As I type this it is currently 33 degrees outside here in Corolla. It is the first time it has gotten above freezing during the last 36 hours. Sure is a big difference from what we experience around here during the summer months.It was 16 degrees for most of the day yesterday and needless to say not much golf being played. Despite the cold temps, the maintenance staff has been hard at work on some of our annual winter projects. Our Forman Carmen Castle has been using the new bush-hog mower we got last year to cut down the natural areas around the property. This really opens up some views and provides the hard core ball hockers the opportunity to collect some golf balls. This cultural practice is absolutly necessary for the long term health and asthetics of these areas.We will be working hard this spring to control unwanted weed growth in these spots and return these areas to natural grass features. Our Assistant Superintendent Robert Romney has also been quite busy utilizing our front deck mower to help the clearing effort in some of these smaller areas. We have to work certain areas at certain times, especially the sound side spots. These areas become very wet or very dry based on how much wind is blowing the water in or out or east or west as it may be. When the northeast wind blows the water out we can really get deeper into these areas along the sound with our equipment without the risk of becoming stuck.If the wind blows from the west these areas become very soggy due to all the water being pushed in. Our other maintenance staffers Jay Roberson, Austin Rubado and Bill Rouson have been doing alot of hand clearing in the areas that we can not get equipment into such as pond edges and around bridges.I would like to say a thank you to our entire maintenance staff for working so hard to get these projects done. We will in the coming weeks be working on winter poa control in the bermuda grass and around the greens complexes. Re-working landscape beds and install of our new tee amenities is also on the list for the rest of the winter. It may be cold but the greens are rolling fast and true and you might just have the golf course to yourself this time of the year so get out on the warmer days and enjoy the course.