Every year the log cabin village is closed for the month of November. With no guests to welcome and no beds to make, you'd be forgiven for thinking the Cadair View crew can put their feet up and take a break after a busy season, right?
Wrong! Whilst nobody can stay in the cabins overnight, the November days give us a chance to get into the empty cabins and catch up on lots of little jobs. And some big ones too. So far on my November calendar I have:
Defrost Day - switching off, defrosting and deep cleaning all the fridges and freezers.
Descale Day - our water supply comes from a mountain borehole and is on the hard side, so I'll be stripping down and cleaning all the shower heads and kettles with white vinegar to get them sparkling like new.
Hoover Day - dismantling and deep cleaning all the vacuum cleaners supplied for guest use.
Decking Day - the cabin decks can get very slippery when the weather is wet so I'll be checking every one and making sure they're all treated or have grippy strips fitted before winter.
Deep Clean Month - during November our wonderful cleaners Jo and Dave offer full cabin deep cleans and carpet shampoos to our cabin owners. It's a chance to get every cupboard emptied and every inch of every room looking and smelling brand new (Jo has an A* in Potions from Hogwarts and always leaves the cabins smelling AMAZING!). Meanwhile Dave can catch up with clearing gutters of autumn leaves and painting the 'soldiers' on the deck of our new three-bedroomed cabin, Rhinog Fawr.
Matress Monday - this one's always a good workout, flipping and turning matresses to keep everyone comfy until the next Matress Monday in a couple of months.
Silicone Sealant Saturday - checking and replacing all the showers, sinks and splashbacks. The wooden cabins move and flex with the weather so sometimes little gaps appear and need to be retouched.
Doggy Day - some of our dog friendly cabins provide essentials like food and water bowls. This year I'm planning to put together a basket of dog stuff for every cabin so our four legged guests have everything they need to feel at home.
Then there are some weather-dependent jobs like tidying up gardens and outdoor areas, planting spring bulbs, and checking for storm damage when we have a wild night. And dealing with electricians and other contractors for whom this month is a chance to do bigger jobs like bathroom re-fits and new flooring. Not to mention the ongoing office admin, handling bookings, social media scheduling and planning for next season (plus writing the occasional blog post...)
The highlight of the month is the annual Cabin Elves trip to IKEA to stock up on pots and pans, kitchen gadgets, fairy lights, cosy throws and blankets, and any other shiny things that catch their eye. And of course to gorge on meatballs and coffee and have a good gossip!
And at the end of the month it's Christmas Tree Day, when all our cabins get dressed up for the festive season, ready to welcome guests again when we re-open on December 1st.
With all that to get through in the next 4 weeks there really is no rest for the wicked!
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