Winter is coming!

It is hard to believe with this weather we have been having that winter is coming but we know it will arrive! This week in Southern Ontario it has been beautiful. Sunny warm days and comfortable nights. I even had to open my windows one night because it was so warm. It is Novemeber right? Not usual but ohhh we will take it.

Since the borders are still closed so going west is out of the question for now it is the perfect opportunity to get the van ready for winter. There are a few things I do to help keep me warm on those cold days.

One of the things that gets the coldest when that north wind blows is the floor. There is a very thin piece of steel between my feet and the cold ground and it gets cold. My purple shoes become my inside van shoes because even with my thick bathroom mats that floor is still darn cold on my toes. How to keep a little more warmth in the van and off my feet. During the winter I put down puzzle mats. You know the ones that come in all those pretty colors you put down for kids to soften their fall. I found some with the almost same look as the wood trim on my cabinets. They are easy to install and trimming only takes a pair of scissors. I was very impressed on how good it looks and once I put my thick bath mats on them my floor becomes a warm, cushy place to put my feet.

I was concerned that once I put my bath mats on them I would have issues opening the fridge or the cupboards but it is thin enough that all open just fine. Woohoo! The small drawer under the jump seat will not open with the flooring in place as it slides along the floor to open. Even my bath mats get in the way so I can not put the flooring there. Since I use that door to mostly go in or out of that area also gets wet in the winter. I use a door mat from the dollar store that way with all the salt and yuck that also comes with winter after a couple of washes it is easy and cheap to replace when they fall apart. It also easy to move when I have to get into that drawer.

The side flip windows will also let a draft in. The window on the passenger side that I had to replace does not quite seat properly, but it does flip so I can live with it. Just as I did when I had a drafty window in a house I tape plastic on the insides to minimize the wind coming through. A nice draft at 30C is nice. Not so nice at -30C. Pull my insulated curtains down and my bed becomes a cozy and warm place to lay my head.

Here come the pillows! Around the bed the walls will get very cold as she is not a 4 season. That cold will seep right through the bed. To help insulate I will put pillows along the sides against the wall. They work very well and are nice and soft to put my leg on when I am having a hot flash and need to touch something cool.

Stuff added. Winter coats and scarves and gloves and hats…oh my! Never mind the shovel because yes I have had to dig myself out. Where do I put it all. It is better since I retired I do not have 2 winter coats and all my uniforms but it is still a lot of extra stuff. In the summer I keep it at my daughters in my Mom’s cedar chest so it is not in the way. My winter coat does not fit in my closet so I put hooks in the bathroom to hang it there. Less moving it when I need that space. The shovel will replace the barbecue in the back under the bed. I will move that to the 69. Some juggling is in order but in the end it will all fit.

Winterizing also means draining and winterizing the tanks. Boohoo! No running water. With the weather being so nice I am happy I did not do it yet. I probably have hopefully another 2 weeks of running water and I will take it. Watching the temperature becomes especially important right now. At this time of year the temperature can change within hours. It will take a few nights and days of really cold temperatures to freeze my tanks. I keep them filled as the more water in them the less chance of them freezing solid over night or quickly. I will run my water a little more often just to keep the water moving in the lines.

I do not like winter and was so hoping that my first retirement winter would be warm. Maybe if we cross our fingers and knock on wood the borders will open before we get into the really cold snaps. In the meantime I will prepare so I do not have to chip ice for coffee!!

Thanks for coming along on my Chipmunk Adventure!

See you next time!

🐿