Folding and stowing for winter
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter if you sleep in. Just a little bit. When there are no professional deadlines. Go ahead, try it. I did, and the day turned out OK.
This was the end of a triad. A long weekend, the last one before late December. The big one before climate change turns the daily rain into daily snow. A day filled with the need to get ready for the inevitable.
Our patio tent (the gazebo) isn’t designed for snow loading. Ergo, it must be taken down and put away. Dry, by preference, and at a time when the wind has dropped below gale force. Today, the sun shone and in a matter of something less than an hour all was folded and stowed. I didn’t even have to climb a ladder (that’s what sons are for, or so I made them believe).
Next up, reducing the water level in the chemical experiment. Our pool isn’t designed for skating space, so I drain it and then fold and stow the hoses. Pumping things out (backward technique, akin to an intensive backwash) took hours, but the sun was shining. The hardware store was open for business (not a given on a stat holiday) and I even received a 5% scratch off reduction. Save a whole 14 cents and feel lucky. Immaterial.
We’re now ready for any sudden onset of winter storms. I have new weather stripping for the front door, and all the window screens have been, you know, folded and stowed. Proof that one day is enough when that’s all you have (left).
