Winnie stood relatively still this morning as I slid her sleek, little body into her warm green sweater. I layered up, and we were soon out the door on time to meet our walking buddies. When I saw Karen and Elaine all bundled up, I should have realized I wasn’t dressed warmly enough, but I did have on layers so off we went.

About halfway around the block my fingers tingled from the cold, and I somewhat sheepishly requested we reverse course so I could pick up my coat and gloves. Upon arrival I left Miss Winnie because I thought her little paws had to be freezing. Way down south where we live the truly cold weather we are experiencing is unusual.

Next week snow is in the forecast, and I am really excited about the prospect. Our neighbors to the north have recourses to treat the roads to make driving safer, but icy or snowy roads are such an unusual occurrence that we have no such resources. On top of that, we have very little experience navigating vehicles or even walking when ice or snow are part of the scenario.

A few years ago I was walking through an icy parking lot up north and almost lost my footing. It is very hard to keep from slipping on ice, so my best advice is to be very careful where you walk. Stay away from areas where ice may accumulate and off the roads if at all possible.

I just checked out my weather app and was surprised to see that snow is also forecast for Wednesday! Old man winter is giving us a taste of what our northern friends are accustomed to. Hopefully, there won’t be ice along with the snow, but as with any weather event it is good to be prepared.

It is important to be stocked with the usual necessary things such as food, water, batteries, and a tank of gas. I don’t think they are predicting power outages, but I remember a pretty big snow when my kids were young when our power did go out. I think the snow accumulated on some tree branches, which in turn broke and took down a power line.

If winter weather home maintenance hasn’t been taken care of in a while, there is still time to get some new weather stripping up and caulk around the window trim to seal off any drafts. It also may be a good time to check the antifreeze levels in your car.

Our family and vehicle may need extra care right now, but surely we don’t want to leave out our beloved pets. If it is too cold for us to be comfortable outside it is also too cold for a pet, so now is the time to get a warm, cozy spot either in the garage or the interior of our homes for outside pets. I hope you are all ready to enjoy the winter weather!