What Are You Doing To Get Ready For Winter?

[susi-steppins]

Good morning @colleensteele .

This is a good question.

It gets very cold here in Colorado in the winter so we actually do prepare quite a bit.

We used to have a wood stove to help heat the house, which of course meant we had to make sure we had enough wood.

We remodeled a bit and removed it last spring, so it isn’t an issue anymore.

But we do change all of the filters on a schedule, I have a really nice electric fireplace in our bedroom that is also a heater and the bulb that lights up the “fire” burned out last year, so changing that bulb is high on the list.

It’s so nice to feel the heat coming from it and even if it is fake, the flames look so nice and I love falling to sleep with it on.

We also have a yearly tradition of changing all of the batteries in the smoke alarms on the weekend we turn the clocks back in the fall.

I am interested in what others have on their list.

[Colleen]

@s-steppins we had 2 electric fireplaces that my parents bought us. They lasted us many years but last year they both just…broke. My husband took it apart and tried to figure out what was wrong with them but no luck. I think they have new, improved ones out on the market now so maybe we will invest in at least one new one this winter.

We have a fireplace but stopped using it years ago, much to my disappointment. I love a real fire but it sucks all the heat from the upstairs so my husband doesn’t like to use it.

When you mentioned the wood stove it reminded me of my childhood. My parents had a Franklin stove and my job was to walk around my neighborhood pulling my little red wagon to gather kindling. When I say “job” I mean it was something I loved doing and called it my job.

Thank you for sharing. I’m also interested to see what others do this time of year.

[jen-cueva]

Hi @colleensteele, I can understand about the electric fireplaces. My mom has one and loved it. But last year we bought them 2 portable safe heaters that are stand up and space-saving to use. They have a safety feature of an auto shut off which they needed as my stepfather was already starting to decline. We got that at Walmart and shipped free to them.

I also enjoyed reading your story as a child with your little wagon. You described that so well, I wanted to join you. Those were the simple things but sound like fun now.

BTW, yesterday we had our first day of cooler fall-like temps for Texas. It was a high of 84 and breezy. I was tempted to wear the Fall shirt you bought me last year, but I was waiting until October.

[Colleen]

@jenc I was wondering if you would remember that you have it. I sometimes forget seasonal clothes that I’ve tucked away in the back of my closet. I’m so glad you will continue to enjoy it.

You know, the sad part about me and my little wagon is that now-a-days, it’s not safe for a child to walk even their own little neighborhood alone. I was about 8 years old. I didn’t go very far and I wasn’t allowed to cross the street, but still, I don’t know if my parents would have let me do it in today’s world. Back then all the neighbors looked out for each other’s kids. It’s not always like that anymore. It was just different times (Geez I sound old, lol!)

[jen-cueva]

LOL, @colleensteele, yes, I did not forget that shirt. Remember, I clean out my closet every few months or try. Also, I don’t have to put seasonal clothes away like some in places that have several seasons, LOL.

I plan to wear it once we begin in October.

You bring up an important point. Yes, you don’t see that child pulling a wagon much anymore. These days we have to be more careful. When I have seen things like this in my cud-le sac, it is a parent and young child together.

It does make you feel a bit old, right? But times have specific changes in so many ways. I often catch myself saying, back in the good ole days. Do you find yourself thinking or saying this, too?

[jen-cueva]

Hi @colleensteele, this is an excellent question, especially for those whose temps have already started to drop. Here in Texas, we are awaiting fall, LOL.

We have a wood-burning fireplace that we often get wood for. We don’t use it as often. But, Manny does change and check our filters on a schedule. But if like @s-steppins, we had an electric or gas fireplace, I would love to fall to sleep in front of that. That is so cozy and romantic, too.

Susi, Manny also changes our batteries in the smoke detectors and anything needing backup batteries when we fall back and set our clocks back.

Time is flying by. Last week at my pain doctor’s appointment, the nurse reminded me we need to start saving and shopping for Christmas. My facial expression, with a mask, must have said something. She said I looked shocked, LOL.

She has two small children. Do y’all start saving and shopping for Christmas when Fall arrives? That has not been on my list, LOL

[roger-bliss]

Good topic!! Here in Alaska it gets kinda cold and the power isn’t that dependable, so we have backups. Got a 10KW generator for backup on the house….it runs on gasoline. Only thing the generator can’t handle is the hot tub…….poor us….we have to shut it off. The hot tub is in the house so no need to keep it from freezing. We can live normally otherwise. We are on natural gas and our appliances are natural gas. I keep a 55 gal drum of gas on hand in case we have an extended power outage. We have our own well and septic system. I also have 2 propane heaters connected to 100 lb bottles that should get us by if the natural gas or furnace dies. I do have the “furnace guys” check out our boiler in the fall. So far haven’t had to use the backup heaters…..Knock on wood.:-)

My shop has a wood stove, Toyo stove and reddi heater for heat. I can shut off the water and let the shop freeze, as I usually do when we head to AZ in the winter. I can get by if we stay here in the winter if everything goes to crap. If we are not here and things go to crap the neighbors know how to do/run everything. I can use the reddi heater in the house if push comes to shove, but it would sure stink things up.

Up here where we live you have to be 100% dependent on your self if things go to crap and it’s way below zero. Got good insurance too.LOL

[jen-cueva]

Hi @wheeldog, I enjoyed reading your story about prepping in Alaska. You certainly are self-sufficient in more ways than most of us here.

I had to laugh about the hot tub; maybe unhook something else while you soak in the hot tub? Would that not work?

Are you and the wife planning to head to AZ as per usual this winter? What month do y’all usually head out? What things do you look forward to in AZ?

[roger-bliss]

Wouldn’t work to unhook other stuff and use the hot tub. Short electrical lesson…

The hot tub draws 50 amps which requires 8 gauge wire. In the rest of the house there isn’t much that draws much amperage. The biggest draw is the well pump which is 20 amp. Most stuff ts 15 amp. When I wired the house I used 10 gauge wire to the generator, so it would screw something up if I used the hot tub. The higher the wire gauge number the smaller the wire is. I am sure your husband can give you an explanation of this a he has to pay attention to wire size working on trucks.

We will head-out the end of October or the first part of November. Don’t have an exact date to leave. There are so many things going on at the RV park it is hard to pick our favorite. We took line dance lessons and I enjoy the radio controlled race track. Check out the place  http://wagonwestrvpark.com/   We keep our motorcycles there and ride a lot. Got our pickup camper so we can wander around the south.

Last winter not much went on at the RV park due to covid. We are hoping that will change this year.

[jen-cueva]

Gotcha @wheeldog, thanks for that quick electrical lesson. Funny, as I read it, I understood it all. My hubby loves electrical stuff, so I hear things all of the time, hehe.

Nope, go without the hot tub, no worries.

I love that you shared the RV resort. It has a wild west feel and sounds like a lot of fun. I love that you and your wife can go there and meet up with old and new friends, alike. It certainly would be tough to name a favorite.

Line dancing is fun. But it can be exhausting, too.

RC cars are fun. We did that a lot in Lake Havasu, Az. My late FIL lived there, and we visited several times. Many snowbirds flock there, too.

But, I have. a feeling we won’t hear from you as often. You will keep busy. Do update us occasionally if you have a few minutes. We would love to listen to some of those adventures that you embark on. We can travel a.long virtually.

I look forward to hearing about those adventures.

[Colleen]

@wheeldog thank you so much for sharing! I found your winter prep in Alaska so interesting. To be honest, my husband and I do the bare minimum to prepare for winter but I can understand that you really need to cross your T’s and dot you I’s. I think we take it for granted that WA weather is usually pretty mild. There have been times when we got hit harder than usually with snow and ice and that’s when we think to ourselves, “We should have prepared better for this.”

How long do you stay in AZ? We moved from WI to WA many years ago. A co-worker my husband worked with in WI spent most of the winter at a home in AZ. Her and her husband liked AZ so much, when they retired they left WI and moved there. If you had to choose, would it be Alaska or AZ?

[roger-bliss]

You guys are pretty much in the “banana belt”, it doesn’t get real cold. My son used to live in Everett when he was in the Navy…..weather there is nothing like Alaska.

We can’t leave Alaska more than 6 months or we loose our residency, which is a big deal for us…..we get lots of perks being old farts. We head out in November and come home in March being careful not to be gone more than 180 days. We love Alaska in the summer and love Arizona in the winter. We would NEVER want to live in Arizona in the summer…….we can’t handle the heat. If we had to make a choice, we would stay in Alaska year around.

[Colleen]

@wheeldog from what I have heard from people who have been, Alaska is gorgeous year round. I would love to visit there some day. I wouldn’t enjoy the Arizona heat either. I prefer cold over hot.

[terry]

G’Day, Contrary to you lot we are in Spring down here. Birds are chirping, bees buzzing and the snakes are out looking for a mate . After being off tadalafil for three months I was tested and my pressure is up from 52 to 64 . Doc wanted me to go further three months before putting me on Uptravi as well as the macitentan to see how I went but I reckon I’ll give him a ring next week as my breathing is not too flash when exerting myself. Actually it nearly resulted in a snake bite. A group of us were walking along a track in hilly country on the weekend when a snake popped its head out in front. Damm its a hoop snake . Now the blokes I was with immediately  started running up the hill.You see a hoop snake takes its tail in its mouth forms a hoop and rolls after its prey ,usually downhill. Hell I thought I can’t run uphill in my condition and I left my snake kit in the car. Hoopey sees me standing there frozen ,takes its tail in its mouth and starts rolling toward me . Oops , phone call tell you later

[terry]

Sorry about that.Anyway all I had was a can of deet for the mozzies , big as sparrows they are, and my knife so I pulled my trusty knife and thought crikey  I’m in for a blue here when all of a sudden I heard a kookaburra laugh and out of the blue a kooka swooped down grabbed the snake and flew off. Phew where is that Uptravi. Bring on the sun, heat,humidity. Paradise.

[jen-cueva]

G’Day Mate, @terry. Wow, what a story; I am thankful for that kooka saving you. I would have fallen trying to walk fast enough to escape. You’re an incredible storyteller, btw.

I am sorry that your pressures have increased. If you feel short of breath or have other symptoms with your usual activities, I would undoubtedly phone the doctor. Hopefully, he will want to start the Uptravi to see if that gives you some relief.

Besides the hoop snakes, this sounds like a beautiful time of year there. You weren’t near any of the recent fires, were you?

Please keep us posted on what the doctor decides to do. Three more months is a long time if you are feeling more symptomatic.

[terry]

Your to kind Jen, Na just my way of expressing the frustration of not being able to do normal things anymore without winging . No we are not near where fires tend to flair thank  goodness but suffer from effects. eg.smoke and  now  have thousands of flying foxes ( big bats) in residence in the local park I walk in as their habitat was burnt out two years ago . Can’t touch or shoo them off as protected species.

[jen-cueva]

G’Day, @terry, it is undoubtedly frustrating not to do the activities that we enjoy. You are not alone with this frustration.

I hope your doctor will allow you to try Uptravi or another medication to see if this helps offer you relief.

Wow, now these bats, huh? I am happy to hear that you are not near the fires. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, you are affected by the smoke.

How is your darling wife?

Stay safe, Mate. Please keep us posted on what your doctor says.

[Colleen-Steele]

We are so cold here in WA state already. Our Trick-or-Treaters are going to be freezing!

As winter quickly approaches, it might be helpful to revisit this topic. How are you preparing for the winter in regards to home and self?

[jen-cueva]

OMG, @Colleen, I was freezing when we were in the Chicago area last week. Yesterday, they had snow for Halloween. My friend sent me a video, and before the trick-or-treaters went out, the ground was already covered with snow.

This body doesn’t do well in extreme cold and heat. I guess that’s why I am where I need to be on SD. I am cold when it gets below 60, and the sun is not out. 🙈🌞