The only difference between this post and being trapped at somebody’s house as they whip out their laptop to regale you with vacation pictures is that here you have the option to move on.
But I will attempt to lure you in with the enticing proposition of seeing my beach wear.
Behold:
Rumor has it some people actually bask in the warm sunshine while vacationing in Florida. Obviously nothing but tourist propaganda from my experience. Here was my first clue that I might have packed abundant unsuitable attire:
And my second.
So what is one to do when it is freezing in Florida? If you’re anything like me, heave a sigh of relief that no pool time is on the schedule and trot off to the nearest historical site. We chose beautiful St. Augustine, our nation’s oldest permanent city.
Settled by the Spanish 450 years ago, St. Augustine was home to the first Catholic Parish church, the first city government, and the first free Black settlement.
If not for freezing in Florida, we might have missed all of this:
And the supremely Floridian kitsch seen on the secondary roads:
And you know how I love a good ruin. In New Smyrna Beach, where nobody was on the beach, there resides a sugar mill plantation which was destroyed by Seminole Indians and black slaves in 1835.
If it were not for freezing temps in sunny Florida, we might have missed some tremendous sights.
The same holds true for Virginia, sadly, as we learned upon our return:
Zero degree temperatures and 100-year old houses are not a compatible duo. BH gave me very specific instructions of exactly how to shut the water supply off and drain the taps. And I followed said instructions to the letter….except I added my own special touch by deciding to close the taps just before walking out the door. Seemed liked a good idea at the time.
Remember my post a few weeks ago about what our choice of luxury might be? I amend mine to this:
Hope to be able to catch up a bit with you and your blogs very soon. But there’s some clean-up to do around here first. Last night this happened:
Thinking Spring,
Barbara
I told you it was cold down here. 🙂 I’m glad you found something worthwhile to do. I don’t understand what happened to your water while you were away, but I hope you get it fixed soon! 🙂
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You did tell me, Rachel, and you were absolutely right! Of course I was already down there, but that’s OK. LOL! Pipes are fixed and we await the next disaster in our 100-year old house. It’s always something.
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Oh, no! Well, enjoy the peace while it lasts. 🙂
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Oh Dear! Just love the snow photo, so beautiful! I hope your house stands up to the freezing temperatures.
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These old houses built so long ago just don’t stand up to freakishly cold weather very well. Oh well, It will be another few months when we’re all complaining about the heat. Can’t wait!!
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Adventures! I love ruins too, and all that culture you ended up with…So you have snow as well? Well, we didn’t get any for the whole winter, and now it is Mars. Your tour has cheered me up!
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I’m glad you were able to find a way to enjoy your time in Florida in spite of the unseasonable weather. Turning frozen Florida lemons into lemonade…!
How awful to return to frozen pipes though. We’ve had it happen a few times, and it is never a pleasant experience. I hope you get things sorted out quickly, and with minimal damage.
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Thanks, Kristie, truly we had a great time and the pipe are all repaired now. All’s well that ends well, as the wise person once said. And it didn’t even cost an arm and a leg. Go Piggy’s Plumbing!!
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I love that plantation! It’s probably a lot more comfortable to wander around in cool weather than the middle of summer which is my usual vacation time.
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It was fabulous in the extreme. You’re right, of course, during a cold snap infinitely more walkable then in the dog days of summer. Can you even imagine the working conditions of those poor slaves?
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I know. It’s no wonder they burned the place down.
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