Holy spring storms batman!!!
In case I haven't mentioned it, I work as a power lineman for Fortis Alberta. On Wednesday night we got slammed with a massive winter storm. 22 - 138,000 volt transmission poles came tumbling down, and we have around 69 other distribution poles(25,000 to 14,400 volt lines)broken off as well. It's been a long couple days. I have worked 36 of the last 48 hours. Approximatly 3500 people were out of power. We are slowly winning and getting the lights back on. Just thought I would pop in for a couple minutes before I grab a few hours sleep and head out again.

Your work will be much appreciated by those affected, I'm sure! We're really depending on power as a society, heck, even my fireplace starts with a power switch (though I think I could probably get that one going with an old fashioned match!) But then the compressors that keep the gas pressure up might be down too!...

Every time I think about things like this I get this inkling to hammer out the gas fire place and put in something that accepts wood.

Frans

Wow, it's amazing what a couple hours of sleep will do for one's mental well being. I know this topic has nothing to do with hunting (altho I did have a gopher hunt planned for this weekend if the weather was good) and I apologize to Canuck. If this post gets removed I will understand.

Frans, I totally agree...I too have found myself dependent on electricity. So much to the point I keep a 5000 watt generator on hand for such emergencies. I think our ancestors would smack us for depending on such things.

Time to head off...bye for now.

As someone who has been on the receiving end, we really appreciate your efforts. It's been a couple of years since we have had one of those power outages lasting two or three days, but every time we get one of these wet snow spring storms, I look skyward with apprehension. Keep up the good work. I keep a power plant in the garage now to run essential services. Imagine the outrage, if this happened in the city.
Grizz

Basement will be done soon, garage is next... after a trip or three to the landfill there will be room for such essentials as a back-up generator... if there is money left over, I'll have a real chimney put on the fireplace, and will make a ritual out of removing the fake fireplace! In the mean time, 7mm-08, keep up the good work!! Please! I have too much moose in the freezer to have it wasted by something so trivial as a few collapsed power poles!

Frans

Final count was 104 poles on the ground, 70 miles of wire down, and 3500 people experienced power outages. 170 FortisAlberta workers from all over the province showed up with equipment and helped us get the lights back on. I, being fairly new to this company (only a year and a half with this outfit), realized early on we were a close knit company. This totally blew me out of the water when I experienced the support we received.
And the people in the areas we worked in...Wow!!! So many people stopped by with sandwiches and coffee or snacks to express their thanks. It totally touched us.

The best part of the whole thing was seeing the lights come back on Sunday night to the last of our customers after I watched them go out in the height of the storm Wednesday night. It was the best definition of satisfaction.
(wish i knew how to post pics on this site)

we had a severe windstorm last winter in washington state. over a million homes were without power for up to a week plus. of note was that on Mercer island where all of the real rich people(Bill Gates) the power company was not able to start work on the lines until they applied for permits to remove the trees from the lines. just a note of humor .