Part 3 OF 3: Things I Learned From The 2006 Blizzard.

1) How to give a dog an insulin shot.

2) How quickly grocery stores run out of food.
Wednesday and Thursday our TV was non-stop coverage of the snow storm that was camping out over Colorado. It was kind of boring and yet fascinating at the same time. I started to hear stories of grocery stores with no food and no gas at the filling stations because delivery trucks could not get in. I didn’t leave my property till Saturday. I went to the grocery store to see for myself what my tiny world looked like and to get things for our Christmas eve party. The parking lot at our new King Soopers store in Firestone was a mess and inside it looked like a third world country. The shelves were empty. The only onions left were organic ~ no problem there. There were no potatoes, very little bread, no milk and no eggs. There were canned goods but they were very picked over. I got what I could and was thankful for it. In only four days our lives had been seriously impacted. What if it had been worse? I had a teeny weenie idea of what the folks in Seattle had been going through, and an even deeper empathy for the Katrina victims.

Which leads to #3) I MUST LEARN TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT.
I think it is very important for us to realize that our government cannot take care of us in a state of emergency. They can’t ~ it ain’t gonna happen. Forget about it. WE MUST LEARN TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT. Start today. Therefore…..

#4) I brought my gas barbeque grill around to the front porch which is covered and provides more protection. On it I can heat water or cook a meal if the electricity goes out. I exchanged my spare(empty) propane tank for a full one.

#5) I stashed a dozen long burning candles (heat and light) and those large bottled water containers that I like to take camping. If I don’t need them this winter, I can use them next summer. I have boxes of matches in several places in my house and I can find all of them in the dark. I have enough food for weeks and a hand held can opener.

#6) Question. Where does my water come from? Or more specifically, what would happen if my electricity went out in one of these storms? I have a well and domestic water. I need to find out how they work. I made some phone calls.
Answer. The well will lose pressure if the electricity goes off, but the domestic water should still be okay. Leaving one faucet open with a very slow drip will help keep water lines from freezing up.

#7) Taking action combats fear; so does Knowing things.

#8) Paying a farmer with a front end loader to remove 4 feet of crusted snow drifts from my parking area was money well spent. Now I can shovel out my car.

PS. About 18 friends and neighbors made it to our Christmas Eve party that year and we celebrated !!

* annette