Sanibel Journal

May 3, 2015 -- The Bailey Tract on Tarpon Bay Road is a wonderland owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), who generously allows the public to visit it.  It is part of the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge properties on Sanibel Island.  People are fortunate that FWS allows them to park and visit, because wildlife refuges usually are just that:  refuges for wildlife – a place for wildlife to be able to avoid humans. In a fact sheet available on the FWS web site, the fact that this Bailey Tract was once owned by the Bailey family is stated right up front, at the beginning.  The tract’s 100 acres is just a small portion of what the Bailey family once owned on Sanibel, but they still do own plenty – including the shopping center at Tarpon Bay Road and Periwinkle Way – smack in the middle of Sanibel’s “downtown.” They also owned a commercially zoned parcel across Tarpon Bay Road from the shopping center.  That piece was sold to Tarpon Bay R...

April 28, 2015 -- At about 1PM, the thermometer on the back porch announced that the outdoor temperature was a mere 84 degrees.  But humidity wrapped me in a warm, damp blanket.  For about 20 minutes, I read the Sunday paper on the divan on that porch.  This was my meager reward for doing tedious work at the computer for a few hours.  In that short 20 minutes, the temperature dropped 8 degrees.  Large, dark clouds swept by overhead, but only a little rain fell.  The change in the weather was rapid. At the same time, in the heart of Sanibel, a well-known author sat in the office of a real estate title company.  He was in a hurry.  He said he just wanted to sign the papers and be on his way.  Just like that, he and his wife (a composer) bought Cooley Hammock from us.  So that 3.5 acres is no longer Cooley Hammock.  Change happens fast. Orchids on the front porch Ah, now the rain is pouring.  The plants outside my win...

October 21, 2014 – My friend Phyllis conducts tours of the grounds at the Sanibel city hall, where numerous native plants grow.  The tours are not about city government; they are about what grows well on this fragile barrier island – plants that do not need fertilizer and that can survive droughts. The tours are free and no reservations are needed.  For property owners, it is a bargain and a joy to listen to the information that Phyllis provides.  In her sweet voice, she tells little stories about each plant.  She needs no notes; she knows it all by heart. Phyllis is the chair of the city’s vegetation committee.  She devotes much time to this volunteer job.  The committee's members inspect properties that are being developed; they help to ensure that native plants are protected and replaced when necessary. A firebush bloom. That committee also does much to educate new property owners as well as longtime residents like me, who have forgotten what ...

That glorious day usually comes sometime in October.  The humidity drops, and so does the temperature, for the first time since May, it seems.  The glorious day was yesterday, a Sunday -- the first day of the Farmer's Market for this season. The Farmer's Market has been a huge success, so it was started up a month earlier this Fall.  The earlier start date is a recognition of the fact that the locals enjoy the Farmer's Market; it is not a touristy event. Even though we didn't particularly "need" anything, I looked forward to the Market because I wanted to see people.  I miss Sanibelians after being away from the vast majority of them for three months. First came church, during which we celebrated World Communion Sunday and I was the person designated to say "Welcome" in French at the beginning of the service.  We heard "Welcome" in French, then German, Spanish, Kurdish, and finally, English. I usually sit with Peter, my friend who...