Fall Cleaning...

...Has had me under the weather lately.

QUITE~LITERALLY!

I have spent the past week outdoors! Working my hiney off!
Summer was here early last week with temperatures of 86+ degrees,

which was wonderful.
Fall reminded me that it is here by bringing us back down

to 70 degrees on Thursday and 60 on Friday ~ with rain!

YEP! ...I'm talking about that wet stuff that drops from the sky!
It is a rarity for our parts of the world because our average rainfall for a year
is 11-13 inches total.

Rain is good though.

But then, Winter showed it's vengeance Sunday with a whopping 47 degrees!
The hefty winds arrived overnight bringing more rain!
I don't own an umbrella or galoshes, so proceeding with my agenda
for the day, made things (and Me!) pretty soggy!

I know I've been neglectful here, I haven't been able to check in on my friends and I do have some things I need to acknowledge
(I'm getting there Ms Train Wreck..keep singing for awhile longer Ok? American Idol may discover you yet!) but I've been pretty bogged down.
No! Silly! I didn't say BLOGGED down...I said BOGGED down!

PLEASE FORGIVE ME for being otherwise consumed!

Some things around here call out MY name only! I'm not sure why they seek MY attention and drop right upon MY shoulders this time of year,
but they always do!
(Maybe it's because Cowboy is trying to earn the $$ and I'm sloughing????)
Don't you dare answer "Yes"!

Admittedly, I can't seem to get things done as fast as I want

or used to......which really irritates me!
I then end up accomplishing less because I've spent too much time stewing about how

"it used to be"!

Here is what's on my list that I've been struggling to accomplish with hopes
(yea I know, they are High Hopes!) of completing within the next 3 weeks:

• Clean and store patio furniture.
• Clean BBQ & Cover.
• Touch up paint on door trims, railings and windows. (partially done)
• Check caulk around windows and doors. (re-caulk if needed).
• Inspect external doors. Do they close tightly? Install weather-stripping?All is well!
• Wash exterior windows 26. 19 to go! (Yuk!)
• Wash interior windows 26. (Double Yuk!) ...I'll move this to my Indoor Fall List...
• Gather, clean, Oil garden tools.
• Pull lingering plant in garden. (1/2 done)
• Turn #2 and #3 compost piles
• From compost pile #1, spread around shrubs & perennials
• Drain and store garden hoses.
• Winterize/weed n' feed lawn
• Take apart and find parts to repair frost-free spigots outside on house.
• Install insulating covers on exterior spigots.
• Check gutters and downspouts ...(miles & miles of!). Clear of debris if necessary.

The worst part of doing these gutters..is my fear of heights! While cleaning pine needles & gutters over the back porch (the only semi-FLAT roof there is), the ladder fell stranding me until Cowboy came around close enough to hear me calling out...which was about an hour later!
But Hey! I was able to take a snooze and luckily... I didn't roll off!
(In this climate, I don't have a clue why someone installed these darned things! They never get used except for collecting dust and leaf debris).

• Stack firewood (what we have so far...)
• Clean both fireplaces of last years soot and ashes.
• Check stock tank heaters, make sure they still work. MEMO: Need one more!
• Check extension cords and repair if mice dined on them over the summer. MEMO: Repair two
• Check hay tarps~ which is not easy, as they are those really heavy duty ones made by that company in AZ I used to work for... they ARE heavy & cumbersome for little 'ol me!

I'm so sorry............but I've been exhausted come nightfall!
If you don't believe me? Come and walk in my shoes for a day.
Oh, that won't work because I don't wear shoes...
so you'll have to be barefoot too!

I AM making a pot of coffee right now....

(and my dear friend the CoffeeLady...Thank you!)

Pssstttt.....she sent me some wonderful smelling packages!

Of Coffee! You guessed it!**huge smile**
...and I am going to stay up tonight...
...and 'catch up' on all of my wonderful Blogging Friends!

Don't wait up for me, just leave the light on...
I have my coffee & I will let myself in....