Preparing for Winter

Seems like we've spent most of our summer preparing for winter - painting the deck, plugging woodpecker holes and staining/sealing the house, etc. We've been trying to get a garage built (without much success) for the last four months...so that we can house the cars, to keep the mice from gnawing through wires and nesting in the exhaust valve, among other things. The chimney of the wood stove also needs a visit from the sweep. We're planning on using it more this winter, with the price of fuel going through the roof.

I love looking out through the big windows on a snowy day when it's nice and toasty by the wood fire. But I also want to get out and do some winter sports this year, particularly snowshoeing. We'll see!