“The undone business of one season will be the extra work of the next,” writes Tom Carpenter in his article, Closing up the Cottage. Never were truer words spoken. So on the eve of close up weekend, we do ours a little earlier to coincide with our Thanksgiving dinner, I am busy making a list of all the things we need to bring with us.

The better prepared I am, the easier this whole process will be, not only now, but in the spring as well.

So here is my Close Up Checklist:

1. 6 Rubbermaid storage containers for:

• liquids, dry goods, fridge stuff, valuables, kid’s games and bathroom toiletries (it’s recommended to bring home your bathroom toiletries, hand cream, conditioners and sunblocks as they will lose their consistency and effectiveness once they’ve been frozen)

2. Steel wool to seal the cracks and keep out mice

3. Tools to turn off the water

4. 2- Gallons of plumbing antifreeze (we have two toilets and rule of thumb is 3 cups of antifreeze per tank and bowl, plus 1 cup for every sink and drain, and 2 cups for shower-stall drains)

5. Recycling bags for old magazines, newspapers and cans

6. Baking soda for fridge

7. Vinegar for cleaning

8. Extra garbage bags for transporting bedding, and storing what remains
9. Straps to transport the kayak

10. Rain gear - it’s suppose to pour all weekend (sigh)

11. Registration for the boat trailer and prearrange with marina to drop off the boat on Saturday (heavy sigh)

Well that’s my list - if I’ve missed anything let me know.

Here’s to no surprises next spring.

Cheers,

Julie

This entry was posted on Friday, September 28th, 2007 at 5:28 pm and is filed under Fix It. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.