Looking out over Sibley Lake, the city water supply, the white pelicans with the black-tied wings are swimming in the same area as they were last Wednesday, but the only difference is that today they are silhouetted against a blue background. Last week they were hidden in the snow and ice that covered everything.
Comparing last week’s ice-snow storm to a hurricane, JT believes he would prefer a hurricane to an ice storm, if he had the choice.
With a hurricane, it is here and gone, only the TV commentators prolong it. You know the damage right away. With an ice storm it lasts for days and each day seems to bring its own damage.
It first snowed Monday. The pine trees did not start breaking apart until Wednesday. It was the same with the water supply. On Wednesday, JT started losing water pressure, but by the end of the day, his nightly shower was a “dripping” without pressure. The next morning it was not even dripping. The water was gone.
A day or so later, JT learned that the simplest things in life can be missed such as flushing a toilet. How many times a day do you simply push the handle, and the toilet water is gone without another thought.
Not last week! Last week you were looking for enough water to flush the bowl. JT quickly found that it takes about two gallons to clear the bowl. But, if you have to fill the water closet, it takes about four gallons, twice as much.
The amount matters because if you filled your bathtub and used it as a reservoir for water supply, after a day or two it starts to go down. At that point you have to refill the tub. In JT’s case he caught the melting ice dripping from the roof in his fishing ice chests lined up under the edge of the roof and hand carried it up a flight of stairs.
So, last week before the water came back on, JT had to think real hard where he was going to use the bathroom. Was he going to carry water upstairs, go outside or go down the street to his friend’s house that had running water.
Finally, mid-morning Monday, JT’s cell phone rang and the voice on the other end said listen to this. Listening carefully, JT couldhear ”drip…drip…drip.” The water was back on.
JT thought, thank goodness for small things…like just flushing a toilet!