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Readying for winter

October 29th, 2007 at 09:27 pm

We have been getting ready for winter. We have had several heavy frosts, but I did manage to pick the last of beans, okra and green tomatoes before the frost hit.

The last of the hay has been cut and is in the barn for this farm, yet we still need to go over to the other farm and bring the big bales over to this one.

I brought back 2 loads of firewood so far, from my house that I rent. (I have about 1 load left) Right now it is vacant, as we have been doing some painting and such to it. If I leave the firewood there, it will just get stolen. I have set up the wood holder on one of the porches and filled it. I started making firestarters last week (I save our TP cardboard tubes and fill them with dryer lint)

I located the box of rugs from the basement, and moved it for easier access. In about another week we will be ready to put them down on the kitchen, diningroom and bathroom floors. They are hardwood and our feet will feel the cold thru them.

I have had all the girls try on their winter coats. I have 2 coats I will need to donate as they fit last winter, but not this winter.

The propane tank has been filled, and I got birdfeed.

We plan on butchering a steer as soon as deer season ends, so we are eating down the deepfreezes to make room.

We are stocked up on candles and kerosene. I also bought my "winter supply" of tea, cocoa mix, powdered milk sand and ice melt.

So, what do the rest of you do to prepare for winter??

4 Responses to “Readying for winter”

  1. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1193694795

    I have to put up my window insulation, a new thing this year. I have to reattach a heat duct closure for our empty bedroom. Have to switch out some of my summer clothes for winter ones. I have two quilts to launder, as I have used them all summer due to some metabolic problem causing me to be freezing for the last two years. I washed the king size quilt and hung it on the line, but it surely will not get dry today. Have to mow the lawn short sometime in November. Will probably sow clover in the lawn. No rush on that, I just want to do it before I forget all about garden type chores. OMG, and I keep forgetting to repair the broken windows in the garage, dang it! I should not even be online with the wind blowing the curtains out of those windows.

  2. Dido Says:
    1193698935

    I pulled down the storm windows, pulled the tomato plants, and dug out the rugs so far. Next weekend I'll mow the lawn once last time and put the lawn mower and hose down in the basement (and turn off the water to the outside)--but other than that, I'm looking forward to hearing what people say, as I'm a native Californian living on the East Coast. I've been out here for a while, but only for two years as a home owner, so I rather suspect there are things I should do that I don't know about.

  3. Somerlyn Says:
    1193748597

    We need to keep raking, mow the lawn a few more times, cut a few branches off the bushes, bring in the hoses, shut off the water, bring in the deck furniture and cover the air conditioner, winterize the lawn tactor and ready the snow blower. I also lay out the mice traps around the basement. My gardens are already for the winter at least until the first hard freeze, then cover my plants.

  4. fern Says:
    1193774096

    Ahh, yes, it's time for the Laying of the Mousetraps in the basement . Smile
    Also:

    * draining the garden hoses
    * putting away any outdoor items that don't need to sit in snow
    * finally got a storm door glass insert fixed; it had come loose from the frame and as a result didn't fit into the door anymore. $30 well spent.
    * i washed most of my windows, inside and out, and took out the screens on those windows i use often for bird watching as the view is best sans screen
    * picked up my 1st of many 40 lb bag of black oil sunflower
    * relocated 2 tubed bird feeders and 2 suet feeders from their summer location (in front of screened porch) to their winter location, where i can view them better from my birdwatching station from upstairs spare bedroom. I've been monitoring local songbird population and species diversity for Cornell ornthology lab for about 12 years now. It's one of my few winter time activites i look forward to.
    * Many leaves still on the trees so a lot more raking in weeks to come; days to short to do after work so all must wait for the weekends.
    * have moved assorted garden sprays and such from basement, which gets too cold, to the warmer basement.
    * Have to see if i can disconnect the battery charger from my battery lawnmower for the winter.
    * have tidied up the garage so i can fit my car in there again
    * have scheduled oil furnace tune-up and chimney sweep
    * need to put down pine needle mulch over my strawberries after a hard frost (we've had a few frosts already but they were sort of borderline i think)
    * want to get the car oil changed with winter time oil
    * extra blankets and flannel sheets already on the bed! (cat puked her breakfast all over them, so had to change them this a.m.)
    * I should oil my garden tools and shovels to protect from rust, tho i have yet to ever do this

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