Almost the 4th of July

There but for Fortuna continued...

Back online already (thank you Ted) after making the move up here 4 days ago. The drive up here was a long one, 7 ½ hours in 2 cars with 2 teenagers, one cat and one guinea pig. Arriving in our new home and not knowing what to expect, only having had a glimpse of our home from the outside. Nice surprise, great sunlight and a lot of the charm of an older home such as wood floors and good size rooms but with new carpeting and paint, very sweet. And frosted with the hospitality of a smaller town. We have had a parade of people welcoming us, beginning with one woman who greeted us at our door with dish detergent in her hands. Which wasn’t remarkable until the next person showed up and she also greeted us with dish detergent in her hands. I was beginning to think this was a Fortuna tradition and/or I was going to have to upgrade my cleaning skills. We had people coming through all day long, helping us unpack, checking to make sure everything was working, pointing us in the ‘right’ directions, filling our pantry & fridge with food and bringing meals along the way, making us feel very welcome.

We are just getting settled and have only begun to explore our town and this area which I am beginning to sense is bigger than Fortuna proper. Where is the beach access the locals use, the good swimming holes, the nearest place for kayaking and river rafting, what to see in Eureka and the best local fishing (for Ben and Jaime). There is a walking group I am eager to be a part of (hopefully by next week). But I have found a few things out, like where is the nearest (only?) Starbucks and have already been to the movie theatre (within walking distance from home). Looking forward to checking out the Farmers’ Market and the week of the 13th the whole town celebrates with the rodeo which sounds like a big event. Hopefully, I’ll be unpacked enough by then to find my cowboy hat.