As long as I can have hot coffee in the morning, all’s right with my world. Even if I have had no power for nearly three days and it doesn’t look as if it will come back on anytime soon. My neighborhood looks like there’s been a war. Trees down all over wires, everywhere.
The one in the photo isn’t on any wire and, thankfully, fell to the left, not the right, where it could have caused a lot of damage. It was a giant spruce and although it didn’t fall on any wires, it did block the front door. If there were any trick or treaters out there last night, they couldn’t get to the bell.
But I’m sure there weren’t. It’s really really dark here at night when there’s no power.
What should I do with all those packages of mini Snickers and M&Ms?
We lost some other trees too. But we’re okay.
As I said, as long as I can get that coffee, I’ll be fine.
And I can, because I have a campfire burner and prepared ahead by buying several butane canisters for it. I also made LOTS of coffee, which I warm up in a saucepan every morning. And, to make my world complete, I poured some half and half in a clean jelly jar and stuck it, alongside some other perishables (eggs, yogurt) in the ice cube bin of my freezer, where I knew it would keep for several days.
I did prepare lots of food ahead: fried chicken breasts, pot roast, root vegetable salad and soup, so we haven’t exactly starved. And my brother Jeff and sister-in-law Eileen have invited us to spend the time there (and shower, watch movies). So, Ed and I, after having dinner by candle light on our coffee table the first night of the storm when it was too dangerous to even drive on the local roads, brought some of our freezer food over there and having been sharing our meals. As we will again tonight.
And I still have some coffee left for the morning. I figure I made enough to last a week.
We’ll see.
Hope to get back to the kitchen soon and post some more vignettes and recipes. We’ll get there in time. When I see the devastation and heard how much people have lost, I can’t complain.