[Dixielandjazz] Gone with the Wind - almost!

[Don Ingle]

Your Far North resident of the big pines of Nothern Michigan is happy to 
be back on line.
Outside of aching in places best left undescribed from lugging in loads 
of firewood to heat the wood stove, and feeling the looks of other 
locals who recognize the lack of soap and water to wash away the soot 
and sweat for lack of running water, the Ingles are still alive and 
happy to say that the recent wind storms that left us without power to 
run our furnace, well, stove, lights, flush john - and worse of all, 
CD/DVD players are over.
After two days of night time lows in the below freeing mark, heating a 
can of something (not sure what by the light of a candle) for a meal on 
the top of the woodburner, and damn near running out of any decent 
single malt, the power was restored after 49 hours, two butt- freezing 
nights, and a firewood hualing back that says this pioneer lifestyle was 
great when I was forty but at just shy of 80 ain't what it used to be.
A large oak at neighbor's house down the block was struck by the force 
of a 75 mph wind and broke off, taking down the power line that served 
our  street. For that neighbor it was worse, the tree falling atop his 
new snazzy sports sedan and making a metallic flapjack out of it.
We just lost one strip of siding trim from our humble abode.
Well, you might say, what does this have to do with OKOM. Simple - the 
events reminded me of a great song, thanks to Mr. Mel Torme. "GONE WITH 
THE WIND."
Add to that "Singing in the Rain (shower)."  "Baby it's Cold Outside," 
"Old Folks," and
"That's All..." at least we certainly hope so.
Hope all our fellow listees who heard the howling winds in their 
neighborhood fared well and safely.
Every so often God sends these little reminders - "I'm still here!"
Thank you Lord, so are we.
Don Ingle