we've decided...

... to move to Florida. Where all the senior citizens go to get away from the ice and snow. Where anyone who ever shoveled off a  snowy sidewalk, or put snow chains/tires on their vehicle thought of as Nirvana, and looked forward to moving when they retired. Even though we do not live in Minnesota, amongst those who put on their boots and down jackets in October and wear them until early May, we are going south. I'm not much excited about the prospect of sorting, packing, donating, down-sizing, and the actual event of relocating, when we get settled in Sunny Florida with all those other snow-birds it will be nice and warm.

Will I miss Georgia peaches? Yes. Will I miss the changing seasons? Yes. Will I miss trying to grow tomatoes, with frustrating lack of success? No. Homegrown tomatoes are nice, if you don't lose your religion in the process. I have had such poor luck in recent years, I swear by mid-summer I will not, no, never plant tomatoes again. Then spring starts turning things green, and before you know it my promise is on the compost heap. Meaning: I have come home with seedlings, digging holes and hoping I am holding my tongue right for success.

I will continue to plant things, but have learned the best path to success is perennials. I'm hoping I can be content with some little pots of dirt on the patio, where I can dig, and stir the dirt occasionally. Maybe even have enough space to plant some fruit trees: citrus things that do well in that climate, and maybe some blueberries that tolerate the long hot summer.  Wonder if there are other fruiting things like apples or pears that will do go in the blistering heat of Florida summers?

Not sure specifically where: this means there is at least one road trip involved for scouting out the lay of the land. I would prefer, as I am sure anyone who even remotely considers moving to the Sunshine State, to be near the beach. Which also means close to the part that will be underwater and return to the inland sea when the next hurricane comes barreling along. But that is a chance you take when you decide to go south. Part and parcel of escaping the misery of winter, though I do recall weather so brutally cold back in January that The Man Who Lives Here worried about the citrus crop. More specifically his little bottles of shelf-stable orange juice tucked away in the bathroom. Standing by for him to consume at 2:17 or 3:49 when he wakes up with precipitously low blood sugar due to not eating right.

Though we have talked about this move in general terms, there is nothing specific decided. We'll have to talk to some property/real estate people and get an idea of what's available to even know where to start looking. I expect there are lots of options, all of which are expensive. Possibly put this place on the market to sell and have the funds to be ready to purchase when we go shopping, sometime after April 1.