Power Outage

Wow.....it is Wednesday evening, and we have been out of power since Saturday noon. Over 100,000 Iowans lost electricity in last weekend's ice storm. Because we milk cows we must have a backup power source in order to operate the milking equipment and pump water for the livestock. We have a tractor-powered alternator which is generating electricity for us. It is running right now out in the middle of the farmyard, connected to the electric pole. Husband runs it during milking time, and for most of the morning each day. He shuts it off during the afternoon to conserve fuel, and then again before we go to sleep for the night. The first tractor he used quit working after the first day.....turns out it needed a new alternator. The tractor he's using now is bigger and noisier.

The evening news is just now reporting that power in our area should be restored by Friday. We've heard that the power companies are having trouble getting ahold of new poles to replace all the broken ones. Many electrical crews from other states have come to Iowa to help out. A crew from Akron, Ohio, stopped by here yesterday to check on our situation. I'm sure it's a huge job to try and coordinate repairs over such a large area.

Well, Daughter just got home from her after-school job and needs to use the computer, so this is all from me for now. Out into the windy cold I go to feed the calves.