As the eastern part of the United States continues to clean up after Hurricane Irene, we count ourselves lucky that we got through with just loss of power and phone.  Our neighbor down the street had a tree fall on her house.  Our neighbors behind us had a tree and power lines fall down on their car and block the street. We live in a neighborhood that loves its trees and we are graced with majestic oaks and other trees that have been here for decades and provide shade and a lushness that we greatly appreciate.

However, we nearly always end up losing our power whenever a large storm comes through our area, whether it be a summer thunderstorm (or in the most recent case, a hurricane) or a winter snow storm.  Often, the power loss is caused by trees falling on our above-ground power lines.  Usually, we lose power for multiple days. So, we are always prepared for power outages. Additionally, my time in Kosovo, where the power was off more than it was on, makes me particularly adept at living without power.  Although, truth be told, I was particularly concerned about losing power this time because I had spent the past month filling up our freezer with vegetables from the garden and sauces cooked up from homegrown tomatoes. The thought of losing all that was a bit difficult. So we packed the freezer tight, knowing that a full freezer can stay cold for 48 hours without power.  Then I made arrangements to move everything to a friend’s freezer if our power was still out after the 48 hour period. So I was okay, kinda. I had to work on letting go and not getting attached to my bounty……..

So when we woke up Sunday morning while Irene was make her last pass in the area, we were not totally surprised to have no power. Making the best of it, we went out to our front covered porch and made breakfast of fried potatoes and eggs on a camp stove. Calvin was so happy. He commented on how quiet it was without electronics and how he could hear the wind.  He excitedly said, “I feel so in tune with nature!”

Then as Calvin ate his breakfast, he commented on how wonderful it tasted and how cooking outdoors on a camp stove made it taste even better.  So we spent the day outside, playing board games and reading.  It was wonderful.  So when the power came on, I was euphoric on one level, but on another level, I already missed the joy of being in tune with nature and hanging out with my family, without all the electronic media that draws us in, and apart.

Our Neighbor's House Down the Street

Downed Power Lines over a Neighbor's Car

Street Behind Ours: Downed Power Lines