Power outages in Sonoma County are apparently becoming a regular thing and will inevitably happen again. I know from experience that these planned power outages are extremely inconvenient and frustrating. What do you do? How do you find the silver lining? Well, after you’ve prepared – flashlights, back-up batteries, water bottles – try these few tips and tricks to help forget about what’s going on, even if just for a couple hours.
Get out to a park or beach
A great option for getting through an outage is to just get out of the house. In this day and age of technology we often forget that a whole world exists away from our phones and computers. Why not take advantage of the networks being down and reconnect with the world? Visit Goat Rock Beach or Crane Creek Park, or any one of the beautiful natural parks in Sonoma County. Take a walk, bring a blanket, and enjoy the views, and the best part is, they don’t operate on electricity, which means unlimited fun.
Stargaze
If anything good comes from a power outage, it is less light pollution. Take advantage of this rare opportunity and go out and see the stars, whether you’re sitting in a park or in your backyard. Robert Ferguson Observatory has lots of events you can take part in, so when you’ve exhausted your book or movie during the day, you can go to the observatory and take part in one of their night classes. They teach you a little about the topic of the day and open their telescopes for you to use.
Books Don’t Need Batteries
Go to your favorite bookstore (Copperfield’s anyone?) and stock up on reading material. There are great local bookstores all over Sonoma County. If you’re in Santa Rosa, try Tree Horn Books. They’re a great used bookstore, and they have lots of great options. Once you’re laden with literature grab your favorite candles and stay in for a read-a-thon. Or, grab some boardgames, cards, and some friends (and maybe some wine?) and make it a fun night of competition and bonding.
No one likes to be without power, and with the frequency of these shut offs, the monotony of doing the same things over and over will make this ordeal harder. Try something new, get outside for a few hours, and make the best of the moment. It won’t last forever, and once the power is back you’ll feel better.
