I’ve been blogging over 13 years using WordPress.org. It has been difficult to work with at times & keep up with the software changes. I will be 78 years old in April, and I’ve decided to slow down on my blog. I discussed this some at the beginning of January. Although I like WordPress, it does cost money. Yes, I had control, and the content was mine. I no longer want to pay for my blog. Comfort Spring has problems with its HTML. I am not a maven in this area nor an IT person. I can’t even get a backup of it unless I pay several hundred dollars for a professional to do it. I am trying to not spend more $$$$ to do this. I can live without the whole blog. I’ve made a couple of drafts on blogger. It’s easy to work with and I like that.
My new domain name is www.carolonthelake.com and should be pointing at the new blog in the next hour or so. I hope all my followers will come by – I do appreciate your thoughts and support.
We’re getting close to the end of January, and most of us still face snow storms and ice in the next month. My nephew, Robert, and his wife, Lisa, shared snowy photos from their birdfeeder. They live in the greater Detroit area
I was really worried about the manatees down at the springs last Sunday as the panhandle experienced freezing temperatures. There were over 800 of them at Two Sisters Springs hovering.
I was enjoying looking at illustrations on Pixabay.com a few days ago. It’s website with free download of photos and illustrations. Many of the “users” (I think of them as artists) are very talented. I came upon 11 drawings by an artist who goes by the name, charcoaldrawing. The illustrations are all ai-generated animals. I personally have not tried using ai to generate illustrations or even writing. At this time, it makes me wonder how much I see on TV, magazines, online, etc. is generated on a computer. If you are an artist and draw or paint, I call your products real. It’s just how my old mind works. I know drawing on a computer also takes skill, but now add programs that invent a product too.
On January 2, 2026, on the southwest coast of Florida, the sunset skies were amazing. Matt Dewitt Wink Weatherman shared multiple photos from viewers around Fort Myers on Facebook. It was a Fire in Heaven evening. Enjoy!
Crystal River, Florida, is the “Manatee Capital of the World,” offering unique opportunities to swim with wild manatees in their natural habitat. This is especially true during winter when they seek refuge in the warm, 72°F springs, with peak viewing from November to April. Visitors can join guided tours for snorkeling with manatees. This is the only place in the U.S. where this isn’t prohibited.
I’ve often written about how much I love winter in Florida. I’m not a snow bunny “winter” lover up north. Seeing others wonderful photos of snow and ice is really all I need. As I’ve explained before, I do have Seasonally Affective Disorder (SAD) (For more information on SAD, click link.) and find gray skies make me sad. I fell in love with the sunny days here in Florida in my 20’s . I moved from Tennessee to Miami in mid-20’s, and it changed my life. I didn’t want to be like my mother and spend my life calling a close friend or family member all winter to say how sad I am. She’d say I don’t know why I’m sad. Life is ok but I hate looking out the window at gray clouds.
It’s a new year, and I’m happy to greet it. As I mentioned in one of my last posts in December, I realize everyday that I am feeling happier and healthier with each day. My move in January 2024 pretty much wasted me for over a year. Moving by myself at 75 was too much. If I had to ever do it again, someone else has to be doing the arranging, packing, and moving. Not me! Of course, I said that when I moved to my house back in 2010. LOL
Today I’m doing a look back at last year with thoughts for the future. In 2025, the blog had over 102.6K visitors. I’m thrilled and thankful!
I thank everyone who drops by and especially those of you who give me feedback. I must admit I usually write for myself, but that seems to be ok. I’m not that original, which is another way of saying a lot of us are thinking about the same things.
The future is the question. I’m running out of recipes, and I’m tired of them. You probably noticed that 8 of the top 10 posts of all time are recipes. I appreciate that. If I find something really good to fix and eat, I, of course, will share it.
Sometimes, I’m inspired by a thought, something I read, or something visual I’ve watched. I am now in the position where I am more fluid. Like many bloggers, I also share photos of what I see. I’m thinking that you will see more of that plus a few fun posts from photos and memes I see that make me laugh. I do believe the world needs more humor, laughter, and, as always, kindness.
During January, I will also be looking back at all the posts I’ve done. If it’s not a great post, and nobody goes to see it, I might decide to delete it. Do you have any idea how many photos I’ve uploaded over the years? That has to slow the blog down. Let’s face it, lots of my photos are pretty ordinary.
I’m happy you stuck around long enough to finish this babbling discourse. God bless all of you. Thanks for being my online friends!
Carol
Other than recipe images, all other graphics are by ZAIDoopro on Pixabay.
