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Opening up the cottage There's more to opening up your cot- tage than unlocking the doors, hauling your hammock out of storage and set- tling in for summer. For a successful season, be well pre- pared to deal with the many chores and tasks that a winter of disuse can leave in its wake. When you first arrive at your cottage, take a good look around for signs of exterior damage caused by falling tree limbs, for example. Does it look like uninvited visitors have been there before you? If you think you've been robbed, check out the cottage to see what, if anything is missing before you call police. You're far more likely to discover, however, the unwanted visitor are of the winged or four-footed variety. Porcupines will happily eat their way through plastic water pipes, and a squirrel family can set up home in the stuffing of your couch in no time. You'll smell the mice before you ever see them. Make the cottage clean-up a family affair, from scrubbing the outhouse to spraying for bugs. If everyone makes a note of what needs renewing or replacing, you'll overlook very little. Before you set up house in a wooden building surrounded by trees, make sure you have enough smoke detec- tors in working order for the size of your place. The cottage is probably far more flammable than your regular home, so check the detectors regular- ly. Keep a good supply of replace- ment batteries on hand throughout the summer. Faulty wiring, hot coals from the fire- place and stove-top blazes are all haz- ards you should be well prepared to cope with. Fire extinguishers that can douse wood, electrical and oil and grease fires are essential for peace of mind. Don't under estimate the power of plenty of old-fashioned buckets il you're living by a lake, and a hose fixed to a water source is a good idea Arrival time is the ideal time to prac- tise a family drill. For chimney fires, you can buy chem ical sticks that eat up oxygen when the draft is closed, but it makes sense to start the season off with a clean, safe chimney. Check to make sure animals or birds haven't managed to nove the cap you put on the chimney in the fall and taken up residence there. Use whatever method suits you best to clean soot and creosote build up from the chimney. Don't arrive without a first-aid kit well stocked for any small emergency you may have to deal with. At some time or another you'll probably have to deal with the likes of insect stings, scrapes, overexposure to sun and close encounters with plants like poi- son ivy. It's a good idea to completely clear any obvious patches of the kind of irritant that will interfere with your fun when you first arrive. Your cottage's "get-away-from-it-all" location means you should find out in advance about emergency services - where they're located, how you'll get there, or how they'll get to you. Don't forget to check out local med- ical help for your pet too. Mosquitoes are responsible for deadly heartworm in dogs, so have your vet put him on preventative medication to protect him before you leave home. Sound window screens are essential if you don't want to be bothered by bugs and blackflies. Spare materials brought from home can be used to make minor repairs. Your first trip is a good time to rake up fallen leaves and other dead matter that might smother wild flowers. If you're on a beach, rake leaves off the sandy bottom of the lake to keep the swimming good and unwanted under- water plant life at bay. Clean leaves out of eavestroughs and any other spot they might have accumulated. i Don't even consider letting anyone 1 swim in the lake or take a boat ou until all safety rules have beer r reviewed and agreed upon by every family member. Check the state o repair of all lifesaving equipment from ropes to life jackets, and sec what needs to be replaced. It's also a good idea to write ul instructions on how everything work n and where it can be found, for th( e benefit of future guests._This is th( REALTY WORLD MILLPOND REALTY INC., REALTOR 189 Main St. E., Milton REALTY WORLDTM 876-0633 Surf the Net - (Email us your comments and requests.) http://www.millpond.on.ca. List4ings, sales and rentals Rental Available May 1 2bedroom inllag Parc on the Pond( 1U200 )inicludes hydr1lo and Mark MalialieuwnStewart Haddon Broker Associate Broker kind of task that's less likely to get1 done as time goes on. How's you emergency lighting sup-1 ply? A couple of oil lamps will always corne in handy, or you can use the more convenient but costlier pres- sure type lanterns. Your arrival at the cottage is the best time to check out everything and any- thing you can think of. Make a list of the tasks and repairs that will be nec- essary in the coming months, and a rough plan of when you'll do what. Note the tools and supplies you'll need, and don't count on always being able to buy them locally. When the summer rush is on, you might have a hard time finding the simplest gadget. .&When it cornes to checking adian ChampiOn, Tuesday, March 17,1998 - RE5 the mechanics of the cottage, look for signs of leaks or freezing before you turn on the water pumps. Turn on electricity and check all your appli- ances. If you've used your oven to hide bits and pieces from rodents, remember to remove them all before you turn it on. If you're still living with an outhouse, spray it well with bug killers and scrub it inside and out. An ideal out- house is bug tight, with no gaps between boards and screens over openings and the vent pipe. U This article is provided by local realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) for the benefit of consumers in the real estate market. This unique CLOSE TO TOWN. wooded pic. Beautiful escarp- turesque prop- ment property just 5 erty has to be minutes from town. seen to be This appartunity appreciated. bosts a large This chalet- garagelworkshop style home hau and a main floor tour bedrooms. This home has a separate potential nanny suite family rcam addi- over a large woskshop. Just a few minutes to the 401. $429,000.bt.ai James. Far mone infonnaion and viewing p"leac Jack McCnjdden $234,900. 481 PTFIELD ir nu-