You have probably heard the quote "For every action, there is a reaction"..... or some variation on that theme. This has certainly proven true for me recently.
As per my previous post, the sudden, tragic loss of our renters at our lake house in Austin has set off a chain reaction. The first change was that David and I made the really, really hard decision to sell that property. As much as we loved it, and in spite of all the memories it held, the signs seemed to say it was time to let it go and have someone else enjoy it. We found a buyer (actually the buyer found us) and it sold and closed in (what seemed to me) to be record time.
However, before we signed the final papers, Dave and I joined Danny and Maya on a video call and we "walked" through every room of the house together. We stopped to admire all the unique touches that made this place so special. I wonder if both the decorative rusty metal grate that fits perfectly by the front door and the seashells strategically placed on the top corners of the door frames contributed at all to the designation as a Neo-Eclectic style house. I had actually never heard of this style before, but apparently, it is a real thing - and I like it!
As we strolled from room to room, we each shared some of our favorite and memorable moments. Many thanks to my friend Lily, for this awesome idea. She recently sold her house and did the same thing with her son. I highly recommend the process. It was a very special way to say goodbye to our well-loved home. We had some good laughs but it did not really hit me, how emotional it all was, until after we hung up. Then came the tears. Big sigh.
Having sold MiraLago, we have rethought the logistics of living in an upper duplex. Here in Montreal, duplexes are uppers and lowers, instead of the more common US version of two units side-by-side. We are thinking ahead to someday when 2 long steep flights of stairs may become a burden. We are really happy with the neighbourhood we are in right now but one huge drawback is limited parking. As we look for a new place (in this 'hood), it became apparent that room for both a car and an RV is pretty much non-existent. Due to the inability to use Gibby all year round, we made another really hard decision to sell the RV. I know, I know..... so many changes! Dave even periodically mentions getting rid of our car too! We actually know several people who do not even own a car here. For real! Even though we walk, and use the metro and bus system a lot, I am just not ready to let go of that - yet. Believe it or not - change is actually hard for me. Once we settle into a new place, we will sell our current place. OY! So many changes!
On the traveling front, I am so far behind in posting, it may take several entries to get caught up. We did get one long (last) road trip in Gibby this past summer. Our most western destination was Frisco Colorado. We were eager to get there so we had some long days of driving, made enjoyable with short stays with family and friends.
On the traveling front, I am so far behind in posting, it may take several entries to get caught up. We did get one long (last) road trip in Gibby this past summer. Our most western destination was Frisco Colorado. We were eager to get there so we had some long days of driving, made enjoyable with short stays with family and friends.
Our first stop was actually our second time staying with my friend Julie in Sandusky, Ohio. This trip included a visit to the Cedar Point Boardwalk and a leisurely stroll along the beach. We also had a great afternoon shopping and eating lunch at the Lakeside Chautauqua community on the Marblehead Penninsula, on the shore of Lake Erie. This location is one of the few continuously operating Chautauquas since the 1920s. The still functioning Hotel Lakeside was built in 1874. It was a beautiful area and looked like an amazing community.
From Ohio, we headed towards Missouri for an overnight stay in Columbia with Cousins Blake and Karla. We had a wonderful home-cooked dinner and toured Blake's impressive pottery studio setup. We enjoyed the bunnies in the yard and I picked up some super cool knitting/purse-making techniques from Karla! After a quick stop to repair a crack in the windshield, we were back on the road.
We had to settle for this picture (taken indoors). LOL!
We did all the things we love to do when we are there: hiking, fishing (David more so than moi), outlet mall shopping (me more so than David), eating, and reconnecting with the family.
And of course, what hiking trip would be complete without the obligatory troll picture?
(Those kids get so upset when they are not included in the blog).
After we left Colorado, we ventured into areas I had never seen before. Dave does an awesome job of finding sights and planning our itineraries! The one thing he did not realize, however, was that, as we headed towards the Black Hills of South Dakota, we were joined by hundreds of thousands of bikers heading to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - starting that very week. I admit I was a bit leery about how that would turn out, but luckily, everyone we encountered was extremely well-behaved and friendly. We did see more bikers than I have ever seen at one time!
Teaser: The rest of this trip back to Montreal included many more new places and adventures. But I am going to stop here for now and will continue this journey in a separate post.
So, please come back again to see what else we have been up to. Meanwhile, stay safe and enjoy what you have.
hugs from Montreal!
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