My son recently bought a little boat so he could go out on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and do some fishing. One of the most sought after fish on the east coast, around Mosquito Lagoon, is the Redfish. My son was lucky the other day and caught one that is the perfect size to keep. He brought it home and ate it and said it was delicious. I think they are really gorgeous looking fish with that shiny reddish silver and the distinguishing black dot on the tail. Only one fish per person per day is allowed (I believe) and they can’t be over or under a certain size. This one is just about right. Anything much bigger is not allowed to keep and won’t be all that great eating I guess. I’m not a fishing expert, but thought I’d share this image with anyone who loves to fish in Florida. Â He was using frozen shrimp for bait, I think.
I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home, so where I choose to live doesn’t matter as long as I can hook up to the internet. It’s a nice feeling to realize work won’t dictate my address, since I will be working until the day I die.
Although I currently live in New Hampshire, I plan to have a Florida address at some point in my future for at least part of the year. I will probably become a “snow bird” and that sounds like a perfect fit for me. With grown kids living in the north and south, I can get the best of both worlds and cut out the long snowy winters by heading south, like so many older people do. I won’t be able to lug wood and shovel snow as I age, so why not enjoy fishing and waving to yachts from my dock during the winter?
My criteria for living in Florida is that water must be close by, if not right in front of my house. And I mean sea water. I would not want to live close to any Florida pond or lake. Lots of creepy and deadly things tend to gravitate to fresh water. Not only that, fresh water ponds tend to dry up completely in droughts and then you are no longer “water front” anyway.
Ocean front is expensive no matter where you want to live, but I am more interested in the calm waters of the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). I don’t have big bucks so a small house with a dock would suit me fine. Those are not cheap either, but there is no harm in looking and the more info I gather, the better prepared I will be in the future to buy.
I once had a reader (of this blog) flip out at me for calling Sanibel Island “touristy”. I suppose everyone has a different thought about that word, because I did not mean it in a negative light. I meant that Sanibel has a lot of “visitors” who don’t live there. Isn’t that the definition of a tourist? In fact most of Florida is touristy. I lived there for most of my adult life – almost 30 years.
I have the advantage of knowing the area quite well, and can therefore choose the perfect spot from my “retirement” which won’t really be a retirement, but a working winter in the south. What are your plans for the future?
