly Golden Retrievers and a cat! I called the owners, who are vacationing in Florida. They directed me to where the candles, lantern, and flash lights were stored, and how to turn on the gas fireplace.
With a lantern, candles and gas fireplace lit, and flashlights at the ready, I felt as prepared as I was going to get.
As the darkness deepened, I took stock of what was available, in case this was a long haul:
NO Heat- electric blower-
NO cooking- electric stove-
NO Internet- electric modem-
NO cell phone- electric charger once battery is spent-so NO, once battery is dead.
NO water- electric driven pump (which then excludes flushing as well as drinking water)-
NO t.v.- electric-
NO lights- of course electric-
NO fridge- electric-
NO garage- my car was being held hostage! Though there's a pull cord, I'd have to climb on top of my car to pull the door open- and I wasn't that desperate- yet.-so NO
NO coffee pot- electric (OH NO! Now that's a disaster in the making! I do love my coffee!)- so NO!- sigh!
The dogs looked confused! I fed them by lantern! I didn't worry about the cat. She could see in the dark better than the rest of us, though I needed the lantern to get her dinner dished out.
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| Kitty food prep. |
Hmm. What to eat for dinner? I made a peanut butter sandwich. Looking at the gas log fireplace, I envisioned myself using a black caste iron skillet to cook whatever would be thawing in the freezer. I wondered if they had such a thing. I'd have to hold it over the fire the whole time. Maybe they had a little one?
The sandwich gone, I poured the last of the now lukewarm coffee and took the dogs outside. Just then a DTE truck went by. with someone on foot checking the electric boxes as they walked the snowy street in front of the house.
The dogs barked and ran toward the street. The man hesitated, and I called out- assuring him that the dogs were on an electric fence. ELECTRIC FENCE?? !! Oh No!
One of the dogs got as far as the street, but she came back when called. Looking around for the other one- I didn't see her (it was dark, after all) - and felt a moment of panic. This was the older of the two dogs, and pretty much deaf! I ran inside for flash lights. I prayed "Please God! Don't let me loose this dog!"
I called. No response. I looked. I didn't see her anywhere. I started following tracks in the snow. Nothing. Heading back toward the house I spotted her, happily eating snow, laying down between the bushes by the front of the house. (It took just a few minutes for my heart rate to come down!)
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| Though taken earlier in the day, this was how I found her last night, laying flat and eating snow!! |
I spent the next two hours sitting by the fireplace, wondering how the old time settlers could read by firelight! I took stock of how dependant we all are on the one utility! All of an evenings entertainment, including reading, puzzles, chess, etc,- all require light to see. I silently vowed to buy a few powerful battery operated lanterns at my first opportunity! (Failing to prepare is preparing to fail!)
My only company was my still charged cell phone. I sent a message to my roommate, sharing my plight. I also posted on facebook. I had a few facebook friends, along with my roommate offer to rescue me, if that was needed.
At 9 p.m. the lights came on. I walked around blowing out candles, and let the dogs outside without worry of loosing them.
I went to my computer and chose a Netflix movie- "Mrs. Brown". (It's a movie about the relationship between the widowed Queen Victoria and Mr. Brown.)
Having enough excitement for the evening, I fell asleep a bit after 10 p.m. My vivid dream was trying to ready Windsor Castle for power outages, including huge jugs of water on each floor, and lanterns at each wing. I awoke this morning, exhausted from the effort of getting the Queen's castle ready for a loss of electricity! I have to laugh at myself. I guess I was still "living the adventure", even in my sleep!
I'm grateful that I don't watch horror movies! I understand that there's a "Friday the 13th" movie out there that will curl your hair! My dreams would've taken a darker turn if I had watched that one! (Whew!)
I understand someone in the subdivision slid into a power box down the road! Also saw on the internet news this a.m. that there were over 70 accidents yeasterday afternoon! I'm grateful NOT to have experienced THAT kind of adventure! Not fun!
One never knows what adventures lay ahead, but I contend, "Life is an adventure, even when the lights go out!!"
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