Tim, the Moby Master Craftsman, was out on Thursday to help me and the girls winterize the Moby!

We had a couple things on the to-do list. But most important was to fix/replace/do something with the kitchen window!!!

I would have loved to replace all the windows in the Moby. Honest. But the cost was too high for me this year. I really need to replace the old van and Jessy’s laptop died, so I need to replace that as well as just get by in this slightly unhappy economy. So, that will have to wait until next year I think. Still have some taxes to pay off as well. Thank goodness that I don’t have any major debt to deal with, so that if I’m diligent and careful, I’ll be back on track by the first of the year. And hopefully, saving for the windows!

In the meanwhile… Tim had an idea to salvage that window and make it at least winter-ready. It was a broken storm window barely hanging in there. When we had that light frost on Wednesday? Well, it actually froze some water in the sink below the window, in a cup. There was a little thin layer of ice on the surface!!! That is not good. Last year I had tried to plastic it over, but the surrounding area is made of fake brick, so the plastic didn’t stick good and it just looked nasty.

So Tim yanked the window, and all the rotten wood around the frame. He build a new frame and we got a piece of strong plexiglass for the new window. (They didn’t have a long enough piece of glass… so this was a good quick solution.) He caulked it all tight, around the new frame, then sandwiched the plexi into the space. Nice and tight.

And then on the outside, he salvaged the old storm window and put it where a storm window SHOULD be… and sealed that up good too. So there is somewhat of a double pane of glass and plexiglass in there now. Hopefully the storm will help to keep some of the rain out from damaging the new frame. I’ve got to get it sealed up quick, as it’s been damp and cold out the last few days!

Yes, it’s temporary, for 6 months or so, but I think it will very much improve the kitchen sink area and the whole middle room section of the Moby. That and the one broken window in there, now fixed and we should be good to go. And with the new door frame and the sealing strip that has totally cut down on the draft under the door… I think we’re going to be a lot warmer this winter.

I also got a window plastic kit… for 9 windows. That should take care of most of our windows. I don’t think I will do the kitchen because it’s so nice and tight and well, the plastic doesn’t do well around that brick anyway. But the girls’ room and my bedroom as well as the middle room windows, they will all get sealed up.

We also got this finger putty in long little strips. Like a modeling clay putty that you can press into cracks. The girls and I went and puttied up all the windows. We have those old fashioned jalousy windows, that are like 4 panes of glass that crank open and shut. They are dreadful. (hahaha) The previous owner had screwed all the panels shut! And still you could almost see through the cracks. So we went and used that thin finger putty in all the cracks! I think that will make a difference as well.

We have plans to use zone heating in the form of a pair of little electric heaters. One for each bedroom. With a door closed, those little heaters can really help to make a small area very cosy. And we can keep the overall temperature pretty cool. Since my office is in my room and the girls have their desks and all their video games and other good things in their room, that works pretty well for us. I guess we tend to retreat to our girl caves a little bit more in the winter, but that’s okay. When we want to hang out in the middle room, we’ll dial up a little bit and enjoy that space.

Our furnace is new, only a year old, and it seems to work pretty good. I do think I’m going to get a programable thermostat though… i just forget to dial up and down at night and all that. Once we’re in bed, with thick yummy quilts and comforters and all, we can drop the over all temp down quite a bit. But I sure would like it to come back up before we actually have to get out of bed!!! That would be sweet. I know that they are not that expensive, and I think they will save us quite a bit of money in the long run.

Another thing we’ll probably do, is keep our eye out for a sale on electric blankets. I had one last year and it really did a great job of keeping me nice and toasty when the temps were really low. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive long, the cord got accidently messed up… (haha… long story….) But I promise this year to be very very careful with it, if I end up with another. I’m a little weird… I don’t like the weight of like umpteen blankets on my feet and legs. So the electric blanket is nice, since it really heats up nicely without all the extra weight on me! And the kitties REALLY love hanging out on the blanket when it’s cooking.

We also went and made sure all the skirting was intact and no gaps and such. I plugged in the heat tape on the pipes, but I’m not sure if it’s working or not. The little led light did not seem to be lit… I’ll check it in a day or two and make sure. Heat tape around the pipes is a MUST… we had our pipes freeze ONCE last year, even with the heat tape… there was a little section in the crock that was not protected and it was bitterly cold and it froze. Thank goodness it was just for a few hours and nothing burst, but it could have been a real mess. I’m going to build a little insulated surround for the crock area out of insulation… just to cut down on the drafts and wind down there. A few more ideas!

We do have a little leak under there, right by the crock and I think I’m going to have to have my plumber Fred out before too long. It’s leaking into the crock, but still, that’s just not good. And we have a water pressure issue. So…. that might be on the agenda for this month before it gets super cold and all. Check that leak and have the pipes cleaned out to get a little more water pressure!

We also worked in the gardens… cleaning up the yard and the raised beds.

The frost did a number on most of the beans and tomatoes, so we culled all but the last hardy ones. Into the compost bin! Maggie raked up what was left of the wheat field and we cut back all the sunflowers and other vines that were finished. Wanted to mow, but the lawn mower was out of oil and it started to rain anyway. Trimmed up some of the little trees and bushes and just basically got the area tidy. Jessy cleaned out the shed and make some extra room for things soon to be put away. I hate to put away my hammock!!! I love to lay out there and just think and watch the skies and all. It will probably be the last thing to finally get squirreled away for the winter. Table and chairs will be finding a spot soon in there.

We still have a pretty nice month ahead of us. Days are about 60 degrees, nights get cold, maybe 40 or so… occasional frost. I remember last Halloween we were outside in the evening without coats! But it does feel good to do a little of the prep work now, when it’s not bitter cold! I do know one more thing that I want to have Tim help with… I want to put up some nails or hooks on the roof line so we can hang some nice Christmas lights this year. I want the Moby to be festive and pretty! If I have him put some cup hooks along the roof, that would be a lot easier to get lights up. Using a broomstick and making a little lifting hook, you can add the lights each year without a ladder! Sweeeet!

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