The seasons are changing and the mornings are becoming cooler. Preparing for winter weather means having to organize and plan what chores need to be finished before the first snowflakes fall.
Living in the city versus the country has different means for preparing for the colder months. In this article I'll focus on the country version of winter preparation.
What we do to prepare for winter include:
- Haul, cut and split enough wood to make it through at least January. We store in the cellar. This chore was actually started in April when we hauled in trees we'd cut down the prior winter. We let the "green" wood season up and cut it into two-foot lengths to fit into our wood furnace. In September when the mornings are cool we start splitting the wood and stacking so it can dry out completely.
- Harvest the entire garden, can the food and till up the garden for next year's harvest. We clean out the chicken coop and add the bedding and bird droppings to help fertilize for the next planting. Tomatoes are canned for spaghetti sauce, salsa, tomato juice and stewed tomatoes- uses for these items are endless. Pumpkins are used for decorations; we make seeds and use throughout the year for healthy snacking and make a few seasonal pies for immediate consumption. Potatoes are stored in the dry cellar in mesh-like bags, green beans are canned, zucchini is cleaned and shredded and frozen, cucumbers are canned for pickles, sweet corn is frozen in meal size servings and berries are canned or frozen.
- Prepare the wagon (a little pull behind the tractor or four-wheeler) for winter use and storage. We use this to haul some firewood, clear the garden and spread sand in driveway during snow/ice storms. Instead of driving the big four-wheeler drive pickup truck through the fields of snow, this little wagon is great for small tasks and chores around the homestead.
- Get the four-wheel drive truck ready with the plow attached. We have the vehicle backed into the corncrib so when the snow falls and almost barricades us in we can pull out and clear the driveway in a matter of minutes versus hours using an old traditional snow blower.
- Clean out chimney and all pipes leading to the wood furnace. This is obvious for two main reasons- first, better efficient heating and unobstructed airways and secondly, for prevention of chimney fires due to creosote build up.
- Make sure the pantry has the essentials for unexpected winter storms. This is something done year-round but makes the most sense when the weather turns bad. Make sure you have enough canned goods and food to last a few days in the event of an ice storm or blizzard.
- We make sure we have the 40-gallon barrel in the cellar cleaned and ready to be filled in case the power goes out. We have a generator that powers most appliances and lights but it doesn't have enough power to operate the well for water. We use this reserve water for flushing the toilet, emergency cleaning and for boiling for preparation of simple meals.
- Clean out the gutters and downspouts of all the leaves. This is done to keep melting snow and ice flowing easily down. Ice dams develop near the gutters and by clearing the way for run-off you may prevent a major insurance claim and damage to personal property.
- General maintenance on the generator. Change the oil and check all the other fluid levels. We start our generator at least once after the maintenance is finished. When we hear the weather forecast predicting a storm we double check everything, make sure it'll start and have tools nearby in case of minor repairs that occur.
- Check windows and doors for air leaks. Cover with plastic wrap, caulk where you can and/or stuff a towel around the leak.
- Restock batteries, candles and lighters or matches for power outages. With the dollar stores so visible it won't cost a fortune to keep these items on hand.
- Purchase an emergency radio to keep updated on weather conditions. These are fairly reasonably prices and can really assist in preparations for a bad storm.
When these chores are complete we feel we can sit back and relax for a while. Granted we constantly haul in wood and wonder if we've split enough wood for the season, but we feel confident we can survive a winter storm with ease.
