Preparing for Winter and Colder Weather

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When I was a teenager, I slept in a bedroom in the second floor with no heat. An electric blanket was what kept me warm at night.
= = =
In years past I used an electric blanket to not bad success... Last winter was the first time I used an electric mattress pad... More expensive than an electric blanket I suspect... I'm VERY happy with how that worked...
 
In years past I used an electric blanket to not bad success... Last winter was the first time I used an electric mattress pad... More expensive than an electric blanket I suspect... I'm VERY happy with how that worked...
I use an electric mattress pad on my TV/reading chair. I can turn the heat down early and stay warm and cozy.
 
Not much prep for me. I have a Winter grab bag that I keep in the car. It has extra hats, gloves, scarves. It goes in in the Winter, and comes out in the Spring. Everything else we need is already accessible in the house.
I need to get on that. Our house is fairly well set. We’re in town and have gas heat, plus an emergency heater for one room if something goes sideways, but the cars should definitely get an upgrade for winter.
 
We have a bunch of wood that needs to be split. Maybe I can talk a cousin into doing it. Not thinking about the cold yet, because it is too hot still. I can stand the cold more than the heat. Should probably get another cord of wood for backup, we have only enough for this winter and maybe some to spare. I like to keep our wood burner in the kitchen going.
 
I've been cutting some trees down around the house. It's a start on next year's firewood. I try to split some firewood everyday. I let the split wood sit in the sun until we get the wood shed cleaned out and re-leveled.
We got both propane tanks topped off last week (300 gals), gasoline was delivered (275 gals) and next week they'll deliver the winter mix diesel (400 gals). This is a very expensive time of year.
 
I have so much to do..
I got another cord of firewood yesterday.
I need to tidy up my garage
Winterize a stall for the extra turkeys to go into.
Pick up the dog poo
Spray some weeds in one of the fields
Put the garden to bed soon n churn it up
Plant a nectarine tree
N more...
But all I want to do is walk the dogs n read n relax b4 the work week..
Gah...
I really hope my brother moves here soon..I need his help
 
Ready or not, winter is working her way down to us. We are pretty much ahead of the game this year. We should have at least a week before we get snow on the ground, hopefully two but that will be pushing it. I cut the grass for the last time of the year and I have put away all the tools, odds and ends that I don’t want buried in the snow.

I picked the last of the tomatoes yesterday just in time for the first frost this morning. That likely did in what was left of our vegetable garden. I cut the potato plants and will wait a week before I harvest. With the gardens done, I disassembled the rainwater collection system. The wife declared that we have stashed away enough blueberries and cranberries for the year. While we have more than enough wood split and stacked, there is still room in the woodshed for one more tree. I know where the tree is at and I simply need to cut a trail to get to it.

With most of the preps done, time to play a bit in the great outdoors.


IMG_0715.jpeg
 
Preparing for possible effects from Hurricane Lee or Margot. Preps for hurricane season and winter are quite the same. Cleaned and replaced chains on saws, filled up generator, checked pantry, refill a propane tank and many more tasks. Only extra for winter will be service the snowplow and gas up the snowblower. Will also start wood chipper as well.
 
I miss my wood stove, mess, and all! you could make a hell of a Dutch oven full of beans on that thing!

I'm buying water doodles, duct tape, and plastic sheet.
I assure you that I am in fact white!
 
Ready or not, winter is working her way down to us. We are pretty much ahead of the game this year. We should have at least a week before we get snow on the ground, hopefully two but that will be pushing it. I cut the grass for the last time of the year and I have put away all the tools, odds and ends that I don’t want buried in the snow.

I picked the last of the tomatoes yesterday just in time for the first frost this morning. That likely did in what was left of our vegetable garden. I cut the potato plants and will wait a week before I harvest. With the gardens done, I disassembled the rainwater collection system. The wife declared that we have stashed away enough blueberries and cranberries for the year. While we have more than enough wood split and stacked, there is still room in the woodshed for one more tree. I know where the tree is at and I simply need to cut a trail to get to it.

With most of the preps done, time to play a bit in the great outdoors.


View attachment 115851
The wife reports that we didn't get termination dust this year, we got a termination blanket. Looks like she is right.
 
You just make sure you are ready for mother nature this year!!
DW got me 'thin-johns' to use this year instead of my long-johns because it warms up quick down here and after 12o'clock they are too much.
The thin-johns will be enough to keep the icy jeans away from my skin early in the morning and I won't have to reconfigure after 12o'clock :thumbs:.
...If it gets below 32°, I go into hibernation.🥶
 
see snowThere is one nice thing about snow. If you ignore it long enough it does go away!
I have people tell me how much they like snow, I tell them in return, if I want to see snow I'll drive to it, we've had enough of snow when we lived at 8,000 ft. elevation in Colorado, here in Oregon the only thing we like about snow is that we pray for it to be in the mountains above us to resupply our spring for the next year. As for prepping for winter we have a new stack of over one and a half cords of fire wood and I alway have a woodshed full of emergency fire wood in case the winter is exceptionally cold.
 
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OH HEY! A protip on water doodles! They are 100% superior to foam insulation for pipes being thicker, tougher, and cheaper than those grey foam things, and at this time of year they're half the cost! and hey, stupid idea here, use red for the hot water and blue for cold so you know at a glance what you're looking at! cat's can't shred them easily and mice avoid them too.
 
those big plastic foam things you use in the pool to drown your neighbor's kids.
https://www.poolwarehouse.com/shop/gladon-wn20-water-noodle/?cq_src=google_adsYankees call them "noodles" for some reason. look at the price! you can't buy ONE stick of pipe foam for that! Now I'm wondering if you could string a bunch together and make a floating bed? blowing those things up is a huge pain in the butt after all!
 
Thanks
I have always heard them called pool noodles.
I have used them as padding on the arms of my camp chairs and to protect my fishing rods in the back of my truck.
The pipe insulation has a bigger hole so it works better for some of the larger chair arms and fishing poles. It's also longer so I only have to use one piece.
 
those big plastic foam things you use in the pool to drown your neighbor's kids.
https://www.poolwarehouse.com/shop/gladon-wn20-water-noodle/?cq_src=google_adsYankees call them "noodles" for some reason. look at the price! you can't buy ONE stick of pipe foam for that! Now I'm wondering if you could string a bunch together and make a floating bed? blowing those things up is a huge pain in the butt after all!
They ARE noodles, not doodles, lol!! I know I am Yankee, but all my years in Texas I have never heard them called doodles!🤔😉😃🩱🏊🧜
 
Ready or not, winter is working her way down to us. We are pretty much ahead of the game this year. We should have at least a week before we get snow on the ground, hopefully two but that will be pushing it. I cut the grass for the last time of the year and I have put away all the tools, odds and ends that I don’t want buried in the snow.

I picked the last of the tomatoes yesterday just in time for the first frost this morning. That likely did in what was left of our vegetable garden. I cut the potato plants and will wait a week before I harvest. With the gardens done, I disassembled the rainwater collection system. The wife declared that we have stashed away enough blueberries and cranberries for the year. While we have more than enough wood split and stacked, there is still room in the woodshed for one more tree. I know where the tree is at and I simply need to cut a trail to get to it.

With most of the preps done, time to play a bit in the great outdoors.


View attachment 115851
What a blessed view you have! Just Beautiful!

Do I spy a beagle in that pic?
 
What a blessed view you have! Just Beautiful!

Do I spy a beagle in that pic?

Indeed, my 4 year old happy go lucky goofball. Well behaved actually but still a goofball.
 
I have a small stack of firewood. Mostly I rely on electricity and natural gas. I keep coal for my wood stove and the termites don't get Into the coal, and I don't have to cut and split it.
Somehow, when the house is 68 degrees with the propane furnace, I'm cold. When the house is 68 degrees with the woodstove, I'm toasty. Only problem, I'm old and it is getting harder to harvest firewood.
 
Ready or not, winter is working her way down to us. We are pretty much ahead of the game this year. We should have at least a week before we get snow on the ground, hopefully two but that will be pushing it. I cut the grass for the last time of the year and I have put away all the tools, odds and ends that I don’t want buried in the snow.

I picked the last of the tomatoes yesterday just in time for the first frost this morning. That likely did in what was left of our vegetable garden. I cut the potato plants and will wait a week before I harvest. With the gardens done, I disassembled the rainwater collection system. The wife declared that we have stashed away enough blueberries and cranberries for the year. While we have more than enough wood split and stacked, there is still room in the woodshed for one more tree. I know where the tree is at and I simply need to cut a trail to get to it.

With most of the preps done, time to play a bit in the great outdoors.


View attachment 115851
Your view wins.
 

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