At this time of year, after the Thanksgiving weekend, we need to winterize some of our resources. Other than the time required to complete tasks, we also have to deal with the unpredictable weather we can experience this time of year, rain, snow or frost
Cottages #5, #6 and #7 (Hot Diggity Dog, Reigning Cats & Dogs, Puppy Love) need to have the water shut off, water lines blown clear and the plumbing traps filled with anti-freeze. And the challenge can be getting my 6′ 4″ frame in tight spaces under the cottages to accomplish this work.
The hot tubs from #6 and #7 are then drained and moved to Cottages #2 Lucky Dog and #4 Dog Daze on the waterfront for the rest of the winter. I really appreciate my landscape trailer for this job.
Boats get taken out of the water, pressure washed, then stored. Boat motors get their annual service including gear case draining, engine oil and filter change. With ethanol in most gasoline available, fuel filters also need to be changed at least every couple of years. The pontoon boat can take the longest to prep for winter. Comfy seating and carpet are nice during the summer, but can be quite the challenge to clean in the fall. Once done, we park the boat near Cottage #6 and cover it under a tent until next spring.
The last big jobs are the removal of the docks and the closing of the swimming pool. We used to remove the docks ourselves, but what used to take a whole day now only takes one hour with the help of 3 contractors. The swimming pool is also closed by our pool company.
To our surprise, all jobs have been completed this year before the end of October. Now we will just have to wait and see how long it takes us to put it all back together in the spring.
Thanks goodness we have a hot tub to turn to after these back breaking jobs.
