You might suppose, based on my previous post about feeling a little down, that I am moping around the house in my pajamas with that sad Charlie Brown song playing in the background. It's true I do spend many days in my pajamas, but that's just because I can. There's a great freedom in knowing you likely won't see anyone you know on a given day, and the people you do know who might stop by have seen you in all states of life so it's ok.
No, I'm actually doing fairly well despite the inevitable transition feelings that are a natural part of our life. One of the things that has been bringing me great joy in the midst of them is our neighborhood. We are in what some have called the "redneck" part of Orlando. Exhibit A: our neighbor, who flies the Confederate flag and has no less than 4 warning signs on his fence, including one that says, "No Trespassing: WILL BE SHOT." I thought about taking Christmas cookies over there but . . .
The upside of redneck is that it's full of nature - a huge lake nearby, trees, deer and other wildlife. Not only that, every house is different, unlike a large percentage of housing in Orlando which is what I like to call the Disney subdivision. They're the kind of neighborhoods you see in The Truman Show. Kind of creepy.
As evidence of the coolness of this area, here are a few pictures I've captured from around the block:
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| Isle of Pines, established 1959 |
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| pine trees, hence, isle of pines |
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| This tree is right across the street. The Christmas lights in the bottom right are from our Confederate neighbors. They like to decorate for holidays. And also to protect themselves with firearms |
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| The lake! Not a great picture but that's the best an iphone can do at night |
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| our backyard |
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| more backyard |
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| early morning fog |
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| a backyard friend |
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| Our street. We're the whitish house on the left. The truck on the right belongs to our protective neighbors |
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| Erik exploring our "back 40" |
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| The only street further east of us (beyond that is just open country) where I like to run |
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| a long exposure shot of the moon in our backyard |
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| bonfire! |
