This will be the winter to remember.  5 days over Christmas spent feeding cows, adding fuel to the way-too-small generator, going to town for gas for the way-to-inefiicient generator, and waiting for power to be restored.  Michigan made the National news I don't know how many times, with interviews right in Lansing, East Lansing and Charlotte.

The worst ice storm we have had in ages. 

The only consolation was that we could watch TV, had lights, refrigerator and heat (although I can't remember when we missed the shower so much- our little portable generator can't handle the electric hot water heater).  Have a gas stove, but the safety features on the oven don't allow us to start that with a match;  but we could light the burners manually, so at least we could boil water.  That came in handy when we had guests arrive for dinner Christmas Eve. (no complaints with UPS from us!)

We had already lost power for 4 days in November, so while I luxuriated in the Hilton Garden Hotel in Louisville during the NAILE Highland Show, Larry stayed home to run the damn generator.  We finally decided to install a 20kw standby generator, but unfortunately, we were just a little late in getting it in. It sat on its lovely gravel bed, hooked to the LP tank, full capable of running, but not of connecting, to our may-pole.  That had to wait until all the emergency calls for our electrician were handled and he could get back to our job.  Missed being hooked up by about 6 hours.  That has since been remedied and  we have just ensured the neighborhood that we won't suffer through another severe power outage for decades.