Little Whale Cove
Depoe Bay, Oregon
January 2024
With regard to our social calendar, January was a little more quiet than last December, but it was not without excitement. We had three power outages, the most severe lasting 52 hours! With outside temps dropping into the low 20s, the house became very cold (49 degrees), but we have a fireplace that isn't simply decorative, but burns actual wood, so we were able to keep the living room somewhat liveable. Our two power stations provided us with back-up energy for the refrigerator and various devices (we were even able to stream a show before our cable went out), but we now know what improvements need to be made, should we experience a similar storm. It's not a question of if, but when.
Meanwhile, I read several books, and while I enjoyed a few quite well, there's only one that might land on my best of 2024 list.
Books Read (click on the title for my review):
The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill (4.5/5)
Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson (4/5)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (3/5)
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer (3.5/5)
In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark (4/5)
Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens (4/5)
Riding the White Horse Home by Teresa Jordan (3/5)
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (4.5/5)
Movies & TV Series (only including those we finished):
Slow Horses (Season 3) - Intense! I held my breath during the last two episodes! So happy to know there's at least one more season coming.
Shetland (Season 8) - It wasn't until the last few episodes that I finally came to care about this storyline. I wonder if there's going to be another season with the same cast...
Reacher (Season 2) - So good, but so unbelievable!
Nyad - I didn't care for Diana Nyad's attitude (superiority complex, selfish, but driven), but Annette Bening gives an outstanding performance. Jodie Foster is also excellent. I have to admit that I got choked up while watching the final scenes.
Vera (Season 7 & 8) - Some of the episodes are pretty convoluted, but I still love this program!
Maestro - I enjoyed the second half of this movie much better than the first half. Bradley Cooper delivers a fine performance, but Carey Mulligan is the star of the film!
Puzzlemania:
First puzzle since last March! Only 500 pieces, so it didn't take us too long.
Survival Test:
As mentioned above, we relied heavily on our emergency supplies during our power outage. Our area got hit with an ice storm, which caused downed trees and power lines. We were lucky to lose power for only 52 hours. Some folks were without power for a full week!
We used this power station to watch an episode of Reacher before we needed to hook it up to our refrigerator. We have since purchased a second Vtoman for our furnace.
The sun came out, but it was still cold outside. Our poor peace lily didn't care for the indoor temps, but bounced back a few days later.
Pretty cozy in front of the fire, but cold everywhere else in the house!
We have a safety committee in our neighborhood, and it was great to get updates about the power situation via our BaoFeng radio.
How was your month? Are you prepared for a natural disaster?
