Love Those Wide Open Spaces: The Snow Birds Begin Migrating

The seasons are changing in my part of the world, and March is the month of transition.

Many of our water birds are nesting this month, returning back to the locations they've always called home.

March is transition month for Florida snowbirds too, with winter residents busily preparing to travel to their own nests back home. Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is subsiding.

We have a healthy contingent of seasonal visitors in this little town, and I have a lot of friends within our migrating community. So, come March, even after all these years, I still fret a bit when its time for the first of those friends to leave.

So when Josie Baker announced an early leave date, I quickly organized a goodbye luncheon here at the ranch for Josie and all the other girls who would be following the sun and heading northward.

These final get-togethers of the winter season are always warm occasions. Before long, many of the guests will be scattering to homes across the globe. Some will go to Germany, a few to homes in Britain, and many go back to the natural beauty of Canada for the next many months. Florida’s like that, you know. It seems like someone’s always packing or unpacking.

Rarely do we locals remember that the retiree pedaling down our shoreline pathways or the vacationers filling up our roads and restaurants are really world travelers. But indeed, that's what they are.

And as a group, our winter visitors have a good amount of both travel stories and travel expertise that they’re willing to share.

This is what makes the snowbirds so interesting to me. They’re coming, they’re going, they’re taking tours, they’re seeing shows. They’re in and out of town so often its dizzying.

You probably know that I’ve been contemplating spending a week by the sea in the warm and sunny Caribbean soon. So I, too, have been browsing the travel sites. And I can now fully appreciate the ability that my migrating friends have to shop fares and plan their departure dates.

How do these folks do this so often and so effectively? Well, this came up in discussion today.

When planning my travel, I always use a flight comparison website to purchase airline tickets, accommodations and even tour packages whenever possible. I like the ability it gives me to keep my travel budget under my control.

So do my wandering girlfriends, it turns out. They do this and more.

This travel savvy group suggested that I use a good flight comparison site the does more than give me the best deal. I should choose a site that provides buyers with a price drop guarantee. This is news to me. I didn't even know this kind of thing existed.

I like it! This would free me up from pricing worries, and I might actually stop waffling over departure dates.

So where do I start then? FlightNetwork.com is a site that’s popular with this group, so this is the site I wrote down in my notes. The girls said if I use a site such as this, if the price of my ticket goes down before I use it, the company guarantees that I will pay the lower price.

Who knew? I always thought that once I bought at a published price, it was set in stone.

That’s what I love about these lunches—you always learn something new and useful. It’s like having a roomful of big sisters. I always come away a little smarter.

Well, it’s time to finish up my writing projects for today.

You know, I’m feeling a travel commitment coming on.

- Sanne Collins

From the Ranch in Florida

Here’s the link to the site that was the group favorite: www.flightnetwork.com

It’s a flight comparison site that offers a price drop guarantee.

From Today’s Luncheon Menu - Look What I Made for Dessert!

Yes, with old grove Oranges!

www.lovethosewideopenspaces.blogspot.com

Orange Fluff Chiffon Cake

Cake Ingredients

3 oranges

2 egg whites

1 ½ cups sugar

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

1/3 cup cooking oil

2 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Grease and flour two 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set aside. Finely shred 1 tablespoon of peel from 1 orange. Squeeze juice from 2 oranges to measure 1/2 cup juice. Section remaining orange. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating to stiff peaks. In another large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1 cup sugar.

Add milk and oil. Beat on low speed of an electric mixer until combined. Add orange juice and egg yolks; beat 1 minute. Gently fold in egg white mixture until combined. Fold in orange peel. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks; remove from pans. Frost with Orange Fluff Frosting. Top with reserved orange sections.

Makes 12 servings.

Orange Fluff Frosting Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons finely shredded orange peel (set aside)

½ cup orange juice

2 cups whipping cream

In a small saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in orange juice. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened.

Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in orange peel.

Cover and chill for 1 hour.

In a large bowl beat cream with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold in orange juice mixture.

*This is a Better Homes and Gardens Recipe - and is delicious beyond belief!

What’s Been Keeping Me Busy Lately

Love Those Wide Open Spaces is a blog designed to follow my daily life as a freelance writer and rancher. It’s a life full of constant change and a wide scope of interests.

Freelance writing, by its definition, requires the ability to write on a variety of subjects, to juggle many assignments during the times of plenty, and to fill the void when checks are slow. That said, I’m always writing.

Much of my work is done for others such as corporations, websites, or articles penned under another’s name. I’ve sold the rights to these works, so they can’t be shared.

However, many of my projects are available under my own name and can be read right here on the web.

You can click on either the site or the story below to see them.

Check out what’s been keeping me busy lately!