Hi friends,

The time to find out your generator needs fixing is NOT as the electricity is knocked out by a storm. The time to make sure you have enough towels for an overnight guest isn’t as you hear the guest shower running. Early autumn is the perfect time to check our homes’ inventories — before the snow flies. (Friendly reminder: In 2019, we had 1.4” of snow on September 30.)

Matt and I recently did a full-on inventory of our Leavenworth Airbnb to make sure it is ready for skiers. Every sheet, washcloth, and kitchen item, etc… had to be counted, examined, and, in some cases, replaced. The process took two long days, but our goal is to have zero complaints come winter!

We won’t be going through our own house with the same fervor. If our son Benson complains that his sheets are not up to his expectations, he will have to wait until I find a good sale.

Matt and I recently realized we needed to add few things to our little, already packed, detached garage. (No, we don’t park in it. It was built in 1939 when vehicles were far slimmer.) In order to make room, we decided to inventory what we did have and make decisions about each and every item.

We quickly discovered that a substantial portion of Spokane’s mouse population had been feasting on our freeze-dried camping food for sustenance and chewing up non-food items just for the heck of it. On the bright side, their cuisine choices made some of our decisions considerably easier. Also, because we set about doing that inventory, we warded off what could have been far more damage in the future!

We have since added mousetraps to our garage inventory. At three bucks apiece, they are WAY cheaper than was the replacement cost of our hiking backpacks! We then bought plastic bins of all shapes and sizes so our vulnerable items were protected from the little nesting beasts. All the food is now unattainable by their weak little hands.And while we are on the subject of garages, remember to stock up on rock salt, sand, furnace filters and styrofoam faucet covers.

Inside the house, don’t forget to examine last year’s rice bags to make sure that while your toes get cozy, the rice stays inside the bags! Maybe get some draft blockers for your exterior doors, and make sure your batteries and lightbulb supplies are sufficient.

While you are counting, you might find your inventory of things like blankets, coats, gloves, towels, etc…exceed your needs. Please consider donating those items to homeless shelters like the Union Gospel Mission. And don’t forget The Humane Society, Scraps, and other animal shelters always need blankets that might not be in great shape but will add a bit of comfort between Rover (or Snowbell) and a concrete floor!

Happy counting!