Annual Retama "Walk Through the Village"

Today is Edward's 44th birthday--happy birthday, son! When I called, it sounded like he was having a good day, out with Julie and the kids.

Our day started with our long awaited 10:00 a.m. appointment to view the New Horizons show model and talk with owners Phil and Karen Brokenicky. We walked over, excited to finally see the 2012 show model "in person," having watched the online postings of photos of its construction.

Purely by coincidence, New Horizons scheduled its open house to begin on the same day as the annual open house for the Village. Flocks of people came to see what owners have done with their casitas and homes. Most of them probably thought the New Horizons show model was just another owner-occupied RV. When they came inside, they were definitely impressed by the elegance and features of the Majestic, though probably a bit confused to find themselves in a "model home."

What this meant is that we really had little chance to talk with Phil and Karen, and they had little chance to stop and take a deep breath. Crowds poured through, and often people had to wait outside for someone to leave and make room for more visitors.

We did take advantage of the opportunity to examine and measure and take pictures of everything. We brought our tape measures and cameras and even our footstool to peer into every nook and cranny. We left briefly to run home and grab a bite before returning to see more.

We were wowed by the scraped hickory wood flooring in the living area and bath, and we were really tempted to change our minds and switch from the choice we had made to have the Permastone tile. So when we left at 5:00 p.m. and set out on our evening walk, we stopped by Gary and Judy's to take another look at their tile floor. It was beautiful, and we decided it was the more practical choice for us. It's easier to care for and weighs less, and if anything happens, it's easier to repair. Gary and Judy offered support and helpful suggestions, as usual, and calmed our jitters.

That settled we went home for supper and spent the next few hours talking and calculating and drawing up lists of questions. We'll be ready in the morning for our 10:00 appointment again, only this time maybe the crowds will be thinner and we'll have a chance to really talk with Phil.