When you live in the North East there are jobs that you have to do to get your home ready for Winter. Bringing in the hoses and turning off the water from the inside, is one such job. Freezing temperatures can cause water pipes to burst if not properly drained.
Cleaning the chimney is another annual job.
My son, is an expert at cleaning the stack and re-positioning the wood burning stove.
Later, I put down old Oriental carpets to protect the floor from my wet feet and falling logs. I have two small log racks.
A few weeks ago, while my son-in-law was visiting, he helped me fix the leaking metal frame on my shower door. Water had made the areas next to the tub disintegrate.
He filled in the holes in the wall board and caulked the metal shower door frame. I painted the repairs to match the original faux finish.
When you live in the Jarvis house you have to deal with many different styles of storm windows. Several have bottom sash screens which pop out and the storm glass replacements should fit in their places. Over the years they have to be finessed in, with scrapers and planes, to remove old paint.
Having the correct tools is essential in this house.
I worked outside storing the large ceramic planter in the small garage.I clipped the Cana stems and removed them.
While in the garage, I layered the glass patio table tops with padding.
I tucked two other ceramic planters in the garage too.
One of the jobs that turned out to be a lot less difficult, than I anticipated, was storing the concrete fountain. It came apart and my son and I carefully turned the base upside down, and placed the obelisk which contained the pump on top. We covered the fountain with a tarp and tied it down with a bungee cord.
The dish on the large concrete birdbath was removed and placed next to the stand, so that ice would not collect in the top.
I flipped the wrought iron furniture into a pile.
The cast iron urn was broken down so that ice would not collect in any of its parts.
Earlier that morning the exterminator came for his usual three month visit. He used a telescoping tool to insert powdered bug killer into two holes that were filled with Yellow Jacket nests. One in the eve of my small garage,
and one way up above the second story in the Yankee gutter return.
The faucet on the driveway side of my foundation wouldn't turn off.
The plumber came and put in a new and improved turn off valve.
My son-in-law added outside latches and a locking chain so that I can get into the basement from the outside if another flooding condition should arise. This was necessary should I have to drop a Trash Pump into standing water, although the knee wall has virtually eliminated most of the flooding so far.
He also replaced an outdoor lamp with a fixture that turns on at night, when anyone enters its path, which helped illuminate
the back door entrance. I also replaced the fluorescent bulb with an Edison bulb, in the pole lamp. That makes a real difference and the steps are less dangerous.
The pumpkin is plugged into the pole lamp for the holidays. Well not everything is a difficult job! Take each job step by step and it will go well, and you will feel ready for the colder days ahead. Fortunately, I have great family and friend helpers.
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