Bye Bye Florida

Yes the day that seemed so far away when I came here at the end of October has arrived and in a few hours I'll be on my way back to Blighty.

As ever, it's hard to believe I've been here for 6 months but my diary entry for today has the Virgin Atlantic flight details on it and so it must be true. Sunny Manchester here I come !

After many winter blog posts with the phrase 'sunny Buttonwood Bay' in them, it's time for a change. Time to go home. Time to enjoy bacon and fish & chips and of course, Yorkshire puddings. Time to see hills and valleys and more shades of green than burned brown. In short, time to see glorious England again.

I just want to 'publicly' thank my hosts for the last 6 months, Deb and Den. They've had to put up with me at VERY close quarters and as anyone who knows me will testify, that ain't easy. I'd like to thank and say g'bye to my friends here in the park although many of them have already gone back to their northern American homes until next winter when, hopefully, we'll all meet up here again.

I'd especially like to say thanks to Clair and Mary who again put up with my foibles for 6 months.

Please forgive my many mood swings and if it seemed like I was quiet and/or upset at times, it was nothing to do with you as it's just how I am. You are "good people" and fun golf partners and one thing I'm determined to do on my return here is to be more active in this active community so you guys better be ready for even more golf and added amounts of pool, darts and bocce ball.

Hey I said active and as far as I'm concerned, any upper body movements are classed as active.

Speaking of which, I'm leaving Florida quite a bit heavier than when I arrived and I'm not talking carry on luggage here. Well I guess I am cause I'm certainly carrying this extra weight with me.....everywhere. The cruise last week caused a lot of it so it's not my fault at all ! I'm the victim here, people. A cruise should come with a serious health warning.

So although I'll be returning to an England where the temps are substantially lower and The Sun is more of a newspaper than a hot orb in the sky, I MUST get out there every day and exercise. Sadly the cost of petrol has rocketed in my absence so my usual method of exercise, driving to the stores and back, will lose me the wrong sort of pounds ! However I did plan for this eventuality and my car is full to the brim with 97p a litre petrol so I'll enjoy that while I can. With a range of over 500 miles, and how little driving I do in England, that'll probably last me till Christmas.

Ok it's time to shut this laptop down and get it packed. On a golf cart ride around this almost deserted park yesterday afternoon, I had Deb take this picture of me in front of the Buttonwood Bay entrance sign as it sums up my feelings. I'm sad to be leaving this place and my friends here but if the next 6 months pass as quickly as the previous ones, I'll be back before I know it.

And with my memory, that's a given anyway !!