Do any older seniors live in Old Man Winter? How do you survive? Many seniors, our age (73/me-74/wife) either move to middle or southern Florida, Las Vegas or some other winter "warm" area in Arizona or Nevada. Some are lucky enough (financially) to be "Snowbirds" and have two homes to live in during summer and winter. Wife and I have been able to do it three different times, as in Colorado (just south of Denver), central North Carolina and back to Colorado (northern part this time), but we starting to believe that we've had enough of Old Man Winter. What about you? There are those, even on this forum, that can handle Old Man Winter and those that couldn't and moved.
well...my husband and me moved from NC to Southern Illinois to be near our daughter...not much difference in climate here...except winter stays longer...but there are small breaks in between... Amish live around here and one owns a sawmill...we can get hardwood..already bucked...we split some..$10 a cord..it's great!.. we have fireplace inside and.. we made outside area with a woodstove..clear heavy gauge vinyl to see out...we can cook in there too... we'd thought about that snowbird thing...had a big motor home...spent while in Florida for winter..were going to great lakes for summer... that moving around thing is not our cup of tea... hole up!..ha!
I moved to Maine from Texas just before I turned fifty and, so far, while winter can be a PITA sometimes, I like it here, as long as I can afford heating oil. That may become a problem, thanks to whoever is running the country for the demented President Biden.
It's interesting how people acclimate (acclimatization.) I could no more live in the really humid southern summers than I could live in frigid Minnesota winters...although I guess I'd adapt.
And, with us liking our powerboating, can't do that in the winter here. We knew that when we moved back here, but we did it anyway. For the last three years, we go over to our boat and clean off any snow. I've got some pictures of 3-to-6 inches of it on the boat and taking it off. That is beginning to "get old" also. Our last boat, when we lived in Colorado before, was kept in the garage of our house. We had a 3-car garage at the time. We are the only ones, in our immediate families, who live in Old Man Winter. I think my wife is/has gotten tired of it, even though, since she works from home, she doesn't have to go out in freezing/snowstorm/blizzard type weather, when it hits.
Basically, John, "adapting" comes at a much young age than we are! Many seniors that live in Old Man Winter do so because family being there (sons/daughter or grandkids) or sickness of a relative. Although, my wife has cousins that live in Michigan and would never move. Some seniors can, and do, handle the freezing cold and snowy winters, while others can't and/or won't.
Dunno. I didn't have arthritis when I lived in Texas. I think that anyone can adapt to other climates, at any age, as long as they give themselves enough time and don't artificially impose another climate on themselves. For example, when I moved to Texas, the heat seemed unbearable. I had a heat rash that made every movement painful. Then I was told that as long as I lived in an air-conditioned apartment and had air conditioning in my car, I would never acclimate to the clime outside of my condo and my car. For the next 18-19 years that I lived in Texas, I lived in a house without air conditioning and even opted to buy a new car without air conditioning, and it worked. We do have heat here in Maine, or our water pipes would freeze, but we set the thermostats low.
My arthritis pain didn't start until after I had my second rotator cuff surgery in Jacksonville, Florida in 2015. After that surgery and rehab, I was getting some annoying/achy pain in both shoulders. My first rotator cuff surgery was in March 2007, in Colorado, due to a fall, and after rehab on that, I didn't get any shoulder pain. That I can remember, didn't have any when we lived in North Carolina for a year. It wasn't until we moved to Jacksonville, and I fell and had surgery/rehab in 2015, that the pain started. An x-ray on the shoulder showed osteoarthritis in a section of the shoulder. I've read in numerous articles that arthritis suffers shouldn't live in Old Man Winter areas. However, from working for a Senior Healthcare Company in Denver, CO for 4 years, I could see that many have to due to family caregivers that live there.
Today, Monday, which just happens to be the coldest day we've had since late last winter, I can feel that annoying/achy pain in the left shoulder. Due to a change in morning temperature from 48 (7AM Saturday) to 30 (7AM today), don't know. One thing for sure, the cortisone injection didn't work in the left shoulder I got in Sept., so will try that one more time in December. Guess we will be in Old Man Winter just one more year and that's all our bodies can handle anymore.
How do I deal with winter? It has changed over the years. Being a prepper, I wouldn't actually have to deal with it as long as we have propane delivered. I have a wood fireplace but the wood is outside if I were to need it. I was thinking of bringing over a spare wood stove as our furnace once gave out on a -18 degree January 1st. But every winter is different and we deal with it as it comes. Chickens and sheep like food and water brought to them We have a steep driveway but we have two snow blowers and hubby always puts up gas. I have tipped hiking sticks that I could use instead of my beloved cane. I had a friend that had his shoulder replaced for arthritis. He was a mailman back when neither snow nor sleet nor rain....walking every route every day with a bag over his shoulder. But he also had most joints of his body replaced and said he was grateful for them. Just a thought for you.
Nevada is mostly high altitude or what they call high desert. If you are up there at the 2500 foot level you will have 16 degree mornings and usually unless a pacific front is hanging around it will be sunny by noon and most of the time in the low 60s. 48 in San Diego was brrr weather for me, my Mother never ran a heater or furnace while I was visiting, I hate cold weather, if I can see snow in the mountain tops above San Diego it's time to turn a heater on.
Actually, after checking out a website about Phoenix and Las Vegas, the lowest Vegas gets is 27, on average. There can be a temperature difference between northern Nevada and southern Nevada. All we know is, we are disliking Old Man Winter more and more and, other than living in northeastern Florida for 10 1/2 years, we've lived in Old Man Winter for 9 years total (two different times). It is finally getting to us!
Vegas is not high desert, it is situated in the middle of a river bed. Just outside Las Vega at the 4000 foot level is just 15 minutes from the strip depending on traffic. It stays under snow all winter. There is a large subdivision up there that was once the property of the Gypsum Plant just below the neighborhood. Really pretty up there in winter and what once was cheap homes is now extremely expensive homes after the Plant sold it all years ago. Red Rock is just below the plant and that is now a game reserve and museum since it was owned by two well known people, Howard Hughes and Clark Gable. I think Gable sold it after his wife died during WWII flying out of the Las Vegas airport and her plane flew into the mountain at that 4000 foot level at what is now a Boy Scout Summer Camp. It was so rugged up there after the plane crash they were not able to remove any of the air craft. Too this day the landing gears are still lying there. Gene Harlow was her Hollywood name. Gable was never the same after she died. Lots of nice things to see and do in Nevada. I had some photos of the old Indian dugouts in Shoshone where Charles Manson and his group all lived before they turned murderers. It is really nasty due to the chalk terrain but the Indians liked it for the hot springs nearby, it made winters a lot more endurable. I'll see if I can find the photos and scan them. I got used to the winters pretty fast and they didn't bother me. I loved exploring and driving where not many people go.
My aging body can moan and groan and creak whether I'm living in a cold or hot climate. I don't go outside if it is too hot or cold anyway.