Front

Wow! A whole month has gone by since I have written a post. My keyboard is working, but I have yet to hook up my speakers – coincidence, maybe. I have plenty of back-dating to do, but will, for those begging to see, post about the new place with perhaps a photo or two. The house we are renting is located in Imperial Beach, California – the most southwesterly city in the U.S. that was built prior to 1978. It’s a two bedroom with wood and tile floors. Our backyard has a messy pine tree growing into the power line and a palm tree with spears that bloody our fingers. We are slowly removing all the spiky weeds as well.

I am very happy to have a walkscore.com of 74 in a friendly community. We live about 0.8 miles from the Pacific Ocean and about 8 miles (less if you walk through the state park – off-road) from the Mexico border which makes a difference in the local language. The temperature is a chilly 62 – a ten degree difference from the sunshine state. This is our first time renting a house that runs on gas heat and that has recycling. There is a lot of art in the area – on buildings and electrical boxes. It is easy to get lost, but enjoyable.

Back

We have been busy remembering to pay our last electric bill in Florida, unpacking boxes and packing the fridge, cleaning the lawn and dirtying the house. We can let the dogs out more often – any visit to the garage, eating outside, adding to the compost. We are still hanging pictures and making curtains. We are updating our address so we can pay our new bills. Changing our phone number again to have a local area code. I’m overwhelmed with the amount of activities to do here – everyday! There are so many local programs to help you with home, school, volunteering, recycling, greening, sharing, outdoor adventure, shopping, eating, and living the southern California dream.

I’m looking forward to home-ground coffee, home-pressed juice, home-cooked meals, home-grown fruits and veggies, and some home-schooling. I’m looking forward to more sand in my toes, more sun on my face, more wind in my hair, more friends at my door, more family during the holidays, and the opportunity to photograph and blog about it all here. I’m looking forward to not having to move every year, for a while, due to bad neighbors or landlord fee disagreements. I’m looking forward to riding my bike around a city with more bike lanes. I look forward to swimming in the ocean, walking in the sand, hiking in the mountains, camping in the forests, and staying hydrated in the deserts.