icicle castanets

If you step outside our house this morning you'll hear a fast, light clicking. It's the sound of small, ice-coated branches hitting against each other in the breeze. It's been that way for two days and fortunately the ice is light and the wind not too strong, because we haven't lost power...this time.

We heat with wood in winter, so losing the electric wouldn't kill us, but because we frequently DO lose power we've got a battery operated radio, a large propane burner, some oil lamps, and a storage battery that can keep the lights on (and a crock pot perking) for hours.

Up in NH (home of most of the people we're related to) they've declared a state of emergency and more than 400,000 households are without power. It's been dark, cold, and quiet without the hum of appliances and the ping of email. Here's hoping the lights (and the heat) come on soon.