Okay, so it’s just now coming into early Spring … but I ran across this old post from 2010 and figured I should update it before losing sight of it again. Besides, Fall seems to come around every year and the fall clean up tasks will arise again!
Our Pacific Northwest area has had an “almost – on again/off again” summer this year. Other than just a week or two of hot weather early in August, much of the rest of the summer has been wet, overcast, or just daggone cool! We didn’t really have much of a winter this last year either, now that I think of it. Leaves have been dropping steadily over the last week or so, although we really haven’t been hit with the onslaught from the big maple in the front yard. It’s coming soon though!
Yesterday was a gorgeous fall day — just hot enough to make you think about turning on the A/C … but not quite because “Hey! This may be the last of Summer!” Today … notsomuch. Overcast, cool, breezy, early 60-ish.
Around our house, this time of year signals frantic activity trying to get the house ready for winter. Sure enough … hubby got up this morning and said “We better get the stove cleaned before winter hits!” (We have a pellet stove that gets hauled outside, blown out, tuned up and touched up every fall.) … His first comment was quickly followed by “Shoot, I don’t have those doors re-weather stripped yet either!” Bless him — he really works hard around the house!
I know that most folks have a Fall house tune-up list, but thought I’d throw my list out there just to add a bit more to your own To-Do list! After all, I don’t want to suffer alone.
1. That pellet stove!
2. Scrub out re-caulk around the windows.
3. Winter-ize / weather strip the doors.
4. Knock off any bird nests that arrive every spring in that tantalizing overhang we have. … Oh and while we’re up there, doublecheck and repair any of the bird blocking that’s been vandalized.
5. Oh yeah. Speaking of bird blocking … we usually get under the house to repair any of the critter-screens in the foundation vents to be sure nothing’s gone awry there either. This is usually my job. It’s a lot of fun …. (not!)
6. The gutters’ll be cleaned after the leaves are finished — we can wait for a month or so for that event. It’s much more fun in the really pouring rain anyway.
7. Check all the connections for the Christmas lights. They’re definitely NOT fun to refurb when it’s pouring!
8. Touch up and seal the driveway. … Ours is asphalt. It’s a yearly thing.
9. Walk the roof to be sure that flashing looks good, shingles aren’t popping, or whatever.
10. Check the downspouts and water-runoff thingies at the bottom to be sure they’re in place and pointing the right direction … away from the house.
11. Scrub the deck and re-stain. (I think this one’s gonna have to wait this year. It’s looking like a BIG job–more like needing to replace the decking.)
13. Drain and scrub out the hot tub. (Done! Whoo hoo!)
14. Without getting too much into the garden thing … it’s time to get a weed and feed down soon so that I can still reseed those bare patches when it starts raining daily. (I’m avoiding the inevitable Fall yard work — it’s coming … but the daggone tomatoes aren’t even ripe yet! Gee whiz!)
15. Take a good hard look at the pantry … what’s still needed for my winter stock-up? I like to take an inventory this time of year and add to the staples so that I have at least a couple, two or three, month’s supply of things like rice, noodles, canned fruits, soy milk, that sort of thing.
16. Take the dogs and cat in for their yearly vaccinations. They’re due every September.
Okay, that’s enough. I’m tired just typing. What’ve I missed?
