Cast into the dark ages

We were without power this morning. Plunged into the dark ages. Not really. Seriously the electricity was out, but it was a bright day, although a bit rainy. So there was this interesting movement from the convenience of electricity to the practicality of gas. Tea wasn’t instantly created by using water from the hot pot, but we practiced patience while waiting for (and not watching for) water to boil on the stove. The housekeepers built a fire in the fireplace to warm the common room while they folded sheets and linens. There was no panic, well maybe a little, when several of us realized our “bed head” was worse than anticipated and there was no gas powered straighteners available. But hats quickly covered that situation. There was no option of not working or adapting. With or without power we had to make the house ready for guests that we are expecting. So here on a remote island off the west coast of Scotland, in the shadow of a Medieval Abbey, we prepared for guests without electricity, but plenty of power. There was a sense of unreal reality to the situation. And there was no cheer at 10:30 a.m. when power was restored, we simply continued the day. About an hour later one of the housekeepers came into the kitchen and asked, “when did we get power back?” This was a (cold) thin place