Farewell for Another Year

Today we are packing and cleaning. Our time in Florida has come to an end, and we will be leaving early in the morning tomorrow.

We have had an eventful winter here and will miss the sunshine and warmth, but spring will come to northern Maine and we will be there to enjoy it. One of the negative things about Florida is the lack of season change. Things are greener and more trees are in blossom than there were when we came in January, but the changes are not dramatic like the snow melt, the ice out, and mud season.

Gary has made many strides in his art career. Here you can see the gallery that he has been working with, and one of his original paintings on display in the window of  the gallery.  He is leaving two behind with the hope of selling them here. The car is going to be full of paintings, prints, and cards to bring home. He plans to exhibit and sell them there.

The only guest we have had this year in Florida is Louise's cousin, Tobey Lombardo. Here is a picture of the two of them together.

And so we conclude our winter trip to the south. There is much we have come to love about Florida. The sunshine and warmth defy the imagination, and this has been a very warm winter. There is an ease of living here that defies the New England ethic of being busy every minute and working hard to get by. On the other hand, it is very busy, has lots of traffic and crazy people. It isn't home. We look forward to visiting family and friends we have missed over the past three months.

So as we load the car to make the trip, we say farewell to another winter in the sun. See you soon!