NH Ice Storm

Well, we had contemplated purchasing a portable generator since it seems that the power grid is always going out here and there, plus our house is wired with a transfer switch and an external plug.

But like most home projects, we put it on the back burner, right up there with new gutters, studding out the basement, fixing that sink drain that seems to always clog... oh and I could list so many more...

Well, was probably a bad idea. In early december an ice storm came thorugh depositing about 1/4 to 3/4 an inch of ice on everything. Trees snapping sounded like gunshot throughout the night. And due to the fact that NH has some really nice "scenic roadways" the trees are always right along the road, (ok, and those that are not protected as scenic are just in the sticks anyways, and most are dirt!) so the power lines snake in and out of tree branches.

We sat it out the first 24 hours, using our propane gas log set for heat. But after that, with no well for water or flushing toilets, nothing to cook on, and well 47F in the house, it was time to start thinking of other plans. Poor Madeline could not understand why we wanted her to keep her hat, jacket, and shoes on. All the things we tell her to take off when she gets home. She even went as far as to ask me to sit on the toilet first so to warm the seat for her!

Packed it up and headed out to family 6 hours away, could not find gas within 2 hours of our home due to power outages or gas shortages. We ended up spending four days as refugees, following the news on the internet and calling our neighbor.

Bought a generator and drove home with all the Ashplund tree crew bucket trucks heading east with us.

We were lucky, out of power for about 3-4 days, some around us went as long as a week and a half! So at least next time we have a generator.

Now we just have to put to the list of house projects connecting the right pigtail to the power cord.. LOL...

The birds are back in town

I had been a bit neglectful of our backyard feeders, and let them dry out for a while. But on Sunday, I went out and filled up the suet and seed hoppers. I swear I heard one of the woodpeckers singing in the woods at the top of it's head.

Sure enough the first one to arrive was a downy woodpecker. Happy to check out the two new suet cakes. Shortly after that came the black capped chickadees and then the titmouse. I saw at least two pairs of cardinals. And sure enough out came the blue Jays and by the end of the day, the top was off the barn style feeder and one was standing inside it.

It was nice to stand at the kitchen window and see them all out there on a rainy foggy day. But it seems whenever I fill up the feeders, out comes the predators as well.

So this morning I woke up to a pile of white and grey feathers strewn around the back feeder. Sigh. I guess I must feed the hawks as well.