A February post

Hi Blog readers.
It is a stormy day in Naples, FL. Today was a biking day but was cancelled due to the rain and wind. This is the first time since I arrived here Jan. 1st that we have not been able to bike. This storm is supposed to clear out by mid-day though. Yesterday, our Zumba dance group did manage to meet for an hour. I enjoy dancing the Zumba and hope I can find a group up north. My concern upon arriving back in Hartford is maintaining the current level of health and fitness I have achieved this winter. My diet has been good too with all the fresh organic veggies and fruits at the daily farmers mkts. I will miss many things about life in SW Florida. Would I choose to stay year-round? Probably not. I had a chance to do so a few years ago but chose to migrate to VT and NY 4 or 5 mos. I adapted quite nicely to that period of migration. Unfortunately, the concern over my ability or inability to use my eyes to drive dictated it was time to settle in. I realized after opening all my storage boxes and seeing my furniture after 5 years how much I wanted a permanent home. I love my gardens too. Now here I am aboard the Bearfoot Bus again after a 2 year hiatus, planning my migratory route back north in a few days. I feels very normal actually. My plans are always flexible according to weather, my eyes and mechanics of the bus. Right now, we will leave here on the 8th , spending our first night at Rally Park in Thonotosassa, FL. I have a couple of things I want Lazy Days to check out before the trip north. I also want to visit my dear friends who are dealing with a serious health issue. When we leave there, we will go up the East coast to Myrtle Beach for a couple of days, then on to Oriental, NC to visit with friends there. From there to Richmond, VA to see my daughter Lisa and her family and to see several friends in the surrounding area. After Richmond, it is all according to the weather windows we see. At this point, I don’t have an arrival date.

Reflections on my surroundings: I sit in my “southern” church amongst a thousand others who are mostly white-haired or bald-ing. I feel very comfortable and expansive among “my people”. I have learned to admire and love our shapes and our physical appearances. I share our love of fun and silly childish activities, our ability to laugh at ourselves. I admire and appreciate our lack of ego-centered competition amongst the “haves and have-nots” . All of that said, I have to say I abhor the constant evidence of senior ROAD RAGE directed not only to fellow motorists but also at bikers. The campaign in FL to Share The Road seems to have fallen on blind eyes and deaf ears. The energy felt when one is the victim of intimidation by another is one of pure hatred. I experienced it here a few years ago while biking but it has accelerated in frequency and volume. I find I am developing a defensive shield. I think older people are becoming more cranky and I wonder what contributes to their anger.

Well, there you have it for now……. I remain poised but not quite ready to roll on northward.