Getting Ready for Winter

[Purron]

What are you doing to get ready for winter? For those in warm climates, this could include preparing for the holidays. For example, looking to purchase some holiday themed flip-flops


So far, we've had the chimney cleaned and the heating system checked out. We're also starting to go through our Christmas decorations to see what will work/fit in our home (we recently downsized). We have company coming right after Thanksgiving so want to get the place looking festive.


Also, I bought me two new pairs of boots. Leather ones that come almost up to my knees for trudging through snow and suede, fuzzy lined bear paws for general comfort. Love my bear paws

 

[travelover]

I bought some new LL Bean slip on waterproof shoes. Perfect for running out to the mailbox or shopping. I hate laces!

 

[audreyh1]

Winter here (if it comes at all) only lasts a week or two. Nothing to get prepared for.

I confess we don't do any holiday decorating either. And we're always festive!

 

[FIREd]

On this rainy Friday afternoon, I am setting up our christmas tree while drinking a cup of hot chocolate.

We donwsized earlier in the year, so gone are the 7' tree and boxes of decorations. This year it's just a lighted 3' tree propped up on the kitchen counter.

 

[Purron]

On this rainy Friday afternoon, I am setting up our christmas tree while drinking a cup of hot chocolate.

We donwsized earlier in the year, so gone are the 7' tree and boxes of decorations. This year it's just a lighted 3' tree propped up on the kitchen counter.

It's beautiful! I just know your cat's thinking evil thoughts. She's a cali

 

[KB]

I cleaned the gutters and put the chair cushions in the garage.

For holiday decorating, after Thanksgiving I'll switch to the Xmas wreath on the front door and put up the Xmas lights on the house. I have a timer that keeps them on for 7 hours every night.

If we are expecting a freeze I'll roll my 2 citrus barrels under the patio cover and wrap them with Xmas lights and cover with Agribon (thin polyester fabric that allows 85% light to go through it).

Other than that, our weather is mild enough that nothing else is needed.

 

[FIREd]

It's beautiful! I just know your cat's thinking evil thoughts. She's a cali

There already was an "incident". That's how the tree ended up on the counter.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Fleece workout pants from Target ("sweatpants" is just soooo old-fashioned) and cuddleduds undershirts. Good to go.

 

[samclem]

Almost done with most of the outside stuff:
- Drain garden hoses, roll 'em up and put in garage.
- Put the insulated covers over the outside hose bibs.
- Bring in the ceramic [-]litter[/-] ornaments that crack in freezing weather
- Mulch up the last leaves on the lawn

I need to buy some more small propane canisters for the emergency heater and I'll be all done.

 

[pb4uski]

Same here. Boats are winterized and put away. My mom's place down the street is winterized (water drained, power off, propane off, etc.). Have 4 cords of firewood stacked.

Just need to straighten up the garage so I can fit the car in it and put on winter tires.

 

[ls99]

Nothing, the preps were done about a month ago. Just stuck another log in the stove, an reading the forum.

 

[W2R]

Turned on the heater for the first time this year a couple of nights ago, and I wore sweatpants instead of shorts a couple of days this week. I haven't yet pulled out my all weather jacket that I wear in the winter.

Other than that, not much. I am getting ready to do my end of the year financial spreadsheet stuff and as usual, eagerly anticipating that. I have been trying to get everything as up to date as possible to prepare. Today after stopping by the notary I mailed off form TSP-73 to the TSP to lower the amounts of my monthly payments by about half starting in Jan 2013.

Although we do have distinct seasons here, winter usually is not too harsh. So, I guess I am in the same situation as Nords when it comes to preparing for winter. Not too much to do. In the heart of winter my lawn guy doesn't have to mow every single week, and just comes every other week. I am looking forward to that since it is almost like found money. So is the lower air conditioning bill in wintertime.

 

[Moemg]

What are you doing to get ready for winter? For those in warm climates, this could include preparing for the holidays. For example, looking to purchase some holiday themed flip-flops

During winter in Florida flip flops are replaced with ballet flats . Jeans return & cotton sweaters come out of hiding . Heaters go on in the pools and the decks & patios are readied for holiday parties .Cooking goes from grilling only to crock pot stews & chili .

 

[Nords]

What are you doing to get ready for winter? For those in warm climates, this could include preparing for the holidays. For example, looking to purchase some holiday themed flip-flops

Well, we shut the window in our stairwell this morning. If it gets really cold tonight then we might shut all the bedroom windows.

I'm going up to Haleiwa next week to buy a neoprene jacket for surfing. It's getting physically painful (*snivel, whimper*) to paddle out in that surf when it's in the low-mid 70s...

 

[easysurfer]

It's been too nice (in 50's) to think much about winter.

Oh, I did put on a jacket while shopping today .

 

[kumquat]

What are you doing to get ready for winter? For those in warm climates.................

Nothing. I did it all a month ago when [-]the snow[/-] winter arrived.

 

[NW-Bound]

What are you doing to get ready for winter? For those in warm climates...

In the valley home, I have been tilling manure into the planting beds in the backyard to prepare for cool season growing. The high got up to 77F today.

Up in the boonies home, when we left the last time, I shut off the water at the mains, and drained the water lines as a precaution (the plumbing was done such that the outside faucets were at the lowest points to ease draining). The heat pump is always in heat mode, and the thermostat is set to 45F year round, and that protects the inside from freezing. From Oct to May, due to the risk of freezing, the water shut-off is done whenever the house is uninhabited, and turned on when we are up for a visit.

 

[donheff]

At the first hint of chilly weather I flew down to Grand Cayman. Unfortunately I am returning today. When it really gets cold I am packing the bikes and the dog and driving to Florida for five weeks. I will stuff a towel under the door before I leave.

 

[Ronstar]

Put the boat away
Raked/burned leaves
Cleaned up flower gardens
Winterized sprinkling system
Put away patio/deck furniture and plant containers
Disconnected and put away rain barrel
Cleaned gutters

 

[5oneanddone]

-Continue with weekly leave raking of my 120 ft willow oak in my front yard. (usually yields about 60-75 bags of leaves a season) Plan on having it removed in Jan 13.
-Work on winterizing the home outside and inside by Thanksgiving.
-Luckily living in southeast Virginia, the climate is fairly temperate.
But those leaves, those leaves!

 

[grasshopper]

Put a small space heater in the pump house with a 34-45 degree thermostat. Wrapped a heated cable on an outside pipe, that was exposed during plumbing work, will finish up in March. Drained all the outside garden hoses after disconnecting from their hose bibb's. Put about an 1/8 of a cord in the barn to keep dry. I still have a bunch of Mexican sages in bloom, Red Mountain Sage, Pineapple Sage, and Mexican Bush Sage. These will be cut soon and covered, Autumn Sage, still in bloom, get no special treatment. My African Spurred tortoise has a spot in the barn with hay and a heat mat. The tortoise is out and about most winter days, if it is sunny and above about 55 degrees. The Guinea fowl have a roost cage in the barn , with a heat lamp at night. The Guinea's do freak out a bit when the Barn owl flies in to roost in the rafters. Stock the bird feeders, bring the Hummingbird feeders in below about 25, add one heated water dish and we are all set.

 

[pb4uski]

Put a small space heater in the pump house with a 34-45 degree thermostat. ....

We used to put an incandescent light bulb in my folk's pump house (which was really a cement manhole that was 6' below grade and 3' above grade) to keep the pump from freezing. It threw off just the right amount of heat for what we needed since part of the pump house was below grade.

 

[Walt34]

Already done, just change the oil on the lawn mowers and drain fuel from them and I'm finished.

 

[RockyMtn]

Cleaned up the flower beds and pots.
Put lawn furniture in garage.
Drained sprinkler system.
Changed furnace filters.
Set alarm and drove to Scottsdale.

 

[NW-Bound]

I surely am grateful that I do not have to deal with leaves in either home. One has lots of trees, but they are all native evergreen and need no maintenance other than occasional pruning (slow growing, so every decade or so, if even that). The other home has only a couple of deciduous trees.

That leaves me plenty of time to surf the Web to look for travel ideas. What a boring life, some might say, but a guy has got to work with what he has.