Annette

Now I am going skiing again next week (South America) so the snowy/winter/skiing time of year is upon us again! But even with that, I am looking forward to further garden progress after I get back.

Felisa, that is a remarkable picture. That's a ton of snow and also a daunting amount of work to clear the driveway. Annette, that is gorgeous and I keep hearing so many amazing things about your part of the world.

And to the OP - where is that? Was that pic taken this fall?

We have a fair bit of snow too.
We know St Pete Beach, Fl, quite well.

Apart from an occasional ice storm, the worst thing here is the ice, lots towards the end of winter.

The best thing about being retired is not feeling you've got to chance driving in iffy weather.

Below: access to our mail ("super mailbox") on March 11 of this year (freeze and thaw cycling).

You can actually break a bone just getting your mail.

but no daffodils....

Winter is a nice break from the labour of gardening and a time to get other things done indoors.

And there's always looking forward to the garden next spring.

Below (March 17, this year): My spouse trying to speed things up (and incidentally fool me) with a (plastic) snowdrop.

I have to agree with some of the comments here that as I get older, I am not so looking forward to hauling on all that gear to run the snow blower or end up dong a double-lutz as I walk to my car but otherwise, I still love the Ice, Snow, Sleet, and Freezing Rain.

However, there are always days of 70 in any given month and lots of sunshine for the most part year round. You get many days to do garden work all year round if you want to. Its the best time of the year to dig new beds or work on soil, trim, direct sow seeds, clean etc. I wouldn't like living up north because it sounds darker and colder but I think it just depends on what a person is used to and I am used to stronger sun exposure and prevailing southern winds in both winter and summer.

Pictures of old farms, there are hundreds of these across miles of open prairie land:

However, I also like to live a bit more in the moment, so right now I am loving the late season veggies and plants, and the start of fall color is stunning as always in my part of the world.

On the other hand I'd hate to live in the tropics - no seasons, too many bugs, sticky heat, skin permanently lumpy, bumpy and itchy (mine at least).

I often play the 'where would I like to live game' and all I come with is either where I live now or just a weeny bit further south where the sunshine is a little more dependable.

Then there is:
-It is much too nice a day to do gardening today.

I never get tired of gardening. I am a 12 month/year gardener. Like floral I would hate the tropics but as its well known here, I also don't care for forest-y areas. Both make me feel claustrophobic because I absolutely need the wind & wide open spaces.

Edited to add:

Besides I have all these goals that still need to be accomplished. (Wink)

Well, guess what - I didn't set my goals high enough. I have lived in northern Missouri for 43 years, and while it's better than Iowa was, northern Arkansas would be even better!

I hate knowing that if for some reason a person HAD to spend 8 hours outside in the winter in Missouri, he/she might DIE from exposure. Outside in the summer in Missouri can be uncomfortable, but a person wouldn't DIE out there.