Ice. Everywhere. Beautiful to look at, dangerous when power lines are down. And cold. For days.

The first day it was like camping out. Bundled up in layers of fleece, woolen socks comforters and extra blankets. Were we not the pioneers?

The second day the power came on...for a short time. Enough time though that we had the false sense of longevity. Enough time for a shower and two cups of hot tea.

The end of the second day, bundled up again, in bed at dark, 5:30, I thought about Little House on the Prairie. Golly, I mused, this seemed so much more romantic when I saw it on TV.

Last night, before the power came on again around 2 AM, I thought with gratitude about the men and women out in the freezing cold in the middle of the night, high off the ground on poles, not dancing, but continuing to restore electricity to homes, our home as it turned out.

And I was very grateful. And that's what I think about it.