After some years of experience with weather on a Pacific Northwest island, I can definitely say that my favorite kind of weather–as long as it doesn’t go on for too long–is sweeping storms with gale-force winds that make many trees on the island fall over, blocking roads and breaking powerlines island-wide.

Life is turned upside down. The power is out. Stuff isn’t working properly.

Everything relaxes as people worry about bigger issues, like keeping warm and having food.

I don’t mind, because:

• I have some hefty UPS’s that will keep various computers running if necessary.
• And of course every laptop has its own battery. They’re Macs, so it takes a while for them to run down–and I know how to preserve the energy.
• My iPod Nano will (and has) run for over 24 hours.
• My extremely bright Everest book light doubles as a task lamp for mind-mapping and reading.
• Now there’s an extremely good excuse for staying in bed (warmth).

Notice that I don’t have to worry overly much about warmth and food. Gas is a lovely thing.

I admit that a power outage has to go on for a long time in order for the ferry terminal to get wedged, since that huge generator takes a week to run into the ground. If I could get through it comfortably I wouldn’t mind being stranded.

Yes, I get an aggressive isolation desire sometimes. Usually it ebbs and flows with work.

No trees fell over across powerlines last night. Sigh.

Back to bed and sleep because I just want to do that. If the weather can’t decide to be blustery and raining, or cloudy and quiet, or sunny, I’m not gonna decide on anything else either.