Florida in the Fall, Winter and Spring

Most of our neighborhood leaves for the summer and returns for the winter here in the Tampa Bay area. I still don't understand that concept. OK, we don’t get snow, but temperatures can and often in the winter reach the high 20's.

This morning I awoke to a crisp 52 degrees. Now for October that is way below normal. Maybe after all the weather system is changing, I don't know. I do know Miami never reached such cold temperatures and yet we are only 300 miles from Miami.

Don't get me wrong I like the nice cool weather. It’s refreshing after what they say was the hottest summer on record for the Tampa Bay area. As I write this blog, I am wearing a nice sweater and socks outside where I tend to be when it's not as hot as hell! You see the summers here to me are as I imagine a fiery hell to be. I don’t particularly like it.

However the reason for our recent trips is being made as a way to say goodbye this will be explained in another blog). However here we are in Tampa Bay and for a number of reasons here we may finally stay and live for a period of time. I would have preferred MA where we have more rights and our relationship is accepted and embraced, but except for my children my family is here, we feel welcomed and so this is going to be home.

Yes I do have to tolerate the summer. We tend to hide inside for a few months. But there is nothing like 50/60's at night and 80's during the day in the fall, winter and spring. We get to use our sweaters, use our jeans and long sleeve shirts verses walking around practically naked and change underwear 3-4 times a day due to sweat. All our neighbors are returning soon, but they return to cooler weather and this is the part I find confused. Most live in Atlanta, NC/SC, so I don't see the difference.

If we could afford it we would go north for the winter to enjoy the seasons, white xmas and the beauty to see things come to life in the spring time and come here for the hot summers so we could swim and enjoy the water sports. Maybe I am from NE so I have things backwards. But I would rather be Jet Skiing in Tampa bay where the water is 84 in the summer than Cape Cod where is 58. If I could I would enjoy the north for its seasons and the south for its summer. But then I am not your normal type of guy.