I don't have tv, so I don't know too much of what's going on. I can't find any newspapers -- could be they don't have the power to print them.

I called a few places about 20 mi north to see if they were open, and did some shopping for minor food items and a Christmas gift for my sister. Everything in that area was operating normally. I headed home in advanced dusk. It was kind of shocking that there were MILES of homes without power. A storage place that has a well-fenced lot for boats & RVs has lost most of it's RVs. The owners have either taken them home and are living in them, or loaning them out. They are parked right in front of their front doors. A few places obviously had generators, maybe four. More had a single source of light showing, like a lantern in a main room. Most had nothing.

Most of the smaller gas stations are out of gas.

An amusing note in the midst of all these problems:
I have a friend (in her 60s) who lives alone on a mini-farm. I stopped in to see if she was okay or needed anything. She came out to meet me, saying everything was fine. She hadn't lost power, no trees had fallen on her home or barn or animal shelters, her woodshed was full, she had three stock tanks filled with water and covered, her small barn was stocked with animal feed, her pantry was full, the gas tank in the truck was full, etc.

She was kind of grumbling <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> that she was a bit disappointed that things hadn't been worse, to make her feel that all her preparations were for nothing.

But I reassured her that winter doesn't start for another four days. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sue