When the Power Goes Out

Wind gusts at forty miles an hour and howls around my mobile home; snow hisses against the windows. In the oven, cookies are baking, while my kitties are sleeping curled on the bed. The birds roost snug in their cages. The light flickers. I stare at the lamp, praying the power doesn't go out. The drive in from town (I was crazy to be outside today) revealed power lines shaking as if they were on caffeine jitters. In the grocery store, lights had flickered, and I'd thought then it was an omen. Unfortunately, I was right.

At a little before six last Saturday (12-16) evening the power died at my house. I stood there, dumbfounded that something could happen in such horrible weather. Then, I stared at the lights. When they didn't come back on, I removed the cookies from the oven and turned it off. No use in trying to bake in the dark. I called the power company.

Using their annoying automated phone system I punched in the appropriate buttons that told them of a power outage in my area. I requested that they call me back to confirm it's been fixed, then went back to the kitchen. Luckily, I'd had a holiday candle burning while I was baking cookies, so with my sole source of light, I went to find my flashlight.

This could happen to anyone. Summer's thunderstorms, winter ice storms, and other fits from Mother Nature can cause the power to go out. For some, it's out only a few minutes, but for others, the outages last a few days. There are a few things that any bird owner can do in the case of a power outage.

1. Keep calm. I had a hundred million thoughts running through my mind, most of them focused on the bone-chilling cold outside, but I knew I had to keep calm. Animals pick up on our emotions, and birds can detect when someone is distressed. They may "act up" because of it, and this will make caring for them harder.

2. Know what you can and can't control. My fish I knew would have to survive. Although I could boil water (I have a gas stove) and use it to heat their water should it become too cold, I knew this step would be risky, and it takes several hours for water to loose it's heat. Most of my pets have fur coats. The birds I covered after the power had been out for half an hour. The roads were pure ice; I couldn't seek refuge at a friend's house. My nearest source of refuge was 30 miles away over back country roads.

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