After living in California for 12 years, I'd forgotten all about all there is to do in the fall to prepare for winter's arrival. Life is so much simpler in Cali. I have had to spend every weekend for the last month, completing tasks so I come through it all without freezing, sliding down the driveway to my certain death, and so nothing I own is ruined by the cold, snow and ice! If you see beautiful pictures of New England in the fall, don't think how nice it would be to live here. Just contemplate visiting, perhaps in the fall, when you can enjoy the gorgeous foliage, and not spend days, raking or blowing it off your lawn and driveway. Not that I'm complaining, just adjusting uncomfortably.
Here is a list of ways I'd rather NOT spend my time:
Pay to have 2 cords of wood delivered.
Stack 2 cords of wood.
Blow the leaves out of my yard. Repeat.
Blow the leaves off of my very steep driveway. Repeat.
Station 4 large barrels up the sides of my driveway, and filling them with a sand and salt mixture.
Go to the town sandpile and shovel sand and salt into my truck to fill my barrels.
Clear a space in my basement that has inevidably been filled with something else, so I can take down my deck furniture and store it.
Take down my deck furniture to store it.
Clear my garage, which has become overflow for my workshop, so I can put my convertible away for the winter.
Put my convertible away for the winter. Also add a gas treatment.
Fill up my motorcycle (Lucille) with gas and add a gas treatment, so the gas doesn't turn into kerosene, while she sits for 5-6 months.
Take off Lucille's seat and put the battery tender on her for the winter.
Put the heater in the birdbath.
Shut off the water to the outside spigot and take in the hose.
Get the propane tanks filled.
Put away summer wardrobe to make room for bulky winter clothes.
Get bulky winter clothes out of storage.
Find snow shovels, ice scraper, car brushes etc.
18 comments:
oh my good friend, how sympathetic i am. i say this having paid today to have my mountains of leaves picked up and hauled away today. and i will pay to have our snow plowed.
there are only three ready-for-winter activities i either like or don't mind:
1. clearing out the garden
2. stacking my one cord of wood (i love the way it looks afterwards)
3. planting bulbs that will bloom next spring.
you are an inspiration, rm, really. the long driveway and the sand are the areas i feel for you the most.
:)
Love the outlook you have to your deck! Awwwwww a heater for the birds ....
BOO! MWHAHHAHHHAAA
kj, Thanks for feeling, and sharing a lot of my pain. I think that for people who live here all their lives, it just part of life. For me, it's so much more difficult than it has to be.
Thanks Anon. My deck is on the second floor, and I have lots of windows in my livingroom to enjoy the trees. When the trees are bare here, I have a great view of the mountains. Yes, you're very scary!
Look at all those flaming trees! You need a good bush fire in the garden that will last all Winter!
So PLEASED I'm SCAAAARRRRY!!!!
Luxury problems, I always say to myself when I am dealing with the euhm...fall things you mentioned. But the beautiful flaming colours of the trees in our woods and the sun shining while I am walking my two dogs help to bear the heavy burden :-))) I would not miss it for the world.
Wieneke, You are right, I could have a simple life even here, if I didn't have a bike, convertible, my own house and driveway. If I rented an apartment somewhere, my landlord could worry about plowing. But I do, and I did in California too, so I'm just saying...
i like weineke's to-the-point analysis! "luxury problems"--yes, we get to choose alot of what we want around us.
still, i sympathize, of course, because I'm right with you!
ps what a great looking blog.
call anytime, rm. i could use some silly company. :)
Thanks KJ, I will.
I lived in the northeast for five years and I did not know those things needed to be done. My only problem was how not to slide in the ice crossing the street from my apartment to the hospital.
So you have all those things to do. You can move down here and wear shorts all year but you have to contend with problems dealing with illegal aliens or explain to neighbors why it is not healthy to have a chicken farm in one's backyard or why it is not good for children to see a billy goat being slaughtered in one's driveway as a sacrifice for the Eid holiday.
Beautiful fall images.
WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!
It's SCARY in here!!!!
Ces, Yep, I could move to Texas but I don't think I will. It's back to California for me, when the time is right. For now, I'll suffer the consequences of living here, but I don't have to like it!
Anon, You noticed! :)
Now you're scaring me! I want to move to Iceland, but all these snow/cold chores are way out of my norm!!
My Sporty battery died - boo hoo. Got to put the trickle charge on her.
tsduff, Just things you might want to consider when moving to a wintery place. I didn't mention this, but I purchased a plow for my truck this year too! My plow guy blew me off of few times last winter, and I couldn't get up my driveway :(
Your house is stunning - with the trees outside the porch view...would make one inspired to move to a colder clime...
Thanks. For me, if I am going to live in this climate, I do need the trade-offs, like a beautiful view and setting.
Wow, stunning pictures! I think your are well prepared for the winter. It´s only getting worse - I promise! I also looked shortly on your older posts. Such a beautiful house! Should be worth the nasty seasons/weather. Greetings from the stormy, rainy, grey, icy Iceland.
Soe, I do like my life here, I just got spoiled by the weather in California. It's beautiful there too, just different. I love both places. I believe a little later in life I will have a home in both places, and go where the weather suits me.
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