Christmas in Florida

Then.... in the middle of South Mountain Rd. in front of our farmhouse in NY

Now... (photo from sptimes.com)

In case you were wondering what life was like in the South during Christmas, here it is.  I thought it was really weird when I first move here in '03, but some of the decorations can be quite stunning with the palm frond decorations.  

There are a few nice points to remember when living down here.  I DO miss the snow and smell of wood burning fires and the smell of freezing ice, but there is always a flip side, like:

1.  I can go to the beach and smell the salt air whenever the mood strikes me.

2.  I can where a t-shirt anywhere, anytime (insert flip flops, shorts, bikini, tank top, skirt in place of t-shirt ).

3.  Watching outside soccer practice is not a numbing ordeal, although hot chocolate in 65 degree weather can't hurt, especially with mini marshmallows.

4.  Pineapple is in season here every day.

5.  I have fresh herbs and veggies growing in my yard all year round.

6.  There are leaves on the trees and beautiful plants and flowers in bloom.  This supports the diminishing honey bee population, so the more flowers I plant, the better off they are.

7.  Our Jeep always has the top off (and sometimes the doors) unless it's raining.

8.  Skateboarding and biking doesn't have to be weather dependent.  Snow can really put a damper on wheel attached fun toys...

10.  The hose remains an outside toy year round.