The Day the Icicles Ruled

Each storm has its own way to transform the daily lives of whoever meets its path. We were used to face guts of winds and abundant showers. This time, the real disruption arrived silently, discreetly after the snow.

For 12 hours, a relentless freezing rain fell. Every surface got coated with ice. Ice is heavy… The branches of the trees started to lean then broke, taking with them cables and phone lines along the roads.

On the morning of the 19th, we lost power for the second time. We were not the only ones: the radio (powered by batteries) let us know that over 250 000 homes were in the dark too. Teams from California and Oregon were called to assist the exhausted repair teams. The icy roads were treacherous. And our home was getting fresh.  

The puppies were interested by the turn of event: after they experienced their paws sinking deep in the snow, they now were able to walk on the white smooth shell.

The next day, the temperature rose. We were still in the dark but the icy roads were turning into slush. So we went looking for food – and a warm drink. It was 57 in our living room.  Our whole neighborhood was cut off power. Even Walmart or Target were closed. What happened to their generators? After a few miles of traffic jam on Meridian, we reached an opened (and very full) Starbuck. Ah, the joy of a Tall Hot Chocolate with No Whip!

Later that afternoon, the light came back. Our phone line stayed mute for two more days but with our cell phones and our computers back on track, we were ok. Poor Irvin… He spent his birthday in the semi-darkness of the icicles shadows.