Winter is finally here in my neck of the woods. We have had some cool weeks with a few cold nights, but this week the lows are getting down into the 20s. This temperature drop has gotten my to thinking about some of the maintenance that needs to be done over the winter months.
The cold weather will bring many outdoor plans to a halt, other than hunting of course. However, the limited daylight leaves several hours of dark outside until bedtime. Fortunately, I have a shop with power that will allow me to tend to several projects in a lit, and somewhat warm, environment.
Typically, the cold weather doesn’t cause to much of a problem until closer to February, or so. Around that time is when ice and freezing rain have a tendency to cause power outages. With that in mind, I have about 6 weeks to get my two small, portable generators serviced and ready to run if the need arises. After that I will be able to run smaller things (refrigerators, window A/C units, etc) to keep food from spoiling and a couple of rooms temperature controlled.
After that, I will move on to my rotary tiller. My wife and I have plans to plant a vegetable garden in the spring. We had a garden a few years ago that produced quite well for the couple of years we were able to work it. In our new house, we have an opportunity to garden, once again. We have the space for a fairly sizeable garden, nothing crazy, maybe a 50’50’ area. Preparing the ground for that area would be a nightmare with just a garden ho and rake. The tiller hasn’t been used in several years. First step will likely be to clean out any obstructions from old gas. Then I’ll move on to cleaning out the carburetor and fixing/replacing tires. That done, the tiller should be ready for the new project.
I’ll also go through my gardening hand tools (shovels, rakes, axe, etc) to make sure that everything is still in working order. I’m sure there will be couple that will need replacing.
Next on the list will be the backpack leaf blower that will help clear the heavy layer of leaves that my smaller blower struggles to handle.
I’m sure there will be some other projects that come up along the way. Until then, my focus will be on the various engine-operated machines.
Make use of the time you’ve got to prepare.
Don’t just prepare, prepare to thrive.
