» First post from the new digs. Currently connected to the Net via an external USB wireless adapter (.. thanks to Dirk). Connection strength fluctuates between 'Very Good' and 'Excellent' .. depending whether the doors are open. (DSL router in an adjacent room.)
I uninstalled the networking software that came on the CD that accompanied the adapter. Works fine/better without.
Met some of the neighbors today. They helped me pick my first avocado. Fruit trees galore. Made some yummy puttanesca last night for my first meal here.
Most striking is how quiet it is. You hear nothing but the sound of the wind blowing thru the big avocado trees, rustling their leaves.
Gets surprisingly chilly at night. Owls hoot & screech. (Well, something out there is screeching.) Coyotes howl. Lots of wildlife, especially at night.
Tears of Gratitude
Almost cried leaving the old place. Walked the entire length of the interior, letting my fingertips brush against the inside walls, as I said a little prayer (.. after everything had been removed, just before I closed the door and shut it for the last time) .. thanking God .. for the gift of being able to stay at that magical place .. a place of refuge & protection for me.
[ Everybody who came over would say things like, "Wow, this is a really-nice place." Tell me about it. I took a bunch of photos a few days before we left. To show the Bug when he gets older. Should he forget. ]
Felt like God picked me up and dropped me there. Wasnt looking for it. Didnt ask for it. Heck, I didnt even know a place like that existed. Just seemed to happen into it.
Even if I could afford a place like that (.. which I cant), I couldnt buy one .. cuz you cant find a place like that anymore. They dont make 'em .. homes with 50 years of love poured into them. Developers love to get ahold of properties like that, bulldoze them to the ground, and build multiple home$ on them. (But that's another story.)
Anyway, my point is .. when people repeatedly make false accusations about you, it's helpful to have reputable folks (such as a retired judge & his wife) close by .. people who can step forward as witnesses and say, "That's a bunch of baloney." And if that place happens to be a refuge of beauty, so much the better.