Florida pt 1

Went to Staples before 9 am and got Norton Internet for $60 w/ two rebates totaling $60. So if/when the rebate checks come in, it was free.

Left J Christopher's in Sandy Springs before 10 am. No traffic through downtown on 75. Gas at Costco in Morrow was 1.63. Also made two pit stops (before and after). And of course minutes later there was a station with 1.57.

Shortly thereafter it started to mist, then rain. Rain on and off until FL welcome station, where it poured while I ate. I had gotten my usual take-away salad w/avocado ranch and put it in the back of the car.

Called Bill before leaving.

Traffic everywhere was fast. In GA except when rain was pouring ~80. In Fl, where there was no rain after the welcome station, 80-90. At 90 I was still 1) getting passed, 2) getting tailgated. Crazy.

Got to exit 275 before 6 pm. It took 20 min to get to New Port Richey. Then 10 min to find the address in the development. They have address numbers on the units that were not lit. They have numbers/letters on some mail boxes which are easy to read but mean nothing.

I have heard of living on a golf course, but Bill and Marie's backyard is the golf course -- the eleventh fairway. The hazard on the other side of the fairway is a creek w/snakes and aligators. on the edge of it are orange, lime and grapefruit trees, w/fruit in all stages of existence (fresh fall to rotten) on the ground. Also a few strange oak trees w/Spanish moss in the branches.

In Houston, oaks grow mostly straight to 20-30 ft tall. In Atlanta, less oaks but taller (30-40), as are all trees there. Probably because of the shallow clay layer in Houston vs hard clayey soil but no clay layer.

Here, in sandy soil/sand, the oaks are up to about 15 ft but branch out in strange and beautiful ways.