It's not common for this part of Texas to have so much snow within a couple months.
Unlike last month when I wrote about my Senior Dog's Snow Day, this past week filled with snow, freezing rain, and rolling blackouts wasn't as fun to deal with.
The Weekend Before
The extended weather forecast predicted that "a mixture of freezing rain/sleet/snow could start as early as Sunday night to pre-sunrise Monday." In fact, on Thursday, February 11th, the National Weather Service suggested that my part of Texas could expect to see "major winter impacts" beginning Saturday through the middle of the next week.
I haven't had heating in my house for years. I simply haven't done anything to get it fixed because I'm cheap. I stupidly figured it doesn't get that bad in Texas, it was just me and my dogs until my Dad moved in a couple years ago, and I like keeping my house at a cooler temperature than my Mom or most other Texans.
I've tolerated cold temperatures and kept my dogs clothed but thinking that the temperature inside my house could be lower than times past was concerning to me. I have a small portable heater and thought that would suffice for a couple days.
My Dad who watched weather radars and maps closely decided we needed at least one more portable heater just in case. He also predicted we'd be without power for a few hours on Monday. On Saturday, we headed out to get another heater and maybe few other things in case we were stuck in the house for a few days.
Unfortunately, we never made it into a store. Wal-Mart was crowded with people getting what they needed ahead of the winter storm. Because of our concerns with COVID-19, we passed on Wal-Mart and checked other places. If a store wasn't crowded with many people, there was a sign on the door that stated they were out of heaters and generators.
Fortunately, we had enough food and other essentials to hold us over for weeks if needed. When we returned home empty handed, I made sure all my blankets were washed and cleaned. I had a feeling we'd all need extra blankets to keep us warm.
It started raining on Sunday, Valentine's Day, before turning into snowfall by the evening. There were times during the day where it sounded like light hail fell from the skies. Rascal hates when it rains so he spent most of the day swaddled in a blanket on my lap.
That night, I looked out to see snow on the ground for the second time within two months. I was excited about the potential of playing out in the snow with Shadow as we did last month when it last snowed.
Monday
The power was out when I woke Monday morning. I was in a part of Texas that had rolling blackouts that seemed to happen consistently for a few days.
On Monday, the blackouts typically lasted longer than when we had power. We'd have power for about ten to fifteen minutes and without power for forty-five minutes to an hour.
Monday was the coldest and most difficult day for me to deal with. The portable heater made no difference without power. I dressed in layers, put on a knit cap, and wore gloves. I topped my attire off with a hooded coat.
I was glad to have blankets to keep myself warm. It seemed necessary to lay a few blankets over my leather couch that felt unbearably cold on this day.
I laid a blanket on the tile floor for my dogs if they preferred to be on the floor. I don't own a rug, but I'm now convinced that's something worth splurging on for my dogs at least.
Shadow started the day excited and happy. He played in the snow for a few minutes before I made him head back indoors to warm up and rest. That morning was the last time Shadow played or stayed in the snow for more than a couple minutes.
Later in the day, however, the outdoor temperature dropped. Shadow refused to let me put his coat on, so I went ahead and let him out au naturel since we were only heading out for a few minutes.
Rascal just had a sweater on. He went out to the bush in front of my house and immediately returned to the front porch. He avoids the snow when he doesn't have to take care of business.
Like most days, Shadow walked out to the mailbox, marked it, and headed back to the porch. Then he dropped and laid in the snow. His old, arthritic joints couldn't tolerate the colder than normal temperature.
I knew something was wrong as soon as Shadow laid down. I asked Dad, who was by the mailbox at the time, to check on Shadow. Sure enough, Shadow couldn't move his back legs. Dad lifted Shadow and helped him into the house. We warmed him up and massaged his legs.
After that scare, I always made sure my dogs had layers on inside and outside the house. Shadow also only went out long enough to take care of business and head back indoors. If the power was on, he made it a habit to stand in front of the portable heater when he came inside. Obviously, he didn't enjoy the snow this time around.
I also think Monday was the darkest day indoors. I realized I didn't own a battery-operated lamp which would've been convenient in the evening. I have a fireplace and no firewood. I regretted not having a means for operating my fireplace this week.
While I had flashlights, I wanted a light source that allowed me to read, draw, color, or craft without straining my eyes. The brightest lights I owned were my Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Holocron cube and custom-built light saber. They illuminated well, but only lasted about ten minutes before they auto shut off.
My cell phone's flashlight illuminated well, but I didn't want to use it if I could help it. I wanted to make sure my cell phone was charged and in working condition in case of an emergency. I also wanted to call my Mom to make sure she was alright during this winter storm. We'd talk for hours since she was alone in her house and easily bored.
I was grateful to have lots of batteries and a couple small portable power banks. I used them a few times on Monday and Tuesday for my flashlights, cell phone, and Nintendo Switch.
I don't recall what we ate on Monday. I do remember the power didn't last long enough to cook a meal. We likely had a quick microwave meal for lunch. My friend reminded me today that Dad started baking chocolate chip cookies. We ate partially baked cookies that day. Fortunately, they were ready-to-bake cookie dough safe to eat as-is.
I was so cold on Monday; I wasn't motivated to do anything more than stay under the blankets. I watched the news and a few art and Disney park videos on YouTube, but otherwise I spent my time making sure my dogs were warm and comfortable. At least we still had running water.
Tuesday
From Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning, the amount of time with and without power was consistent and more predictable. We'd have power for forty-five minutes to an hour and then go without power for another forty-five minutes to an hour.
Tuesday was another unbearably cold day. It rained and snowed throughout parts of the day. The snow from the previous day was still present, but this time joined by patches of ice. Icicles hung from houses, vehicles, trees, light posts, and more.
Dad lit one of the gas stove burners with a lighter to serve as a minor heat source when the power went out. It emitted a smell that irritated me, but Dad assured me we didn't need to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning with just one lit burner. I did put it out at the end of the day.
Because the power would stay on longer than the day prior, we made chicken nuggets and French fries for lunch. We snacked on French fries throughout the day. I'd warm the fries over the open gas flame just for fun.
Since Dad predicted the power outages for this week, I fortunately had a few backup blog posts and YouTube videos prepared and ready for upload. It was a matter of logging in, uploading, and publishing my blog post and video when power was available.
I originally wanted to conserve power and leave most electronics off except for the few minutes it took me to upload my stuff. This seemed like the right thing to do after receiving an emergency alert message from my gas company to "continue to reduce natural gas use! Small actions make a big impact."
However, I didn't think about how this choice impacted Shadow. Shadow would stare at the TV and whine periodically. I played music from my phone when the power went out, but he would stare at the blank TV screen and whine. It was late Tuesday morning when I realized how much TV Shadow watched.
With that realization, I turned on the TV as soon as power came on. I mostly watched the news during those time to see what was happening with the rolling outages and weather forecast, but Shadow intently watched the TV. When the power shut the TV and everything else off, he'd let out a moan in disappointment.
The dogs burned off a lot of energy playing during the power outages during daylight. I was grateful they weren't bored during the day.
They encouraged me to do some arts and crafts while natural light was available. It was a great opportunity for me to practice and improve my skills. I also completed a lot of Sudoku and logic puzzles. Staying preoccupied helped take my mind off the cold temperature within my house.
When we lost daylight, the dogs laid on the couch swaddled in blankets when the power went out. On this night, I started using my old cell phone's flashlight to illuminate the living room, so it didn't frighten Rascal too badly. The extra lighting also allowed me to continue doing the hobbies I enjoyed through the night. It beat holding a dim lit flashlight over my sketchbook.
Wednesday
Wednesday was the last day (at the time of writing this blog) we dealt with rolling blackouts. Unlike the previous two days, I couldn't predict how long the power outages would last.
It was still quite cold outside. It rained and snowed throughout the day as it did the days prior. Once again, the dogs didn't spend more than a couple minutes outdoors when they had to take care of business.
However, it was warmer indoors. It was the most comfortable and tolerable day despite the rolling blackouts. I still dressed in layers, but didn't feel the need for my knit cap, gloves, or coat.
Dad and I ate a microwave meal for lunch and a lot of snacks throughout the day. We also spent time talking about the things we wished we had this week like battery operated lamps. I think Dad actually ordered some lamps from Amazon when we had power.
The things we did on Wednesday wasn't all that different from Tuesday. The dogs burned off a lot of energy playing during the power outages during daylight. I challenged myself with art exercises. It seemed like a good time to practice things I wanted to get better at.
However, the natural light didn't last long like the days before. By early afternoon, it got darker outside. I decided to take an afternoon nap since I didn't sleep well the previous night.
Around 6:00 P.M., I woke to heavy weight on my gut and jabs at my neck. For a moment, I thought I was being attacked in my sleep. I was partially right when I realized that Rascal stood on my stomach while smacking my neck to wake me up. The power just went out and he freaked out because I didn't have a light source set to illuminate the room.
Both dogs were more touchy-feely Wednesday night than any other night. I can't help but wonder what went through their heads. I figured Shadow knew things were not normal since he wasn't able to watch as much TV as usual. It seems like they were more worried about what was going on at the end of day three of rolling blackouts and unbearably cold indoor temperatures.
Thursday (Today)
There was power when I woke this morning that's remained into the early evening before I upload and publish this blog post.
It's still another cold day, but no rain or snow yet. Much of the snow and ice from the past few days melted. The weather forecast predicts more snow and freezing rain tonight and into tomorrow morning. We're not in the clear yet.
There are parts of my city that's under a boil water notice. My neighborhood hasn't been informed to boil water, but we're prepared for it in case things get worse overnight before they get better by next week.
Dad and I finally had a home cooked meal of spaghetti for lunch today. I don't know if we're going to eat anything else today. I'm not feeling hungry right now, so I'll probably eat a small snack if I eat anything at all later.
Apparently, the dogs aren't that hungry today either. They haven't asked for any treats. Shadow ate about half of his morning meal. Rascal has yet to eat anything today. It's still early, so hopefully they'll have more of an appetite tonight.
They also haven't played at all today. Shadow spent most of the day watching TV. He only goes out to take care of business and then right back indoors where he'll stand in front of the heater for a moment. Rascal won't leave my side. He follows me everywhere I go and lays on my lap when I'm settled on the couch.
I haven't crafted today. I took advantage of technology and edited a video I recorded yesterday of an art exercise I gave myself. Obviously, I've spent some time writing this blog post to reflect on the last few days. I'll share my backup blog post and video another time.
What's Next?
We're under another hard freeze warning for tonight and tomorrow morning. I'm hopeful the power will remain and that we aren't issued a boil water notice. If the worst happens, we're at least prepared for it.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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