Rainy Days and Sundays

Yesterday it rained all day, and I was reminded that I prefer hot and dry to cool and rainy.  Droughts are paradise for me...partly because this weather "suits my clothes", partly because business always seems to get a boost.  All day I complained.  Wah wah wahhhh.  I love Texas weather, though.  We have only two seasons: hot and dry, and cool/windy/rainy.  Toward the end of the hot season (like now) we have a sneak peek into the second season.  That blip of cooler temps, blustery wind, and sideways rain hints it's time to start looking for windbreakers and long pants.  In our choice of lifestyle, it also means we need to refill propane tanks, move the portable heaters out of storage, and make travel plans. 

This year, it looks like we might remain in south Texas for the winter.  There are plenty of significantly historical sites here that we want to explore with Sage.  We have some writing to do, a little planting and definitely a lot of planning for next year.  The possibility of an annual south Florida sojourn is not completely out of the question; we just won't get to take a whopping five weeks this year.  That's OK.  Having the flexibility to choose where we go and what we do -- and when -- is one of the reasons we have chosen this lifestyle.

Second season weather yesterday made me cranky.  I can't sugarcoat that fact in any way.  I really really (a million reallys) loathe feeling cold.  But my mobile and sustainable lifestyle affords me freedom and independence that offset the discomfort of days like yesterday.  First, we own our home and vehicle outright.  Second, maintenance on our tiny home is very inexpensive comparatively and nearly all of the upkeep can be done by us.  When we need a change of scenery -- literally -- or if we have unsavory "neighbors", we just move.  Sage is learning about nature first-hand, so she relates to plants, animals and weather patterns in an intimate context.  These are her friends and family, she believes.  Ask her when you meet her about honoring the life of the papaya...her attitude toward all living things will be clear in her explanation.  Really, in every way, this lifestyle benefits her education.  I should dedicate a post entirely to that topic...

The point is, choosing this lifestyle has benfitted us more than it has inconvenienced us.  The hardships that occurred during the first year merely taught us what it really means to be mobile.  Already in year two we are improving the way we live, work and travel together.  We have purged more items from our day-to-day setup as well as down-sized our storage room.  Frankly, paying rent to store things we might/might not ever use again is not a sustainable financial decision.  Sage is rapidly outgrowing clothes and toys, so if an item is not being worn or played with, it goes.  Of course, one-of-a-kind or irreplaceable gifts will continue to be stored.  Small, educational toys seem to be her favorites anyway...Both of our laptops crashed this year and we chose to replace only one.  We discovered while one of us uses the computer the other plays with Sage, or makes dinner, or replaces something on our vehicle.  After The Crash we intended to replace our truck with another four-wheel-drive vehicle.  However, we have found that most of our travels are along highways between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Corpus Christi.  It would be convenient to have off-road capabilities when we camp on the beach, but it is not mandatory.  All summer the sand has been packed so we could drive pretty much anywhere we wanted.  Other improvements related to our energy consumption, for example, are coming soon.

Preliminary work has begun on our 2012 schedule, and so far it looks like we will make our first trip north sometime in March.  Exact dates will be announced soon; we are eager to help you restore your slice of Texas!