This weather sure is testing everyone's patience. Here I was all smiley-faced and smug about how I was handling this cold weather only to be thrown for a loop last Wednesday when the electricity went off. Dave and I both woke up around 4 a.m. with a feeling something wasn't quite right. It was way too quiet in the house and we could definitely hear the wind howling. When we noticed the illuminated numbers on the radio were not illuminated, we realized why it was so quiet. the clock radio had no numbers. What's a person to do?
Thank goodness we have backup batteries in the radio on my side of the bed and I turned that on. It was too early to get up and we couldn't make coffee, so we pulled the quilt up high and went back to sleep. the next time we awoke the power was on and everything was humming. The radio announced the time and it was around 8 a.m. Now was coffee time. No sooner were we in the kitchen and a Manitoba Hydro truck drove by very slowly looking into all the houses.
Later that morning I called the neighbours and she told me that the transformer in our back lane had blown. I can't imagine what we would have done without power for long, the temperature was already down to 65 F and the wind kept howling from the north.
I feel sorry for all the people affected by the gas line explosion near Otterburne. If the heat their house with gas they are face with a huge challenge trying to keep their water lines from freezing. And then to make matters worse, we had a total whiteout storm on Sunday.
Hockey update
the Altona Maroons Bantam team went to Boissevain for a hockey tournament for the weekend of Jan. 25-26. they played some outstanding hockey and came home with the bronze trophy. some came home that is; only two families drove home Sunday night while others stayed due to the storm conditions. the families who stayed another night were lucky when school was cancelled on Monday.
Condolences
the community sends prayers to the family and friends of Dave Zacharias. Dave, 91, of Winnipeg, formerly of Rosenfeld and Altona, passed away on Friday, Jan. 24 at the Grace Hospital. He is survived by one daughter, Darlene, one sister, one brother and their family. He was predeceased by his first wife Martha and second wife Freda. The funeral service was held Wed. Jan.29 at the Altona Bergthaler Church and burial at the Rosenfeld Cemetery.
Dave farmed in the Rosenfeld area for many years and then went on to drive a school bus. He had a happy disposition and you couldn't mistake his chuckle when her heard something funny.
Progress report
You would think that by this time I would have learned how much was enough, but no. Last Friday our granddaughter Amber brought lunch and then she helped finish the jigsaw puzzle she had given me for Christmas. Dave and I got busy as soon as she left for our next company. Martin and Dorothy Friesen were out from Vancouver and he had requested homemade noodle soup. Dave had made the broth the night before so we just had the noodles to cook. I made salad and Dave made pie and by the time the guests arrived I was tired. I have discovered that a glass of wine is better than pills so we toasted to the cold weather and had a nice visit. My payment for this busy day was very sore ankles for two days.
Like I've been saying all along, I need a nice long winter to heal. I'm quite nervous about spring and how I'll manage to stay out of the flowerbeds. I've already decided not to start any of my own seeds inside this spring and have a friend offer to grow some tomatoes and peppers for me. I know it sounds crazy even thinking about gardening but to the people who start their own seeds, now is the time to place the orders from the seed catalogues. I can't manage the stairs into the basement this spring so I'll plan some stuff for next year.
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