blackout

[asakiyume]

At 6:30, this windstorm knocked out the power, and I freaked out, picturing us without power for days in the well-below-freezing temperatures. The pipes would surely freeze and burst and then cost extravagant amounts to fix, and anyway we wouldn't be able to fix them right away because everyone else's pipes would have burst too, and so the helper-fixer people would be in short supply.

I went to the supermarket to get milk and maybe another candle. In the parking lot, I met Wakanomori, who'd just gotten off the bus; he said the town to the west had power. I knew from the gossip in the supermarket that the town to the east didn't.

"We'll just have to sleep in one huge bundle in the living room under coats and blankets to keep warm," I said as we drove home. Without street lights or house lights, it was deeply dark everywhere.

As we were about to turn in at our driveway, our headlights illuminated a huge and unearthly creature, the color of smoke and about as corporeal, standing where we usually park. It was a deer--standing in the middle of the driveway. It stared at us a moment, then ceded us the parking space and walked away down the slope into our neighbor's backyard accompanied by a friend who'd been standing by our apple tree.

"National Grid estimates the power will be back by 11 pm," the healing angel reported, once we were inside.

"Please let it be so," I prayed.

And a minute later, the lights came on.

I think it was a blessing from the deer.

Comments

[queenoftheskies]

Losing power isn't fun, but the rest of the story is wonderful!

Hooray for power being back on!

[asakiyume]

I'm so, so grateful. I fear winter cold.

[marycatelli]

Much depends on a lot of stuff.

That the whole town was out probably helped. Getting back ten customers and a thousand can be the same amount of work -- and which is more does not depend on the number -- so they tend to go by number of customers.

[asakiyume]

Yeah; I was resigned having heard on the news that there were people out of power everywhere--Connecticut and New York as well as Massachusetts. But by whatever fortune our area happened to get sorted so quickly, I'm really grateful.

[umadoshi]

Whew! I'm glad the power is back. And what a lovely encounter with the deer.

[asakiyume]

Yes and yes!

[lilysea]

Was the deer enjoying the apples? ^_^

[asakiyume]

Alas not this year! This past autumn the tree was attacked by gypsy moth caterpillars, and none of the apples made it through.

[minoanmiss]

You made such a magical story out of a power outage. With help from the deer.

[asakiyume]

Believe me, I was so demoralized and unhappy about the whole situation that if it wasn't for the deer, I never would have written about it.

[minoanmiss]

If anyone should have a visitation from a benevolent forest spirit it's you. :)

The treaty between the deer and the sparks

[amaebi]

It began between the antlers of a stag's magnificent rack, and resulted in eternal friendship.

"Hey, sparks," said another deer, generations later, "come back and keep them inside. We can't stick hunting now."

Re: The treaty between the deer and the sparks

[asakiyume]

♥ ♥ ♥

[osprey_archer]

Ooooh.

What a beautiful image of the deer appearing like smoke.

And I'm envisioning it springing from house to house, stopping for a moment in front of each to summon the lights back on.

[asakiyume]

Yes! Light following in its wake. National Grid lays something on an altar to it, and if the offering is acceptable, the deer starts its journey.

[okrablossom]

I'm glad you all are ok. We lost some siding due to the winds, so our story is going to continue for a bit, without deer :(

[asakiyume]

Thank you! We had a piece of window flashing that the wind was tugging at--it came loose at the bottom but not the top. I'm sorry your siding actually got pulled off:( I hope it'll end up being less of a hassle to replace than I was envisioning for burst pipes... And I pray blessing-bearing deer will come your way.

[okrablossom]

Thank you! And also LOL at the deer imagery :)

[cmcmck]

Maybe you had a visit from Cernunnos? :o)

[asakiyume]

Or the forest spirit from Princess Mononoke!

[pameladean]

That is just what my brain does at even the possibility of a power outage in the winter.

I'm glad you got a deer spirit instead.

P.

[asakiyume]

We had one experience in 2011 of several days of no power in the early winter, and it was awful; I NEVER want to do it again. Here's to neither of us losing power ... I'd like to say *ever*, but instead I'll say "unless temperatures are habitable."

I am so, so happy we got a deer spirit too.

[st_martin_a]

Wow, that sounds pretty bleak.
Over here we've had the hottest February on record. It feels like summer.
Hope things improve for you.

[asakiyume]

The return of the electricity was a 100 percent improvement.

I didn't realize you were having the hottest February on record--wasn't there also a lot of snow for you earlier in the season?

[st_martin_a]

Ah, there was snow over most of the country but it missed us in the Midlands.
:(

[mallorys_camera]

Ah! The daemon deer is looking out for you.

[asakiyume]

And I'm *so grateful*

It was a wonderful visitation.

[st_martin_a]

It always surprises me when my American friends get black outs. We haven't had one in England for probably 30 years.
I think it's because the States is so massive.

[asakiyume]

Contrariwise, I'm surprised to hear you never have them! That's amazing!

I think it's because our infrastructure is old and in need of repair and modernization, probably.

[wayfaringwordhack]

I was going to say something far out about "deer in the headlights" but a blessing sounds a lot better and more poetic. :P

[asakiyume]

Yeah, this deer did not look startled; this deer looked like a divine being somehow.