March 1, 2007 - In Like a Lion!
The 2nd big storm of the week hit today. The blizzard shut down the western and northern parts of the state. I-80 was closed between Des Moines and Omaha and I-35 was closed between Ames and the Minnesota line.
Here’s a view of the wind and snow out the front door! We still have neighbors on the roads both a mile east and west that are without power, 6 days after losing it. We are supposed to miss most of the heavy snow, but still have dangerous wind and snow. We’re on pins and needles waiting for the cobbled up power system to fail. I’ve been pushing the corn stove and have the temp up to 79 degrees to get ready for an outage to have some heat in the bank.
The entire week has been unsettling. All schedules and plans are in constant flux - will there be work, school? Will we have water, heat? What if there’s a medical emergency? What if the generator fails? When can we finally plan to do something and actually do it? The uncertainty is mentally taxing. It’s one thing to know you’ll be out of power for a long time, it’s different to not know day by day and even hour by hour. I will be relieved when the wind stops, the sun comes out, and temperature reaches 40 degrees and we can get on with normal!
