I have been dealing with Helena in W NC. We lost both electricity and internet. The silence was only interrupted by chain saws, generators, and rescue helicopters during the day. Conversation, stargazing, paper, and pen were wonderful distractions. Perhaps not so much a distraction but a clarifying necessity. Bi-modal sleep was definitely easier to achieve. I found the 1st period deep and rejuvenating. The body repairing the days exertion. The 2nd a time for dreams.
When the electricity goes off, the world you thought you lived in disappears. You have no modern conveniences. Water pumps stop. Toss your refrigerator contents. Battery devices eventually run out. Any technologic solution eventually fails. If you are not prepared with backup or parts to maintain or repair, or if you are not capable of maintaining or working on your devices then don’t rely on them.
I too became anxious after our water tank mysteriously drained overnight. I pulled the shotguns from the safe, loaded them, and set them by the doors. I figured that a shotgun blast would be enough to dissuade. Give pause and uncertainty about what might come next.
It was not fear. More of a call to action. A forced assessment of available tools and what a measured and reasonable use would be. It’s easy to understand how fear would overcome reason if you did not have adequate plans.
When I hiked in, I had a sidearm and one of my German Shepard dogs with me. A gentle giant but he is intimidating and protective. His 1st encounter with a donkey was hilarious. The donkey wouldn’t back down and called reinforcement. At the time I did not know what I was walking in to but I was reasonably comfortable that the community would pull together. Of the people I encountered, also hiking in and out, none displayed any concern about the weapon, nor the dog, and all were friendly and helpful despite the extraordinary circumstances.
Are you all doing OK up there! My heart is broken from what I'm seeing and the damage! I know mountain people, both of my parents were born in western North Carolina and mountain people are tough people but western North Carolina has never experienced anything like this! I spent a lot of my childhood up there on my grandparents farm and I know the area, those mountain roads winding up and down the mountain! I think about y'all up there everyday and watch YouTube and TikTok to keep up with what's going on!
It’s a strange dichotomy. Most areas are fine other than disrupted infrastructure. And annoyance compared to those living in valleys. That distruction is real. Weather has been mild since the storm but things are about to get typical fall cold. Those areas could use help if one is able. YouTube has lots of videos about where to send aid. Just make sure it gets local and not one of the national parasitic organizations.
Yeah exactly! Of course! If you have guns, which I'm sure you do, shoot whoever comes in and tries to take away your aide and supplies! Our government has completely shown its true colors with this! Are churches able to get aide and supplies out to people? YouTube videos are saying that fema is taking supplies away from churches trying to help!😡 unreal! Seeing what's been going on up there with the governments lack and slack response makes my blood boil! It's hard for me to believe what I'm seeing, but it's real!
I know cold weather up there very well, it gets cold 🥶! The wind in the wintertime up there is brutal! I want to do my part and help with aide! I watch YouTube every day to keep up with what's going on! I'm praying for everybody affected by these storms 🙏
It is unfortunate that the local services defer to fema when they show up. But when you look at all that shiny new equipment in the rural firehouses you can understand why. They are bought with DHS largess and programming. I can only speak to my encounters with fema and immigration and naturalization service’s (yes border patron!!). They showed up in mass on Day 3. The locals had things under control and were rightly suspicious. I mean Border Patrol? Why? On day 5 they road around in new sport utility vehicles with armed escort. Day 6 they must have got the message and were gone.
Long ago it was called “the second sleep”. Medieval times people accepted it as part of life. I have it around 2 to 3 am but it has normally stressed me out but trying to think differently about it. Some say that’s when God wants to talk to you. I had some 1:30 awakenings recently and they were accompanied by vivid dreams. My hubs has so many batteries around and charging stuff plus solar for our camper we could charge our phones for a very long time. If there is cell service left.
I love all of this! Great observations, Franklin. They all resonate deeply as important and true. I'm happy hear you're all safe, and even better for the experience.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I wish the things you shared would be on National News! These are the stories we need to hear! Very important thoughts! 🙏😁
Oh yeah! You've had quite an experience! I live on the east coast in hurricane alley so I completely understand! Me and my husband lived through both hurricane Fran and hurricane Floyd! Floyd was terrible with flooding just like in Western North Carolina with helene! Many places in my town where I live never recovered from hurricane Floyd! Me and my husband were without power for 2 weeks! We had to get bottled water because we had well water and with no electricity the well pump wouldn't work and if the well pump didn't work, no water!
We had plenty of candles and matches and we rode it out! Lightning candles at night for light! I read books by candlelight! Like people did in ancient times, people reading and writing by candlelight! I know that quiet peacefulness too, without the buzz of electricity, and the night sky is amazing, beautiful, you can see stars for miles, unless the moon is full or close to being full! If the moon is full or close to being full then the moon will light up your surroundings enough to where you can see what's going on around you! We did the same where we lived, during the day we were outside cleaning up broken tree limbs and debris from the storm and hoping and praying that the electricity would be back soon! It's worse with severe flooding because the crews can't get out and mess with electricity until the flood waters recede! Sometimes that can feel like an eternity! My worst hurricane experiences happened before smartphones were invented and before computers were popular! So we were really in the dark and cut off from everything back then until the power came back!
With the internet and my phone I've been keeping up with the damage from both hurricane helene and Milton! The main topics are geoengineering and weather manipulation! People are starting to catch on! I have many questions myself! Come to think about it those hurricanes that my husband and I lived through were probably manipulated, especially hurricane Floyd because a week or so earlier we had to deal with hurricane Dennis sitting just off the coast dumping water inland with heavy rains for a few days! Then hurricane Floyd was on the tail end of hurricane Dennis! The grounds were already saturated from hurricane Dennis so in no time everything was Flooded out! Places Flooded out up to the roof! We don't know how many people died in hurricane Floyd, we never got a clear answer for that! Again, this information was getting covered up! But everyday military helicopters and the national guard were filling up the skies! I almost felt like I was in Vietnam hearing all of those choppers flying around shaking the house and everything!
I remember Floyd. I think it was late August 1999 when I was getting married in Virginia Beach and some of my family didn’t come because they were scared of the hurricane. We were fine here in Coastal Virginia, however. But I remember hearing that towns in NC were flooded out. Then Isabelle hit us in Fall 2003. We had just stocked the garage freezer. Most of that went to waste. 10 days no power in my neighborhood but my sister in law a mile away got power back in two days. Crazy. And with these last two, I’m convinced weather manipulation is a common thing.
Yeah it was bad! Most places rebuild and bounced back! An apartment complex that me and my mother lived in when I was growing up got completely flooded out! It was a 💯 loss! The whole apartment complex was torn down and not rebuilt! That area is a park today with just trees and grass and a sidewalk!
I remember hurricane Isabelle! We got some wind and rain from the outer bands of the storm! We were concerned about it being like Floyd! Yeah I think more and more people are starting to see weather manipulation as a thing! Our government and "powers that shouldn't be" are hiding all kinds of technology from us!
Your idea for breaks from power has merit. I am currently experimenting with phone-less intervals ... short, but getting longer, with the goal to be eventually free.
You and your readers might enjoy a sort of related piece I wrote on going without government ... I call it Anarchy Hour ...
Thank you for sharing your experience during Milton, Franklin. I am glad you and your family made it thru the storm safely. Thank you for discussing how peaceful it is with no electricity. We do not realize how intrusive technology is until it’s gone. I like your idea of a weekend a month without electricity and I think our overall mental swellness would greatly improve along with our health. We had a friend from Florida staying with us who extended their stay because of the storm and I had a chance to share with her how these storms were being generated and steered. It’s interesting to watch someone be forced to deal with topics they purposely avoid. We live in the mountains of Georgia and Helene ripped through here on its way to devastate North Carolina wiping entire communities off the map. We had a few trees fall and a portion of the barn roof come off but all in all we got lucky. No one was hurt and considering how bad NC was hit we were quite lucky. The river swelled and flooded part of the yard but never got to the house. It was close but the rains stopped in time. The shape of the river was changed because of the rushing waters and we ended up with two nice swimming spots that were carved deeper, which is nice. I too noticed how neighbors were all outside after the storm because they all ended up at our house. It was nice to see how everyone cared but we couldn’t get any work done. We had animals trapped in the barn and needed to focus on work instead of chatting with constant drop ins so we closed our gate Saturday. Without the constant interruptions we were able to free the animals and remove the section of the roof that fell in the pig pen blocking their door. Even though it was frustrating to have all the interruptions, I am happy to live in a community where people care about their neighbors. One couple even brought us food so I didn’t have to cook while cleaning up the mess. Technology definitely has robbed us of our human kindness and connection. Sometimes I find myself wishing we could have a break from it all. Between the noise of electricity and the distractedness of people glued to their phone it’s nice to get a break once and a while. Also… fun fact. I grew up in Central Florida and lived there for most of my life. I went to Polk City Elementary, Aburndale Middle School, and Lakeland High School. I lived in Lakeland as an adult where I worked at LRMC (as did most of my family) before moving to Tampa where we lived until moving up to the mountains of Georgia (tucked between North and South Carolina) 20 years ago. Small world indeed!
I have been dealing with Helena in W NC. We lost both electricity and internet. The silence was only interrupted by chain saws, generators, and rescue helicopters during the day. Conversation, stargazing, paper, and pen were wonderful distractions. Perhaps not so much a distraction but a clarifying necessity. Bi-modal sleep was definitely easier to achieve. I found the 1st period deep and rejuvenating. The body repairing the days exertion. The 2nd a time for dreams.
When the electricity goes off, the world you thought you lived in disappears. You have no modern conveniences. Water pumps stop. Toss your refrigerator contents. Battery devices eventually run out. Any technologic solution eventually fails. If you are not prepared with backup or parts to maintain or repair, or if you are not capable of maintaining or working on your devices then don’t rely on them.
I too became anxious after our water tank mysteriously drained overnight. I pulled the shotguns from the safe, loaded them, and set them by the doors. I figured that a shotgun blast would be enough to dissuade. Give pause and uncertainty about what might come next.
It was not fear. More of a call to action. A forced assessment of available tools and what a measured and reasonable use would be. It’s easy to understand how fear would overcome reason if you did not have adequate plans.
When I hiked in, I had a sidearm and one of my German Shepard dogs with me. A gentle giant but he is intimidating and protective. His 1st encounter with a donkey was hilarious. The donkey wouldn’t back down and called reinforcement. At the time I did not know what I was walking in to but I was reasonably comfortable that the community would pull together. Of the people I encountered, also hiking in and out, none displayed any concern about the weapon, nor the dog, and all were friendly and helpful despite the extraordinary circumstances.
Are you all doing OK up there! My heart is broken from what I'm seeing and the damage! I know mountain people, both of my parents were born in western North Carolina and mountain people are tough people but western North Carolina has never experienced anything like this! I spent a lot of my childhood up there on my grandparents farm and I know the area, those mountain roads winding up and down the mountain! I think about y'all up there everyday and watch YouTube and TikTok to keep up with what's going on!
It’s a strange dichotomy. Most areas are fine other than disrupted infrastructure. And annoyance compared to those living in valleys. That distruction is real. Weather has been mild since the storm but things are about to get typical fall cold. Those areas could use help if one is able. YouTube has lots of videos about where to send aid. Just make sure it gets local and not one of the national parasitic organizations.
Yeah exactly! Of course! If you have guns, which I'm sure you do, shoot whoever comes in and tries to take away your aide and supplies! Our government has completely shown its true colors with this! Are churches able to get aide and supplies out to people? YouTube videos are saying that fema is taking supplies away from churches trying to help!😡 unreal! Seeing what's been going on up there with the governments lack and slack response makes my blood boil! It's hard for me to believe what I'm seeing, but it's real!
I know cold weather up there very well, it gets cold 🥶! The wind in the wintertime up there is brutal! I want to do my part and help with aide! I watch YouTube every day to keep up with what's going on! I'm praying for everybody affected by these storms 🙏
It is unfortunate that the local services defer to fema when they show up. But when you look at all that shiny new equipment in the rural firehouses you can understand why. They are bought with DHS largess and programming. I can only speak to my encounters with fema and immigration and naturalization service’s (yes border patron!!). They showed up in mass on Day 3. The locals had things under control and were rightly suspicious. I mean Border Patrol? Why? On day 5 they road around in new sport utility vehicles with armed escort. Day 6 they must have got the message and were gone.
Wow! Like why would border patrol need to be up there!
Many truths!
I would definitely recommend solar phone chargers, a charged back up battery power bank, etc.
However, the point of your words is the beauty of going ’without’.
Long ago it was called “the second sleep”. Medieval times people accepted it as part of life. I have it around 2 to 3 am but it has normally stressed me out but trying to think differently about it. Some say that’s when God wants to talk to you. I had some 1:30 awakenings recently and they were accompanied by vivid dreams. My hubs has so many batteries around and charging stuff plus solar for our camper we could charge our phones for a very long time. If there is cell service left.
I love all of this! Great observations, Franklin. They all resonate deeply as important and true. I'm happy hear you're all safe, and even better for the experience.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I wish the things you shared would be on National News! These are the stories we need to hear! Very important thoughts! 🙏😁
Oh yeah! You've had quite an experience! I live on the east coast in hurricane alley so I completely understand! Me and my husband lived through both hurricane Fran and hurricane Floyd! Floyd was terrible with flooding just like in Western North Carolina with helene! Many places in my town where I live never recovered from hurricane Floyd! Me and my husband were without power for 2 weeks! We had to get bottled water because we had well water and with no electricity the well pump wouldn't work and if the well pump didn't work, no water!
We had plenty of candles and matches and we rode it out! Lightning candles at night for light! I read books by candlelight! Like people did in ancient times, people reading and writing by candlelight! I know that quiet peacefulness too, without the buzz of electricity, and the night sky is amazing, beautiful, you can see stars for miles, unless the moon is full or close to being full! If the moon is full or close to being full then the moon will light up your surroundings enough to where you can see what's going on around you! We did the same where we lived, during the day we were outside cleaning up broken tree limbs and debris from the storm and hoping and praying that the electricity would be back soon! It's worse with severe flooding because the crews can't get out and mess with electricity until the flood waters recede! Sometimes that can feel like an eternity! My worst hurricane experiences happened before smartphones were invented and before computers were popular! So we were really in the dark and cut off from everything back then until the power came back!
With the internet and my phone I've been keeping up with the damage from both hurricane helene and Milton! The main topics are geoengineering and weather manipulation! People are starting to catch on! I have many questions myself! Come to think about it those hurricanes that my husband and I lived through were probably manipulated, especially hurricane Floyd because a week or so earlier we had to deal with hurricane Dennis sitting just off the coast dumping water inland with heavy rains for a few days! Then hurricane Floyd was on the tail end of hurricane Dennis! The grounds were already saturated from hurricane Dennis so in no time everything was Flooded out! Places Flooded out up to the roof! We don't know how many people died in hurricane Floyd, we never got a clear answer for that! Again, this information was getting covered up! But everyday military helicopters and the national guard were filling up the skies! I almost felt like I was in Vietnam hearing all of those choppers flying around shaking the house and everything!
I remember Floyd. I think it was late August 1999 when I was getting married in Virginia Beach and some of my family didn’t come because they were scared of the hurricane. We were fine here in Coastal Virginia, however. But I remember hearing that towns in NC were flooded out. Then Isabelle hit us in Fall 2003. We had just stocked the garage freezer. Most of that went to waste. 10 days no power in my neighborhood but my sister in law a mile away got power back in two days. Crazy. And with these last two, I’m convinced weather manipulation is a common thing.
Yeah it was bad! Most places rebuild and bounced back! An apartment complex that me and my mother lived in when I was growing up got completely flooded out! It was a 💯 loss! The whole apartment complex was torn down and not rebuilt! That area is a park today with just trees and grass and a sidewalk!
I remember hurricane Isabelle! We got some wind and rain from the outer bands of the storm! We were concerned about it being like Floyd! Yeah I think more and more people are starting to see weather manipulation as a thing! Our government and "powers that shouldn't be" are hiding all kinds of technology from us!
Emanuel Pastreich Independent Candidate for President
https://emanuelprez.substack.com/p/emanuel-on-the-presidential-campaign/comments
All War is Evil. No More War.
Stop Paying these Monsters Income Taxes
Stop Paying for WAR.
Stop paying for Scientific Fraud. Stop Trusting Government's.
💜
I love these observations. Thanks for sharing!
Your idea for breaks from power has merit. I am currently experimenting with phone-less intervals ... short, but getting longer, with the goal to be eventually free.
You and your readers might enjoy a sort of related piece I wrote on going without government ... I call it Anarchy Hour ...
https://open.substack.com/pub/doc115/p/anarchy-hour?r=18tk5o&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks for the glimpse into 3 days of normal, Franklin. You just described what I like to call the essence and beauty of The Good Help Network!
Well done, friend.
~~ j ~~
Thank you for sharing your experience during Milton, Franklin. I am glad you and your family made it thru the storm safely. Thank you for discussing how peaceful it is with no electricity. We do not realize how intrusive technology is until it’s gone. I like your idea of a weekend a month without electricity and I think our overall mental swellness would greatly improve along with our health. We had a friend from Florida staying with us who extended their stay because of the storm and I had a chance to share with her how these storms were being generated and steered. It’s interesting to watch someone be forced to deal with topics they purposely avoid. We live in the mountains of Georgia and Helene ripped through here on its way to devastate North Carolina wiping entire communities off the map. We had a few trees fall and a portion of the barn roof come off but all in all we got lucky. No one was hurt and considering how bad NC was hit we were quite lucky. The river swelled and flooded part of the yard but never got to the house. It was close but the rains stopped in time. The shape of the river was changed because of the rushing waters and we ended up with two nice swimming spots that were carved deeper, which is nice. I too noticed how neighbors were all outside after the storm because they all ended up at our house. It was nice to see how everyone cared but we couldn’t get any work done. We had animals trapped in the barn and needed to focus on work instead of chatting with constant drop ins so we closed our gate Saturday. Without the constant interruptions we were able to free the animals and remove the section of the roof that fell in the pig pen blocking their door. Even though it was frustrating to have all the interruptions, I am happy to live in a community where people care about their neighbors. One couple even brought us food so I didn’t have to cook while cleaning up the mess. Technology definitely has robbed us of our human kindness and connection. Sometimes I find myself wishing we could have a break from it all. Between the noise of electricity and the distractedness of people glued to their phone it’s nice to get a break once and a while. Also… fun fact. I grew up in Central Florida and lived there for most of my life. I went to Polk City Elementary, Aburndale Middle School, and Lakeland High School. I lived in Lakeland as an adult where I worked at LRMC (as did most of my family) before moving to Tampa where we lived until moving up to the mountains of Georgia (tucked between North and South Carolina) 20 years ago. Small world indeed!