By DELL ARTHUR
We apologize for not
publishing last week and the lateness of this week. We usually publish on
Sunday but a series of mishaps interrupted. In addition we were moving into a new
house and as a consequence, to use an exhausted phrase, we had a full plate.
My better half, Kathleen
and I bought a new home and were swamped with closing. If it wasn’t one thing
it was another. The day before close we spent an hour and a half signing papers
with the title company. I am not exaggerating; the pile of papers we had to
sign stacked up to about four inches and we and the agent went through the
stack page by exhausting page, indicating where we had to sign, and explaining
each document. Since I never had interest in law school I found the process
exasperating! Finally the deed (no pun intended) was done and Kathleen and I
left the office exhausted. But that was only the start. Next we had to arrange
for moving.
All of this could be
tolerated if the heavens above had cooperated. But by Thursday, the day I
usually set aside for writing, one o wicked storm ever to hit the northwest part
of the United States hit. Believe me, it was a doozy!
The news reported that
some 500,000 people over Oregon, Washington and parts of Montana suffered power
outages. The wind in our area hit peaks of 50 M.P.H. uprooting trees and
knocking down power and telephone lines. Then the power went off at our
location. Usually when this happens work crews are able to get the electric
lines back in service quickly and we had hopes it would be restored within an
hour or two. This turned out to be wishful thinking. It took over 12 hours
before the lights flickered back on. Going to my computer I found it impossible
to get online. I couldn’t check email, transmit messages, scroll through news
items or file a story.
It was worse out in the
county.
The following day I took
a trip around town and observed huge trees laying across streets, telephone
poles down—one gingerly leaning across some power lines, and general pandemonium.
Power company workers were working clearing branches and trees and trying to
reconnect power lines. Many of them were working for up to 24 hours at a
stretch trying to re-establish service to the most needed areas. In the Seattle
area two storms related victims were killed—one by a falling tree branch that
smashed into his car as he was driving. His passenger suffered minor injuries. The other was a young girl who happened to be
in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Regardless of their hard
work power workers found more than they could cope with. In some areas power
and telephone service wasn’t restored for as long as a week. And there were
additional costs as well.
After the storm passed
and things took on a sense of normalcy stacks of garbage, spoiled meats,
perishable vegetables, cartons of eggs and milk and fruit was stuffed in overfilled
dumpsters and garbage cans. The threat of vermin was also high and a serious
concern.
But now things are
settled down. We are in the new home, Jake our 18 and a half poodle mix is
getting acquainted with his new surroundings and the weather has returned to
what is considered normal. Living in the Northwest can be an adventure in
itself. But the beauty and serenity of this land is an inducement never to
leave. And one thing I promise you; if anyone ever again in this lifetime
suggests that we move again they will take their live into their own hands! If
it hadn’t been for our daughter Jennifer and our wonderful son-in-law Royale and
grandson Amondo, we would never have been able to complete the task.
Now that things are
settled down I can concentrate on the column and hopefully provide you, my
loyal readers, with copy that will continue to interest
you.
Thanks for reading.
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