[DailyJournalist]

Great pics

[TANaples]

Beautiful pix. The teacher's daughter and her BF were volunteering today in class. The BF went around changing all the screen savers to Fall woods scenes. lol I gave him a high 5!!!!!!

[Jara]

When my youngest son experienced snow that he hadn't seen since he was a little guy was in Hobbs NM. The little girl who lives in the same apartment complex was outside playing with her mom. My son went outside and in no time making snow angels with the little girl. Her mom took pictures of them. Little girl said, now stick out your tongue and let the snow fall on it. Son out there sticking out his tongue. Older brothers who had just moved to NM told little brother not to be another Ralphie and stick your tongue on a metal pole. We all had a big laugh about it and one of our favorite stories is, "Christmas Story."

[janetvj]

Yeah - the snow is really pretty. Until you have to spend hours and hours shoveling it out of your driveway so you can get your car out, and then drive in it along with a ton of other drivers who are straddling whatever lanes were actually plowed going 20 mph with their emergency flashers on, or worse, the 4 wheelers who go barreling along not realizing that even though they can move faster they can't stop any quicker, as they go skidding through the intersections. And then it's even worse as it begins to melt during the day, and then refreezes at night, so by the 2nd or 3rd day you're covered with a sheet of solid ice. Real pretty. No thanks! I can't wait to get to Florida!

[Jara]

Now 3 boys out of the 5 are in NM one in Austin TX. Mom is sitting on the sidelines, for now. I have them looking at different areas for me. Plus Lubbock TX which some have expressed interest in. I'm steering myself the Lubbock TX way. The youngest who seems to be leading the way wants to go to Texas Tech University, in Lubbock. I was joking with him. Is it going to be, "Go....Red Raiders?" The wait here hasn't been easy. Miss the 4-seasons as well as the boys and the grandkids. I just hate having to bake, make my pickled figs only to send it out UPS. Guess that's why the inside of my place is painted paprika with navy blue curtains. Just don't show me Florida green Plaezzzzzz.

[janetvj]

Originally Posted by HowDeDo

Im still going to move to the Panhandle of Florida soon ; taking my money from the Chicago area and paying cash for a decent 3 bedroom Brick Home on a half acre for $87,000 (contract price) and $700 annual property taxes and gasoline at $.030/gallon cheaper ... is simply too good of an attraction to give up as a semi-retiree. PLUS, no more snow clearing, ice chopping of car windshields, dangerous road travels, and extreme bitter cold temps... is icing on the cake making Florida a grand place to move to. Ill swap the bitter cold for the heat and humidity any day of the week..plus it feels soooo good to take a cool shower after sweating profusely ! That said, I am sorry to hear of Floridas plight as discussed in this TIME article , but I still see it as a very attractive place to wind down. Regards.

HowDeDo - where are you moving? I am hoping to retire to Florida next July, and have been looking on the gulf coast. I haven't checked out the panhandle, but based on your post, it sounds like I should.

Janet

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by janetvj

Yeah - the snow is really pretty. Until you have to spend hours and hours shoveling it out of your driveway so you can get your car out, and then drive in it along with a ton of other drivers who are straddling whatever lanes were actually plowed going 20 mph with their emergency flashers on, or worse, the 4 wheelers who go barreling along not realizing that even though they can move faster they can't stop any quicker, as they go skidding through the intersections. And then it's even worse as it begins to melt during the day, and then refreezes at night, so by the 2nd or 3rd day you're covered with a sheet of solid ice. Real pretty. No thanks! I can't wait to get to Florida!

Winter is only one season out of 4. It ends. The problem with Florida is that summer is forever. Period. Never changes.

I will be happy to trade these 12 months of summer for a couple of months of winter. You really HAVE to LOVE summer to live here. If you don't, it quite literally wears you out very quickly.

[doggiebus]

BacktoMA4good - How beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[janetvj]

Originally Posted by TANaples

Winter is only one season out of 4. It ends. The problem with Florida is that summer is forever. Period. Never changes.

I will be happy to trade these 12 months of summer for a couple of months of winter. You really HAVE to LOVE summer to live here. If you don't, it quite literally wears you out very quickly.

You're right, of course. It's a personal preference. Although I doubt many people enjoy an ice storm. As for me, I think I'll miss autumn most of all. But I love summer, and right now I feel like I spend almost half the year in hibernation, because I don't like cold weather, and I never venture out in the winter, other than to go to work. By the end of March I'm stir crazy. Maybe I'll feel differently after a few years in Florida, but right now I can't see that happening.

[DailyJournalist]

Originally Posted by janetvj

and right now I feel like I spend almost half the year in hibernation,

Thats how we feel in Florida. Just go down any street here in Florida and you will not see any children playing anywhere because of the extreme heat.