Like it or not, winter is coming. I spent the weekend starting the "get ready" rituals in order to survive the winter snows and cold. I checked the heater tape on the incoming water line and plugged 'er in...check. Plugged in the other heater tape that keeps my grey/black water tanks and outgoing line from freezing up...check. Took the 'side tarp' out of storage that goes on the side wall of my front porch (snow blows in something awful right there) layed it out on the lawn and hosed it down to clean it...check. Got out the ladder and bungied the tarp to the side of the porch...check. Re-arranged everything on the porch, put away summer things laying around, did an all-around cleanup...check. Cleaned out the little greenhouse of all the dead plants (it's been hitting 30 degrees at night lately, lost most everything) ...check. Took down the outer covering of the greenhouse...check. Moved the little greenhouse (it's around 3' x 4' x 6') over to its resting place for the winter...check. Took down all the garden decor bits and bobs and packed them away for the winter...check. Put most of the rakes, shovels, my weed whacker, etc. into their storage thing for the winter...check. Made sure the snow shovels and roof-raker were on the porch...check. Put the garbage can out to the front of the road (keep it back by the house in summer, can't move it in the winter) so the garbage truck can pick it up each week...check. Took all the throw rugs out of storage, shook them out and hung them up to freshen to use inside to help keep the floor warmer...check. It's been a back-breaking weekend my friends, but has to be done. I live on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains Range here in Oregon, and we get hammered with snow...has something to do with the topography of it all.
Well, wish me luck...I'll need it. Just hoping I don't come down with bronchitis again this winter. That was worse than dealing with the snow!