Ugh. Winter in Maine is not my favorite time of the year. I am not a big fan of the cold or the snow. Why do I live here? The rest of the year is darn nice.  So, as I was standing in out in the cold at the Augusta Dog Park (Yeah, I hate the cold, but I will stand out in it for my fur-baby!) it dawned on me I have a short list in the last couple of years that have made winter much more manageable for me. Here are my 'words of wisdom' that have taken me a lifetime to figure out.

One: Get studded snow tires. Really. I did not think they would make such a difference over good all-season tires, but they do! They really, really do! Two: If you don’t have the studded snow tires, a four-wheel drive will be handy to get you where you need to go. Three: A long coat. I just bought a coat that goes down past my knees. I am amazed at how much warmer I am as I stand out in the cold waiting for the fur-baby to do his thing. Four: The ice/snow grippers that you can put on your boots or shoes. Think of them as studded tires for your feet. No more creeping around on icy days, you can just walk. Five: If you really want to do something nice that is not so much a necessity but a very nice little extra, get a remote car starter.

It took me most of my adult life to figure that stuff out. Well, as I think about it, I guess I should have listened to my Mom. She has been telling me most of same things since I was a kid! Shhhh, don’t tell her I just said that, ok?

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