[pwd72s]

Hard...AMEN! As you know, we have "blows" up here in the Northwest, ice storms as well...these bring pretty frequent power outages every winter with limbs falling on power lines, etc. When that happens, my well pump quits, and I no longer have forced air heat. Usually lasts, at longest, 10 days or so. So, a shelf or two of the freezer is full of frozen H20 in milk cartons...as long as we don't open it, the food inside is good for 8-10 days. We have enough water stored for flushing toilets & drinking. Probably more than enough. Souwesters that are power killers usually bring lots of rain water, easily collected from downspouts for toilet flushing. For entertainment, transistor radios & a good supply of batteries. For light, Aladdin kerosene lanterns put out the light of a 60W. bulb. For heat? A wood stove and several cords stashed in the woodshed just for such emergencies. For cooking? Propane BBQ and at least one full 5 gallon bottle. H20 warmed on the wood stove top works well for sponge baths. It's not fun to be without power for a week or two...but country folks know how to survive without FEMA aid...