MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

Chappaquiddickers got to explore the shifting boundaries between coziness and cabin fever this past weekend during the storm that blew in on Saturday. By Sunday at about 4 a.m., the power went out for all of Chappy, after flickering on and off for a couple of hours. At daylight, we woke — those of us who were still asleep — to a white world. The temperature was in the 20s outside, and dropping inside, slowly or quickly, depending on our heat sources and how tightly our houses were constructed.

There was a broken pole near Caleb’s Pond, and wires down. NStar arrived at daybreak with four or five trucks to work and worked all day there in the freezing wind and snow. Peter Wells, Chappy fire captain, set up a soup kitchen at the firehouse, to provide the electric company workers with hot soup and a warm place out of the elements. At lunchtime nineteen workers came for the soup, bringing their own pizza. It’s amazing anyone would be willing to do this work on Chappy in those conditions; Peter figured any incentive to keep them on the island was a good idea.

By late Sunday afternoon, the pole was up and by early evening many people had their power back. But there was also another problem, with a transformer. The electric company trucks had left Chappy by evening, but they returned in the middle of the night and restored power to many of the people still complaining of no electricity.

By Monday morning we were one of an unknown number of those still reporting no power. Luckily, we have a generator to keep us warm, and our fridge and freezer cold. We even cooked dinner by electric light and watched a video on Saturday night, thanks to the generator.

We took a long ski on Sunday through the drifts and bent-over trees. The snow was wet when it first fell, and so later snow accumulated on every branch, bending or even breaking many smaller trees, branches and dead trees in the wind. It was good to get outside because the icicles hanging in front of the windows look a bit like prison bars. With the sun out on Monday morning, any claustrophobia left at my house had to do with the many extension cords snaking across the floors to reach the various appliances that needed power, and the coats, boots and gloves draped to dry in the living room. Our generator continued powering on, thanks to my brother — one of those with plows who kindly cleared other people’s driveways — and Bob Fynbo, who keeps the main roads clear, and my husband, who drove down our plowed road and took the ferry across — which was still running thanks to Peter keeping his generators on so the ramps worked — to get more gasoline for us in town so our generator could run the pellet stove all night and keep us warm! The power company crews actually kept in touch with us on Monday and got electricity back to our house before noon.

The Holiday Tea at the community center had to be canceled because of lack of power, translating to below acceptable temperatures even for sitting around drinking hot tea. Thanks to all those who had goodies and sandwiches ready for the event. We hope they made good use of them when the power went out.

The decorations will remain up for the Christmas Eve dinner, which begins at 6 p.m. on Dec. 24, with appetizers, followed by a full dinner. Dick Knight plowed the community center parking area, so even if the snow is still here, we should all be able to park. Everyone on Chappy is welcome, including house guests.