Sticks & bricks living, in other words being in a house again, after living on the road for over 6 years in RV parks is a welcome change. We are not done with the RV life as it has been incredibly rewarding and a great way to travel continuously during retirement. Even though a gypsy tiny living lifestyle has had it perks, it has also had numerous drawbacks.
San Diego, Sticks & Bricks
We came back during the rainy season. Seems like we’ve been in the rainy season nonstop for the last year during our travels. When driving across country we seem to always push the seasons to either avoid crowds, catch peak fall foliage as we travel south, witness snow in the Rockies, or spring wildflowers as we travel north. California has had record precipitation, which is a needed thing, except for the flooding.
A nice lunch at Las Olas in Cardiff by the Sea.
The pyracantha berries were ripe. It is a thorny ornamental bush. Many birds and some animals like coyotes will eat the ripe fruit. Some gardeners make jam out of them.
We’ve never seen so many robins. They gorged on the berries until they were all gone after a few weeks. There are reports that the berries ferment, causing the birds to get tipsy.
One of our sticks & bricks neighbors grows bananas, which are fun to see in the winter.
Occasionally there would be a break in the winter storms. When the opportunity came up, we went to the beach. Hardly anyone was there.
We also visited Teresa at Fiesta Island. The location is basically one huge dog park surrounded by water. Most dogs are well behaved and it is a great opportunity for them to run and socialize.
Viewpoint Brewery in Del Mar was a treat. Hardly anyone there, nice back bay views and good food.
As soon as we got back, Sandy put up her feeders. Within a day there were hummingbirds, finches, sparrows, and doves. Slowly the flocks of spotted munia showed up. There were also red winged blackbirds and grosbeaks.
Dad passed away March 2022. He was cremated while we were in Kentucky and his ashes were kept at the funeral home until we got back to San Diego and we could pick him up.
a cecropia moth.
The Planters Nutmobile. Versions have been touring the United States since 1935. It was fun to finally see one.
Jake has been enjoying being back in a Sticks & Brick house again. He has the entire yard to explore each day, gets a couple of long walks, has lots of dog friends, and when the sun is out he loves to be off lease in his back yard soaking up the sun and watching the birdies. Even though he seems to be very content, whenever we go for a ride in the truck he perks up hoping to see a cow or other large animal he grew so accustomed to over the last six years traveling across this beautiful scenic country as an RVdog.
