The Florida Keys were the only place I've lived that could possibly qualify as " a happy medium " ! But that's only my experience,..am sure others may have lived in even more idealistic climates. Having said that, the ideal climate of the Keys, the pristine waters/scenery etc, - were the best part of living there year round. The negatives however, out weighted those,... IMHO !

I do believe that no place is perfect, but the positives of this part of Florida far outweigh the negatives, - again IMHO !! Have found my Nirvana,..am quite content here ! LOL

What a beautiful post. Our long, hot summer is kicking into high gear right now. I was going to walk to the bank this morning to get a roll of quarters for laundry, but I got distracted by organizing the large bounty of free pots I got from Lowe's last week, and by 10:00, it was already 86 with a 99 heat index, so I guess laundry is going to have to wait. Oddly, the mornings have been cool, so it's hard to drag myself indoors to do anything.

Speaking of mockingbirds, mine loves Everglades tomatoes, so I grew one up in a pot just for him, and put tomato cages around it for him to sit on while he eats. He's so picky. He waits until they are almost overripe, checking on them every day, then he comes in and chows down. It's so much fun to watch him. I did pick a few and leave them in a plate on the ground for the Carolina wrens and finches. It's amazing what birds will eat when pickings are slim.

Thanks Pea and Deb for your intuitive comments ! Now to wrap up this slightly
raggedy post , - addressing only the weather ! Most year round " happy
medium " locations, I think, will have lots of water nearby. The Keys
as I've already mentioned, has much milder hi/lo temps, in both summer & winter, than hereabouts. Lived there for 13 yrs, so know that for sure ! I also lived in Pensacola, Fla for 3 yrs, ( very close to Mobile, Al ), so can also say
confidently that the weather up there is also a bit more moderate, ( except for that light snowstorm in winter of '57/'58 LOL ! ). If I ever tend to forget, my old buddy Merle Haggard's words come back to me,...

" About Mobile Bay, magnolia blossoms,
Cool summer nights, warm rolling sea,... "

Am a believer in these singer guys/gals, so I just know around Mobile Bay
has to be a " happy medium " type of place also,...most of the time
anyway ! :o)

Joe, I almost moved to Pensacola but chose Gainesville instead because of hurricanes. I wonder sometimes if I didn't make the wrong choice. As you know, I also almost moved to Englewood, but couldn't find anything I could afford. Rents there are getting outrageous! It used to be a very nice, cheap place to live.

Hey Deb, my only comment is that Gainesville, Florida, - being the home of my beloved Gators, just has to be a great place to live ! Received a 3 hour tour of UF in 1984 and I have been blind to all negative comments about that particular town ever since !!! One of my favorite fruit trees in my plantation out back is, in fact, a Tebow Mango tree !!!!! LOL

Oh, I love Gainesville, but I miss being close to the water. Well, until hurricanes threaten, then I'm happy to be inland.

I keep saying if this monster resort that is swallowing Charlotte Harbor raises my property values enough to allow me to move Gainsville is on my short list of cities to move to. I like the fact that i wouldn't have to worry about storm surge, its still in florida, it has lots of fellow vegetarian, and seems to have a nice evironmentally minded community.

I lived in Pensacola when i was in college. I liked the town and the fact it was only 3 hours away from New Orlens and had a nice budding art community but its very hurricane prone.

I hate this time of year in Florida! I can't breathe, seems like no air. So humid and I can't work outdoors at all.

Now, the Long Hot Summer reminds me of that old movie with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. I was young then and just remember Paul Newman hot and sweaty throughout the movie. One of my favorite movies!!

Great movie and I suppose it was made before air conditioning.

Jane

I have never understood how sweaty equals sexy...to me sweaty equals stinky. Maybe its just florida sweat that stinks but i have a feeling all sweat stinks since deodorant companies make so much money.

Thanks for the neat comments from both youse guys ! Yes Jane, that is the
exact movie I was referring to,..and was young like you when I saw
it,..barely 19 yo as I recall ! And yes, I am sure it was made before
AC was common in most of our " lower- middle- class " homes. That movie
was shown in the US Navy station in Pensacola that I was stationed at, ( NAS Saufley Field ), in Sept 1958, as best I can recall.

And yes Jane, I also agree with you that it was one of the best movies I also had ever seen ! From the comments from all 3 of you ( Deb as well ) I am almost tempted to drive up there and look around Gainesville, but I doubt my bananas and mango's would be able to grow up there in 9a, - at least not as easy as they do here,...and besides we never sweat down here in God's country ! Almost never ! :o)

Whatever, it sure is nice to live in a state where we only have minor squabbles about where's the best place to live is !

I'll tell y'all one thing,...I have been converted,..ah don't feel there is one town in New York State ( my home state ) that can even compare to living in a metal dumster in Key West !!! LOL

I’m thinking of looking for that old movie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof! Paul Newman and Liz Taylor sweating again.

Pea, when Paul Newman sweats, it’s sexy!!

Jofus, I miss so much about NY. The mountains, the trees, the rolling green hills. NYC with lots to do and so much fun. I even loved the snow. Always had big 4wheel SUV’s and could go anywhere. I still drive one in Florida, but no hills or snow around here.

I do love the winters here, though. Wish we had decided to ‘snowbird’ instead of living here year round.

I’m going to see if Netflix has those old movies! Would be fun to watch them again!

I was born in Florida, and so far have lived about 12 years here in JAX, Tampa, and Tallahassee. Truth is, I would leave if I could - I can't stand the steamy, sweaty, hurricaney, gross, bug filled air. But the winters are truly glorious! I wouldn't mind a little snow now and then, but you really can't complain in the winter.

Everywhere has its ups and downs - MN and WI winters are long, dark and cold. The mid-atlantic summers are WORSE than Florida - hotter, and almost as humid. Upper plains are cold and dry, and getting a boxelder or cottonwood to grow is considered a raging success... so FL is not all bad. Wouldn't mind being away from fire ants though

As I said earlier, no place is perfect ! Bottom line, have always felt that the
snowbirds have the best life possible. But have eliminated that
possibility when I decided to become a " plantation owner " in SW Florida
",..which requires me being here most of the time ! Not complaining tho, - have
experienced more skiing, bobsleding, snowball fights, etc than I care to
recall. :o)

Sooo,...we do manage to get away for 1, 2 weeks from time to time. This year, in another 4 weeks, we will be driving up to South Carolina for a one week tour of that beautiful state ! Will take tons of photos of " Rainbow Row " in
Charleston, and of course Hobcaw Barony ! Life is good !!!! LOL