The cold weather arrived a bit early at the shore. Is your house ready?
Drain the outside shower and other outside water connections (common on the decks of the newer homes); if the water is on inside the house, make sure the heat is set at 55 degrees or higher; open the cabinets under the kitchen and bathroon sinks to allow warm air to flow around the pipes; and close the vents in the crawl space.
See my Novemeber 17th post about “the red light” system- it’s an easy way to monitor the heat in the house.
  Ever wonder about the red light bulbs in the front window of summer homes?  It’s a popular “high tech” system used by owners who leave their heat and water on in the winter months. The light bulb is plugged into a wall thermostat.  If the temperature in the house drops below the setting (typically 10 degrees below the real thermostat for the heat), the light goes on. The police or real estate agent notice the light (the red light stands out) and call the owner and/or service company to check the heat.
 Keep warm…see you on the beach!
 Determining what to wear for my beach walk is sometimes based more on the time of year than the actual temperature. It was cold enough for a hat and gloves this morning, but it just doesn’t seem right in mid-November. I have of course made the transition from shorts to long pants; and even started wearing a turtle neck under a spring jacket. The fleece jacket came out today- so I guess the real winter clothes will follow. 
 Just returned from Asheville, North Carolina. A beautiful area, and the perfect time of year to appreciate the fall colors (typically, my opportunity to view changing leaves is limited to the Garden State Parkway!)  The trees were so bright with red, yellow, and orange colors- amazing.
 But the REAL reason for the trip was to see our 1 year old grandson. He’s a Colorado boy, but knows how to work his southern charm!
Snow on the Sand
The snow didn’t last…but the cold temperatures are sure hanging on! I guess it’s really time to bring out the wool sweaters 🙁
One more tip for preparing your house for winter- even if your outside faucet is frost-proof, don’t forget to remove the hose. The water in the hose will freeze and back up into the faucet and cause it to break (I speak from experience here).