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Thoughts from A New Place
Jul. 4th, 2012 03:42 amWe've only been here a couple of days but already I like this place much better than the other place.
For one, it's filled with TREES. Trees of several different varieties. Just in our area alone I've identified cottonwoods, possibly poplars, different kinds of pine. This has made us both realize how sterile the other place was. If a resident didn't plant it, there wasn't much of anything. We were lucky there in having a fairly old-growth tree growing in our neighbor's yard that overhung their fence. While the lots are larger there, they are generally filled with nothing. Our old neighbors across the street were lucky enough to "inherit" several trees and other foliage, but they've neglected it all since moving in. I'm glad I won't be around to watch things slowly die off, anymore.
It's very quiet here as well. Even with Independence Day coming up, I've heard relatively little in the way of fireworks. A few large rockets. A Roman Candle here and there. Small fircrackers set off in strings. For the most part, it's been quiet and quite peaceful.
We're still near enough to the train to hear it but that's true for a goodly share of residents in this town. I don't hear the highway like I used to, though if the wind switches to the right direction I can hear the noisier big rigs and occasional motorcycle. Nothing like where we were living before.
This place is more real somehow, perhaps because most of the residents aren't what I'd term relatively well-off. From what I've seen so far, we have a lot of working families, disabled people, and others on fixed incomes. Though some of the mobile homes are in rough shape I don't get a sense of dread or danger, probably because the "lower elements" have enough sense not to do bad things right where they live. They also have security out here and just the other night, I saw one of their number rolling through.
This is a gated community which means not every tom, dick or mary can just come waltzing through. They need a clicker, need to be able to be let in by someone in the park, or have to follow a resident in. Granted, some could simply follow someone else in but it doesn't seem to be that big of a problem.
I feel at peace here in a way I didn't ever feel at the other place, and a lot has to do with the owners and the residents that are here. Nobody is pretentious. Nobody is, pardon the expression, "lily white", if you know what I mean. Sure, some folks have nicer digs and nicer cars but I don't get the impression of anyone feeling they're so much better than anyone else.
Residency is a very mixed bag of white, spanish american, african american. I haven't seen any asian yet but they could be here. It's a cornucopia and I like that.
This place is big enough that it could be considered a small town of its own and I feel like we fit right in. Some people referred to us as "hippies" at the other place; I have the feeling that nobody would ever say that about us here.
Even the cats seem to be more relaxed.
For one, it's filled with TREES. Trees of several different varieties. Just in our area alone I've identified cottonwoods, possibly poplars, different kinds of pine. This has made us both realize how sterile the other place was. If a resident didn't plant it, there wasn't much of anything. We were lucky there in having a fairly old-growth tree growing in our neighbor's yard that overhung their fence. While the lots are larger there, they are generally filled with nothing. Our old neighbors across the street were lucky enough to "inherit" several trees and other foliage, but they've neglected it all since moving in. I'm glad I won't be around to watch things slowly die off, anymore.
It's very quiet here as well. Even with Independence Day coming up, I've heard relatively little in the way of fireworks. A few large rockets. A Roman Candle here and there. Small fircrackers set off in strings. For the most part, it's been quiet and quite peaceful.
We're still near enough to the train to hear it but that's true for a goodly share of residents in this town. I don't hear the highway like I used to, though if the wind switches to the right direction I can hear the noisier big rigs and occasional motorcycle. Nothing like where we were living before.
This place is more real somehow, perhaps because most of the residents aren't what I'd term relatively well-off. From what I've seen so far, we have a lot of working families, disabled people, and others on fixed incomes. Though some of the mobile homes are in rough shape I don't get a sense of dread or danger, probably because the "lower elements" have enough sense not to do bad things right where they live. They also have security out here and just the other night, I saw one of their number rolling through.
This is a gated community which means not every tom, dick or mary can just come waltzing through. They need a clicker, need to be able to be let in by someone in the park, or have to follow a resident in. Granted, some could simply follow someone else in but it doesn't seem to be that big of a problem.
I feel at peace here in a way I didn't ever feel at the other place, and a lot has to do with the owners and the residents that are here. Nobody is pretentious. Nobody is, pardon the expression, "lily white", if you know what I mean. Sure, some folks have nicer digs and nicer cars but I don't get the impression of anyone feeling they're so much better than anyone else.
Residency is a very mixed bag of white, spanish american, african american. I haven't seen any asian yet but they could be here. It's a cornucopia and I like that.
This place is big enough that it could be considered a small town of its own and I feel like we fit right in. Some people referred to us as "hippies" at the other place; I have the feeling that nobody would ever say that about us here.
Even the cats seem to be more relaxed.
