ice and dog days

As some of you might know or heard about, there are an estimated 500,000 households without electricity here in the North East of the US, affecting millions of peoples life. People are running generators (the ones who have one) others who are fortunate enough to have a fireplace are burning wood.
OK, so gradually the mess of this ice-storm is being cleaned up. But it is a slow and cumbersome process. A few ten thousand homes have their power back by now, others will have to wait until next Wednesday at least, using candles as their main illumination source. That's a week in deep freezing temperatures without electricity.
Last evening we were invited to friends to eat "Sauerbraten" and even the main County road was like a major slalom obstacle with fallen down trees, downed power lines and all. When I drove home in the dark, it was even more challenging. Later I found out that the county had declared a state of emergency and had imposed a non-driving curfew after dark... Wish I had known!
I am lucky like something. Our little town was spared out as if it was an oasis. Four miles away chaos, here we have electricity and all to run the oil burners and the water pump.
So it is approaching Christmas, and all the churches have closed. That's odd. The generators are running out of fuel, because there is no fuel to be pumped at gas stations around, unless you are willing to travel some unusual distances. Pretty messy all around.
I pray for the elderly people who have no clue what to do. I hope that this event will spur amongst others, that what I always preach: Community solidarity!
On an other note, Pico the prairie dog got a winter coat. Pretty, don't you think?