Ice Storm weekend

We certainly received our share of the ice storm though far from the worst impact. As of this morning there were still over 58,000 homes and businesses in Maine without electricity and over 200,000 in New Hampshire. Last I heard Ian's campus still had their power after having lost it for a period of time Friday. I awoke Friday with the ice coating just getting started after an inch of slushy snow/sleet blanketed everything. Not a good combination with a drop in temperatures expected after the ice storm. I made ready and then left for work, Carol had the day off. As I approached Portland the traffic lights were out as well as lights in the various houses and business I passed. Once I arrived in town Portland there was electricity in my office's area but the surrounding neighborhoods the power was out. Around 9am Carol called me, the power was out at home. I left the office awhile later, once at home I broke out the generator and power up the house then cleaned out the driveway the best the snowthrower could do. Carol had already shoveled out the driveway opening, the deck and patio areas. Now the fortunate part is that the electricity came back on early in the evening and all has been good since. Back in the ice storm of 1998 we went without power for 13 days. A few months later we bought the generator - not going through that again. Southern Maine, where one of my brothers and his family live, was one of the hardest hit areas in the state.

Here are our icy pictures from Friday and Saturday:



Saturday Carol and her sisters went to their Aunt Marie's in Massachusetts for her annual Glögg party. Basically a family get together where among other things they enjoy a traditional Swedish beverage known as Glögg. Glögg is a Swedish drink for a cold winter evening which is heated, spiced and sweetened wine. After dropping Carol off bright and early with the sisters I headed out for breakfast at Denny's then took care of some Christmas shopping before heading home. Did some tasks around the house until picking up Carol early in the evening. The night's Netflix movie was Failure to Launch (2006) with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. Very funny, check it out if you get a chance.

Today was "install" the Christmas tree day. We have an artificial tree - my preference. It looks fine, doesn't shed needles, requires no watering and we've had it long enough to have paid for itself. Granted we don't get that pine tree smell. I guess I could step outside and cut off a nearby tree branch and bring a chunk of it in for the smell... not likely.

I was being watched with great suspicion by one...

...and a lot less suspicion by another.

I put the lights on it, now it awaits Ian's arrival to decorate. Scotia finds the tree a handy place to hunker down under, speaking of the house feline I built her Christmas gift today - a combo scratch post/perch (to replace a certain chair she was in the process of destroying). We'll see how that works out.