Ultimate Guide: HOW TO BE A SNOW BIRD and do it right!

Our park model home in Arizona

Take the time to do it right...you will never regret it! Follow the links listed here and on the other posts. You will find a wealth of information.

Oregon

I am not here to burst your bubble but there are a few reality checks that need to be considered. I know...traveling off to warm weather in the winter, having two sets of friends and maybe a second home, sounds very luxurious. Golfing while your friends are mucking around on snow and ice would be soooooo dreamy. I want you to stop and think about what you might be doing. There are choices to be made

Arizona

We sat next to a couple from the east side of Portland this summer. They were approaching retirement age I guessed. We were talking about membership in the wine club at this particular tasting room when I told that we were gone for six month of the year so a membership might not work.

The man sat up suddenly interested. "You're snowbirds? How do you do that? We want to wander some but we really just do not know how." Do we sell our house here and move? Can we afford to keep both places? How do we decide?

That is where I come in. I can help you if you are feeling the same way. I wish there had been someone like me when we retired. Truly it was a mystery. We had no idea what was possible and what was not.

If you want to travel from resort to resort you can do that. If you want to work and travel, that is possible too. I have known people that worked in the resort they were staying. Another person worked at the local golf course. Some go back to school and one man I know because a tax consultant. You can figure it out. If you are just looking for a place to build a nest, you can do that.

Try it out first! I cannot emphasize how important that is. When you are first retired things look different that what they will in a while after. Go to the place you think you would like, take a short vacation and get the feel for the location. Being a snowbird requires some doing and I think making a choice about the life style can be a process. Just look around and make yourself sure that is what you want.

If you decide where and when,  I suppose the first consideration is money. Inexpensive second homes can be had but you need to be careful before you leap. (Link: Rental information) Areas that cater to snowbirds both in the southwest and southeast do provide opportunities to rent fully furnished apartments or park models in RV resorts.

You will need to do some research online or even call a rental agent in the place you have chosen to visit. It is all very doable. ( Inexpensive Retirement Information)

RV resorts offer a lot of activities and that is a real consideration when you have free time on your hands. You can rent the park models* in these places. This is another choice that might replace living in an apartment.

Will I Miss my Grandchildren? I think the answer for this one is obvious. Yes, you might miss your family. It is a given. But on the upside, your family dynamic may be better when you are gone for a while.

When we started this life my children actually needed for me to be out of town for part of the year. I got a break from babies, my children became more independent and we enjoyed each others company more when we got back together. In fact, they now see us coming home as a vacation of sorts for themselves.

If you have children that live in a warm place, you can choose to live part of your year close to one child and part of the year near the other. If you get lonesome for them, you can talk on Skype, or use your smart phone, iPad or computer for Face Time or even use video via your Facebook account. This is our link to home or where ever our children are at anytime.

Where should I go and can I afford it? This is such a personal thing...we chose a human comfort zone. Really the geographic location is not as important as the people around me. For example, if I won the lottery, I would not be comfortable living in a high roller apartment in Las Vegas. That is not who I am. While this is an outrageous example, it is absolutely the truth.

If you are a very educated person that loves the opera and expensive restaurants, you need to find a place where those people that live around you love the same things. If golfing or cards help you pass the time, there are a lot of opportunities to connect with those people in a resort. If the pool is important, you need to find someplace that has a heated pool. Even in the southwest it is winter and the days can be chilly. (Link: Like Minded People)

But, what you are really here for is to find out if you can actually afford this life style. It is a given that traveling in a motor home big or small is initially going to be more expensive than buying a park model in a resort. Because snowbirds have been around for a long time, those that are either aging or simply moving will sell these small homes for lower than you will imagine. A price of $10,000 to $20,000 is not that unusual.

How much it will cost to rent the property where the park model is depends on that you expect:

...beautiful vistas and enticing amenities come at a price, and it’s not cheap. Rates vary widely depending on location, season, and how far in advance you book it. For an in-season rental, rates usually start anywhere from $70 to $100+ per night. In addition, many luxury motorhome parks have a minimum stay requirement. A week-long stay at even the most basic luxury RV park could cost $1,000 or more. (From RVShare.com) 

You can get a space for less but be aware that very old unmaintained resorts can be tacky. It depends on your level of "luxury". Mom and Pop may be fun and really nice but the location counts as well as the amenities.

You also need to know that a nice resort is not going to let you come if you don't fulfill their appearance/length requirements. Still don't be frightened by the prices quoted above. Check with places like Rincon RV Resort Country in Tucson. Rincon Country has two resorts in Tucson. Here is their 2019 rate schedule. I would also check with Voyager RV. That resort is beautiful. I could not find a price schedule for them so you will have to contact the resort either online or personally.

How to Snowbird We are leaving for Tucson soon...here is where we get down to the nitty gritty of being a part time person in two locations. Think about:

• How long to stay gone? We are living about 6 months in both of our homes. That is a personal choice and one we have settled on after all these years. We began by traveling in a motor home, bought a park model in a resort in Tucson, AZ and now have a small townhouse. We live in the Portland Oregon metro area and have been Oregonians all our lives. It rains a lot here and we like to avoid as much of that as we can and still enjoy our beautiful location.
• Should I fly or drive? After people have done this for many years they usually buy a clunker car and simply fly to their winter home. Really this depends on whether you are coming to Arizona from Nova Scotia or from Oregon. Some drives are just not worth the time and expense. Our friends put the car on blocks, disconnect the battery, find a spot in the shade for the vehicle and leave it behind. The worse that can happen is it is stolen or the rats gnaw on the electrical wires! But if it is an insured clunker, you are fine. (Rats are another thing entirely but still you need to be aware of any varmints that lurk about...FYI.)
• Should I rent out my home while I am gone? Let me tell you if this is possible and you can find someone you trust, do this. Most of your other dilemmas don't exist when you do this. We have had students live in our house and rented it out. In both cases it was a win/win situation. The extra cash in the case of renting can pay for your time in the south! The minor clean ups and damage were nothing compared to what we need to do when no one is in the house. The best part is the "closing the house up" part just disappears.

How do I switch from one life to another? There is an extensive list of to-dos when you close your house down and switch to a different life. Many of things mentioned in this will save you money that can be used while you are gone from home. This is a list worth copying:

1. Mail...the post office with forward mail with a beginning and ending date. If you are in one location, this works perfectly. If you are on the road you can have a family member forward you mail occasionally or you can have your mail forwarded to a service and they will take care of this for you.
2. Turning off the water if possible. This is one big bill you do not pay if you do that. If you turn off your water you also need to turn off your water heater. The tank could burn up without water. Some heating systems are dependent on the water. Can you turn your heat off and not have big freezing problems? Draining pipes might be necessary if you are from the frozen north! No matter what, keep in mind what water can do. If you cannot turn it off, have someone check you home frequently. Water damage is a horrible thing and it happens a lot! (Yes we did have that happen to us.)
3. Have the insurance for you second car changed...this can save you a lot of money. The insurance company will reduce the cost for you if you have the car in storage. The coverage is comprehensive so if another person drives that car check with insurance companies to see if their insurance covers the car while they are driving it. Cutting the cost for car insurance for six months out of the year saves you money. 
4. Keeping the bad guys out...I know people that turned on an alarm system and walked away feeling very secure. I still advice you to be very careful. We have someone check in occasionally and ask neighbors to be watchful too. We leave our phone number as well as our local family's number with them.
5. Make your home look lived in when it is not...(see keeping the bad guys out). Be sure that some delivery person is not leaving unwanted ads at your front door. Piled up newspaper ads are an invitation to trouble. I suggest that you have a neighbor clear these away. I hate those things anyway but it happens. The local pizza parlor has to advertise somehow I guess. Leave the blinds partially cracked and leave a plant by the front door that will survive through the winter. You can even hang a generic wreath on the front door that looks welcoming. All these things make your house look lived in. I see that timers for lights do not cause fires so you might consider using some of those.
6. Make choices about turning off garbage, TV, internet, phone service, etc. Most of these services have a "vacation/hibernation" setting. That means that they don't disconnect you entirely and all you need to do when you return is give them a call and they turn your service back on. Your garbage can, TV cable box (if you still use one) and your modem for internet hook-up can remain in place. You might have to pay a small fee but it could be cheaper that paying to have services reconnected. This also gives you the option of coming home for a short period of time or letting a friend/relative use the home and having the services needed. We come home at Christmas and have our internet, garbage and TV turned back on for that short period of time. You make the choice. I have written about what I think is a wonderful solution for reducing cable cost in a post called How Snow Birds Can Cut RV Cable Costs.
7. Decide on a wardrobe. It has taken me years to learn what to take with me and what to leave behind. If you are a total newbie, check on the temperatures during the months you are going to be in a locality. Arizona for example, is NOT hot in the winter. Locals and experienced snowbirds do not dress like it is 90 degree when the temperature rises to the mid 60's during the day. You will need sweaters, longer pants and a jacket in the evening hours. Pay attention to this sort of thing when you pack for your trip. I know we all dream of warm winter days but in this case it is all relative. Warm in the winter is 65 degrees but compared to say Iowa that is really warm. See what I mean?
8. If you leave the electricity on, UNPLUG EVERYTHING that can be disconnected. Just because.
9. Then there is the cat!!! Our cat was a real part of our life...however, the RV resort where we spend our winters before we moved to a townhome would not allow a cat outside the park model. (See making snowbird location choices.) Because our cat was a feral cat when we found him in Texas, he would NOT stay indoors all the time. 

So, there you have it. Actually, when you think about it, the benefits far outweigh the problems. I hope this reality check helped you make the decision that will work best for you. If you have any further question or ideas, feel free to comment and I will get back to you. I love comments and I am sure you love answers!

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*A park model is a small trailer with all the same amenities as a big trailer. Our park model was about 12' wide and 34' long. We had added a room to the side that we call an "Arizona Room". That space provides storage and utility space. We also have a shed where our washer and dryer was stored as well as my husband's work bench.

Related articles

Tucson for Snowbirds...a season at a glance! (retireinstyleblog.com)

Is being a snowbird right for you? An Interview with me by Satisfying Retirement Blog (retireinstyleblog.com)

How to choose the right RV park! (retireinstyleblog.com)

(Link: Keeping Retirees Connected)

How Snowbirds Can Cut TV Costs

Patterns Snow Birds Follow...rent then buy!

RV parked in Mexico.

A friend that lives in Florida wrote me a note on my Facebook account today.  His comment was that people come to Florida for two or three month and repeat this pattern for a couple of years.  In the end they usually buy a park model or condo and come back to the same place every year. 

We see this same pattern in Arizona.  It would appear that snow birds are at home where ever they land! Here in Arizona those people that rent for two a three month and find they like the lifestyle will come back a second year, rent again and buy a park model during the second year.  Economics talk...it is simply cheaper to buy a park model in a RV resort and rent the lot than it is to rent a park model year after year.  If they are relatively wealthy they will buy a home or condo. Either way they can make themselves at home. There appears to be something for everyone.

It is very easy to make friends...activities in the resorts are so diverse that is you will find something that interests you.  Regional parties for those from the mid west or Canada, for example, give new comers an opportunity to find like minded people.  Pickle ball and bocci is very "age" friendly and a huge group of people participate.  These activities are great ice breakers.   And I believe that the pattern is repeated in every snow bird landing spot in America.  As my friend pointed out, geographical location does not change the course people will take during retirement. 

In our case we had traveled for nearly 9 years before we were ready to settle into one place.  But, in the end, we did what most snow birds do...we stayed in one place for two years, bought a park model, sold our RV and are spending 6 month of the year in Arizona.  We love it.

We are located in Rincon Country East RV Resort in Tucson, AZ.

It is all very interesting...the study of human nature.

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Snowbirds: Can I be a Snowbird if I'm Single?

I always thought when my husband and I retired we would be “snowbirds”.  Unfortunately, he died in Sept 2011.  I don’t know if it’s realistic to contemplate “snowbirding” as a single person. 

Do you think you could do it if you were on your own?

Marlene

Dear Marlene,

This is our parkmodel. We plant the flowers in the front.

I do love it when I get such a thought provoking question from a reader.  This is a question that all of us that are living the snowbird life with a spouse or companion ask ourselves. Would we or could we do this if we were alone? For me the answer would be a resounding yes. 

As with all the choice we make in this life, it is entirely up to the individual. But it is very possible and in fact a wonderful idea. My husband and I live in an RV resort in Tucson AZ for 3-6 months of the year. We have a home in the Portland, Oregon metro area. 

The resort is home to spaces for recreational vehicles and park models that are parked semi-permanently. My husband and I own a very small park model...12 x 35 feet. We rent the space where we are parked. Before we bought our current winter home, we lived in an RV for the winter months.  We find that we love the small space and simplicity that this life style brings. I think that this is the perfect answer for a person that is a single. It allows for privacy but provides activities for socializing. 

View from my compter desk.

We enjoy the snowbirding in a RV resort because it gives us a consistency of good friends and built in opportunities for the endless activities. AND many of our neighbors are living alone. But, because we are all family when we are here, they have a wonderful support group. 

Most of the single individuals living here have chosen this location because they know someone. They have family close by...a child, niece or brother. Some are here because they have friends from home or a large group of people their region of the USA or Canada. There are many that were here with their spouse/partner and keep coming back after they passed away. And there are those that have come here as a single and have found a wonderful life. We have both men and women singles and even have a singles group that meets in the park.

Our dances are very like a the dynamic you would find with teens. The dance floor fills with singles and couples for a large percentage of the time. Line dancing is very popular and lessons are available. 

People gather to bead, carve, quilt, yoga, work with silver or crafts and they even have had a group that were writing their biography for their family.  We have a weekly jam session for musicians and cards of every imaginable variety are played from morning to night.  MahJong is a great favorite and the group is growing. We also have a couple of pool tables.

Pickle ball and bocci ball are great favorites. Everyone is welcome. These are not couples activities even though some couples do participate with their spouses. The mix of men and women of all ages is very social and comforting for us all.

Bocci Ball Court

The opportunities for volunteering in the park help people learn their way around and give them a chance to get to know people. The possibilities include everything from cooking for events to guiding RV's to their parking space. You can do as much or as little as you want.

If a person is an early riser, the coffee room is the place for them.  Hot coffee, the newspaper and quiet conversation fill the space as early as 5:30 a.m. (I am told).

If I were a single and trying to decide if this were possible, I would rent in a park for a month or so.  Then I would make a decision based on my experience. Having a contact like me in a park can help. But the people in the offices at parks like this are friendly and helpful. They are the information gatherers/givers.  Our social director is very helpful as are the volunteers that work in her office.

So, in the end, the single person's decision is based on preference for location and financial consideration. RV resorts usually include park models that is available for rent by the park owners or individuals.  The family that owns Rincon Country have both an Eastside and Westside location. The Eastside location is near Pantano Wash, 1 mile from a golf course, near a library and close to shopping and restaurants. That is where we are located. Several of the parks are out of town a ways and are very self contained.

So Marlene, I hope this is a help. Let me know about other questions. Thank you for the contact. A list of snowbird articles from Retire In Style Blog can be found here.

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Related articles

• Snowbird Lifestyle: Here and There
• Snowbirds return to winter lifestyle on Alabama Gulf Coast
• Life in the Winter Desert....Tucson, Arizona

When the Tail Wags the Dog...aging in an RV Resort

My daughter commented once that coming to this 55+ RV resort is a bit like going to live in a college dorm.  We are from diverse backgrounds and just meeting for the first time.  That really is true.  I like that a lot.

The resemblances to a school setting does not end there though.  There are rules, financial matter to be considered and the emotional issues related to aging. We try to make our lives fit into the setting because we realize that a wonderful resort like this has to maintain guidelines or we would be living in a big mess.    And a community of experiences seniors can be very hard to control.  Having said this I need to vent just a bit.  I know you won't mind.

Childhood Sweethearts still love dancing
after 51 years of marriage!

I know you have heard the phrase "the tail is wagging the dog".  The dictionary describes this idiom as "a situation where a small part is controlling the whole of something."  In education it was the financial manager and the school bus service wagging the classroom teachers.  I actually had a school financial officer tell me where I could place art on the walls.  As for the bus schedule, the schedule for those monster yellow buses really has nothing to do with the needs of children large and small.  Yet our day was built around their hours of operation.  Here in our 55+ RV Resort we are a bit like those children. The cookie cutter machine did not make us all the same.

In an RV resort or any 55+ community the residence are very dependent on social occasion like dances, coffee hours and concert.  It is part of what we love about being surrounds by age mates.  When we have a dinner/dance event for example,  the parks will take into account that seniors do have some special needs.  Diet, physical ability, marital status, money and simply getting old can limit community members participation.  Either the cost is reduced or people are allowed to buy separate tickets, one for dinner and one for dancing.  It turns out it is a bookkeepers nightmare.

In our particular case, we are not going to our Valentine Dance.  The option is for just one ticket that includes dinner and dancing.  The event is not over priced but I have a health issue and cannot eat what they have on the menu.  If you are living in a community like this, you will understand.  We need to always keep in mind that we are renters and our landlord runs a big business. Spread sheets don't have faces or special needs along side the numbers.  The tail is wagging the dog...the financial difficulties control our lives.

Is it the principal of the thing?  Well not really.  Valentines Day is and always has been special for my husband and I.  Cooking at home does not have "Valentines Day" written all over it.  All I want is a nice dinner out at restaurant that can cater to my dietary needs and a few dances with my husband amid our friends at a price we can afford.  In this particular case, "tails" win!

b

The REALITY of Small Space Living...making comparisons!

Small space living really does appeal to a lot of people.  I was watching a show on HGTV yesterday about a couple that had moved from NYC to the suburbs.  They bought a lovely old house built in the 1930's with lots of room.  The home filled with all that space had them hiding in the bedroom and one small corner of the family room.  They simply did not feel comfortable with the space and didn't even have an idea of how to use it.  I know others that can relate to that feeling.

My daughter, for example, lived in a dorm room with no problem.  When she moved into an apartment, she lived in her bedroom.  Even now, she loves the nest she and her husband call the bedroom and is most at home in that small space.

In an article posted on Retire in Style earlier this week we talked about a woman featured on Apartment Therapy.  She lived in a small space but actually had a bath tub...trust me, when you give up the space even a tub takes up in a 250 square foot co-op apartment, you are sacrificing precious storage or living area.

I found it very interesting when Bob Lowery of Satisfying Retirement posted a comment on this post:

We very much need to figure out a way to expand our tiny, galley-style kitchen. But, the $30-$40,000 for the type of renovation required to expand and rebuild it isn't going to happen. We will make do and continue to bump into each other.

The woman you cited has a 250 sq ft co-op? I'm surprised there is room for a bathroom, let alone a tub!

250 square foot apt...Apartment Therapy

When you retire and decide to go full time in an RV or buy a second "home" in a place where the sun shines all winter, you will need to come to grips with living in a small space without all the amenities you are accustomed to.  It is the only choice for most of us.  Monetary concerns will not allow anything else.   And 250 sq. ft. co-op or RV probably does not have a separate bedroom or a washer and dryer.  Every corner needs to serve at least 2 functions.  That is the reality of small space living.

We lived for months in a Winnebago...25 feet long...when we first retired.  Honestly, I loved that little baby.  I did not allow my husband to buy one with carpet on the ceiling and we only had a small piece of carpet in the kitchen/dining/living area.  My one big hang up is keeping things clean.  Even though the space was very small, we did not fill every corner of the storage.  It was a lot of fun to live such a simple life!

My dessert Park Model home...kitchen/dining/office/livingroom!

Now we have just a little over 300 sq. ft. of living space in our park model in Tucson.  If we were to remove china storage, a credenza in the bedroom and a huge wall to wall closet and a pantry from the square footage of the park model, we may be actually living in less than that.  And then there is that bath tub...who needs that?  We really don't need all that storage at all.  I have places that still stand empty or are filled with things I should throw away. We do not live in a mess and we keep the space very clean.  We even have a small faux fireplace.

Living/Dining/Kitchen/Office...our Oregon Home!

I have learned a lot about what I do and do not need.  The house we just purchased this summer is about the same size as our condo...1400 sq. feet. (photo above)  It seems absolutely luxurious to me.  The pleasure of a separate bathroom for my husband and I is something I enjoy a lot.  I have a  laundry room for the first time in my married life.  In fact, I am almost filled with guilt over the space.

So, it has occurred to me that I am probably a small space person.  There is, for me, something comforting about simple living.  Is that good?  Who knows. 

How about you...how much space do you need?

b

Related articles

• Tucson RV Resort Living + a 15% Discount on RV Space Rental (sirrot.hubpages.com)
• How to fit technology into a small space! (retireinstyleblog.com)
• The REALITY of Small Space Living...making comparisons! (retireinstyleblog.com)

15% RV Resort Discount through Retire In Style Blog

Arizona Sunset...every night!

Arizona National Photograph by b

I live in a beautiful RV resort in the winter.  The business that runs two RV resorts in Tucson is giving discounts to people  if they are referred by a "friend" living in the park.  Both of these parks are rated very high in Trailer Life.  A park on the west side of the city has the coveted 10/10*/10 rating.  The park on the east side that I live in is rated 9.5/10*/10.  My park is a little smaller and really has a sense of community.  The maintenance on both parks is about the best I have ever seen in my travels around the United States.

If you mention my name when you make your reservation you will receive $20 for a week stay or $100 if you stay a month.  The weekly rate is $230+ taxes and the monthly rate is $639+ taxes.  The discount for a monthly rate is a little over 15%...nothing to sneeze at.

So send me an email to orencoopinions@gmail.com and I will forward you the information so you can take advantage of this service.

Take a look at the resort information to see if you are interested: RinconCountry.com.  Then contact me and let me be your friend!

I hope to see YOU next winter.

b

The information I have from the park says I can refer as many people as I can find.  Let me say here...I am operating at the whim of the owners and can not guarantee space availability, etc.  My advice to you would be to act as soon as possible.  The park we live in was filled totally last winter.

Related articles

• Behinds Can't Take It Anymore! - Tucson, AZ (travelpod.com)
• RV Park Finder Powered by: Trailer Life Directory - Consent Media & Waterfield Technologies (itunes.apple.com)

When seniors fall...the perfect cure!

The Walking Wounded!

I fell in a hole...I really fell in a hole.  After walking almost 18 holes of golf on a par 72 golf course, I stepped in an invisible hole and sprained my right ankle.  YUCK!!!  I can walk on it and move everything so I did not go to the doctor.  And, after I went to bed last night in a "state of agony", I started laughing!  What I was enduring was not that bad but it sure did helped me understand what some of my friends are going through.

You see we are all the walking wounded.  My friend Carol had back surgery almost two years ago and she still has shooting pains down her leg. Another friend had a hernia operated on and his wife had a knee replacement this summer.  Two other friends have lot of stents in their hearts.  A neighbor fell and had to have rotary cuff surgery last week.  I fell yesterday and got up with a badly sprained ankle.  A friend down the street fell off her bike today and broke her arm just above the wrist.  She will be seeing the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow.  Stay away for a while...it is not safe to be in this neighborhood at the moment.

A friend came and got me in his golf cart so I could go a potluck.  Everyone gathering around listening to all misery and I warned every one...don't walk, don't eat, don't ride your bike, don't lift heavy stuff, don't wear out your joints.  We are having a bad spell of wounds here right now.  Just be careful.

The thing is we really are all fine...stuff happens on the way to the garbage dump...if we did not laugh so much I am sure it would be very depressing.  But we do laugh and we endure...that is what we are all about.

b

RV Resorts: Using the Laundry Facilities! (Humor)

Laundry hung over street in Shanghai, Chin

I am not a laundry room queen...if you have been traveling for a while and do not have a washer in your RV, you will sooner or later run into her...the queen that is.  She is in charge.  The queen will remove your laundry from the machine and leave it on a table or in a chair.  She will tell you how long your laundry has been on the table and ask why you were not there to take care of it. She is the queen.   Bless her little pea pickin' heart!

I, however, am the laundry room clown.  I don't do it purposely.  Who would want to be the clown?  Yesterday I headed off to the laundry will three small loads of wash.  In those loads I had a mattress pad, a set of sheets and assorted small items of clothing.  Simple...right?  I was planning on being done in about an 1hr  give or take a few minutes.  Three hours later I finally finished with my wash.  I had managed to do the following:

• Pay twice for one load of laundry (not a good start).
• Choose the machine that does not pump the water out for my mattress pad.  It weight 175 lbs. dripping wet when I drug it across the room to a different washer!
• Go to the office and summon the repair man and the mop man and beg for my $2 back.
• Use the $2 to wash the mattress pad again in a smaller washer.
• Discover it was dirtier when it came out than when I put it in.
• Watch as the repair man put a sign on the machine that said "Not working!" (I could have done that!)
• Watch the mop man clean up.
• Go home to eat lunch...wash was going on automatic by now.
• Yell at my husband because I remembered that when he washed the day before he commented to a friend that he "didn't see what the problem was with me...he washed and everything when just fine".
• Yell at him again when he said that he would have just hung the pad on the line wet...that is what the guy did yesterday with his rugs.
• Yell at him again when I realized that he had know that the machine did not work, did not tell the office and let me go down there to such a day of misery.
• Yell at him again when he tried to talk to me when I came home for the final time.

The people in the laundry room were in stitches by the time I left...Have a wonderful afternoon they snickered.  One woman even said she had a clock that always read 5 p.m. and a bottle of wine.  I almost followed her home!

b

What puzzles you? Partially 100% Emissions Free Cars???

My Car is partially 100% emission free! Please explain that to me...please! Somethings just do not compute! When I noticed this piece of chrome on the back of my Subaru I was reminded of the prefect oxymoron...limited nuclear war...either is it 100% or it isn't. I was puzzled.

Low slung jeans puzzle me. Do women realize their butt is hanging out and think it is attractive? Really, it is not attractive on a plumber and it certainly does not look good on women. Doesn't their backside get cold? I still can't figure out where this style came from and why it has hung around for so long. (No pun intended.)

I am puzzled at how invested we women are in other women's hair color. We will take personal offense at another woman's bad choice in hair color even though we really don't know the other woman. I suppose it is a little like the low slung jeans...we are afraid if we see it often enough we might slip and want purple hair ourselves. We certainly learned how to adjust to hip huggers because our clothes wore out and there was no other choice. Hence the very long blouses!

We have a little house at the entrance to our RV Resort. A man sits inside and opens the gate when we return from the movies at night. The gate opens automatically when we leave. A couple of years ago gate keeper was fired when he did not check the people leaving. That puzzled me...I wondered if we were not free to leave when we wanted. The idea that we may not get back in is worrisome enough.

We have special areas in our resort for people to live that have dogs. You cannot even walk your dog around the park...it is a rule and old people will tell on you. I have had people tell on me for other things so I know. But if you have a bicycle and put your dog in the basket, most people ignore you. A dog being given a ride has always puzzled me. Dogs need to walk...I think! Hospitals are encouraging people to bring animals into wards with old people as a way to wake their minds but we cannot walk a dog in our senior citizen park. It is very puzzling. I think petting other peoples dogs is fun...I don't have to feed or clean up after them but I get to enjoy their company for a few minutes.

Tourist puzzle me...they come to the south with only their shorts and tank tops in the winter. It is cold here because...well it is winter! In the northwestern United States the residents get their shorts out when the temperature rises above 50 degree. Am I the only one that thinks we should cover our skin up when it is cold? That puzzles me...a lot.

I find some things very frightening. Crime, close calls in my car and loud noises in the night cause me to be afraid. Now tell me why anyone would go to a movie and be scared out of their wits ON PURPOSE! I have never figured that one out.

Other things puzzle me...bland food, geezer hats, poor losers, bocce ball, pickle ball, crankiness. But I will spare you the details of those today. What puzzles you?

b

Ann Landers and Me...a day in the life of a snowbird!

Image via Wikipedia

The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you havent thought of yet. - Ann Landers

We played bocce ball today...our season began this week so we are all out trying to figure out how to play, again.  Yes I know we are getting smarter as we age and really there is no reason to shy away from learning a new skill.  The thing that drives me nuts is not knowing how to do something I already know how to do...if that makes any sense.

We are partners with another couple...Ken and Carole.  Carole is the "my friend Carole" I talk about so much.  She is funny but not really very quiet and she does talk a lot.  Even more than me I think.  If Ann Landers were still alive the saying I quoted above could have actually been about Carole and I.  We do drive people to distraction on the bocce ball court.  We are very good players sometimes and we do win.  Probably in a serious league we would be banned or something...we may be banned in our RV Resort.  Sigh!

Tomorrow I will play golf in a ladies league at our golf course that is very near by the RV park.  Fred Inke Tucson Public Course is very difficult so I don't know how it is going to be.  My friend Carole ask me what I was thinking!  Let me know that that works out, she said.  I am just a little afraid.   I don't know what the punishment for public embarrassment is...do your suppose they will yell at me?  Keep me in your prayers because I think I am going to need it!

I spent the morning trying to straighten out my Hubpages account so I could earn money on Google Adsense.  I am waiting for a reply to my email...I am hoping I didn't leave the poor people at Hubpages scratching their head.  I have not received a reply yet.  I am hoping that they understand that even though I am in my very late 60's I have not lost all my senses and am still a smart woman...my email may not have conveyed that message.  We will see.

A neighbor invited us over for a cocktail hour and we were invited to stay for soup supper...it was such a lot of fun.  They live in North Dakota very near where all the oil fields have come to life.  They have some very interesting stories about "Man Camps" and the influx of people moving in in the hopes of finding jobs.

A day in my life.  I will be back tomorrow...we will talk again then.

b

Retirement Question: What do you do all day?

I know...you need help with stuff!  I would come over and help you if I had the time.  Even though I am retired and don't have an actual "job" I am really active almost every day.  Aren't you bored out of your skull?  What do you do all day? you ask.  I guess you need to see a glimpse of what a day in retirement can be like...if you choose.

FAMILY:
Today is December 16, 2010.  Thursday in this year.  We are getting very close to Christmas and all that it means to us.  Last night my daughter and I spent 2 hours on our iphones with the Face to Face function turned on shopping on our computers for family that lives in China.  We found a Pendleton Blanket on ebay and I ordered toys on Amazon for my granddaughters and a fancy wine bottle opener for their parents.  The gifts will arrive at their house in China on December 24.   In the world of this retiree that seems very strange.  To think that China used to be so far away!

BUSINESS:
Today my husband and I have spent the morning with business. My cell phone was on speaker mode while I read documents on the computer, sent email and kept my brain alive.

PUBLIC SERVICE:
Now I will make a huge pot of white chili that we will serve to a group of homeless men at the Catholic Church.  My husband and I will join a group of our friends to eat with a group of veterans that live outside in downtown Tucson.  The men are taking classes and working with the VA to get their life back.  They are transported every day to the church.  They will eat the meal, do their own clean up and then use the facility to shower, wash clothes and sleep in a warm bed.  We are not Catholic but we were delighted to be asked to help.  I wish we did more of this sort of thing.

ORDINARY DAYS:
The ordinary time in our days are the times we love the best...that is why we retired.  We are snowbirds and spend our winters in a small RV Resort in Tucson, AZ.  I have come to think of it as living at "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends".  I don't know if you have ever seen the cartoon but the story line had children's imaginary friends coming to live in the home when the children outgrew them.   Blue Dot, clown, monster and my grandson's friend, God, always had a home until some other child needed them.

Our line up of characters include every imaginable occupation, moral standard, mental state, nation of origin and income level.  The men are veterans and many have decided not to talk about service in Viet Nam or some other overseas assignment.  Some people are nice and some are not. Everyone from the millionaires to the almost homeless widows with only their SS pension live together in peace.  We play bocce ball, pickle ball, tennis, and horse shoes outside.  We play cards, pool and dance inside.  We eat together often, argue over politics or religion and we are always learning from each other.  Books are shared, craft rooms are full and any activity on the exterior of our park models will draw a crowd and lots of advice.  No one should ever be lonely...but if they so choose, they can live in seclusion.

It is cool today and is beginning to rain (70 degrees) so we will stay indoors until this evening.  On a day when we were not leaving the park, we would gather with friends at an informal cocktail hour held on a neighbor's patio at around 4 pm.  I see our friends are playing in a bocce match so I will go visit for a minute and cheer them on.  I am reading a book on my Kindle and, of course, this blog takes quite a lot of my time.

I call this place "The Waiting Room for Heaven" a phrase my friend Carole coined.  Like the imaginary friends at Fosters, we will stay here until our family needs us or we go home for a while.  Then we will spring back into action doing child care and giving support to those we love.

I hope you have an idea of how the time flies for us.  The big question we ask ourselves over and over is when did we have time to work?


Have a wonderful day.

b

Buying a Park Model...buy low now or pay more in the fall!

RV Resort Living Link

Small Park Model 

For Sale

Around the Corner From ME!!! 

In RV resorts all over the country, prices on Park Models will be at an all time low this time of year.  Owners are going home, rent dates are approaching and the visible buyers are becoming invisible.  Sellers get less hard nosed about bargaining and agents work deals you would not believe.  

On top of that there are a record number of units for sale.  We are coming out of a recession, the stock market is going up and it seems that prices may jump back up to where they were 18 months ago.  So, if you are a buyer, now is the time to do it.  I actually knew of an older model that was built so solid that the model was not easy to move.  It was for sale for $1000 dollars (plus rent)!  It was on a corner lot but did not have a awning or much parking.  But, for $1000, buyers can figure some of those problems out.

So here are some of the things I know:

• Buy in the spring...the prices go down.
• Always add the cost of rent to the buying price...in this park around $4000 a year is the rate.
• If you haggle on the price don't expect the seller to fix a leaking faucet or paint some small item with a pint of paint.  In our park labor is cheap so getting things fixed can be done with no problem.
• Get it in writing, even if you have to write it yourself...agents are notorious for not doing this and there appears to be no law that requires a written agreement...at least in Arizona.  From what I hear both the buyer and sellers are liable to go "back on their word" at the drop of a hat.  Buyers remorse is one thing but agreeing to something and then asking for this and that is not a good thing. For example, I sold a park model for a lot less than I paid.  The dryer worked fine but was noisy...I did not fix it.  The noise did not bother me. 
• Check out the neighbors.  You may want to buy something that is not perfect if your neighbors are wonderful.  It can make such a difference in your winter stay.
• Come and rent for a short period, get to know the park, rules for visitors, winter activities, etc.  While you may be able to buy very cheap, you still need to make sure that you are making the right decision.
• Above all be careful...I might wax poetic about this life or the low cost of living like this but I never want you to believe that everyone is nice because they are old.  All you know is they are old and nothing more.  Liars and cheats grow old too.  

I want you to be armed with information when you decided to come live by me...I will have the wine bottle open and give you a hug.  I hope you find this helpful.  Have a wonderful day!
b

When is a motor home to old to drive down the road?

Monaco Coach
Crown Royal

I ask too many questions...I know that.  In my defense I mean no harm.

Yesterday I wrote about foreigners buying motor homes.   When I saw this Austrian couple's motor home, all I could think was "oh my goodness are you taking that out on the road?"  Paint worn, dented here and there, well used or used hard.   I did not imagine that they planned on traveling in the motor home.  I thought they were just going to live in it here in the southwest.  The gentleman was thoroughly disgusted with me..."why would I buy a motor home and park it?" he said.  I just stood mute...I didn't want to be rude.  "Oh, I am so sorry...I am dumb as a bag of hammers!"  I don't think he knew what I meant...not even a little.

We traveled with a couple that owned a coach about this vintage and it was a royal pain in the *%^&.  Solenoids, connections, leaks, stuck under trees....you name it. It was diesel pusher just like the one pictured above.   I actually offered to kiss a mechanic on the lips once when we could start our journey again because he fixed their RV.

Is this Monaco coach built by a company that declared bankruptcy last March a good choice?  I don't know.  All I know is that our RV resort does not allow old motor homes in...got to keep up appearances and all that you know.  When I saw this, it surprised me a bit.  I am wishing them luck!

b

RV Resort Living...Expats/foreign Visitors and Motor Homes

VISITORS TO THE UNITED STATES AND MOTOR HOMES

In the motor home section of our RV park you can find liscense plates from all over the United States and Canada.  Huge rigs pull in here for the gem show and the spaces remain full until the snow birds head home.  The spaces are large and newly paved.  But there are some motor homes parked through out the park in spaces left empty by park models that  have been sold or the owner has removed for various reasons.  My friend has a motor home parked next to her now.  The owners are from Austria.  They have come to the United States to travel so they purchased a second hand motor home and a new car to tow behind it.  They will stay for two weeks, travel in the western United States and then return to the park to store their RV.  They have Arizona license plates and a Tucson, AZ address.  Friends in town are helping them.  The motor home is quite old so resale on it will be a lot easier than if they bought new. 

It will work for them just fine.  However, I would suggest you do this in a state like Oregon where the license fee for RV's is much less.  It would be very wise to check and see what states have cheaper fees and go there.  Arizona is very expensive.    Because we are residents of Oregon, we took delivery of our motor home in New Mexico and licensed it in Oregon.  When you are an expat or a visitor, the rules are probably a little different.  Just a thought.

HOW TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE!

I couldn't resist the temptation to take a picture of one of our neighbors helping her husband work the his motorcycle kick stand .  This is the only way I could  ride a motorcycle.  She told me about a bland man that rode his motorcycle on the back of a trailer like this.                                               

STARTING A NEW BUSINESS

A friend of mine has started a new business...she just celebrated her 70th birthday.  Isn't that amazing?  She discovered Scentsy Pots, a product that she loved and signed on to sell it from her home.  After receiving a Scentsy Pot for Christmas, she could only think of the advantage of using a product like this in our park models.  Small night lights with a dish on the top for melting a very small amount of scented wax can make our park models smell heavenly.  No fire, no soot, no expensive candles.  She has a little open house about once a month and her business has been very good here this winter.  I went to her coffee this morning and ordered a gift for my daughter who will be visiting soon.  Go to Mary Grace's website to see what she has to offer.  You can even order on-line if you wish. 

That is the way my day has gone.  Beautiful and sunny today.

b

Park Model living with cats and dogs! There are rules!

RULES IN THE RV PARK
Do RV resorts allow pets?  And if they do what will be the restriction?  These are very valid questions and ones that you need to ask before you park your RV, buy or rent a park model.  RV resort are much like motels when it comes to our pets.   In our RV resort there are two locations that pets are allowed.  At the back of the park there is a block of lots that are designated for pets called "Doggy Row".  On that street people can have a pet in their park models and can walk their animal on a leash on the streets.  Access to a back gate allows those pet owners to walk their dogs in Pantano Wash.  It is assumed that if you buy in that location you are not going to be compaining about barking dogs...you will know they are going to bark.  Pets are also allowed in the RV spaces and the gate is close by so owners can walk their pets outside the park.  The plan has worked very well for many years.  If you are a cat owner and can keep your cat indoors, you can have the pet anywhere in the park.  But don't think you can let that cat out to wander around, even at night.  I suppose that if I wanted to walk my cat, I would need to have the cat on a lease and put it in the car to take it to a designated walking area.  It is just the rules and everyone follows them.


PETS IN THE RV
We traveled with a cat one winter after the cat adopted us in the middle of our vacation.  It was not an easy thing to do but I know that a lot of people take their cats and dogs along in their motor homes.  There are window boxes that can be installed in a window that opens so you cat or small pet can sit inside and see what is going on in the outside world.  I always thought one of those would be cool.  I am sure that Camping World has just the things you need to make your pet at home.   My cat was a "pill" so he never was allowed to travel with us again.  However, we are considering bringing him to the desert with us next year.  We miss him when we are gone.

If you choose to take your pet with you, just remember the rules I mentioned above are very typical of RV Resorts.  While they love their animals they have rules about their place.  

WHY KEEP YOUR PET?
In the United States 63% of all households own pets.  According to Pets Help "pets are like "emotional vitamins." If you feel better psychologically and emotionally, every system in your body is going to function more efficiently. The 65-plus population, particularly vulnerable to loneliness and stress-related diseases, can reap enormous benefits from pet companionship."  In a word pets help keep us healthy.  The choices you make about your pet really does matter.

Happy travels and have a wonderful day.

LINKS YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING
Retiree Rethinking Destination Plans
Pets Help Senior Citizens
Baby Boomer Issues

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