[Duppa]

Putting historical context into the expansion of The Villages South of 44: Some 275 years ago, the royals/business powers of Europe (principally England, France, Spain,and Holland), poured over their maps of North America and dreamed big dreams. Visitors to our modern Colonial Williamsburg (permanently set in 1774-75, just prior to the launch of the American Revolution) can readily see the importance of maps; over the mantlepiece in every home hang authentically recreated/historically accurate maps-maps-maps. Nothing captured the imagination of Virginia land-owners more than the Great West, the Ohio Country regions (present day Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Western Virginia, and West Virginia). Led by the lights of George Washington, maps of this West fueled the interests and passions of our founders. In thinking about The Villages, that same spirit of adventure and enterprise is here, with one exceptional difference; the entrepreneurial powers are centered in the hands of one family, not a host of competing-warring nations. If this projection based on historical elements rings true, as I look at maps and dream, the future of The Villages will be found in maps... And given the extant maps that can be had, I see this: For the area South of 44, that future points to Fenney and Southern Oaks as solidly within the scenario of being the "established" southern quadrant of The Villages... Morse Blvd will cross 44 and the current 468 will be renamed Morse Blvd... extending to Fenney. The Interstate will have an entry/exit at the newly christened Morse Blvd/The Villages exchange... this exchange will become THE Golden Gateway to The Villages. Major retail will be clustered around this exchange, perhaps within eye-sight of beautifully sited gems, all with inviting surveys of golf courses, country clubs, and other amenities features... If we could only live a little longer, as we sit observing in our brand new self-driving 2041 Toyota hover-carts, we would be amazed and awed by the serene beauty of this our Florida home, The Villages. As wonderful as that is, and can be, we do understand that all can be just as quickly be dashed by circumstances beyond our control... Before the Revolution George Washington owned thousands of acres in the great Ohio Country (and purchased thousands more after the Revolution)... While George did not live to establish his private estates in this vast new territory, his vision was remarkably accurate: the future of America was indeed centered on the American colonies (and new Eastern nation) moving West. To the Morse family dreamers, the "beginning" of the next stage in growing TV has already begun in the regions of Great South. Hold on! Here we go...

[NYGUY]

I see a mini-series coming..

[Mrs. Robinson]

Sad, but probably true. The situation here doesn't mirror those of George Washington's, unfortunately.
There you had one person. Here you have many hungry mouths to feed and they can't possibly all get along.
As the years progress, the greed can only get worse.

[The Chipster]

Duppa, that was actually a very well-written post. A rarity these days.

[The Chipster]

And quite thought-provoking.