After a final gasp
Coming awake to the genny is OK. Coming awake because the genny stopped unexpectedly, not so much. The sound was uncanningly like a last gasp for a breath.
We are in a cycle of back to back (to back) winter storms, and the propane tanks have nohing to indicate how much remains. I know, I asked the delivery driver, and it isn’t an available feature. They fill, on demand. Well, the expendable, and expensive charge just ran out. In the middle of the storm. We accepted that dark and cold are inevitable, and waited out the day. Like our neighbours. No heat, no lights, no running water. We did have a solar generator on site, so the access to hot coffee was assured, as long as we metered our water use. Jugs.
The day seemed very long. At one point, I did check the control panel on genny, but that did not provide anything more than the obvious: the power was out, and it was nasty outside. Our goal was to keep the inside free from the outside. Coming in through the garage, even though the dog was sorely vexed by that change in his routine.
It’s easy, in retrospect, to say that we like winter. Even with challenging moments. I, for one, yearn for the more clement days of autumn. This little adventure came with some valuable feedback. Our house is well insulated. We need to put aside some “emergency water stocks”. The temperature will take more than a day to become uncomfortable. Outside, nothing mechanical was moving (meaning the plow), so it is best to develop distractions. We had some sort of noisy game gadget, that offered up questions that were confused and confusing. We did not seek a deck of playing cards, at any time. And our bed is warm and comforting, as long as one stays in a single position.
