Preparing for Winter V

Jellytotts

Floss said:

Jellytotts said:

....  We have a log burner being installed next weekend and I've found a local saw mill that delivers logs (will get those ordered at the end of the month)...

Bear in mind you won't be able to burn fresh wood, you will need to have a stock of seasoned dried logs for this winter while your new ones dry out for next winter.

Yes, they’ve got seasoned stuff for this year then I’ll look for free stuff I can chop up going forwards.  Didn’t have to buy logs for 4 years at the last house thanks to the amount of trees I had to cut down.  Will be quite novel to have prechopped stuff ready to stack 😀

fionaandphil

@Jellytotts remember to get some newspapers and firestarter put aside too. We forgot this our first year 😲

Primrose

Old newspapers areuseful for other purposes too.  We often wrap the contents of our kitchen compost pot in them before putting them on the compost heap.  It helps to keep them warmer and to rot down a little more quickly.

fionaandphil

@Primrose we do this too - great minds think alike!  We don't actually even get a paper, friends parents do though and they and all their neighbours save them for us so we get sacks to pick up a few times a year.  We share them with another friend who has a woodburner.

Laura_Elsewhere

I took advantage of the sunshine and stiff breeze today - outside first thing painting Fabsil Gold onto my bicycle-panniers, my husband's and my hiking boots and a pair of walking-shoes of mine. Living in a small top-floor flat means that kind of thing *has* to be done outside, so I'm glad the weather coincided with my having time to do it first thing!

Cherryfudge

I've finally washed and dried my winter coat. I've also picked yet another jug of blackberries and checked the greengages, which aren't quite ready.

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

I've finally washed and dried my winter coat. I've also picked yet another jug of blackberries and checked the greengages, which aren't quite ready.

If you're making jam, then I find greengages work best when not quite ripe. 

Cherryfudge

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Cherryfudge said:

I've finally washed and dried my winter coat. I've also picked yet another jug of blackberries and checked the greengages, which aren't quite ready.

If you're making jam, then I find greengages work best when not quite ripe. 

That's worth knowing thanks! There are at present lots, and there won't be freezer space so jam is a very good idea.

Siebrie

Primrose said:

Must try the mittens but they,re very frustrating when reading a book and trying to turn pages regularly.  Have got a pair of thick Thinsulate fingerless gloves for this whixh work well.

A stick with an elastic band wrapped around the top will help you turn the pages

Chloepad1

We've done a fair bit of planning and preparation for autumn / winter.  The boiler has been serviced and the gutters cleared.  The front garden has had all the plants and bushes strummed back and tidied.  The front door has been replaced with a solid energy efficient one and a heavy duty porch door installed.  It will make a massive difference to security and warmth.  We're due to have our stair carpet replaced shortly and have opted for a thermal efficient underlay
Every room has had a cleaning and clear out.  All of the lounge throws and cat blankets / beds have been washed.  We are going to replace our really old lounge curtains with a pair that were in storage upstairs but just needed washing and altering  so those are out on the line at the moment while we have sunshine.  Still on the to do list is get our bed blankets washed and look for some new winter bed linen.  We need to do some more garden clearing and get our flu jabs booked in the next month or so.  We need to get winter coats/ gloves etc out and wash them and then do a cupboard / freezer sort out.  Really pleased with progress so far but more to be done before the colder darker weather sets in.