Let There be Light
Or, maybe not. Sometimes, we need a break.
Last night, at 6:50 pm, our power went out. We were just coming back to the house because I had forgotten the videos that I had rented, and that were in need of return. The remote-controlled garage door wouldn’t open. My husband suggested the power could be out. Power outage? “But it’s summer,” I clamored, in disbelief, forgetting that every so often someone hits a power pole, or does something else noble of a Darwin Award. It’s not winter, when we’re usually expecting power outages. We live in the mountains in Santa Cruz County. Winters up here can be challenging. Excluding this year, we usually get more than our share of rain (37 inches, versus the 13 inches in 2006 for our neighbor, San Jose), and the winds, combined with the massive trees are a power lines worst enemy. We are always prepared come winter: Extra food, both canned & perishables, matches, water, candles, hurricane lamps, DVDs, plenty of reading materials (OK, maybe we always have this area fully stocked) and a generator for when the power goes out for multiple days. And my husband and I both have laptops (multiple batteries) and well-stocked iPods. Hence, we’re usually armed and ready.
Last night’s outage was the result of a tree that had fallen against the power pole. Which we wouldn’t have seen had it not been for the group forming at the bottom of the road, the only road that leads up to the hill where we live. We pulled over to see what everyone was staring up at. Sure enough, there it was, a fir tree a leaning against the power pole, looking like it was staggering a bit after, perhaps, one too many.
We knew then that it would be hours before the power would be back on. So, after dinner and a trip for ice cream (my insistence of course, such things never cross the lips of my heath-food obsessed husband), we returned home. The road was dark, as were most of the houses, although some were illuminated by candles and firelight, which is a familiar scene during some of my favorite winter nights. Admittedly, I love a good storm, and the ambiance of candles and firelight and the sound of the rain hitting the roof. Our own house was dark, illuminated only by moonlight (hey, at least it was a full moon), which made our house look big and enigmatic. As my laptop batteries weren’t fully charged, my newly rented DVDs wouldn’t play very long … it was to be that I would have to read – by candlelight! And, the icing on the cake (as if I already weren’t lucky enough to relax by reading and candlelight), I actually got to bed early for a good night’s sleep! It was a nice treat, quite frankly. Reading, and an early night. After all, I had no power, nor power toys. And I didn’t feel guilty one bit, even in spite of it being a Saturday night in the middle of summer. A time when we’re supposed to be out and about, socializing and doing things to take advantage of the great weather.
Today, I’m watching DVDs that I rented, the ones that I didn’t take back. It’s a beautiful, summer day, but I’m not going to let myself feel guilty for my pleasures. Not last night and not today. I refuse to, because, sometimes, you just need a break.
Tags: rain, Storm, Things to Ponder
