Monday, November 5, 2007

It's a Dry Heat.....O.K. Just a Little Drier.

Current Conditions
Clear
67°
Wind: NNW 7 mph
Dewpoint: 53°
Humidity: 61%
Visibility: 10.0 miles
Barometer: 30.06 in

Today's Forecast
Morning
Partly Cloudy
High: 61°
Afternoon
Partly Cloudy
High: 77°
Sunrise: 6:31 AM Sunset: 5:36 PM

This weekend after seven months of heat and humidity, the ‘dry season’ arrived. This of course is a misnomer. If you remember the Super Bowl that the Chicago Bears lost last February, it was played in a monsoonal downpour. They refer to this as the dry season because after the first ‘cold front’ pushes through here, the humidity drops from ninety percent to a more reasonable sixty percent.

Cold fronts in South Florida aren’t the same as the cold fronts that I remember when I lived in Chicago. Last nights low temperature dropped to a fresh sixty five degrees, and this afternoon we experienced a brisk eighty four according to my thermometer. Brrrr. That of course is nothing like Chicago where on one day it may be ninety nine degrees outside and you wake up the next morning to find the cats tongue frozen to her bowl of water because you fell asleep with the windows open.

This is my favorite time of the year, even my dog Molly has more bounce in her step. It’s a lot like when I was a kid and the first warm day of spring dawned after a long, gray, cold winter. The only difference is that I haven’t had to bundle up in twenty layers of clothes every time I went out the door, and I wasn’t in danger of getting frostbite before I got back indoors. So basically I replaced freezing in winter up north with walking around in a constant sweat all summer here.

The citizens of South Florida will be able to enjoy this weather for about three weeks before the onslaught of large cars and suv’s with Quebec license plates clog our highways. They are followed soon after by New York, Illinois, New Jersey and the rest of the crowds from up north. Going to a restaurant will be a challenge, finding a parking space when you go out will be impossible, and ordering a drink at my favorite bar will require patience. Gee, I love this weather.

2 comments:

  1. It's a bit early to start rubbing it in......

    Yes, we up here in Michigan are going to experience our first snow of the season. Although it probably won't stick, it's a sign that winter is just around the corner.

    But unlike South Florida, living up north in the middle of "Amish Acres" is cheap. First, there is no water bill. You just pay for the electricity to pump it up from the ground. There is no mortgage as Grandpa paid it off in the year 1940...all $300. dollars of it.

    My electric bill is probably hovering on average of $50. month as I use all "green" low watt bulbs and work at night I use minimal electricity.

    I'm in the process of figuring out how to disconnect from the power grid by installing solar collectors to recharge batteries that will be running my electric needs. I'm typing this message with my computer running on 12 volt battery power with a converter. A Solar panel will soon recharge the battery each day.

    Yes, I have a lot of time to think out in the middle of the Manistee Forest.

    Since I don't eat expensive meats and eat mainly at work which is provided for me, my food bill low.

    As for heat, I use propane (avg $75.month) which I use sparingly and am working on a solar heat exchange system to supplement it.

    The only other expense is property taxes with I split with my sister who has homestead exemption. (another $50.)

    I use about $25. in gasoline for the car each week.

    So that is why I'm choosing to endure the winters up here for now. For $200. per month can I live up here.

    I have no debt as the sale and profit of my Florida home paid it all off.

    If I did move to Florida I probably would be giving over 1/2 my salary just for basic living expenses, sky high property taxes, a water bill, high energy costs.

    I think I'll just join the Canadians on the convoy down I-75 each January 1st. hehe

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  2. And there ya have it. The opposing views with respect to living in Florida. I have mixed feelings about it myself. The cost of living here is outrageous but winters up north are so unbearable. Summers here are hotter than hell and winters up there are colder than "ice"? I couldn't think of a better analogy. I don't want to live in the woods either.

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