Our gloomy summer has turned into an equally gloomy fall here in Ohio. 2009 should be remembered as 'the summer that wasn't', being was such a dreary disappointment. Now the winds are changing, blowing from the north and we're in the gray, gloomy days of fall. The weatherman is calling for a cold weekend, with highs only in the upper 40's/low 50's, so we're in full winter-prep mode.
We've spent this week pulling out the sweaters, sweatshirts, thermal underwear, wool socks, flannel sheets and heavy quilts. I know, it's only October, but that first month or so of cold weather takes a lot of getting-used-to; and I prefer to get-used-to it under a thick quilt with a mug of hot chocolate. Nothing calls you home to nest like that first frost, or that first morning that you go outside and can see your breath.
I'm hearing pleasant reports from the PTB that heating costs will be down this year, though only about 2% for folks like us who use fuel oil. Every little bit helps. Fuel oil is running around $2.20 a gallon; not too bad considering it was over $3 a gallon this time last year. With the improvements we've made on the house such as windows, siding and insulation, we should get by fairly cheaply this year, as opposed to years past where we paid up to $200 a month in fuel oil. The first winter we spent in this house was a mighty cold, drafty winter, let me tell you. The windows on the back of the house were so leaky, we had to put the plastic on the *outside* of the house. There was so much air coming in the windows, the plastic wouldn't hold; it would puff up like a balloon and pop. Thank goodness for home improvements.
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Despite living in "sunny California" we hit the mid 20's this week - lost the tomato plants even though they were covered. It reached 61 today and feels a bit warmer. Our propane bill over the last year rivaled the national debt even though we kept the house on the cold side (I was freezing actually!). I would have traded just about anything to have a $200 heating bill. We spent a wad of money converting over to natural gas last winter and immediately saw a HUGE reduction in our bill. I'm hoping that will continue this winter and I can actually heat the house a bit more. I'm constantly looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of our home so we can actually enjoy it in the winter!
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