Winter is Here!

From time to time in the past I've mentioned that I have to shut down my computer and get off the Internet. This usually occurs in the summer when I see lightning or hear claps of thunder. I don't want my electronics to get fried or to get a nasty loss-of-power surprise.

In winter--which, incidentally, came in with a flourish this week--it's a different story. During snow storms, power lines, wherever they run through the forest, are subject to ice coating, and that sometimes brings them down. Other times, I fear the best of connections must fail, and the lines in my neck of the woods have been around for some time. I don't know how often they receive maintenance. On private property, things can get chancy, especially in places like mine where mobile home owners don't have control of the situation.

Here's an illustration of why I sometimes lose power in winter:



See the ice-laden line in the center of the photo? That's the reason.

I finally did something about the situation this year. I purchased a UPS, an uninterruptible power supply unit, into which I plugged my computer and monitor. This will keep me online until I either let the software shut down my computer (I'll get around to installing that someday) or I do a manual shutdown.

Here's a shout-out and sincere thanks to utility linemen and women who venture forth in all kinds of weather conditions to restore power and phone service when the lines go down or other calamities need fixing through their hard work.