Wind Storm 2015

It is amazing what you can take for granted. Something that is so much a part of your everyday life can be absolutely paralyzing when it's gone. I'm speaking of our old friend, electricity!

The forecasters have been in a tizzy the last day or so reporting that the wind is coming. I awoke yesterday to moderate winds and a little rain. By mid day, the wind was howling and the rain was coming in fits and starts.

We ended up closing the office a little early and I made my way up to visit Mom. My car kept wanting to change lanes on the freeway because the wind was blowing so hard. It took a while to get to Mom's because most of the power on the south hill was out. The traffic light at 17th and Ray was out and traffic backed up all the way down the hill.

When I got up to Rockwood Manor, the wind was really blowing and the new tower they are building for apartments was echoing the loudest, eeriest noise I ever heard. The wind was blowing through the open structure of the building and it was very loud. It was almost as if the wind was resonating off the bare steel girders like a reed in a clarinet.

Mom's area was without power but they had backup generators running lights in the corridors and main areas.

We were supposed to have a meeting at church but that got canceled. As I drove home, most of the south hill was dark. Downtown was lit up like a roman candle and then it got dark again just past Boone Avenue.

I arrived home to a very dark neighborhood. Susan was already home and had the place lit up with all the candles, flashlights and lanterns should could find.

I got the fire going in the fireplace and we inflated a mattress we use for camping and settled down in the living room. We drank beer and listened to an audio book for a while. I think we crawled into bed around 9.

I had to get up several times during the night to keep the fire stoked and it was pretty much out when I got up a 6 this morning.

Susan's office is still without power this morning, as is our neighborhood. But the lights are on at my office so, here I am...with my hot cup of coffee and some instant oat meal.

Power is out everywhere so I'm not expecting to see lights on at the house anytime soon. It would be nice, but I know the Washington Water Power crews are very busy. So I shall sit tight and hope the fridge and freezer don't completely thaw.