[RightOnline]

After reading my comments above, there is definitely irony in my telling you that Ocala is exactly the city where I actually lived in Florida, although I've been in most of the major towns in FL on many, many occasions. I lived smack-dab in the middle of the Ocala National Forest. A hell-hole. My kids couldn't walk into the front yard without being attacked by fire ants. There were poisonous snakes everywhere. The little pond at the end of the road had alligator snapping turtles the size of Buicks and an alligator. The mosquitoes came in clouds.

What a s**thole.

The people, aside from my immediate neighbor, weren't much of an improvement on the actual environment. Couldn't seem to give a damn if you existed or not, lived or died.

No thanks. Florida is one state permanently crossed off of this vagabond's list.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

The Ocala National Forest has about the same relation to the city of Ocala as the 'Jersey Meadows' have to New York City. Most Ocalans wouldn't be caught dead living in the Forest. There are even books about what is wrong with living in the Forest -- see 'The Yearling' and 'Cross Creek'. In any case the inhabitants of the Forest fall into several categories:
1) Old style Florida crackers as depicted in the books referenced
2) Northern refugees from the winter, living on unemployment.
3) Satanists and followers of wicca, looking for pets to sacrifice (no joke).

Ocalans are not the same folks, sort of like Lake City with better scenery and more retired mid-westerners.

[Cleburne]

Snakes, snapping turtles, alligators? Sounds like paradise! Fire ants and mosquitoes-sheesh, I just don't get folks that get all stewed up about such trivial mess. Next thing you know they're complaining about the heat...