On 12/25/2013 9:27 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 05:11:56 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

Leaving to go watch grandkids open presents!

Hope ALL of you have a super Christmas and find the joy and peace that comes with the season. Don't
forget to give the Salvation Army collection man/lady a few bucks to get themselves a nice dinner
somewhere. Oh, and put some money in the bucket too!

Thanks
I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
The kids were all here and we had lots of fun, ate too much and
engaged in the total commitment to stimulate the economy.
The wrapping paper alone would heat the house of a 3d worlder for a
couple days.
Watta country!
70s and sunny so we got out for an evening boat ride after the kids
left

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Christmas%20sunset%2013.jpg



Christmas was a bit of a downer, especially for Mrs.E. this year for
several reasons. Five of our seven grandkids all live either in SC or
FL, so the only two left up here are my daughter's two boys, aged 17 and
14. Mrs.E., being the typical Italian grandma, really missed having all
the "little ones" around for the first time in our married years and it
showed.

I was able to get Skype installed and running on her 27" iMac, so she
spent about an hour talking and watching my older son's family in SC and
seeing his two older daughters and 2 year old twins (boy and girl)
witnessing the magic of Santa Clause.

We talked later and I realized it's been tough on her. She misses
seeing all the kids, plus her father passed away at the end of November
and then my mother went two weeks later, so the whole pre-Christmas
season has been filled with funerals and burials.

Hopefully we can just chalk it up to a "bad year" and those in the
future will be much better. Maybe I can finally convince her that we
should sell this place, get rid of the horses and move where it's warm
and closer to the rest of the family!

On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 22:06:09 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 12/25/2013 9:27 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 05:11:56 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

Leaving to go watch grandkids open presents!

Hope ALL of you have a super Christmas and find the joy and peace that comes with the season. Don't
forget to give the Salvation Army collection man/lady a few bucks to get themselves a nice dinner
somewhere. Oh, and put some money in the bucket too!

Thanks
I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
The kids were all here and we had lots of fun, ate too much and
engaged in the total commitment to stimulate the economy.
The wrapping paper alone would heat the house of a 3d worlder for a
couple days.
Watta country!
70s and sunny so we got out for an evening boat ride after the kids
left

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Christmas%20sunset%2013.jpg



Christmas was a bit of a downer, especially for Mrs.E. this year for
several reasons. Five of our seven grandkids all live either in SC or
FL, so the only two left up here are my daughter's two boys, aged 17 and
14. Mrs.E., being the typical Italian grandma, really missed having all
the "little ones" around for the first time in our married years and it
showed.

I was able to get Skype installed and running on her 27" iMac, so she
spent about an hour talking and watching my older son's family in SC and
seeing his two older daughters and 2 year old twins (boy and girl)
witnessing the magic of Santa Clause.

We talked later and I realized it's been tough on her. She misses
seeing all the kids, plus her father passed away at the end of November
and then my mother went two weeks later, so the whole pre-Christmas
season has been filled with funerals and burials.

Hopefully we can just chalk it up to a "bad year" and those in the
future will be much better. Maybe I can finally convince her that we
should sell this place, get rid of the horses and move where it's warm
and closer to the rest of the family!



How does the rest of the family get their presents from you folks? My rule is pretty simple - if you
want your gifts, you gotta come here to get them!
--

Have a Blessed Chrismahanukwanzakah and a Spectacular New Year!

John H

On 12/25/2013 10:41 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 22:06:09 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/25/2013 9:27 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 05:11:56 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

Leaving to go watch grandkids open presents!

Hope ALL of you have a super Christmas and find the joy and peace that comes with the season. Don't
forget to give the Salvation Army collection man/lady a few bucks to get themselves a nice dinner
somewhere. Oh, and put some money in the bucket too!

Thanks
I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
The kids were all here and we had lots of fun, ate too much and
engaged in the total commitment to stimulate the economy.
The wrapping paper alone would heat the house of a 3d worlder for a
couple days.
Watta country!
70s and sunny so we got out for an evening boat ride after the kids
left

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Christmas%20sunset%2013.jpg



Christmas was a bit of a downer, especially for Mrs.E. this year for
several reasons. Five of our seven grandkids all live either in SC or
FL, so the only two left up here are my daughter's two boys, aged 17 and
14. Mrs.E., being the typical Italian grandma, really missed having all
the "little ones" around for the first time in our married years and it
showed.

I was able to get Skype installed and running on her 27" iMac, so she
spent about an hour talking and watching my older son's family in SC and
seeing his two older daughters and 2 year old twins (boy and girl)
witnessing the magic of Santa Clause.

We talked later and I realized it's been tough on her. She misses
seeing all the kids, plus her father passed away at the end of November
and then my mother went two weeks later, so the whole pre-Christmas
season has been filled with funerals and burials.

Hopefully we can just chalk it up to a "bad year" and those in the
future will be much better. Maybe I can finally convince her that we
should sell this place, get rid of the horses and move where it's warm
and closer to the rest of the family!




You might be able to sweeten the deal of you show her the "horsie
country" in Florida. That whole area of central Florida between US 70
and I-4 is full of small ranchettes and people who love their steeds.


She's aware of them. You may not know that we had a winter home in
Jupiter, FL for three years. It was a small, five acre "ranch" set in
an equestrian section of a gated community. Plus, there was another
section of the community that had larger (20 acre) horse ranches. We
had horses all around us. She transported hers down there for the winters.

I don't think Florida is in the cards for us, at least not year round.
I really enjoyed the winters there but I don't think we could handle the
summers. Plus, the coastal areas in that area were were too congested
and seemed to be 95 percent paved over. We were about 12 miles inland,
so it wasn't as bad but driving anywhere seemed like you saw nothing but
condos, concrete and asphalt.

As you suggested, there are areas in central Florida that I liked (Ocala
and northward) because they are very similar to New England in terms of
topography. But, I would really like to be near the ocean and have
another boat, so that's where we stand in our "negotiations". :-)

On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 23:33:35 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

As you suggested, there are areas in central Florida that I liked (Ocala
and northward) because they are very similar to New England in terms of
topography. But, I would really like to be near the ocean and have
another boat, so that's where we stand in our "negotiations". :-)

======

There's some very decent horse country in and around Ft Myers, and it
is also close to some very good boating. Summers are not a walk in
the park but are bearable. Congestion is not even remotely close to
what you see on the east coast.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

On 12/26/2013 12:25 AM, Wayne B wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 23:33:35 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

As you suggested, there are areas in central Florida that I liked (Ocala
and northward) because they are very similar to New England in terms of
topography. But, I would really like to be near the ocean and have
another boat, so that's where we stand in our "negotiations". :-)

======

There's some very decent horse country in and around Ft Myers, and it
is also close to some very good boating. Summers are not a walk in
the park but are bearable. Congestion is not even remotely close to
what you see on the east coast.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance.


Got any tips for my "negotiations"? So far they have seemed to stall.
(horse reference) :-)

On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 00:38:21 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/26/2013 12:25 AM, Wayne B wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 23:33:35 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

As you suggested, there are areas in central Florida that I liked (Ocala
and northward) because they are very similar to New England in terms of
topography. But, I would really like to be near the ocean and have
another boat, so that's where we stand in our "negotiations". :-)

======

There's some very decent horse country in and around Ft Myers, and it
is also close to some very good boating. Summers are not a walk in
the park but are bearable. Congestion is not even remotely close to
what you see on the east coast.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance.


Got any tips for my "negotiations"? So far they have seemed to stall.
(horse reference) :-)

===

Negotiations? Wait for a really cold, windy blizzard and ask Mrs E
where she would rather be at age 80. It worked for me. :-)

Keeping the horses in a stall all winter has got to be bad for their
psyche. I'd think that the idea of being able to ride 12 months a
year would have some appeal.

On 12/26/2013 3:05 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 00:38:21 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/26/2013 12:25 AM, Wayne B wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 23:33:35 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

As you suggested, there are areas in central Florida that I liked (Ocala
and northward) because they are very similar to New England in terms of
topography. But, I would really like to be near the ocean and have
another boat, so that's where we stand in our "negotiations". :-)

======

There's some very decent horse country in and around Ft Myers, and it
is also close to some very good boating. Summers are not a walk in
the park but are bearable. Congestion is not even remotely close to
what you see on the east coast.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance.


Got any tips for my "negotiations"? So far they have seemed to stall.
(horse reference) :-)

===

Negotiations? Wait for a really cold, windy blizzard and ask Mrs E
where she would rather be at age 80. It worked for me. :-)

Keeping the horses in a stall all winter has got to be bad for their
psyche. I'd think that the idea of being able to ride 12 months a
year would have some appeal.


Our horses are outside 12 mos a year, and they get ridden 12 mos. too...
You could ask her where she would rather ride in December though...
that's legit... Florida wins every time.

On 12/26/2013 3:05 PM, Wayne.B wrote:


Keeping the horses in a stall all winter has got to be bad for their
psyche.

Absolutely... They need the security of being able to see the horizon or
the tree line anyway, a place to run to, and leaders/followers...

Our horse has another partner that she bosses around but they are
buddies. When we had to remove our horse from the herd a week or so ago
the other horse just stood at the gate all the time looking for her. The
other horse escaped and went straight to our horse, even though our
horse "beats her up" as it were... The horsed need herds, it's natural
for them, makes them nice horses...

On 12/26/2013 5:41 PM, KC wrote:
On 12/26/2013 3:05 PM, Wayne.B wrote:


Keeping the horses in a stall all winter has got to be bad for their
psyche.

Absolutely... They need the security of being able to see the horizon or
the tree line anyway, a place to run to, and leaders/followers...

Our horse has another partner that she bosses around but they are
buddies. When we had to remove our horse from the herd a week or so ago
the other horse just stood at the gate all the time looking for her. The
other horse escaped and went straight to our horse, even though our
horse "beats her up" as it were... The horsed need herds, it's natural
for them, makes them nice horses...



I am not an authority on horses but I've been around them and people who
own and care for them for quite a while. I've listened to many opinions
and heard different of schools of thought regarding what horses "need".
Up here in the north there are more horses kept in stalls in barns
than are left outside all year. In Florida we had a shelter with
stalls. In both cases, the horses are "turned out" for most of the day
in a paddock when they are not being ridden or trained. During the
winter months my wife's horses go out for about half a day unless it's
raining or snowing heavily. After a few hours both of them want to go
back to their stalls during the winter months because the "busy" work of
grazing on nice green grass isn't available. They are very comfortable
and content in the stalls and it's the place where they get their REM
sleep (laying down).

Anyway, from what I've picked up about them, it's important that they
have at least one companion to keep with the herd mentality, but they
don't have to be in a huge group. Some are very content having a goat
or donkey as a "companion".

Everyone has their ideas of what horses need and like. For the most
part all the beliefs seem to work out fine and the horses live to be a
ripe old age.

Dammit.

On 12/25/13, 11:33 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/25/2013 10:41 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 22:06:09 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/25/2013 9:27 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 25 Dec 2013 05:11:56 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

Leaving to go watch grandkids open presents!

Hope ALL of you have a super Christmas and find the joy and peace
that comes with the season. Don't
forget to give the Salvation Army collection man/lady a few bucks
to get themselves a nice dinner
somewhere. Oh, and put some money in the bucket too!

Thanks
I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
The kids were all here and we had lots of fun, ate too much and
engaged in the total commitment to stimulate the economy.
The wrapping paper alone would heat the house of a 3d worlder for a
couple days.
Watta country!
70s and sunny so we got out for an evening boat ride after the kids
left

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Christmas%20sunset%2013.jpg



Christmas was a bit of a downer, especially for Mrs.E. this year for
several reasons. Five of our seven grandkids all live either in SC or
FL, so the only two left up here are my daughter's two boys, aged 17 and
14. Mrs.E., being the typical Italian grandma, really missed having all
the "little ones" around for the first time in our married years and it
showed.

I was able to get Skype installed and running on her 27" iMac, so she
spent about an hour talking and watching my older son's family in SC and
seeing his two older daughters and 2 year old twins (boy and girl)
witnessing the magic of Santa Clause.

We talked later and I realized it's been tough on her. She misses
seeing all the kids, plus her father passed away at the end of November
and then my mother went two weeks later, so the whole pre-Christmas
season has been filled with funerals and burials.

Hopefully we can just chalk it up to a "bad year" and those in the
future will be much better. Maybe I can finally convince her that we
should sell this place, get rid of the horses and move where it's warm
and closer to the rest of the family!




You might be able to sweeten the deal of you show her the "horsie
country" in Florida. That whole area of central Florida between US 70
and I-4 is full of small ranchettes and people who love their steeds.


She's aware of them. You may not know that we had a winter home in
Jupiter, FL for three years. It was a small, five acre "ranch" set in
an equestrian section of a gated community. Plus, there was another
section of the community that had larger (20 acre) horse ranches. We
had horses all around us. She transported hers down there for the winters.

I don't think Florida is in the cards for us, at least not year round. I
really enjoyed the winters there but I don't think we could handle the
summers. Plus, the coastal areas in that area were were too congested
and seemed to be 95 percent paved over. We were about 12 miles inland,
so it wasn't as bad but driving anywhere seemed like you saw nothing but
condos, concrete and asphalt.

As you suggested, there are areas in central Florida that I liked (Ocala
and northward) because they are very similar to New England in terms of
topography. But, I would really like to be near the ocean and have
another boat, so that's where we stand in our "negotiations". :-)


I remember seeing some pretty horse farms between Tallahassee and Panama
City, and the topography is a lot hillier out that way than it is in
much of central and southern Florida. Nice flora, too, and the Gulf of
Mexico is a great place to fish and boat. It also seems cooler out there
in the summers than central and south Florida, and it is far less
densely populated in many areas.

--
Religion: together we can find the cure.