Triple Header Part 2--Blackness

The scene in our house last evening

We've been having some struggles with power.  Electric power, that is.  Many of you know that we now have a really nice really big emergency generator, big enough to power the whole station.  We have an automatic switch that starts the generator when PNG Power goes off.  Diesel fuel to power the generator is pricey, so we only use it when we have to.  We used to have a hydroelectric system that gave us reliable, inexpensive power, but it broke.  Long story.  We're now beginning work on a really good hydro system that we expect to be the best possible long-term solution to our power problems.  It'll be ready in 2 or 3 years.

However, we have been having some problems with the switching system.  I don't understand it, but that's not the main point of this post.  The point is, the power was off a lot more than usual yesterday, especially in the evening, and for longer than usual periods of time.  Judy and I  were trying to watch a recorded TV show.  The power would be on for 15 or 20 minutes, then off for 30 minutes to an hour.  It would come back on, we'd find our place int the TV program, and within a few minutes, power would go off again.

At one point, I realized that it was a clear night.

Ordinarily, we have a lot of security lights on all around the station, so even when the sky is clear, most of the stars aren't visible.  But with the power out, I knew that the stars would be spectacular.  I used my pocket flashlight to find my way outside.  I was right about the stars.  I called to Judy to join me, and together we lay on our backs on the lawn enjoying the scene.

Well, eventually we got cold and our backs got itchy, but I didn't get any calls while we were watching the big show in the sky.

AB