Beech Tree News Network

Our daily temperatures have recently become more seasonal, causing me to work on my fall getting-ready-for-winter tasks. This year, I have spread these tasks over several days (My energy level has faded.). I haven’t finished them all yet, but I’m, thankfully, on the “downhill slope.” 

Thinking about the cooler temperatures, I asked friends and family about their seasonal work: “Do you have any preparing-for-winter tasks that you want to complete before winter weather arrives?” Their responses are listed below.

-Yes. I will have to make sure all the vehicles and equipment and the boat have antifreeze in them.

-My husband will mow one more time and then service his lawnmower and change the oil before he puts it up for the winter. We turn the gas on for our fireplace and burn it for the first time to make sure it’s running well before the super cold temps get here. We’ve had to use it and sleep in the living room a few times when we’ve lost power during bad winter storms.

-Finalizing those tasks put off from the heat of summer but before the cold of winter.

-No plans here. Just do it when I have to.

-It usually doesn’t freeze here, so winterization tasks are usually mostly unnecessary. There are leaves to mow or rake. Pool maintenance is minimized since no one swims. I like to clean out the garage some in the spring and the fall. I’ve got too much junk.

-I’ve brought all my houseplants back in from their summer roosts. We will drain and detach water hoses and take up our garden tomato cages and landscape fabric.

-I’ll cover outdoor seating on the uncovered porch, take the cushions inside, prune the rose bushes, cut down perennials, and mulch hydrangeas with leaves. I will bring houseplants inside that have been on the front covered porch as well as the full-sun tropicals, like lemons and oranges. My husband plans to mulch asparagus and strawberries, disconnect water hoses, check on the gas fireplaces/turn on the pilot, change the furnace filters, and test the antifreeze levels in the vehicles.

-Sadly, we must winterize the camper; our camping season is over.

-My list includes: detach water hoses; decorate for fall; have gas logs checked; put away outside furniture, etc.; and find my favorite winter pajamas.

-I would like to run a new water line to my barn to avoid frozen hoses, build a lean to for housing my tractor and hay equipment, and some other things.

-I’ve been preparing my yard and doing outside tasks. I still have some flowers to prune and leaves to rake and mulch with the mower when it dries up. I’ve been working on fall cleaning and checking around doors and windows. I need to replace some weatherstripping around my front door. Most of what I lack are small things. I just dread the cold weather and not being outside.

-Not really, but I sure would love to go through my closets and drawers and get rid of some things and organize them! 

-Make sure the heat works.

-New tires, if needed. But I’m sure those are expensive!

-Yard work and seal our concrete.

-We need to mow and weed eat the yard one more time before winter. We also need to detach the garden hose from the outdoor spigot before the first hard freeze.

-My husband does a lot of the winterizing, but I need to get my outdoor things either put away or covered. This was the reminder I needed to order a few more covers for outdoor furniture items. I also like to pull weeds one last time.

-I’ve done some yard work, cleaned the gutters, and power washed the house. This week, I plan to add gutter extensions to carry water away from the house, transplant some lilies, and organize the garage. Soon I will cover the outdoor furniture, and as the leaves fall, I will blow them away from the house.

Winterizing the home and the vehicles is not just about preparing for the cold; it’s also about enjoying the winter. As Edith Sitwell said, “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for talk beside the fire; it is the time for home.” I enjoy winter much more when I complete tasks that I know I won’t want to do on a cold winter’s day – or night.