I don’t know about you, but I’m having an awful time letting go of summer. It seems to me we got shorted on the number of warm, sunny days this year, didn’t we?

The harsh reality glares at me from the thermometer in the morning. Temperatures in the 20s scream out, “It’s over! Bring on winter!”

We didn’t have a fall season yet! I’m trying to get the roof patched, the popup camper’s still out in the yard, and it can’t go into hibernation in the garage until about a ton of other summer stuff is pulled out of the way. The canoe is sitting on the back lawn on sawhorses. I was hoping to get in one more paddle before I stacked it above the camper for the winter.

My trusty sea kayak hangs from straps in the garage begging for one more trip like the one last fall about this time when we took in the lovely colors of Pushaw Lake. Looks like that’s not gonna happen. For sure on the foliage part.

The leaves are gone, piled in the north corners of the yard and under bushes by pesky winds, or at curbside by neighbors more industrious than I. The sun gives up around 4:30 p.m., cutting short any outside projects we might get to do. Heck, we only have 10 hours and a half of daylight these days, and most of that’s spent at work.

OK, so are you duly depressed? Good, misery loves company.

When you get out of your funk, it would be a good time to take inventory of your winter toys and get them ready for the onslaught of snow.

But it would be a better time to put away the toys of summer. The canoe, for example, could use a good cleaning before it goes into its winter hiding place. If you have wood gunnels on a “plastic” boat, don’t forget to remove the first four of five screws on the inside and outside gunnels. Plastic and wood have different expansion and contraction rates, I’m told. Removing the end set of screws helps prevent ovalizing or tearing of the screw holes in the plastic material.

While you’re thinking about the canoe, give it a quick once over with a sponge. Clean off those dirty footprints or fish scales. If you put it away clean, come spring you’ll be ahead of the game. This holds true for other watercraft in your stable. If you have a kayak (and don’t paddle in the winter) don’t forget to use hatch and cockpit covers for winter storage. They’ll keep little critters out of places you’ll be putting your feet next season.

If you’re into motorsports, it would be a good time to winterize those vessels and vehicles you don’t plan to use until spring. Check the owner’s manual for the proper fuel additives and engine fogs to keep your fuel fresh and your cylinders shiny.

You might want to haul your wooden canoe paddles and oars to the basement where they’ll be in a cool, dry environment. Write yourself a note to give them a new coat of varnish this winter, sometime well before opening day so you won’t be bonded to your paddle by half-dry varnish when you try to beat the clock the night before fishing season opens on April 1.

If you’re a three-season camper, check your camping gear to be sure you’ve stored it properly. Is your tent dry and in a rodent-free place? Don’t laugh, I’ve seen the results of little critters’ work on a friend’s tent – it may be artistic but it won’t keep the black flies at bay.

How about your summer sleeping bag? Have you cleaned it and is it stored in a loose storage bag rather than in its tight stuffsack. Or how about your stove? It’s a good time to go over it, give it a good cleaning so you can put it away clean, ready for next spring’s first outing. While you’ve got your hands all gassy, go over your lantern too. Clean out the fried moths and bugs, replace that damaged mantle (you may not want to burn it now, save that for your first outing). Check the condition of the pump. Is the leather pump cap dry? Lube it with mineral oil so it’ll remain supple. Is your globe cracked? Make a note to replace it.

Is you water filter and hydration bladder clean and dry? If you store it wet you’ll have some grungy growth inside come spring. Clean and dry ’em out now before you hide it in the back of your closet, you’ll thank yourself next time you take them out for a drink.

Do you have a dry bag full of paddling clothes? You know, the emergency change of clothes, the first aid kit, munchies, compass etc. Unpack the bag, launder the clothes and check the freshness dates on any food items you might have squirreled away. It’s not a bad time to replace any out-of-date items.

While you’re at it, go through the rest of your kayaking gear. Clean salt and dirt from items you forgot to clean last trip. Store your boat on hanger straps on its side out of direct sunlight to prevent deterioration of the plastic from ultraviolet light. Go over all your deck rigging. Order replacement lines where necessary. With parts in hand that first warm day next year can be spent getting your boat ready for its seasonal maiden voyage.

If you don’t ride your bike in the colder months (some diehards keep right on going, not me), hang it up in the basement where it’ll be in a dry place. Troy Dean at Pat’s Bike Shop in Brewer recommends getting the weight off the tires, even if you simply store the bike upside down. That way as the tires lose pressure over the winter you won’t be bending and cracking the sidewalls. If hanging or upside down storage are not options, he suggested, overinflate your tires slightly so there will be enough pressure in them come spring to keep the sidewalls from folding under the bike’s weight.

It would help to wax the frame and lube the drivetrain, particularly if you are storing the bike in your garage. The wax and lubricants will prevent rust. If you must store your bike in the garage, put it someplace other than where you might drive into it. It sounds illogical that someone would drive into their own bike, but “It has happened,” Dean laughed. And if you’d really like to be ready for that first ride next spring, get your bike tuned now. That way you simply check the tire pressure and you’re off for that first sunny spring ride.

If you own a camper, don’t forget to winterize your water system. This can be as simple as draining the tank and pumping non-toxic antifreeze through each fixture. Or it can be pretty complex depending on whether you hapressurized system, hot and cold water and drain traps. Consult your local recreational vehicle shop or dealer. It wouldn’t do any harm to remove the camper’s battery, charge it and store it in a warm place, off the concrete floor for the winter.

And while you’re thinking about winterizing, why not get the snow tires mounted on your vehicle – before the first snow flies. Check the washer fluid, put on the winter wiper blades, make sure your heater and defroster are working and that your cooling system is properly protected against the subzero days ahead.

Maybe by cleaning up your toys now and tending to the yard chores before the ground turns white, it will make getting through fall more tolerable. Now if we could just find a couple of more hours in the day…. Jeff Strout’s column is published Tuesday and Thursday. He can be reached at 990-8202.