Fall to Winter Tips and Tricks…

It’s been over a month since my last blog…wow, how time flies. Towards the end of October, I (sadly) left my family in Washington and flew into Denver, Colorado to meet up (happily) with Dan after his hunt. We spent another week with more family and friends before starting the journey to Cornell, Michigan. It’s a two or three-day drive depending on how many stops we make, or the road conditions. We were quite lucky this trip and didn’t even encounter rain.

As I sat down to write this blog I thought why not share what have I learned about getting through a snowy season while in a travel trailer. Being married to a Yooper (someone born and raised in Upper Michigan) helps. My husband looks at snow like it’s his best friend. I teasingly say he was born with snowshoes for feet. As the temperature drops to the teens, it has been his priority to keep us warm. Dan says the snow has made an early appearance…not that it doesn’t snow in November…this is the UP after all…but it’s colder so it’s sticking around. Now that I am retired and don’t have to struggle along the roads driving to work, snow doesn’t affect me as negatively as it once did. I do use every excuse possible to stay off the roads, but I still enjoy my morning walks. We have a wood stove to keep us warm (sheepherder version), a must for anyone who doesn’t want to go broke buying propane. But it isn’t just the cozy burning of wood that I enjoy this time of year, toasty as that is, but it’s how the snow seems to bring a different kind of quiet. At least, out here in the “somewhat” wilderness. Previously off the grid before, I am excited to say we now have a satellite dish for internet…YAY. At least when the generator is running. We still have no water, electricity, or plumbing…but, hey, one step at a time.

We’ve been at this travel trailer life for almost a year now, so I thought I’d share a couple of things I’ve learned along the way…and life in general…

First – I like to keep a tea kettle or a pot of water on the wood stove for moisture. As we turn on those furnaces, electric baseboard heaters, and/or build those fires in the fireplace or wood stove, the moisture seems to dwindle away. Suddenly, you notice your hair seems lighter than air, and your skin feels like…well, not so good. Looking at my gauge right now we are at 29% humidity…pretty good for our small space with wood heat. Without the tea kettle on the wood stove we have dropped to below 16%, so every little bit helps. You may remember my blog from January this year when we were still in the PNW we battled condensation as I’d never seen before. So, now I’m telling you to put moisture in the air? Yep, everything in moderation…humidity included. I prefer between 45-50%. Before we started our travel adventure and lived in real homes, periodically, I would put a pan on the stove, but I added cloves. A wonderful aroma filled the air bringing in the fall/winter season for me along with some moisture. Then there are the cinnamon pines cones I’d bring home from the store.

Second – Another tip, regardless of snow, is an item that has quickly become a necessity…and deserves a moment in the limelight. Let me explain where the “travel trailer” fits into this tip. We don’t have any hanging clothes closets. There is one small hanger rod in one small closet, but if I used that I would lose space for other items. That means all my shirts, blouses, and sweaters are folded. Now, I do take time to fold them nicely, but the bumps in the road have a way of shifting everything to one side or the other or just all over. This small steamer has helped me many times when we had somewhere nice to go. It takes only a minute for the steam to start calling out for every little wrinkle it can find, and in no time you are on your way. I picked this little baby up at Bed Bath & Beyond for around $20, so not a huge investment for the return.

Third – If you enjoy watching wildlife, as in deer and birds, you can provide a few goodies for them. Deer love cracked corn, carrots, potato peelings, and beets…for starters. They will graze off and on through the day bringing hours of entertainment. For the birds, though seeds are great, this time of year they need a little bit more so why not pick up some suet (the real stuff) at your local meat market. We are fortunate enough to be close to a meat processor and they have lots for free. Dan put some in an old orange bag and hung it from the tree. It helps the birds keep warm in the cold weather. It may not be the most attractive feeder, but aesthetics are something we appreciate, thankfully the birds aren’t into looks…lol.

So, there you have it…small tidbits of information I wanted to share with you. I love sharing any and all information I can through my blogs, and I hope you enjoy reading and maybe learning something along the way.

Wrapping up I’d like to say every season has it’s good elements, snow included. While I was on my walk this morning, about a mile from home, I met a neighbor. Donna and her dog, Sandy, were making their way across the icy road to her mailbox. When Sandy alerted Donna that someone was walking down the road towards them, Donna waited. As I approached I, lovely, let Sandy know that I wasn’t really a big orange monster. I was no one to fear or protect his owner, Donna, from…just an old lady walking.  Donna and I introduced ourselves and had a great get-to-know-you conversation. Unfortunately, in this cold weather…even bundled up…you start feeling the chill when you are standing still. After about twenty minutes we both realized we needed to get moving, so we said our goodbyes and headed on our way. So, today, I’d like to thank Donna for not hurrying back into her warm house, but instead, waiting while I dodged the ice under my feet another 100 yards and made my way to her little corner of the world.

Life’s little blessings…have a wonderful day, everyone.