Posts
I've been burning up battery power reading about The Villages. I've left it miles behind. But it has stuck with me; it has left me unnerved. Man, that's a trippy place. Google it for a diverting few hours. One day we'll all live there. Sarah Palin is a frequent and honored guest. They lead the nation in STD's.
But I can see why people retire to Florida. It is summer all the time here. Land is cheap and the people are friendly. There are plenty of places to golf. The gators hardly ever eat people. You can gamble on jai alai. And when it gets too hot you climb in your camper and visit your friends up north.
I stopped at an RV camp ten miles in. I thought I might find food there. I made do with four Cokes and sat down to recharge. It was a friendly place. With fifth-wheels wall-to-wall around a man-made lake. Most folks have their own golf carts. And I felt very young. They were all so supportive. Not one of them called me sir.
These are the Snowbirds. Many of them don't have a permanent home. They are retirees. They live in their trailers. Do not feel sorry for them. Those trailers are nicer than the hovel you live in. They declare residency where the taxes are lowest. They are more than most of us free.
I honestly wouldn't mind living that way. I am something of a nomad myself. I have tried once or twice to put down roots. Somehow they didn't take. It is my parents' fault. When I was five we moved to Iowa.
But they made it clear that we were not from there. I was five. I was from nowhere else. Years later when we moved back to Washington State, I wasn't from there either. I lived in Japan for many years. I was fairly comfortable there. But obviously a brand of outsider. I've lived too in Thailand and India. Horrible places. It must be nice to have somewhere to call home.
Or not. I'm not feeling sorry for myself. Not this time, at least. If I could I would keep travelling. Costa Rica is looking good. I've heard nice things about Spain. I've never been to Africa. They say Key West is nice. Which is where I'll be in a couple of weeks, if God and the gators are willing.
It was a good day for walking. I was in all kinds of pain. Somehow it did not bother me. I'm a little concerned about my back. It has blown another strap. The one that runs across my chest. The last one to take weight off my shoulders. But my shoulders are strong. I'll get it fixed. Or not. Who really cares.
The Gregory company makes fine back packs. They'll take you all the way across America. Or almost. They might conk out two weeks short of your goal. So walk fast.
For days now I have not walked on the road. I'm on the grass at the side. It is harder walking but it's a world all my own. I hardly even notice the traffic. I'm seeing more and more orange orchard. There are grapefruit as well. I like grapefruit. When I'm really rich I won't eat anything else.
I eventually made it to Clermont, home of the Florida Citrus Tower. A great ugly thing, it's a tourist attraction. At least it wants to be. There were no long lines when I walked by. It has been there for fifty years. It is at a high point in the area. I've been walking up hills for days. It used to look out over acres of oranges. Now it looks at suburban sprawl.
Good looking suburbs, as suburbs go. By then I'd gone eighteen miles. And hadn't eaten. I wasn't hungry. I was somewhat light in the head. I dined at a Quiznos. They make sandwiches. They're a hundred times better than Subway. But still not up to my own standards. At the least I did get fed.
And marched on. And on. It's a rambling place. A suburb of Orlando, I guess. It seems to be under construction. The roads and the sidewalks are new. The developments all have blank spots. There remain the odd patches of marshland and pines. The Walmart still has its sheen. I'm not a dozen miles from Disney World. I'd stop in if I had the funds. But l've been there already. Years ago. I remember I had a nice time.
Find me camped on the edge of the road, not too far from McDonald's. I may double back for an Egg McSomething. I'm tempted to hike up there now. This is not a great spot. No cars can see me, but there's a sidewalk just overhead. No development, just a sidewalk. I guess they've got plans for this stretch. And come morning some civic-minded power walker might see me and call the police.
Power walker, hell.
WIKIPEDIA is shutting down tomorrow. I will miss it horribly.
IT IS SNOWING in Seattle. A lot. Hee hee, hee hee. It's warmish here. Even at night. I'm not even wearing socks.
I MET A NICE lady buying tuna. She has twenty cats. I like cats.
No comments:
Post a Comment