OT:Rita

4 more storms and they go to the Greek alphabet! The names left are Stan, Tammy, Vince and Wilma. After Wilma, it Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta - if we get to Omega, I'll be really worried.

Cheryl

If they get to Omega, we will all be past worried I suspect!

I figure I am relatively safe from hurricanes. Tornados are slightly more likely. Unexpected ice storms are what really scare me. No power, no heat. I can cook over charcoal for a while and melt snow for water, but the house could get powerful cold before the electricity comes back. Longest it has been out here is 48 hours and DS was still small enough to cuddle in our bed.

I've taken to keeping 3 days of drinking water in bottles down stairs.

Cheryl

Office of Emergency Services reminds us that the basement is only a good storage spot if you can get there from inside the house. If you have to go outdoors, as I do, it's not such a good idea.

Since my kitchen table is used for cooking at, not sitting and eating at, I keep my emergency supplies under the table. They're handy there.

One reason I insisted on gas heat and stove when I was house-hunting was because I'm happy if I can just have my hot cocoa. If the gas goes out, I have electric space heaters and cooking implements; if the electric goes out, I can still eat and sorta heat with gas.

And if both go out, I have an American Express gold card, with which I can go to the airport and outbid anyone for a seat on the next plane to anywhere I have friends or family.

Forget melting snow for water - it's incredible just how much you have to melt to get a smidgeon of water ! You would not want to waste the heat to do it.

I have had for years a small, one ring, propane stove. It is invaluable. Instant boiling water for coffee, to heat soup, and it's quite amazing how creative one can get with one saucepan meals. I make a point of having a new, spare tank on hand, never chancing there is much left in the one already in use. They are available readily in any camping supply store and are also not an expensive investment in case of power failure.

Actually a great experiment with kids - I've read about it in Scouting magazines.

I should go looking for one and a tank or two. I've heard predictions that is going to be a nasty winter!

Cheryl

Have you considered a small portable generator. One sufficient to run the furnace and refrigerator. These days they are not that expensive. After our ice storm, at the cottage, just about everybody installed these sorts of things. You select which circuits are "vital", and when you start up the generator, you throw a switch, and these have electricity. They are mainly installed in basements. Last summer, we had a short power outage, and I could stand on my dock and hear dozens of generators purring away. HTH.

-- Jim Cripwell. A volante tribe of bards on earth are found,/ who, while the flattering zephyrs round them play,/ on "coignes of vantage" build their nests of clay;/ how quickly from that aery hold unbound,/ dust for oblivion!/ To the solid ground/ of nature trusts the mind that builds for aye. Wordsworth.

I also keep on hand cans of things which do not need cooking, just incase we get a situation where I run out of propane. LOL! The one ring propane stove thingies are great. As to melting snow forget that. I always fill a couple of large (used just for water storage) buckets with water when sever winter weather is predicted. It goes a long way if one is just using it for cooking. When all else fails drink wine. Ruby

"Lucretia Borgia" wrote > I have had for years a small, one ring, propane stove. It is

We still have a couple of those camping gaz stoves - plus two matching lamps, from our camping days. Invaluable in a power cut. I also keep large candles all over the place, together with big boxes of matches beside them, and we seem to collect torches of all sizes! They`ve all proved useful at least once a year.

Pat P

"and I don't have any friends on the coast..." ;-p****

Elizabeth (gotcher yarn fer ya)

Like it or not you do have a friend 9 miles from the coast. One who doesn't always agree with you, but one who has a lot of respect for your opinions. So there !! :oÞ back at ya

Lucille

I sure hope it doesn't hit New Orleans, but I also hope it doesn't hit us either My company is having emergency hurricane disaster meetings and our servers are backing up in all our satellite locations...makes it seem all too imminent (did i spell that right?)

I just bought some bottled water and we've got gas and propane so we should be good just in case......but I hope we don't have to be. I'm still too busy helping some of the families from Louisiana and here we are warning them to prepare themselves again.

Nadia (in Houston/Spring,TX)

Pat P wrote:

Not true! besides, you know you and yours are welcome here!

Cool!

Cheryl

Thanks Lucille!

Actually, I was teasing Cheryl, because I can see water (ocean) out my livingroom window, so I've got your nine miles beat.

Elizabeth

Same reply in part! you and yours are welcome here! Cheryl

Does Dakota know you're saying that? *grin*

Aksamite'll whip his butt.

Elizabeth ("mine" includes two Belgian Tervuren and an alpha cat for those who don't know...)

I think with a hurricane coming, I'd rather have the nine miles!

Cheryl

BTW - what color is the yarn?

Cheryl

Dakota will roll over when he realizes that he'll be competing for DD's attention with Cash and Harry.

Cheryl