Living in the Poconos the seasons the season that I think catches most ‘new guys’ offguard is definitely Winter. The other seasons do not vary too much from city living or other parts of the country but Winter is definitely unique. Now is the time to get a start on getting your home prepared for winter so come the snowy months you can sit back and relax confidently.Â
I moved to the Poconos a little over 5 years ago and the concept of a well, septic system,  fireplace and needing to get someone to plow your driveway were totally new concepts to me. So hopefully mistakes I’ve made and have learned from that have turned into the tips below will prepare you better.
Prepare your yard and the outside of your home
First and foremost be sure to prepare your yard for the upcoming months by winterizing it as much as possible. Right now its not too cold yet and it will save you a lot of time and aggrevation to get it done now.
– Winterize your plants. Cover them, trim them, whatever is necessary, our winters our quite cold and you definitely don’t want to lose the time and money you spent on your yard.
– Clear the yard and cover objects. Bring in toys & empty plant containers and tarp what you can – lawnmowers, swingsets, large toys. If you have tables and/or chairs with covers bring them in or tarp them as well.
– Rake and mow one last time. Especially if you live in an extremely wooded area, the cold and snow can come on pretty quick so be sure to keep up on raking as trying to get up all those wet leaves in the spring is not fun.
– Turn off water to your outside water spouts.
– Clean your gutters and get your chimney checked.
– Check your septic. If you’re due for a cleaning have it done now because the hole they need to access is going to be a pain to get to when the ground is frozen and needless to say they will charge you extra probably.
 Prepare inside your home
– Heating. Check your propane or whatever heat source you are using. Make sure you are not empty – the worst time to find that out is the first seriously cold night of the season. Fill up now, and remember to fill up over the summer next year as it is typically cheaper.
– Electric Heat. If electric is your only means of heat you should really look into an additional heating method as well. Small oil heaters and generators are probably your best option. The electricity is bound to go out, even for short periods, at some time over the winter. When I lived about 5 minutes outside of Stroudsburg the ice storm a few years ago knocked us out of power for an entire week. You just never know so be prepared!
– Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. If you do not already have them definitely be sure to go out and get them. When you start using propane, oil, candles it can get dangerous even if you aren’t careful, so keep safe and be prepared.
– Speaking of being prepared, a few simple things to always have on hand. Lighters, candles, flashlights, matches, water jugs, warm blanket and food that does not require being cooked(think crackers).
– Wells and water. If you have a well and your power goes out you will not be able to use it – which means no water, no flushing the toilets, nothing. So be sure to always have a few jugs of water available for drinking!
– Check the number on file with the electric company. Make sure they have both your home phone and your cell phone incase of emergencies. If you power goes out and they try to contact you and all you have is a cordless phone that requires electricity you’re going to be in hot water.
A few last notes…
– Snow plowing. If you have a driveway that needs plowed make sure you always have the cash on hand for it. When you run out to grab bread, milk and eggs before a big storm make sure you have some cash too.
– Get the basics now. Salt or sand, shovels, ice scrapers, gloves, hats, water jugs, candles – save yourself some stress later by being prepared now.
I’m not an expert and I’m sure that other people have some great ideas and tips so feel free to post them to help others out. I hope that this at least gets you thinking about winter as its one of the most beautiful seasons in the Poconos and if you’re prepared you can just sit back and enjoy it.Â
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Living in the “Poconos” most of my life, being raised out in the, what we locals call, the “West End Area” I know how the winters sometimes can be. Andrea provided a great list of things to be ready for. But lets take it to another level, lets talk about the FUN things that can happen
SNOWBALL FIGHTS! SNOWMEN! SLEIGH RIDING! and even better (for the kids, not for us as parents) NO SCHOOL!!!!
I mean how much better can it be then that? As much as some days and sometimes you just want the snow to melt or go away lets talk about some of the fun things you can do.
Take the kids outside and build a snowman, that is always an experience that you will never forget. Don’t forget the coal or the stick arms, and most importantly the carrot nose.
While your outside rolling up the snow into three different sizes don’t forget to lay down on your back, look up at the ski and make a snow angel or two. See who can make the best snow angel (the loser makes hot chocolate).
Let’s not leave out the sudden snowball that hits you from out of the sky, as you turn around and theres your friend, mom, dad, brother, whoever it may be, there just giggling away. Be sure to build a nice fort that you can hide behind. And always have a mass amount of snowballs made!
Sleigh riding, could anything be more fun then riding down a hill on fluffy white snow? Absolutely it could be, how about making a jump? Thats always a blast. The things we can do in the snow are endless and we can always have a great time. Lets be sure to remember this and use this to our advantage.
Two more things I almost forgot that were always my personal favorites. One is sticking out your tongue and catching the snowflakes. Or sticking out your hand and looking at the detail in those beautiful snowflakes. Did you know that every snowflake is different, not one is the same? Amazing!
Lastly, GO SKIING! Even if you never tried it, go take some lessons. It will be one of the best things you do all winter (or snow tubing) if not all year. The laughs never stop and the fun never ends.
Although it comes with salting, and shoveling, and bitter cold days, and ice, and all of those things that sometimes we just cant wait until the go away. Lets remember the fun that we can actually have, and the things that we can do!
So please, this winter, GO OUT! and do something different!
Please comment and let us know what you did this winter!
Being new to this whole “country-style” living, we gave our little 3 year old some beach toys with which to play in the snow. She had a ball raking, digging and making crab molds in the snow and all in our backyard. We are from NYC and moved here in 6/07 so this was a real treat. It IS just so beautiful out here.