Snowbird with a Difference

I’m a snowbird again. This isn’t my first snowbird experience. I spent several winters in a friend’s house in Biloxi, where my nearest friend was 90 miles away, and several more winters in Galveston Island rental houses, where I didn’t know a soul. But this time it’s different. I’m with family.

Our grandson and his bride-to-be have bought a house here in Tucson. We contributed to the down payment with the stipulation that the house they chose must have what is known here as a “casita,” or guest house, that we could occupy during the winter months.

Dennis couldn’t accompany me this time due to obligations back home in Kansas, but he will drive down in late March to enjoy the sunshine for a few days before we head back north.

The house needed some repairs, principally a very large, leaky Arizona room that had to be torn down. This deconstruction left a huge amount of debris to be disposed of. Fortunately, Tucson has a roll-off dumpster service. The dumpster arrived filled with good garden soil that landed on the driveway. When the dumpster was filled, an operator came with a truck to take it away.

That left a big pile of metal parts to be recycled. A Home Depot rental truck carried the metal to a recycling business, which netted a lot more than the truck rental cost.

Calls to an electrician, a plumber, and a roofing company almost completed the needed repairs. All that’s left is installation of a new heating and cooling system in the larger casita. (There are two casitas, one for cooking, eating, and sleeping. The other, which we will renovate, will be for relaxation and recreation.)

Because the nights are chilly and the main casita temporarily has no heat, I’m occupying the guest room in the main house. This intergenerational living is working out quite well. The kids are very welcoming and I feel I’m helping them by preparing the evening meal while they both are at work.

Being a snowbird has never been more pleasant. Being with family makes all the difference.

Copyright 2015 by Shirley Domer