I am sitting on my futon, writing this longhand on a legal pad by flashlight. It’s the only working flashlight I can find.
My trusty flashlight that I keep in a junk drawer doesn’t work, even with new batteries I found groping around my refrigerator in the dark.
A lone candle sits on the table in front of me. The sides of the container are high and project the light upward so none falls on my paper below. The candle flames dance on the ceiling.
The electricity has been out for several hours now and my cell phone is down to 3 percent power. Nightfall has cast an eerie pink glow over my area of the Roanoke Valley.
I get up from my seat in the living room and open the deck door. I can hear generators humming around me. That’s despite the rain that’s been falling heavily now for almost 48 hours.
While coming back from a couple of dog walking and pet sitting visits, I grabbed some McDonalds for supper; thankful my trip to Kroger yesterday to restock my refrigerator was delayed.
I was able to feed my dogs before it got dark and they and I are safe from the elements. Tonight is forecast to be in the 60’s so I don’t have to worry about being cold.
As unexpected as today’s power outage was, I found myself unprepared.
I’ve preached the importance of having pet emergency safety kits but I find myself a hypocrite. Where is my emergency kit?
If I would have to evacuate immediately because of the flood watch that’s currently in effect, would I have enough time to grab the essentials and go?
The dogs’ food is in one place, their bowls in another, and their beds and crates in still another. I have a hand crank radio/light but where did I put it?
I realize I need to practice what I preach and put together a grab and go kit for my pups and me.
You’ll have to excuse me. After 8 hours, the lights have come back on. I’m going to search the web for generators, flashlights, and other emergency equipment and assemble a kit.