The ducks are gone? 
They are semi-wild. They lived/slept on the river. They would come up for food several times a day. They were lots of fun. But, at some point, we were traveling a lot and we had someone come by once a day to feed them. At some point they moved downriver – we think a farm down the way took them in (we hope as the alternative is that they were eaten).
We now have some four wild mallards who come up after we put bird food in the bird feeders. The bird food gets shaken out by birds and especially squirrels. These ducks eat from the ground. They were really skittish around us at one point, but now don’t fly away when we move by at some distance.
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Spending time with ShawSon, DIL and their nearly one yo dog. It is a pleasure that we can spend five days with them in a beautiful space. They are so in love with each other and so caring for each other. It makes us feel good. And they fawn over the dog who has them wrapped around her paw. She is well trained but she has them very well trained. Very funny.
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I have enough social outlets that are enjoyable for me. DH has some separate enjoyable things, but mostly around rocketry, mentoring HS rocket teams. If DH is available, he does some things with me. He skipped a group lunch and movie as he decided to rake leaves before his HS rocketry launches after - I know he was a bit nervous for his teams to have it all together. Two dads showed up and they helped some, but they are novices too. Our lawn looks great - he overseeds winter grass, so our lawn is green. It is 48 degrees and sunny. I am more social than DH; people interest me more as well as a scope of what is going on and enjoyable activities/travel.
Hahaha - green grass! We get fined by the HOA if we overseed with anything that turns our Bermuda green!
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HOAs in our area have earned a bad reputation in many neighborhoods - and it can be a selling plus or minus to have a HOA. Our neighborhood has no HOA but there are deed restrictions. Always pluses and minuses on HOAs. If we move to our daughter’s city, we will be looking for no HOA if possible but will weigh it out.
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We spoke with both DDs today (one in TX and one in FL). Neither’s rental home is in a HOA community, but they know of bad situations with HOAs and do want to avoid if possible HOA when they purchase – most likely purchase a single family home in an older community that pre-dates HOA explosion. If we do move near DD1’s home, we also want to avoid HOA if possible. There are some HOAs that are OK for now, but who knows what changes get made – like having a property management firm take over that has no custom relations efforts - you just make your monthly payments, and they may or may not do a good job with the community upkeep the HOA pays for.
Our community has no HOA (very old). I believe several of my sibs have HOAs but so far haven’t heard many complaints. One of my other sibs no HOA either—too old. Of course the condo we bought has HOA and so far it’s been run pretty well.
I think there are good HOAs and others that are not so great. Just do a little homework before you buy. A co-op or condo would likely have the same concerns - it’s either well run or not.
We are in a bit of limbo here. As I’ve likely mentioned 100 times before, I had hoped to move closer to D. Now it seems that she may be moving and there is no way we could afford to move to that location. I am going to lose my mind if I have to stay here, so I’ve actually been looking at other retirement locations. I want to stay on the east coast, mid-Atlantic area and close to a major airport. Winter weather is not improving my outlook on life right now.
I did want to mention, @SOSConcern, that inspired by your solo trips with RoadScholar, I am exploring a small group trip to Paris. It’s for women only, so H would have to stay at home but I think we could use a break from each other. 
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Well, TBH, I actually look for neighborhoods with HOAs. I guess we have been fortunate that none of ours have been overbearing but they do expect you to follow the covenants you agreed to when you moved in. As far as overseeding with green grass, there is a reason for that when your entire neighborhood is sodded with bermuda. I feel our HOAs have protected our property values.
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Our HOAs have always contracted with a property management company to handle the billings and legals the notices etc. The HOA is the board that sets the policy and the budget.
Our home is in HOA that has been in place since the 1920’s. It has its pros and cons.
Back to life in retirement- my husband due to a family business won’t be able to fully retire till who knows when. He can however work less. He’s struggling with himself on how to get into a routine of going to the office less. He plays volleyball about 2 1/2 hours three or four days a week. Sometimes also a few afternoons of tennis. He also has a small boat that he likes to wash. Even with all that it leaves a lot of hours to fill. He’s not a gym person and definitely can’t sit and relax and do nothing.
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Recent For Sale listings for houses on our street, most built in the 1970s-early 1980s, start with “No HOA to deal with.” We’re right next to a newer neighborhood with a HOA.
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Even without an HOA, a neighborhood can have legally enforceable restrictive covenants. A family that bought a house in one neighborhood not too far from us got entangled in a bitter legal fight with its neighbors because they did not get a “committee” approval of the plans for a remodel they wanted to do within a certain timeframe, as one of the covenants required. My guess is that the neighbors simply did not like them and found a reason to make their lives miserable. My take home lesson: research the subdivision CCRs!
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Is this correct? He likes to wash his boat? If so, I hope he also takes it out on the water!
Sounds like between part time work at the business and all the things you mention, he’d be pretty busy. Or was he working FT like lots more than 40 hour work week??
What board sets policy and covenants if not an HOA?
They are attached to the land when a subdivision is created by whoever created the subdivision. As long as they are not unenforceable, anything goes.
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When we bought 1.5 acres in our newly being built subdivision 35 years ago, rules existed about what you could and could not do, including no above ground pools, no non wood fences, etc. The paperwork stated that this would be for 5 yrs , then property owners would vote if they wanted this to continue. I don’t recall who enforced the rules, maybe the township, but one neighbor had to stop and remove a pvc fence. At the 5 yr mark, no one voted to keep the restrictions.
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We bailed on an attached townhome that had no HOA but with CCRs spelling out that all roofs had to be replaced together when one roof fails?. Can you imagine trying to chase down 11 of your neighbors most of whom are renters trying to get a roofer to come out and to pay for the new roof?
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Having to coordinate with neighbors can be hard. I have a friend who lives on a private road. It took years to get all the residents on the street to agree to a repaving project which was desperately needed.
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