A Walk on the Beach

Yesterday I finally got around to going to West Gulf to walk on the beach. The parking areas on West Gulf are reserved for residents with A stickers. This is a real perk in the winter months when the other beaches are crowded with tourists. West Gulf is populated mostly by private homes so it tends to be less crowded.

I tend to like to park at Access #6. I'm not sure why.

Maybe it's the view you get as you walk down the path to the beach.

I really love this time of the year. I guess I'm selfish but I like the beach all to myself.

OK, so I had to share the beach with these guys--

And these guys--

And this guy!!

Actually I found several of those guys. I don't ever remember seeing these guys before. I was actually digging for shells and dug one up. Obviously none of them were very happy with me and were squirting water at me like crazy. Pretty funny.

There weren't really a lot of shells on the beach--at least the kind I was interested in. It was also very hot and I figured that even though I was covered with 50 lotion, I shouldn't stay out too long. So, I wandered back to the car. Now when one can't find shells on the beach, one should look for shells along the path. I love finding these little tree snail shells.And to put a perfect ending on my trip to the beach, this guy waved at me (well not really) as I was driving over the bridge coming back into Periwinkle Park.

Wordless Wednesday--Back in the Good Old Days

Enjoy more Wordless Wednesdays at Wordless Wednesday.

Ruby Tuesday-Police Parking Lot

On our trip to Ireland this summer, we drove by the police station in Dublin one day. Our driver pointed out to us that all of these cars parked here were the policemen's own private cars. Man, I hope they all get off work at the same time or nobody is going anywhere!!

OK, I know you are all busy checking out everyone's Ruby Tuesday but take the time to bookmark me and drop back to check out my blog. I am a retired Special Ed teacher who now lives in paradise on Sanibel Island, Florida which is a Sanctuary Island for wildlife. I volunteer for a wildlife hospital. I am also the proud grandma of 5 wonderful grandkids and brag about them often!! I also have a blog called Branches and Roots where I talk about genealogy and my ancestors. OK, enough about me. So if you really want to see red go to Work of the Poet

Mellow Yellow Monday--Sub View

I love this meme called Mellow Yellow Monday. Lots of yellow pictures to brighten up a Monday. After you look at mine, hop on over and see lots more.

At the Maritime Museum in San Diego, there is a Russian Submarine. When you look through the periscope on the sub, this is the view you see.

I'm in Slacker Mode Now

Well, we have been here two weeks and three days now. We've unpacked, cleaned out cupboards and closets, made room for stuff we brought with us etc. So, now I figure it is time to just slack off, sit back and enjoy Sanibel. Unfortunately, between Crawls, dinners with friends, working at CROW etc, I've slacked off on blogging too. Since today is a lazy day (and what day here isn't?) , it just seems like a good day to really get caught up here. Sooooo--here goes.
The pictures above were not taken in Key West, believe me. It was taken at the Keylime Bistro on Captiva. We drove up to Captiva last Sunday to see what Blind Pass looks like since it has been opened. We then went on to Keylime Bistro for an adult beverage, some entertainment and the biggest plate of Nachos I've ever seen. We had the Key Lime Margaritas and probably the BEST margarita I have EVER had. Pricey but so worth it!!

We've also been trying to take walks every couple of days. It has been very hot so we have found walking the beach is about the best place to walk. Here are some sights from our walks.

Chuck ready for a walk.

The birds enjoying the beach too.

A Ghost Crab hole.

Really high surf.

Beach Morning Glories

The Sanibel Stoop. Not the prettiest position in the world but the only way to get shells.

Sea Turtle Nest

We also have lots of critters around here. I have seen more Mama Raccoons and their babies crossing San Cap Road than I care to count. They terrify me every time because I'm afraid that the car they are crossing in front of won't stop and that will mean one more patient that has to go to the CROW. I found these two critters right here in Periwinkle Park.

This little guy was hanging on one of our screens for dear life. He was only about an inch long.

Sanibel has a huge iguana problem. They are not native but swim over from other islands and the mainland. This guy was in the road here in the Park. I actually had to get out of the car to scare him off.

A couple of nights ago, we joined friends, Cheryl and Tony, for dinner at the Cantina Captiva then went to Biddle's Bucket for Karaoke Night. NO, Chuck and I did not sing but Tony did. Apparently he is pretty much a regular at Karaoke Night and when he sang, I could see why. He has a great voice and really put everyone else to shame!!I've mentioned many times on this blog about how much I love my deck. Sure, I would like a bigger trailer but I could never give up my deck. Even though it is really too hot to really enjoy it out there right now, I do sneak out for a few minutes at a time to enjoy the peace and quiet and privacy. I can't wait for the birds to make their way back from up north so that I can't enjoy them too.
And if that isn't enough, this is the view I get from my front door when there is an especially great sunset. Of course all sunsets here are especially great!
So, yeah, I guess I am in Slacker mode now. I sleep in, go for walks on the beach, dine with friends, enjoy sunsets and my deck, do all the genealogy research I want, take care of furry creatures, and just love life to the fullest. Ah, life is good.

Window Views-Old San Diego

MaryT/The Teach has a great meme called Window Views. For some reason I have always been intrigued with taking pictures of windows or through windows so this meme was made just for me! Hop on over to to Window Views and do some more window peeping.

A window in Old Town San Diego

This Way Thurs-Way

My friend, Tink, has just taken on the chore of hosting a meme called This Way Thurs-Way. This is a meme which appears every Thursday. In Tink's words, "This Way Thurs-Way is all about photos of signs, paths and things pertaining to being "on the road"." It looks like a fun meme so I thought I would join in. When you are done looking at my picture, why don't you hop on over to This Way Thurs-Way and check out some others.

The other day we took a drive up to Captiva to check out Blind Pass. Blind Pass is a strait which separates Sanibel and Captiva. It has been closed for years and was just dredged and opened up this summer. You could actually walk across from Sanibel to Captiva but no more. And because of this they had to post the following signs.

Our Neighbor (Make That Ex Neighbor) Is At It Again

Remember this?

Well, she's at it again. I had a call from the new owner of our house yesterday. She just wanted to tell me that a bill for us had arrived (even though we had a forwarding address at the PO) and that she would be mailing it to us. I asked her how things were going and if there had been any problems.

So, she proceeds to tell me that they found a note on their door one day signed "Your Neighbor". She read it to me and I knew immediately who had sent it. She said she knew it wasn't the neighbors on either side. I told her it was the gal across the street and she said that's what she had figured. The note, nicely written but you could read the sarcasm dripping from it, said that even though everyone in the neighborhood had dogs and cats it was too bad that their dog stood in the open window all day and barked. Ok, we put up with years of barking dogs next door (both sides) and down the street so I do understand the annoyance. BUT--as Emily said, if the woman would have come over and knocked on their door, introduced herself and mentioned their barking dog, it would have been different. But to leave a note on your door and don't even have the courtesy to sign it!!!

I'm sooooo glad that I don't have to put up with that woman anymore!

Ruby Tuesday-Piliated Woodpeckers

If you are lucky, you get to see and take a picture of one Piliated Woodpecker on a tree. But one day, I looked out my window and there were three of them on one tree. What a racket they were making!
OK, I know you are all busy checking out everyone's Ruby Tuesday but take the time to bookmark me and drop back to check out my blog. I am a retired Special Ed teacher who now spends most of her time on Sanibel Island, Florida which is a Sanctuary Island for wildlife. I volunteer for a wildlife hospital. I am also the proud grandma of 5 wonderful grandkids and brag about them often!! I also have a blog called Branches and Roots where I talk about genealogy and my ancestors. OK, enough about me. So if you really want to see red go to Work of the Poet

Mellow Yellow Monday-All Worn Out

I love this meme called Mellow Yellow Monday. Lots of yellow pictures to brighten up a Monday. After you look at mine, hop on over and see lots more.
I caught this picture of two of my grandsons after a long day.

Window Views-The Berkeley

MaryT/The Teach has a great meme called Window Views. For some reason I have always been intrigued with taking pictures of windows or through windows so this meme was made just for me! Hop on over to to Window Views and do some more window peeping.

Last winter when we visited our daughter in San Diego, we toured the Maritime Museum. The Berkeley is a beautifully restored 1898 steam ferryboat that operated for 60 years on San Francisco Bay. Here is an example of the clear and stained glass windows in the main salon.