Category Archives: Fall

Autumn, blogging, Fall, Hardware Store Life, Home, seaonal change, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, southern living, Time change

“Fall Back” Maintenance

November 1, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Acorns are in abundance this year, according to experts were having a Mast year.

Daylight Saving Time has come to a close for the year. Our clocks turned back one hour this weekend. With this shift in time, we gain an extra hour of sleep, and gradually see those beautiful evening sunsets around 6pm. Darkness will find us earlier and the shift is often hard if you’re not prepared for it.

The “Fall Back” sunsets at Wilkes County Hardware are often spectacular!

That being said, It’s time to think about a few things that should be done around the time change of “Falling Back”, making the shift much more manageable. Sharing a few maintenance tips on the blog today for the “Fall Back” time change.

Around the House (Interior Maintenance)

Check and Change all of your batteries in your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors. Time changes are the best time to check these devices to make sure they are functioning properly.

It’s also good to Note: Smoke Detectors should be replaced EVERY 10 years!!!

2. Review your house and car key inventory. Make sure you have extra keys for yourself and those who need them. This is a simple one BUT, no one ever wants to be locked out of the house on a cold and wet wintry day. 😬

All types of keys are made daily inside Wilkes County Hardware… house, car, motorcycle, boat, RV, ATV keys and more!

3. Evaluate all of your light fixtures and replace any light bulbs that need replacing (indoor and outdoor) Nightfall comes much more quickly with the Fall time shift.

These are a wonderful addition to your emergency prep list!!!

**Add** **timers** to your lamps for extra safety if you arrive home after darkness has settled in for the day

4. Find your flashlights and replace batteries as needed. Prep your winter emergency kit.

Great selection of flashlights and emergency lighting at WCH

5. Replace furnace filter. Ask us to help you find your size.

An abundant supply of furnace filter sizes are available at Wilkes County Hardware.

6. Do a quick maintenance walk around your windows. Look for visual signs that windows have gaps or cracks that could impact your heating system this winter. Use caulk, gap/crack filler as a barrier to prevent cold air from penetrating into your home. Replace any broken windows or screens.

Brr!!! No one wants to be caught in the cold! 🥶

7. Fall is a good time to tackle the dryer venting system. A clean out is in order! If you haven’t cleaned out your dryer vent system in a while, now is the time to do it!

8. As cooler weather approaches, don’t forget to reverse the direction of your ceiling fans and replace batteries in your fan remote if needed. Clean fan blades.

Need a new pull chain for your ceiling fan??? We have those too!!

9. As the holidays will be approaching soon, your stove and refrigerator will appreciate a good cleaning. A total clean out of your refrigerator BEFORE the holiday season begins, the easiest way to begin the holiday cooking season! Check water filter systems on your refrigerator and replace if necessary.

Large variety of cleaning products in stock at Wilkes County Hardware

Only $3.99 for the pack!!! Great for cleaning 🧽

Works great as a stove cleaner…without heating up your oven

10. Check the function of every toilet in your home. Do you need to replace a handle, flapper or do a complete overhaul of the “guts” of the toilet???? Now is the perfect time to replace these ahead the holidays… no one wants to be plunging into that messy job with company in house.

Our plumbing area is always busy at WCH!

11. Do a quick assessment on your heating system. Do you need a supplemental heating unit? What maintenance is necessary??? Many of our customers use this time of year to prepare for cooler temperatures. Kerosene heaters are brought in for repairs/new wicks. Replace aging stove pipe, and more!

Cold weather essentials available year round at WCH

Now’s let get outside the home and enjoy the beautiful Fall weather and check out a few other things around the exterior of the property of your home.

Hope y’all can find time to unwind and relax and enjoy the beautiful Fall season!!

Around the House (Exterior Maintenance)

Add a faucet cover to your outdoor faucets. Water hoses should be stored for the winter.

A necessity before the freeze 🥶 sits in!!!

Throw away old leaky water hoses. Plan ahead… Replace them at WCH and be ready for the next season!

2. Clean Gutters of all leaves and debris

3. Complete any remaining Fall Lawn Maintenance tasks… clear leaves, other debris, etc.

4. Put away and clean lawn hand tools for the winter months.

WD-40 works great after **HAND** tools are cleaned and dirt/grime removed , spray WD-40 onto surface, let sit for a few seconds, wipe again to clean. If you need to remove rust, let it sit for a while, and then use steel wool to clean surface. It is not recommended to use this cleaning method for power tools.

5. Clean the Grill- As the grilling season begins to come to an end, for some, Fall is a great time to get your hands dirty and get that grill clean before your store it away for the winter if you don’t grill much in the colder months.

6. Be mindful of Pests! As the cooler months begin, rodents, spiders, stink bugs, and a host of others will look for ways to make way indoors. Keep debris away from house, seal gaps and cracks and be ready with pest control options if you see or hear them.

Bugs will look for places to come inside as the weather turns cold!

Car Maintenance

Tire pressure sensors often go off during the cooler months. Be ready, for those mornings to check your tire pressure with a new tire pressure gauge.

2. Be prepared and go ahead and do a Fluids check… oil, windshield wiper fluid, antifreeze, etc

3. Frosty mornings will be here to stay! Check your car for a ice/snow scraper

4. Do you have a battery charger or charger cables in your vehicle? No one wants to be out in the cold with a nonfunctional car. 😬

Air compressor and battery charger in one!!!

5. Check and replace old windshield wiper blades!

I hope that you find these tips useful as the next phase of time change occurs. What other things do you do to prepare for yourself for the time shift???

Please stop by Wilkes County Hardware for all of your hardware needs or questions. We will be glad to assist.

**Wilkes County Hardware Store Hours 8am to 6pm Monday through Friday 9am to 3pm Saturday**

blogging, Blue Ridge Mountains, community, Fall, Fall photography, Hardware Store Life, memories, Natural World, NC Mountains, photography favorites, Resilence, southern living, Western North Carolina

September: A Mountain Montage

October 3, 2024 hardwarelifewife 6 Comments

I had no idea when I began in early September with the idea of focusing my monthly photography blog post from one specific location in mind, that by the end of the month that it would become bittersweet, touching, and memorable. Friday September 27, 2024 was a game changer day in Western North Carolina.

The Western North Carolina landscape has been critically altered due to the forces of nature. The beautiful Blue Ridge has been changed by the devastating path of Hurricane Helene. Towns have been erased by this path of destruction.

My heart hurts for so many families and mountain communities as they begin to try to recover and rebuild. Numb might actually be a better word. Mountain Communities are now isolated from the outside world grasping for all avenues of assistance and support, losing everything they own while helping others all at the same time.

My family, like many of you, experienced several days without power and full internet connection. In our many years of married life, this was the longest stent of power failure that we have ever experienced. I now have two completely clean refrigerators/freezers… all food was not salvageable. But, it’s ok. We are literally several minutes away from a path of destruction and very lucky that our storm damage wasn’t more severe.

During the stent of no power… We had time with family, time to laugh while playing board games, and dinners with friends who had power at their home.

I’m also thankful for the many people who stopped by the hardware store to check to make sure we weathered the storm well , or sent us messages. We simply live in a great, giving community. Thank you!

The news of the storm’s fury was front and center in my social media feed when I had the opportunity for a moment to visualize the aftermath of Helene during the power outage and still almost a week later, it dominates our news cycle. It has been hard to imagine this type of devastation in my mind. Towns and communities are literally gone.

We as business owners, do fully understand the power of water and the force behind it. Flooding is not an experience that we wish share with anyone else, a tremendous amount of empathy lies within.

Last Saturday morning, we began to witness the influx of customers who are traveling down from their mountain homes to find needed supplies. This trek still is continuing into this week. Supplies are selling out quickly and we are trying to reorder as fast as we can to accommodate our customers needs.

Western North Carolina communities need our support wherever you can give it. Do what you can to assist Western North Carolina Relief Efforts. Donate time, resources, or money to those charities that are well vetted where the most money can benefit those in need.

Mountain Communities are requesting that only relief workers be allowed into the area so the clean up can continue and allow for the arrival of much needed materials.

My hope is that this September montage will bring solace to your Blue Ridge Mountain wandering soul and lift your spirits in the coming days. A simple pictorial offering… a remembrance to our beloved Blue Ridge Mountains prior to the devastation we witnessed last week. I present to you, The Blue Ridge Mountains are calling and I must GO! My photographic Blog Journal from September 2024.

An Afternoon Wandering at Doughton Park

Blue Ridge Parkway Sunsets are simply stunning

Price Lake Never Disappoints

Saturday Evening Sunset Drive

In closing I’m sharing one of my all time favorite benedictions and prayers: The Franciscan Benediction, as we all continue our work to restore and rebuild in Western North Carolina.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU with discomfort,
at easy answers, half-truths,
and superficial relationships
so that you may live
deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people,
so that you may work for
justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,
to shed for those who suffer pain,
rejection, hunger, and war,
so that you may reach out your hand
to comfort them and
to turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you
with enough foolishness
to believe that you can
make a difference in the world,
so that you can do
what others claim cannot be done,
to bring justice and kindness
to all our children and the poor.

AMEN

Autumn, Fall, Fall photography, finding inspiration, Hardware Store Life, memories, Natural World, seaonal change, southern living

Fall 2023 Photography Favorites

November 7, 2023 hardwarelifewife 8 Comments

Photography has enabled me to capture a moment in time via the camera lens. I don’t have a sophisticated camera. I use my camera from my phone. I have it wherever I go, and it’s easy to use. If you’re an avid reader of my blog, you may recall, that Photography is a goal for my personal growth this year.

Most of my photos that I share on my blog or in other social media sites are purely everyday places that I have been blessed to see and share with you as my readers. I hope you enjoy the season of Fall through my everyday life “camera lens” in “the hardware life”.

The Fall Leaves

Fall Leaves are dropping everywhere! Here’s a few favorites featuring leaves as the centerpiece of the autumn season.

Vibrant Fall Colors

Vibrant Fall Colors are simply abundant this Autumn. We are so blessed to live in an area with such amazing color everywhere we look.

A Day at the Lake

This year I decided to look for Fall colors in unusual places. The Blue Ridge Mountains are an amazing place to find beautiful views and fall colors. Instead of trekking up the mountain, I wanted to check out some local areas to see how the Fall colors were coming and I wasn’t disappointed! These photos were captured a week or so before peak in our area at W Kerr Scott Lake.

Unusual Finds in the Fall

Sometimes a walk around the neighborhood or just being outside brings us face to face to with the unusual and unexpected. When I find those things, I often take a snapshot of my findings.

Acorns.. finding an abundance of acorns according to old weather folklore, forecasts a colder winter. Animals will need the acorns to survive the long, cold winter🥶.

Moving bales of cotton, that’s just ONE!

Persimmon Tree… old winter folklore tells us that the shape of the persimmon seed can predict the type of winter that is coming. A fork shaped seed inside the persimmon means a milder winter, a spoon shaped persimmon foretells a snowy winter, and a knife shaped seed means a cold, wind biting winter 🥶!

The Pines

This pine is dropping its needles beneath the tree, Pines drop their needles heavily during the Fall months .

Pine cones nestled in the fallen pine needles

Sunrises

As you may already know, I love a good sunrise or a beautiful sunset. I’m often up to see the sunrise. Sun chasers, here you go… my 2023 Fall sunrise captures.

The Fall Moon

There is simply nothing more intriguing than a full moon. As an educator, teaching during a full moon cycle brought unique challenges. Medical professionals and others have also attested to the Full moon impact upon human behavior. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to capture the moon behind all those clouds after Spooktacular.

“The night walked down the sky and brought the moon to the forefront “.

Foggy Morning Breakdown

The fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife!

Seeking Warmth…

First fire in the wood stove the morning of October 16th inside Wilkes County Hardware.

I hope you enjoyed a small sample of my Fall favorites. Look for your everyday moments and capture them through your life lens, whether you use your camera or not. Happy Fall Y’all! 🍂🍂🍂🍂

The sunlight was just in the right spot, to capture all those beautiful fall colors… one I couldn’t resist.

Autumn, blogging, Crockpot Cooking, Crocktober, Fall, Hardware Store Life, Home, recipe, Shop Local, southern cooking, southern living, supper

Crocktober

October 22, 2023 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

There’s simply nothing better like the smell of dinner cooking as you walk through the front door.

After a long day at work, the aroma welcomes you back home. But wait… Dinner is really almost ready??? You have been gone all day… yes, the Crock-Pot has magically been slowly simmering your dinner nonstop and the smell of a delicious dinner yet to come is wafting throughout your home. The aroma is welcoming you back, like two little, happy puppies wagging their tails anxiously awaiting to greet you as you enter the front door.

These two are waiting for their favorite humans to come back home!

Crock-Pot recipes are a mainstay in the playbook of comfort foods 101 in my opinion. The advantages of using a crock-pot or a slow cooker are plentiful. For one, the crock-pot will use less electricity than cooking a full meal on your stovetop.

Baked potatoes in crockpot??? Try it if you haven’t done that before. Yes, save electricity by using your crockpot and cook on high for 2-3 hours instead of using your oven. I brush mine with olive oil and salt pepper and cover it and walk away for a few hours.. dinner success!

Another advantage of using a crock-pot, Family evening meals can be prepared ahead of time… meaning that it can save you time, and of course, less dishes to clean up after the meal! If you are a meal planning cook, the crock-pot is for you! That’s a definite win in the family meal game plan!

This creamy chicken crock-pot recipe is one of the most versatile dishes that I make that can be used as a base for chicken pie, chicken casserole, or served over pasta. The leftovers can make a creamy chicken soup.

The last advantage of using a crock-pot is simply the monetary savings from each grocery store trip. When you slow cook in the crock-pot, you can buy a tougher cut of meat ( saving a bit of money) and it will come out tender after cooking low and slow all day long. Crock-pots are designed to tenderize and add complexity of flavors to your protein as it simmers low and slow. The slow cooking process helps to preserve the nutrients. In a higher heat setting, those nutrients can be rapidly broken down, reducing the flavor profile.

As I write this blog post, I realize that some are probably rolling their eyes saying, “good grief girl, get in the 21st century and buy an instant pot”. Here’s my reply… Well, honestly I don’t want one. I love the idea of prepping before I leave for the day, and simmering my food low and slow all day long… nothing beats spaghetti sauce that’s been cooking all day long in the crock-pot and we love it. I’m the “set it and forget it until later” meal game planner.

https://hardwarelifewife.com/2023/10/22/crocktober-recipes/

I don’t think of a crock-pot meal as a “boring meal” that is often repetitive… week after week… “Mom, we are eating the same old stuff” type meals… that’s the whole point of “Crocktober”. Thinking outside of the usual crock-pot mindset and experimenting with new ways to use the traditional slow cooker.

SO…. Here’s a sampling of some of the amazing products that Wilkes County Hardware has to offer you that could add some extra flavor to your favorite proteins or vegetables slowly simmering away in your crock-pot. Hopefully you can find a bit of inspiration for some new “Crocktober Recipes” to make for your family.

This rub is a great addition brings flavor to any type of steak, or beef roast in your crock-pot!

Hand choppers are great for making quick work of a large cooked pork lion, or even chicken as you make chopped BBQ or tacos in the crock-pot

The best BBQ sauce… AND it’s locally made!

Traeger sauces and rubs can add extra flavor to your crock-pot meals

Use your imagination and available ingredients from your pantry and refrigerator and get cooking in your crock-pot for October! The options are endless!!! **It’s Crocktober**

Let’s celebrate the month of October with the Crock-pot… and get the slow simmer going … it’s Crocktober time!

FYI: Two recipes are linked in this blog post if y’all are curious… Happy slow cooking!

Autumn, Crockpot Cooking, Fall, family, Hardware Store Life, Home, recipe, southern cooking, southern living, supper

“Crocktober” Recipes

October 22, 2023 hardwarelifewife 1 Comment

Sharing a few featured October favorites for the crockpot. These may not be new and different to you but they are well loved in “The Hardware Life” and easy to prep for any weeknight meal. Enjoy these Crocktober family favorites!

Creamy Crock-pot Chicken

Ingredients for Crock-pot Creamy Chicken:

2 Cans Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup

1 T butter

1 package chicken tenders

Note: You can use more chicken to adjust to your family size! I’m cooking for only two people right now.

1 cup chicken stock

Note: You can thin it as much as you like by adding more chicken stock, but I like to leave mine on the thicker side.

Get it Simmering in the Crock-pot:

1. Add chicken as the bottom layer first, season chicken as desired.

Note: ( I season my tenders with minced dried onion and black pepper )

2. Combine all other ingredients and stir into crockpot and cook on low for at least 6 hours or chicken throughly cooked. Mine usually cooks all day while I’m gone to work.

Alternate versions of Creamy Crock-pot Chicken:

1. Add frozen biscuits (cut into 4’s ) cook for about hour on high in crock-pot for chicken pie or dumplings type meal.

2. Use cooked creamy chicken as a base for chicken casserole and layer into casserole dish.

3. Creamy chicken & Pasta : Cook pasta and steam veggies and top the chicken with parmigiana cheese.

This pasta and chicken recipe make a hearty comfort dish meal. Ready to eat when you are hungry.

4. Creamy Chicken Soup: My Creamy Chicken leftovers and pasta combines to make a fantastic soup!!! Add a bit more chicken stock to thin if needed or another can cream of chicken soup and add your favorite vegetables or pasta. Simmer until vegetables/pasta is cooked.

Crock-pot Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients for Crock-pot Spaghetti Sauce:

1-2 pounds hamburger

1 container of fresh mushrooms (fine chop)

1/2 c Chopped carrots

2 T Italian seasoning

Fresh Herbs (Rosemary/oregano)

Spaghetti sauce base:

1. Shortcut- Add in favorite Jar Spaghetti sauce to your cooked hamburger, spices, and simmer away all day

OR….

2. Make your own spaghetti sauce base- 1 T tomato paste, splash of wine, crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning, I usually add extra Italian seasoning( if using dried herbs, you will need to use less by 1/3 vs using fresh herbs… use more than dried)

Get Simmering in Crock-pot:

1. Brown Hamburger in crock-pot on low heat for 30-45 minutes. Chop hamburger into smaller pieces as it begins to cook down. Drain away any excess liquid.

The slow cooker hamburger browning process is slower but well worth it. I usually brown my meat as I am getting ready in morning and then head back to kitchen to add spices/sauce before I leave.

2. Add herbs and Red Wine(if desired)

3. Add chopped mushrooms and carrots

This is a good way to sneak in veggies into your sauce, a fine cop makes these pretty invisible in your cooked sauce.

4. Add Spaghetti Sauce base ingredients and stir well.

5. Top sauce with fresh herb bundle, cover and simmer 8 hours.

I tend to add spices and flavors as I cook. Please add your favorite Italian blended spices and flavors to your sauce. The process of cooking the sauce slowly is a definite step up from the rushed cooking process of making a “quick spaghetti sauce”. The flavor profile will be different from a skillet spaghetti sauce made quickly.

Enjoy these “Crocktober Recipes” and enjoy cooking low and slow adding a bit a flavor as you go!

The Hardware Life – A wife's journey into the hardware business