We had our first, really significant, snow of the season starting last night into this morning. It's sleeting now, which means that the beautiful, fluffy snow cover will be a crusted, icy mess.
For the record, I actually love the snow. I love how clean everything looks after a good snowfall. I don't even mind clean up, so much, depending on the type of snow. According to folklore the Intuits had 40+ words for snow, and after having lived in Maine for more than two decades, I can see that. All snow is not equal.
The first snow of the season is often a heavy, wet snow - like big, floppy waffles. Later in the season, as it gets colder and the air is dryer, the flakes are small and light, like ash. Toward spring, the flakes are bigger, but heavier, again, like leaves. It's the quality of the air that makes the snowflake what it is. Dryer air = lighter flakes.
The worst is the storms that bring both snow and ice. Not only are they a bear to clean up, but they are also the most dangerous. Ice storms kill trees and snap power lines, because the snow-covered, iced-over branches and cables are heavy.
This particular storm was dubbed a Nor'easter by the newscasters, and in my area, we were told to expect 6" to 12". We definitely got 6" of snow overnight. Now, before lunchtime, we have sleet. It's getting bad out there, and I am very thankful that we were all working from home today, because driving would be a mess - even for those of us who have driven in this sort of weather a lot. It's just no fun, and it's better if we can just stay home.
What's interesting, to me, is the media reporting of these storms. I guess since we've had so little snow this season it is big news. Plus, we have a lot of COVID refugees - people who have moved to Maine from away, because it is safer here, presumably. Maybe our news-folk are playing to their new audience.
Whatever the reason, this storm, a 6" to 12" storm, was hyped up.
What's interesting, to me, is how much attention has been paid to issues other than driving. As with almost every storm we've seen this year - rain or snow ... or just wind - the media warns that we could experience "power outages."
The fact that we are warned about power outages, though, struck me. Someone out there knows how fragile our grid system is, and they want us, as individuals, to be prepared to take care of ourselves, because we are going to be without power.
Before we went to bed last night, we made sure our phones were charging ... but all of us plug in our phones before bed every night. So, that wasn't new.
We made sure that our solar/USB lights and head lamps were charged ... but we use the headlamps and such nearly every evening when we go outside to tend to the chickens. So, that wasn't all that new, either.
I washed a load of laundry, which will go on the drying rack, but I frequently take advantage of the off-peak rates by doing laundry and running the dishwasher late in the evening or at night. So, that wasn't new, either.
These are things that we do, because this is the way we live.
The fact that we know the power grid is fragile is enough for me to want to live differently, because I don't like the idea of being worried about losing a resource that's unreliable to begin with. I mean, who wants to live with that niggling worry all of the time? Not being wholly dependent on 24 hour/365 day access to electricity makes storms, like today's, just a lovely treat - because we all get to stay home and enjoy the day together without worrying about whether the electricity will go out, and we'll be thrust into the cold and dark of a powerless world.
We won't be. And that's a comfort.
The one thing I no longer do is run the dishwasher at night. I used to start it as we went to bed, but in this neighborhood/housing there have been multiple reports of flooding from dishwashers. I now run it during or just after dinner, so the pots are in there from cooking but I'm in and out of the kitchen with those last dishes and can keep an eye on things.
ReplyDeleteWe've agreed that the next house we buy will have no dishwasher and no disposal. I think you and I have discussed THAT issue. LOL I'd rather have the cabinet space and lack of flooding issues. Where we lived in Japan, we had them on base, but off base, dishwashers were a rarity; those who had them had little countertop appliances, or more likely a little dryer. I saw them in the stores out on the economy and they were "cute", but I'd rather have the counter space, and not use that electricity, so I won't even get one of those.
I'm thinking slide out drawers for dishes (if you look up Scandish Home on YT, she had a wonderful set up in the house they just moved from), that way the moisture from the sink won't be an issue.
I suppose it'll depend on the house, but yeah - at the VERY least, if there's a disposal, it's outta there. :D