Winter is coming

I am realizing this month just how much planning can go into being a snowbird. The S.O. and I are planning to do some ambling with the Guppy this coming winter. We figure we'd better do it now because we're not going to get any younger. We bought the Guppy so we could travel so that's what we're going to do while we're still hale and hearty enough to hit the road without terrifying other drivers and to survive doing the various tasks involved in setting up and tearing down each time we camp.

Anyway, part of the planning for the travel does entail stuff like thinking about where we're going and maybe making reservations. For at least part of the winter, we intend to just sit in one spot -- Safford, Arizona -- so that meant looking for an RV park that does extended stays. Naturally, the nicer one is already booked full. We're now on a waiting list for it. In the meantime, as a fallback, I'm trying to get us into the other one, the one that's still so new the landscaping consists of concrete slabs and vegetation that's maybe knee-high. The Younger Daughter checked both places out and recommended the one that's been around for a while. She also said the manager warned her they fill fast. Unfortunately, the older park isn't very big, has a significant number of regulars, and the tiny number of vacancies it had two weeks ago are gone now. Hence, we're on a list. But if we don't get into that one, I'm sure we'll find something, although it might not be quite as close to where Tammi lives.

But that isn't the only sort of planning one ends up doing when thinking about snowbirding. Right now it's canning season. It's the time of year when I'd normally be assembling the various supplies, checking to make sure there were enough lids on hand, replenishing the vinegar and sugar stashes, and flipping through various recipes. Except there's a problem with planning on canning: if we're going to be snowbirds, we're going to winterize the house. You know, disconnect the water, drain the system, and turn off the heat. That means we can't leave anything here that would be damaged by freezing. Like canned goods. They freeze, they expand, seals get broken, stuff rots. Or will rot once it gets to be spring and things thaw out. So how much canning do I want to do if it means I have to take everything and divide it up between the Older Daughter, the Grandson, and the storage space under the bench seat in the Guppy? I already know I'm going to be pressure canning a lot of green beans -- that's one thing that's doing really well in the garden this summer -- so just how many jars of pickles and relishes and jam do I want to deal with, too? Not to mention blueberry jam, canned apple pie filling, and a few other things. Just how well-traveled do I want my apple marmalade to be?

And, speaking of stuff freezing, what do I do with the houseplants? I don't have many, but I have a hunch that they're going to feel like there's a lot more if they all get transferred to the Guppy in a few months. Guess that's something I'll have to figure out before summer's over. I know there are people who travel with plants -- I've seen them in campgrounds -- but I'm not sure I want to be one of them.