Thanks once again to Dave Horton for his great Hortoons! » Read more
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Life Before Selfies
An excerpt from an article from our friends at “The River”; written by Gerri Reaves PhD:
In the last century or so, the number and types of diversions for tourists has skyrocketed. But if you visited Fort Myers in the early 19-teens, what was there to do?
Some activities have remained favorites through the decades; excursions to Sanibel – in the early days, » Read more
Scenes from Sanibel: #143
“What I lack in social skills,
I make up for in hiding-from-people skills.”
Should you have any photos you’d like to share, please email them to [email protected]. » Read more
Life in the Treetops
If you need a break from the beach, head up to the Sarasota area (about a 2-hour drive from Ocean’s Reach) and check out the amazing Myakka River State Park.
At 58 square miles, this is one of Florida’s oldest and largest parks. The Myakka River flows through a vast expanse of unspoiled wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands that make up the family-friendly park. » Read more
Old Punta Rassa – Part 2
The Tarpon House Inn in 1910; photo from Digital FGCU.
One of the last photos of the Tarpon House Inn in 1913; from Florida State Archives.
More interesting info on Old Punta Rassa, this time from a 2016 News-Press article about “Pioneering Tourists” by Cynthia Williams:
On a blustery day in March of 1881, » Read more
Old Punta Rassa – Part 1
1882 Rand McNally map of Southwest Florida showing Punta Rassa and Fort Dulany; photo from State Library of Florida.
“The Barracks” housed an increasing number of weary cattle drivers in Punta Rassa circa 1890s; photo from the Florida State Archives.
“Passing through Punta Rassa on the way to or from Sanibel Island on Florida’s Gulf coast, » Read more
Forget About Everything
Welcoming a New Resident
In early June, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum’s Giant Pacific Octopus began the natural process of senescence, or end of life. He began refusing food and released spermatophores, a sign of a reproductive phase after which the animal declines over a period of weeks or even days, and their death is imminent.
While he was in the Shell Museum’s care, the Giant Pacific Octopus inspired and educated over 100,000 visitors in person and over 33,000 viewers online through the museum’s unique Octocam. » Read more
Don’t You Just Love Sanibel?
Dolphin Days #5
Photo by Debra McGuire
Finishing up our list of fascinating dolphin facts this week, courtesy of USA Today:
15. Our fetuses look very similar.
While unborn babies of humans and dolphins are in the uterus, they both have a tail, though for humans that is only briefly. Scientists believe these so-called protrusions are a legacy of genetic material from ancestors. » Read more