Speaking of "homes" as of today we are members of the SKP Jojoba Hills Resort in Aguanga, California. We have been on the wait list for a few months, and have passed on two other "lot offers" but decided when they called us with this one to say "yes". So now we will have a "home base" where we will spend some months each winter and be close to where our daughter lives.
I have no desire to buy or live in another house at this time. Becoming members of the Jojoba Cooperative is a perfect solution. No property taxes, no need to worry about it when we are not there, and no humongous financial investment. Since we put our lot in the rental pool, the lot will be cared for while we are gone. So nice.
We will not be going back to California until next fall. We still consider ourselves full timers. We have several years' worth of places to go to and things to see. But, it is nice to know we have a place waiting for us.
2+ YEARS: On April 1, it will be two years since the sale of our house in the Santa Cruz Mountains closed and we became free of homeowner responsibilities and expenses! When people ask me how long we have been full timing, I say two and a half, because we lived in the Alfa for more than six months while the house was on the market.
Rain: The weather has been variable while we have been at Gulf Shores. Heavy rain, light rain, partly cloudy, sunny, rain... etc. We have gotten out a few days, and stayed cozy and dry at home on others.
Last week on the stormiest day, we went to see the movie "Zootopia". It was delightful. I'm sure everyone will enjoy the cuteness, but older kids and adults will see the anti-profiling message.
Small is an accurate description. Feeding the goats was a highlight!
But as zoos go, it was quite old fashioned in that the animals had pens and cages, not simulated habitats.
More Rain:
We had a quiet Easter Sunday at the Alfa. Well, not exactly "quiet" because the waves of hard rain kept pounding down from the skies. I felt bad for the many families of campers around us who were at the park for a vacation weekend. I guess that is one of the advantages of being on this journey full-time. A few rainy days don't ruin our plans. They just delay our outdoor activities by a day or two.
On another, non-rainy day, we went to explore a bit of history just down the road from Gulf Shores.
Fort Morgan is a "Coastal Defense Fort" built after the war of 1812. It sits at the mouth of the Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico.
The fort was the site of a major battle during the Civil War, was manned during the Spanish-American War, and used as a training base during World War I.
It was an interesting piece of history and a nice day trip.
To wrap up this post, I just have to end with this picture:
