The colors came, dazzled, and now lay in bare bushes and captured on cameras. Sumac is still in splendor, though maples and mountain ash have long since dimmed. MEA weekend has come and gone, leaving quiet in its wake. The Schroeder Bakery had “Closed” signs up this morning, meaning no more pizzas until spring. Lambs are draining pipes over at the campground and tipping picnic tables in anticipation of snow. The level in the hummingbird feeder has not dropped in days; they’ve gone south. Gulls no longer hover in breezes above the ledge rock.
Honks up on the highway mean deer are coming back down from the Sawtooths. Eagles, ravens, and crows await dinner. The bears have not gone to ground, so no bird seed out yet.
Snow shovels are strategically placed within reach. Solveig, the gardener, has clipped summer blooms and growth. Window boxes have been emptied and thrown where they might re-germinate. The old Lundie bench is tucked away safely inside the garage. Screens have been removed for extra light with Daylight Savings coming along soon. The old musket on the cabin wall has been oiled. Chair cushions and lap blankets have been stacked inside. Flannel sheets have been put on the beds. Down comforters and Hudson Bay blankets have replaced delicate quilts. The furnace has been serviced, not too long ago.
Snowplowing the driveway has been contracted. A supply of salt and sand mix has been carefully placed by the stone steps. Storm doors are installed. Blankets and towels have been stuffed into cracks. The annual replacement of fire alarm batteries is completed. The thermostat in the guest house is set at 50.
White-painted cedar Adirondacks are safe inside. Wood racks are filled by the deck and hot tub. Outside, faucets are turned off and drained. Gutters cleaned — pretty much anyway. Chairs on the rock beach have been pulled back to avoid increasing waves. Dryer sheets and Irish Spring soap bars are placed to try to ward off the mice seeking refuge. Extra floor rugs have been laid by the front door for boots and dripping shoes. Summer coats have been replaced with winter gear on the hall tree in the kitchen. Stocking caps and gloves fill the wicker basket. Skis and snowshoes are located and stand at the ready. The snowblower has been serviced.
Three full cords of maple and birch sit delivered, stacked and covered with the blue tarp. Stashes of pinot noir and sauv’ blanc lay waiting in the coolness of the cellar. The old wood box in the living room is full for happy-hour blazes. Ken Follett’s new book and the complete set of C.J. Box are within reach. Propane has been pre-ordered and paid for in advance.
Cluster flies didn’t survive the fall spraying, nor the ladybugs, for a change. The Weber grill and umbrella table are under wraps. All the hoses have been drained and coiled in the garage along with sprinklers and nozzles. Norman, the painted wooden gnome, has been wrapped to preserve his bright colors. Fences protecting plantings from hungry deer have been erected. (I’ll think some more about that salt block and filling the deer feeder.)
I’ll still put the poly-Adirondacks inside, though they say one can leave them out year-round. But that seems hardly Christian and so un-Minnesotan somehow.
I believe we are ready.
Steven M. Lukas is retired after a career in business and education. He and his extended family divide their time between the Twin Cities and Schroeder. The family cabin on the North Shore is a more-than 70-year-old timber frame designed by Edwin Lundie.
"Ready" - Google News
October 28, 2020 at 01:00AM
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Local View: Ready for winter — I believe - Duluth News Tribune
"Ready" - Google News
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