Weathering The Storm People Find That Being Without Modern Conveniences Brings About A New Sense Of Appreciation

As lights blinked to life throughout the North Side this week, neighbors found new meaning in Thanksgiving.

Many said they have discovered fresh appreciation for warmth, light, friends and family.

Schools reopened, snowmen and snow forts popped up on vast white fields. In Indian Trail and other wooded neighborhoods, the buzz of chainsaws became as common as the sounds of car engines or dogs barking.

Neighbors worked together, cutting and moving fallen trees. Piles of neatly stacked logs appear in front yards.

Lynette Thompson was innertubing with her family in Mead Monday, taking a day to celebrate light after a week without.

“I was a vagabond every night,” she said. “I stayed at three different places. “I’m really grateful for people who care … and for friends with warm homes,” said Thompson.

Jon Harms, a Washington Water Power engineer, rejoiced as power was restored to his home near Little Spokane Drive after five days.

“It gave me a clearer understanding of how much our great grandparents did without,” he said.

Normally an office worker, he recently spent days and nights out with the crews, checking lines.

“Who could have predicted a week ago that there would be all this trouble?” he wondered on Monday.

“Some of the crews are working 20 hours on, six hours off and then coming back,” he said. “Some of the linemen have been here a long time. They say this is the worst storm they’ve seen, it’s so wide spread.”

In Colbert, Jim and Karen Schindler’s friends gathered to help them clear fallen trees from their driveway.

“We did it in about three hours. It was a lot of work,” said Jim Schindler. “They didn’t have to do it, we didn’t ask, they offered.”

The Schindlers are on their second week without power. A woodstove warms their house.

“We’ve been invited over to a friend’s house tonight for a dinner and hot shower,” said Jim.

Still, he applauds the Inland Power crews and their effort to restore electricity.

“Those guys are doing a great job,” he said.

“We’re all handling it well. As a group we are extraordinarily lucky.

“Our friends have put themselves out for us. … and that is happening everywhere.”

Roger Schramm, owner of Turf Trimmers, normally closed in winter, reopened last week to help North Side residents clear fallen trees from their yards.

“I don’t like to capitalize on hardship, but I have a trailer and like to help when I can - and make a little extra money at it,” said Schramm.

“I’ve driven by most of my summer customers’ homes. If I see some limbs laying in the yard, I just toss them in my truck and go on my way,” he said.

“I see a lot of neighbors helping other neighbors,” he said. “That’s one of the good things about this: it brings out the best in people.”

Much of Rutter Parkway was without electricity early this week.

In Blue Heron Estates, a secluded cluster of ritzy homes, some neighbors revved generators to warm houses and run wells.

“This is a minor inconvenience,” laughed Clifford Alyea, who arrived from Alaska just in time to spend the ice storm and Thanksgiving with his son’s family.

“Up there we wouldn’t let a puny little storm like this bother us,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo