Cold comfort; Ice storm brought out the best in (most) people.

COLUMN: IN OUR OPINION

We New Englanders like to think of ourselves as a hearty, unflappable breed that thrives on adversity, and the ice storm that knocked out electricity to hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts households showed that self-assessment is mostly true.

Forget about the store manager who marked up a $400 generator to $2,000. And never mind the oaf in the pickup truck who blasted the horn when the driver ahead prudently stopped before crossing a busy intersection with nonfunctioning traffic lights.

Far more typical were folks who cheerfully made do and extended a helping hand to friends and neighbors when they could. Some random observations:

There's nothing like a few days of electricity-free living to make one appreciate on-and-off lighting, central heating and hot-and-cold running water (or any water that hasn't been fetched through a hole in the lake ice).

The storm blacked out much of north Central Massachusetts on Friday, but round-the-clock efforts by utility and public works crews have restored power to many neighborhoods. How to spot the areas back on the grid? Look for the driveways jammed with the vehicles of relatives, neighbors and friends bunking in with the fortunate, electrified few.

Convoys of utility-company vehicles have been arriving in Central New England from as far away as Pennsylvania and Indiana. To the power-deprived, they are a sight as heartening as, in "those thrilling days of yester-year," was the appearance of the Lone Ranger and Tonto charging the rescue of hapless pioneers waylaid by the Cavendish gang.

A power outage has its own, unmistakable soundtrack: The distant thrum of generators. The raucous razz of chain saws as neighbors join to clear debris from driveways and streets. The startling crack of mighty oak trees broken by their icy load.

The storm hurt many businesses, but malls, motels, restaurants and others that have electricity may be reaping a windfall as residents seek temporary refuge from the cold and dark.

Evidently, survival without television, Internet and incessant text messaging is possible, after all. Who knew family gatherings for Scrabble, Parcheesi and gift-wrapping by candlelight could be such pleasant diversions?

Even an extemporized meal of cheese sandwiches grilled on the wood stove can have a certain rustic appeal - at first. But as the days drag on and the house cools relentlessly through the 50s and 40s and 30s, the novelty of camping in wanes quickly.

We New Englanders again have proved our mettle. Feel free to turn the lights back on anytime.