Fog and power (failure)

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We awoke on Sunday 7th to “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. The mist was real and deep and enveloped sleeping Provo. Keats’ poem is about autumn but our "mellow" came from the glowing golden emergency lighting along the MTC walkways-visibly dominant because of the power failure! Provo power went out in the middle of the night and came back and then went out again at 5:30 and is still out as I write this. I went for a walk in the 'misty, moisty morning' and walked past the MTCs giant generator roaring and puffing diesel fumes as it kept emergency lighting and heating going. All of Provo visible from the MTC was in darkness and mists, with occasional cars snaking through the fog along Ninth East. About an hour later the kitchen generator kicked in--presumably to keep the freezers cool. Very romantic and moodily evocative--but not useful for sabbath day meetings.

Louise and I got dressed and walked up to the information desk to get an update and arrived there at the same time as the Senior Missionary Branch President. After a brief chat we went and knocked on all the SM doors and notified everyone of plan B, which was to combine the SMs in with an Asian ward of young missionaries in a classroom where the emergency lighting reflecting off the darkened chandeliers made everyone look shadowy and solemn, but was bright enough for us to have a testimony meeting. The lights came on about noon and the rest of the MTC's busy schedule of Sunday devotionals went on as planned. Fortunately, being a fast Sunday, there was no problem with meal preparation. Sunday dinner happened on schedule.


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