On The Seventh
Day, There Was Light
Having lived in
Following the advice of
experts to have plenty of water (3 gallons per person), flashlights, batteries
and candles are basic knowledge. They also inform you to keep canned food,
bread and fruits around to eat during this time.
As the
evening of September 5 drew close, I was pleased with my preparations. Nine
gallons of water, bread, fruit, crackers and peanut butter sat on my kitchen
table. The car was filled with gas and my two dogs were fed and relaxed.
Candles were placed in holders and flashlights were strategically placed around the house.
I had called
my husband, Jim, at work and asked him to stop and get more water and beer on
his way home. Maybe the doubts of poor planning were already entering my
thoughts.
When Jim
arrived home it was already pouring rain and the wind howling. He entered the
house soaking wet, carrying his beer and two gallons of milk. I bit my lip as
he proudly told me “the store was out of water so I bought milk instead.” I
just smiled as I took the milk from him and put it away. The wisdom of my
planning grew a little dimmer.
As Jim and I
stood on our patio watching small tree limbs fall and rain come down in torrents,
I whispered my first prayer of the day. Gathering my dogs, we went in the house
and I decided to put my puppy and myself to bed. The electricity was already
off and I was very uneasy. Jim and Beau, our 113 pound Lab, stayed up to watch
the storm.
Sleeping
without our air conditioning is not my style and I slept fitfully all night.
Listening to the wind howl and my puppy whimper did nothing to soothe my nerves
during the long night. When the tree fell and hit the roof above my bed, I
thought my heart would stop. Grabbing a flashlight and stumbling down the hall,
I was stopped short when a low menacing growl erupted from Beau. He didn’t know
I was at the end of the flashlight and was protecting his home. I whispered,
“It’s me Beau, go back to sleep” and turned and went back to bed myself.
Morning light
brought joy to my heart and calm to my nerves. Trees and tree limbs were
everywhere but we were safe. The driveway was blocked by two large oak trees
and a small tree lay against the house but no other damage. We were very
fortunate.
The real
problems we faced (as did many others) were no water, electricity or phones.
Stores were closed and ice was scarce. Our neighbors, Jim and I drove about
sixty miles to find ice and a place to eat breakfast. Waiting in line became a
part of our daily routine for the next six days.
Living on
five acres in the woods has its advantages. We cooked over a Coleman stove,
used propane lanterns on our porches and kept the windows open twenty-four
hours a day. The biggest disadvantage was our well. Without electricity you
can’t pump water from the well. We couldn’t use our bathroom because we
couldn’t flush the toilet. Jim and I both have bug bites in places most people
wouldn’t think of from using the woods as our bathroom.
Camping out
can be much fun if it’s planned and a vacation. Camping out for six days in
your house is stressful.
My temper was
getting a little out of hand by the fourth day and I was miserable. Heat and humidity
were making me grumpy and the stench of mildew was starting to float through
the air. I started fantasizing of Holiday Inns with room service and buckets of
ice filled with popsicles. Our luck changed when we got our phone service back
and found out Dominos delivered.
Reading local
newspapers during this week of disaster helped us come to terms with our
limitations. Our society we live in today would force our pioneer ancestors to
disown us. We are a weak, self-indulgent people who take most conveniences for
granted and are quick to complain. People were writing to newspapers
complaining of lack of television cable service when others had no homes or
electricity. Inoperative ATM’s were cursed with no thought of the many farmers
who lost their whole crops and livelihood.
What lessons
have I learned from this forceful lady Fran? Well, here are a few suggestions
you may consider from one who has been there and done that:
1)
Never send your husband for
water.
2)
You will never have enough
water.
3)
Bread molds in two days in
heat and high humidity.
4)
Warm soda makes you burp.
5)
Have plenty of batteries.
6)
You will never have enough
batteries.
7)
No deodorant lasts
forty-eight hours.
8)
Watch where you squat in the
woods.
9)
Candle light is not romantic
after the third day.
10)
Make
sure your mate is a camping expert.
11)
Taking
starlight walks with your mate is rewarding.
12)
Keep
a sense of humor.
13)
Never
lose faith.