Thursday, November 21, 2013

Seasonal residents: Now they’re here, now they’re away

By Ann Burnside Love

The new lady in the apartment next door moved in, then disappeared. Six months later she returned. Seems she owns a summer home in Maine where the community requires residents to be there for six months a year. Her brood is large, and each family loves to come there for a couple of weeks every summer. But there would be gaps if no one were in residence continuously.

Actually, she’s due back from her second and what she said would be her last summer away for six months, because she’s too tired to keep it up. So when she sold her house in our area, she established her new home in our senior residential community so it would be ready and waiting for her at all times. This is her permanent home.


Of course, that‘s an extreme example, but we also have “snowbirds” in our midst who winter in warm locales, and they come back from Florida, Arizona or the Caribbean for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other occasions to be with their families.

Most of us, however, leave for much shorter intervals when we visit families, friends and vacation spots we’ve loved for years. Yes, those who are inclined to cruise do so. Those who yearn to visit the ocean — as I do — go there.

The whole idea is that we don’t just move in and stay here, period. We visit. We vacation. We take a tour or a cruise or visit national parks, and we also go with our families on group trips. Some leave to provide support to ill or injured relatives.

We do all the same things everybody else does. However, unlike everybody else, all we have to do is tell the folks at the front desk we will be away, arrange for plants to be watered, lock up and leave. That’s it. Convenient, isn’t it? One of our many conveniences — and reasons to be living here.

Oh, yes. In my case, I need to make suitable arrangements for Vanessa the Cat. She’s pretty amenable, so long as I stock the cupboard with her favorite cat foods before I go and arrange for someone to check on her every day.

Fortunately, friends line up for cat visitation rights!

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