Winter Has Arrived, again.

Well folks, its here. Winter has set in, hopefully you were prepared! If not, dont forget to disconnect hose pipes from out door spigots, and turn the spigot off if you have an inside shut off valve. Check your heaters, make sure the filters are changed regularly so that they can run at optimal performance. On the nights where we have negative temperatures, its is wise to keep the cupboard doors open to the pipes of your indoor plumbing to keep them from freezing. Keep pet friendly salt handy at the door step, a slippery start to your day is never fun. If you have a wood stove, make sure you burn out the chimney good, or hire a professional chimney sweep. Its also a good time to check the dryer vent on the outside of your house, is it in good repair and clean of lint? The Vent line is it clean all the way from the dryer, clogged dryer vents create fires and broken outdoor vents are entryways for pests.

Most of us Montana's have rearranged our entry way. We now have a seat with a boot puller near by instead of a shelves of tennies and flip flops, we have lots of rugs because snow and mud are bound to make their way inside. Whatever you have done to prepare for our inevitable winter, don't forget the weather-proofing.

Also.... drive carefully this winter, watch out for the crazies on the road, leave early if you don't want to be late, enjoy the winter and the upcoming holiday seasons. Be kind to your neighbor, if they need help shoveling their walk, help them if you can. If you see someone who needs a meal, help them if you can. Winter is hard. Remember everything in winter takes longer in Montana, so its better to be prepared for it.