This was fun and…as always…a Dress Rehearsal reminds me of things I knew and forgot OR points out something I need to know. Thanks, @daisy
FORGOT …expected to have computer/Internet until my weak laptop battery died. NOPE, router/modem device need elect. Hurried to do DuoLingo lesson early. Don’t want to break my hundred-and-some day record.
I “went dark” at 5:30 and DH got home from work at 9:30pm so it wasn’t that long for me. I turned barn and house yard lights on so he wouldn’t be worried that I fell or something. But before I did that, I spent time on our porch and enjoyed the dark night, bright three-quarter moon, and a million stars. So quiet. 🙂
Outside chores had really no difference since it was still light and water is from the pond or the horse tank that’s full. Used headlamp in no-window garage. We also keep small cheap flashlights down there in specific places.
Supper: I brought up the 2-burner Coleman stove from garage. Good time to check; been 11 yrs since we camped and used it. Where has time gone? Set it up on porch table and …tank nearly empty or possibly it’s malfunctioning. Never achieved a steady blue flame. Soot on my griddle but got my cheese/Spam grilled sandwiches done anyway. Need to check that stove to make sure that’s the only problem….in daylight. I did that on porch with headlamp.
I used a strand of uncooked spaghetti….light the end and it’s a long “match” to reach the stove burner…or a candle. Carry lighter in my pocket for lighting stove and candles this night.
Thought of candles later. 1 too deep to stay lit; 1 tall taper didn’t fit in candle holder till I dripped enough melted wax inside; lit a new small pillar and two in glass jars. One of those in bathroom. Check with my hand …to make sure nothing above would get hot from flame.
2 old flashlights with weak batteries….on floor of bathroom, bedroom …turned on. Excellent to see the floor to walk! Continued to use headlamp for what my hands were doing.
Good crank radio with a light – works very nice! Forgot to charge up my LED spot light…oops.
Most difficulty: Washing hands…pouring from juice bottle into sink…tucked bottle under my arm and lean forward to dispense water. Especially with soot on my hands. Could have used wet wipes…didn’t even think of that. Cleaned up with sink/wash cloth instead of shower. It works fine but even using tepid stored water….it’s COLD here in mountains. 52 degrees outside and maybe ten degrees warmer inside.
9:30pm Then DH came home from work…had to explain that nothing is wrong with our electric…just a dress rehearsal. He “gets it” but too tired to “play”.
Thanks for the WATER exercise before this one, Daisy. Then we all had our containers of water filled for this ‘power outage’. Actually, I have yet to dump 20 containers that are lined up in front of the fireplace…in sanitizing mode. But had plenty of others. The September projects are getting backed up…
OldMtWoman