Kia Ora, I got a letter, WOW!

Howdie Hails!

All over the news, we see terrible parts of El Nino. California
flooding, New Zealand heat with threats of drought, and
places with snow never had it before. I just got
a letter from a friend, Helen, who lives upstate New York.
By upstate, I mean 40 miles from the Canadian border. Winter
hasn't been normal there, either. Unfortunately, it's been
too warm for the season. The NOrth Country has had
serious ice storms. I thought you liked to know what that's like.

For two weeks, Helen and her family have been without power, which
means no convenient heat or handy dandy water. Due to heavy ice
weighting trees and anything above ground, trees either lost major
limbs or snapped, dying. Houses collapsed, many without homes in
winter means love they neighbor's fireplace, PDQ (Pretty Damn
Quick) It is estimated that 10,000 telephone
poles needed replacing (that's 9,000 more than their last
"worst-storm").

In order to keep up with survival, Helen, mother of teenagers,
had to lug a cord of
firewood inside den, every other day. The bathtub was filled with ice
so as it melted, water was available to flush toilets. Since local police
banned all travel, she and neighbors had to make due. For a week,
they expected power to return, any moment. Since my friend's hubby works
for power company, she learned that wasn't happening and tipped
neighbors. All worked, sending off to unaffected relatives to get
generators. Local stores sound out but
opportunists sold plenty off flatbeds, for 3 times the price.
Running a gas-powered generator meant Helen became a fast-learning
mechanic. And, with limited
gas onhand, it is task she learned to minimize to 1/3 of day. That
covered quick meals and filling water tanks...not enough for hot shower
luxury. She cheered return of power, cheered neighbors pitching in
to share food supplies and alike, she cheered a long hot shower and
counts days to Spring. *L* Then, she told me about the Amish/Meninites
in area. They laughed at everyone else. Amish live by choice without power,
without fear of hardships. They work farms, work hard, work together.
Wow, what we can learn about looking a little back.
God bless the persistent!
Howdie all!
wilma3