Winter’s Chill and the Sweetest Spot

Today in sunny Sarasota and lovely Casey Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the locals got a taste of something our snowbird friends are all too familiar with: temperatures that dipped to 32°. Mind you, we’re used to average January temperatures of 72°! We’ve wrapped up our tropical plants to protect them from last night’s frost; our air conditioners are pretending to be heaters; and we’re seriously reconsidering our tee times. Sure, the sun’s out. But we’re not accustomed to seeing visible wisps of warm breath when we take the dogs out for our morning walk. (“Have you seen my leather gloves, dear? I’m sure I had them out last year…”)

Reminds me of a story. There’s a quaint, cultured, past-its-prime country club in a little town called Mingoville about 15 miles away from Penn State University. The golf course starts out in rolling, pristine greens but literally slopes up the ever steepening side of Blue Ball Mountain. (I am not kidding about that name. It must be chilly there!) One brisk March morning, the temperatures hovered around 38°. The sun was due to shine that day but it apparently hadn’t yet gotten the memo. Instead, there was a fine mist that looked like fog but felt like ice. A lone jogger made her customary way around the circumference of the golf course. She was the only person in sight—until she reached the crest of one of the rolling hills right around the 10th hole. There on the green was a solitary golfer, poised to swing into the cool mist.

Their eyes met. And connected.

“We must be crazy!” the jogger called out to the golfer, raising her arm to indicate the frigid elements.

“Either that, or everyone else is,” the golfer responded. They smiled, sharing the secret of passion for their pursuits. The jogger pushed herself up the slopes of Blue Ball Mountain and the golfer gripped the iron and found the sweet spot. It was good to be alive.

Back to southwest Florida and a chilly January morning on our incredible Gulf Coast. Sure, it was 32° earlier this morning. But we’re expecting 67° and sunny by tomorrow and 74° by the weekend, so our tee times are wrapped in sunshine and the mild, fragrant air of winter in paradise.

To our northern friends—are you dreaming of warmer air and year-round golfing to your heart’s content? Nick and Kathleen Herron of the Herron Group, RE/MAX Alliance Group, are 100% committed to matching your interests and passions with just the right golf course home. We know the area and have been established in real estate sales for years. We maintain an excellent network that assists you in finding real property gems, and there are some incredible values to choose from. You see, here in Sarasota’s barrier islands such as Casey Key, Siesta Key, Lido Key, and Longboat Key, we’ve found the sweetest spot on earth.

Email Nick or Kathleen to find out more. As for tee times—do you prefer 8:00 or 9:00? The sun’s shining—who cares that it’s a little chilly? After all, it could be Blue Ball Mountain.