I am so excited

I am so excited and proud I just can't hold it in. Yesterday, Fran and I become residents of Florida. To be more specific, of Clay County, Florida by way of Green Cove Springs, the county seat of Clay County. Clay County and Green Cove Springs are on the very impressive St. John's River which flows due north then east through Jacksonville into the Atlantic.

We are currently in St. Augustine Beach

Clay County is the orange one next to St. John's

Clay is cattle and horse country

Why Clay County? Why Green Cove Springs? Because that is where St. Brendan's Isle is located. We heard about St. Brendan's from some folks up in Prince Edward Island on the Brudenell River. They spend half the year traveling on land in their fifth-wheel and half the year sailing on their yacht. St. Brendan's Isle keeps them connected wherever they are in the world. St. Brendan's receives their mail and packages, notifies them of receipt and will even open and read selected pieces upon request (and for an additional charge).  Hundreds, if not thousands of people on the move use them. This outfit is named after St. Brendan The Navigator. Sounds romantic, doesn't it?

Not exactly....

Well, not really. St. Brendan's Isle is a store front at the end of a strip on the outskirts of Green Cove Springs.

It's the one on the right

But they are very efficient. They helped us fill out the forms and directed us to the two buildings where we: swore to an affidavit attesting to our fervent desire to become Florida and Clay County residents, obtained Florida Drivers Licenses, registered both Wilbur and Charlotte and registered to vote; Fran registered as a Democrat and I as a Republican. I just had to. There is something so perverse about this entire episode. One lady did it all. She was friendly and efficient and she cut all the little corners necessary to get us thru. Save for a GEICO screwup, we would  have been in and out of Green Cove Springs in two hours.

Wilbur in his new attire

We had the choice of two license plate mottos: Sunshine State or In God We Trust. Guess which one we chose?

Charlotte's new accessory

I awoke this morning thinking that perhaps we should have chosen In God We Trust for poor Charlotte. With her 20 years and 200,000 miles she definitely is traveling on a wing and a prayer.

His father had a girl in every port?

So here we are, a day later, freshly minted, fine upstanding, no income tax paying, no emission test taking, no vehicle inspection required, no helmut wearing citizens of The State of Florida. Need you ask why Florida?

Marco Rubio is one of my Senators (don't know the other one). Rick Scott is our Governor. I got the radio turned to 99.9 Gator Country. If I can get up early enough next Saturday, I can drive up to Shooters, Florida's largest and one of the nation's largest firearms stores, and take the Saturday morning concealed weapon licensing course from a genuine NRA certified instructor.  Life is good.

You got to check out their website