Community News

Have you been watching the evening weather reports? Or, check the sky in the morning to find out what type of weather we may be having for today. This time of the year I love to watch the local news to catch up on the weather and check for plunging temps. I gotta know when they are going to start getting closer to that frigid winter temperature of 32 degrees at night because that's when I better make sure my house is ready. After several years of babysitting foreclosure houses for the bank, I have become more attuned to the possibility of frozen water lines in homes. Believe me, it happens. Our plunging temps can surely play havoc with water lines. Like that water faucet on the outside of your house. Have you checked to see that your hoses are unhooked from the faucets? Most homes these days have what they call "frost-free" hose bibs but not all of them. The 'frost free' means that the actual shut-off is deep inside the house. It is designed to drain the water from the line. Clear lines mean you won't have frozen water pipes. However, if the hose is still attached the water doesn't completely drain out. Next thing you know the water freezes and you have a break in the line. Not always a fun prospect. How about your lawn's underground sprinklers? They sure are nice to have but do take some maintenance. This time of year I hear a lot of hissing going on. That's the lawn care companies blowing out the sprinkler lines. Unfortunately when I purchased my current home the former owners never had that done. The lines froze and so, my sprinklers are toast. They are not easy to repair and most recommend just replacing the entire system. Get those lines blown out soon so you are not in the same situation. Then there is the dilemma of whether to rake up the leaves or not. Luckily I don't have very many trees with leaves at my house. My mulching mower takes good care of chopping them up into tiny pieces. Makes for good mulch and a little extra fertilizer. Those that live within the city limits of Bozeman get an added bonus. The City has a street cleaning process that picks up the leaves for you. Just rake them to the street gutter and they will take them away. Of course, they don't always get the entire city done before a big snowfall so some are left there till spring and they get cleaned up then. Still better than filling up plastic bags and taking them to the landfill. Owning your own home brings with it numerous maintenance tasks. However, I prefer to own my place instead of renting. There's something satisfying about taking care of your own property. It brings a sense of stability and belonging. I wouldn't have it any other way.