By Melissa Wynn
March brings the first day of spring to the calendar but not always the weather to match it in the higher elevations of the Sierras. I find March to be my month of spring cleaning projects; throw the old out with the winter and make room for the newness of spring. Checking just one or two projects a week off the list is a great way to kill some time in the last weeks of the season of cabin fever and get ‘ye ole’ homestead ship-shape in the process. What’s on your list… perhaps a few of these?
- Clean out the refrigerator and defrost the freezer. This makes room for the spring fishing catch.
- Clean the oven; it’s time to fire up the BBQ.
- Organize the cookware so that the baking dishes are in the back and the crock pot is in the front; this makes it easier to spend time outdoors.
- Go through your clothes, put away the snowsuit and freshen up the swimsuit. We always need a few sweaters for the cool evenings but bring out the tank tops anyway.
- Put away the flannel sheets and break out the cotton sheets; we will soon sleep with open windows.
- Organize the garage with the snow blower in the back and the soil and planter pots in the front – it’s almost time to plant a few things inside. Put all the camping and fishing gear together and accessible.
- Evaluate the woodshed. I believe the sooner wood cutting chores are done the sooner we can camp all weekend.
- Shovel the ashes from the fireplace or wood stove and have the chimney swept.
- Rake up the lawn as soon as the snow melts away and make room for the sprouts that promise summer is coming.
- Daylight Savings Time begins March 13th this year. On the 12th, at bedtime, set your clocks ahead one hour and check the batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
The seasons are a-changin’ my friends. Let’s get ready to play outside!
