Tiki Girll

I am SO ready for the cooler weather that we get here in FL in November, December and January. I get to open the windows! I get to do WAY more things outside. I get to wear jeans and socks and long sleeved shirts! Haha.. I am not sure if I miss real winters or not. On one hand, I miss the beauty of the snow. On the other, I do not miss the shoveling, the driving, the ice, all of that not-so-fun stuff that winter brings. I often think “Oh! I miss it so much!”

Then I remember what it is like in WV during the winter. Then I remember what it was like in coastal Massachusetts in the winter. The two places have vastly different winters. Massachusetts is damp and cold. It settles into your bones and chills you from the inside out. It takes a very long time to warm up after you have been out in it for awhile.

In WV, the winters that I remember were bitingly cold. When you walked outside and took a breath, it hurt. It hurt your nasal passages, where everything would just about freeze instantly! (Gross, I know…)
I remember banging my hand on something one time and I SWORE my bones broke under my skin! The air stays dry, and it makes it feel SO much colder. My hands and face were always chapped.

It is hard to miss a season that does that to you!!

And let’s not talk about the ice. In Massachusetts, being on the coast meant that the temperature was always a few degrees warmer. So while Boston was pelted with snow, we got the rain. Sometimes the snow would come, freezing everything under its blanket of white. That was always fun…I would forget about the hours of rain prior to the snow. The next morning I would go bolting out the door, only to land squarely on my rump.

One particular winter, I think it was 1993, we had lots of rain. I was mad because I wanted snow. My parents were away on a cruise. They had finally received the check for my Dad’s social security disability, (back paid almost 3 years) and after catching up on the mortgage and other bills, took some much needed down time for themselves. So while they were relaxing in the Caymans, I was in our house FREEZING to death because after all of that rain, it snowed.

And snowed. And then, it rained again. A lot. I wish I had taken pictures. Everything was covered in inches of ice. We had no power, no heat. It took a long time to thaw out.

I am too old for that crap. I am not up to dealing with losing power and heat in the dead of winter! My blood is too thin!

Which is why FL winters are so awesome! NO SNOW!

I had a dream last night that I was snorkeling and I found an old fashioned chest full of gold bullion, jewels, and old artifacts. How cool would that be?

I have not actually been snorkeling, not since moving to Florida. How sad. We were at the beach yesterday and saw several people out in the water snorkeling. T promised me a long time ago that he would take me to the Keys. I do not care how broke we are, I am holding him to that! I WILL get there, some day!

I know that I would never find treasure, but snorkeling it seems like such a peaceful thing to do. The water was very clear yesterday. We spent a lot of time watching fish of all shapes and sizes swim around us. I was also able to see a rather large group of stingrays coming towards us. We backed it up a bit, and watched them swim by. It is interesting to observe them. They are very graceful. I look forward to snorkeling in the Keys someday.. Have you ever been snorkeling? If so, where? Did you see anything super cool??