January 2010 Newsletter

Well, it is official. Winter has really set in now. Chilly mornings, and even chillier nights. By now, most of us have settled into our winter routines I would imagine.

Wake up, have your morning coffee, shower, shovel the driveway, warm up the car, etc. Keep a few things in mind as you go through your morning routine in these cold winter months. Your safety.

As you need to do your snow removal, be aware of your limitations. Do not over do it, and try not to move too much snow if you need to use a shovel. If it is briskly cold, work in shifts, head into the house to warm up a bit if needed.

Take care of yourself first when doing snow removal, but also take care of your home. Try to avoid piling all of the snow against the foundation of your home. This may lead to problems once spring arrives and it begins to thaw out. Try to avoid making huge snowbanks at the end of your driveway as well. These may block your vision when trying to exit your drive and could cause accidents.

Once you have removed the snow, make sure there are no slippery areas where you or someone else may fall and become injured. If you find areas that become slick on a regular basis, some ice melt may be in order here. Use a little bit at a time to keep the area from becoming overly slick.

Finally, when all the hard work is done, get out and enjoy the snow. Go sledding, or just romp around in the backyard, and enjoy it. Remember it is only here for a little while.

Stay safe.