Island Scene

Love the moodiness of this scene on Sanibel:  Abandoned colorful chairs as beachgoers get one last  dip in before the storm arrives.  The patriotic bunting draped over the lighthouse was a nice touch for the Fourth of July weekend.

Seeing the Light

Nothing like sunrise on Sanibel island!

Great time of year to be here as we get ready to celebrate America's birthday.

Theme Day: Aging

When I discovered yesterday that today's Theme Day was 'aging', I rooted through my recent photos on Sanibel island to see what could be applicable.  And, voila -- the Sanibel lighthouse!   

Opened in 1884 on the eastern tip of the island, it was manned by ten different lighthouse keepers until 1949 when a big storm hit and concerns about erosion led to the light becoming automated.  In the  early 1980s, the City of Sanibel began managing the surrounding property, but the U.S. Coast Guard continued to own and operate the light.  In 2000, it was transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and, then, the City of Sanibel applied for custody of it.  After years and years of waiting, the request was granted in 2010.  Using a Florida state historic preservation grant and monies accrued from the island's beach parking fund, a preservation initiative was launched just two years ago in 2013.  Apparently, the rehab was really needed.  The exterior steel was deteriorating to the point that sections had to be replaced.  The lighthouse also was sanded and painted.  Now it's looking pretty good for a 131 year old structure, don't you think?  I'm partial to lighthouses and I'm glad this one has been preserved and seems to be aging pretty well.

To see other interpretations of Theme Day click here.

Lighthouse Keeper

Welcome to island life!  This is Sanibel's version of a lighthouse keeper: an osprey looking out over the Gulf of Mexico. Happy Thursday everyone!

Sanibel Lighthouse

I recently enjoyed a stay-cation on Sanibel, a couple hours south of Sarasota.  It's so beautiful and always a peaceful, relaxing getaway. This is a shot of the lighthouse located at the southern tip of the island on the Gulf of Mexico.  The area that's cordoned off with yellow caution tape is a turtle nest. Usually, there are about 90-110 eggs in a nest and very few hatchlings survive the treacherous journey from the nest to the water.  (Nature takes its course with birds gobbling them up.) The ones that make it to the Gulf  have to escape other predators while instinctively swimming for miles to a large area full of seaweed known as the sargassum sea.  I always root for the baby sea turtles -- they're great!   In other news, I'm making really good progress with my epic video.  Fingers crossed it'll be finished soon.