Michael Roy Loc: North of Amarillo

I live in the northern panhandle. It’s been mostly dry here my whole life. Year before last we ended up getting hay from eastern Kansas. I would so much like to have a problem with mud

XXX Loc: Somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon

Last dry spell here was 3 years ago. (Lebanon Co. PA). I sincerely hope you get enough of rain.

Michael Roy Loc: North of Amarillo

Thank you. It’s been raining all day today and my guage here at the house shows
.65”. This is our last chance for at least a week. I was able to leave tracks but all next week is forecasted to be sunny in the high fifties to middle sixties. Right back to dust.

XXX Loc: Somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon

Wow we averaging what I got the last 5 weeks I had 1.3" a week. And that's not counting the 5" of snow from last week.

Michael Roy Loc: North of Amarillo

We got three inches at the end of summer and a three inches of snow last month and.65 today. A good year here is fifteen inches and it’s been a good while since we had a good year.

Wonttakeitanymore

I like when u post pics with the verbiage

permafrost Loc: Minnesota

I think I need more pictures, my thing I call a computer says no room but I only have a couple 1000 in files.. nuts.. can never find one i want anyway...

Have a good one, come back tomorrow...

America 1 Loc: South Miami

I have visited Belize several times to collect on some debts and stayed with a prominent family.
A pilot I sold a Cadillac to gave me a tour of the surrounding islands.
On my first visit, Guadlama was threatening to invade and the day leaving the British troops were pouring in at the airport.
Guadlama canceled their plans.
Belize was granted independence on 21 September 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation because of its longstanding territorial dispute, claiming that Belize belonged to Guatemala.
After independence about 1,500 British troops remained in Belize to deter any possible Guatemalan incursions.

Belize is interesting, but Costa Rica is better.
Pura Vita
https://puravida.com/costa-rica/about/
https://www.goingpuravida.com/costa-rica-pura-vida.html
https://theblog.beachtowntravel.com/pura-vida-the-costa-rican-lifestyle

XXX Loc: Somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon

Hello from Belize. 80ﾟ and slight breeze here. Bet you're jealous.

jack sequim wa Loc: Blanchard, Idaho

Northern Idaho, no hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes (Bigger dust devil's) rare blackwidows, brown recluse, hobo spiders and far enough north no poisonous snakes.....I'll take the minus winter Temps and 80's-90's summers and look forward to vacations in the warmer, tropical places all day.
I did however seriously consider Maui years back.

America 1 Loc: South Miami

A little envious, but not suffering too much 82 today and 75 tonight in South Miami, The City of Pleasant Living.
A nice thing about Belize is English speaking.
On my first trip two Lobster tails with rice and vegetables and two Heinekins.
$3.30.
History
Close to the U.S., Belize offers visas that make this an easy place for expats to settle.
©WIRESTOCK/iSTOCK
Back in the 16th century, the Spanish tried to grab the territory that would become Belize.
But hostility from the local Maya prevented them from occupying it.
In the first half of the 18th century, the British were more successful… In fact, they used it as a base to attack Spanish ships.
British traders realized the value of the country’s tropical hardwoods and began to settle in numbers. But Britain didn’t send a governor until 1786.
In 1862, the region was proclaimed the Crown Colony of British Honduras, which it remained until its renaming (Belize) in 1973 and eventual independence in 1981.
Since then, Belize has survived hurricanes, occasional political instability, border conflicts with neighboring Guatemala, and a brief period of financial gray listing.
But in the 21st century, it has settled down to become one of Central America’s most popular expat destinations (especially for Americans and Canadians) and is wide open to people looking for long-term residency abroad.
A Unique Cultural Fusion
The country lies on the Caribbean Sea east of Guatemala and south of Mexico’s famous Riviera Maya, sharing many of its attractions: pristine beaches, lush rainforests, low cost of living, and friendly locals. Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language; it’s spoken just as widely as Spanish, so you’ll have no trouble navigating the country.
Most of you know that the Spanish colonized Central America, while the Caribbean basin was the preserve of the British, French, and other European powers. The Spanish tended to build plantation economies using Native American labor, while the Caribbean colonies used slaves from Africa.
The Atlantic Coast regions of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, for example, are known for their "Caribbean" cultures, created by escaped slaves from British islands. Culturally, linguistically, and economically, they’re quite different from the central and Pacific regions of those countries.
Then there are the former British, French, and Dutch colonies on the South American mainland. The country of Guyana, for example, was a British plantation economy on the same model as the Caribbean islands. Suriname was a Dutch colony, and French Guiana is still an integral part of France to this day (and thus has the only European Union border crossings in the Western Hemisphere).
Belize is in the unique position of being somewhere in the middle… a cultural mix of British and Spanish influences.
A Caribbean Retirement
It’s easy to understand Belize’s appeal. Over 200 cayes are scattered along its coastline, each surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise seawater that teems with brilliant fish, coral, and sponges.
The country’s magnificent Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is a UN heritage site.
And just off the coast, enormous sinkholes on the ocean floor attract divers from across the world.
Given its seaward orientation and the protection offered by the Barrier Reef, water sports (plus eating seafood and drinking local beer and rum) dominate the coastal lifestyle.
You need only live here for one month a year.
Belize is about the size of Massachusetts, so it’s easy to travel from one part to another.
One expat explained that he moved to Belize because "I can be Jacques Cousteau in the morning, diving in the blue hole—and Indiana Jones in the afternoon, exploring a Maya cave in the jungles."
The natural environment is hardly Belize’s only attraction.
The country doesn’t tax foreign source income and levies a flat tax rate of 25% on local income.
The first $14,500 of local income is exempt.
And there are no capital gains or inheritance taxes for residents.
Belize’s International Business Companies Act makes it one of the most business-friendly countries in the world. Establishing a corporation in the country is easy: substantive ownership and account information can only be disclosed in the context of a criminal investigation or international tax cooperation.
Retained earnings in a Belizean corporation aren’t taxed until withdrawal. And if the corporation doesn’t conduct any business in the U.S., it’s exempt from U.S. corporate tax as well.
With a population of only 400,000 (and barely the size of New Jersey), Belize is highly welcoming to foreigners and potential immigrants.
U.S. citizens don’t need a tourist visa to enter and can stay for up to a month.
The permit is renewable monthly in-country for a fee of $100.
After a year you can apply for permanent residency, as long as you haven’t been out of the country for more than 14 days consecutively. And after five years, you can apply for your Belizean citizenship.
But the jewel in the crown of Belize’s welcome mat—to mix metaphors a bit—is the Qualified Retired Persons Program (QRP), one of the world’s best long-term residency visas.
Benefits of the QRP
"Retirement" is a misnomer here. The QRP is available to just about anyone over the age of 45.
All that’s required is proof of an annual income of $24,000 or more, generated from a source outside of Belize in an approved foreign currency (the U.S. and Canadian dollar, the euro, and the pound all qualify), and deposited in a local bank. That can include IRAs and 401Ks. The main applicant can bring a spouse and dependents up to the age of 18 for an additional fee.
Under the Qualified Retired Persons Program, you’re exempt from taxes on all external income, whether it’s earned or passive, and whether or not you bring it into Belize. During your first year as a resident, you can import personal goods, including cars and boats free from import duties or taxes.
Holders of QRP residency are considered non-residents for banking purposes, meaning they can set up a U.S.-dollar bank account with a local bank.
The QRP is available to anyone over the age of 45.
QRPs can also work if a holder’s business activity occurs outside Belize and doesn’t have any Belizean customers. That means you can run a consulting or freelance business from the country under the QRP.
Once you’ve got a QRP permit, it’s yours for the keeping. Plus you only need to be present in the country for one month per year to retain it.
The Permanent Residency Option
The QRP is ideal for expats, but if you are really committed to living in Belize, applying for permanent residency is easy.
As I mentioned earlier, to start the process you must simply reside in the country for a minimum of one year with no more than two weeks of consecutive absence. The application fee for permanent residency is $1,000.
The prime benefit of permanent residency versus the QRP is the ability to work or run a local business. (The QRP allows you to set up a local corporation, but you cannot work in it yourself.) And permanent residency doesn’t require annual renewal.
After five years as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship. It usually takes between six months to a year. The process is similar to other countries; it involves a clear police record, a statement of personal and medical history, and background checks. Dual citizenship is allowed if your home country also allows it, which is the case with the U.S. and Canada.
Nevertheless, a Belizean passport isn’t worth it if your primary interest is in global mobility.
If you’re looking for easy access to the EU, you won’t get that with this passport.
But it does provide visa-free entry to 58 other countries and does have other specific benefits.
Belize is also part of the British Commonwealth, which gives you a variety of little-known advantages. For example, you are exempt from some immigration requirements in the United Kingdom, and you can serve in that country’s civil service and armed forces.
More practically, if you’re ever traveling abroad and lose your passport, you can get an emergency British passport as a Commonwealth citizen.
As a member of CARICOM the Caribbean Community and Common Market), Belizean citizens can travel, live, and work freely in other member countries such as Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia… to name a few.
But What Are the Downsides?
Places like Belize can seem too good to be true. So let’s consider some of the downsides.
Most crime in Belize occurs between locals, either in Belize City or along the border with Mexico, where there are drug-running activities. By contrast, most crime involving expats is property crime, like muggings or break-ins. Crime in the coastal regions is vanishingly rare. As long as you follow basic precautions, you can live peacefully here.
I mentioned earlier that Belize had been gray-listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international agency set up to enforce financial reporting rules. The status was imposed in April 2019 but was removed later that same year.
Belize is highly welcoming to foreigners.
At the time, Belizean law prevented the publication of the beneficial owners of local companies or bank accounts without a court order.
Under the FATF’s U.S.-inspired Common Reporting Standards, that made Belize a suspected haven for financial criminals.
Recognizing the threat gray listing posed to the country’s tourism-based economy, the government quickly backed down and changed the law.
That means Belizean banks will report a U.S. taxpayer’s financial holdings to the IRS under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FACTA).
Belize is a tiny country, both geographically and in terms of population.
Like most countries in the tropics, it’s beautiful and particularly attractive if you like warm weather. Its economy and service sector is strongly oriented towards expats, and it’s just a few hour's flight from the U.S.
So if you’re looking for a tropical, expat-friendly place to settle down, take a look at Belize’s easy residency program. It may be just the ticket.
Internation Living Magazine
https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/august_2023/4117460/

XXX Loc: Somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon

Very interesting read. Thank-you. I really like it down here but next time it will be Costa Rico. This is just a short trip planned at the last minute but I am enjoying it to the fullest.

America 1 Loc: South Miami

When you return I could send you some articles on C.R. if you like.

XXX Loc: Somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon

I am returning Tuesday as planned and yes I think it would be interesting.