"Snowtober" 2011

We were hit by an unusual snowstorm at the end of October. It was unusual because it was very early in the season. We had a couple of feet which is a pretty big storm but it was heavy wet snow and the leaves were still on the trees. This weighed down the trees and broke the limbs taking with it the power lines. NH if I remember correctly had something like 300,000 people without power. At our house it was for 5,yes 5 days! After the storm the temps rose to those typical in NH for October so it wasn't really cold and we could stay in the house. When I say it wasn't really cold, it wasn't below freezing and we wouldn't die, but it still felt bloody cold! The days were ok and the lack of power wasn't really a big deal except for the heat. We cooked outside on the grill and kept what we could salvage of the food in a cooler packed with ice on the deck. The nights were the worst and we would take the kids for a drive in the car to warm them up then come home and rush them into bed and pile blankets on them. Pretty much everyone we knew even Jamie's family in Connecticut were hit and were without power to some extent. We coped ok and did the best we could for the kids, who were without a doubt troopers! After losing power for 8 days in December 2008 just before Jack was born, there was another storm in between but we got lucky that one and kept out power but others were again without for days, and this storm for 5 days I have had it with the primitive lifestyle! No little house on the prairie for me! I don't think it is a lot to ask in 2012 for basic necessities. I don't want to live anywhere this happens anymore! Some people around here love this stuff, they get off on the drama and the storytelling of how they survived but not me! Some people I know still tell stories of some record storm in the 70's that they survived. People had to leave their cars on the side of the road and it took people days to get home yada yada yada, blah, blah, blah, good for you! So you had to melt snow to be able to flush your toilet that is on a well and therefore needs power to work......ah and they think Australia is all outback!!! The photos are of some of the branches that came down in out yard. We did get pretty lucky and there was no real damage. We still have some big limbs hanging and have to get a tree company in in the spring and they would kill one of the kids if they fell on them, ah lovely New Hampshire!