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[nfs]

Found this forum from Greaney's link. His site seems to have descended into ennui. I guess he's retired from it too. Good for him!

I'm 47, male, happily married, one kid just out of high school.

Canadian. Spent 15 years in the U.S. with a 2 year break in the middle in South Korea. Saved money like mad, never was very clever about investing, took every free $ offered by any employer or tax deduction, did okay on the first house we ever bought (at age 39).

Back to Canada at age 43. Sold a 24 foot lot in Chicago with a 125 year old house. Bought 5 acres of oceanfront with a 15 year old house + barn + garage + guest cottage on a small Canadian island off the Washington state coast. With money left over. Way warmer than Chicago in winter, cooler in summer. We have palm trees here.

Went to work as a stockbroker. Bad at it. Don't believe in trading, don't believe in high fees, don't believe in waving hands while picking pockets.

Semi-retired. Bill myself out as a fee-only planner at hourly rates. CFA. CFP. Very little work because people hate writing cheques [see, I am Canadian ]. Don't care. Investment income more than pays the bills.

Looking forward to reading the site very much.

Later.

 

[wabmester]

small Canadian island off the Washington state coast.

That must put you in the southern Gulf Islands, ay? My dad has a place in the San Juans. It's beautiful up there. I don't recall seeing any palm trees, though

Welcome aboard.

 

[nfs]

I don't recall seeing any palm trees, though

You missed 'em. They're everywhere.

That one's not ours but I know where it is. Ours are a little smaller. There used to be a picture of the one outside our front door on the realtor's website but it's gone to bitheaven.

I had to laugh when I went to the DMV in Chicago just before we moved here. I wanted a hardcopy driving record so that we wouldn't get crucified on car insurance after we got here. When I said we were moving to Canada, the clerk behind the counter wished me luck driving in the snow. I told her about the palm tree beside the front door.

She didn't believe it either.

 

[unclemick]

I never saw any palm tree's growing up in the Pacific NW either - but I'm a believer (Japanese current, shadow of the Olymic's, etc.). As for snow I loved being able to drive not far and not too high in elevation to get snow in 'feet not inches' - used to go snow sking at night after work during the week (under the lights of course).

 

[TheFIREman]

Palms in the Great White North

Nanaimo, mid Vancouver Island, north of 49th parallel!

 

[Brat]

As another member cautioned me, hush thy mouth else we be overcome by new residents.

Don't you know that it rains unceasingly, that the browning of the skin in summer is rust, and the Sound is unsafe for all but maritime acadamy grads and those of Norwegian descent.

 

[TheFIREman]

Oops. Forgot. Me bad. Horrible place. Wouldn't even visit if I were you lot. (Brat, will that do?)

 

[Brat]

Absolutely!

 

[unclemick]

I agree - the Pacific NW generally sucks - living there 26 yrs was enough. My sister & hubby recently moved back(Enumclaw) from Kentucky and are reacquanting with the weather.

Nice people though. All in all a great place to be from - provided you don't 'have' to go back.

 

[Brat]

My few trips to KY were pleasant, I wouldn't knock it. Enumclaw isn't on my radar screen.

I like living on or near a major waterway.. Pudget Sound or the Columbia River suit me fine. This climate works for those of us of Norwegian descent who are maritime oriented- the blood line isn't suited for the tropics.

This doesn't mean that we won't vacation in southern climes... Oslo wintered in Majorica when I was a girl and am off to Ambergris Caye shortly. Jan-March in Hawaii or the Whitsundays are delightful.

 

[unclemick]

My post was a little 'tongue in cheek' - I grew up on the Columbia - Kelso,Kalama,Longview enjoyed Puget Sound - I always thought my ancestors(Finns and Swedes) were nuts living in foreign lands like upper Michigan and Minnesota - some still there - at least the recent generation mostly lives in The Pacific NW - warmer but not warm enough for me.

I can watch the 1-2 foot Gulf tide move Lake Ponchartrain under the camp - does that qualify for maritime.

 

[Brat]

The Gulf has tides [I am tongue-in-cheek as well.]

 

[unclemick]

The thought occured to me-maybe the Gulf doesn't - the little bit of land down here shifts due to people and traffic in a cyclic manner everyday. .

 

[Brat]

My father was a soils engineer for the COE. Although he designed dikes and dams he warned me that all the CE's in the world can't think like a fish or push back the sea. It may well be that you are seeing tidal action. Keep an eye on your ground water..

 

[unclemick]

Duh! What's soil? Is that the black stuff that you see 1-2 days/yr. when the swamp drys up.

The retired COE cat I know says I don't 'talk rite' - dikes and sloughs are 'yankee slang words' - I need to repeat after him - levee, bayou, pass, flood gate! After 25+ yrs slowly getting the lingo.

 

[John Galt]

When I moved to Texas, I knew about "fixin' to go"
and "head for the house". But, I never heard of
"tanks". It was a while before I figured out they
were talking about stock ponds. I'd never heard that
one before.

John Galt