Out of the Cold

What a difference two days...and 1400 miles to the south make! About 100 degrees! When we left Wisconsin on Friday morning, the temperature had fallen to below zero during the previous evening. On Sunday the high in Englewood FL was 87! We'll take the 80s and no snow, thank you....

Here's a view from Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda on Sunday afternoon. Lot of white fluffy clouds in the sky.

We spent our first night in the South in Macon GA. A winter storm hit the area earlier last week and signs of snow were still visible when we set out on the second leg of our trip on  Saturday morning.

People abandoned their cars on the side of the highways. We saw a few remaining on I 75 as we passed through northern Georgia.

Our first stop on Sunday morning, after breakfast at Sweet's Diner in Port Charlotte (where I drank my coffee out of a mug commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Cascade WI State Bank), was the Farmers' Market at the History Park in Punta Gorda. It was so nice to be able to wander around the various vendors. Flowering plants were a welcome sight.

Along with the farmers in the Punta Gorda area, a few artists plied their creative wares....

Big birds (no, not THE Big Bird from Sesame Street) were evident at Fisherman's Village.

Of course, we finished up the day with two trips to mobile home parks where the residents have to be over 55. It's really not a bad way to retire. There are lots of activities during the week with people who are enjoying leisure and are mostly from the MIdwest. Maybe next year....

Rick said I would  update my blog daily while we were in FL. Maybe not that often, but I'll do my best to keep you abreast of these Wisconsin wanderers who are enjoying Florida for the next several weeks.