Thursday, April 21, 2011

Inspiration and Spring - Same Thing



Went for a ride this morning, just up the road and I notice the mountain side is covered with all sorts of flowers, small, blue and purple wild pansies, yellow daffodils, pink flower I have no idea what they are but they are beautiful. Apple, peach and cherry trees are in bloom and of course the dogwoods. The mountains, that a month ago were brown and tired looking, now look green or a vibrant, expectant color of red, buds getting ready to turn green. There are waterfalls everywhere and the water is COLD! Yes, this is my first full spring up in the mountains and I know for those of you who have lived up here or in any of the mountainous states most or all of your lives this is normal for you, for me, I was born in West Virginia but lived in Florida since I was three, so you can understand this is really an experience for me. There is spring in Florida, the ocean temperature warms up so you can go in it to swim, and for a short period it is pleasant - up until about mid June, then its like taking a hot bath, that is after you burn your feet getting across the hot sand. The air temperature goes from a comfortable mid 70's to an extremely humid 85 plus, and within a month you are sweating it out in the 90's with the a/c unit set at about 75 degrees. If you turn it down any lower, there goes your pay check out the window. And of course - now you get ready for hurricane season and hope one doesn't hit your area. The last five years I lived down there we were hit 3 times in as many years and two more near misses - OH and that's a direct hit, with the eye going over, not counting the storms' really hitting but not the eye. So you get the worst just not the direct hit of the "calm" center. Now you suffer through six to eight months of extreme heat, humidity and high electric bills. Thank you I'll take these mountains.



However - you have to figure, if mother nature wants you - she'll get you where ever you are. So the secret is to go where you are the most comfortable. I could ride my bicycle in Florida easier, I'm not Lance Armstrong and these mountains are used to train the riders for the Tour de France - I'll have to work up to them. Florida is pancake flat. Then again, the mountains are great to hike in. Hiking in Florida is a three water bottle endeavor and that's for an hours walk.

There is ONE thing I do miss, those launches from Kennedy Space Center - probably the only thing - I did have a good view of them - I didn't miss many. I always wished the astronauts safe flights and a good journey home. Now I have to do it while watching a TV launch.



For now I find a different type of inspiration here, more toward the Fae, Wizards and witches, Florida is more - well those stories are still on the burner and cooking I've a good memory for them not to worry and no reason to go back down there for a long while.



One thing here - I don't think I'll get over the wind in the trees - WOW and I thought the hurricane winds were something - they have mini ones here - it is really spectacular and then there are the winters here - those are fabulous - I just have to learn not to slip in the snow and fall on my a......

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