Thursday, October 13, 2016

Preparing for the Storm

   The lights are already starting to flicker here and I will lose my internet if the power goes out so I am going to make this quick...just in case. ;)  We have a major windstorm complete with drenching rain headed out way.  It is supposed to hit us late tonight/early tomorrow morning.  The rain is already here ahead of schedule and the winds are picking up just a bit.  Our sustained winds are expected to be in the 30-40 MPH range with gusts of 50 MPH or more.  The west side of Washington state is going to be hit really hard and we have family over there that I am super concerned about.  

   I have been trying to get ready for this storm.  Jeff and I got all the hanging plants and wind chimes down and put in a safe area.  He used bungee cords to secure my big black iron plant stand that lives on the back porch to some support beams.  My car has been moved away from the big tree in the front.  I have 2 loaves of bread plus lots of sandwich fixings here.  I also have some fresh fruit and lots of canned goods.  I also have lots of juice, aseptic packs of milk, seltzer, soda and water.   There are lots of crackers and cereal.  I've charged the cell phones and my computer.  I have candles ready along with flashlights. If we lose power, I can go next door to our friend's house since she has a wood burning stove to stay warm if the power is out for more than a day.  Even if we still keep our power, the winds are going to be fierce, so I had my hubby stack bags of wood pellets for our stove up on the screened in porch next to the back door so we can both easily access them.  I have the laundry all caught up and am showered and dressed for the day.  Jeff will be picking up a huge bag of dog food tonight before he goes to his bowling league.  I figure we need it and it will add some extra weight to the car. ;) If we still have power later tonight, I will make another pot of coffee and put it in the thermal carafe (I have this mornings coffee in their now) and I will take another shower and blow dry my hair so that I at least look and smell decent tomorrow. ;)

   My hanai sister/neighbor, who just had a medical procedure done today and needs to keep the area iced, called to tell me how things went and I told her that frozen bags of peas worked really well for me after I had a breast biopsy done to keep the area chilled and less painful.  She and I got off the phone and she headed to the store to get some.  As our lights started to flicker, I realized that those peas were not going to stay frozen and would need to be refrozen again.  I  also realized that one of the things that I don't have in my medical supply stash is those chemical break away cold packs that do not need to be frozen and that she might need those too.  I quickly called her back and let her know about our lights flickering here and that she might want to pick some of those up as well.  She had not thought about that and to be honest, until the lights started flickering here, neither had I.  She is picking some up now before heading home. I need to remember to add those to my medical prep supplies as well.  My husband has to ice down his hand almost every day due to tendonitis and arthritis.

   Unfortunately, my hubby will be on the road tonight driving through an area that is notorious for really bad cross winds on a good day.  He will be driving through the area right when things are supposed to get really bad and then the storm will be following him up on his drive back home.  I am having him take some emergency supplies with him in case he gets stuck somewhere due to flooding, closed roads or anything.  His work truck is a high profile one that the winds just slam and it concerns me deeply.  I wish they would cancel his run tonight, but I don't see that happening unless the roads are closed before he takes off which is very unlikely.  Prayers for his safety are really appreciated!

   Praying for everyone else that is dealing with storms and the aftermath of storms right now.  Be blessed!

23 comments:

  1. Be safe, my friend - it seems you have done what you can to prepare and are ready to face the beast!!

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    1. Thanks Deborah. I think I am more worried about my hubby and about my family over on the west side of the state than anything else. :)

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  2. Prayers and Hugs being sent your way, Debbie!!

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    1. Thank you Dawn. :) I hope you are having a great day!

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  3. Thank you Chrissy, I sure appreciate it!

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  4. Praying for your hubby and his drive. My BIL drove truck and I can relate.
    The wind is whipping around here as I type but the noon news said tonight's storm is just 'a bit of rain'. Saturday's storm will be the one bringing us the real wind. Vancouver is expected to have winds between 40-60mph. High winds are scary this time of year with the trees still having so much weight on them.
    I, too,lose my internet and cable when power is out. Meant to get a power back-up but haven't done it yet. Was talking to a friend yesterday who reminded me to stock up on batteries. If she only knew --- batteries are one thing I've got a handle on in my 'pantry' Ha! I haven't found any like-minded people here who stock up on things. In some ways that's a blessing but in other ways it's tough not having a local community of like-minded people.In any case, the dog and I will be fine.
    Oh, and I finally turned the heat on today. Even with my super insulated drapes, there's quite a draft going with this wind.
    I'm doing pretty well given that I had to get up with an alarm clock today and went into town for my routine dental work. I've built in a few recovery days into my schedule. I have a few things I'd like to do but nothing I have to do through the weekend.
    I'll see how I sleep tonight and how I'm feeling in the morning. Some times when I'm really tired, I have the worst sleep at night. Do you have that with your CFS? It just baffles me some times, it's so odd.
    Anyway, will close here. Blessings! SJ in Vancouver, BC

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    1. Hi SJ :)
      I did see the weather forecast for your area and you are getting some of the same storms we are. Please be careful with those winds and stay inside where you are safe. Funny about the batteries, we are well stocked on those too. I never thought about how blessed I am to live near lots of like minded people until you mentioned it. Living in a farming community does have many advantages.
      I'm glad your dental work went well and that you have built in some recovery days. With the yucky weather it is nice to just be inside and not have to go anywhere, so that helps. ;) And yes, I am the same way with the CFS and not sleeping well. That is one of the most frustrating things for me. It is rare that I get a good night's sleep anymore.
      Be blessed and stay safe my friend!

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  5. Sounds like you are well-prepared. Hope you are safe and that the electricity stays on.
    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. Thanks Jane. :) I just had my hubby call one of our sons and reminded him to make sure he got all his cats inside the house tonight so that they would be safe and warm. Be blessed!

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  6. Hi Debbie: You and your husband are in our prayers. My DGS's grandfather is a trucker so we know how dangerous driving a truck is. Take care of yourself and I hope your power stays on.

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    1. Hi Trish and thank you. It is scary for the truck drivers. I'm glad that my hubby does not do the long hauls like so many of my friends and their husbands do. Praying for all of them as well. Be blessed!

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  7. Sounds you have prepared the best you can. Praying you all stay safe!

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    1. It did not turn out to be that bad for us...thank you!

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  8. Yes, living on the Montana prairie I can relate to those wind storms ... we get several each year. Sounds like you are prepared.
    Keeping you and your husband in prayers for safety,
    Mrs.B

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    1. Thanks Mr.s B...we ended up in a pretty safe area without the high winds. :)

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  9. Hi Debbie, stay warm and safe.

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  10. Hi again. Well, so far so good and I still have power. The noon news said that 13K were without power in the area last night and the BIG winds haven't even started. The wind has just now picked up while I've been on the computer now. The real wind is supposed to hit the Vancouver metro area tomorrow. There has also been some moderate flooding already about 45 minutes east of Vancouver.

    All to say - I may be off line for a few days if the power goes. But doubtful. My apt complex is in between a major fire station and a huge care home/hospital. So if we do lose power, I'm on the part of the grid that tends to get repaired quickly.
    It's so counter-intuitive about not sleeping well with CFS. Unless someone has gone through it, they don't get it. The closest thing I use as an example is having mono. I'm doing pretty well today given my big day yesterday. But I have to remember that some times I pay the price on the 2nd or 3rd day after a big day.
    Too funny - I popped into Safeway this morning for milk and bought more batteries! Just two packages. Ha!
    I'm with you about the farming community. One of my best and oldest friends lives in the central valley in CA. It's the same way. And, I've already shared about my time at WSU vet hospital and driving in the country side and people waving at me. And me actually recognizing the truck and person waving. There's a lot to be said for country living. Wish my younger self had been in that frame of mind - o,well. Can't have those kinds of regrets.

    Best close. Stay safe. SJ in Vancouver BC

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    1. I hope you are safe SJ and that the storms did not get too much worse for you. I have been worried about you with all of this. Roo funny about the batteries!

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  11. I hope you have weathered the storm okay so far! We have just gotten mostly rain, and a very little bit of wind. We made some preparations as well, it is always better to be safe than sorry! Hugs to you today :)

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    1. Hi, I hope that all is well on the mountain top and that you are still safe and warm. Our weather was similar to your's. It pouring down rain again here on Monday but we were just thankful for the break in the weather yesterday so we could get my cousin moved into his new home. :)

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  12. Debbie, hope the storm didn't affect you too much and your husband had a safe drive. Keeping you in my prayers. Hope all is well.

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    1. Thank you Bless. It was not as bad as they though it would be, just like any other rainy weather really. :)

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