Icicle Dream Land by Susan L.

  It's freezing rain outside so the power was out this morning for a bit. Once again, the generator came in handy. Nothing can stand in the way of me getting my morning coffee! I've left it set up outside just in case it happens again. I also did the "Be Prepared" thing by getting in some extra gas for it last night.
  Still, it is beautiful and magical out there. Every branch, every twig, every spare bit of grass poking its nose out of the snow is coated with ice. I've experienced history though and know first hand what havoc these storms can bring. Thankfully, the forecasted rain should soon stop.
  Our farm was just on the southwestern most boundary of the ice storm that trashed eastern Canada back in 1998. We were only 63 hours without power. Others had it far worse. Especially Quebec. Some people were weeks without. Lives were lost. Livestock by the thousands had to be slaughtered or died. Large dairy operations and hog operations are utterly dependant on hydro.
   I remember walking up the nearby hill. The sun was shining by this time and everything was stunning beyond words. The whole world as far as we could see was coated in silver and gold. In the distance, we could hear tree after tree crashing down under the weight of its icy mantle. It also pulled down massive hydro pylons. They buckled like matchsticks under the weight of the ice.
  A couple weeks later, we were sitting in the house when the ground shook as though something had exploded. We thought the chimney had collapsed. A quick look outside showed that everything around the house was okay. It was only  during my nightly barn check that the cause was revealed. A slab of ice and packed snow, seven inches thick, twenty-five feet wide and a hundred feet long had slid off the barn roof. It had shattered into pieces when it hit the ground. It was that explosive impact we had heard and felt in the house. Thankfully nothing was standing underneath when it slid loose.
  There are some events you never forget: history in the making.
  "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." Mat 2"2