Under The Covers

Driving in Love Bug Season
 

The Villages tries really hard to project the same image as Disney World - a special, magical, happy place filled with smiling and friendly people living perfect lives. Guess what? That is 98% TRUE! The Villages is truly a slice of Paradise and well deserves the descriptions of "life in the bubble" and "Disney World for retirees". There are so many great things about The Villages that I will probably have rosy reports on my blog for years to come.

But come on, we all know there is so such thing as perfection. So here's a peek "under the covers".

Sinkholes. They can be found throughout Central Florida but can be a Big Surprise to those flocking down here from frigid northern climes who have never heard of them before . Fortunately they are rare and usually minor and The Villages is far from the worst place they chose to spawn. But they are scary and insurance for them is very hard or impossible to come by. Being from South Florida and having to face hurricane season each year, it's just another day in Paradise for me.

Love Bug Season. Love bugs can fill the air and create a yucky mess on your car. They are unheard of in South Florida, choosing to live and procreate in Central Florida and along the Treasure Coast. Luckily these icky creatures appear for only a two week span once or twice a year when they hear the calling to perform their odd mating ritual (and subsequently die). One must quickly egress from one's house and car to avoid them infiltrating your living spaces. I am NOT looking forward to this.

Lack of a Mall. One must travel to Ocala for many of the stores commonly found in malls and to Orlando for the Super Mall. Luckily I am not a big shopper of Victoria's Secret or Urban Outfitters merchandise. Still, it would be nice to have one a little closer.

Lack of Costco. There's a Sam's Club which I find a sorry substitute for Costco. But seriously, how many giant boxes of cereal can I really use?

;-)