The snowbirds are definitely here - captured at Cocoa Beach, FL 2012-10-25
But, please what is a "snowbird" anyway.....? Wiki has the answer, like to anything else :-))
The term "snowbird" is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida,Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States, Mexico, and areas of the Caribbean. It is also used for people from eastern Canada or northern Canada who migrate to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, for the winter. Victoria is known for having very mild winters by Canadian standards, and has an annual "blossom count" in mid-February to prove its warm winter status.
Snowbirds are typically retirees, and business owners who have a second home in a warmer location or whose business can be easily moved from place to place, such as flea market and swap meet vendors. Some snowbirds carry their homes with them, as campers (mounted on bus or truck frames) or as boats following the east coast Intra-coastal waterway.
In the past snowbirds were frequently wealthy persons with independent incomes who maintained several seasonal residences and shifted residence with the seasons to avail themselves of the best time to be at each location; this custom has declined considerably due to changing patterns of taxation and the relative ease of long-distance travel compared with earlier times.
Many of these "snowbirds" also use their vacation time to declare permanent residency in low- or no-tax income tax states (where the tax bases are augmented by high tourism taxes), and claim lower non-resident income taxes in their home states. Canadian snowbirds usually make sure they retain residency in Canada in order to retain health benefits.
The right to vote for local office is governed by local law, so it may be possible to vote for local offices in both places if the locality permits nonresident voting based on property ownership, but representation in the United States federal Congress is for residents as enumerated by the decennial census and voting in U.S. federal elections in more than one jurisdiction is deemed to be electoral fraud.
I'm wishing you a very HAPPY and relaxing SUNDAY!
~Susanne
Oh,...and on YouTube I have found this for you - about "Snowbirds"... ENJOY!
