I woke up in the dark, noticed it was just after 3 a.m. on Friday, and went back to sleep. Two hours later I awoke once more, but this time, the clock was dark. I groaned, because power failures happen all too often in Maine. Usually the power is returned in a few hours, making it little more than an inconvenience for most people. I suppose that's why, unlike other areas of the country where we've lived, Maine never seems to do anything to keep it from recurring.

This was different. It was a significant ice storm that had knocked out power from Pennsylvania to Maine. Hundreds of thousands were without power, and many, especially in New Hampshire and southern Maine, are still without power as I write this on Sunday, December 14.

It was odd to wake up to the Friday newspaper, bragging about how well-prepared Maine was for the storm, and how there were only a few minor incidents. It points up the inherent delays in print media - I'm sure that was all there was when they went to press, but the real story came later. By the time Saturday's paper arrived, the headline was about the over 220,000 without power and how this was the worst ice storm since 1998. They never missed a beat.

On the home front, we were expecting several rooms full of people for the weekend, but couldn't do much to prepare. When the rain/sleet/ice let up, I went out and chopped up enough of the ice on the drive so people would be able to walk to the house without falling. Then I tried to reach some of the guests by phone to warn them, in case they wanted to stay home.

I was only able to reach one couple, who were themselves without power in New Hampshire. They decided to wait and come Saturday.

Another couple, from Northern Ireland, arrived, and decided to go to L.L. Bean to shop and see if the power returned. When they returned there was no power, and we had received a call saying it was not likely to be on for at least 24 hours. They decided to leave, and as I was heading for the phone to see if I could find them a room, the power came on!

We collectively held our breath, as it flickered on and off several times, finally staying on. They decided to stay. Another couple arrived a bit later, unaware that there had ever been a problem (until we told them).

We were grateful that the power did stay on through the night (it was getting very cold and dark before the power returned!), and the other guests arrived Saturday to a warm and lighted house.

Many are still without power, and it is still very, very cold. It was 9 degrees F when I wrote this Sunday morning. We're praying for a speedy return of power and for protection from the cold until that time.