We do a lot to prepare for emergencies of any duration. It’s just a part of the way we live. Since I only shop once a month, I’m generally prepared anyway.

When Hurricane Ike knocked out our power for 3 days, I was excited (in a weird kinda way) to see where some of the holes in my plan were.

Brett and I took a lot of notes. Most of the things were mere convenience items. A lot of it had to do with my above the refrigerator freezer space. Our chest freezer was fine (I wrapped it insulation and lots of quilts). We never opened it once, and it had no problem.

But I kept most of my berries and stuff in the fridge freezer space. That was not good. I’m going to start keeping those things in the chest freezer. If the power is out for an extended period of time (over a week), I can start canning the stuff in the chest freezer.

So -here is a list of what we learned:

• Keep several loaves of frozen bread in the fridge freezer. Although I can cook bread in the sun oven, you need sunshine – and that doesn’t always happen right after a hurricane.
• Make meals out of what is in the fridge first – before Colter starts cooking baked beans and cornbread on the firepit.
• When cooking with no power, we need to make smaller meals, because you can’t refrigerate the leftovers.
• If you’re planning on watching the conclusion of the four part mini series Scarlett (sequel to Gone with the Wind), you can plug the small tv into the cigarette lighter in Jim’s truck and watch all 4 hours of it without draining Jim’s truck battery. 
• I need to store more saltines.
• There is just no good alternative to a hot shower.
• Tape the refrigerator and freezer shut or you will just keep forgetting and continue to open it.
• You need to make sure you are done miking the goats before it gets dark.
• Warm milk isn’t very good.
• Chicken eggs will last a week or more if you don’t wash them or refrigerate them.

But the best thing I learned was that it takes a natural disaster and no power to get my refrigerator looking sparkling new!