Where I am now--about halfway between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach--is not what comes to most people's minds when you mention "Florida." Although some of the flora and fauna--at least the ones found here now--are similar to what's found further south, the climate is different. Frost covered lawns on the first morning of my trip here; the next day was like one in May in the New York area.
And, contrary to what you might have heard, there are seasons here, though they are not as pronounced as the ones that rule the north. There are no maples and oaks that blaze orange, red and yellow before burning into ashen shades. Instead, you are more likely to see something like this:
And it's likely to be found in this sort of landscape:
With backdrops like those, houses festooned with lights and other decorations seem incongruous, and sometimes even disconcerting. To me, some of the most attractively decorated houses actually look best in daylight:
Here is a view of the right side of that house:
At least the end of the day--the holiday, anyway--ends with something familiar and welcome:
and other rewards:
I shared the eggplant lasagna, stuffed mushrooms, meat sauce, salad, cheesecake and cookies with people I love. After all, even after a Christmas Day bike ride, I couldn't eat everything all by myself!
And, contrary to what you might have heard, there are seasons here, though they are not as pronounced as the ones that rule the north. There are no maples and oaks that blaze orange, red and yellow before burning into ashen shades. Instead, you are more likely to see something like this:
And it's likely to be found in this sort of landscape:
With backdrops like those, houses festooned with lights and other decorations seem incongruous, and sometimes even disconcerting. To me, some of the most attractively decorated houses actually look best in daylight:
Here is a view of the right side of that house:
At least the end of the day--the holiday, anyway--ends with something familiar and welcome:
and other rewards:
I shared the eggplant lasagna, stuffed mushrooms, meat sauce, salad, cheesecake and cookies with people I love. After all, even after a Christmas Day bike ride, I couldn't eat everything all by myself!
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