Oh the weather

So today our high will be 65 degrees. Crazy, when you consider our high of 22 on last Friday with inches of snow on the ground. Of course the animals are loving it.
Is it just me or has the weather just been nuts over the last five years or so? Granted, weather plays a huge role in our lives now so it could be just a heightened awareness. Who knows?
Regardless, I have been thinking a lot about emergency preparedness in the event of a winter storm. Not to the point of paranoia mind you, just trying to be safe rather than sorry. For example, last year we had an ice storm before Christmas that caused numerous power outages in outlying towns. We were spared, but prepared for the worst. We gathered buckets of water, stocked the wood in the house, laid out candles, filled the hurricane lamps, etc. That storm made me realize that we may have need for more in the way of back up. We have numerous animals outside who require water. We are on a well, therefor when the power goes out, so does the plumbing. It is not reasonable to store enough water for drinking, cleaning, and flushing. Additionally, we use heat-dishes to keep the water from freezing. More power required.
After much deliberation and research, I purchased a portable generator for emergency back-up power. Our favorite electrician is in the process of getting us wired for business. He has already created a sub-panel off of our main box that contains the switches for our desired emergency electrical needs: furnace, well pump, refrigerator, chicken and duck coops, sheep barn, etc. There will be a master transfer switch installed that will be used in the event of an outage. This switch routes all listed appliances to the generator and basically prevents utility workers from being killed in the event the utility power comes back on, as well as not blow our panel to smithereens should power be restored. The switch is critical. And should be professionally installed.
In case you are interested, I chose to purchase the Champion 7500 Watt gasoline powered portable generator. Based on my research this brand has an excellent customer service rating as well as performance.
Overall I am happy with the decision. It's not cheap but it is hard to put a price on peace of mind.

Cheers
Nora