Preparing

There are always tasks to be completed when your're gardening in a temperate climate.  We don't have down time during the winter here on the British Columbia coast - not like I was used to growing up in Ontario.  The apples need picking, the garlic and shallots have gone into the ground, and we've finally managed to sort out our pantry after months of moving boxes from room to room as we've been settling into the house.  We are still waiting for news on a source for firewood, as the dry summer months resulted in a ban on entry to the woods for firewood providers to get in to gather their already-downed trees.  Perhaps in the coming years we will get a permit ourselves and take the truck and our chainsaw out to gather fuel for the winter, but this year we've already had enough on our plates.
 

The 'pantry' when we arrived at the new place - beautiful fake wood panelling, OSB ceiling pieced together with dark brown millwork, tons of cracks, crevices, and holes that seemed to invite our new-found friends the carpenter ants to use the walls as a highway.....

Part way through 5 coats of primer and paint, steel wool, caulk, poly filler and sweat during a week of 30+ degree weather....

Things that needed to 'fit' into our pantry area, which had been gathered in hallways, closets, and other rooms awaiting our attention.

Our wonderful, finished pantry - now home to many plastic bins since we have discovered our mouse problem. We've only seen one silverfish, so I'm not escalating that to problem status yet! I'm thrilled to have everything to hand right across from the kitchen (a stripping and painting project itself, for this winter). We will be building a work island in the kitchen from an antique table, where we can chop vegetables and pull up a stool to prepare meals, but this space allows room for us to slow cook, dehydrate, mix and measure without having to clutter up the kitchen proper.  I'm looking forward to baking apple crisps and continuing to dehydrate our remaining Cox and King apples for winter with all of the tools immediately available.  Unblemished apples can store in our pantry fridge, and we will be filling the freezers with more meals as we harvest fall vegetables from the garden and butcher our final 2 litters of rabbits for the season.  We're home!