Yesterday, the power went out. I was miffed because I really wanted to have a cup of tea, and the kettle wasn't working. Little did I know until someone told me, that it wasn't just me who couldn't have a cup of tea, it was 9,000 square kilometres of people. 50 million people! I ran to the radio to hear the latest.
Although the officials in the US and Canada immediately discounted terrorism, no one seemed to know what was going on. Over the evening, no less than three reasons were given, all from different sources. There is still no clear answer from any source.
In Sudbury, Ontario, 170 miners were trapped beneath the ground for hours, being released in the early hours of friday morning.
Right now, half the power is off where I live, although, of course, my power is on. The radio is threatening me to keep my air conditioning on, to stop more blackouts happening. The premiere of Ontario announced last night that Ontario was under a state of emergency, but from my vantage point, everything was calm.
I was staring at the stars last night, happy to finally to see them clearly from my backyard. I looked for Mars, but didn't have a clue where it was. It wasn't until my radio announcer said he was watching the moonrise when I pressed my face against my window. The moon was huge, red and beautiful, there was an orangish star near it, but I don't know if that was just orange from the atmosphere, like the moon was. Either way, I stayed up late watching the stars curve up the sky in that particular way. Later on I was woken by the bright light of a near full moon streaming through my blinds. Once in a while, a little catastrophe is very beautiful.
Posted by tonguetied&twisted (Member # 5159) on :
I totally agree. I remember when the power used to go out when we were kids, we'd light the fire and toast marshmallows and tell stories... It sounds such a typical thing to do, but it really was fun! Or we'd have to eat dinner by candlelight. I love candlelight. I'm not sure Mum and Dad appreciated having to make dinner with no power though...
I also love stars. I frequently lie out under the stars, preferably on the beach, and just think. *sigh* I wish I was at home (in the country), you just can't see the stars well in the city - and there's no beach either!!
[ August 15, 2003, 08:40 AM: Message edited by: tonguetied&twisted ]
Posted by cyruseh (Member # 1120) on :
I believe the orangish star next to the moon, was not a star at all, but Mars. Mars is in the eastern sky early in the evening these days.
Posted by Traveler (Member # 3615) on :
Yes. It is Mars. Mars is the closest it has been to Earth in 60,000 years.
-Traveler
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Yes! A saw mars! I was hoping, hoping, hoping it was Mars because I'd heard so much about it and now I have.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
On really cold, cloudless winter nights, I tend to hope for power outages so that I can go out and look at the stars without all the light pollution. There's too much gunk in the air for this to work in the summertime, when it's hot, but the sky can be spectacular around here on a really cold, clear night after midnight.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
See my "peeing in the dark" thread for when power outages are most decidedly NOT FUN.
I had no heat, running water, telephone, or power for five days in the middle of an Oswego winter. It was cold, very cold, and I was dirty, bored, and unshaven.
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I'm not sure Mum and Dad appreciated having to make dinner with no power though...![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)