Hello Everyone!

I thought I would make an attempt at catching up a little.  We have had visitors coming and going constantly and other things going on, plus a few health issues mixed in.  The island has still remained very busy, even after the normal season was over.  I've heard that the amount of tourists is expected to drop off a little due to school starting again.  We could certainly use a break.  Even business owners that normally take a vacation during this time of year, have not been able to do so yet.

One fun thing that happened was our 7 member team won the Road Rally this year!  We've done it every year since moving here, and this year we got lucky!

         

The Sanibel Captiva Optimist Club puts on this very entertaining event each year on the 4th of July.  It is tremendously fun, so you should plan a visit to take part sometime!

Since today is National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day , that prompted me to share some cool photos of our Sanibel Lighthouse during refurbishment that began at the end of June and planned to be completed during the month of September.

We were driving across the Sanibel Causeway on July 13th, and noticed the lighthouse looked a little strange.  From that distance it looked sort of like a lighthouse with an enclosed base.  It peaked my curiosity, so we drove there and took photos.  It was uncovered again a week later.

In the U.S., skeletal lighthouses, like the one at Sanibel, became popular with our government because the cost was less than half the price of a stone or brick tower.  They were assembled from prefabricated sections and taken to the location to be assembled.  The first onshore skeletal lighthouses in the U.S. were built in 1861.  There is an interesting story about our lighthouse.  It was fabricated in the north and then shipped to Sanibel.  The ship sank just two miles from shore, but the crew, with help from divers, were able to recover nearly all of the pieces.  Sanibel Lighthouse was erected in 1884. 

 You can read more about the Sanibel Lighthouse here.

As usual, the Summer months have brought lots of beautiful clouds, plenty of rain, rainbows, sun rays and sunsets!

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get to help with sea turtle nesting program this year, I was willing, but my feet were not.  There are a large number of nests here on Sanibel and Captiva this year, a total of 471 at this time, and 71 hatches.  Some got washed over with extra high tides from Tropical Storm Andrea, but many are hatching.  Most of the nests here are Loggerheads, but this year has set a record for Green sea turtle nests, 7 here and 2 on Captiva. 

In case you are wondering, the critters in our home are doing quite well.  Puffin has become quite studious, that is, when he isn't scattering toys all over the house or laying around sleeping, which is most of the time.

The parrots, Lexis and Lotus, are also helping keep us entertained. 

I hope all of you are doing well!  

Fun With a Dolphin

Wednesday was a beautiful day for boating.  

The water was calm and the clouds beautiful!

 All of a sudden I heard a loud splash, looked around to see

 a big smile from a dolphin. :)

That dolphin fun made our day on the water complete.

Yesterday evening we went to the Lighthouse Beach.  The wind was pretty strong and there were kite boarders who had been making good use of it.

The tide was out and water had been trapped in a long tidal pool.  I looked around in that for a while, there were some shells, but didn't find any that interested me.

There were a lot of small shells that the high tide had left behind.  I looked through those for a while, only sticking a couple of them in my pocket.  It was just pleasant spending time on the beach.

Evening on Sanibel Causeway

Photos from a leisurely drive out on the Sanibel Causeway this evening.

Sanibel Lighthouse in the distance.

Fun Under Sanibel Clouds

We were just ready to leave for the beach this afternoon when it began to rain.  It didn't last very long, so we decided to go before the next rain.  We quickly drove over to the east end and parked at the Buttonwood beach access.  Just as we got out, the wind started getting stronger.

We hurried out the boardwalk and after a quick look to the left,

then a quick look to the right, we knew our time was going to be limited.

There were sure not many other fools

 out on this beach, not even near

the Sanibel Lighthouse. :)

The wind was pushing me back and forth, making it difficult to take a photo.  Would you believe it, if I told you that it was cool on the beach and some of those wind gusts were actually cold?  One lady wearing a bathing suit (the only person I saw) walked past me, and said she was cold.  I thought it was beautiful out, I love going to the beach in the rain.

With such strong wind, the birds

were having trouble taking off.  I think it might
have been a little like a plane trying to take off
with the flaps down.
The top one, was hovering in one spot
for a few seconds.

Finally the wind seemed to pick them up

to send them on their way.

This one looked at us, as if to say,

"So, you thought we wouldn't make it?"

From a distance, when I saw something long and white, I got a little excited thinking it was an Angel Wing.  After a little closer look, I realized it was a piece of plastic.  I carried it with me anyway, to put in the trash.

No matter how threatening the clouds looked when we got to the beach, I still wandered a little too far away.  I had my head down, looking closely for shells.  When I looked up, I knew it was time to go!  Just after I turned around to start back, the rain started.  There was no need to try using my umbrella because the wind was so strong, I could hardly stand up. Wow!

Those dark clouds were sending rain pelting down, as we ran for the car.  I was nearly soaked when we got there.

There was very little to pick from, even after very close inspection, and this was all I carried home in my pocket.

Overseas and Back to Sanibel

There were some beautiful clouds near the Sanibel Lighthouse as we drove across the causeway this afternoon.

I know this is a little weird!  I'm not sure why there was a pink pig waving at us as we drove past. 

On the way back, I enjoyed looking at the sunrays shining up from behind the clouds.

I went out to the Sanibel Causeway to watch the sunset again, because there were such nice clouds as we drove home.  As soon as I started across the first bridge, I could see the sun; big and a reddish orange color, somewhat filtered by clouds.

By the time I got parked, the sun had disappeared, but it was still a beautiful sight.

Looking back over my shoulder, across the street and toward Ft Myers Beach.  There was a neat looking blue shape next to the moon.

Sanibel Lighthouse

The light was beginning to fade.