Some of us remember how cool it sounded when the Ringling circus went south to its “winter quarters.” Was it in Sarasota?

Then after New Year’s, the Cactus League teams began arriving in such exotic places like Vero Beach where the Brooklyn Dodgers held forth. We recall the tantalizing little features (“short subjects”) on spring baseball in the movie theaters. Locked into the snow and ice in Minnesota, I envied this lifestyle. So, 45 years ago, I decided to become part of it!

But time passes and things change. Nowadays in Fountain Hills, we have joined the seasonal family in returning to “winter quarters” because the summers have grown too long and too hot, with 90-plus degree temps lingering into late October.

Still, I don’t quite fit the snowbird title because I built my career and raised my family in “The Valley.” To me, it is still “home.”

Bringing it all into perspective, I’m remembering that our tribal ancestors packed up their sheep, their families and folded their tents as they headed down to lower altitudes and warmer temperatures. They had it figured out hundreds of years ago, didn’t they?