# Finally leaving Cali for Florida. Any advice?



## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

So I'm headed to Pensacola Florida next month. Any advice from some Floridians? Right now we are looking into areas like Pace and Cantonment. Any places to stay away from? Other places to look? We plan to rent first and then buy later, once we figure out what we like or if we like it. Our plan was to retire in Texas​ but we are not ruling out staying in Florida. I'm not crazy about the humidity or the hurricanes but I hear that you get used to the humidity.

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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

Advice: go faster! Lol!
It will probably take you 2 or 3 years to "get used to" the humidity. If you've never been, it is unbelievable.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Check out McGuires Irish Pub in P'Cola. Look for a $1 bill that says "Slippy Wuz Here!" Hint, its on the ceiling or wall. :vs_wave:
Home | McGuires Irish Pub



phrogman said:


> So I'm headed to Pensacola Florida next month. Any advice from some Floridians? Right now we are looking into areas like Pace and Cantonment. Any places to stay away from? Other places to look? We plan to rent first and then buy later, once we figure out what we like or if we like it. Our plan was to retire in Texas but we are not ruling out staying in Florida. I'm not crazy about the humidity or the hurricanes but I hear that you get used to the humidity.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Yeah, don't look back.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

We moved up to the Big Bend area ourselves a couple weeks ago. I grew up in the NE and then lived in Miami for the past 13 years. The attitude and atmosphere are awesome here in the 'Real South.' The weather ... well, at least it changes. If you don't like the heat & humidity of Summer just hang in there until the Fall and mild Winter. Good luck with the move.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Trading one hell whole for one that is a little less like hell. Good luck. hope everything goes well for you.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

I didn't know you could get used to the humidity. Every year, I just try to make it to winter.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

You don't get used to the humidity, you just learn to deal with it.


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

Congrats. I left town a few months ago and already feel better. Haven't gotten to my new home yet but the escape already makes me feel better. I sense freedom like never before.


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## Doc Holliday (Dec 22, 2012)

say hello to all my relatives that live there...


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Sun screen and bug spray.


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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Hemi45 said:


> We moved up to the Big Bend area ourselves a couple weeks ago. I grew up in the NE and then lived in Miami for the past 13 years. The attitude and atmosphere are awesome here in the 'Real South.' The weather ... well, at least it changes. If you don't like the heat & humidity of Summer just hang in there until the Fall and mild Winter. Good luck with the move.


That's what we keep hearing from people who are from there or have lived there. They say the atmosphere is way better and seemed to be very excited for us.

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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

stowlin said:


> Congrats. I left town a few months ago and already feel better. Haven't gotten to my new home yet but the escape already makes me feel better. I sense freedom like never before.


Can't wait to feel freedom!

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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Denton said:


> Sun screen and bug spray.


Not looking forward to the bugs. I don't know what it is but I usually get bit quite a bit more than anyone else when we are around mosquitoes.

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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

phrogman said:


> Not looking forward to the bugs. I don't know what it is but I usually get bit quite a bit more than anyone else when we are around mosquitoes.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


I'm up the road, near Dothan, Alabama. I work outside, and have to deal with gnats during the daylight hours and mosquitoes when the sun goes down.

It's not uncommon to see someone who is working on an aircraft to sling his tools and start snorting and coughing after a gnat went right up his nose. Mosquitoes also seem to know when your hands are full of tools.


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

A long time ago I was stationed in Florida aboard the USS Lexington. It was very nice then so it should be nice now. Check out the Naval Aviation museum .


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Congratulations!


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Get ready to enjoy some incredible food from the gulf. Fishing around there ain't what it used to be back in the 60s & 70s when Destin was just a sleepy fishing village, but still will be fun.

As far as the bugs, do all you can to encourage the natural predators of mosquitoes and similar. We have multiple nests of Barn Swallows around our house & barns plus have bat houses. Some really stupid folks knock down the Barn Swallow's mud nests from the sides of their houses. A Barn Swallow will patrol all day and eat around 60 mosquitoes per hour. Last week I flew my drone up close to the house & all of a sudden it was surrounded by at least 20 swallows. Guess they thought it was a danger to the nests. Now the champ is the little ole brown bat. That thing will eat 1000 mosquitoes per HOUR! So I have Barn Swallows patrolling all day & bats doing the same all night. The result is, I never put on bug spray and I live deep in the country, surrounded by woods & fields and with my own pond & a large lake next door. I spent all weekend outside, cutting tall grass in the pastures & working in the garden & orchard... and not a single bite.

The heat & humidity is what it is. You will adjust. Stay hydrated & block the sun. When it is really bad out, I do my outside work early and come in to rest around 2:00 or so. Then will go out again when the sun gets low. Just be smart & pay attention to your body. It will tell you when it has had enough. Sweat is a good thing. If you stop sweating you need to head inside.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Only drive 27 MPH and leave your left turn signal on--otherwise you'll look like a tourist...


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## HeIsRisen (May 5, 2013)

As so many have said, getting used to humidity is a care. You either or bothered by it or not. I grew up in South Louisiana but was born in FL and spent several years there. My advice, get to Texas as fast as you can. Set up some extra residual incomes and either find happiness in the Hill Country or the Hard Wood bottoms of NE Texas. 

Personally, I'll be retiring in the Ozarks. 

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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Oddcaliber said:


> A long time ago I was stationed in Florida aboard the USS Lexington. It was very nice then so it should be nice now. Check out the Naval Aviation museum .


Wow..thanks for your Service Sir! We took a tour of the Lady Lex at Corpus a few years back. Great boat. I used to banter with a guy on the BBQ chat groups who was the ship doctor on that ship back in the good old days. Seem to recall he went by Crusty Matthews or close to that. Ever heard of him? One thing that made me mad on the Lexington was an airplane which said Commander John McCain stenciled on the side. I was tempted to push it over the side but it seemed to be bollted to the wooden deck.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

No no no to Florididdy. Too many crockodiles..pirrahans and burmese pythons around there. Not to even mention hurricanes..fires..bugs..giant squid..sharks etc. Move to Big Bend like the other smart feller. Actually Alpine is the place to be. Has the best weather in Texas and cute little snuff dipping cow girl wearing tight wranglers running around all over town.


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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

******* said:


> Get ready to enjoy some incredible food from the gulf. Fishing around there ain't what it used to be back in the 60s & 70s when Destin was just a sleepy fishing village, but still will be fun.
> 
> As far as the bugs, do all you can to encourage the natural predators of mosquitoes and similar. We have multiple nests of Barn Swallows around our house & barns plus have bat houses. Some really stupid folks knock down the Barn Swallow's mud nests from the sides of their houses. A Barn Swallow will patrol all day and eat around 60 mosquitoes per hour. Last week I flew my drone up close to the house & all of a sudden it was surrounded by at least 20 swallows. Guess they thought it was a danger to the nests. Now the champ is the little ole brown bat. That thing will eat 1000 mosquitoes per HOUR! So I have Barn Swallows patrolling all day & bats doing the same all night. The result is, I never put on bug spray and I live deep in the country, surrounded by woods & fields and with my own pond & a large lake next door. I spent all weekend outside, cutting tall grass in the pastures & working in the garden & orchard... and not a single bite.
> 
> The heat & humidity is what it is. You will adjust. Stay hydrated & block the sun. When it is really bad out, I do my outside work early and come in to rest around 2:00 or so. Then will go out again when the sun gets low. Just be smart & pay attention to your body. It will tell you when it has had enough. Sweat is a good thing. If you stop sweating you need to head inside.


Looks like I might have to do that. I think my survival depends on it. Swallows and bats it is.

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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

******* said:


> As far as the bugs, do all you can to encourage the natural predators of mosquitoes and similar. We have multiple nests of Barn Swallows around our house & barns plus have bat houses. Some really stupid folks knock down the Barn Swallow's mud nests from the sides of their houses. A Barn Swallow will patrol all day and eat around 60 mosquitoes per hour. Last week I flew my drone up close to the house & all of a sudden it was surrounded by at least 20 swallows. Guess they thought it was a danger to the nests. Now the champ is the little ole brown bat. That thing will eat 1000 mosquitoes per HOUR! So I have Barn Swallows patrolling all day & bats doing the same all night. The result is, I never put on bug spray and I live deep in the country, surrounded by woods & fields and with my own pond & a large lake next door. I spent all weekend outside, cutting tall grass in the pastures & working in the garden & orchard... and not a single bite..


Amen to the little bug eating birds. We have quite the collection on barn swallows, chimney sweeps, and little bats and I can't remember the last time a mosquito bit me. Now if we can just develop a predator for the fire ants.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

Howdy from KY. I have lived down there several times and agree with what the others say. Only thing I might add is
once you get settled in keep in the back of your mind which way out and where you would go in the event of a hurricane.
I stayed home for a CAT 1 and really would not want to do that again but all was well. Any strong hurricane you really need to
get out of dodge well before 100,000 other folks get the same idea! 

Enjoy FL!


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

We have bugs, snakes, gators, pythons, bugs, yankees, and a lot of other critters-- did I mention the bugs?
And-- please do not californicate Florida!!


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

As a life long Floridian (and I'm 68), I offer some advice.
The closer to the coast, (a) the more tourists underfoot, (b) the more regular people who like to be near the water = crowds, (c) the greater chance of tropical storm damage.
For me, Pensacola was a good place to be passing through. But then, I hate crowds, idiot people, and morons behind the wheel.

Get out your Florida roadmap, and look east of Pensacola along I-10. See Chipley? Bonifay? Marianna? Now, look north toward Alabama. Quiet, rural, peaceful. Notice the amount of land mass a tropical storm has to cross over before it gets to, say, Graceville?
And yet, if you feel like a salt water swim, Panama City is an easy drive.

Remember, Florida understands the 2nd Amendment, and has NO state income tax.


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

Hay bigwheel,I'll give you a hand pushing Mc Cain's plane over the side!


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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Thanks for the warm welcome guys. I will try to leave all my Cali'isms in Komifornia.

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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

RPD, right now we are looking to move somewhere inland. Unfortunately, I can't stray too far from the coast since I will be working there. Plus, I'm also looking to cut my commute to under 30 mins. I'm really tired of traffic. I currently drive 120 miles round trip. I also look forward to having some rights again and not paying ridiculous taxes just so that they can be used to support all the takers.

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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Well, I made it to Florida. Now waiting for my house to be ready. It's not a BOB but it's a good compromise for my wife and I. She likes to live close to the city and wants a big house, I don't want to be in the city and want a big lot. So we got just over half an acre, not much by your guy's standards but a lot better than what I had in Cali. We came down about 400 sqft on the size of the house and almost tripled the size of the lot. Yay for me! It is also at the edge of a small town. This house has gutters so I will be able to collect some rain water and the lot size should allow me to plant some more fruit trees and maybe finally grow a small garden. The local nursery has some lemon, pecan and nectarine trees that im thinking about planting, not sure what else will flourish around here. Any suggestions?

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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. Any suggestions for hurricane prepping? I'm inland but not far enough to escape the wrath of a hurricane. I'm not in a flood zone but I'm sure that some who suffered damage during Katrina and other big ones were not either. I plan on getting a generator and more propane tanks since nothing runs on natural gas around here. I had to shed some weight for my move out here so I will have to build some of my preps again. 

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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

Leaving Ca. for Florida & wonder what to do prior to leaving ? .Look at the Mountains and go Skiing in Snow and see the Deserts (Go to Half Dome )(Go to Catalina ) (Go to Patrick's Point) (Go Bear huntin in the Trinity Alps) (Go Fishing in Upper Sac & McCloud Rivers ) (Visit LEGOLAND) (See The Ramona Pageant) (Visit Bodie Ghost Town) ...


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Good for you.Cali 0,some other place 1.


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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

Florida will be Blue (Solid ) in 20 and very Purple in 18 , New Jersey & New York & Chicago & Baltimore Liberals are swarming to "So Called Free States" in Record Numbers (Like Californians have for last 35 Years) and within a few Election Cycles Places like Texas , The Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Idaho, ... Will go Purple or Blue (Due to so many folks already there thinkin they are He Men Outdoorsmen yet they are "Socially Liberal " enablers of Democrats due to the fact that they Have "Other Issues" (Desire for Drug Legalization ) (Pro Choice Hardliner) ( Hatred of Fundy Christians ) (Dislike of 1%ers ) (Various & sundry Far Left & Left causes that have always resonated with you thus in Election Cycle after Election Cycle you vote like a Liberal Oriental (Asian) Irvine California Soccer Mom . Thinking you can Run to another State and be free of folks like that is very Don Quixote like .


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Well, damn, Gator ... aren't you just a ray of sunshine - lol! FL, like many key battleground states, is metro pockets of blue surrounded by overwhelming areas of red. I like my survival odds in North Florida just fine.

As for hurricane preps, preps are mostly preps. You can have impact doors and windows, a hardened roof, genny, etc. but if a Cat-4 is bearing down on your town you need to GTFO and leave the rest in God's hands. The upshot of living in Hurricane Alley is that nobody thinks twice about having preps on-hand. Heck, the state and local governments encourage it! Regarding what to plant, FL is a unique place no matter what part of the state you live in. Visit local nurseries, especially those selling native plants and follow their advice. Also, consider permaculture and edible perennials. I've found it particularly important to work with nature here. Depending where you live planting seasons might be upside down from CA and the fruits and veggies will likely be different.

Welcome and good luck!


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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

Hemi45 said:


> Well, damn, Gator ... aren't you just a ray of sunshine - lol! FL, like many key battleground states, is metro pockets of blue surrounded by overwhelming areas of red. I like my survival odds in North Florida just fine.
> 
> As for hurricane preps, preps are mostly preps. You can have impact doors and windows, a hardened roof, genny, etc. but if a Cat-4 is bearing down on your town you need to GTFO and leave the rest in God's hands. The upshot of living in Hurricane Alley is that nobody thinks twice about having preps on-hand. Heck, the state and local governments encourage it! Regarding what to plant, FL is a unique place no matter what part of the state you live in. Visit local nurseries, especially those selling native plants and follow their advice. Also, consider permaculture and edible perennials. I've found it particularly important to work with nature here. Depending where you live planting seasons might be upside down from CA and the fruits and veggies will likely be different.
> 
> Welcome and good luck!


Jacksonville ,Orlando , Belle Glade, ... Lotsa Rays of Sunshine in Florida lol


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Gator Monroe said:


> Leaving Ca. for Florida & wonder what to do prior to leaving ? .Look at the Mountains and go Skiing in Snow and see the Deserts (Go to Half Dome )(Go to Catalina ) (Go to Patrick's Point) (Go Bear huntin in the Trinity Alps) (Go Fishing in Upper Sac & McCloud Rivers ) (Visit LEGOLAND) (See The Ramona Pageant) (Visit Bodie Ghost Town) ...


Some people prefer liberty and freedom.


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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

rice paddy daddy said:


> Some people prefer liberty and freedom.


 I have more AR & AK/AKM pattern Weapons (And kept my Prebans ) than the OP , My Mayor ,CCW issuing Sheriff (Got Mine), State Assembly Member , State Senator , US Congressman (Doug LaMalfa (R) ARE ALL CONSERVATIVE CONSTITUTIONALISTS and My County (Shasta ) is 72 % GOP and 89% Non Minority so being in the Heart and Capital of the State of Jefferson is enough Liberty & Freedom for me to Stand & Fight for rather than cut & run to a State that will be Purple in 18 and Blue in 20 .


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

phrogman said:


> So I'm headed to Pensacola Florida next month. Any advice from some Floridians? Right now we are looking into areas like Pace and Cantonment. Any places to stay away from? Other places to look? We plan to rent first and then buy later, once we figure out what we like or if we like it. Our plan was to retire in Texas but we are not ruling out staying in Florida. I'm not crazy about the humidity or the hurricanes but I hear that you get used to the humidity.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Our favorite puddle pirate Coastie Grandson works that area. Dont be trying to smuggle dope..or he will pull out the stopper on the the boat. Watch out for pythons and hurricanes. Normal people live in Texas.


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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Hemi45 said:


> Well, damn, Gator ... aren't you just a ray of sunshine - lol! FL, like many key battleground states, is metro pockets of blue surrounded by overwhelming areas of red. I like my survival odds in North Florida just fine.
> 
> As for hurricane preps, preps are mostly preps. You can have impact doors and windows, a hardened roof, genny, etc. but if a Cat-4 is bearing down on your town you need to GTFO and leave the rest in God's hands. The upshot of living in Hurricane Alley is that nobody thinks twice about having preps on-hand. Heck, the state and local governments encourage it! Regarding what to plant, FL is a unique place no matter what part of the state you live in. Visit local nurseries, especially those selling native plants and follow their advice. Also, consider permaculture and edible perennials. I've found it particularly important to work with nature here. Depending where you live planting seasons might be upside down from CA and the fruits and veggies will likely be different.
> 
> Welcome and good luck!


Thanks Hemi45. I'm a complete novice when it comes to gardening so I have a lot to learn but this new job should afford me the time that I need to grow my vegetables along with other preps and projects. I like the idea of the perennials too.

My home is newer so it has a lot of features to weather some hurricane damage but just like earthquakes in California, I know nothing can prevent mother nature from taking what she wants, so I don't plan to stick around to weather the storm. My focus will be on bugging out, fortifying and living through the aftermath. Hopefully, I can come back to four upright walls and a roof.

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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> Our favorite puddle pirate Coastie Grandson works that area. Dont be trying to smuggle dope..or he will pull out the stopper on the the boat. Watch out for pythons and hurricanes. Normal people live in Texas.


Looks like the jig is up, no dope smuggling for me then. Texas was my first choice but it didn't work out. Florida wasn't even a thought on my mind but here I am. I honestly can't complain, I could have done a lot worse than Florida. So far, we are pretty happy here and excited to plant some roots.

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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Gator Monroe said:


> I have more AR & AK/AKM pattern Weapons (And kept my Prebans ) than the OP , My Mayor ,CCW issuing Sheriff (Got Mine), State Assembly Member , State Senator , US Congressman (Doug LaMalfa (R) ARE ALL CONSERVATIVE CONSTITUTIONALISTS and My County (Shasta ) is 72 % GOP and 89% Non Minority so being in the Heart and Capital of the State of Jefferson is enough Liberty & Freedom for me to Stand & Fight for rather than cut & run to a State that will be Purple in 18 and Blue in 20 .


Punctuation and sentence structure is your friend.

By the way, the rest of the country knows how bad off the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia really is.


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

You may want to go "...via Omaha".


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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

Grammer Nazi with a Banhammer , oy vey ...


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Gator Monroe said:


> Grammer Nazi with a Banhammer , oy vey ...


Nope. Just an old truck driver that barely graduated from high school.
Self taught through the study of military history.
And I'm really not that hard to get along with.


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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Well, finally moved in last week. I haven't had a chance to unpack and settle in and now I have to run around and get my preps back up speed because I had to shed a lot of weight moving out here. 

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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Looks like you got there just in time to boogy out..........

May God bless,
Dwight


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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

We are actually looking at bugging in unless we take a direct hit.

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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Looks like you picked the wrong time to move to Florida. Stay safe.


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