# Ice storm!



## Sticky (Dec 23, 2013)

Maine is being pounded by an icestorm! Some of the trees I can see from my windows are bent down by the weight of the ice. Afew are broken.

We lost our power from 7:00 pm to 5:55 this morning. Im limited on what I can do to help my mantids and frogs. If I had enough for all I could put them all in 32 oz cups and keep them all warm under my covers with me but I dont. Any thoughts?

I did take a favorite mantis and my new frog Freddy into my bed in seperate cups. We all were snug. If worst comes to worst I will pack up everyone and try to get to my dads in Blue Hill. He has a woodstove there in the kitchen. Poor Freddy, this is the welcome he gets to his new home!


----------



## patrickfraser (Dec 23, 2013)

oh no!  My only suggestion is deli cups in drawers with heat packs if you have them.


----------



## Termite48 (Dec 23, 2013)

Hot water in baggies?


----------



## Sticky (Dec 23, 2013)

I went to walmart and in the hunting/fishing area I found a package of 10 handwarmers! Yay! Then I went to housewares and got 3 packs of deep dish gladware things. Then I found some bottled water in a two dozen set. I will fill them with hot water to put in my exoterra 18-18-24 then cover with a blanket. The mantids I will put in the glad containers and take them to bed and share my heat as well as use afew of the heatpacks. We are all set!


----------



## Extrememantid (Dec 23, 2013)

Phew! Good luck and glad everything is alright


----------



## Sticky (Dec 23, 2013)

Thanks Extrememantid. My power went out about 1:30 this afternoon and came on again 6:25. I so hope it stays on! But Im sure it wont. Its still raining! Uhg! It will be sunny on Christmas day.


----------



## Rick (Dec 24, 2013)

Sounds like no fun. This past weekend we had temps in the 80's.


----------



## devetaki9 (Dec 24, 2013)

Omg I take my elderly ones to bed with me in their last days  I am looking at 150 babies, a day gecko and a tree frog and praying I don't lose power... I think we would all fit under the covers in seperate cups though!!!


----------



## Extrememantid (Dec 24, 2013)

Sticky said:


> Thanks Extrememantid. My power went out about 1:30 this afternoon and came on again 6:25. I so hope it stays on! But Im sure it wont. Its still raining! Uhg! It will be sunny on Christmas day.


Did the power stay? Hopefully that was the worst of it and that you guys can enjoy your Christmas..  happy holidays

-Cole


----------



## Sticky (Dec 25, 2013)

Extrememantid said:


> Did the power stay? Hopefully that was the worst of it and that you guys can enjoy your Christmas..  happy holidays
> 
> -Cole


No! Later on it went out after dark. I felt that was going to happen so I kept my lamp near. That night was not too bad, ;it was about 30 out. The next day it started at 30 but fell during the day. The rain did not stop and I could hear trees cracking and crashes of the branches coming down. A man nearly got hit by a branch from my ash tree! It missed him by inches only because he jumped the right way! He was delivering a special tank of oxygen to my elderly lady neighbor. Well, I wrapped my exoterra in a couple of blankets and used handwarmers in it. It helped, everyone in it survived. All the others, 6 frogs 1whites tree frog, a pacman, and 4 firebelly toads, each kind in its own container. The firebellies all together in one. And, 9 mantids each in thier own container. I took ALL of them into my bed and I played heat pack and kept them all warm.

What a job that was!I hope we dont have to do it again but I will if needbe. We spent the night under 4 blankets. Good thing it is a full size!

Then! The sun came up in a clear sky! I put acouple of heat packs in my bed for everyone to stay warm and went for a short drive in my car to get gas and try to find a wifi signal in town. I had our classical radio station on and WOW! The incredible beauty of the icy crystal trees in the morning sun and the choirs sing songs like Hark the Harold hyms was so moving! This is what makes putting up with the cold and misery worthwhile!! I am very grateful for all the wonderful things I received this day, the beauty only an icestorm can create, the music and................ The heat! It came back on after I just packed up my pets and warmed them in the car for the ride to my dad's house in Blue Hill. I was talking to my neighbor before leaving and bammo! The lights came on! Her grandson and I did some cheering. Now we are warm and well.


----------



## sally (Dec 25, 2013)

I am glad you are all fine and warm now


----------



## Extrememantid (Dec 30, 2013)

Yay.. Glad your doing better and everyone is Alive and warm again


----------



## Sticky (Dec 30, 2013)

Thanks! The only death was my elderly male ghost mantis. The male I have left is an oddity, he has no crest! Im grateful we all pulled through. Tomorrow Im going shopping for heat packs for the mantids and frogs and batteries for my crummy radio and my lamp. A radio helps alot.

Maybe if I buy those things we wont lose our power again? If we do We'll be fine.


----------



## Extrememantid (Dec 30, 2013)

Sticky said:


> Thanks! The only death was my elderly male ghost mantis. The male I have left is an oddity, he has no crest! Im grateful we all pulled through. Tomorrow Im going shopping for heat packs for the mantids and frogs and batteries for my crummy radio and my lamp. A radio helps alot.
> 
> Maybe if I buy those things we wont lose our power again? If we do We'll be fine.


Awe that sucks that he died.. And no crest? Lol well hopefully it doesn't happen again


----------



## Sticky (Dec 31, 2013)

I think hes pretty neat though strange looking. He thinks he's a great actor when he plays dead! I go along with it, saying "oh look! the poor little man died! Oh how sad!" I dont want to hurt his little mantis feelings!


----------



## Extrememantid (Dec 31, 2013)

Sticky said:


> I think hes pretty neat though strange looking. He thinks he's a great actor when he plays dead! I go along with it, saying "oh look! the poor little man died! Oh how sad!" I dont want to hurt his little mantis feelings!


Lol that's funny..  I haven't seen a mantid play dead yet.. But when I get some ghosts I might


----------



## devetaki9 (Jan 13, 2014)

I've had some Chinese do it lol. Scared the heck out of me  they act like they are sticks sometimes and I just kiss them and they turn and look like, really?? I'm a stick... Go away ^.*


----------



## Sticky (Jan 13, 2014)

We've had wonderful warm temps the past few days. All in the mid to upper forties. I know it wont last but I hope it lasts long enough, I have nymphs coming this week.


----------



## Extrememantid (Jan 13, 2014)

Sticky said:


> We've had wonderful warm temps the past few days. All in the mid to upper forties. I know it wont last but I hope it lasts long enough, I have nymphs coming this week.


We have had warm temps too


----------



## Sticky (Jan 14, 2014)

It looks like most of the cold areas got the warm up. I know some northern places are getting snow, better than ice! I look out my windows and see alot of melted down ice and snow and......green grass! Im amazed its still green. Normally in the past its brown.


----------



## hibiscusmile (Jan 14, 2014)

Missed the topic, glad to see u stopped an smelled the roses! Can't imagine taking all of them to bed with me, but if it works, great!


----------



## Sticky (Jan 15, 2014)

Thanks Hibiscusmile. I cant help but be awed by the beauty. Now all the ice on the trees is gone, most of our trees are upright or are on thier way.

I will do what ever it takes to saving my pets! Even if I have to play heatpack.


----------

