The leaves are dropping, the spiders are busy, and October starts tomorrow. It must be that winter is just around the corner. We don’t have hard winters (usually) in the Willamette Valley but everything gets very, very wet. I usually start winterizing in late October, but everything is dry right now, so it seems like starting a bit early might be good.

The upstairs deck has been swept and mopped (after last weekend’s rain storm). Most of the ferns have been brought in and the summer quilts have been put away for winter. The area is covered so I don’t need to bring in the furniture. I do have a couple of remaining chores, but the easy stuff is finished.

• have gutters cleaned or adjusted
• replace screen on retractable screen door
• bring hop basket table downstairs

I’ve moved the chair pads into the cupboard under the stairs for winter storage and the umbrellas into a cupboard in the garage. I moved the chairs and umbrella stands onto the patio to keep them out of the mud. I’m going to cover them with a tarp (yet to be purchased) which I think will keep them in better condition then letting them sit out all winter. I’ve put cement bricks under the buffet table legs to keep them out of the water from the winter rains. I want to give it another coat of wood seal and cover it with a tarp as well. The delicate plants have been moved into the house or the garage and the lawn sprinklers cleaned and put in storage. I also, finally, tried my hand at patching an area of the patio in front of the foundation vent. Once it cures, I have a few other tasks to finish that area.

• pressure wash to remove ash from wildfires
• seal cement
• tarp the furniture and fire pit
• dig out grass under fire pit, add weed blocking fabric and gravel
• store glass table in back shed

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The hot tub patio has less to do and I haven’t started it yet

• put umbrella in garage
• purchase cover for barbecue table
• pressure wash
• seal cement
• seal steps to hot tub
• bring plants in for winter