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12/15/06, 10:35 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: far north Idaho
Posts: 11,134
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Neener, Neener..OUR power is on...
Thousands around us have lost power due to a huge windstorm we're weathering. School's closed, power poles broken in half and lying on the ground, 50 plus mph gusts, etc. We have no phone service but we have power. SCORE for being off the grid! 
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12/15/06, 10:51 AM
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Big Front Porch advocate
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 44,425
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Congratulations.!
Generator, solar? what method of energy are you using?
Angie
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"Live your life, and forget your age." Norman Vincent Peale
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12/15/06, 11:00 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: far north Idaho
Posts: 11,134
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We have solar,a generator, and a small wind turbine which is spinning merrily out there.
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12/15/06, 11:11 AM
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Big Front Porch advocate
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 44,425
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Snug as a bug in a rug! I remember now from your photos.... glad that the weather is not inconviencing you and yours.
Angie
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"Live your life, and forget your age." Norman Vincent Peale
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12/15/06, 11:22 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Northern Wisconsin
Posts: 1,184
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The first friend I made when I moved to Northern Wisconsin lives off the grid, solar and propane only, I didn't really get it at first...until the power was out here for THREE DAYS...he called me on the second day and ask if I wanted to come over and take a shower and watch TV...of course I took him up on the offer and have ever since!
Can't wait until I can afford to get off this danged grid!!
Margie
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12/15/06, 12:02 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: tn
Posts: 4,910
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anyone hear from bare? he's up your way, lisa.
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12/15/06, 12:05 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: far north Idaho
Posts: 11,134
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by marvella
anyone hear from bare? he's up your way, lisa.
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No, he's farther north and I heard they got some really big winds up his way. I don't know if power is out up there or not.
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12/15/06, 12:12 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: tn
Posts: 4,910
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i emailed him a few minutes ago, but haven't heard back. me and old bare are buds/ penpals. 
news this morning said winds 130+ mph. 
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12/15/06, 12:38 PM
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Head Muderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,857
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I must be so far north the wind ain't even got here yet! Snug as a bug in a rug, the power has flickered on and off all night long, but the problems don't seem to be local.
Doesn't matter though, I'm all backed up with multiple systems. When you've lived here as long as I have you just naturally learn to rely on yourself rather than public utilities.
__________________
Iraq casualties
3,410 American deaths to date in Iraq
25,345 Americans wounded in action to date (your guess how many have died since and been uncounted)
$424,000,000,000 to date
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12/15/06, 12:45 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: So Cal Mtns
Posts: 11,301
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Remember,alternative energy doesnt work,is too expensive,tech isnt there,blah blab BLAH blah blaaaah.
Good for you Lisa,youre living the truth.
BooBoo 
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12/15/06, 01:37 PM
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Head Muderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,857
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Ehh, there's good and bad to be said about both. Lived for many years off grid and found it to be a pretty darn expensive alternative. Batteries ain't cheap and need constant replacement. Panels get damaged, wind towers blow down. Expenses you don't even think about...I can't look at a battery without my pants falling off (why do you think I'm bare?). If you had to rely on solar here, there's precious little gain in the last month. Coupled with outrageous prices for gasoline and propane, folks completely off grid are spending many times my average $50/mo. power bill.
I was pretty tickled when co op electric put in my line. No fuss, no muss, hit a switch and I'm in business! Don't have to worry about ordering or hauling fuel, everything gets shipped here on the electric line.
That low monthly bill has allowed me to build alternate systems slowly over the years. I have three different sized generators for different things, from a 500 watt Honda that will run all my entertainment stuff to a 6500 that will run the whole place with power to spare! Batteries and panels can be pieced together a bit at a time to take advantage of the best deals or to expand existing capacities.
Guess all I'm sayin' is it's nice to have a choice.
__________________
Iraq casualties
3,410 American deaths to date in Iraq
25,345 Americans wounded in action to date (your guess how many have died since and been uncounted)
$424,000,000,000 to date
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12/15/06, 08:33 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Alaska
Posts: 3,606
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Woo hoo for those on alternative energy (like us here). We love it, even if it sometimes puzzles us on what it's doing vs. what it's SUPPOSED to do. lol
We often have no idea power is out in town until the news is on or until we head to town the next day and hear everyone grumbling about it. 
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12/16/06, 09:26 AM
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Me Love Your Face
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 537
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Yaaah, laugh it up.
We were in Spokane and our kids were at a friend's house overnight (I got to go to a party overnight at the Davenport, whee, remember that? Now if I could just find my camera with pics...)
I had turned down the furnace to 60 when we left. Naturally, the power went out on Thursday night around midnight and didn't come back on until 1:30 AM today.
Needless to say, the house was an ICEBOX.
Hubby is finally taking me seriously about a woodstove, although we did look at generators last night. Can't lose the TV! 
Considering that I saw about 20 trees across wires and wires SNAPPED along 95 (near 54), I'm amazed they got it on at all. I was sure we'd be out for two-three days.
__________________
Gun-toting, church-going, homeschooling, right-wing conservative, happily married, stay-at-home mom of three living in the real United States of America!
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12/16/06, 11:17 AM
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Head Muderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,857
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Woodstoves aren't just a luxury up here, that's for sure.
Years ago I delivered a load of my mothers stuff to Seattle and stayed for a few days since it was Christmas. I left Seattle New Year's Eve day, wanting to keep our tradition of skiing on the first of the year.
Can't remember what year it was, somewhere in the mid '70's...colder'n heck, the back electric window in my travelall shattered from the cold. I taped a blanket over the opening and wrapped up in a sleeping bag and continued my journey. Got to Spokane and tried in vain to find a place to fill my thermos. Everything was shut down either from a power outage or because it was just too dang cold! The only thing moving in town was the bank thermometer blinking -40.
The whole way home with -40 wind whistling through my rig, all I could think about was building a honking fire in the stove and wrapping myself over the top of it. Finally struggled up the driveway and into the house to find that someone had STOLEN MY STOVE!
Wasn't anything to do but bundle up and try to survive the rest of the night. In the morning, careful not to move my head too much for fear of knocking myself out with the ice block attached to my beard, I headed over to the neighbors place to thaw out only to find that THEY were the culprits, having "borrowed" my stove to augment their own. At least they could have left me a note.
Fine, says I...where's my bed and what's for breakfast? I'm movin' in until you move my stove back to my place.
I don't think it's been that cold here since then, or if it was, it was only for a day or two at a time.
__________________
Iraq casualties
3,410 American deaths to date in Iraq
25,345 Americans wounded in action to date (your guess how many have died since and been uncounted)
$424,000,000,000 to date
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12/16/06, 11:47 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Beautiful North Idaho
Posts: 110
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So what are you saying??
so what are you saying about us poor electric folks??
LOL...we lost our power about midnight in Friday Morning and it was out until about 5:00 this morning (Saturday)
Not fun I may say....BUT we do have a wood stove so we were nice and snuggly warm. But we did not have much food so I went to the Rathdrum store to get soups, etc to last us a few days until it went back on.
I am glad to have it back on and it showed me just how unprepared I am living out here. (we are north of Twin Lakes)
I hope everyone has their electric on or will be on soon.
Blessings,
Jennifer
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12/16/06, 11:57 AM
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Western WA
Posts: 2,285
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The windstorm blew through here on Thursday. We didn't lose our power which was amazing since over a million other people did. I think it was a bit south of us, at least the worst of it was. We did lose some trees which will boost our firewood stacks. This has been quite a fall for weather here. One thing after another. I sure hope the rest of winter isn't like this.
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12/17/06, 11:16 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Washington State
Posts: 4,107
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Quote:
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Neener, Neener..OUR power is on...
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Neener neener back at ya...we never lost it! 
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