Currently...July 4th.
Good morning from an extremely foggy and swampy Florida. Currently at 6:45 am...
Weather...74*, foggy and calling for more rain. The daily thunderboomers have been something else.
Watching...the last thing we watched was the President speaking last night. Then I read for a couple of hours.
Thinking...I ought to answer some of these meme questions from Tuesday 4 and From this Side of the Pond:
🫥Describe the best job you ever had why was it good? I wouldn't call it the best...but when I turned 14, I worked for the Ocala Movie Theater and stayed there until I was 18. It was a lot of fun, got to meet people (Tom Cruise, John Travolta), see all the movies...it was great! I started off in concessions and moved up to selling tickets.
🫥You are now in charge of your town's public relations committee... tell us why we need to move to your town.
Situated in North Central Florida about 40 miles south of Gainesville (the Univ. of Florida), Ocala has the WEC aka World Equestrian Center and is known as the Horse Capital of the world and the area's thoroughbred farms have produced 45 national champions, six Kentucky Derby winners, and much of the area carries an equine theme.
Ocala and Marion County are also home to natural areas (and alligators and crocodiles) and freshwater clear springs, glass bottom boats (Silver Springs) and many other outdoor things to do such as hiking, biking, zip lining, fishing and boating. We are also centrally located in the middle of state and are only 45 min.-to an hour-half from either the Gulf of America or the Atlantic and hour half from Disney/theme parks and a short hop over to the Bahamas, Cuba and the Caribbean. Ocala also has over 500 restaurants, shops etc. and offers world class medical facilities and has a population of well over 400,000. Ocala is also the fastest rising growth of Florida at nearly 3.19%.
Florida also has many freedoms thanks to the great governor, we are an open carry state, no state income/personal tax, and boasts one of the lowest property taxes in the U.S. and we pretty much live in shorts and flip flops year around. Living in Florida can be a strange experience because there is such variety of things to do, the cultural aspect etc. The cost of living and crime is extremely high in major cities like Orlando, but lower in nearby cities like Lakeland. Two major cons are the extreme humidity and hurricane season (from June to November). Other than that, JMO, but Florida is a great place to live. Also, if you don't like having freedoms then don't come down. Florida is also pro Patriotic. Our governor fights for the citizens and I hope whoever takes office after him will continue this.
P.S. Personally speaking, the governor also is a great boss, just saying. Also, since Marion County is the fastest growing in the state, housing is becoming a problem. Many of the former horse farms (at one point there were well over 600), are being sold off and turned into cookie cutter neighborhoods. Housing is not affordable here thanks to the incoming flux of folks.
🧐I'm thankful to live in America because...where else can you have freedom of speech? And many other freedoms? Personally speaking, the word freedom is in having the ability to make choices, to speak and act according to my beliefs and values, and to choose the path I want to walk in this life. To move, change course, raise a family, worship, get an education.
🧐This or that...red, white, or blue? All three Stars or stripes? Both. Both have meanings that the majority of people have no idea what they mean. Watermelon, homemade ice cream, or blueberry pie? All the those. I will be making a peach cobbler today, can't get any more American than that, lol.
Grateful for...two days off before heading down to Orlando for a very busy work week. We did absolutely nothing yesterday. NOTHING. 😊
Hubby had planned to cook out today, however, it looks the weather will not be cooperating. Wishing you all a beautiful day, stay safe and be aware of your surroundings.
