January 7, 2019

White Dog gently suggested over the weekend that last week's blizzard and frigid temperatures were a wake up call that winter was here for real. At our house that means winterizing.

The swamp cooler had already been shut down but the mild temperatures kept us from covering the screened windows of the sun porch with plastic and weaving the railing across from the dog door with old carpeting to create a windblock. Both make the spaces more bearable in the cold and also add an element of insulation for the indoor spaces.

So Steve and his White Dog supervisors, Zso, Bai, Roman, and Tiz, got to work and by the end of Sunday, the sun porch was much warmer from trapped air heated by sunlight. The stretch of deck "aisle" between the dog door and railing was protected from the wind and received early sunlight to warm it.

The porch suddenly became much more desirable for daytime lounging and every time I opened the inside door today there was a stampede which required my rounding everyone up and shooing them back into the real indoors. "It is NOT warm enough for me to leave the door open for you," I told Bailey. "Fifty degrees is not hot. You can stay out here if you want but I am shutting the door," I told Roman. "And I won't come running when you decide you want in."

I had to call Zsofia several times when jerky was served this afternoon. Where was she? Sunning on the deck half in and half out of the dog door. "Holding the door open still lets the house heat out," I said. "Sure, the wind is blocked but still, either in or out. And you almost missed treats by the way." She kissed my cheek to sassily tell me she KNEW I would never skip her for treats.

I appreciate the added energy efficiency of the winterizing. And come Spring, during the wind storms, I will also be grateful for the plastic keeping out the dust. For all of us, it is good to have an item off of the weekend "to do" list. Now, we are ready.