Warm and Wonderful

People say Florida has no seasons, but we really do. Granted, the changes aren't as extreme as they are "up north" (meaning anything above Valdosta, Georgia). But those of us who have lived here for a while no longer accept the contention that Florida's seasons consist only of hot and hotter. Summer is scorching, it's true. But that's why we've got swimming pools, the ocean, rivers and lakes. And during the winter, it does, in fact, get cold-and by "cold" I mean temperatures may fall into the 30s or 40s-for a couple of weeks.

Heck, we even have a hard freeze every once in a while. And I'm told there was a dusting of snow here 30 or 40 years ago, but I'm not sure I believe it.

Spring literally explodes here, as all of the dead leaves fall off the trees and our lawns and gardens seem to rejuvenate themselves almost overnight. That happens in the fall most places, but, as the old slogan goes, "the rules are different here."

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year in Florida. The humidity eases and the temperature drops just a bit. But it's still warm enough to go to the beach or jump into the pool.

And evening cookouts are wonderful this time of year. The bugs have vanished and, when the sun goes down, you can feel just the slightest nip in the air. Of course, it's not enough of a nip that you can't wear shorts and a tee-shirt if you so choose. Still, you get the point.

Our leaves don't change colors like they do other places, so we decorate our porches for fall. As Halloween nears, you'll see pumpkins, scarecrows and bright red and orange foliage (of the paper and silk variety) everywhere. I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to live in Florida-and especially in Orlando. In addition to the great weather, we've got terrific employers (our unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the country), a vibrant arts community and professional sports teams.

As for natural beauty, when you fly over Orlando you'll see we have almost more lakes than land. And beaches on both coasts are just an hour to an hour-and-a-half away.

And, as the world knows, we've got every theme park imaginable. We locals like to sniff that we don't patronize the theme parks unless visiting friends or relatives force us to, but the truth is, we like Mickey as much as everybody else does, and are grateful for a convenient excuse to go. Plus, with the theme parks come fantastic restaurants, great shopping and exciting nightlife.

So you can keep your change of the seasons. I'm happy to know that almost every day will be sunny and warm, with a chance of afternoon showers. If I want snow, I'll get my fill while skiing at some fabulous resort.

If you haven't moved here yet, what are you waiting for? You don't know what you're missing. Or, by now, maybe you do.