Against the wiles of winter
Along the way, I was trained to solve problems by analysis. Brave words, but it does work, in the presence of enough information.
Right now, just like my neighbours, I’m preparing for winter. No headlong rush, though. I’m now one of those “responsible” for a second home, albeit mobile. It comes with its own systems, and its own problems. Particularly with no direct experience to guide me, I’m left with trying to imagine just what those subsystems are like, as we have to protect them from the intermittent cold of a Canadian winter.
In fact, the usual term that anchors my searches on the Internet is “winterize”. Water, if left without close supervision and an environment that is kept warm, will freeze, expand and cause all sorts of damage. Burst pipes is a frequent refrain.
I’ve bought multiple jugs of a magic serum, called “anti-freeze”. It doesn’t stop the cold weather, but instead tries to replace any water with a pink, hazy dream. Realistically, I have to drain four different tanks, plus the interwoven pipes, and then put anti-freeze into as many places as I can discover. Blindfolded, in passing.
We have requisitioned a hand pump. I’ve also watched a number of video lessons that contradict one another. All the while, a clock is ticking. It might be warm, today, but that can change quickly. Short of calling in an expert, I’m scrambling to get the job done, correctly, the first time. Stressed? You bet. I now appreciate the sane construction of a standard home, with insulation against the wiles of winter.
