We are about to endure

a day without power. There was a bright fluorescent orange message left in the letter box to inform us that the power would be out from 8:30am. Apparently there is a need to replace something in the area. Yes, maintenance needs to be done.
Our electricity supply comes via overhead lines atop poles known as "stobie" poles. Stobie was actually an individual who designed the concrete and steel poles. His sister was once a neighbour to my maternal grandparents. We never met Mr Stobie and his sister kept very quiet about the connection. Yes, the poles are ugly and cars come off worst when they run into them.
       "So, what will you do all day?" someone asked me when I told them we would be without power, "It means you can't have a Melbourne Cup lunch!"
The lack of a lunch to "celebrate" Australia's most famous horse race bothers me not at all. I have absolutely no interest in horse racing - although I did read the Dick Francis novels.
The Senior Cat just shrugged. He will spend the day pottering in the garden instead of working on the job he is doing for a neighbour.
I cannot do some regular work but I have warned two people they may have to wait until this evening. I am going off to do some other research instead - research in actual physical books that do not require anything more than daylight to read them by.
But even if we could not do those things there would be plenty we could do. The Senior Cat is never bored. He still reads a lot. If it gets too warm outside he will come in and continue working on a couple of projects involving paper, scissors, glue and the like. 
If I get home in time I will hunt for the book I have promised the Virtual Quilter. (It is, of course, not where I thought it was.) I will perhaps do some more sorting and tossing out while cooking lunch.
Oh yes, I can still do that because we have a gas cooktop. It is on days like this I am particularly thankful for the alternative power of gas.
I can read up some material for a lecture - and make notes the old fashioned way.
I will not, like the mother of the Little Drummer Boy, be anxious because my child (the younger brother of LDB) cannot watch his favourite television programme in the morning.
I wonder how many people will feel anxious without power for a day? How many of them will feel lost without television, radio, perhaps no means to make a cup of tea, internet access and the like?
I know we are terribly dependent on power, perhaps much too dependent. Wipe out the power supply to a community here and it would not be merely inconvenient but dangerous.
But, as the Senior Cat reminded me, we once lived without power. There was no power or running water when we first moved to one place. The water supply came on quite quickly - although the water itself was undrinkable and rainwater was a very precious commodity. The power took much longer and when it did it was generated in a tiny shed next to the garage. It was an uncertain supply. The battery storage would fail sometimes. We managed to live without it when we had to. It will be the same today.