In a Flip-Flop State of Mind.

Photo from SWFloridaBirder.blogspot.com

Audubon of Southwest Florida is holding its 16th Annual Sanibel Island Hawk Watch on Saturday, October 19 at 8 a.m. at the Sanibel Lighthouse.

This is one of the signature birding outings for the organization, where you can view several species of birds of prey at work at the height of migration season. There will also be opportunities to see shorebirds as well as warblers – or even a painted bunting – in the offshore hammocks.  » Read more

Well, this is something new for our sleepy little island…

Long home to the crazy, quirky, you-gotta-see-’em-to-believe-’em Captiva Hermit Crab Races, our friends up at ‘Tween Waters are excited to announce Drag Queen Bingo is coming to the Crow’s Nest Bar & Grille every Wednesday night until the end of November.

Featuring Sizzy Griddles & Trixie Towers, it promises all of the humor and sass of a drag show,  » Read more

“To rise at daybreak and feel the sunshine as it warms my skin,

the soothing sounds of waves as they kiss the shore,

sand beneath my toes

— a gentle reminder that life is good.”

– Melanie Rogers Jiminez  » Read more

Edison and Ford Winter Estates will host the annual Airing of the Quilts quilt show on Saturday, October 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dozens of quilts from the Quilters’ Guild will be on display, suspended from clotheslines between trees.  Select antique quilts from the 1880s to the 1940s will be on display inside the Thomas Edison house, Henry Ford house and the Edison guest house.   » Read more

Make plans now to attend the eighth annual fundraiser for the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Sanibel Community House. This year’s Go Wild for “Ding” – Lovin’ Spoonbills theme continues a series of bird-centric events to benefit the birds, other wildlife, conservation, and education efforts at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island.

“Roseate spoonbills are ‘Ding’ Darling’s most iconic bird,  » Read more

From WSB-TV in Atlanta:

“Summer is over, the kids are back in school, vacations are now but a memory.  It’s time to focus on work, the daily routine and outsmarting traffic. Right?

Wrong!  It’s time for another vacation, one for you and your significant other.  When was the last time you had one of those?

“The reason couples come to this area is literally to unplug,  » Read more

Thanks to the support of donors and a dynamic partnership with the City of Sanibel, Community Housing & Resources provides affordable, below market rate rental homes for many individuals in our community.

CHR was formed in 1979, as the first of its kind in the state of Florida, offering both affordable rental and ownership opportunities to low-income families who work full time on Sanibel or are retired or disabled island residents.  » Read more

Photo by Amir Abramovich

Aah, true romance.  When seahorses find a mate, they wrap their tails around each other so that the tide doesn’t drift them apart.

Other fun facts about the seahorse:

• Every morning, seahorse couples greet each other with a unique “dance” where they’ll promenade and pirouette together, sometimes changing colors. They engage in these daily intricate,

 » Read more

Thomas Edison’s wife, Mina, was known for being a gracious hostess and concerned with the well being of children and the community. Following in her tradition, the Edison-Ford Winter Estates is offering a two-hour Etiquette at Edison Ford class on October 12th designed to teach etiquette and social skills to children ages 6-12.

Students will gather at the Edison Caretaker’s House for a lesson in good manners.  » Read more

As we look forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge next year, we can also look back on the extraordinary career of its namesake.

In addition to his staunch efforts in conservationism, Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling twice won the Pulitzer Prize for his cartoons that appeared in the Des Moines Register in the early 1900s.  At one point,  » Read more