Preparing for Sandy

As I write this we are in the calm before the storm.  If you live anywhere along the east coast you have surely been inundated with a fair amount of both warnings and hype.  Who knows what will actually happen but I suppose it is better to be ready for what Mother Nature decides to throw at us than to ignore it completely.  Living out in the country I'm pretty sure we'll lose our satellite internet connection and most likely our power.   In preparations, I went out at 8am this morning to buy the following essentials:

1.  batteries for our flashlights and lantern
2. drinking water (6 gallons)
3. matches (to light the stovetop, our furnace and our wood stove)
4. gasoline for our generator to keep our freezer going if the power goes out for more than a couple days

We put away most of the fly-away-ables today (including sporting equipment and political signs), but I will do a last minute check tomorrow morning.  I will also fill up four carboys with water to use for washing dishes and humans if we get to that point.  We will collect the storm water to use for flushing toilets etc.

My main concern is the sheep as they are enclosed in a pasture with electric netting near the barn.   Obviously the netting won't be electrified when the power goes out, and there is a chance that it will blow down with the strong gusts of wind.  We will probably end up locking the sheep up in their stall in the barn Monday night during the most intense parts of the storm.  The horse (if he's as intelligent as we think him to be) will stay in his stall munching on hay, and the chickens, guineas, and pullets will likely remain indoors as well.  I don't worry about the cats as they'll probably find a cozy nook in the hay loft.
 
Regardless of what happens here in Upstate New York, Sandy has already packed a punch to some parts of the world and our country.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been impacted.