This Monday morning the ice was covering the water in the bird dish, a wake-up call to remind me of all the little things that autumn provides time to do before the storm season of winter is upon us. There are many more rituals to prepare for winter than some of the other seasons.

Now is the time to get out there and plant the bulbs you bought three weeks ago at the garden shop. Try a new variety you never grew before. While you are in the garden, trim off dead and faded blooms and prune what is proper for fall. If the garden areas are cleared up this time of year, there is an opportunity to put all the clippings into a waste bag and get rid of some of the eggs and cocoons of the unwanted insects that damage the plants.

Now is the time to clean out very thoroughly the bird feeders you’ll be using this winter and the birdhouses you won’t be using till spring. If you clean and rehang the birdhouses, they will be ready for occupancy in late winter when the bluebirds and other possible tenants begin to shop for housing possibilities. The bluebirds are especially fussy about their living quarters and “go looking” in February.

Now is the time to get out the snow shovel, the snow blower, and get a bag of crystals for melting snow on the sidewalks. It may seem to be early for this, but remember the first big snowfall of the season when stores were cleaned out of winterizing items. In Vermont, homeowners will be shopping for a roof shovel – a tool designed to get the snow removed before any buildup on the roof.

Now is definitely the time to “do” the windows. Some folks have to get out and install storm windows. Those with more modern kinds have built-in panes to keep out winter. All kinds need to be cleaned inside and out – a considerable chore much dreaded by housewives and house-husbands!

Don’t procrastinate. Now is the right time to drain and put away the lawn mower after the final grass cutting is done. In the spring you’ll be glad you did this. Even if you plan to continue to cook steaks and pork chops on the barbecue grill, it is a good idea to give it a good cleaning and provide a cover to keep out winter weather. While doing the yard chores, empty the birdbath or get a small heater element and install it in the water dish.

Airing blankets that have been in the closet or chest all summer is a pleasure of autumn not to be denied. I miss the very sturdy clothesline I had before I became a condo-dweller. There is absolutely nothing as special as the smell of clothes and bedding taken off the line on a breezy, sunny October day – the perfume of the season.

We always had family workdays for getting a supply in the cellar. The youngsters loved it and it was the time we usually had the final cookout of the summer. We had a combination wood and electric stove in the kitchen and a Ben Franklin fireplace stove in the living room.

When all the outdoor chores are done, clean up the tools, give them a bit of a polish with oil, and hang them up in the cellar or garage till March? — April?

The closing words last week are from Shakespeare and are from Hamlet.

Who said, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island… and best of all you can enjoy these riches every day of your life”?