There’s no escaping it. The heat is hotter, the humidity wetter, and summer is nearly here in west-central Florida. I’m not sure where spring went. Or winter. Or fall. I just know that just about this time of year, I am very unhappy to live in Florida.

After long, grey, mostly housebound winters in upstate NY, we’d get “cabin fever,” and it’s the same in Tampa. Long, hot, humid summers are no incentive to leave the air-conditioned comfort of home, work, car.

Now that it’s time to consider where to live, I’m kind of lost. All the places I love have very hot summers. Santa Fe. Key West. Scottsdale. Asheville.

Or they’re too rainy and cold. Seattle. Portland.

Or they’re too small for fulltime living, at least at our age: Monterey peninsula.

The default is the San Francisco Bay area. Which is hugely expensive. And my income is zero at present and will be significantly diminished for the near future.

By next summer, Riley & I should be living somewhere else. Maybe California; maybe some other place.

One thing for sure, though. It won’t be this hot.