So this foolish storm is coming in tomorrow. It’s supposed to have winds of about 65 mph, and anywhere between 16 and 20 inches of snow. I’ve been plugging holes in the barn, digging more wood out of the ice (which involved whapping it with the backside of the axe) and cleaning the chimney and all the stovepipes so I don’t set the house on fire tomorrow.

It’s funny what a science this storm preparation becomes. I stopped in town to pick up road salt and a couple of boxes of those compressed sawdust fireplace logs, plus snacks. Batteries are charged, candles and lighters set out, easy to find. They’re predicting massive power outages. The freezer is full of things like chicken breasts, salmon pieces and pork chops–easily cooked in a frying pan on the woodstove. Pasta and rice and baby potatoes, eggs and cherry tomatoes. We have milk, and juice, and before I go to bed I’ll fill the bathtub with water so we can still flush the toilet. Drinking water will come from melted snow I scoop up from the front yard.

The ponies have feed and bedding enough to get to next week, their water bucket is full, and all the places that snow tends to blow in have been plugged. Except for the door, because the old fellow likes to scratch on it and it’s frozen open now. But the wind will be on the opposite side of the barn, so it’s probably okay. Better for the red mare anyway, since she has problems with dust and does better with a lot of fresh air.

We’re bringing the house up to a bit above normal temperature tonight, because the wind will suck that heat away tomorrow, and if the power goes, we’ll be depending on passive convection from the furnace and whatever heat the woodstove can pump out. The backup laptop is charged, the ebook readers are charged, the mini-dvd player is charged, phones are charged.

We’re ready. Mother Nature can bring it. As long as she takes it away with her at the end of the day.

And I bet I sleep like a log tonight. 😀