Plan B Forum

AUGUSTA, Maine — Cleanup and restoration efforts continued Monday as thousands of Mainers remained without power in the wake of a fall snowstorm.

The storm slammed the state with heavy, wet snow that accumulated to more than a foot in many areas. As of 2 p.m. Monday, just over 122,000 customers throughout the state were without power, including all the residents of Islesboro. That was down from more than 141,000 a few hours earlier.

“The whole island is out,” Fred Porter, the Islesboro Director of Public Safety, said Monday morning. “We had our warming shelter open at 4 p.m. yesterday and we did have people seek shelter there overnight.”

Because Montana winters are so warm and balmy?

Honestly, I don't like to advertise this widely, but Montana winters are MUCH milder that New England, based on my 7 years living here.

Yes, it gets VERY cold for a few weeks in the middle of winter - up near Glacier on the Hi-Line, and in Havre, were the worst for this sub-zero thing. BUT, the snow is infrequent and very dry, so it is abundantly easy to 'shovel' (push around) and remove from vehicles compared to that wet, heavy stuff back home.

Additionally, we very often in winter get these warm winds the Indians call 'chinook' (means 'snow-eater') during which you can literally watch the snow evaporate into the surrounding air.

Where I am now, about a half hour south of Helena, is in a large valley ringed by several mountain ranges - the same area where the Blackfeet Indians set up their winter camps for hundreds of years, because it's so mild in the valley and the winter snows in the mountains drive the elk, deer and antelope down into the valley where they are easy prey (makes us a big elk hunting mecca nowadays).

In the past two winters here I have not had to wear boots more than a dozen days - my Birk sandals with fleece socks have been cozy enough, and there hasn't been any ice on the roads/sidewalks to worry about, either. In my private practice I'll be traveling to Helena regularly, and I'll have to dust off my snow gear because the higher elevation there means more snow/ice to contend with - but nothing like New England.

This is winter-related and not worth a new thread; I've got the furnace guy here for yearly inspection/service, and he just showed me where my furnace hasn't been properly cleaned in years, despite the former owners telling me it was serviced every year, and I don't doubt them because they were the diligent type.

Furnace guy says lots of folks don't actually know how to service such an outfit (steam boiler converted to hot water, oil fired converted to propane) and where it needs regular cleaning or gas will escape into the house.

So I guess it's a good thing I didn't get gassed last winter when I was sleeping two rooms away from it. Yikes!!

On the upside, it's November 4th and I still haven't turned it on - the forecast being what it is, I might end up getting to the 1st of December before firing up The Beast. I have a goose down comforter on my bed, plus two dogs for the really cold nights - and the rooms where I spend most of my time, kitchen and office, have baseboard electric and/or space heaters.

plus two dogs for the really cold nights

Nom nom