Saturday, February 10, 2007

ahhhhhhh

i'm back from florida!
the weather was beautiful. sunshine every day, highs 65 - 74. the air smelled wonderful.
here's something i noticed both times i traveled to a warm location -- somewhere around day 3 something strange happens. in the cold north every muscle is tight -- as if bracing for a blow. but around day 3 of warm weather those muscles relax. it happens all at once, as if the body finally realizes it no longer has to be in severe clench mode.

this is the cottage where i stayed before heading to my dad's house.



paynes prairie state park







this preserve is amazing. fifty miles long; fifteen miles wide. located between gainesville and ocala off 75.

paynes prairie

another cool place:
micanopy

21 comments:

Heather Harper said...

I'm glad you enjoyed your warm retreat.

I thought of you at the store the other day. Saw one of those full body wrap blankets that snap up the sides. A mix between a blanket and a robe. It was electric.

Spring is almost here...

Kelly (Lynn) Parra said...

Welcome back, Lady! ;D I missed my Static fix, but Martha was great to have as a guest!

pattinase (abbott) said...

I am so jealous.

anne frasier said...

blogger is eating my comments as fast as i post them!! grrr!

heather, the body wrap sounds wonderful!! i'm already imagining hobbling around outside with a really long cord. :D

kelly, martha did a great job, and you guys were all so welcoming!

anne frasier said...

patti, haha! sorry. no, i'm not. ;) but i've returned to the cold north to tell you it really is green and warm not that far away. pretty amazing.

Stephen Blackmoore said...

Welcome back? I'm not sure that's appropriate for a return to the snow ridden northern climes. Is it snowing? Or is it just tit-freezing cold?

Either way, glad you made it back safe. Now go someplace warmer.

emeraldcite said...

Maybe moving farther south? It's a buyer's market, now, or so they say. I know that prices in our area have dropped pretty significantly. Not so good for those who bought houses in the boom, but great for buyers.

Hulles said...

Glad you're back! As you know.

anne frasier said...

stephen, let's just say i'm not looking forward to nude wednesday. brrrr.

we haven't had that much snow this winter. very strange for minnesota.


emeraldcite -- around ocala it still seems to be a seller's market, so that's interesting to hear about prices in your area. i'm not sure i'd buy right now, yet at the same time it does seem like a good time to do just that.

the market has certainly shifted here. people are selling houses for less than they paid for them.

anne frasier said...

hi hulles! we have to get together for coffee. not on nude wednesday though!

angie said...

Yep, definitely time to seek territory on a permanent basis. Glad you had a good time & got to really relax.

briliantdonkey said...

Guess I need to check in a bit more often. Glad you had a good trip down to my neck of the woods. Welcome back.

BD

anne frasier said...

thanks, angie. i've already started going through my crap and hauling stuff out of my house. hope to have this joint on the market in another month.

BD, thanks! it was wonderful down in your neck of the woods, that's for sure!

Alex Adams said...

Wow, that looks gorgeous!

Good to have you back, Anne :)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful Anne! Glad you had a great time. We're having pretty good weather down here now. Later in the week, it's going to get a little brisk, though.

So far, I'm pretty blown away by the ride Soarin' in Epcot. Also, the test track was pretty good too. My little one says, "you lied to me." I told her it just goes straight to get her on the dang thing. And not too fast. The reality? Not so straight or slow, I'm afraid. MGM is Friday at the latest. I'll probably try the Tower of Terror, but if I die, it's your fault!

anne frasier said...

hi alex! thank you so much! :)

jason, yay!! you of all people can't go to disney world without going to tower of terror:

Brave the creepy facade of a once-glorious hotel for a jolt back in time. Board a phantom elevator, shoot up 13 stories and brace yourself for a thrilling plummet... but beware! The experience just got scarier. You rocket back up, only to plummet down yet again. You dare to ride once more, but wait! That's not what happened before. That's right, now the Tower is in control, so it's never the same fear twice!

anne frasier said...

oh, i keep forgetting to say that i ate gator when i was in florida. :D

Anonymous said...

Was it pestering you? :D

I trust it was delicious.

anne frasier said...

jason, yes it WAS pestering me. and strangely enough it was breaded and fried!

texture: very tender, although i'm told gator can be tough and chewy. the breading was so spicy that i have no idea what the gator actually tasted like. it didn't seem to have much flavor -- maybe a little like catfish, but a different texture.

briliantdonkey said...

Yes Gator tends to be either SUPER melt in your mouth tender, or really REALLY rubbery(like chewing on a super ball). As for the taste, to me it is kind of like chicken, but then again, isn't everything?

BD

anne frasier said...

BD: yeah, i hated to say chicken, but that is the best comparison. :D

i'd like to try it cooked a different way, but i was told breaded and fried is about the only way it's done.