August 14, 2003
Dusty checks out the latest news on CBC radio, on her handy battery-powered transistor radio.
We spent much of the evening on the front stoop.
11:30 p.m.
Our power came on about a half-hour ago. First thing I did was turn on the lights, then I put on water for tea, then I started supper.
As glad as I am to have power, I felt a twinge of sadness when I felt my house rumble to life. Dusty and I spent hours wandering the streets, watching the crowds. After darkness fell, we crept through our pitch-black neighbourhood and sat in the park looking at the stars.
Everywhere, we could hear (but not see) other people walking and talking. Sometimes they carried candles. People gathered on their patios and front porches in candlelight. We could hear laughter and the clink of glasses as we passed by. A voice from a nearby front stoop commented that it was eerie hearing people pass. Spontaneously, I turned on my flashlight and held it below my face. I made a scary face and said "BOO!" There was a moment of silence, then laughter.
Dusty was frightened by the dark and by the shifting shapes and shadows. Headlights seemed blinding in the utter darkness. People with flashlights looked spooky - strange dogs appeared out of nowhere. In the park, she barked frantically at a group of teenagers playing cards by flashlight. She valiently protected me from the long shadows cast by headlights. I think she was relieved to return home.
I went back out on my own - it was such a unique opportunity that I wanted to take advantage of it. The streets were as dark as the forest in Algonquin park. The stars shone brightly above the roofs of houses - they were stunning. I couldn't take my eyes away from the sky. My neck started to cramp after awhile.
I had so many 'wow' moments. "Wow! Look at the people lined up at the payphones!" and "Wow! Look at how packed the sidewalks are!" and "Wow! Look at the streetcar, marooned in the middle of the street!" As I walked thorugh the dark, I couldn't quite believe that I was strolling down Bloor Street and gazing upwards to catch glimpse of the Milky Way.