Last winter, I was so confident in my pipe-prevention skills that I forgot to check the outdoor faucet in the backyard. You know, the one I use to wash my muddy boots and water the tomato plants in July. Well, one morning I walked out to find a glacier forming around the spigot, complete with a tiny icicle mustache.
I panicked, grabbed a hairdryer, and spent twenty minutes thawing it while my dog watched with judgment in his eyes. The water eventually flowed, but I learned my lesson: indoor precautions are great, but outdoor pipes are the real drama queens. Now I drain and cover every outdoor faucet before the first frost, and I sleep like a baby.
