Serenity to Chaos

A turnkey purchase means you have everything necessary to move in and live in a property.  Think dishes, pots and pans, bathroom towels, furnishings, and even a very nice TV.  We could have gone on with our lives without adding another thing, other than the clothes we brought with us and our laptops.  A quick stop at Walmart around the corner for groceries, and we were quite comfortable.  The prospect of adding the contents of three moving pods to our attractive and comfortable new home felt like the looming clouds of a south Florida, afternoon thunderstorm.

 

Then, the U-Pack pods arrived.  With the help of three men and their supervisor, over the course of several hours, our entire condominium was filled with boxes everywhere from front to back, and side to side.  We clearly realized we could have, and should have, brought even as little as half of what we had packed.  The task before us would become what things to absolutely keep, and what more we could part with.  Suddenly, all that seemed so essential to retain had perhaps been overkill.

The idea was to first clear enough area that we could sleep and eat.  That would not be an easy task, but the earlier days of removing a significant part of the decor the sellers had endowed us with proved to be great preparation for this task.  After accomplishing enough to make paths through the condo, we waved our white flag, and went out for pizza and a beer.  New York style pizza, a dark beer, and a very accommodating waitress made our earlier nightmare recede.  Returning home, we ended the day with TV-time, sitting on the only furniture still available in the living room-our sofa!

Thursday came too early for aching bodies, but we continued.  Slowly over the remainder of the week, the floor in the kitchen became visible again.  The dining room has reappeared partially, and we can see through to the lanai.  Our bedrooms are another matter, but we've managed to keep the beds clear at night.  Snoopy has worn himself out trying to make sense of all of the boxes, and items moving around from place to place.  Mostly though, he's sleeping through the chaos.

Jim has the larger bedroom with its walk-in closet.  He's got more to put away, hide, or ultimately dispose of, with things from his former hobby room, a hall closet, his bedroom, and the garage to mull over.  My battle is figuring out what kitchen items are going to be sacrificed, and how to fit my hobby items into a bedroom-only space with half the closet I previously enjoyed.  Luckily, I got rid of half of my clothes already before moving, but I still have a large suitcase that came in the pods to sort through.

Moving is not for the weak or elderly.  It is a sport for young people.  Jim joked that "maybe this would be an interim spot, and we'd look for something bigger with our Realtor.  Something with another bedroom, and perhaps a garage?"  I think not.  When we are finally done with this task, I'm going to put my feet up and rest.  Or maybe go to the beach and stare at the water.  Or maybe go have another New York pizza and two beers!!!  I think Jim already agrees.  Divesting ourselves of "stuff" has been a curse, and a blessing.  I realize succinctly, it's not the things you possess, but the living of life that matters at our age.  

Now, back to unpacking and getting rid of more...

Flora and Fauna

The sight of a bird can literally stop me in my tracks to observe, and usually photograph (if I'm lucky) the creature.  All birds, all sizes, all locations are like a magnet to me.  Today, I photographed this immature Red-shouldered Hawk as I was heading out to Walmart.  He was using a light pole as his landing point, high above my car at the entrance to our condominium complex.  To my advantage, no one was leaving our parking lot behind me, so I stopped for a quick photograph. 

We have a Culver's Restaurant near the Walmart located close to our condo.  Today, we stopped by after Jim's eye doctor appointment and had ice cream.  Flavor of the day: cookie dough and caramel (on the left), and a chocolate Oreo mixer were a delicious pre-lunch treat.

The birds pictured above come to visit the yard below our lanai every morning.  They are called Cattle Egrets.  When I first moved to Florida in the 70's, I thought they were called "Egg-erts" until someone corrected my pronunciation.  The correct term sounds like "E-grits."  

"Improvise and overcome" is my motto while we wait for our moving pods to arrive with all of my kitchenware.  I have learned that you can make perfect scrambled eggs in a Teflon-coated saucepan!  They come out fluffy and delicious with a few turns of a spatula.  Jimmy Dean sausage patties cook well in a saucepan, too!  Yummy breakfast and easy cleanup.  I may keep doing the scrambled eggs this way!

Tropical plants are so different from the plants of the Northwest we've been accustomed to.  This tree is growing in front of one of our condo buildings.  Called a "Frangipani" tree, it will bloom from spring until fall with fragrant, colorful flowers that are white with yellow centers.  Its sweet-smelling flowers grow in clusters and are often used in leis (think Hawaiian flower necklaces). The tree's sap can be an irritant, but it is not considered poisonous.  It loses its leaves in the winter.  

On Sunday, we drove north for twenty minutes to find the closest Costco near Venice.  It was similar in most ways to what we were used to, and the gas there is the cheapest in the area at $3.79 per gallon.  We will be using them for gas the next time we need a fill-up.  A hot dog for the usual $1.50 with a soft drink completed our tour of the venue.  

Tomorrow our moving pods will be delivered.  There are positive and negative aspects to that.  I dread the confusion of boxes all over the house, but we're looking forward to unpacking and getting fully settled in here.  I suspect we've brought too much, but hopefully the most important things will fit into the available space.  More on that later...

Sunday Serenity

There’s something about a water view early in the morning, combined with an array of different bird sounds, that creates the perfect start to a day.  Early in Florida, as the sun rises, you can enjoy the porch with a first cup of coffee and listen to a symphony of bird sounds before the heat of the day is upon you.  The water is like a mirror reflecting the foliage beyond, broken only by tiny circles created by fish rising to feed on tempting insects at the water's surface.  

We have black Ibis birds who walk the condominium grounds searching for food with their curved beaks.  Seemingly oblivious to cars or people passing by the manicured lawns, they wander, reminding me of traveling in Egypt and its hieroglyphics.  

To Egyptian farmers, the Ibis was a familiar sight, but to the priests of Egypt, the bird was a sign from their gods. Watching the birds rise into the sky over the fields, circle, and then descend back to earth, the priests imagined the Ibis were carrying hidden messages between heaven and earth.  

To the Egyptians, the simple rhythm of flight and return to the earth was the descent of wisdom from the divine world into the human one.  Thoth, their god of writing, law, and the secret order of creation, was revealed by the Ibis, which was not only a bird in the landscape, but a living example that knowledge itself was sacred.

Beach Day

Taking a break from prepping our home for the arrival of the moving pods, we went exploring a couple of days ago.  The barrier island of Manasota Key is located almost directly west of our condominium, about a 40-minute drive through Port Charlotte and across the Myakka River, via El Jobean Road and then South McCall Road.

Separated from the mainland by Lemon Bay, a drawbridge carries traffic across the Intracoastal Waterway, busy with boaters, to the beach and the Gulf of America beyond.  The sand is sugar-white, the water aqua-blue, and people were enjoying the venue with beach chairs and umbrellas as far as the eye could see.  Over the water, a boat pulled people high above it on a parachute-like device.

Just across from the beach parking lot, we elected to splurge on lunch out at the "Sandbar Tiki & Grille" under a Tiki roof with a floor of beach sand.  The open-air restaurant had a view of the beach-goers, and combined with music, shade, and a breeze, created a very comfortable, tropical lunch experience.

Just south of the beach on the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway, we also discovered "Don Pedro Island State Park," where kayaks can be rented to paddle along the Intracoastal Waterway.  It may be that guides are also available, but we have to inquire about that.  A relatively short walk from the parking lot through mangroves leads to a boat ramp and a small beach-like area to launch kayaks into the water.  A large group returned while we were there, and everyone seemed well pleased with their experience.

Settling In

Getting to know an area has its challenges and its rewards.  I ventured out early (at least by our recent standards) yesterday at 8:30 am to a nearby Walmart for breakfast items and something to make meals for the day so we could eat at home.  Days of meals on the road at mostly fast-food places hold no more appeal.  But I wanted to clean our new home's refrigerator before really starting meal preparation, so I opted for microwave meals for breakfast and dinner.  A couple of cans of tuna fish, a jar of mayonnaise, and some sweet pickles would do for lunch.  Bottled water and shelf liner completed the list.

As it works out, early morning shopping at Walmart is so easy here.  Merely a mile away, it is less than a five-minute drive.  At this early hour, it is not crowded.  For the most part, only elders like me were shopping.  Others, many older, were either tending to the cash registers or filling pickup orders with those wretched blue carts that take up half an aisle.  I'm not complaining, though, as the otherwise open aisles made my errand quick and pleasant.  A small order was all I intended until I could wipe down the refrigerator and cabinets in my new kitchen.

Conveniently, as I was finishing up at Walmart, I received a text saying my prescription at CVS was ready.  Another half mile's drive down Kings Highway to the west, passing under I-75, and I was there.  No lines, no wait, just a quick pickup, and I was on my way home, already able to maneuver through the entire route by memory back to our condominium.  It is a bit scary at our age to learn a whole new maze of existence, but the memory neurons seem to be holding on still, and for that I am grateful.

Jim was waiting for me to return, and opened the front door as I pulled a little shopping cart (left at the condo by the previous owners) from the elevator down the walkway toward our place.  We're on the third floor.  It's great for the view, but requires some planning for what you'll carry up four flights of stairs, totaling twenty-eight steps.  The steps are good for the leg muscles, but at least for me, the stairs will require free hands.  Luckily, the elevator works beautifully.

Another convenience is the trash dumpster.  It's a short walk from our building, and each building has one.  There are seven three-story buildings here, and two more buildings to the east of us, beyond a clubhouse and pool area, for a total of 192 units.  We haven't explored the pool area yet, nor the clubhouse with its adjacent bocce court and tennis court.  We're told that during the winter season, they have occasional dinners and breakfasts at the clubhouse, as well as bingo, dominoes, and a library.  We'll have to check on those activities after we get settled in.

Later in the morning, after breakfast, Jim drove to Port Charlotte and finalized our internet account before stopping at Home Depot for a couple of small items.  I have to admit at this point that each of us is anxious when the other ventures out alone.  It's a subtle kind of anxiety over whether they'll find their way home in this unfamiliar place to us.  I am sure that anxiety will pass, but for now, I prefer going together with help from WAZE.

We wish nothing was coming via the U-Pack pods.  The house is furnished so nicely and so uncluttered, we would like not to add anything else to it.  But in just a week, on the 28th of April, the pods will arrive.  I suspect we will have lots more to donate to Goodwill before this is over.

It was hard to sleep this morning with the to-do list for completion before next Tuesday rolling around in my mind.  It's 6:30 a.m. and still dark here in Florida as I write.  I can hear a seagull or some other bird calling outside our lanai.  I know it's the same for Jim.  But the coffee is ready, so I'll say adieu for now...

April 19 - The Journey to Home

Anticipating Sunday to be the last day on the road, we were on Interstate-10 eastbound by 8:21 a.m., having skipped breakfast and a shower just to get started.  An hour later, after crossing the Suwannee River, we reached Interstate-75 southbound, the road that would ultimately yield an exit a short drive from our condominium in Punta Gorda.  The weather was sunny, clear, and 73 degrees.  

We passed a large section of solar panel installations along the west side of the road shortly after joining I-75.  The Interstate was wide here, with large emergency lanes and relatively clear, with fewer cars than we'd been experiencing, probably due to it being a Sunday.  Even so, the highway department was mowing the median and along the sides of the road.  No litter and no graffiti to be seen anywhere!

    

By 10 a.m., we had reached Gainesville, Florida, home to the University of Florida.  Just south of Gainesville, we crossed a large, flat dried-up lake called Paynes Prairie.  Heavy rains in September 2017 temporarily restored the lake when Hurricane Irma dropped several inches of rain and damaged a levee, flooding the Paynes Prairie basin for months.

Thereafter, we passed through Micanope.  This town always makes me smile because, as kids living in Florida, we always pronounced it "my-can-o-pee."  

The town of Ocala followed, known for its horse farms.  This is an area of rolling hills partitioned by white-fenced pastures and gated driveways leading up to large homes.  The horse farms are evident all the way south toward Orlando.  Of course, everyone knows of Disney World's location near Orlando.

Next followed Tampa, Venice, Port Charlotte, and finally our exit.  Though our mailing address is Punta Gorda, we are physically closer to Port Charlotte.  It seemed surreal turning into our condominium parking lot.  We'd purchased the home sight-unseen.  We were pleasantly surprised when we walked in to have everything we'd imagined surpassed.  The day ended with a beautiful sunset from our lanai.

I think it will be a great place to live.  Writing this at the end of today, after driving over to Punta Gorda across the Peace River to start our mail, and then exploring Port Charlotte to get our internet service set up at Xfinity, was a pleasant experience.  We've already met several friendly neighbors who have told us we have one of the nicest condos in this building!  Snoopy has given his new home a vote of approval as well.

 

That's it for our journey of 3,438 miles across the country.  Thanks for sharing our adventure with us.

As we settle in, we'll share some stories from time to time about anything interesting we discover here along the west coast of Florida.  If you are curious, check in from time to time and see what we've been up to.  It's an amazing journey for two elders still seeking moments of adventure in life...

Arrived Safe and Sound

We have arrived at our condominium today safe and sound.  We won’t have internet until tomorrow so I will post the story of our last day of travel then.  

Working this from my phone is not really practical. We emptied the car, and introduced Snoopy to his new home.  After dinner out at Applebees nearby, and a quick stop at Walmart for breakfast items, we are back home with our feet up and probably won’t stay up for more than another hour!

The sunset is pretty from our lanai tonight.  The condo is everything and more than we envisioned.  So we bid you good night, wish you sweet dreams, and back to you tomorrow.