Isn’t it great to be back home?

[teaberryblue]

The house in Connecticut is still out of power, and ETA puts power coming back on in 7+ days. Most of the traffic lights in our neck of the woods are still out, and while they’ve cleared some of the roads, others are still blocked– mostly by downed trees, moreso than flooding.

My grandparents had to be evacuated in Delaware due to tornado threats in their town. Several homes in my aunt’s apartment complex were destroyed, although hers is intact, thank goodness, and she spent the night in a high school that was serving as a shelter. My grandparents went to my cousins’ house. One of my other cousins lives in a trailer park where she said that her trailer and three next to hers were all right, but everything after that was destroyed by a tornado. I am just so relieved that everyone in my family made it through safely.

At around 2 am Saturday-into-Sunday, I shut down my computer, ready to go to bed, and the power blinked out. I laughed, certain that my timing had just been impeccable– but two minutes later, the power came back on.

So I started turning off lights, when I heard the most tremendous noise coming from outside. The wind was loud, but it wasn’t the wind. It was the chickens. Crying. Now the chickens were as safe as they could be, in a storm pen inside the stable, with things to climb on if the stable flooded (unlikely, since it’s at the highest point on the property). But they were crying so loudly and so mournfully, it was like nothing I’d ever heard. Screaming chickens. For a second, I considered going outside to see if they were all right– I feared the worst, a problem with the stable or a wild animal that found its way in. But common sense told me that going outside in the height of a hurricane to check on chickens was not the wisest choice I could make, so I went to bed (in the basement, as my bedroom is just beneath two massive old sugar maples).

I woke up at 12:24 pm to discover no power and the storm more or less dissipated– it was still rainy and windy, but there were patches of sun, and it was perfectly reasonable to go outside. We made some scrambled eggs on the grill, ate some blueberry pie that my mother had made the day before, and made a lot of headway on de-cluttering the room that is eventually going to be our bar, let the chickens out, and hunted down the cat, who was hiding in a ball in the loft in my bedroom (my bedroom used to be a hayloft). It was probably the point closest in the whole house to the wind, so possibly not the most intuitive choice for hiding, but whatever she wants to do, you know.

The chickens, by the way, were totally fine, if their feathers were a bit ruffled (literally).

We went to the neighbors’ house, and helped get things ready for their daughter’s wedding next weekend, and had some quick dinnery things along with copious amounts of delicious homemade wine, and used their generator to re-charge our phones and check the mass transit situation. The train line I usually take home had downed trees on it, so it was pretty apparent I was not going to get to work today, even if the roads got cleared (most of the roads out of our neighborhood were blocked by trees). We munched on some quickly-melting gelato, and went home. I called Brendan, who had already come to this conclusion on his own, and told me that out neighborhood here was totally fine– we live about three blocks apart from each other on top of a hill, so it seemed pretty good.

When we got home, though, we discovered that the chickens’ coop had been blown shut by the wind, while they were all outside doing chickeny chicken things (all but one), and they were all huddling in a pile on top of the coop all shivering and cold and awwwww poor chickens. My mama picked them up one by one and put them in their nice warm coop, and they cuddled against her for warmth.

By then, it was getting too dark to see, so out came the battery-operated lanterns.

I read for about two hours until my lanterns all started to fade, and then went to bed at around eleven, and woke up at nine this morning– to a distinct lack of any power.

So my mother and I cleaned out the fridge– but left the freezers shut tight, in the hopes that maybe the power would come back on before the food defrosted completely. And then we made up this delicious lunch:

That is some delicious gnocchi with brown butter and crispy fried sages, and some yummy wienerschnizel. I am quite pleased with the fact that this is what we managed to cook on our outdoor grill (since the stove in the house is electric).

We did some other cleanup chores, then chased the chickens around to get them back in their coop– they hate going in in the middle of a beautiful day! And left to get home.

Well, getting home was a pain in the butt, since there were still a lot of roads on our usual route that were blocked by down trees, and still a lot of traffic lights out in the area. A trip that usually takes an hour took three hours, but after three hours, I was home safe in my apartment that still has power, nothing damaged, and I was able to turn on my air conditioning, and, realizing that I was probably about the filthiest I would be for a month, scrubbed the heck out of my bathtub, which was looking for a cleaning, before taking a Daenerys-Targaryen-hot shower, and scrubbed and descaled and shaved and did a nice face mask and all sorts of lovely things. And then I put on a dress! A dress, after breaking my I Don’t Wear Pants rule twice over the weekend (this is a rule I have, in which I only wear pants when I absolutely must, for things like beekeeping), and it was lovely and wonderful and I felt very grateful that all was well.

My parents are still out of power, and we found out only after we left that it may be a week till the house gets power back, and I don’t know if there’s an ETA for the apartment (also out!). I feel really badly for them; I’m not sure if they can get water without a pump since they’re on the second floor. I told my mother she could come back over here, but she declined.

So I went out to Whiskey Monday, saw some new friends, met some new-new friends, had some lovely drinks, and now I am home and so sleepy in a luscious, languorous way that is the result of hard work that makes it very satisfying.

I hope that all of you are safe and cozy and the things and people you love are intact! And that your chickens did not cry too hard.

Mirrored from Antagonia.net.

Comments

[goffchick.livejournal.com]

It's crazy how much being without power inconveniences us, isn't it? It sounds like you had a pretty relaxing and idyllic time of it though, all things considered, I envy your food (you were super prepared, that's awesome!)

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

I was actually surprised that it was not more of an inconvenience! It just really changed the way I did things but it really only kept me from going on the internet.

Or flushing toilets, which I think was the most annoying part.

We weren't really prepared very well! We didn't save enough tap water (we had plenty of drinking water though). I think we just live like this all the time. I am really grateful it wasn't worse.

[goffchick.livejournal.com]

My parents' house has the domestic water from a well- which occasionally goes out (with no warning, of course). I well know the inconvenience of the toilet! I've talked them into keeping a bunch of wine bottles of water around just in case for drinking water, so they don't have to rely on begging for the neighbor for that! (It always blows late at night, usually before a long holiday weekend, so it can't get fixed right away.)

[liret.livejournal.com]

Awwww the poor chickens!

We are being told up to a week for power too. I think that is what they are telling everyone in the state since there are still 600,000 people waiting. But a section of main st has it back so I can walk down and charge things.

On the bright side, I finished GoT and most of CoK and reorganized all my bookshelves.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm sure it's a worst-case scenario thing. I expect it will be back sooner but they want to make sure they don't give like a 3 or 4 day ETA and then run into problems. It's better to apologize ahead of time than have to keep apologizing later.

Yay bookshelves! I finished Mississippi Jack. That book made me hate Jaimy even more.

[dootsie.livejournal.com]

All things considered, this sounds like a pretty decent way and place to ride out a storm. Glad to hear you're all safe and sound.

I've been waiting to hear from a friend in Mansfield, but from what you say here, I'm suspecting that he won't have power for a few days.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's likely his power is out too.

All in all, it was tiring but not too bad.

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

Your poor chooks! I'm very glad to hear that they, your cat, you and your family are fine.

Also, your ability to make awesome food in the wake of a hurricane is impressive ;D Here's to quickly restored power!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

I know! I felt so bad for the chickens!!

And thanks! My mom breaded the schnitzel and rolled the gnocchi, and then I did the cooking. It was fun.

[kateshort.livejournal.com]

Dumb question, but how did you cook? I never know if gas cooktops will work; don't they still need the electric spark to light them?

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, we have an electric stovetop, but we cooked on the grill outdoors!

Gas stoves will work without electric. All you need to do is turn on the gas an use a match to light it instead of the ignitor!

[kateshort.livejournal.com]

Oh, and thank goodness for your family and friends evacuating to safer locations. Yiiiiiiikes.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we were a little frantic about my relatives, but thank goodness, everyone is okay.

[lifechild.livejournal.com]

Glad that you're all safe and shiny! Hope the power comes back to everyone soon!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Me, too! I feel really badly for my mom that she doesn't have power yet. Being able to turn on the lights and take a hot shower was so nice.

[trouserminnow.livejournal.com]

this sounds much better than my storm free K anniversary.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Aw, I felt a little weird because of the dates, you know? But yeah, it was a little frantic while we were trying to find out what was going on with the relatives in tornado-land, and I felt really bad for the chickens, but other than that, it was exhausting but gratifying.

Bitters-making class tonight!!

[everywordiwrite.livejournal.com]

Poor chickens. Enough with the natural disasters over there, y'hear? I disapprove.

Also, I keep thinking about making gnocchi (especially because the boyfriend is always complaining that I don't cook with potatoes enough). Not sure whether I've just missed it, but while I know Dad could get it in the supermarket in the US, I haven't seen it sold here. Have you ever made it from scratch?

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

I am vaguely aware that you can buy pre-made gnocchi in the stores, but I have never had it. We only make gnocchi from scratch! It is easy. I recommend using baked potatoes instead of boiled ones! If you are in search of a recipe, let me know. Also, they freeze very very well.

[everywordiwrite.livejournal.com]

Awesome! It always seemed intimidating somehow, but now shall be bumped up my to-cook list. I do have several recipes (including with sage butter!), though I think they use boiled instead of baked, so I will make that modification.

[f4l.livejournal.com]

Glad all's okay over there, love ♥