Life when the power goes out.

If it's winter or cold I go down the basement and get the emergency wood stove going which I must feed often, then I light my oil lamp, get some candles and break out the games. I have a portable radio that we only use for these times as well. If everyone is in bed and I'm alone I'll just read.

As Montana pointed out without electricity you have to DO things. Take the stove for example, you have to cut the wood to feed the stove, stack the wood to feed the stove, clean out the stove, and that's just the stove. Without electricity you'd be busy enough that you would not have time to be bored.

Actually, the wood is already cut, dried and ready to go, so it's just a matter of keeping the stove going. Uncut, undried wood wouldn't be of much use, lol.

It is a great time for games, reading, talking with the family, playing with the animals, doing art and craft projects, making soup and doing pioneer-kinds-of-things like keeping the stove going. If it's not blowing too hard... it is fun to go outside and walk around.

If you're feeling cabin-fever, you can get into your car and either drive or just crank up the heat and listen to music.

What I most like during a power outage is how quiet everything is. No hums and rumble from the appliances. Ahhhhhhhh.

Re: Life when the power goes out.


Montana; No, green wood is not of much use. But in a world without electricity you would spend a good deal of time making certain you had dry wood.

No doubt. When I was little we heated our house with a wood stove and we were kept very busy with wood. Now I just call a guy who does the chopping and delivers it right where I want it. I let the wood dry out and my son and I stack it in the basement.

Both my parents were from northern Maine and my father would not have a wood stove until after he had retired (he figured he'd done his share) We have one now and we just call a guy also.