Beautiful Day

Today was the kind of day you move to Florida for. Bright blue skies and temps in the upper 70's. We opened up the pop-up to get it aired out for Daytona. Can you believe it's only 3 weeks until the 500? Time moves so fast! I decided to wash all the pop-up's curtains and ruffly things. I don't think they have ever been washed so it was about time. Bob did some outside housekeeping stuff - sprinkler head repair, leaf mowing, general cleanup. All-in-all a very productive day. Hope these nice days keep flowing!

Bittersweet Day

Yesterday was not the best of days but it also was not the worst of days. On a good note it was Bob's and my 38th anniversary. On our wedding day I would not have been able to even picture 38 years together. But we've done it and done it quite well. I certainly don't expect 38 more but many more will be acceptable. On a sadder note a very dear friend left Friendship yesterday to continue her teaching career at a different school. As her new school is not even 5 miles from Friendship I am certain I will see her frequently. The saddest part, though, was the fact that it was just a year ago yesterday that my brother passed away. His death has been a hard thing to accept as he was younger than me and seemed to be in good health and physical shape. The thing that makes me the angriest is that he worked hard all his life and has now been denied the opportunity to retire and enjoy the fruits of all that hard work. Lesson learned - live life to the fullest because you DO NOT know what tomorrow will bring.

When did they move Florida?

Snow/sleet yesterday and 26 degrees this morning - not what people move to Florida for. Today the sky's bright blue and the sun is shining brightly but don't let it fool you, it hasn't warmed up much. There is hope though. It's supposed to be near 70 by the end of the week!

Snow on the pool screen.

Icicles on the bird feeder!

Snow on the plant cover. I don't know how much the cover helped.

What a day!

Each day my outside plants look sicker and sicker from the cold, a very good and long-time friend is transferring to a different school, and Mike may have to look for a new job. Not the most auspicious of days! On a lighter note, several more Pine Island pictures.

Br-r-r-r!!!

When it is warmer in Seattle than in Florida there is something drastically out of whack! Even after 25 years in Florida I still considered myself a Northerner. . . up until now. Now, I'm just plain COLD!

New Year's Resolution

I want to apologize. When I first set up this blog I intended to post frequently, sharing my thoughts and ideas, and giving people a glimpse of our everyday life. Instead it seems to have become just a travel diary. My New Year's resolution - to return the blog to its original purpose. I can't guarantee I will be successful but I will certainly try!

It was back to work today after a two week vacation. One week was spent in retirement practice. Just Bob and I and our motorhome at an RV Park definitely designed for retired couples. We didn't completely fit in, not because of age but because we had no pets with us! Most every motorhome had at least one dog or cat and many had multiple pets. Our poor cats were left at home. It was an interesting experiment. I spent the first couple of days feeling like I should be doing something. By the time I was comfortable with no itinerary it was time to leave. Bob seemed to have the opposite reaction, very relaxed and at ease the first dew days but getting restless by the end. Fortunately we still have plenty of time to perfect this retirement thing!