Those Pesky Snowbirds

I live in warm and beautiful Mesquite, Nevada, a haven for "Snowbirds". (You know, those pesky part-time residents who stay in their second homes here in the late fall and winter months, who then return to the northern states and Canada when the spring comes?) This city swells when Snowbirds arrive, around October each year, and then thins out when they leave, around April each year. But during those colder months, city businesses bustle with customers and make money.

Snowbirds bother me. They tend to be older, drive slower, and I almost trip over them in the grocery store aisles because they slow down and I'm always having to go around them. They walk slowly, drive slowly and congregate for conversation right in the foot-traffic lanes in the casinos. They fill all the tables at the 5'oclock early bird specials in the good restaurants so I can't get a seat. And my condo complex gets noisy in those colder months with the Snowbirds around, sitting on their porches and chatting the day away with their spouses and friends. They take all the good handicapped parking spaces and crowd the DMV when I need to renew my driver's license. I could go on and on....

Obviously, I am a full-time resident in this city which attracts visitors for its wonderful golf courses, casinos, and easy access to Las Vegas. Snowbirds have this part of the year, but residents have this all year! Mesquite's attractions keep and attract residents because residents can do all those things all the time. Plus it has the added bonus of being a nice place to live. Snowbirds leave because it gets hot in the summer! Hey, Snowbirds, have you ever heard of air conditioning?

During this recession we've seen an increasing number of businesses fail and construction come to a stop, but those who endure do owe a lot to the Snowbirds and their spending. So the Snowbirds and their money have kept Mesquite going during the recession, is that what I'm saying? Well, perhaps. That's not the only thing, but ok I give. I wouldn't have the casinos and stores to shop in if they didn't have the patronage of Snowbirds. I guess I do owe the Snowbirds a little "thank you" for being here. Besides that, I have made some friends with Snowbirds and after all, they can be nice people, taken one by one. In other words, they ARE nice people!