Winter on the gulf islands

It's not that we are slow to learn or that we can't acquire the skills that other Canadians have (some of us have been there done that and that's why we are here now). It's simply that we don't have as much time to practice as the rest of you. Add to that the fact that nothing here is designed for snow. And snow we have been getting: tons and tons.
The cause: it snowed last Sunday
The effect
Power: I woke up on Monday to the oven clock blinking "12:10". Clearly, the power had gone out. We had stayed up until 11:30 pm playing Rock Band so I calculated that the power had been out for about a half hour in our household. We were the lucky few. Others on the island didn't get their power back until late Monday night. (Actually, CBC radio just informed me that the power is still out for some of my neighbours both on Mayne Island and Galiano.)
Internet: Also Monday, Hubby informed me that our internet connection had been shivered. I tried it and sure enough he was right. Why did I doubt him? So we lived our day without access and survived.
Telephone: Today we woke to the ceaseless ring of the phone. No pleasant ring, ring, ring. No this was a r-i-n-g!!! It was a strange sound. The reason for its sounding we know not. There was no one on the other end. The line was dead. We speculated that the line was down. Possibly the weight of the snow was just too heavy for that fragile wire. We unplugged the phone and there was sweet silent. We are now phoneless (except, of course for Hubby's cell phone - I don't have a cell phone nor do I plan on acquiring one. Call me a rebel.) Its either a blood curdling ring or peace - which would you choose?
Apparently, we are due for another dump today. And the fight continues.
Stay warm,
Leanne