The Spirit of Learning

So, we have learned a few things. As I stood outside the most beautiful library I have seen on a college campus, I reflected on where we have been. We learned we can't tolerate cold. We learned we miss our friends. We learned we are not comfortable moving an almost 90 year old from a place he loves. We learned the dollar for dollar value in SW Florida is pretty good. We learned ALOT about the real estate market in Oklahoma and yes, even a bit about improving ranch land.

And, in the end, we are becoming Floridians again very soon. We intend to head back around the first of April and will close on our house around the 20th. We are ready to be settled again. The story comes full circle. Now we know what we would really need to have a successful ranch. We are glad we made the trip. And glad to be heading back to a state I NEVER thought I would be happy to return to.

On a side note: these pictures are of the University of Oklahoma. This library is beautiful. What a gorgeous campus. I am happy to have had the chance to see it. If you are ever in the area of Norman, Oklahoma, take the time to see it. And stop at Campus Corner for a Freebird Burrito.

And remember: if you are thinking of doing something. Do it. Try it. Don't be afraid of it. Have fun with it. As my friend Barbara said to me during one of her last conversations with me: "Life is just too short to be doing something you don't want to do". Good advice. Thank you, Barbara.

The Boys

Look at those faces. Beamer and Rocky. Our cat hosts in Fort Myers. I am sure they wondered what the heck their former neighbors were doing living in their cabana and conducting business from their kitchen island. All in all, for being creatures of habit and not necessarily embracing change, they were pretty good hosts. I'd like to think they were even sad when we accomplished what we came for and said adios for awhile.

Thank you guys, for sharing your space. See you soon!

Florihoma

What's this? A palm tree in Oklahoma? Well, turns out we weren't in Oklahoma for this recent picture. Did we take a cruise as we have other times we were homeless and jobless? No. Did we buy back in 2 doors down like we have been known to do? No. Did we look at each other one cold, dreary, damp day in Norman and ask each other what we were REALLY doing? Yep. Within hours we found Ashley, a lovely pet sitter who actually spent the first 5 years of her life in Fort Myers and we were on the road within another day. First the obligatory stop at Donut King, then with 14 hours of driving on day one, and 11 on day two, we were at the doorstep of our great friends and past neighbors, Terry and Larry to mooch some hospitality. We arrived with a suitcase each and vodka in hand. We knew they had this great cabana bedroom and it was more than ready for company. The next day we looked at about 20 properties....the day after that some more. And within 5 days we were under contract for a 2217 sq foot home in Caloosa Yacht and Racquet Club with tennis courts, kayak lake, riverfront marina and a fabulous private restaurant.

What? What happened to the grass fed ranching business? Maybe in the future....maybe on a much smaller scale, and maybe that smaller scale will happen right in SW Florida. What it comes down to is that the ranches we saw last fall all had been sold. Nothing new was coming on the market and we realized even if it did come on the market, we might not hear about it. We would have had to buy further and further out from Norman. Now we would be hours away from Rick's dad if he moved, too. And we started to be very uncomfortable with the idea of moving his dad.

And sometimes you don't know the beauty of something until you step away.... Oh, yeah, and you don't remember how much you REALLY like to see the sun, or how bad the arthritis can feel in cold, damp weather. I guess I should start using the term "I". I love water. I love warm weather. I love the sun. I love green landscaping. Rick loves to be able to move his knees and play tennis, and drool over sailboats. And Matt loves the idea of staying put where he seems to be satisfied with his "institution", knows how to drive to Walmart, and is working on getting a new girlfriend. And bottom line, we are still capitalists. We really like what we can get for our money in SW Florida real estate wise. All that added up one cold obnoxious day in Oklahoma when we made the decision to stay Floridians. Not a bad life. In fact, a pretty good one. We realized we had to "get away" to see the forest for the trees.

Now, we can relax. And get ready to move. Again. For awhile. For now.

Orville and Dora

Milo, Oklahoma. Where? South from Norman on I 35, then west for a ways on Highway 53 to the middle of nowhere. This is where we found the old house and store that Rick's ex Uncle Orville and ex Aunt Dora owned. The building is still standing but gas pumps long removed. Some good memories for Rick seeing this old place. He and his first wife used to spend time there with Orville and Dora playing hours of Moon and 42 while drinking Rick's booze (yes, they were good Baptists and certainly could not have be seen in a liquor store.) Orville drank 151 proof rum straight from an ice tea glass. Rick and his wife carted away the empties. And it sounds like there were alot of empties. Guess it was quite the hot spot for Milo for many years..decades actually. But time really marches on doesn't it? We all show the wear and tear eventually. Orville died of asbestosis (a ship welder during WWII) and Dora died several years later.

After the memory lane trip we went on to explore the Arbuckle Mountains and Ardmore. The Arbuckles are the oldest mountain range in the US. Wow. Who knew Oklahoma had this within the state lines? Oklahomas, I'm sure, but as a transplanted Coloradoan I apparently was pretty ignorant. It is a far more exciting place in writing, though, than in reality. Rick claims that Turner Falls possesses one of the best swimming holes around. Given that it was about 25 degrees that day I did not get the chance to test his hypothesis. I am of the opinion that it's a memory he formed in part by the 151 proof rum.

We have explored yet another part of Oklahoma. Did we find a clue on what our life is going to be? Not yet. But we did experience another 4 hours of sunshine and a great burger from Carl's Jr.

Oklarado

We went exploring the other day to the Altus area. I felt like home! Parts looked similar to the front range where I spent almost 30 years. Who knew? This area by the Quartz Mountains is lovely. Notice the blue sky. This picture was taken in the 8 hours that the sun was shining in Oklahoma. I was happy to capture it.

We drove all over this area and for once I could tell what direction we were headed as you could look and find the mountain range. I realize that coming from Colorado, one has to be careful how you use that term, but they were definitely bigger than hills.

We found Rick's cousin and surprised her with a quick visit and continued on in our search. We found great Mexican food in Anadarko. We found the Wichita Mountains. We found more than several dying downtowns. And we found lots and lots of damage from the recent ice storm. For the readers that have been through a hurricane, that is pretty much what it looked like. We heard there are families that won't have power for another month. Not a good sign for the local residents when 3 weeks after the storm there are still power lines and poles just laying along the side of the road. I can't imagine. We bailed from SW Florida after 3 days of not having power after Hurricane Charlie. These Okies are true troopers.

After a wonderful day, we decided that part of Oklahoma is beautiful and full of wonderful people. But, according to stats, the area is losing population, and it just didn't seem like the right place for us. We decided to continue to search......

Deal or No Deal?

Well, no deal are the words for the day. More details to follow when our schedule allows some time to think about what I am saying.

To make a long story short: the deal with Ma and Pa Kettle has been cancelled. The last straw was when the very nice past president of the building association declared there were 3 layers of shingles making the home uninsurable (how did our home inspector miss that??). Okay. We REALLY got the message from above. No going forward on this property.

So, today out the door for another adventure in another area. Details and pictures later. We refuse to let this idea of this lifestyle die. Start thinking earth sheltered home......


See you soon!

Stop Trying to Push a Rope Uphill

Well, well, how fun each day can turn out to be. What now? Who tries to push a rope uphill? Turns out, me, sometimes. It doesn't seem to be anyone else's concern and only frustrates the pusher (me). Are you getting this? It seems that I am still looking for some of that patience that every home buyer should have.....I am my worst nightmare. I am out of control.

But today revealed that the selling homeowner doesn't really grasp what this water leak, and saturated black board that lends to the structural integrity of the home, means. Neither does her realtor (who cannot claim cognitive deficits). When this listing agent was made aware of the sill plate problem they came up with a solution. Let's send a friend of the seller's daughter's husband over to declare it's simply condensation! A friend, it turns out that is not licensed to do anything. Saturated, dripping boards that are covered in what is probably black mold. Condensation. Really. What you all should be aware of is that sitting in a cold hotel room (heater intermittendly stops working), for over 2 weeks now, with a husband, 2 cats, and the insurance adjuster above us, does not help me find my patience. I certainly did not find it today. Just ask my husband.

But, let me back up. The day started when we actually reached the contractor that called us back who was still waiting for the inspector to call him, who was still working on the report, who was convinced we needed a contractor, who was then convinced we really needed a plumber, but then forgot to tell our real estate agent, who was still trying to find a contractor. What? Yes, this is how the day was shaping up. Pushing a rope uphill. It was really not working. So, our agent says, call their agent (what?). Rick, a much better diplomat then me, gives her a call. That's when we found out they had declared "no problem" due to the friend of the husband of the daughter of the cognitively impaired seller. And we want these people to fix our next abode? I don't think so. To make a very short story even longer, he started throwing around the word cancellation, and "we have pictures". While that did get her attention, I think it is too late. The two sides of the party are way far apart. We were pushing a rope uphill.

So, tomorrow will most likely lead to a cancellation. We have deciphered the message! We are looking at another property much closer in and with much less acreage. No room for cattle. But not close enough to anyone to have to listen to their barking dogs. And we will now expand our search to include businesses and homes perhaps up to the Edmond area. We continue to be open to what is presented to us. But absolutely, positively no pushing the rope uphill!

Water Always Wins

Inspection finally got done! All was going really well. The house we were having inspected was showing the typical small problems where things were fixed in a half assed sort of way; nothing really very major. Then we heard the "Oh no!" NOT what you want to hear from a guy crawling around in the crawl space under the home. When he emerged, dirty and muddy, he did not have good news. Apparently the sill plate (not sure that is the correct construction term) was so wet it was dripping water....and black. So, coming from Florida I said "Black....as in black mold?" thinking he would say, "no, certainly not that". But yes, possibly that. And the source of the water could not be identified. It looks like it has been a long term problem. As both residents of the home are unreliable (and not just from age) we could not ascertain if there had been any kind of "water event" that could have caused this. More troubling. One of our Residence Inn cell mates proclaimed when she heard this story "Great, it is probably an Artesian Spring! Demolish the house, and bottle it with the name OU WATER. Everyone who has religion will buy it and you will be rich!" Hmmmmmm maybe she is onto something.

But back to the story. We all left and we informed the agent this WAS most definately a deal breaker. And in true Oklahoma fashion, nothing was done. We finally got a couple of contractors names and one actually called back 24 hours later. He said he would talk with the building inspector. So, here we sit and wait while others seem to be talking but not doing. I am so frustrated with this that I am beginning to really forget the meaning of patience. I am sure I have none left.

Hopefully tomorrow, someone somewhere will do something that will grant us more information. But as of this writing I cannot see an easy fix. And as one of our good friends from Florida noted, "Remember, Therese, WATER ALWAYS WINS!" Got it.

We found a small, but enthusiastic Unity Church that we attended today. The lesson was about trust and belief. What a coincidence I should attend. We made about 20 best friends immediately and even got fed. I had some of the best barbecued beef I have ever tasted. And how about another weird thing....the couple we sat next to were also relocating, he from Ft Myers, Florida. We had even attended the same Unity Church there. Strange.

We move into a short term rental in a few days (thank you Modern Movers!). It is a small little place that will allow us to sleep in our own bed and not feel like we are just on a clueless, budget vacation. Now it will feel like we are just camping. We don't intend to unpack anything but what we need and are too cheap to buy. Somehow in my 8 dish packs I will need to find my knives, a few pots and pans, the coffee maker and maybe a dish or two. Of course, we did not label anything better than "kitchen". Smart move. I obviously have not moved enough in my life. But at least we will be a bit more comfortable while we search for our clue. A new search is under way and we will keep you all posted.

Now onto to watching the Superbowl. Sometimes it is nice to forget all the important, pressing problems and just spend time on something that means nothing. So long for now and remember "WATER ALWAYS WINS!

Need a trailer?

Please find me a home, please?
Although he may not looked stressed, Katmandu is counting down the days until we can all happily pile into the highlander and drive out of the hotel. Anywhere. Just outa here! Two weeks after leaving Florida, I think our cats are bored and depressed. But, not for long...........Yes, we are under contract. FOR REAL. This afternoon, after a counter to a counter we signed documents and handed over escrow. We have agreed to buy 80 acres with the 1860 sq ft house, 30 x 40 steel garage, 2 wells, 2 ponds, completely fenced grassland and woods, and yes, even the trashed trailer. We think we did okay. But, now comes the inspections. We are inspecting EVERYTHING and with a signature can walk away with deposit intact. Will we? We think we may be crazy or deluded. For those of you who know us, you can only raise your glass in a toast and say "Glad it's them and not us!"

More seriously, now comes the details. We are contemplating renting a little house we saw close to the OU campus and having our stuff shipped here now. The landlord said he is looking for an in between renter and could probably accommodate our schedule. He let me in on a little contractor's secret: all rehabbing takes longer than the home owner thinks.....so he figures we are good for at least 3 months......We have to admit to dreaming about sleeping on our own tempurpedic again. Modern Movers (bless their hearts) can have our stuff on the road in a matter of days. Things are lookin up!

As we were floundering about yesterday before we knew our final counter had been accepted, we started to consider plan b....finding a business to buy instead. What a refreshing thing to find businesses that are MAKING money! Wow. There are actually thriving, healthy businesses here. I guess we had become so distorted from living in SW Florida that we forgot there are places in the country where people are working. What a concept.

What a frustrating process this has all been. Living by the mantra that things are always going to work out sometimes gets very very hard. It requires patience. It requires some level of maturity. It requires having trust. Maybe for me, this journey is about more than just learning to ranch.

Okalaska

Okalaska, where the sleet comes sweeping down the plains. And the freezing rain is really a pain and cabin fever is all you gain...... (sung to the melody of "Oklahoma)

To borrow a term we heard from a good friend of ours (thanks Chuck) we believe we have landed in Okalaska. I can honestly say I have never seen such a display of sleet and ice. Today, after about 1 1/2 hours we were able to free our cars. Big learning curve though....don't leave the ice scraper INSIDE the car when this type of storm happens. If you can't get in the car, it doesn't do you much good!
We heard back from our realtor who is stranded in Atlanta and our offer has been countered. We will wait until she can advise us before going further. In the mean time, we are expanding our search and weighing options.
We found a downtown OKC condo advertised for monthly rental today. We are more than ready to get OUT OF HERE! Hopefully we can see it tomorrow and move to yet another temporary home. I think my late night trek to the office in my sweats to have a chat with the night clerk is a good indication. I was sick, tired, cranky, full of cabin fever and really disgusted with all the racket coming from above us. I probably did not handle it all that well, do you think? I apologized for not having the knowledge from hotel management school, but why cram at least 3 adults, 2 kids, and 2 dogs in one hotel room above the Cinottos, when you have the whole entire complex to put them in? Having been the second time the Marriott made this kind of great planning decision it is time to go. The night clerk promised to post a big sign warning not to use the room above us unless necessary. I think he just wanted me out of his lobby....We'll keep you posted. Downtown life in a high rise might be a kick for awhile! Stay tuned.

Frozen Sand

Okay then, so this is what everyone is freaked out about. How do you think the little subaru is feeling.....this was our go to beach car for 8 years. It still has Ft Myers Beach sand in the back and beach chairs and umbrella loaded in it. If cars could talk to their owners, I don't think this one would be saying very nice things to us. I am sure this will all melt and go away....right?

Dueling Banjos

Calmly and resolutely, we decided to make an offer on the 80 acre ranch with an 1862 sq ft house, 30 x 40 steel garage, 2 wells, 2 ponds, major erosion problems and terribly overgrazed grass land, located 2 miles south of Pink, OK. But, did I say calmly? As I wondered what the heck we were doing, my dear husband reminded me status quo was not working in Florida. He reminded me how both of us tend to get bored with situations and are always seeking ways to continue to expand our knowledge, which sometimes places us on an uncomfortable learning curve. He reminded me how poorly I respond to working for others. He reminded me that this is one of the few places in the country that seems to be still growing and semi thriving with only a 6% unemployment rate. He reminded me that so far, we have not met ANYONE here that did not seem sincerely nice and kind. He reminded me of the 8 months of continual heat in Florida and lastly, how difficult it had been for me to move to Florida 8 years ago. (How many times did I visit Colorado and threaten not to return to the Sunshine State?). So, I admitted the fears, and we made an appointment at the real estate office.



But, remember, our realtor is currently basking in the sunshine and weirdness of Key West! So, we met with someone helping her out while she is gone. This is a strange way to write an offer when we know nothing about Oklahoma real estate practices. We were sitting with a woman who we just met, and who did not seem to really grasp that we wanted this offer written, presented and dealt with ahead of the ominous ice storm. Is this the OK way? When she commented that talking about this property reminded her of....that scary movie with the dueling banjos song....you know....DELIVERANCE......I became worried. But, after 2 rewrites and 3 hours (a tortuous exercise for me), we were satisfied with at least the offer if not the realtor. We indicated we would like the broken down bus, various boats, trashed trailer, mounds of junk in the steel garage, and all domestic animals removed by closing, but if not, at least titles or a bill of sale. Last time I checked, mobile homes, boats and buses still required titles!



So, we wait. As predicted, the ice storm has moved in and now and I am sitting here with fingers crossed that power holds. The cats are asleep, the husband is asleep (it's 3:oo o'clock in the afternoon, what else is one to do?), we have vodka in the freezer and tuna and chips to eat. We have 3 composition logs to throw in the fireplace if the heat can't run. We were fore warned that time lines may not hold due to this storm. It reminds me of hurricane days....a time when all anyone does is watch the weather channel or visit weather underground on the computer. I guess our quest to change our life is on hold for a bit. I just hope "a bit" doesn't last too long!

Bridge Out?

We visited California Cowboy's acreage Tuesday afternoon. The day was sunny and warm and we tried not to think about the weather forecasts that promised a less than lovely ice storm in as little as 2 days. We chose to remind ourselves we are on an adventure, seeking something new in life. So, onto the cowboy's spread to see if it would provide what we are looking for.

Do you think that the realtor (listing agent in this case) might have warned us about the journey? We approached this spread located NE of Lexington, with the obligatory trailers on one side of the road, and a barking running dog warning the owner of our approach. But, do we risk this bridge? After doing some rudimentary math and guessing on our weights (we refuse to divulge that information) we decided to proceed. California Cowboy assured us when we arrived that we should "pay no attention to that sign...the county is just being safe". Good to know.

We had a marvelous tour and we were even given a peak at the custom built guest house complete with bunk beds (a guarantee that visitors won't be staying long!). We have serious concerns about the property including a bit of a small house (1500 sq ft) and HUGE major power lines behind the house. I am not sure of the health benefits of such high voltage on a continual basis. While I am beyond child bearing years and could certainly use a bit more energy these days, I don't think it should come from this source.

Also priced at 279,900 it is at a list price 80,000 higher than Ma and Pa Kettle's. Certainly a consideration. So, promising to remain friends, no matter what property we buy, we parted ways. Over my first Carl's Jr. hamburger in Purcell, OK we decided we would pass on the property and offer on Ma and Pa's place outside of Pink, OK. Details on that event to come next!

Are we there yet?

We have arrived in Oklahoma with high hopes and big expectations. But, of course this was not without a scare leaving Florida. We started to think that Florida was simply refusing to let ANYONE out with their money. Four hours down the road and 5 days after selling our house, the title company was "looking" for our money. Not a good thing to say to us. But, don't loose faith in those you trust in real estate. We finally confirmed our money and on we went. We are now safely tucked into a Residence Inn in Norman Oklahoma. The cats traveled well (would they say that?), but continually look at the ceiling of this hotel wondering what kind of monsters are making that noise above us (a family of 3 kids!).

Naturally, as soon as we got here, our realtor went on a vacation to Florida. We learned, the properties we liked when we did not have our money are no longer available and the properties that we did not like, are still available now that we have money. Are you noticing a trend here?

So, we are on a quest to understand this market and not second guess ourselves. What was wrong with slowly going down the financial tube in Florida? What WERE, no what ARE we thinking?

We have identified 2 properties that are actually in our price range: Ma and Pa Kettle's, and Cowboy California's. Ma and Pa's is in a great location close to Norman and comes complete with it's own trashed trailer and broken down bus (perhaps our new guest house?). It needs extensive work but low and behold, has a contract with the USDA Soil Conservation Program to improve the acres. Cowboy California is in better condition but, of course, higher price. We walk that tomorrow and will report how that goes in a later blog.

I must say, we have new respect for the local extension office out of Oklahoma State and the USDA Soil Conservation office. They were patient and understanding of our complete ignorance and didn't look at us like we had 3 heads and 11 toes. I suddenly don't feel alone in this quest and am beginning to feel perhaps this is not such a crazy idea. My husband said "I told you so". We will see. We and the cats have yet to endure a predicted 12" snow storm on Thursday. Watch for details!

I am attaching some pictures of Rancher Rick and unknown dogs exploring Ma and Pa's acerage. Enjoy and watch for more.