How do you react?

One snowflake, now two
Suddenly silent deluge
closing down my world

The lights flickered, dimmed, flickered once more, and then went out altogether. On this icy morning when all the schools have been closed for bad roads, my suspicion is someone took out a power line.

My school having robo-called me at 5:45 AM with the good news about the facility closed, I had made coffee and settled in to a relaxing morning of reading and web browsing. The quiet of a new fallen snow settled over the house, with not a sound from the outside world. Even the dog had not bothered to stir, there being no sound of food-like substances in play. 

Now.... the power is out. I set aside my book, and reached over to close my notebook computer on it's chair side stand. Theres no reason to subject it to power fluctuations as the electricity is shunted through various paths in search of our ever whining electric meter.

The power is out... and it's frigid cold no more than twenty four inches from my shoulder as I recline at ease. How shall I react, and what shall I do?

To begin, I quietly add a layer of clothing. Thicker socks and a warm sweater normally used for winter shooting. Then, flashlight retrieved from my daily carry bag, I make my way to the workshop under the house. There installed is a large wood stove, and a cord of dry wood racked and ready.

Building a fire properly is something that requires patience. Wood takes time to burn, and a draft takes time to form. That's why there is a chair near the stove. Resting myself, at ease as I watch the flames take hold of the split oak, I have time to think about self reliance.

There is food in the house, and warmth. The gas range requires no power, nor do the gas heaters in the shops. The wood stove is plumbed into the house and requires no power to heat the home. There is both wood and gas fuel for several months if need be, and food and water for as long. Books to read, radios for news of the world, and the tools to protect it all. Even this computer is battery powered, and works without interruption despite the snowy deluge.

What all this means... as the electric power fades on this cold and snowy morning I am not worried at all. My day just got a bit quieter, a bit more peaceful, and a lot more relaxing.

I'm okay with that.