Monday Moanings - November 18, 2013

You don't know what ya got, til it's gone...

How true. We take electrical power for granted. I know I do for sure, until the power goes off and then I bump into all the things that run alongside my life; all the gadgets large and small, some way more important than others. The fridge, freezer, stove, and because we live in the rural routes, the water pump - these are the more critical gadgets. We have a woodstove, so heat is not an issue.

Fotolia images © Ana Vasileva 

And so it was at 10pm last night in the middle of watching Avatar on the big TV, that electrical power, known in these parts as 'hydro' flickered twice then died. The winds were high, rain pelted down and a rumble or three of thunder sent our dog into hiding in the basement.

And just for a moment it was wonderfully quiet, that is until the beeping of power loss alarms on the less essential gadgets began. "OMG," they warn, "connection to the power grid has been lost."

So what? The candles were lit, the phones worked and I knew Hydro One crews were out there in the awful wind risking their lives to bring the lights back on.

It was an opportunity to discover candlelight, and once the alarms were turned off, silence.

Just after 5am, I awoke to hums, beeps and lights announcing a house coming back online.
Morning has broken, and all is well.

Hats off to all the hydro workers who toiled through the night. Thank you.

©2013 April Hoeller