Gainesville Florida

Here we are in Gainesville where we lived 1976 to 1979 while David did his PhD at the University of Florida, home of the Gators.

Things have changed a lot since then: to start with the U of F now has 50,000 students instead of 30,000 so that's a lot of extra people. Entrance requirements are rigid: the grading system is 1 to 4 and undergraduates here need 4.4 to get in! We are staying with Mary and Tim who are associate dean of research for the discipline of agriculture (Mary) and Director of the Forestry School (Tim). We have known them since 1991 when they spent 6 months on sabbatical in Mount Gambier with their daughters Dorothy and Susie who now have children of their own. Antonio, their 17-year old adopted son from Paraguay lives with them plus Star and Jazz the two dogs.

This is a lovely time of year to be here as the temperature is just right: most of the year it's very hot and air-conditioning is a must. But it's too cool for the swimming pool so I brought my bathers for nothing.

David spent the day at the University revisiting old haunts and having lunch with Mary: I had the generous loan of Mary's sister's car and zoomed off to the Oaks Mall which I always loved when lived here. Driving was fine and I kept to the right easily and the Mall was just where it used to be near I75. One of the new shops is Teavana which I really liked - all sorts of expensive flavoured teas. (I hope I can get them through customs. ) No bookshop any more, as at Blacksburg - books are out of fashion...

Susie came to dinner with us at nearby Haile Village, new since our time, and a charming place of shops and restaurants with fairy lights in the trees and apartments above the shops.
She has fond memories of Mount Gambier and would love to return.