Welcoming 2023!

Hello from Florida, and Happy New Year!

Just one opening question – did everyone you know – including yourself – come down with the most gosh-awful cold ever imagined just before, during, or right after Christmas? It seemed to hit everyone we know – Florida and Georgia – during that time, and Ted and I were certainly not immune to it. Right after we got home from Atlanta, we both spent a few days feeling pretty darn miserable, and we’ve still got the residual cough from it. Hoping friends who are reading this from other parts of the country dodged it – or at least had light cases!

We always have a blast in Atlanta, and this time was no different! We ate fabulous food, opened gifts, and spent quality time with Jason, Jen, Alex, Blake – and, of course, Axl Rose. P.S. Alex is growing up way too fast!

We’ve had quite a few days of really cool, sunny, and beautiful weather since the new year began, and we sure have been enjoying it. Florida is just the best place to be in the winter, and you sure can’t beat the sunset views!

View from our deck at sunset January 1 . . .

. . . . and same time January 2. You just never know what you’re going to get!

Mackinac Island Over the Last Few Days

Mackinac Island lost the majority of the snow it received during the holidays, but no worries – they just got a lot more! All the pics below and the header are from Tom Chambers.

This is from a couple of days after Christmas. Snow was still on the ground . . .

. . . but a few days later the streets were mostly clear and bikes were once more the most used form of transportation – especially downtown. This photo was on Jan. 4 . . .

. . . but by early morning on Jan. 5 this was happening . . .

. . . and this!

The snow globe continued into the afternoon.

By January 6 the snow had ended, and the island once more became a Currier & Ives painting.

The outline of Grand Hotel and Fort Mackinac.

It always amazes me how even the most pale colors stand out when everything else is winter white. In this pic there are pale blues, greens, yellows – and a pop of red. Did you spot it?

Back in Florida with Mackinac News

Last year when we left the island, Ted and I were seriously thinking we might have made our last “long-term” island trip. We both know how tiring that three day trip is for us now and added to that was my dilemma – since I’ve given up bike riding due to knee and balance issues – of not being able to get everywhere I wanted to go. Walking is still ok, but there are a lot of places – some of them my favorites – that I want to be able to still visit without a three-hour hike.

So we’ve talked about it from all the angles, the pros and the cons, the negatives and the positives. And staying true to that Horton spirit of ours . . . instead of going up for FOUR months this summer, we’re going up for FIVE! Yes, you read that right.

Can I just tell you we are SO excited. We will be there June 1 and plan to stay until near the end of October, good Lord willing. We are researching pedal-assist recumbent bikes and also pedal-assist adult trikes. I’ve never ridden one of the trikes, but a few island friends have them. As soon as we get there I’m going to try out one of theirs, and if I feel comfortable with it, we’ll get one ordered, and I’ll be back to being really and truly “mobile for the whole island” again. If the trike makes me nervous, we may have to order a recumbent. We will figure it out!

So that’s where we are at the moment – enjoying Florida and looking forward to a Mackinac summer. Can’t wait to be up there sharing my happy place with everyone who loves it like we do. But for now . . .

. . . Florida is definitely not a bad place to be!

God bless.