We decided this would be our last summer in our West Virginia home.

While we love the house, we have never spent more than two months here until now. We’ve come to realize that it is great to escape the hustle and bustle of living in a densely populated area in Florida, but only for a little while. The truth is, it’s boring here. It’s usually a 45-minute drive to do anything halfway interesting.

Add the fact that there is so much work to be done on the house this year. It feels like a money pit. We spent $22,000 on a new roof alone. We also spent about $450 to repair our stove and had to purchase a new dishwasher, among other things.

I think the straw that broke the camel’s back was when Rose was bit on the foot by a brown recluse spider. She developed a terrible, itchy, and painful rash all over her leg and other parts of her body. She went to the doctor three times trying to get relief. It finally subsided after more than two weeks.

What bothers me is the fact that I worry about the cats more here. Today, the neighbor’s dog was again outside desperately trying to break through the fence to get at Frankie.

We listed it last Wednesday. So far, we have had two couples look at it. The second is talking to their bank about it, and the first wants to see it again tomorrow. I put a sign on the door informing people to watch out for Frankie.

Now comes the challenge of getting rid of everything we brought here or bought for the place. We will bring some back to Florida, but our house there is tiny in comparison.