Wednesday 31 October 2018

When there's a power cut


Not my pumpkins but ones growing at the Botanic Gardens of Wales when we were there at the Fair early in the month.  My veg plot is just an overgrown mess of weeds and Needs Sorting . . .

Anyway, the title today alludes to Yesterday, when we were busy doing all the things which involve electricity (as you do) and all of a sudden, lights out and a dawning realization that the scheduled power cut we'd had a letter about had come to pass.

Well - since I had intended to spend the morning on the sewing machine, that plan was out.  So were vacuuming, baking, peeling and chopping apples to cook up, and Staying Warm.



There had been a sharp frost overnight and whilst plan no. 1 could have involved a long walk, I decided against it as all the flat routes are along the bitterly cold valley bottom (when you walk down our hill towards the river, it is noticably colder from a point about half way down and by the bridge it's a frost pocket.)  I am one of those people who gets hot very quickly and cold very quickly and the older I get, the less I enjoy being cold!  No. 2 plan was gardening - same applies.  No. 3 plan was painting our bedroom (Still) and I needed good light for that.

Anyway, instead, we lit the wood burner in the sitting room so we had one warm room to retire to should we need it.  In the event, we discovered a whole new way to get warm!



I was busy in the kitchen pricing items (gleaned from Tam on her last visit - she'd been having a clear out of vintage things she hadn't sold on her occasional stall) for our next Fair on Saturday when the phone rang.  Not the one in the hall, which relies on electricity, but the upstairs one which is plugged in straight to a BT line.  My dearly beloved had been to the hospital this week to have his eyes measured for new lenses as he is on the list for a cataract operation (they reckoned it would be next summer due to long waiting lists). They asked when he would LIKE to have it and he laughingly said "Tomorrow!"  Anyway, blow me down, it was the hospital saying they had two cancellations for Saturday morning and of course, he booked himself in immediately.  Of course, our Fair was . . . Saturday, so we have had to cancel that.



Then we decided to sort out the beds in the attic, as we had Gabby's other bed back as the flat she has just moved into in Cardiff is fully furnished (in a somewhat spartan manner!)  First of all we had to move the single bed up there into what used to be the sleepover room (but it will have to be sold as we have no use for it).  Then we put the upholstered ends and sides of the bed together - not easy as you had to slide A into B and they weren't playing ball. Then, as we started to match the other bits we got hotter and hotter and I was soon down to a t-shirt and thinking about opening windows.  We have found out that OH will have to put in blocks to replace the compressor lifting arms (one was bent) and so we stopped there.

I managed to catch up on all the electrically-powered jobs in the afternoon and made a big pan of veggie soup - when it gets cold, it's soup making time here.

What do you do during a power cut?

12 comments:

  1. When the power goes if it is night time we light candles and play scrabble or have several hands of cards. During the day time we carry on much as usual only without the internet. Making drinks is just a matter of putting the kettle on top of the Stanley stove and making of meals then we use it's oven.

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    1. We have a Hergom stove, which is oil-fuelled, but relies on an electric starter I believe, so we light the wood burner and heat up food/water for drinks on top of that. In the night time, if it's near bedtime, we head for bed. If earlier, we light big monastery type candles and read by those.

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  2. I've just bought a re-chargable lantern because candles are a bit poor for reading. I bet this winter the electric doesn't go off at all!

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    1. That's a good idea. We have one somewhere from our camping days. We laid in a big supply of candles years back when power cuts were all too regular, and since then, I think we've only had one or two!

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  3. Well, we haven't had one, only water cuts and one day the water went brown which was a bit scary.
    What we do have in cold weather is the fridge/freezer going off in the garage (because it is colder in the garage then the freezer) and then finding a couple of days later the freezer is turned off and everything is going soggy.

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    1. Hope the operation for Keith goes well, give him our regards.

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  4. I'll pass on your good wishes Thelma. What a barger about your freezer going off as it's warmer than the building it's in!

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  5. I have had both my eyes done. He will be amazed afterwards. Colours slowly get dingy without you noticing and then wow. Power cuts well like you we have woodburner, kettle to sit on top, candles, big fat ones. Also torches, tho finding them in the dark.... We have been very lucky this year despite strong winds no lines down. I really shouldnt have said that......

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    1. OOoh - you do like to tempt fate Jill!! We have torches by the bed and one in the hall, and a goodly supply of candles. I am sure he will find his eyesight greatly improved and I will be able to relax when he's driving again (I've been doing most of it as I am not a good passenger!)

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  6. in the day,go for a walk and catch upon gardening! when its dark...snuggle up with a battery powered radio!!
    My other half is hoping to get his cataracts sorted..they keep on moving the goalposts as to how bad they have to be...

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    1. Walking or gardening were options this time but I was being feeble about the cold! No battery powered radio here, though we always used to have one. I hope your OH gets his cataracts sorted soon - the waiting lists seem to be so long.

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  7. Ah, you must be in God's given country (though I think there may be a few disputes over where this is, and folk in Ireland definitely think they have the edge!!) A little bit of exciting weather is OK here now and again - we didn't have extremes like this in Dorset - but I as long as it stays outside the house!!

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