My, how the seasons change. We have just come off of an arctic blitz here in Florida. While the rest of the nation has been crippled by staggering temperatures, well below the freezing point, we here in central Florida have joined the rest of you in stifling temperatures and the kind of atmosphere that brings outside activities to a halt. There was no snow, thank goodness, but the unusual weather adamantly reminded us that the world that we live in is undergoing a significant change. As we have traveled over the past three years to destinations once thought of as winter havens, we have found a not-so inviting trend in the nests where snowbirds descend. Texas brought us ice and three inches of snow in 2020. It was a gut punch to the Lone Star state that weighed and measured their long ignored infrastructure. There were many losses of life and property that still resonate in our minds. 2021 saw us struggling to escape the crisp weather in Arizona. Thirty miles from the southern border, and we continued to be reminded that winter would not be confined to the northern and mid-western states. It never occurred to us that we would be needing space heaters and a heated hose to fend off 20º nights from freezing our toes and water lines. Though it was brief, we sit in the sunshine state thawing out from a blast of polar air wondering if this is the end of the notion that one can merely travel south to break from the usual wintry cold. It has certainly altered our thinking and preparedness as it has others who are currently repairing their furnaces and busted water lines.
The weather certainly didn't stop Christmas nor the seasonal reminder that we are all united in one need. The need of each other to warm and fill our souls with comfort and happiness; with belonging and joy. It is never so deeper a need when we are away from family and friends as we trek across the miles. This year seemed especially hard and yet no different. We still enjoyed phone calls and lengthy face time chats with children and grand children. Our visits are virtual and maybe our tolerance for this somewhat inadequate alternative is slowly eroding. But then, in the end, we are filled once again and eager for the next call or bit of news that keeps us attached to the familiar and overflowing with love from all.
This year's winter travel has also been plagued with the uncertainty of accommodations in regards to campgrounds. Florida's bout with hurricanes left many parks unable to honor reservations due to the damages from Ian and Nicole. The loss of campgrounds equates to the loss of thousands of resting places for us full-timers and the remaining campgrounds are full to capacity and turning away many of us who are jockeying for space and time. We can only hope that the losses are not permanent and next year the parks will have made repairs and will reopen. This year's travel finds us bouncing around erratically and for short stays. So far, we are lucky to have only one day that we are unable to find a place to stay. One day doesn't sound bad if you are retired and don't require the steady flow of employment, so in this case, it is a nuisance. In addition, the goal this winter was to reduce the frequency of our movement to recover our fuel budget that was left in a flaming heap over the summer. With any luck, these frequent short movements will still keep us in the black.
Florida has been nice and all.... Disney was fun and all... but we can't stay here all winter. It seems strange enough that we visited the Magic Kingdom twice in one year, hence the fantastic idea for a Christmas card. The mouse is only cute for so long and then ideas of whacking it with a broom start creeping in. So, once we have exhausted our reservations here in the sunshine state, we will be headed west in preparation for our new travel model. It is our hope to change how we experience the larger states on the left coast, seeing as they have so much more real estate to cover. With some creative planning, we are going out to see it all and we don't want to miss a thing. We are still deciding which states to single out in our "Uber-extensive Exploration" mode, but we have a feeling that Utah will be one of them given the two totes full of genealogy stowed away below. More to come on that note, so stay tuned.
Now the day is warming up, (even the clouds look like they're melting), and the dog has some serious cabin fever. So, we end this bit with the hopes that you all had a wonderful holiday, that it filled you up with the magic and wish you more of the best in the new year to come.