An actual place

it's been so long I have to change my parameters

I follow closely the real estate pages in the US. I feel like it's what we do at a certain age. Maybe just me? I've always loved looking at other people's homes. Since 2018 when I had a solid offer to sell my farm in North Georgia to elegantly transition to a simple affordable downsize, I really started looking. If you don't date I think you scroll the Zillow.

I never found anything but I sat at the closing table with all of my possessions in my minivan. Travel bags on top and bursting at the seams. Dogs waiting.

"Where you headed?"

I still had a world is my oyster sparkle in my eye. I said something smug like, "I dunno, but I'll know it when I see it!" and after 32,566 miles, I never saw it.

I think that's best reserved for jackets you find at a thrift store and don't have time to try on. Wandering around North America like it was 1840 got exhausting. And finally God just crashed my van and flipped us over and said, there. Sit there for a while and do something else.

And here we are. Still.

But prices are coming down in the US. Seems like everyone is still fighting about everything though. Rents, you still need $2000/mo to rent a trailer in Tennessee on a barren lot but to buy? But to buy, things are opening up. The other day I saw this actual house in Arkansas.

For anyone who is tired of people and politics, this may be ideal. Five acres, $85,000 with a small newish house in good repair. Arkansas has some deals. I have no idea about this town. But if you missed trees like I miss trees, this looks like a future dog sanctuary, tornado alley or not.

But I'm now used to walking everywhere, will I adapt to needing a car again? I love having my cracked windshield PT Cruiser to pick up kibble and run dogs to the sandy shore but if I needed a real car for real driving? Will I adapt? Sure. If I can adapt to tone deaf ranchero music karaoke until 5am, no restaurants, only instant coffee and no English spoken, I can adapt to a lot. I can see another structure in the photo though. Who's that? Like getting a secluded table at a restaurant and then the hostess seats that one group right next to you. Why?

They better be quiet or super handy with a good sense of humor. But then they may think the same of me. And my menagerie of dogs.

Here, I've got the metal fabricators going 12 hours a day across the fence behind me and some new cabinet making lumber yard across the street and over one house. It's all saws and sanders all day every day and I'm happy for the new commerce in this kick the can town, but it's not an Elegant Downsizer’s Dream. It drowns out the Taco Dad Mechanic testing mufflers all day and literally no one cares about a barking dog. And no HOA is gonna count these dogs in a zone free backwater pueblo. Have I been in lawless lands too long? Probably.

Anyone who asks I say, SIX DOGS. And explain that ONE is mine. Sixteen year old Brady. The rest were found on the street HERE from irresponsible neighbors. Not me, so bugger off.

*(to be fair, the dogs bark at other dogs and the trash man and it's about 20 seconds worth of noise. It's a lot of them, but I don't wanna hear barking either. So it's short lived.)

There's only 13 really. Well 15 with Spaghetti and Buddy but they aren’t inside. Andie just comes for naps and food, so 12. And Pedro is outside at the old house where we used to live in the day, because the fat lady next door has a good grease bowl outside with scraps. So 11. Calico and Border sleep under the car and wait for walkies and don't bark so 9. it's really just River and Cookie. Anyway, we're perfect neighbors and I'm sure any town would love to have us.

But after 6 years of my downsize adventure have my parameters changed? I quite like being addressed by name in the shops and don't even mind every single person with a problem with a pet coming to my door at all hours to ask for advice and medicine or magical healing. Okay I mind a little but I just ignore the taps on the gate if I'm not in the mood and I've stopped giving out all my reserve meds to people who could easily walk up to the farmacia and spend the $3 on antibiotics or make their own saltwater compress. But I don't mind giving the free consults and helping the dogs.

Despite being in the middle of the center of loud random dusty chaotic unserviced Mexico, I will feel even MORE disconnected if I'm in the woods in Arkansas. Unless there's a grocery store just out of the frame in that pic I'll bet it gets lousy internet, has no food delivery and is a 25 minute drive to food and that's likely a Dollar Store. I lived in rural Georgia 14 years. I loved it, but maybe I’ve changed?

Oh and here's a picture of the puppies I didn't take in this week, despite being asked.

And lo and behold we've placed two shared via WhatsApp. I've given the assignment to the laundry lady Brenda who has a hundred contacts and kids and grands in town and is retired and loves to play on her phone and gossip and likes dogs. Teach a man to fish. If I don't jump on everything immediately, some folks in town are actually trying a little. They need the idea and I'm full of those but I'm exhausted on the follow thru.

I'm out and about feeding strays and I'm quite visible as The Dog Lady Gringa but no more intakes and no litters of puppies someone dumped at the corner store. Line in the sand drawn. If they wanna call the Gringa like I'm the animal control/vet they're gonna have to start paying me or bringing me sacks of kibble. But not even then. I know how it happens if I even put a sign out. My life is already not my own, but I don't mind giving it to the dogs.

Thanks for reading.

For more info

linktr.ee/lolasdogrescue