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This week, the Weather Forecasters have been predicting the rare occurrence of about 30 inches or more of snow which will be added to what is already on the ground in our little corner of Paradise. They are expecting snow drifts as well.
Preparing for this put me in mind of a time a while back when my Mother's electricity went out for 13 days due to a rare storm. As the days without Electricity continued Mom, an elderly widow with a desire to live alone, started to go into a state of panic, so she prayed. While doing so she was reminded what it was like to grow up without a lot of modern conveniences and how this power outage was only temporary and that some of her Adult children lived close by and thus she relaxed. Thinking about this in relation to our life and the current Forecast, I thought of the wisdom of advanced preparation especially to ease the stress on those who would most need it and decided this blog might be appropriate at this time.
While writing this, I'd like to urge you to keep in mind those who have limited income or those who are Home Bound, such as the sick, elderly and disabled; before shopping for you, you might want to give others a call and see if they are need a helping hand... and you might want to keep them and others in mind when it comes to Shoveling out after the Storm has passed. Also... if you know of someone who is alone... consider inviting them to stay with you through the storm.
Speaking of after a Storm has passed... those of you who have plenty at this season of your life may want to keep in mind those who do not. Often such a one works at a job where if they don't work they don't get paid... and the Storms of life (a snow storm, an illness, a broken Vehicle, an unexpected Pregnancy being only four such examples), can cause them to get behind in their utilities and the like... so do consider adopting a family or two anonymously and paying one of their bills for them ... more than once if you can.
While considering our potential needs I think of the Wildlife as well... so when I replenish for us I take the time to make sure I am stocked up for them too ... Raw Peanuts and Corn for the Squirrels and Seed for the Birds. *now is a good time to provide temporary shelter for strays. Typically I toss Meat, Fat and Bone Scraps into a special area set aside for the Wildlife and Strays all year, a little ways away from our compost pile, near the Gardening Shed. The Bones are always gone by the next morning, but I also make sure there is some set aside in our extra Freezer for times when there is snow on the ground. Before the ground is covered, I pull out these scraps and add it to the collection of Homemade Suet and Donations of leftover Bread saved for such occasions. If need be, I take this time to make more Homemade Suet. See my Blog Link: Helping our Feathered Friends for Recipes and other ideas.
As the projected number of inches of snow expected increases with warnings to expect power outages, I decided this was a good time to make sure our Grill has plenty of Propane and that our Spare Tank is full... (in case we need to loan it out). I also decided to take our Coolers out of the long term Storage Building to freshen them up and put them in a Closet in our Home. There is a comforting feeling in the knowing, it's ready, 'just in case'. If necessary, I plan to use these for what's in the Fridge, and place them just outside the door in the Snow, if you don't have a Cooler, Clean Trash Bags with or without a box will work.... just make sure you put the bag over the box; Plastic Crates work well too. Our extra Freezer is located in an unheated area for times such as these, so if need be, I will remove 'filler' material from it (jugs full of water, bags of homemade Ice Cubes, the insert from the Homemade Ice Cream Maker, ect ... a full freezer is more economical to run), and put frozen items from our Refrigerator/Freezer in there, making sure I only open it in an emergency, so items will stay frozen longer.
I also decided to dig out our Phone which is not Cordless which I keep around for when the power goes out... and am making sure our Cell Phones are fully charged. Oh... I forgot... Rock Salt for when the snow melts.
My Hubby uses Wood Shavings from his Handcrafted Log Furniture Workshop to help those who are stuck in the snow thus I can easily keep a bag in my Trunk ... but for those who do not have access to Wood Shavings or Saw Dust I suggest a bag of old Fashioned Cat Litter be kept in your truck for emergencies along with Blankets and emergency water, if it's imperative that you drive in the snow. Sand works too. Oh and some prefer to keep a small board to go under the tire when all else fails.
My Hubby uses Wood Shavings from his Handcrafted Log Furniture Workshop to help those who are stuck in the snow thus I can easily keep a bag in my Trunk ... but for those who do not have access to Wood Shavings or Saw Dust I suggest a bag of old Fashioned Cat Litter be kept in your truck for emergencies along with Blankets and emergency water, if it's imperative that you drive in the snow. Sand works too. Oh and some prefer to keep a small board to go under the tire when all else fails.
For years now... I have also set aside, not only for us but others, Emergency items such as Candles and Oil Lamps, Can Openers, Radio Batteries and much more, but instead of listing such here, I decided to offer Resourceful Links: click: How to Prepare Your Home for a Winter Storm What you need to be Prepared for a Snow Storm After a Snow Storm has Passed What to Stock in an Emergency Winter Survival Kit Preparing for Cold Winters Click: Emergency Advise from Fema
... and now may be an advantageous time to read my Blog on Rocket Stoves A Cheap, Easy, Clean and Efficient way to Cook and Heat *wink
Oh... and if you have suggestions or stories to offer regarding the storms of life, by all means, leave them as comments... I look forward to reading them, and others may enjoy them as well.
Later today I plan to scan a Photo or two and to copy a few ideas from a great Book I recommend: Snowmen 'Snow Creatures, Crafts and Other Winter Projects'. by Peter Cole, Frankie Frankeny, and Leslie Jonath , so do stop by again tomorrow, if this topic will interest you.
As I end today's Blog echoes from memories of days gone by come to mind: 'Anyone wanna play Uno or Monopoly? Anyone into making an Indoor Fort until we can make a Snow Fort? If the Lights go out we can play Indoor Flash Light Tag!'
Enjoy the Snow and the opportunities for making positive memories with your Families and Guests!!!
Update* Oooh... our power is still on, but the Temp is predicted to drop to 6 degrees with more snow coming in a few days, which means I need to use those empty Coolers to store our Winter Potatoes, Onions and Fruit in for a few nights. The Converted Porch which I use partly as a Root Cellar is unheated. Hmmm... wonder if they will work better than the Fruit Baskets I over winter them in?
``My 79 year old Mom's Electric went out... after one of our Brothers dug himself out, he brought over some Precooked BBQ Ribs, wrapped them in Foil and put them on his Car Engine while he shoveled her Walkways and Drive. She was delighted to have an unexpected warm meal for Supper.
Those Readers who have ``Storm Stories are welcome to share them as Comments below.
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