First Storm
one foot, some notes, a serious ass whooping, rural living knowledge gained.
60th day with no TV.
Family seems closer, more conversation and debates.
Ann misses Oprah.
All News via Satellite internet and newspaper.
Civic buried, Rendered immobile.
Tundra, Icon Lift and Destination MTs prove Priceless.
5 days no power, heat, or water.
5 days no shower.
One tooth lady helps Ann load kids and grocery's into car.
Everyone is so damn cool up here.
Lady at Market tells me weather has been getting worse every year
and to plan on never having reliable power. She said make your own.
Tree goes down on power line closes road out.
No Power = no well water.
No insulated well house = well tank freezes and cracks.
Well supply lines freeze.
Well house floods and freezes.
Phones go down.
Commute to work gnarly, snow all the way down the hill 60 miles.
Black Ice educates me.
Ann cooks on Camp Stove.
Weather very bad cell phones wont text out.
Well guys swoop in for the rescue and posthole the parts down to the well house.
Set up halogen lamp to heat well house. Ann insulates pump, new pump tank and new lines.
First Alternative Energy Purchased, 8600kw Rigid Generator and electric heater.
Road out of our community blocked by large tree down.
Cinderblock fire set up for heat.
4 layers of ski clothes worn inside freezing house.
UPS finally locates us, trade is restored.
3 cord almond hauled up from the valley.
Food is kept outside in snow.
Sat internet is restored via generator.
50 Turkey spotted at the upper property.
Communication back open.
Kai found a Bat. We netted it.
Thousands of kick-ass PGE workers infiltrate the western sierras and begin working in Brutal Freezing conditions.
3 nights under 15 degrees with no heat, 2 days under 20 with no heat.
Tree goes down on our property and we saw it.
Kids build snowman and make snow angels basically have the time of their lives.
Life flight gets called in for a neighbor and try's to land on our lower property.
Water becomes very important.
Roads in and out become brutally dangerous. Water runs are gnarly.
Toilets wont flush, Ann melts snow water to manually flush daily.
I slide the tundra into a down tree and have to dig out.
Back window on Tundra explodes from cold.
Two mornings in a row I spooked some large black tails walking to the truck.
One Ann and I got real close to, a 9 point.
85 year old lady spins out behind me and slides down hill, I assist rescue.
Propane heater, oil lantern and co2 alarms purchased.
Drove Feds x guy to do his deliveries cause his ride could not make it.
Ann learns to manually light stove burners.
Sponge Baths begin.
Power Restored.
Hot Showers Taken.
Comfort Restored.
Next.