@bobhaugen: We've been living in Ann Arbor, very close to the football stadium. It was a welcome change from Paris because we finally had the room to start a garden which was a huge stress reliever. We're a bit sad to leave it behind but thankfully we've talked to some other local gardeners interested in adopting them. I'll post some pics shortly.

As for winter... as a Canadian I'm used to it, but my wife is Indian and isn't a big fan. The winter climate where we're headed will be closer to late spring or early summer as I think of it. I'm looking forward to growing plants year-round and experimenting with tropical plants that probably wouldn't grow well outside the tropics.