AROUND LAKE 3 AT CELEBRATION



One end of lake 3, but it goes on a little on the other side of the bridge.  Note the nice homes.

Opposite of the homes is a woods with HUGE live oaks with lots of Spanish moss.  You can get an idea of how big this tree is by looking at the tall palm trees around it.

Cormorant.

Example of the huge homes along one side of lake 3.  The homes around lake 2 are modest in comparison.

2011 Sun. Jan. 30

Got ready for church, then about 10 a.m. we went to Starbucks at Celebration for coffee and scone, sat by the lake and read the paper. Walked over to church at 11 a.m., very good service. A family had their three young children baptized, and it was remarkably touching. Brought tears to Linda’s face. This pastor is new, and we think he is very good. We enjoy his sense of humor. Lunch at home, read the rest of the paper, took the car to car wash, and supper here.


FL WEATHER: High 75, low 53, very sunny.


FL NEWS: Fewer people moving to Florida, census estimates show:
Faced with a dramatic decline in the number of Americans moving to Florida, community boosters are promoting the Sunshine State as a cluster of research and technology, not just a balmy place to live. The rebranding reflects attempts to attract businesses and college graduates while reviving the stream of retirees and home buyers who once poured into Florida and nurtured economic growth. A batch of hurricanes, a housing crisis, the Great Recession and the loss of a million jobs in the state have brought the stream of new arrivals to a trickle. Using the latest available data, census surveys estimate that only 461,088 people moved to Florida from another state in 2009. Nearly as many Floridians — 439,665 — moved to another state. That's roughly one-third fewer new residents compared with 2005, when 632,168 moved to Florida from another state. In the Orlando/Kissimmee area, the number of new residents who moved from another state plunged from 78,138 in 2005 to 62,872 in 2009. The Florida numbers reflect declining mobility nationwide, as far fewer Americans move across state lines in the aftermath of the recession and housing crisis. Low housing values in other states make it harder for would-be transplants to sell a house and move to Florida. Many baby boomers have put retirement plans on hold because their savings are depleted. And Florida's unemployment rate — among the nation's highest at 12 percent — has forced job seekers to look elsewhere.