Into The Holidays

We have been home in Montgomery for four months. We expect to be here another four months before we head west again. We have tried wintering in Florida once and Texas twice. Neither really turned our cranks. The desert SW might work, but it’s a long way there, the wind howls blowing sand and there is no way we would come home for a month or two only to head back west.

We put many hours in the yard when we got home. New plants and trees. Landscape lighting, sprinkler system, tree trimming, etc.

We have done dozens of little things to KoKo, mostly maintenance. One thing we have not done is to wash and wax her. She last had a bath in July. Maybe manyana.

Climate change is wonderful. We have had marvelous weather since we have been home. It’s December and we are having cocktails on the patio in shorts.

It’s been good to spend some time with our daughter, the grand kids and the grand dog. The kids can come up the drainage “ditch” between our homes in about two minutes. It is nearly a mile by road.

Dorothy is enjoying her Cattrike, riding it almost daily. I also ride it. I have found we can carry it inside the Jeep. What’s another 40 pounds?

We like living in Montgomery a lot more than in Birmingham. The folks here are much friendly. The craft trade is easy to work with, there is markedly less racial tension and taxes are MUCH less. We can get across town in 10 minutes. We park, with no fee, in front of the doctors office. Who, BTW, is a pleasant young man who drives a pickup truck and spends a hour with you.

The city has a volunteer component to their community policy effort. While we were gone, someone checked on our home daily. I appreciated it and decided to volunteer. I got my uniform yesterday and will start patrol next week. Friday, we went to an appreciation lunch for the volunteers.  The Police Commissioner, the Chief, some captains, etc. were there to express their thanks. The food was good too.

Our 2013 travel plans are to take another bite of Utah in the Moab area in April. Then we will drift north winding up in the vicinity of Walla Walla while the fields are still green. [picture below] Then west to the coast, maybe an adventure in BC, then south to Colorado for August and wind up near Kanab in mid September. Around mid October, we will drift home and arrive around Halloween. All subject to change.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!