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February 19, 2021
The View From Dry Creek Hill
Charles Prokop
www.DryCreekHill.com
I was looking at the online edition of the Kerrville paper a few minutes ago, reading story after story about problems this cold, snowy weather has caused. When I looked out my window to give my eyes a break I saw a beautiful scene. Huge snowflakes were drifting down, slowly covering the ground and trees. A flock of sparrows flew across, probably on the way to our bird feeders in the front yard. The view across the valley was as rare as it was beautiful.
It’s hard to know what to make of weeks like this. Power grid problems and what looks like ERCOT’s failure to anticipate and prepare deserve all the criticism and attention they will certainly get. I won’t spend time pointing out the ripple effects of ERCOT’s decisions because we all know what they are.
I’ve been just as impressed by how BEC has handled the situation as I’ve been disgusted by ERCOT. I can’t imagine working to restore service in this weather while responding to ERCOT demands for blackouts that will hit people you know, your friends and neighbors. Once again, I count myself lucky to live here. The friends I’ve checked in with have all had their challenges to deal with but that’s what they have done: they’ve dealt with it and got on with life and skipped the needless drama seen in so many other places.
I know we’ve been blessed up here on the Hill. It’s been a pain to keep the faucets dripping, stay warm, prepare for rolling blackouts, keep the birds fed, and deal with all the disruptions of this week. But we’re hanging in there. We were stocked up pretty well in case COVID restrictions ramped up again and we’ve fallen back on that supply to get us through.
And while we’re hanging in, we’re trying to remember to appreciate the world around us. It’d be a shame to miss what’s happening outside and drive our blood pressure up stewing about problems we can’t control. We’ll need normal blood pressure when we go out for a closer look at this second snowfall. We haven’t seen anything like it up here before and may never see it again. It’s a beautiful sight.
It’s hard to know what to make of weeks like this. Power grid problems and what looks like ERCOT’s failure to anticipate and prepare deserve all the criticism and attention they will certainly get. I won’t spend time pointing out the ripple effects of ERCOT’s decisions because we all know what they are.
I’ve been just as impressed by how BEC has handled the situation as I’ve been disgusted by ERCOT. I can’t imagine working to restore service in this weather while responding to ERCOT demands for blackouts that will hit people you know, your friends and neighbors. Once again, I count myself lucky to live here. The friends I’ve checked in with have all had their challenges to deal with but that’s what they have done: they’ve dealt with it and got on with life and skipped the needless drama seen in so many other places.
I know we’ve been blessed up here on the Hill. It’s been a pain to keep the faucets dripping, stay warm, prepare for rolling blackouts, keep the birds fed, and deal with all the disruptions of this week. But we’re hanging in there. We were stocked up pretty well in case COVID restrictions ramped up again and we’ve fallen back on that supply to get us through.
And while we’re hanging in, we’re trying to remember to appreciate the world around us. It’d be a shame to miss what’s happening outside and drive our blood pressure up stewing about problems we can’t control. We’ll need normal blood pressure when we go out for a closer look at this second snowfall. We haven’t seen anything like it up here before and may never see it again. It’s a beautiful sight.