Tuesday Sanibel Happy



The temperature is my idea of perfect; 68 last night and 81 today, it's 74 now at 9:30 PM.  I hope this will last the whole winter through. 

I got side tracked last night and didn't get my post done.  So here's yesterday's photos.

We had fun taking Pinkerbell for a ride again today, then a stop on West Gulf Drive at resident access 3.  There were a lot of shells, but I only picked up around 5 or 6. 

It was such a pleasant day, we drove on out to the Sanibel Causeway just to see the view.  We made a loop at the turn around and headed back.

Before we went home, we made a stop at Jerry's.  These guys were having a great time!

Now on to today!

It was far to nice to spend the whole day inside.  This afternoon we went out riding around, enjoying the warm weather.  We listened to Christmas songs and when they got to lines like, the weather outside is frightful, it put a smile on our faces.

We hadn't been to the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge in quite a while, so we took Pinkerbell there.  She was so excited and wanted to get her picture taken by the sign.

The refuge consists of over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, cordgrass marshes, and West Indian hardwood hammocks. Approximately 2,800 acres of the refuge are designated by Congress as a Wilderness Area.

This area provides feeding, nesting, and roosting areas for migratory birds. It is an important habitat to over 220 species of birds.

This is a nice drive, bike ride or walk,

with some great scenery.  There are plenty of other things you can do at the refuge.  Check out the refuge website for a calendar of events.

We saw one Roseate Spoonbill in a group of birds feeding on a sandbar.  Pinkerbell got excited when she saw another pink bird, but then she realized that it was quite different. 

We saw several different kinds of birds in small numbers, but I noticed a large amount of White Pelicans.

Of course my cell phone photos

don't give you a choice view. 

After we left the refuge, we drove on out to Captiva.  When we got into the village, we drove past the Chapel By the Sea.

As we drove past Jensen's, I noticed that banner about Walgreens was gone.  Another mystery I guess.  I tried to get a picture of the empty spot, but Pinker got her head in the way. :)

We stopped at Tween Waters to say hi to some friends and watch the sunset.

Pinkerbell was enjoying the Christmas lights as we drove away.

Day After Thanksgiving on Sanibel

We've been very busy the last couple of days, decorating and preparing for the holidays. 

This afternoon we decided to get out of the house for a while, so we took Pinkerbell, (named after a good friend), for a little ride.

 We drove out to Captiva and back.  It was sunny and warm, a perfect, day after Thanksgiving.

Tonight was the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Fireworks at ‘Tween Waters Inn Island Resort.  You have to arrive very early to find room for parking.  This event brings out many locals and visitors.  The traffic was already heavy around 4, as we passed on our way back to Sanibel.  They had someone posted at each entrance to direct drivers to a parking spot.   

Enjoy more “Captiva Holiday Village” events through the following weekends, including a Chadwick’s Square Tree Lighting (Nov 27); Seafood and Wine Festival (Dec 3); Golf Cart Parades and Holiday Music (Dec 4); Sunset Arias, Fire Dancing and Holiday Marketplace (Dec 10); Skim Board Contest, Art Show and Stage Performance, Boat Parade and Ribs and Blues Award Party (Dec 11); Marketplace, Art Show and Christmas Carols (Dec 12); Holiday Pub Crawl (Dec 17); and Concert Event and Pub Crawl (Dec 18). For more information on locations and times, visit www.captivaholidayvillage.com

There were beautiful red bougainvilleas

blooming everywhere.

There were a lot of people on the

Sanibel side of Blind Pass. 

Pinkerbell was jingling to Christmas music as we drove along.

We stopped by resident access 7 on west Gulf Drive and went out on the beach for a little while.

As we were driving back on West Gulf Drive, some of Pinkerbell's friends were crossing the street, so we had to wait for a bit.

When we got back home, Pinker was ready to take a rest under the palms for a while.