I've been especially distracted all month because we've been working toward a new life phase: we're moving !
We absolutely love our house and this location up here in the mountains. We've lived here for more than eleven years full time, and for six years prior to that part time. But as we age, Tony and I have arrived at the moment when we need to acknowledge that we are quite isolated up here at 7000' in the middle of a national forest, and that the support resources which are available up here are *scant* at best.
This is a very small town. Our local medical services are limited to absolutely basic first-aid. Triage-type stabilization is offered, and then the patient is immediately sent 'down the hill.' All types of specialized medical care are far away and difficult to access -- even more so during the winter months. Shopping is almost non-existent: we have a couple of grocery stores and hardware stores, and some souvenir shops, but not much beyond that. We had a local K-mart, but it's literally empty of merchandise now, because it's going out of business momentarily. Any additional shopping involves a three-hour round trip, down two-lane curving mountain roads. Fortunately, shopping by mail is a viable alternative these days, but our mail delivery up here is also sketchy: everything must be picked up at the post office with limited days and hours, and again weather-dependent. Add to all of these challenges the ever-present dangers of forest fires, blizzards causing impassible mountain roads, and earthquakes. Fire season is year-round, and snow begins as early as Halloween.
We've been struggling with this reality for a while now, and have finally agreed that it's time for us to relocate somewhere safer: down from the mountains, into more temperate weather, closer to kids and grandkids, and with better access to medical services. This has been really really tough for us to accept!!
So toward this end, we've finally settled on a nice little house close to son Dave and his family. It has good living spaces, abundant storage, and a pleasant yard. We're packing now, no small task after all these years of accumulating a lifetime of treasures. The movers are scheduled for mid-September. Lots of work to do before then, and lots of adjustment afterwards -- it will be a completely different lifestyle. We won't have four seasons, the metro Los Angeles area is very urban and densely populated, the 'new' house will be very different from this one -- although I will admit that no stairs will be a Good Thing!
We're hopeful that our life will settle into a positive and safe and happy new chapter.
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