January 21st, 2025

This is the current view out our front door. It's a chilly, grey, windy, rainy day here in Venice today.  Not what a person normally thinks of when they think of Florida.    At times it's just more drizzle than anything else and then it'll kick into high gear and absolutely pour down rain for a bit, then back off again.  Not a typical beach day for sure.  Usually, even in the winter, or perhaps especially in the dreary winter, Florida is the sunshiney respite from despicable winter days elsewhere.

Not today.

But I really should not complain. At least here it's merely rain.  There are parts of Florida that, today and tomorrow are getting the real deal winter weather.  I am absolutely serious. The current weather forecast is for some parts of Florida to have snow, sleet and ice!  Oh My Stars and Garters as my Nana would have said.  That is not just crazy, it's insane!    Florida doesn't have snow removal equipment. We have plenty of sand, come to think of it, but I'm not certain they have a way to spread it on the icey roads.  Or drivers that know how to navigate safely on said icey roads. 

However bad it actually is, it won't last long. But that will be cold comfort, literally, for those folks who live in homes with insulation not intended for true winter weather.  Did you know that some of the older homes in Florida do not have central heat?  They didn't think they would ever need it I suppose.  I mean if you were here in August, you would never imagine ever needing to put on a sweater let alone turn on the heat in your home. I get it.

I saw on the news this morning, that some adorable little town in Louisiana, somewhere west of New Orleans, had snowthis morning. Real snow. Accumulating snow!  I'm sure it's very exciting!  But equally sure that most of those Louisiana residents have doubts about their ability to drive on snow covered roads.

  Historically,  (I checked of course) the coldest weather EVER in recorded history in the entire state of Florida was minus 2 degrees!  That was in Tallahassee in 1899.  wow!  Back in 1954, Milton Florida experienced it's biggest snowfall of 4 entire inches!   I know that in snowy places, 4 inches is the same as no inches at all. But down here in the sunshine state, we believe that would be as strange as the state of Maine suddenly having thriving palm trees where all of their pine trees used to stand.  And we will categorize that under "Highly Unlikely"

I'm all wrapped up in a big oversized sweatshirt that was previously Tim's but has since mysteriously moved over to my side of the closet, with long pants, socks and closed toed shoes while I consume copious amount of hot water to stay warm.   Tim has split the difference.  He is wearing shorts but with a long-sleeved shirt, and is barefoot, crazy man that he is.

The kittyboys are split.  Wyatt loves the cooler air. I think he was a Norwegian Forest Cat in a previous life.  He will stare at me and tap at windows until I give in and open one for a short time.  He then hops up and sits in the open window with rain pelting him and the wind ruffling his fur with his head up, his eyes closed and his nose twitching, smelling all those good outside smells.  Brysco on the other hand, moves from cozy warm nest to cozy warm nest through the day.  We make sure that there are enough places for him with soft blankets that he can burrow into and we drop by occasionally to give a pet or two as he closes his eyes in toasty warm bliss.

Obviously, we won't be doing the noonwalk today.  I have no problem taking off my hearing aids and having a nice stroll through a gentle warm spring rain, but this rain is neither warm nor gentle. So I have to fill my day with inside things like the ironing - the pile is currently on the kitchen table where I cannot ignore it. I suppose I could just curl up and read all day. Or alternately read and nap, that's a winner idea!  Or maybe bake something first so I can read, munch AND nap.  That sounds like the best idea so far.

I made oatmeal for Tim's breakfast today. A nice healthy hearty hot breakfast, was my thought.  It was the slow cooking, constantly stirring on the stove top type of oatmeal that takes about a half hour. Despite the fact that I stirred until I thought my arm was going to fall off, the milk still scorched a bit and afterwards I had to look up how to get milk scorch off a pan.  (it worked by the way). All of which took longer than I anticipated.   I should have finished this post a few hours ago and be half way through the ironing by now! At first I was kind of annoyed by being "behind" and then I remembered that I'm retired! I don't have deadlines anymore!!  teehee  

Anyway, whatever the weather is where you are, hope you are safe, hope you are happy, hope you are healthy

I'm going to decide what sort of cookie to bake, just in case the spirit moves me in that direction.  Then I'll roast a chicken.  Somewhere in between the two, maybe my nap :)

I believe in making the best use of a situation.  I think I've got this rainy day thing down.