Snowbird Lifestyle, Cuisine, Entertainment and Travel
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Eight years ago we excitedly brought our strong, stubborn, energetic male Golden Retriever puppy, Bodie, to the beach for his very first experience as a snowbird dog. At the time we were leasing a gorgeous condo and I was nervous about our puppy chewing up the furniture and anything else he shouldn't be doing. He did great and confidently navigated life in his new home. His nickname is "Balcony Bodie" due to his love then and now watching the activity on the beach, street and sidewalk below. Heartbreakingly, this season will be Bodie's last. I'm grateful for the time to be with my boy in the sunset of his life, but it just isn't enough no matter how it plays out. I'm not ready to let go.
I recently came across photos from our time in Northwest Florida in late Autumn of this year when Bodie was so strong, stubborn, vibrant. He was seemingly so healthy, happy and playful. Nothing seemed anything but ordinary. In June Bo had a knee replacement and was finally rehabbed to the point where he could take longer walks again and traverse the access ramp to walk in the sand along the shore. In August Bodie passed his annual wellness exam. I had no idea there would be such a dramatic, insidious change around the corner.
We returned from the beach to our primary home in mid November and noticed Bodie was drinking more water than usual. Then it became a lot more thirst over the next couple of weeks to the point of excess. Not too alarmed, we recognized the weather was changing to winter and there were no other indicators of environmental factors, so we brought Bo to his lifelong vet.
Bodie's experienced team ran tests such as blood work, urinalysis and an ultrasound. His doctor wanted to rule out several diseases, of which there were many possibilities. Unfortunately, Bodie became increasingly lethargic with each passing day. He no longer sat up to eat the homecooked special diet of rice and protein that we fed him out of necessity. Instead he leaned over his bowl while lying down. Bodie was weak, listless and slept constantly. We kept him covered all the time with a large warm beach towel. When the body has fewer functions such as digestion of standard food and generating heat, it can redirect energy to survival.
Bodie was spiraling downhill very quickly and we felt so helpless. He slept endlessly and was totally withdrawn. Zero interest in food, socializing or anything else that a healthy dog enjoys. He just lay there, at times we weren't sure he was still breathing. It was scary and depressing. Bodie began vocalizing in the night and we (mistakenly) thought he was in pain. So he began an anti-inflammatory medication that also reduces pain. Nothing seemed to help our boy and we were stressing out and upset that our baby was in such bad condition.
Finally, our doctor scheduled a specialized ultrasound that was performed by a Doctor of Radiology who also aspirated Bodie's spleen and liver. Bodie's vet said spleen cases such as his often improve if the spleen is removed. Except we learned Bodie was far too ill to qualify for any surgery. Based on the tests and ultrasound we received the devastating news that Bodie has cancer. An aggressive lymphoma of the liver and spleen that is inoperable because it had already spread. The silver lining was that Bo would be spared the trauma of surgery and recovery.
Our local team recommended taking Bodie to a specialty hospital 100+ miles away for an oncology appointment. Bodie was scheduled right away and the day of his evaluation he was so unwell he didn't pass the pre-treatment bloodwork. Bo didn't even lift his head, he just lay there under his beach towel on the floor of the exam room. His blood counts were indicating jaundice and liver issues and his new doctor had no other option than to inject him with an expensive medicine to try to get him into a state where he could receive chemotherapy. Bodie also began daily steroids. Our new doctor advised us the most ill patients have the worst survival rates. Not what I was hoping to hear.
The first injection was enough that the following week Bodie was able to complete his first chemotherapy treatment. He began to show improvement at home with the help of the steroids, anti-nausea meds and appetite stimulants. However, other complications such as diarrhea, incontinence and high blood pressure marred our victory. After trying probiotics and fiber to no avail, Bodie began a medication to treat the diarrhea. If his bp doesn't subside, he will also be on meds for that.
We've now completed Bodie's second chemo treatment. It has not been easy, but there is a small ray of hope that we can get a few more days, weeks or months with our baby. Our goal is for Bodie to not only feel better, but to be able to travel to the beach one last time. With Bo's chemo schedule, upon arrival in our southern community we will immediately meet with his southern oncology team, which is located about 60+ miles from our beach condo. Traveling with a dog that isn't ill is challenging enough, so this is unchartered territory, but we want to try for Bodie's sake and ours.
Fear of the unknown, the financial commitment, time commitment and much more are concerning, but we aren't ready to let go and Bodie has rallied enough that we hope for some warm weather so our boy can live out his last days in the sun and with the love of his snowbird community. Bodie has many human and dog friends and we want and need to be with them. Support for Dan and I is so important as we do our best to deal with the stress of a terminally ill family member. Our message is not that there is hope Bodie will be cured or that there will be some miracle. There won't be, it isn't medically possible. Perseverance and patience is what we hope for and grace that God will grant us some good days with our boy.
Many snowbirds like us have beloved pets that become very ill before and during the snowbird season. To those who are dealing with the illness and loss of their pets, we are so sorry. It is the hardest goodbye.
-- Winnie the Pooh: A fictional teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard in 1925
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Midlife Snowbird. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links or advertisements does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
A huge part of the road trip is planning the stops, including the small town road side stands such as Papas in Brantley, Alabama Pre Check-In List for Snowbirds Avoid Surprises and Hassles by Verifying in Advance of Arrival As both an owner and a …
Online Groups: Sort Out the Nonsense How to Sift Through the Answers and Motives of Online Q&A’s Prior to the rise of the powerful internet and social media, information was exchanged and shared in person, in local establishments amongst patrons and through traditional media channels …
I'm continually inspired to write about real life situations and the topic of this post is especially hard hitting because it is about a personal story in our Northern community. Without going into a lot of detail, our long term rental property became the victim of a hoarding situation and the condo was condemned by the city as too unsanitary for humans and a biohazard. It made the local news for all of the wrong reasons and the facts are still unfolding.
Human and animal feces, bodily fluids, filth, damage, trash and debris plus an overload of personal property and possessions from multiple individuals created a perfect storm of violations. It was completely unexpected and we are still sorting out the mess of legalities as well as the steps to clean it up so it can become inhabitable again. The tenants descended a slippery slope of accumulating clutter that ultimately crossed the line from content-heavy to condemned. There's many reasons of how this happens and most people with a healthy mental outlook thankfully never get to this point. However, hindsight is 20/20.
By addressing the question of how much is too much stuff before it gets out of control feels better than cleaning up your own or someone else's mess. Embrace the concept of less is more and that's half the battle. Anyone who splits their time between two homes and two communities can feel better about departing for the season and stress less about leaving a festering disaster behind.
The time is now to get going. Most snowbirds depart for their warm weather community in the fourth quarter of the year and for me it's peace of mind to depart with an organized home and return to an organized home in the Spring.
My objective is not to advise on specific methods of organizing and decluttering other than to encourage you to research and chose something that you believe will help. The primary goal is to decide how much is too much stuff, then determine if the excess should be donated or discarded. I'm a firm believer that someone somewhere would love to have your duplicates. Don't wait until it's out of style or worn out to donate, do it now. Take the tax write off and feel good about helping another person or family who may be just starting out, divorcing and starting over or perhaps they endured trauma such as a fire or catastrophe and need a boost.
Don't overlook donating items for kids and pets. Animal shelters can always use items such as stained or worn towels and sheets in addition to other household contents. You don't need endless duplicates of sheet sets or dozens of bath towels. Keep only the best of the best and save a spare set or two such as cozy flannel sheets for winter and fresh cool sheets for summer. If your own kids and grands are getting older and you've been storing items of theirs that they no longer want, give their clothes and toys to an organization devoted to families and kids. There's no point in hanging on to items that are no longer age appropriate for your own loved ones. More than likely when the grands are old enough to be on their own or have their own families, they won't want "used" items, they will opt to buy new in the colors and styles they prefer. Why wait years for that scenario of "do you want this?" to even come up?
Where to begin decluttering? Start with a surface area, a drawer, a closet, a single room. The main thing is to simply start. When I spend time working on our vacation rental, I want the entire place to look as enticing and appealing as possible. No one wants to get away to what they left behind to escape: namely, clutter. A huge emphasis is placed by me on organization, cleanliness, spaciousness. Our entire beach condo is less than 800 square feet. The point is to make every inch feel like it has breathing room and no more than what is needed. I translate that same feeling to my primary residence, although I admit it is a continual work in progress.
What I did in our vacation rental is scrutinize each item for functionality as well as beauty. Once you have categorized by room of the house or some other criteria, put all of the chipped, damaged or broken items into a pile. If they are not going to be repaired, get rid of them.
Do the same for items that no longer have meaning or as much importance as they once did. Maybe you received gifts that aren't wanted or used. It's ok to donate them. Repeat the process for your clothes and closets, garage, office, kitchen, basement, storage room/s, attic and so forth.
Then work your way through duplicate items. An example is how many coffee cups are truly needed? Yet every time anyone visits a housewares store there's more coffee cups just waiting to be purchased. I'm guessing most homes have one or two dozen coffee cups when only 6 are 8 are all that's needed for one or two people. Flower vases, games, yard equipment, gardening items, crafts and furniture are other examples of categories to pare down. I'm amazed at the tendency to bring in more and more furniture over the years and never ever remove any.
How many collections of anything are that important? Or seasonal decorations? Or equipment for hobbies that you never started or no longer embrace. My husband recently decided to rehome his inherited antique gadgets and tools that have been occupying far too much mental and physical space in our garage. He doesn't use them and no one in the next generation will be using them. Time to go. There's many online groups devoted to enthusiasts for almost anything and that's a great place to start.
As you head to your warm weather community for the upcoming season, feel good about everything you sorted and donated. Chances are you made someone's day!
-- Marie Kondo, Japanese Organizing Consultant, Author and TV Presenter
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Midlife Snowbird. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links or advertisements does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
From Summerbird to Snowbird Transition from a Summer to Winter Stay in Your Warm Weather Community Many times I’m inspired to write about questions I receive seeking insight of the snowbird life. This time our repeat vacation rental guests asked about making the transition from …
Exploring the upscale and historical Frangista Beach neighborhood was a memorable highlight of my solo trip to paradise The Off Season Solo Traveler How I Overcame Trepidation and Found Calm as a Solo Traveler in Paradise Many snowbirds love traveling in the off season. My …
I am a snowbird who readily admits traveling light is not my thing. I overpack -- mostly on purpose -- because I'd rather have "it" and not need it than wish I had packed it. I dislike having to take the time and spend the money to buy yet another article of clothing when all I had to do was throw it in to begin with. Our first few years of being snowbirds involved moving ourselves, our Golden Retriever and our business in a sedan. Then we purchased a Lincoln Navigator because it has soooooo much more space. As you can imagine, I packed smart, but not light. No thanks.
When the opportunity arose to stay at the beach for a week, I didn't hesitate to go for it. It would be just me, solo, for a Saturday to Saturday week in paradise. My husband and dog would stay behind largely due to my dog's physical restrictions from a recent knee surgery and also because of the remaining portion of our kitchen reno. The reno was already scheduled with our vendor and contractor and the dog was absolutely not able to travel. My husband could not leave, but he was very supportive of my decision to get away. For me, this would be a workcation combining deep cleaning our vacation rental in the middle of peak season with leisure time enjoying the beach service reading a book under an umbrella.
Driving to the beach for two days is out of the question for me and airfare was extremely reasonable from Indianapolis, Indiana to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. For a price, upgrades such as a reserved seat and extra luggage could be purchased, but that defeats my low, low, low budget trip. So I challenged myself to pack a week of stuff into one beach bag that would fit into the specifications of the airline's one allowable "personal item" that doesn't incur additional charges. For $166 round trip I was determined I could do it! A challenge for sure, but one that I felt was worth the effort.
The object of my trip was not to pack light enough to get to and from my destination and then go berserk while at the beach. The goal was to pack light and live for a week with only the bare essentials. I did not rent a car. I did not take an Uber or Lyft or any other mode of transportation other than the professional driver I hired to get me to and from the airport. That's it. No help. No deliveries from grocery stores, Door Dash, local friends or anything else. This was purely a pedestrian workcation. Exercise, live light and haul it myself. That's the game and that's my challenge. I seriously wondered if I could actually do it. Could you?
There are a few adjustments I would make, but overall it was a success and I could and would do it again. The key is to utilize what I call "zone" packing. I do this with our extended snowbird stays and on a micro level, I did it for my weeklong stay. Assign yourself however much space to fit everything into it and if you have too much, edit and refine. You'll get there. The TSA and/or airline will be the ones to allocate your space for liquids and take the cues from the airline of what they allow for the dimensions a personal item. If I can do it, you can do it!
Multi-functional items are the name of the light packing game. Everything needs to serve an intentional purpose and preferably dual purposes.
When I refer to "zone" packing, that means TSA has already decided how much space you can have for liquids and that is no more than one quart sized plastic bag. Liquids are very clearly defined, so that means lip gloss, deodorant, contact disinfectant, makeup remover, liquid makeup including foundation and eyeliner, toothpaste, mouthwash and anything else you need for your toiletries. I used a second quart bag for electronic components such as two camera battery chargers, spare camera cards and a phone charger cable plus I packed a third bag for non-liquid toiletries. Three zones. If it doesn't fit into the designated zone, it's staying behind. Additional zones included items I put into the exterior mesh beach bag pockets, interior zipped pocket for my keys, list of passwords, extra cash and private items, my carry on jacket pockets and the main compartment of the beach bag.
The airlines decide how big a personal item is. For me flying on Allegiant, that means my free personal item must be no larger than 18" high X 8" deep x 14" wide or you can be charged as a carry-on item and not as a free personal item. Plus the item must fit underneath the seat in front of you. My actual beach bag dimensions are 16" high X 6" deep X 22" at the widest point. Allegiant permits one personal item, one jacket, one collapsible umbrella, one book or newspaper and one small bag for prescription medication if needed. I was nervous that my beach bag would not be accepted as a personal item, but I had no problems on either leg of the trip.
One place to never ever compromise is your eye care products. Bring the smallest allowable amount possible of contact disinfectant and contact cleaner, but always bring it in the original packaging. No one wants to risk an eye infection by pouring your eye care products into a container that may or may not be sterile.
Below is a list of what I packed into my beach bag. I don't know how much it weighed on the way to my destination, but it was 19 pounds when I arrived at home. That's a lot!
T-shirts X 4 + 1 more souvenir t-shirt for return trip
Sports shorts X 2 (shorts double for sleepwear with a t-shirt and swimwear as desired)
Yoga pants X 2 (comfortable for going out or worn as loungewear)
Socks X 3 pairs
Flip flops X 1 pair
Undies X 4
Cell phone charger cord X 1
Quart size bag of toiletries: liquid, such as lip gloss, liquid makeup and eyeliner, deodorant, contact lens disinfectant, makeup remover, shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.
Quart size bag of toiletries: non-liquid such as tooth brush, cotton squares, 3" square mirror with magnifier on one side, tweezers, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, contact lens case, eye shadow brushes and so forth
Brimmed sun hat X 1
Baseball cap X 3 + 1 additional souvenir cap
Sunglasses X 1
Prescription glasses X 1
Reading glasses X 1
Hardback book X 1 (did not bring home to save space)
Magazine X 1 (did not bring home to save space)
Kids coloring books X 2 (I left these in the condo for guests)
Wallet, compact style with driver's license, cash in bills only, no change, three credit cards and nothing else
Canon camera with lens X 2
Camera battery charger X 2
Kindle X 1 (did not bring home to save space)
Snack sized bag of garlic salt (the TSA agent whispered to me "What is this?" -- fair enough, I should have labeled it)
Snack sized bag of Creole salt seasoning
Small compact green cloth backpack X 1
Small yellow compact micro canvas beach bag X 1
Snack sized bag with dried apricots X 1 (consumed during my stay)
Snack sized bag with peanuts X 1 (consumed during my stay)
Snack sized bag with about 2-3 oz dried pasta X 1 (consumed during my stay)
Car keys
Small amount of OTC meds in case they were needed
Digital thermometer X 1 just in case
Plastic bags X 4 or 5
Plastic grocery sized bag X 1
Backpack cooler (orange and white) that I purchased while at the beach (return trip only)
A note about my strategy to layer a tank top under a zip up top: I was NOT prepared to be asked to remove the zip up top for the airport security screening. TSA considers it a "jacket" and I will not do that again because the flimsy tank was never intended to be worn solo. For the return trip home, I wore a t-shirt for the airport screening check and then changed into the zip up top prior to boarding the plane.
Yoga pants X 1
Zip up top X 1
Tank top X 1
Undergarments
Walking shoes X 1 pair
Socks X 1 pair
Cell phone X 1
Jacket X 1 that I carried onto the plane which is allowed per airline policy. The pockets were stuffed with socks and undies and that created a special check by TSA. I definitely won't stuff the pockets as much for the next trip.
Collapsible umbrella
My strategy: don't go outdoors or head indoors if rain is imminent. It rained while I was at the beach, but I could see the storms rolling in and planned accordingly.
Food/Snacks
I bought all of my meals from local restaurants and walked back to the condo with half of my meals to eat for a second meal of leftovers. Planning ahead was super important. The closest restaurant was half a mile each way and the furthest place I patronized was a mile each way. Walking to the restaurants was not fun in hot weather with a 104 degree heat index. Walking back to in 104 degree temps was much worse because I was carrying my purchases in the orange and white back pack that I purchased at the tasting room the first day of my stay. I made sure I was back in my condo before sunset in most cases except a couple of evenings where it was after dark when I walked back. Not the best idea, but I took a calculated risk.
There was no snack vending machine on site, so that didn't work out as planned. There were times I was hungry for a snack or dessert, but that inspired me to buy an $8.00 bag of gourmet palm tree pasta from the tasting room so I could eat it for breakfast or a snack. I ordered a take-out bowl of gumbo and it included several packs of saltines which was a much appreciated snack. I also chased down an ice cream truck one afternoon to devour an ice cream sandwich, so good!
Fresh fruit was not readily available anywhere so a few green salads and an ear of street corn had to replace fruit during my week at the beach.
Beverages/Insulated Cups
I purchased beverages from restaurants, an on site vending machine and a local tasting room. I love filtered water, but gave that up and settled for beachy gulf tap water on lots of ice. Even with a lot of ice, it was strictly functional. I was slightly dehydrated most of the week, truth be told.
I did not pack any insulated cups, my mainstay at home. Too much weight and space to justify a 32 oz tumbler. I was fortunate there was a large plastic travel style beverage container in the condo that I used at the beach. In hindsight, one larger sized insulated cup would be wise in the future.
I don't drink coffee, but if you do, be prepared to walk somewhere to get any and/or pack your own coffee beans.
Bulky attire
Making a fashion statement when packing a week of clothing in a beach bag isn't ever going to be my number one priority. I left bulky, heavy articles of clothing at home. No jeans, casual cropped jeans style pants or bulky sweatshirts for me. However, IF you prefer jeans or dressier clothes pack them or wear them on the plane if you like. A jacket is perfect for cooler evenings and/or sit under a beach towel if you just need a little warmth in the evenings.
Portable phone charger
My husband questioned not taking a portable phone charger and I didn't think it was necessary because there are charging ports in the alarm clocks at the condo. I admit I regret not taking the portable charger and won't make that mistake again. I spent many hours in the airport not using my phone so I wouldn't drain the battery. Next time, bring the portable charger!
-- Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, Yoga Guru, American Entrepreneur, Spiritual Teacher
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Midlife Snowbird. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links or advertisements does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
What Are You Missing Along the Way? Fantastic side trips await to/from your snowbird destination I asked my snowbird friends, “When going to or from your winter destination, do you stop and see things along the way? Surprisingly, they don’t. The explanation is, “We’re in …