Winter Preparations

Dare I say the 'W' word, and perhaps I don't really have to, as we all know that the 'W' word is often associated with the 'S' word...and after a few months of using the 'W' and 'S' word, they change into the 'WS' word (short for 'white shit'). Now then, I don't know about where you live, however, where I live, preparing for the 6 - 7 months of Winter (the 'W' word) takes a good amount of sorting, especially if you're new to the area I live in.

Many people don't often have to think of these things. They simply turn on the heat and, at the most, have to get out different clothing for the seasonal changes. In this area, clothing is the least of our worries. Blankets are usually the first things to be brought out of the wood work. Heavy, thick, down-filled (or, fiber filled) blankets, that you can layer one on top of the other (in case you have to).

See, up my way, when the power goes out, it doesn't just go out for a few minutes. It goes out for a few days. Yes, the town has its own generator, which has enough power to light up half the county if it had to. However, as we've found out from the past 2 Winters, we can't really rely upon said generator. So, we have to be fully prepared to handle a day...or 3, without power. Three years ago, it was a 3 1/2 day stretch without power. Coincidentally, we're so used to that up my way, that when the power goes out, people just start lighting candles and turn on their oil lamps, throw another log or two onto the fire...and keep on going as if nothing has happened at all.

Most of us also have specific locations in our homes that we keep items stored for use in the Winter. Canned and jarred/preserved foods, fire wood, matches, candles, lamp oil, lamp wicks, extra blankets, bottled water and so forth. Many people also keep several coolers on hand for the Winter. Why? Well, when the power goes out, it means that your fridge and freezer have no power. So, we just throw everything we can into the cooler and stick it out on the porch. Let Mother Nature keep things fresh for us!

Up here, you will also usually find plastic zip-lock bags and/or freezer safe plastic containers filled with some sort of mottled colored frozen liquid. This is called "soup stock" and "stew stock". We also tend to freeze things like berries, citrus fruit slices, onions...ok, we freeze almost anything we possibly can. You know, just in case.

As you also can imagine, keeping warm (as well as having light and cooking fuel) is extremely important, especially when the outside temperatures are down in the single digits, or it's snowing a blizzard and a half outside. Keep in mind that when the power goes out, there is little to no hot water that will run from your tap. The only hot water you will get is from what remains inside the hot water heater. Once that's gone, no more hot water. It's rather difficult for some people to grasp. I understand this. I once had a friend of mine call me and ask me why I wasn't on the Internet. I told her that we have no power. She asked me how I was talking on the phone, if we had no power. I explained to her that we have a land line phone (one that actually has wires attached to it that plugs into the wall), and that the phone company had a generator that allowed the phone lines to remain open during a power outage. "Oh"...yeah.

Around these parts, there are only 3 buildings (to my knowledge) that have back up generators. The gas station, the courthouse/jail and the medical clinic. While there are a few people in the area that do not have a secondary heat source (and by that I mean, wood stove), most of us do. Some are called 'trash burners', some are called 'franklins' and others are just called 'wood stoves'. No matter what you call it, it's a necessity, and well used I might add.

We also tend to stock up on items necessary for our beloved pets. Up here, this is a no-brainer. We can't just run down to the local market and pick up pet supplies when the power goes out. Generally, this isn't because the market doesn't stock the items. Rather, it's because we can't get out to go to the market in the first place, and those of us that can get out, take one look at what's out there and say "to hell with that".

It's far easier for us to simply stock up on things, than it is to bother meandering into town just to pick up a few items from the local markets. Last year, when there was a huge snow storm outside, I made a mental comparison to the city directly south of me (meaning a 1 hour windy drive straight down the side of the mountain), and where I live. The population in the city is around 11,000 people. The population where I live is 325. The people in the city were going bonkers after only 3 - 4 hours without power. Up where I live, we lost power for 3 days and no one was 'going bonkers'. No one was complaining about not having heat, or being too cold, or not having food, or not having the use of a computer, or not having the use of a television. We weren't walking around town in the freezing cold, complaining about everything. We were simply getting on with our lives, as if nothing major had really happened. Then again, for us, nothing major did actually happen. The power went out up here for 3 days...big deal.

Thus, I do not write this article for people who are living in areas like mine. I write this article for people who live in cities, and might have some serious issues with the power going out for more than a few hours. A good place to start would be to stock up on an type of battery that you even THINK you might need if the power goes out. Fully charge your cell phones and other cordless items. Make sure you have important phone numbers handy, and (if you have a place to keep these items safely) stock up on necessary items for your vehicle (gas, oil, wiper fluid, power steering fluid, anti-freeze, etc.). Make sure you stock up on any and all over the counter medications that you might need, and if possible, keep an additional amount of any necessary prescription medications handy. Safety is key when the power goes out, so make sure that you also have plenty of flash lights handy, as well as an extra drawer full of very warm winter clothing, hats, gloves, scarves, ear muffs, whatever. Above all, stay warm and eat as well as possible. Those two things will keep you safer than anything during a power outage!