It's been a little warmer than normal here. Usually at this time of year, the mower has been put into storage unless we use it to mulch leaves. But our grass is still growing and I'm still mowing. So I haven't even really thought about preparing for winter. DH brought it up in a phone conversation yesterday and I was shocked to realize I was so far behind. I guess you could say he gave me a wake up call!
This weekend I'll get busy and try to get all the winter emergency shopping done. I just can't understand how some folks wait til an emergency is looming and then make a mad rush to the store to get bread and milk. I'm making my list today. So far I've got:
10 emergency candles
1 jug of lamp oil
10 gallons of bottled water
1 case of toilet paper
1 bag of ice melting salt
We keep a pretty good stock of canned food and pantry items year round except for canned milk. It seems to expire faster than other foods so I will need to stock up on some for just the winter. The other perishables- bread, eggs, and meat are homemade or produced here.
Since our winter "emergencies" usually last only a few days and we are limited on space, I try to keep at least a months worth of critter feed at all times in the winter. The biggest concern with critter care is electricity failure which causes the water supply to halt. I have a stack of five gallon buckets to fill with water when there's a threat of bad weather. I also will stock enough hay and straw to last until next spring.
Beyond survival needs, I like to plan for comfort, too. Sitting around in a cold, dark home can be mentally and emotionally stressful. Some of the food stores include treats like popcorn and hot cocoa mix. My yarn stash is plenty big enough to provide some creativity stimulation in the daylight hours. And my Kindle and MP3 player both are loaded and can be recharged in the car.
Now tell me what you do in preparation for possible winter emergencies. I'm sure you can add ideas to my list!
