2023-10 Winter Preparation Rush

Time off Work

I took 2 weeks unpaid leave off work, as I had a big backlog of tasks to get done before winter and we had a couple of weeks without a scheduled customer task for me. Once the ground freezes certain work cant be done, and once the snow builds up almost all outdoor work stops. By the end of this month it was about -8C outside with a tiny dusting of snow.

Reducing Electric Consumption

Electric prices have gone up and we’re expecting them to keep going up in the future. To reduce electric bills we had inventoried all our electrical appliances. We then used the manufacturers information to calculate the approximate energy consumption. Replacing some appliances like the fridge and the cooker would not make much difference, comparing the price of a newer model to the energy saved. We’ve also prioritised appliances that have an issue, such as a faulty door. We had replaced the freezer in the first year and the washing machine in the second.

Some months ago I had made a list of potential energy-efficient models available in Sweden to replace the tumble drier with. I hadn’t taken any action because of the expense. However this month I noticed one of the models on half price. I hadn’t seen this happen in the past six months and so took the opportunity to invest in a replacement. The modern drier will use half the electric of the old drier, and takes a larger load.

What made it exciting was getting a 80kg bulky-yet-delicate object up the steps into the house and down the awkward basement stairs. Taking the old one out was surprisingly easy as it weighed a lot less.

Planning for More Generation

I checked the local Kommune (council) webpages and contacted their energy generation expert to ask what the rules were for wind turbines. I was surprised that it was pretty fair. It’s possible to add one with only a planning notification (no permission process) providing certain conditions are met. Specifically we are allowed up to a 10m high mast. The catch is that the structure has to be located at least the same distance from the property border as it is high.

We’re a bit split in the house as to if this might be a project next summer. Not everyone likes turbines. However it does get windy here, especially when solar is lower.

Batteries would make a significant impact to our power consumption from the grid. With batteries we could probably avoid drawing from the grid for about 7 months of the year. The issue is the significant cost however, and I dont have the budget for it currently.

As part of connecting electric to the greenhouse I’m thinking of laying a separate pipe for potential future projects. This would allow an electrical feed for something such as wind or freestanding solar, but we’ve no firm plans at this time.

Garden preparation

We turned over the soil in the raised beds in the greenhouse. I also applied linseed oil to the wooden raised beds to help them last longer. I put an extra retaining storm wire over the middle of each greenhouse polycarbonate panel. This should help stop a repeat of winter storms blowing out any panels in the winter.

We weeded all the raised beds and removed any remains of the vegetables. The local hardware shop supplied stakes for the trees which we drove in with a sledgehammer. We used 3 per tree with a fleece band stapled to the posts.

I dug along the edges of the footpath to relieve soil pressure that was slowly pushing the wooden path sides in. We also put grass seed down on all the areas of bare earth.

Wooden Cabinet

My girlfriend found an apothecary cabinet on the local equivalent of ebay (Blocket). With some calculations we worked out that it would fit in the car with about a centimetre to spare on each side. I think the seller was a bit dubious when we arrived in the car, but quite impressed when the boot lid closed with only the smallest of plastic squeaks.

Once home we set about restoring and adapting it. The seller had removed the cabinet from a fitted shop environment at some point. As a result the cabinet had some damage from both customisation and removal. It’s going to be quite a winter project.

Mouse Problems

October is when all the mice come in from the cold fields and forests nearby. We have a peanut butter live-capture trap in the attic and in a sealed eves area. A simple motion-detection camera is pointed at each trap so we can be alerted when there is movement. At the time of writing we have caught five mice.

Each time we catch one I drive the mouse to a spot a long way in the forest and release them. Getting in the car half-asleep at 3am on unlit rural roads is not a great idea. Especially when you have been driving on the other wise of the road for decades.So this year I got a second-hand hamster cage and if I catch any mice in the night, I can move them to the cage in the garage until morning.

Car

With winter coming I gave the car some attention. I jacked each wheel up and swapped the studded ice tyres onto the car. I checked over each tyre first to look for potential defects and dug the gravel bits out of the softer tyres. These ice tyres will stay on for about the next 6 months. I also changed the front wiper blades which look to be the originals from 12 years ago. I also checked with the local garage for an oil change and wheel alignment check.

Equipment Preparation

I’ve tried to budget things and spent some money this month repairing things.

I hadn’t had new glasses since long before Covid. My glasses were getting visibly worn in that the surface coatings had worn off in the centre of the lenses. From some headaches I also thought that the prescription may have changed. I was able to get an opticians appointment and a new pair of glasses. The new pair also fit me much better and dont fall off during physical tasks. The opticians equipment also seems to significantly improve over the years. As an example they were able to do lots of tests to look at the health of the eyes, such as assessing the thickness of the eye wall.

My winter clothes are a strange match of items that are good for gardening but a bit off for winter. In addition the zip had finally broken on the fleece I have worn for the past 4 years. So I got warm clothes for the winter including a snow anorak, hiking trousers, and a fleece.

I’m now well prepared for snowshoe walking but I would like to try cross-country skiing or snowboarding. Skiing can be an expensive sport so I have been looking out for second hand skis, bindings, and boots. I’ve also been keeping an eye out for a second hand snowboard. We do have a hill next to us that I could walk up with a board. There’s also more normal venues we could drive to.

I managed to find a second hand Fjällräven rucksack on Blocket. These are normally expensive but the rucksack was cheap due to damage. It had a small fabric repair from a rope friction burn on one side which is easy to ignore. It has a modern back support system and should be great for longer distance walks.

Swedish Practise

With time off work, I was able to devote 2+ hours a day to learning Swedish. The dedicated time felt like it made a lot of difference. For myself to make noticeable progress it feels like I need to use revision sessions of an hour or more. Anything less feels like just maintaining my current skill level. I’ve taken to only recording when I compete a 1 hour session.