Life in Brookdale

From friday until today, Tuesday sometime, we have been blacked out by storm damage to power lines. Not just us but most everyone here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. What I learned…
a generator won’t save money, but it wil keep you from a bad case of cabin fever.
we didn’t have one…
have about 100 batteries, more the better
little clicky lights, like fake tea lights light the stairs great, and they last a few days
put the food in an ice chest and set it outside where the winter cold will keep it fresh (unless your racoons are smart)
always have extra clothes, we seemed to have only summer clothes and swimsuits on hand in the end
lots and lots of fire wood, you need a lot when you depend on it to warm a house all day
battery radios really help pass the time
reading by candle like Abe just sucks
light the stove with a match (like in the old days, it’ll work on a new stove too)
it is reall hard to tell when something is done cooking in the dark
at least the pets didn’t eat us, but the turtles had it rough with no heater