tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87080598934128673082024-03-13T14:56:36.734-04:00My Sarasota Home TownStories by Ron Beahm, Sarasota Realtor, about growing up in Sarasota, FloridaSarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-67573834965455517852021-12-20T16:30:00.000-05:002021-12-20T16:30:17.647-05:00A Hometown Sarasota Holiday<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #01689c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><br /></h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5109950262029949886" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 586px;"><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGu9aW3t98dNSwJzf9W2smpidiTPX_WMFZMFWEO7GXavsWP4bfY9LAQ2cERa4VVV7H6AjPicyrpKrpR2uyC17vdpmFgC2Co3cw8i8mKgyiwK7I0qk6hAJ190TR6q63DaTkmpi5XlXw1E/s1600/Holiday+Card+Front.png" style="clear: left; color: blue; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGu9aW3t98dNSwJzf9W2smpidiTPX_WMFZMFWEO7GXavsWP4bfY9LAQ2cERa4VVV7H6AjPicyrpKrpR2uyC17vdpmFgC2Co3cw8i8mKgyiwK7I0qk6hAJ190TR6q63DaTkmpi5XlXw1E/s320/Holiday+Card+Front.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a>Isn't this time of year simply the best? Cold, sloppy and wet, less and less daylight, dead leaves everywhere, can't play golf after work, etc. Oops, wait…those are the reasons you should live in Sarasota, Florida! I have lived in Sarasota all my life and have seen many winters come and go, and yes, we do celebrate the holidays just like our northern friends. Almost.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Many from the North think Floridians miss out on all the fun of the holidays. A lack of snow in our forecast here in Sarasota doesn’t mean we won’t be able to have a “white holiday”. We enjoy the white sands of our wonderful beaches in December as easily as we do in June. Frosty the Snowman will not come to life in any Florida yard. We take great pride in lighting our palm trees and setting up fiber optic sleighs pulled by holiday hat clad alligators and flamingos. (It’s not tacky at all). Our homes may not have stockings hung by the chimney, although wet bathing suits and towels are often strung across the lanai with great care.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Even if you are living in a cave, you couldn't miss the radiant glow of all the Sarasota neighborhoods shimmering with bright lights around town…and on boats! Pine trees are trucked in from up north and sold in red and white tents along the roads. The Salvation Army volunteers ring bells and take donations. Shoppers hustle through the malls and stores spending more than necessary. But, these things are all done while we are wearing shorts and flip flops. Just another day in Paradise!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Some folks turn the air conditioning down as far as it will go, (I have been known to do that at my wife’s request) to get the house cool enough to light a fire in the fireplace. (The local grocery stores carry firewood.) Others go all out with lights and decorations all around the house, the same as up north. Cookies are baked, hams and turkeys are roasted, and families manage to connect, even if it is across the phone and internet lines. The holidays are still special no matter where you are. So, to all those contemplating joining us in the Sunshine State, come on down and buy a home in Sarasota…you will not regret your move. You will soon make new friends, start new traditions and enjoy the Holidays in a new way. The holidays are the holidays no matter what part of the country you happen to be in, but if you have yet to experience a uniquely Florida holiday, I encourage you to come and visit. Grab your sandals and come on down. And I am confident that you will fall in love with Sarasota and want to buy a house! And when you do, I'm your Hometown Sarasota Realtor!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This holiday season, I am especially grateful for all my clients and friends! Thank you for your trust, business, referrals and your friendship. Thank you for letting me help you with these life transitions. I wish you happiness and peace during this holiday season and in the year ahead. </div></div>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-14076598131661901912021-11-23T11:43:00.001-05:002021-11-23T17:59:12.161-05:00Thanksgiving 2021 - What Are You Thankful For This Year?<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuicXdOqar2fs4c2MUc-6DEA4FAfYJ4zjDhCDTsENZB7SfYQEpmOKWSWp5DEVbJOVNnnzMyh632SMKo3ZWbWx-UNH-d7o7rlQrlXUp-NmSXbJEE-stnHPqDDbiXCAM_LaJux5ByXZcOPY/s592/Thanksgiving+2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="592" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuicXdOqar2fs4c2MUc-6DEA4FAfYJ4zjDhCDTsENZB7SfYQEpmOKWSWp5DEVbJOVNnnzMyh632SMKo3ZWbWx-UNH-d7o7rlQrlXUp-NmSXbJEE-stnHPqDDbiXCAM_LaJux5ByXZcOPY/w400-h276/Thanksgiving+2021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">As kids, we learned about the first meal shared at
Plymouth Colony where Pilgrims invited Indians to join hands and
hearts and gave thanks for the “autumn harvest.” That was in 1621 and was a three-day
festival. In 1789 George Washington introduced the event as a national holiday.
It was not until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln set the final Thursday in
November. Fast-forward to 1989. President George H.W. Bush, granted the
first official pardon to a turkey, a tradition that continues today.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes, the holiday continues now, but what are you truly thankful
for, at this very moment? Food, football, friends and fun? Perhaps. Is that
enough? Let’s all stop and take a deep breath right now—freeze time for a
moment. What are you thankful for right now? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giving thanks and being thankful—that’s what Thanksgiving is dedicated to each year. I’m
especially thankful for my family, those present and those
gone before me, for infusing a spirit of gratitude for every gift of love and
time shared with people I love in my life. But one thing we can likely all
agree on as a reason to be grateful, is that the best time of the
day is finally sitting down at the dinner table with family, whether
it's just two of you or a huge family, around a perfectly set table with your best china, or folding card tables with paper plates (but
only the good, sturdy kind, of course!) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sarasota is my hometown and I am fortunate enough to have an amazing group of people in my life that I am truly thankful for. </span><span style="background-color: white;">My business as a Realtor in Sarasota, Florida relies on the recommendations and support of those close to me, and I want to take a moment and say a heartfelt thank you to </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">to Re/Max Alliance Group and to all of the loyal people who continuously support me. And to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">my wife, Liz, who is the wind beneath my wings, and to my family and friends. I would not be successful without all of you.</span></p><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">Happy Hometown Thanksgiving from our home to yours!</span></div>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-61701312869099941372021-10-29T10:08:00.000-04:002021-10-29T10:08:22.916-04:00Just Do It!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbjzQPIkOhZutSYgpR0ItQRHeOXoM_oNVh0d3Fre88wW-5RtXmRXjF4i61qMW2IhQ-PndcaPPAiEfco-fL2cOHg0X5sBXZI_N9MmzeKzZFeJSMqLhwkveHEUEVpBXzGgB_q20lxc1qNk/s328/Cable.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="328" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbjzQPIkOhZutSYgpR0ItQRHeOXoM_oNVh0d3Fre88wW-5RtXmRXjF4i61qMW2IhQ-PndcaPPAiEfco-fL2cOHg0X5sBXZI_N9MmzeKzZFeJSMqLhwkveHEUEVpBXzGgB_q20lxc1qNk/s320/Cable.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I finally did it. I cut the cable. My wife and I have been talking
about this for at least a year and spent a lot of time deciding on which
streaming service best fit our needs. Even before Covid, our main form of
entertainment has been television. While we love going to Raymond James to
watch the Bucs or to Tropicana Field to watch the Rays, we really love having to only
walk steps to the kitchen or the bathroom...not to mention binge-watching our
favorite TV series.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As we were going through the cord cutting process, we marveled at
how many streaming stations we all have access to these days. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> And since I’m an ‘old fart’ it brought to mind the fact that when I was a kid, in Sarasota we had a total
of three stations to choose from…and NO remote control!! These three channels were
accessed with the good old rabbit ear antenna (sometimes with tin foil
attached) which sat on top of the big square box TV. I can visualize it now,
rabbit ears spread wide in a horizontal position, aluminum foil wings on the
ends of each antenna while below, Ralph Kramden was threatening to send Alice
to the moon. </span>And then came a huge technological marvel...the outdoor antenna that could be rotated by a control inside the house! And the picture was black and white…I remember watching Neil Armstrong walk
on the moon on our little black and white TV. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFloNcDodekEdp4ZFD2q2b7w4FAVV0ImNC0KfYiXdKfUSklUiFnp7L4z7ZdV3GFrgyThTK4F0kRdEdYrI8IBbbiSw38cUmI8uQOGL5rAmEJ275VUj_W1KnRyVHNzjmyjxfmYCJdY-gbY/s483/moon+landing.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="483" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFloNcDodekEdp4ZFD2q2b7w4FAVV0ImNC0KfYiXdKfUSklUiFnp7L4z7ZdV3GFrgyThTK4F0kRdEdYrI8IBbbiSw38cUmI8uQOGL5rAmEJ275VUj_W1KnRyVHNzjmyjxfmYCJdY-gbY/s320/moon+landing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here’s a little history of TV
broadcasting. The first American TV station began broadcasting on July 2, 1928,
but it wasn’t until </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1953 that WSUN went on the air in St.
Petersburg (and went dark in 1970), followed by WTVT in Tampa and WFLA, which went
on the air in 1955 and are still broadcasting locally as an NBC and FOX
affiliate respectively. In my one and only bid for stardom, I as den chief, with the help of my parents, took my little cub scout group up to St. Pete to be on the Captain Mac Kids show on channel 38. It was really so corny looking back, but very exciting at the time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Back to the cable. In the early 1960’s, George Storer <span style="background: white; color: #202122;">ventured into the cable television
business in the early 1960’s</span> and Storer Communications became the first
cable I remember in Sarasota. This of course added lots more stations and…we
had a ‘clicker’ remote control! Storer Communications continued to operate as a
cable television company until the assets were split between Comcast and TCI in
the mid 1990s. So we went to Comcast for many years, then Verizon which sold
out to Frontier. TV’s became bigger and flatter and high definition has made
watching football an awesome experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So…we did it! We cancelled Frontier
(other than the highspeed router) and now and not only is our cable bill less than
half of what it had been, we have more channels than ever with the various apps we chose. It has
taken a little getting used to, but we are totally happy with our decision. This
is yet another instance that everything these days is internet driven and thing
will continue to evolve. It’s been an interesting ride from rabbit ears and
clickers to speaking into my remote control to find pretty much anything we
want to watch! It will be interesting to see where it all goes in the future.</span></p>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-17289683674867336752021-09-25T14:13:00.001-04:002021-09-25T14:16:04.950-04:00Liftoff!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsnnpDOmehzQQWXu-GZs7iMa80jtQsOXlPf0ZpO65-Y83DzaL2FdEkkYt17Nu5mbY_8lamfc6uQzt82la8dE2qa6bYRtTMOyoyoueb-mN-29Xfd2vzJqJ3DKUmeksdJg9kGuUuRZ0JDg/s196/Booster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="196" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsnnpDOmehzQQWXu-GZs7iMa80jtQsOXlPf0ZpO65-Y83DzaL2FdEkkYt17Nu5mbY_8lamfc6uQzt82la8dE2qa6bYRtTMOyoyoueb-mN-29Xfd2vzJqJ3DKUmeksdJg9kGuUuRZ0JDg/s0/Booster.JPG" width="196" /></a></div><br />We have liftoff! A few nights ago, we stood in our driveway looking up
at the northeastern sky watching the ball of fire that was SpaceX Dragon lifting
off into space…with four civilians aboard! So many people take this amazing
feat for granted! The manned space program is 60 years old this year…the
Soviets sent the first person into space in 1961. Ever since those first rockets
blasted off, I have been fascinated with the space program, beginning with Mercury,
Gemini and Apollo. I vividly remember watching the first man in space, Alan
Sheppard, walk on the moon. I was hooked! <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then there was the Space Shuttle era. My wife and I drove across the
state more than once to see it blast off. What a powerful feeling to experience the
ground shake and the sky light up and see the bright streak across the sky. Over 30 years,
NASA's space shuttle fleet—Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and
Endeavour—flew 135 missions and carried 355 different people to space. As humanity's
first reusable spacecraft, the space shuttle carried people into orbit
repeatedly; launched, recovered and repaired satellites; conducted cutting-edge
research; and built the largest structure in space, the International Space
Station. And now we have commercial and private space transportation with the SpaceX Dragon
and the like. Have you seen the SpaceX booster rockets land simultaneously back
on a barge in the Atlantic? Fascinating, as Spock would say!<o:p></o:p></p>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nbm6cX06IOU" width="320" youtube-src-id="Nbm6cX06IOU"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Man's interest in space started long before the creation of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Humanity's interest in ‘the
heavens’ has been universal and enduring. Fascination with the idea of people
going into the sky for adventures in other worlds goes back to ancient myths. Science
flourished during the European Renaissance. Fundamental physical laws governing
planetary motion were discovered, and the orbits of the planets around the sun
were calculated. In the 17th century, astronomers pointed a new device called
the telescope at the heavens and made startling discoveries.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And humans are still driven to explore the unknown, discover
new worlds, push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits, and
then push further. And now, we are on Mars! Mars has always been a source of
inspiration for explorers and scientists. Robotic missions have found evidence
of water, but if life exists beyond Earth, it still remains a mystery. And I love
a good mystery!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Future historians will likely view these pioneering flights
through the solar system as some of the most remarkable achievements of the
20th century. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/connect/apps.html" target="_blank">NASA app</a> installed on our smart TV and iPads and routinely watch the latest. Also, I highly recommend at trip to <a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/" target="_blank">The Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral</a> if you haven’t been yet! And until we make the move to live in
space, I am still available to help you buy and sell homes in Sarasota, Florida
and surrounding area! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<br />Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-45579744272689833072021-08-27T16:13:00.001-04:002021-08-27T16:15:50.861-04:00Hot Time Summer in the City!<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #01689c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">Hot Time Summer in the City!</h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2277846935642757861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 586px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVz_IpL84_8SXeno3D1_nhAqSu8Ugg-RjxewK-mGfuZ-4HUqge3tQztF84ZUhAGdWvoz5ZyUO4ETwmcnL6ozgLDjJGUeWMWsQ-LjqL-9KxZwQ7fs8xA2QheHjxeyl_fXy_qPdtc_V2Co/s1600/Seasons.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: blue; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Find a dream home in Sarasota, Florida" border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="750" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVz_IpL84_8SXeno3D1_nhAqSu8Ugg-RjxewK-mGfuZ-4HUqge3tQztF84ZUhAGdWvoz5ZyUO4ETwmcnL6ozgLDjJGUeWMWsQ-LjqL-9KxZwQ7fs8xA2QheHjxeyl_fXy_qPdtc_V2Co/s320/Seasons.PNG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" title="" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We are in the dog days of summer and new residents of Sarasota, Florida may be wondering if it will ever cool off and if we do indeed have ‘Seasons’. Even though we have sunny weather most of the time, we do have seasons here in Florida. Though the seasons may not be as recognizable as those in the North, there are differences in each season.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Summer</b>, as you probably know, tends to be very hot…but there is almost always a breeze off the Gulf of Mexico to enjoy. <a href="http://sarasotaron.blogspot.com/2018/06/sarasotaa-cool-place-to-live.html" target="_blank">When I was a kid growing up in Sarasota, we didn’t have air-conditioning</a> but we somehow survived on the breeze! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Summer starts sometime in May, as the temps begin to climb. Temperatures average in the high 80's to mid 90's and more. It’s a good time to enjoy the A/C during the day and the pool in the evening. The best times to visit the beaches are early in the morning and of course, in the evening for the beautiful sunsets. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Summer also brings the rainy season and the threat of hurricanes. Thankfully, it’s been many years since Sarasota has experienced a hurricane. Regarding plants, </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Florida native plants grow like crazy during the summer; grass needs to be cut once a week. If we do have a good rainy season, we have to cut grass every five days or so. A typical rainy season produces the chance of afternoon or evening showers, on any day. In years past, I could almost set my watch by the 4:00 PM showers which cleaned and cooled the air for evening.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Fall</b> usually starts about mid-October. Floridians really look forward to the cooler temperatures and lower humidity levels. It’s finally time to open the windows and enjoy the fresh air! For Halloween, there is as much a chance for very warm weather as there is for a cool evening. Hurricane season ends November 30th, a date we are all happy to see. This is a good time to enjoy the beaches, or go to <a href="https://www.myakkawildlifetours.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Myakka State Park for a wildlife tour</a>. There are not many tourists yet, and the seasonal residents (<a href="http://snowbirdsgulfcoast.com/destinations/sarasotabradenton" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Snowbirds</a>) have not yet arrived.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Winter</b> in Florida can be a surprise. Even as a lifetime Florida resident, it’s still weird decorating for Christmas when it is 75 degrees outside, but that is most often the case. If you look closely, there are subtle differences in the plants as the temps get a bit cooler. Some tree leaves change color a little bit, but nothing like up North. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We have seen winters where the overnight temps never dropped below 55 degrees. On the other hand, the temps have dropped to the mid-twenties in the past. Some of the plants lose their leaves, but not many. The grass slows its growth, to the point where it only needs to be mowed every 14-20 days. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Snowbirds arrive in force. Stores, streets, beaches and restaurants become very crowded. We'll see if this is the case this fall with COVID in the air!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Spring </b>is the best season in Florida! Maybe by then, COVID will be in the rearview mirror. Starting in about mid-March, Spring usually offers cool nights, warm days and lower humidity. A day at the beach can literally be an all day affair, as long as you don’t mind crowds. Springtime brings lots of guests and tourists to the Sunshine state. The Snowbirds have not yet made their way back North and the Spring Breakers pay a visit although it’s not as crazy as on the East coast of Florida. In our area, we do not get the large groups of young people looking to party hard, but we do get a good amount of those looking for a spot in the sun to relax. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as in the North, Spring brings new life to plants and some animals. If there were frosty nights in the winter and some of the plants lost leaves, new growth starts now. You can actually see some of the trees and plants get a greener color. Oak and pine trees start to throw off pollen, causing problems for those with allergies. So, Spring is not without some disadvantages; it arrives at the peak of the dry season. With the low humidity levels and the lack of <a href="http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/sarasota/florida/united-states/usfl1072" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">rain </a>for several months, the chance for brush fires is heightened.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A few other 'unofficial' Florida seasonal dates:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul style="line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hurricane season is June 1 to November 30</span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Snowbird season is about October to May, give or take a few weeks </span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Strawberry season</a> is December through May depending on the weather</span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Fishing seasons</a> vary by species</span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/alligator/facts/" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Alligator mating season</a> runs from about mid April to June, so watch out on the golf course! </span></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Having said all of the above, I'm sure you will agree that despite the lack of definitive seasons, we live in paradise! No snow to shovel! Golf and beach-walking every day! Beautiful sunsets every night! What's not to love? So if you are looking to actually LIVE in paradise, call me and I will help you find your dream home in Sarasota, Longboat Key, Venice, Englewood and Manasota Key.</span></span></div></div>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-47233737693333035602021-07-27T15:49:00.002-04:002021-07-27T16:08:46.178-04:00From Paradise to Paradise!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzV3dQtjjEBVgdbxR3KrFDTkfXuYpCExsakfF0GxWQL4gEW2PhLD-iecayysvyAJKZNliFYrHDUyhS-pP5R7UHsS5WT4rUvO6EtwzeBzzgs2DzH6KfEXDlIUalf7cwnQe_MMWLU-L3Ls/s859/Doc+Fords.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="859" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzV3dQtjjEBVgdbxR3KrFDTkfXuYpCExsakfF0GxWQL4gEW2PhLD-iecayysvyAJKZNliFYrHDUyhS-pP5R7UHsS5WT4rUvO6EtwzeBzzgs2DzH6KfEXDlIUalf7cwnQe_MMWLU-L3Ls/s320/Doc+Fords.png" width="320" /></a></div>We truly live in paradise! My wife and I are always mindful
about how lucky we are to live in Sarasota and to have been raised here. There
are so many wonderful, fun things to enjoy all around us and within a short
drive and I am happy to share our experiences with you. We just returned from a
great short vacation to another paradise...Sanibel Island. If you have never visited there, you
must go!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sanibel is a barrier island less than two hours south of Sarasota
and very much worth the drive. It is 12 miles long and 3 miles wide (at its
widest point) and is connected to the mainland by a long causeway bridge. As a
comparison, Siesta Key is 8 miles long and much wider.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sanibel is known primarily for shelling and my wife was in
heaven. She has a huge shell collection, some of it passed down from her
grandmother to her mother. But…she can’t go to the beach - any beach - without picking up
shells. Shells have been around for more than 500 million years. People have
used them for musical instruments (conch-shell trumpets), spoons, jewelry, and
even money. A shell is the protective layer or external skeleton that once
surrounded soft-bodied animals. Most seashells are mollusks, a group of animals
that includes snails, clams, oysters, and mussels. These animals make shells by
growing a thin protein layer over their body, like your fingernail. Then the
layer hardens, forming a shell. When an animal dies or loses its shell, the
shell may be washed ashore and this is certainly the case on Sanibel Island,
more so than most any place in the world. In fact, it has been referred to as the
“Sea Shell Capital of the World! Why? It's because it’s one of the very few
islands that run perpendicular to the state of Florida, whereas most islands
run the same way as Florida, which causes the ocean currents to have the
beaches primarily flushing water downward.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a vacation spot for someone who grew up in Sarasota, home
of the world famous Siesta Beach, the slower pace of Sanibel reminded us of Sarasota from
years past. And…we love to eat! Surprisingly, there are almost 50 restaurants on
Sanibel so there is no way you will starve! Two of the many places we highly
recommend are <a href="https://traditionsonthebeach.com/" target="_blank"><b>Traditions on the Beach</b> </a>and <b><a href="https://www.docfords.com/sanibel-island/" target="_blank">Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille</a>.</b> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMbjh6HblKjTrxLHmYJO3e_YabLMPIKluCOY77Chd4cXYB3_3U1xKpIGDzGCtCcWl9pizOZ242VQOM1OYWtEvMZBodPKjX8hb_nbBt3_9X613SV7CtaMRa2Y4KFqHCQxcKr6AEyVd_SQ/s535/fish+house.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="535" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMbjh6HblKjTrxLHmYJO3e_YabLMPIKluCOY77Chd4cXYB3_3U1xKpIGDzGCtCcWl9pizOZ242VQOM1OYWtEvMZBodPKjX8hb_nbBt3_9X613SV7CtaMRa2Y4KFqHCQxcKr6AEyVd_SQ/s320/fish+house.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Doc Ford’s was one of the reasons for the trip. It is owned by one
of our favorite authors, Randy Wayne White and we had been wanting to visit for
a long time. His books are modern day Travis McGee adventures, which were
written by Sarasotan <a href="http://sarasotaron.blogspot.com/2017/02/i-have-always-been-avid-reader-starting.html" target="_blank"><b>John D. McDonald </b></a>in the 50’s and 60’s. The main character
in Randy’s books is Doc Ford, a marine biologist who lives in a converted fish
house on Sanibel and in his secret life, he is a former government agent who
still ‘disappears’ on covert adventures. The best part of this book series is
all the history of Florida and lots of education about marine life and
Florida’s natural wonders. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also visited <b><a href="https://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/visitorinformation.html" target="_blank">J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge</a>
</b>and viewed the largest mangrove area in the United States…6400 acres, along
with abundant wildlife to include 220 bird species! So…lots to do on this
lovely little island! Make plans to visit there soon - it's a great get-a-way for a day or a week! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-59806216729763655872021-06-10T14:31:00.000-04:002021-06-10T14:31:54.473-04:00Summer Breeze in Sarasota, Florida!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAd8sQWHnE-EH-SqTvp-wDN2jNIyXzn11uGXIaW95c7GzvoKqoE5nJpIEvt0Pruwoe2_oQk3mc_wccYrcywcjDJnFDMa_0jvMgn9CBNEfo9xS1qfqcGALJWI35vivt_2hxh_xGOiGfhM/s3009/IMG_3185.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="3009" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAd8sQWHnE-EH-SqTvp-wDN2jNIyXzn11uGXIaW95c7GzvoKqoE5nJpIEvt0Pruwoe2_oQk3mc_wccYrcywcjDJnFDMa_0jvMgn9CBNEfo9xS1qfqcGALJWI35vivt_2hxh_xGOiGfhM/w400-h139/IMG_3185.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Happy Summer everyone! </b><p></p><p>I am overdue for posting my Blog/Newsletter because I was finishing up some Spring projects, including repainting
and rescreening our lanai before the Summer humidity hit. We had the screen company
remove all the screens and metal except the support posts and scheduled the new
cage and screens for one week later. Then we completely emptied everything so
we could pressure wash and paint. Painting a ceiling is fun…not!</p><p>Once we finished
all of that, we had the new cage and screens installed and opted for what is
called ‘picture window’ screens. This means no horizontal metal to interrupt our
view of the lake, so we have been sitting on our butts a lot enjoying the
fruits of our labor. That’s my excuse for skipping a newsletter last month! While lounging in the breeze, jalousie windows popped into my
head since those were common in Florida before air conditioning. This also relates to the Newsletter I wrote awhile back about <a href="http://sarasotaron.blogspot.com/2018/06/sarasotaa-cool-place-to-live.html" target="_blank">the history of air conditioning in Florida</a>. Along those lines, I
recently sold a home to a client in Bradenton that included FPL’s “Net Metering” and I had a chance to learn more about that system. So our topic for this
month is about languishing in the breeze and when it gets too hot and humid
that it sends you inside, a new program to save energy and dollars on your A/C
bill!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VykNOWVMG7lQu5xk31fPhcQ7QMDcu-sZWTwOruKD4HdPOJwj4mfohI9HrzTl1HsEN_V9nRfZNa3macgpmST9uJrRGpUNn8rfCaay0XK1fd4YuRLCPMf0GNBkGBQYF_m8ogu5RyCizuE/s208/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VykNOWVMG7lQu5xk31fPhcQ7QMDcu-sZWTwOruKD4HdPOJwj4mfohI9HrzTl1HsEN_V9nRfZNa3macgpmST9uJrRGpUNn8rfCaay0XK1fd4YuRLCPMf0GNBkGBQYF_m8ogu5RyCizuE/s0/Picture1.png" /></a></div><b>So what are jalousie windows</b> you may ask? According to
Wikipedia, jalousie is the French word for jealousy. It originated in 18th
century France from the Italian word geloso, which means jealous, or screen, as
in to screen something from view. Supposedly because of their slatted louvres,
jalousie windows protect the interior of the house from jealous peering eyes –
permitting one to see without being seen.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Jalousie windows maximize natural ventilation by allowing
airflow through the entire window area. Historically made only of wooden slats
or glass panes, they are well suited to mild-winter climates. With mass
production they became very common throughout homes in mid-20th-century
Florida, Hawaii, southern California, the deep South, and Latin America. In
cooler regions they were rapidly adopted to porches and sunrooms. They were
also widely used in mobile homes during the 1950s and 1960s before most manufacturers
began switching to sliding and sash windows in subsequent decades. It’s also
called a louvered window, and this style consists of horizontal panels, either
made of glass, plastic, metal, wood or other window material that sits on a
track on the window’s frame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
operator uses a crank or knob to open and close these horizontal panels,
letting in plenty of air. Picture the panels similar to a windowed version of
Venetian blinds and its slats, and there you have it: jalousie windows.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The jalousie window first made its debut in the early
1900s. It was originally patented in 1901, but it had a slow start to catch
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometime in the late 1960s, jalousie
windows had begun popping up on homes, especially in the south. With the
style’s horizontal panels that opened a home up to a passing breeze, these
windows were perfect for letting the air-flow inside to cool off or to
substitute for the lack of air conditioning during hot summers. Both my wife
and I grew up in Sarasota in homes that had no AC and we had jalousie windows
all around. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The jalousie window didn’t just hit its stride in the 60s
in the southern states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the colder
parts of the United States, you would see jalousie windows on enclosed porches,
gazebos, and sunrooms across the Midwest and Northern U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jalousie windows also struck luck in the
realm of mobile homes. Mobile homes and trailers, strapped with limited space
and most with no air conditioning, found that they can benefit from
space-saving, ventilating jalousie windows. Almost a decade later, homeowners
started to turn away from the jalousie window style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time the 1970s hit, the majority of
American homes had air conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As much as we may enjoy the natural breeze outside in
Florida, the time comes when the humidity smacks us in the face and we retreat
inside to air conditioning…and the increase in the electric bill. But there is
a way to lower that bill.<b style="color: black;"> Net metering</b>
allows FPL (Florida Power and Light) customers who connect approved, renewable generation systems such as
solar panels to the electric grid, to buy and sell electricity to FPL. When you
generate electricity from your solar array for your home or business, it
reduces the amount of energy you purchase from FPL, and in turn, lowers your
monthly electric bills. If your system produces more energy than you need, the
excess power is sold back to FPL’s grid. That amount of energy is deducted from
your monthly bill or credited toward a future bill in the same calendar year. In my clients case, the solar array is creating a reduction of 80% off his monthly bill. Not bad! <a href="https://www.fpl.com/netmetering.html" target="_blank">Click here to learn more! </a></p><p class="MsoNormal">I'm headed to the lanai with a cold drink in my hand...hope you are enjoying a summer breeze of your own!<o:p></o:p></p>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-26264907009792954522021-04-16T13:08:00.005-04:002021-04-16T13:08:00.224-04:00Do I Hear Bells?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifByVibQWhXZc4Ts0amy8iobBJ8a35AsgWZl7qnowVkVbjqyXxSrPPyteK32WwqJXINkxri6BK4ji5gU3O8eGyEesbPH0JYzarXi7kwRh8AryZa4We5TdL8eQehOVeHsjD5LcQ4VggtqM/s2048/IMG_2178.JPEG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifByVibQWhXZc4Ts0amy8iobBJ8a35AsgWZl7qnowVkVbjqyXxSrPPyteK32WwqJXINkxri6BK4ji5gU3O8eGyEesbPH0JYzarXi7kwRh8AryZa4We5TdL8eQehOVeHsjD5LcQ4VggtqM/w300-h400/IMG_2178.JPEG" width="300" /></a></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><i>It’s six in the
morning and the sun is breaking the horizon atop Iron Mountain. The morning dew
settles, hugging the Spanish moss draped over the limbs of oak trees. Swans
glide along the pond and rabbits dart in and out of shrubs. This scene wasn’t
plucked from the pages of a fairytale. It’s from Bok Tower Gardens in Lake
Wales, a place where serenity is so strong it reverberates through the soul.</i> </b></span><p></p><p>This excerpt is taken from an article in South Tampa Magazine and I used it because
I could not have said it better. Bok Tower is one of our favorite places to go
for a day trip, especially in the Spring. It's only a two hour drive, and we
always take a picnic lunch…and our little doggie, Tiki. </p><p>Lake Wales is home to Bok Tower Gardens,
which stands on the highest point in the state of Florida. A Singing Tower with
a 60-bell carillon, and a haven for birds, plants and wildlife will entrance
you. Built in 1929 by Edward W. Bok, the tower was constructed of
pink and gray marble from Georgia and coquina stone from St. Augustine. The
tower is rich in carvings depicting the flora and fauna of Florida. </p><p>The tower
houses a carillon of fifty-seven bronzed bells ranging in weight from 17 pounds
to nearly 12 tons. Surrounding the tower are 157 acres of landscaped gardens. The
gardens took over five years to complete and President Coolidge dedicated them
in 1929. He called it Bok’s gift to the American people.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Carillons are typically found in towers or churches. The
historic Bok Singing Tower is 205 feet tall. And then there’s the carillon. A carillon
is kind of like an organ, but powers the bells which will serenade you several
times a day. A keyboard and pedalboard are connected between key and bell
clappers that respond based on the amount of force applied. The carillon plays
concerts at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily and brief digital performances fill the
garden every 30 minutes. Be sure to view the video below for a close-up look at
the bells, the carillon, the tower and the gardens.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At Bok Gardens, something is always in bloom. Among its many
resting spots, shady recesses,</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEgDEnWQQv9AB7vuDoDhzuRz-rX-JhaUkoBexf_YaUViaSeVVa9LiKjtc2H1qyHZSZ2H705Ahn8UvQBIa2FykvwJ3slT2y2h1pAZs-FiOOJ1MZzMSwSUjxGNqnBukbK4rWY8k3_ci0vQ/s2048/IMG_2191.JPEG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEgDEnWQQv9AB7vuDoDhzuRz-rX-JhaUkoBexf_YaUViaSeVVa9LiKjtc2H1qyHZSZ2H705Ahn8UvQBIa2FykvwJ3slT2y2h1pAZs-FiOOJ1MZzMSwSUjxGNqnBukbK4rWY8k3_ci0vQ/w400-h300/IMG_2191.JPEG" width="400" /></a></div>sweeping lawns and meandering paths, there are
acres of flowering foliage, such as camellias, azaleas and magnolias. I can
barely get my wife away from the plants. Liz has even emulated the air plant
display they have (see photo) and the 'living screen' hangs on our lanai. <div><br /></div><div>It’s easy to walk the gardens and they
also have a shuttle. The gardens are paved or mulched, and the are broken into
nine unique zones:<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The River of Stone</li><li>Pollinator Garden</li><li>Kitchen Garden & Outdoor Kitchen</li><li>Endangered Plant Garden</li><li>Window by The Pond</li><li>Wild Garden</li><li>Exedra & Sunset Overlook</li><li>Reflection Pool</li><li>Peace Lantern</li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bok said his goal was to create a place that would “touch
the soul with its beauty and quiet.” The end result, Bok Tower Gardens, is
considered by some to be among the nation’s most inspiring and uplifting
attractions, one where time seems to stand still. “This is nature’s show, not ours,” reads a sign outside the
Window by the Pond observatory. To fully enjoy the garden’s beauty, one only
needs to sit still long enough to smell the grass, listen to the wildlife or
stop and smell the flowers. <o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gardens may or may not be your thing. You may not have a
burning desire to explore them, but you would be making a mistake if you don’t.
Every inch of the garden is pristine. The colors pop out, and the sweet scents
pierce your nose. Everyone will appreciate the design, and for sure, you will
feel a calmness. It’s not just about a tower. It’s a historical landmark, a
sanctuary, a park, and most important, it’s divine. Well worth the admission
cost and well worth the drive to Lake Wales. If you’re a Floridian like me, and
you’ve not visited, shame on you…GO!!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://boktowergardens.org/visit-3/" target="_blank">Click Here for info about visiting</a> and definately take a look at this great video about Bok Tower Gardens! Happy Spring!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lvKUTcU9Foo" width="320" youtube-src-id="lvKUTcU9Foo"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;"><i>"Make the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it."</i></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-------Edward W. Bok</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-17787160964302305182021-03-15T14:11:00.000-04:002021-03-15T14:11:30.918-04:00No Sinking Feeling Here!<p>Are you thinking about buying a house in Sarasota, Florida and becoming a snowbird or a full-time resident? Maybe trading in your snow
shovel for a beach umbrella to plant in the sugar sand on Siesta Key? Or giving up
skiing and trade that for boating along the West coast of Florida? Whatever your goal, whether it be a full-time or part-time Florida resident,
looking for a home in any new location requires that you become knowledgeable
about your environment in very different ways.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I meet with a new client who has never lived in
Florida, they usually ask about things like hurricanes, alligators, sharks and
the like. When you read about real estate in Florida, you may also worry about
sinkholes and one of the good things about the Sarasota/Bradenton Area is that
you don’t have much to worry about. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuavT3dqBYYsBqJCdRqp1lMqbA-1e_k8c9dt50BDZxgPIGMoG1RwoLQ9oJgdkt0YEQekg2sItLo98JHE8tuZC-A189ACxZmeoIopNn50WtBsfb8Cu3s8TehkXkEsRvspwjpwnIazTueCw/s302/Sinkhole+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="302" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuavT3dqBYYsBqJCdRqp1lMqbA-1e_k8c9dt50BDZxgPIGMoG1RwoLQ9oJgdkt0YEQekg2sItLo98JHE8tuZC-A189ACxZmeoIopNn50WtBsfb8Cu3s8TehkXkEsRvspwjpwnIazTueCw/w320-h312/Sinkhole+Map.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Look at the map of the sinkholes in Florida - notice the pink areas which indicate where the fewest sinkholes have been reported. On the West coast there are very few below Tampa. This regional map depicts
sinkhole locations that have been reported since 1954 by the Florida Geological
Survey Series No. 110. It does not show all sinkhole activity in Florida, but
you can get a pretty good idea of how widespread this problem…but not in our
area!<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So exactly what are sinkholes? For more than 60 million years, ancient shallow seas covered what
is now Florida. Factors relating to the chemistry of the water and the
chemistry of the plants and animals that lived here resulted in limestone being
deposited beneath these ancient seas. Eventually, the seas lowered to where they
are today, leaving a base of predominantly limestone bedrock covered with sand
and clay for us to live upon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sinkholes are part of the slow, natural process of erosion
in Florida’s limestone terrain that occur over thousands of years. These common
geologic phenomena generally occur where the limestone is within a few hundred
feet of the land’s surface. Sinkholes can form anywhere in
Florida, but the highest activity level occurs in west central Florida because
of the limestone environment. There are several influences that increase the
risk of sinkhole activity such as long-term weather conditions, heavy acidic
rains, and drought-like conditions.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s been almost 10 years since a notable sinkhole has occurred in Sarasota - this one was in Venice and prior to that one, another in 1989. Despite all the problems sinkholes produce, they are a
natural part of the ecosystem. Historically, although not a guarantee, the Sarasota area
has had a significantly lower occurrence of sinkholes than other parts of
Florida, particularly in the Tampa and Orlando areas. Feel better?</p><p class="MsoNormal">I am a lifetime Sarasota resident and have never filed a claim for hurricane damage...or a sinkhole! So when you get tired of the cold weather and decide to head south, Sarasota, Florida is a great place to buy a home. Give me a call and I will help you stay on stable ground! </p><ol start="1" type="1">
</ol>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-72347770746818284792021-02-16T10:16:00.001-05:002021-02-16T11:01:07.823-05:00TOUCHDOWN!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75GUN7nR9JNvLzpKBCPuv3PkC5Du4fU1_jrusMCMmbx_5HRH3-E4v20X5nUSUpiFs5P9U34kdSXrrVJ8-4I_nBiHJxAKLyHrPDVQz7ylWxn2wEZTHoQMxteF4y3fkW7EptdjF1gPbtKk/s1031/Superbowl+win.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1031" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75GUN7nR9JNvLzpKBCPuv3PkC5Du4fU1_jrusMCMmbx_5HRH3-E4v20X5nUSUpiFs5P9U34kdSXrrVJ8-4I_nBiHJxAKLyHrPDVQz7ylWxn2wEZTHoQMxteF4y3fkW7EptdjF1gPbtKk/w432-h228/Superbowl+win.png" width="432" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">We did it. <b>WE WON! </b>45 Seasons.17 Years between Super Bowl wins. <b>WE MADE HISTORY</b> as the first team to win on tour home field!</div></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">My wife and I love football and we were Miami Dolphins fans until the Bucs came to Tampa and now we are die-hard Tampa Bay Bucs
fans…through the good, the bad and the ugly, this Super Bowl was worth the very long wait between Super Bowl wins!
Even though we didn’t get to celebrate with all our friends this time due to the
pandemic, we ate just as much junk food and consumed as much wine as always. Did
you know that the Super Bowl is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption,
after Thanksgiving Day? In addition, the Super Bowl has frequently been the
most-watched American television broadcast of the year. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you are a football fan...read on! Here’s a bit about the
history of our favorite sports day of the year and about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to Wikipedia, the NFL officially formed in 1920, but
the Super Bowl didn’t happen until more than 40 years later. In 1960, a group
of businessmen who wanted to own football franchises—but were denied by the
NFL—decided to launch an alternative league, known as the American Football
League (AFL). For several years, the NFL and AFL were gridiron rivals,
competing for fans, players and support. Then, in 1966, owners negotiated an
agreement to merge the leagues by 1970.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first Super Bowl took place on January 15, 1967, and
included the NFL’s Green Bay Packers against the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. The
game was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and even though ticket prices
averaged just $12, it was the only Super Bowl that didn’t sell out. (We were
offered tickets to this 2021 game for only $10,000 each!) That first Super Bowl game
aired on two different networks and drew in an audience of more than 61,000
fans. The Packers outperformed the Chiefs, winning 35-10. The next year, the
Packers decisively won again in Super Bowl II, defeating the Oakland Raiders
33-14. Many began to question whether the AFL teams could hold their own in the
NFL. But the next year, the AFL’s New York Jets, led by quarterback Joe Namath,
defeated the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Super Bowl IV was the last game
played between the two leagues, and the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs beat the
Minnesota Vikings, 23-7. The popularity of the event continued to grow after
the leagues integrated. With the rise of cable TV, the Internet, and other
entertainment options, the country rarely pauses to watch or follow the same
event, except in cases of national tragedy. But the Super Bowl is an exception.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to Britannica, The Buccaneers were established in
1976, and they posted a lousy 0–14 record in their initial season in
the NFL. After playing their first season in the American Football Conference
(AFC), the Bucs moved to their current conference in 1977. The team’s losing
ways continued in the NFC, as Tampa Bay did not record the first win in
franchise history until December 1977, and its 26-game losing streak remains an
NFL record. These early Buccaneer teams were notable for the presence of future
Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon and for their charismatic head coach
John McKay, whose many quips about the team’s failures endeared him to football
fans nationwide.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Led by quarterback Doug Williams, in 1979 the Bucs, to the
surprise of most of us, won 10 games and qualified for the postseason, where
they advanced to the conference championship game but lost to the Los Angeles
Rams. Tampa Bay went on to playoff berths in both 1981 and 1982, before falling
back to the bottom of the conference standings with a 2–14 record in 1983. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The 1983 campaign began a dubious streak of 12 consecutive
seasons that saw the Buccaneers post double-digit loss totals. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">We began to turn it around in the late
1990's as head coach Tony Dungy built one of the best defenses in the NFL,
featuring tackle Warren Sapp, linebacker Derrick Brooks, and defensive backs
John Lynch and Ronde Barber. The Bucs made four postseason appearances in the
five seasons between 1997 and 2001, but the offensively limited team scored fewer
than 10 points in each of its four playoff losses in that span, and Dungy was
fired in early 2002 despite his regular-season success</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then the Buccaneers hired head coach Jon Gruden to improve the
team’s offense, but it was our top-ranked defense in the league that helped the
team post a 12–4 record in 2002 and upset the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game the following
January. At Super Bowl XXXVII the Bucs soundly defeated the Oakland Raiders
48–21 to capture their first championship. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Bucs missed out on the
postseason the following two years but returned to the playoffs after the 2005
and 2007 seasons, both of which ended in opening-round losses at home. A
late-season collapse by the team in 2008—the Bucs lost four consecutive games
to close out the season which led to the firing of Gruden
and a massive coaching, management, and roster turnover in an attempt to
rebuild the franchise from the ground up.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although the Bucs won 10 games in 2010 (but missed out on
the playoffs), that rebuilding effort ultimately proved unsuccessful. The team
followed this with a surprise hire of college coach Greg Schiano, who was fired at the end of the
2013 season. The Buccaneers rebuilt around young quarterback Jameis Winston,
and the team posted its first winning record in six seasons in 2016 (9–7).
However, that revival was short-lived, and the team posted consecutive 5–11
records in 2017 and 2018. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Buccaneers shocked the football world in the 2020
off-season when the team signed old man quarterback Tom Brady in free agency, ending
his 20-year career with the New England Patriots. Brady immediately showed that
the Bucs’ talented roster was simply missing solid quarterback play, as Tampa
Bay won 11 games to earn a playoff berth. In the postseason the team ran off
three straight road victories to advance to the second Super Bowl appearance in
franchise history. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Bucs SOUNDLY defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the
Super Bowl to win their second championship! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">We hope next season brings back our tailgate parties and many more wins...and who knows? Maybe another Super Bowl win! <b>GO BUCS!</b></span></p>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-74082674484944924302021-01-18T11:09:00.002-05:002021-01-18T11:09:58.082-05:00I Surrender!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><li><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WDm6baOMGEQc1SmXRPwbXMk19AciTpXkOw19i6ZOnzuJaJNGYNI5wMfpJgwD350r8yvz_JxMYD0CF5VvgsI-xDzKCJRGV8M4KAM1u0rN7DfnoYD0Vld4bbJ3-OUkoUNAzxDrS8s8uYA/s674/Uncond+Surrender+moving+Mike+Lang2+.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="674" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WDm6baOMGEQc1SmXRPwbXMk19AciTpXkOw19i6ZOnzuJaJNGYNI5wMfpJgwD350r8yvz_JxMYD0CF5VvgsI-xDzKCJRGV8M4KAM1u0rN7DfnoYD0Vld4bbJ3-OUkoUNAzxDrS8s8uYA/w400-h295/Uncond+Surrender+moving+Mike+Lang2+.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">"Unconditional Surrender”</span></b></li><li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Artist: Seward Johnson</span></b></li><li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Aluminum, 26 feet tall</span></b></li><li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Originally displayed in Sarasota in 2005 as a
temporary exhibit</span></b></li><li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Purchased by late World War II veteran and
Sarasota resident Jack Curran from the Sculpture Foundation (now Seward Johnson
Atelier) and loaned to the city for 10 years</span></b></li><li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Formally became part of the city’s public art
collection in 2020</span></b></li><li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Surrendered’ (relocated) in January 2021 to an
area of Bayfront Park between O’Leary’s Tiki Bar and Grill and Marina Jack to
make way for the construction of the roundabout at Gulfstream Ave. and US 41.</span></b></li></span></ul></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p>I recently sold a condo on Palm Avenue and spent a lot of time around the Sarasota Bayfront leading up to this sale. One day I witnessed a 'strange' sight! A</o:p>s most of you recently read in the local news, the iconic
Unconditional Surrender statue located at US 41 and Gulfstream Avenue was just
moved in anticipation of the construction of a <a href="http://sarasotaron.blogspot.com/2020/06/round-and-round-we-go.html" target="_blank">roundabout,</a> set to begin
this February. That was the sight I witnessed!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Each time I drive by the Sarasota Bayfront, it reminds me of how
much the area has changed throughout my lifetime in Sarasota. My wife Liz’s
family goes back almost four generations in Sarasota and Manatee County and she
remembers old family stories of a yellow house which belonged to her Uncle Zeke, just south of Church of the Redeemer. This was long before that WWII sailor kissed the dental
assistant (no, she was not a nurse!) on V-J Day in 1945. Of course Uncle Zeke’s
Florida cracker house has long since been replaced by a high-rise condominium…across
the street from Unconditional Surrender!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">J. Steward Johnson’s giant kissing statue parked alongside
U.S. 41 has been beloved and despised in Sarasota since it first appeared in
that spot for a temporary visit in 2005. The 26-foot-high statue depicting
George Mendossa, a World War II sailor kissing a woman, Greta Zimmer Friedman,
on V-J Day in 1945 and inspired by an iconic photograph, has had its detractors but it’s undeniably popular. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sarasota's Bayfront Park has had the "kissing
sailor" statue has surrendered their spot several times. In 2012, a car struck it,
knocking a hole about the size of a microwave oven out of the sailor’s foot.
The anti-statue folks got a few months’ reprieve before the repaired smooching
duo were returned to their prominent pedestal. Tourists and locals alike flock
to it, passing their cameras off to someone who can capture their efforts to
replicate the giant figures’ pose. The statue has also been the backdrop of
many protests and marches, including the 2016 Women’s March, which saw
thousands gather at the Sarasota Bayfront park. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The “Unconditional Surrender” statue has also attracted the
attention of vandals. On April Fools Day in 2015, someone added a pink
substance, made to resemble chewing gum, to the heel of the woman. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 2019, the
statue made national headlines when someone spray painted ”#MeToo” across the
man’s legs the day after George Mendosa, the sailor depicted in the photograph
that inspired the statue, died. Although the original image of Mendosa kissing
Greta Zimmer Friedman has long been heralded for epitomizing the joy shared
throughout the world upon the ending of hostilities in 1945, it has come under
scrutiny, with many accusing Mendosa of assault. But in a 2005 interview,
Friedman’s son said the kiss was nonconsensual, but that his mother understood
it was a “jubilant act,” telling the New York Times that she did not view the
kiss as an assault at all. On that day, they threw anything and kissed anybody
in Times Square!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">So whether or not you think our kissing statue is art, it is
certainly popular…maybe more so than the road construction of new roundabout
which caused its latest move! And if you would like a bird's eye view of Unconditional Surrender, I can help you find a great condo on the Sarasota Bayfront!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is a great video about the kissing couple and how they ended up on the cover of Life Magazine!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AKx5TpdokvY" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-86941877902686454452020-12-20T10:25:00.000-05:002020-12-20T10:25:14.967-05:0012 Days of Christmas Humor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOOW8wt2lHM_XG42av_4W-WQ_N56a0gZTzmQKsKJoZ8dXdVnvsU8s664Fw4VEaxYUmRjLr9LOV5X9twQaryjNNz2NQQLYLKL8_3Ue8WoFi99F-M5vKjpqjlXzvLRl3WM4w7av3ZCRRA4/s1600/12+Days+of+Christmas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOOW8wt2lHM_XG42av_4W-WQ_N56a0gZTzmQKsKJoZ8dXdVnvsU8s664Fw4VEaxYUmRjLr9LOV5X9twQaryjNNz2NQQLYLKL8_3Ue8WoFi99F-M5vKjpqjlXzvLRl3WM4w7av3ZCRRA4/s1600/12+Days+of+Christmas.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With all the craziness of this past year, I thought that it would be a good time to revisit this hilarious holiday post. I don't know who the author is, but it brings a smile year after year...and we sure do need that smile about now! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">12 Days of Christmas Correspondence</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Dearest John:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">I went to the door today and the postman delivered a partridge in a pear tree. What a delightful gift. I couldn't have been more surprised.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">With dearest love and affection, Agnes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial;">December 15th</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Dearest John:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Today the postman brought your very sweet gift. Just imagine, two turtle doves.... I'm just delighted at your very thoughtful gift. They are just adorable.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">All my love, Agnes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 16th</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Dear John:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, aren't you the extravagant one! Now I must protest. I don't deserve such generosity. Three french hens. They are just darling but I must insist.... you're just too kind.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Love Agnes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 17th</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Today the postman delivered four calling birds. Now really! They are beautiful, but don't you think enough is enough? You're being too romantic.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Affectionately, Agnes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 18th</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Dearest John:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">What a surprise! Today the postman delivered five golden rings. One for each finger. You're just impossible, but I love it. Frankly, John, all those squawking birds were beginning to get on my nerves.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">All my love, Agnes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 19th</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Dear John:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">When I opened the door there were actually six geese-a-laying on my front steps. So you're back to the birds again, huh? Those geese are huge. Where will I ever keep them? The neighbors are complaining and I can't sleep through the racket. PLEASE STOP!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Cordially, Agnes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 20th</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">John:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">What's with you and those birds???? Seven swans-a-swimming. What kind of joke is this? There's bird do-do all over the house and they never stop the racket. I'm a nervous wreck and I can't sleep all night. IT'S NOT FUNNY.......So stop with those birds.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Sincerely, Agnes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 21st</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">OK Buster:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">I think I prefer the birds. What am I going to do with eight maids-a-milking? It's not enough with all those birds and eight maids-a-milking, but they had to bring their own cows. There is poop all over the lawn and I can't move into my own house. Just lay off me. .</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Ag</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 22nd</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Hey:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">What are you? Some kind of sadist? Now there's nine pipers playing. And do they play! They never stopped chasing those maids since they got here yesterday morning. The cows are upset and are stepping all over those screeching birds. No wonder they screech. What am I going to do? The neighbors have started a petition to evict me. You'll get yours.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">From Ag</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 23rd</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">You Creep!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Now there's ten ladies dancing - I don't know why I call them ladies. Now the cows can't sleep and they've got diarrhea. My living room is a river of poop. The commissioner of buildings has subpoenaed me to give cause why the building shouldn't be condemned. I'm sicking the police on you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">One who means it, Ag</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 24th</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Listen Idiot:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">What's with the eleven lords a-leaping? All 234 of the birds are dead. I hope you're satisfied, you rotten swine.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Your sworn enemy, Miss Agnes McCallister</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>December 25th (From the law offices Taeker, Spedar, and Baegar)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Dear Sir:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">This is to acknowledge your latest gift of twelve fiddlers fiddling, which you have seen fit to inflict on our client, Miss Agnes McCallister. The destruction, of course, was total. All correspondence should come to our attention. If you should attempt to reach Miss McCallister at Happy Dale Sanitarium, the attendants have instructions to call the police on sight. With this letter, please find attached a warrant for your arrest.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Merry Christmas.</span></div>
Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-34915730105851897562020-11-22T12:55:00.007-05:002020-11-25T09:33:06.840-05:00Thanks & Gratitude...Every Day!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1dqxDfAjsqkiFVF4ITJlUyzHIhYlodd65TNq7mawhVyAhuzXhpfB2dhNAl0gGbdSsBmbmRRbIB-pxPVK2jOB2yi3WlklrdBU5IQfg6T_QOWvlQPqGY3SbyU8gcnnAZ197m-kZFPebkQ/s882/Thanksgiving+Blog+2020.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1dqxDfAjsqkiFVF4ITJlUyzHIhYlodd65TNq7mawhVyAhuzXhpfB2dhNAl0gGbdSsBmbmRRbIB-pxPVK2jOB2yi3WlklrdBU5IQfg6T_QOWvlQPqGY3SbyU8gcnnAZ197m-kZFPebkQ/s320/Thanksgiving+Blog+2020.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I don’t believe in setting aside
one day a year as Thanksgiving Day, especially in the ‘age of COVID-19’. Liz and I will be celebrating separate from our families this year, but that's OK. I have always thought that we should be thankful more often than once a year, on the fourth Thursday
of November. We should take the time during this week and the next and the next
to show gratitude to everyone who has made a difference in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When life is going well, gratitude
allows us to celebrate and magnify the goodness. But what about when life goes
badly, like these past nine months? In the midst of the pandemic and the economic
maelstrom that has gripped our country, should we feel grateful under such awful
circumstances? Yes. I</span>t is <em>essential</em>. In fact, it is precisely under crisis conditions when we have the most to gain by a grateful perspective on life. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Trials and suffering can actually refine and deepen gratefulness if we allow them to show us not to take things for granted. Thanksgiving, was born and grew out of hard times. The first Thanksgiving took place after nearly half the pilgrims died from a rough winter and year. It became a national holiday in 1863 in the middle of the Civil War and was moved to its current date in the 1930s following the Depression. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">According to Robert Emmons at Berkley, when times are good, people take prosperity for granted and begin to believe that they are invulnerable. In times of uncertainty, though, people realize how powerless they are to control their own destiny. If you begin to see that everything you have, everything you have counted on, may be taken away, it becomes much harder to take it for granted. But gratitude does not come easily or naturally in a crisis. It’s easy to feel grateful for the good things. In
the face of demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize. In the face of
brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. In the face of despair, gratitude
has the power to bring hope. In other words, gratitude can help us cope with
hard times. I agree!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So if you are distant from family and friends on Thanksgiving this year because of the pandemic, it really is OK. Hopefully by next year, we will be back to what is more normal. Hopefully, we will be grateful that we all got through this awful time together and will be sitting at the Thanksgiving table together, intact. And in the meantime, just be grateful every single day for what we DO have!</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My success as a Realtor in
Sarasota, Florida relies on the recommendations and support of those close to
me, and I want to take a moment and say a heartfelt thank you to my wife, Liz,
who is the wind beneath my wings, to my family and friends, to Re/Max Alliance Group and to all of the loyal
people in my life who continuously support me. I am very, very grateful. </span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving...stay safe and be well!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-5557991235386724692020-10-16T15:13:00.001-04:002020-10-16T15:13:40.444-04:00Orange Juice – Florida’s Liquid Gold<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgw4Snd8PXNPT1TdBjDqyTvqupDioCoNtuG4hefU4Yr2BqzyIU0sYU-mZ5Kulc4kMU2ydRKuCsInCS_fBMAU4ruDA26O4QavNLSEG-ajekBnaxoxtCtW0nASMvb4NVbweWekmfj2eDHg/s195/OJ.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="195" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgw4Snd8PXNPT1TdBjDqyTvqupDioCoNtuG4hefU4Yr2BqzyIU0sYU-mZ5Kulc4kMU2ydRKuCsInCS_fBMAU4ruDA26O4QavNLSEG-ajekBnaxoxtCtW0nASMvb4NVbweWekmfj2eDHg/w320-h294/OJ.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I bet most of you have a container of orange juice in your refrigerator. I do. I drink it every morning and add it to margaritas
on the weekends. Those of us who grew up in Florida like I did probably take OJ for granted. My wife grew up in Southgate, which was an orange grove before
homes were built there. Her home, as did all the homes on her street, had a row
of orange trees in the backyard. As kids, we always had numerous mason jars of
fresh squeezed OJ in our freezer…we rarely had to buy it! But when we did buy
it, Tropicana was one of the only choices. I recently had to be in Bradenton
and drove past their huge plant and waited at the railroad tracks for a train
carrying tons of oranges. The “juice trains,” as they are now known, used to be white
but now are all orange and serve as a powerful form of advertising, running 10
trips each week to Jersey City and Cincinnati. Additional shipments trek 3,000
miles to California in specially-equipped refrigerated cars.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">At one point, Tropicana`s machines in the plant processed
700 oranges a minute, automatically extracting all the juice at a rate of up to
1.3 million gallons a day, while oils are removed from the peels and the peels
are processed into cattle feed high in protein and carbohydrates.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">So here’s little history of OJ! Anthony T. Rossi, was an
Italian immigrant who arrived in the U.S. with just $25. Florida orange juice
proved to be liquid gold. Rossi founded Tropicana in Bradenton in 1947,
delivering fresh-squeezed juice to local residents. In 1954, he found a way to
pasteurize the juice and was soon shipping millions of gallons around the
country. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">By 1970, Tropicana shipped bulk orange juice via insulated
boxcars in a weekly round-trip from Florida to Kearny, New Jersey. By the
following year, the company ran two 60-car trains a week, each carrying
approximately 1 million gallons of juice. That was the year the “Great White
Juice Train” (the first unit train in the food industry, consisting of 150
100-ton insulated boxcars) began service over the 1,250-mile route. An
additional 100 cars were soon added to the fleet with small mechanical
refrigeration units installed to control temperature. Tropicana saved $40
million in fuel costs alone during the first 10 years in operation. Rossi’s
immense success in the fresh orange juice market earned him the title: “The
Father of Chilled Juice in Florida.” In 1978, Rossi retired and sold Tropicana
for nearly $500 million!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today Tropicana, now a division of PepsiCo, is the world’s
largest producer of branded juice. And although citrus greening and changing
tastes have reduced consumption in recent years, the average American still
drinks more than three gallons of the sweet, sunny-hued beverage a year. Their
juice is 100 percent oranges. A 59-ounce container contains juice from 16 fresh
oranges and a tiny amount of natural oils from the peel. Juice extractors squeeze
34,000 oranges per minute and the plant processes 48 million oranges and fills
2.5 million containers in one day, for a total of 900 million containers per
year. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The processing plant operates 24 hours, seven days a week, employing
employs 900 workers. There are 2,000 to 2,500 workers who pick oranges. About
95% of Florida’s orange crop goes to juice. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Sadly, citrus greening disease has dropped Florida orange
production from 244 million boxes in 1998 to 70 million this season. Florida
produces 49 percent of U.S. oranges, just behind California, where greening
hasn’t hit commercial groves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">So enjoy a glass of Liquid Gold OJ…made in America, made in
Florida, made right here at Tropicana! Cheers!</span></p>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-85100760831699249412020-09-23T12:07:00.001-04:002020-09-23T12:11:22.642-04:00Cabin Fever? Park It!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_CEE5RNAFhLdfEVZ-10pqGnmaVY_Yf2srItG_dyDEgeFYLlb40XnNn0llMLHZ4r5UnmkJ5YBbxB97vwa_7KgmIXrAhFrAt_mlZFZSlSu8z5R_VLvTMvq-XJXrGSbUzYg-4sg4ByxUCM/s712/Word+Art.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="712" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_CEE5RNAFhLdfEVZ-10pqGnmaVY_Yf2srItG_dyDEgeFYLlb40XnNn0llMLHZ4r5UnmkJ5YBbxB97vwa_7KgmIXrAhFrAt_mlZFZSlSu8z5R_VLvTMvq-XJXrGSbUzYg-4sg4ByxUCM/w320-h315/Word+Art.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />When I was a kid in Sarasota, I spent many hours outside, climbing the banyan trees in my neighborhood, riding my bike, running on the beach and many other outdoor activities that most kids do. I was a Boy Scout and spent those days camping and roaming the woods and enjoying nature at Camp Flying Eagle. Then we grow up and get too busy for our own good. We think we have to 'go on vacation' to spend time playing outside as adults. And now that we have a really good reason to spend time in the fresh air, we just don't do it enough.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The COVID-19 pandemic has tended to keep most us close to home and thankfully, we can work from home most of the time. But sometimes, we want to get away! We are
being very careful so we don’t go out to dinner or to concerts and plays and
the like. But this can lead to ‘cabin fever’. Knowing that spending time
outside in the fresh air is fairly safe if social distanced, we plan to <b>‘park
it' </b>more often, especially now that Fall is right around the corner and we have a ton of places in Sarasota to choose from.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Beyond Sarasota County's beautiful beaches, shopping, dining and cultural
amenities, there really is something else to make you feel better…get a glimpse of Sarasota’s
"natural" side and its authentic beauty in our area parks! Sarasota county is home to many local parks and some of
Florida's beautiful state parks as well, including Myakka River State Park, Spanish Point, Oscar
Scherer State Park and Myakka State Forest. All are unique and feature a
special, pristine Florida.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Everybody benefits from the offerings our parks provide. Direct exposure to nature has its own benefits on mental health, reducing stress and increasing happiness. In our increasingly digital world, unplugging is more important than ever. Being outdoors makes you healthier and happier. Fortunately, you don’t need to drive for days to a remote national park or drop
a grand on fancy gear to enjoy the life-improving power of the outdoors. The
nature fix you crave is closer than you think. There are so many reasons to
head to one of Sarasota’s parks and take a refreshing break. Even walking for 25 minutes through a greenspace has
positive benefits for your brain.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">We
have easy access to park and recreation amenities. <b>You should just go.</b> Put your cellphone down. Turn off the dang news. We all need peace and tranquility in this crazy world. Go sit on a bench and catch up with nature.
People watch. Bring a picnic lunch. Take in the sunset. That's the best thing about most parks! You
don't really need to have a plan or have to “do” anything to enjoy—and benefit
from—them. Simply going for walk by yourself is reason enough. Be a kid again!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is a link to help you find an area park that’s just right for you…you won’t believe how many there are to choose from!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.scgov.net/government/parks-recreation-and-natural-resources/find-a-park" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">Click here to find a park in Sarasota!</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">One of our favorite parks is Historic Spanish Point...take a look at this video and if you haven't been and would love a quiet walk through Florida history, GO!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Da1rubhltu0" width="320" youtube-src-id="Da1rubhltu0"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-28774126341474809592020-08-21T15:54:00.001-04:002020-08-21T16:06:57.783-04:00Reinventing Myself...My Road to Becoming a Realtor in Sarasota!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98NaChEWpaOY7TeSzeYX86JPWwiIlReDQEMTE5oEXv__Q2zERdn39LI5dywJCqe3Gi2wpZV1N6eACfaAwyiQllPwrF1Lgezvib9plXUOtlfP_Ho_TmhVJ77N16DqNt0g_hMFDUOI62AY/s1079/Blog+Aug+2020.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="750" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98NaChEWpaOY7TeSzeYX86JPWwiIlReDQEMTE5oEXv__Q2zERdn39LI5dywJCqe3Gi2wpZV1N6eACfaAwyiQllPwrF1Lgezvib9plXUOtlfP_Ho_TmhVJ77N16DqNt0g_hMFDUOI62AY/w285-h410/Blog+Aug+2020.png" width="285" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">When I was a teenager, my first job experience was working
with my dad. He was a builder in Sarasota who bought empty lots, built spec
houses one at a time and sold them. I was exposed to every aspect of building a
home and after I put in my time in the Air Force, I had a few other professions,
including…building houses again. Everything back then was by the book…literally.
There were no computers to design houses, order materials for houses or MLS
software to sell houses. But then it happened. The thing that tied everything
together for me later in life. Computers.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">My first computer did not have a hard drive or a mouse and
had to be booted with a 5 ¼ floppy disk which loaded the operating system. Then
another floppy had to be loaded with whichever program I wanted to run, such as
a spreadsheet or a word processing program. The year was about 1988 and I had
been bitten by the computer bug. I found it fascinating, logical and I began
learning on my own. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Fast forward to 1998. In what seems like a decade that
flew by, computers had exploded into our everyday world. At that time, I was a
computer programmer and trainer. I taught DOS, accounting and programming classes at what was then known as Sarasota VoTech, and became SCTI, Suncoast
Technical Institute. I was also a private computer consultant to small local businesses and I built and sold computers on the side. I finally decided I needed to reinvent myself using what
I know and love, so in 1998, I began my career as the IT (Information Technology) Director
at Re/Max Properties, now known as Re/Max Alliance Group. Back then, pretty
much everything concerning buying and selling homes was still on paper;
only the business systems and accounting were managed on computers. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">These were the early days of transitioning to MLS software on
the computer and more importantly in today’s world, moving from paper to
paperless Real Estate transactions. At that time, not many of the Agents had
personal computers, but that changed quickly and my Re/Max office grew and
built a much larger building. It was my job to set up the entire network of
hundreds of computers and related equipment in this new office to take us
forward into the 21<sup>st</sup> century. I have memories of my wife Liz
crawling around on the floor, hooking up the network drops for all the new
computer workstations & printers for the agents. For the next 10 years, I
held their hands when they were frustrated with all the new technology; I
trained them on all the various software programs needed to do transactions…and
we spewed out a LOT of paper! Our Re/Max office and the department I managed was
one of the first Real Estate offices in Florida where transactions became paperless! We had entered the world of online forms that could be filled
out and signed virtually. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">After 10 years of serving the staff and agents and Re/Max…and
learning from them, I decided it was time to use everything I had learned,
reinvent myself again and become a Realtor. Fast forward again to today. Now I
fly through home searches on MLS, sign offers and contracts online, manage my
client contacts from special software programs (as opposed to a Roladex!),
create timelines for all of our sales, set up property showings online, open
locks with my cellphones to show homes…it’s a completely different world. And
in such a short amount of time! Magic! Had it not been for the ability to
conduct business online virtually, this ‘age of COVID19’ would have been devastating
to our business. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The introduction and adoption of technology by Real Estate
agents has clearly provided access to information such as listings, mortgage
rates, fees and neighborhood demographics--previously unavailable to consumers.
That increase in the quantity of available information has led to better
quality information which, in turn, has led to better-informed consumers. Armed
with more information, clients have demanded more specialized services as well
as better service from Real Estate agents such as myself. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">As it turned out, I was was heavily involved in every aspect of the housing industry, from building the product to helping design some of the original Real Estate contract online systems, to getting the property information from multiple brokerages</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> online, and finally</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> helping the public find the ideal home for themselves. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> I was
literally on the ground floor of all of this…building homes, the computer
revolution and selling homes. I am grateful that for the past 12 years, I have been able to pass on my expertise as a Realtor to assist
my clients and help them find just the right home in my hometown…Sarasota!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></p>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-74276425146935219952020-07-16T09:56:00.001-04:002020-07-16T09:56:58.102-04:00Fore! Golfing in Sarasota<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="2"></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="arial" size="2"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="arial" size="2"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbbWskef2v3bxBF_cEXvlcyAI90v4kVR0srdLyivfYVDiwqZsvXsCNwr8BXsnOvTxsGA-sqVDf2tIvSHYEH8Tl9QaTqvqzo-xkdyP7Bkb4oBBR16rJdRN4Bbj9VW4VipDcTuiUr65eIY/s336/golf.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="336" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbbWskef2v3bxBF_cEXvlcyAI90v4kVR0srdLyivfYVDiwqZsvXsCNwr8BXsnOvTxsGA-sqVDf2tIvSHYEH8Tl9QaTqvqzo-xkdyP7Bkb4oBBR16rJdRN4Bbj9VW4VipDcTuiUr65eIY/w320-h147/golf.JPG" width="320" /></a></font></div><font face="arial" size="2">While thinking of things to do outside in the fresh air
during the COVID-19 pandemic, I happened to drive by Bobby Jones Golf Course on
my way home. I have not played golf in years, but enjoyed it when I did and now
Bobby Jones is undergoing changes with a smaller course and adding walking park…right up my alley! This got me thinking about the history of golf in my home town of Sarasota.
It’s a very popular pastime, especially for retirees who move to the Sarasota
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="2">Did you know that there are over
90 golf courses in the Sarasota/Manatee area? But Bobby Jones was one of the
first ‘real’ courses. Was this the first golf course in America? <a href="http://newyorktrendnyc.com/2015/06/11/sarasota-florida-home-of-the-oldest-golf-course-in-america-2/" target="_blank"><font color="#3367d6"><b>Some say so.</b></font></a> Let's let others argue about who was
first, but to be sure, Sarasota was certainly a precursor of golf in the United
States.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="2">According to Sarasota History Alive, John Hamilton Gillespie
built Sarasota's first golf course in 1905. It was a nine-hole course located in what
is considered downtown today. It was Sarasota's only golf course until the
1920s. In 1924, the course was sold for development and Sarasota did not have a
golf course. The first 18-hole course built was Whitfield Estates Country Club.
To help promote the new course, famed golfer Bobby Jones came to Whitfield
Estates at the request of the developers. The City of Sarasota was eager to
build a golf course and purchased 290 acres, located 2 ½ miles from downtown,
from the Palmer Estate and the East End Land Company. The 18-hole course was
formally opened on Sunday, February 13, 1927, before a gallery of 1,500
golfers, with Bobby Jones as the star attraction and it was decided to name the
course after Jones to “give it prestige.” The first members of the club read
like a who's who of prominent early Sarasotans. Some of these members were
early politicians Hugh Browning, Harry Higel, and of course, John Hamilton
Gillespie, physicians Jack and Joseph Halton, landowners Owen Burns, Ralph
Caples, Honore Palmer and J.H. Lord. The club drew up rules for the
organization and by-laws for playing golf on the course. To play golf for the
winter season cost $10. For those who did not want to commit to an entire
season, the fee structure was $5 for one month, $2 for one week and 50 cents
for one day. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="2">During its eighty three years, Bobby Jones courses have
challenged such immortals as Walter Hagen, Tommy Armour, Gene Sarazen and even
the “Babe”, George Herman Ruth. Past LPGA greats including Patty Berg, Babe
Dedrickson Zaharias and Louise Suggs made Bobby Jones a regular tour stop in
the mid 1950’s. The current British Course record is 62 set by Sarasotan, Paul
Azinger, in 1980. Over the years, Sarasota’s Bobby Jones Golf Complex attracted
visitors from around the world who come to play the fairways and greens steeped
in golfing history. And even after taking a dip in membership and revenues, it
has been given new life as a smaller course with 27 holes and the surrounding 130
acres given over to green space, bike paths and nature trails. Hurrah! </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="2">After Whitfield Estates/SaraBay and Bobby Jones came Bent
Tree, TPC Prestancia, Concession Club and on and on until now we have over 90 golf courses in our area! Some people worry about the future of golf, but to be honest I believe
this game will always have a place in people’s hearts, whether it be for enjoying
nature, exercise or competition…just get out there and enjoy! And if you are looking to buy a home in the Sarasota-Bradenton area that offers golf, let me know and I'll help you find just the right thing!</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="2">Here is a handy list of Sarasota Courses:</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial" size="2"><a href="https://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/fl/sarasota/"><b>https://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/fl/sarasota/</b></a></font></p><br />Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-17256864644798277702020-06-15T11:31:00.000-04:002020-06-15T11:31:55.636-04:00Round and Round We Go!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbQjNgzygCocDB-2A5fTCBWn5vz1DOZxzW_voxSJ9habvRXsGrS2kJwJ9gE9Z9z7W1yk303Vc3YthXH1Asty-a6KEO105zz9hARza4wINZX8of4p3iExfp8ZWDV6-ZhL9uecOBFMH8Ws/s1600/Roundabout+Collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="693" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbQjNgzygCocDB-2A5fTCBWn5vz1DOZxzW_voxSJ9habvRXsGrS2kJwJ9gE9Z9z7W1yk303Vc3YthXH1Asty-a6KEO105zz9hARza4wINZX8of4p3iExfp8ZWDV6-ZhL9uecOBFMH8Ws/s320/Roundabout+Collage.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top left: animal trough, Top Right: Flag pole & Traffic Light<br />
Bottom: New Five Points Roundabout!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Perhaps you have lived in cities that have roundabouts and you are used to them. For those of us who grew up in Sarasota, for many years, there
were only a few of them – St. Armand’s Circle, Five Points in downtown Sarasota
and and Southgate Circle where Siesta Drive and Tuttle meet up. But now…WOW! It
seems they are popping up everywhere to confuse and confound us with first, the
construction and then…how to navigate them. So I got curious about them and
here’s a little history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Roundabouts, also known as traffic circles and rotaries, have
been around almost a century, with the first documented one in the U.S. built
in 1905 on the southwest corner of Central Park in New York City and named
after Christopher Columbus. Carmel, California now has more than 125 roundabouts, more
than any other city in the United States. Half of the world's roundabouts are
in France although the United Kingdom has more as a proportion of the road than
any other country. There are no official statistics, but estimates of the total
number of traffic circles in France range from 20,000 to 50,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In the United
States — about 18 times bigger and five times more populous than France — the
figure is closer to 5,000. One national study of roundabout trends found about
1,300 of them in Florida, more than any other state in the nation!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Although a seemingly new concept here in Sarasota to assist
traffic flow or cause major mayhem...depending on your point of view...the
roundabout has been a part of the local Sarasota scene since before Henry
Ford’s Model T put the masses on wheels and in hospitals, according to local
historian, Jeff LaHurd. Sarasota, in fact, was among the first communities in
Florida, if not the entire United States, to center an object in the middle of
an intersection and expect pedestrians and their conveyances to circumnavigate
without bodily harm. Around 1887, John Hamilton Gillespie placed a public
trough in the center of Five Points, at the time Sarasota’s busiest
intersection, where Main Street, Pineapple and Mango (today’s Central Avenue)
converged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">That was about 23 years before Sarasota’s
first car to town, and while it did not have to share the roadway, there is no
documentation that a car ever came in contact with a person or a
horse-drawn buggy while circling the intersection. The trough was replaced in
1917 by a flag pole dedicated to Sarasota’s soldiers and sailors who were then
fighting in Europe during World War I. No one argued that automobiles, then
starting to make their presence felt downtown, could not get around it without
running into one another. Along the small base was the simple but prudent
instruction, “Keep To The Right.” </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Visionary
developer John Ringling also must have been a proponent of traffic circles. His
1925 sales brochure for Ringling Isles featured Harding Place, a roundabout
known today as St. Armand’s Circle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And as to Five Points downtown, the slim flag pole with the
small base standing like a lonely sentinel in the </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCGO2MfZlbmajqLGqOJwXH8B6Uz8RkO7kP7wyK3e4My_x9_XpizfNd_su3fi2Xo2Y7C1sAK_lUq4Q9vBFaxok8DejgHHhR-jygCUnsCTsnEdCozzMo8MT3D8xqGl-nDG9Vdw73bvdmCY/s1600/five+points+johns+drawing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="429" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCGO2MfZlbmajqLGqOJwXH8B6Uz8RkO7kP7wyK3e4My_x9_XpizfNd_su3fi2Xo2Y7C1sAK_lUq4Q9vBFaxok8DejgHHhR-jygCUnsCTsnEdCozzMo8MT3D8xqGl-nDG9Vdw73bvdmCY/s400/five+points+johns+drawing.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">middle of the street was
replaced by a more formidable roundabout, the American Legion War Memorial. It,
too, was dedicated to the doughboys of World War I. A traffic light was affixed
to it, topped off with a flag pole. Around the base, in bold letters, “KEEP TO
RIGHT” and “NO LEFT TURN”. Liz’s Dad, artist John Hardy, depicted it in a
two-page spread in the Sarasota Herald Tribune in 1951 as ‘The Hub of a Great Art
Center’ in a wonderful drawing. But in 1954, the State Road Department bestowed
upon it the term “traffic hazard.” And away it went, rolled down to Gulf Stream
Avenue and placed in today’s Rev. J.D. Hamel Park, leaving South Gate Circle
from the 1950s, and St. Armands Circle as the area’s roundabouts. Very
recently, that has all changed.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Today, roundabouts are all the rage in Sarasota, in both
senses of the word, keeping the flow of traffic moving safely and more
efficiently -- or not. The roundabouts in the City of Sarasota have been part
of city’s vision to improve connectivity and traffic flow for at least 20 years. That
vision came to life when the traffic lights at Five Points were torn down in
2010 to make way for downtown’s central intersection roundabout. Now, there are
eight completed roundabouts in the city and three under construction. These projects are expected to help alleviate
traffic woes along U.S. 41 in northern Sarasota, while beautifying the area and
boosting business at many of the struggling intersections. The roundabouts, to
be built incrementally, also were designed to encourage more pedestrian
traffic and so we are back to the days of our parents and grandparents...walking around downtown! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For those of us who are NOT used to driving around them, here's a great video about how to navigate roundabouts:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H4IxLWyCrIc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H4IxLWyCrIc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-90569358048268324112020-05-18T13:45:00.001-04:002020-05-18T13:45:50.613-04:00Birds in the Celery?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhv2vvCK7t5ClOKfUg96QuYCmFzo8nKEAXFxuCryfApHycn83-6-IOJDgsHSR-6jhTmSlAn0MJrF_x-W8KkZTYcFiG9aQ3EGhJN0LgEU9sRhkKJ48b217EmJyZ2HIuguel6bN4l0nAco/s1600/Celery+Fields+collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="843" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhv2vvCK7t5ClOKfUg96QuYCmFzo8nKEAXFxuCryfApHycn83-6-IOJDgsHSR-6jhTmSlAn0MJrF_x-W8KkZTYcFiG9aQ3EGhJN0LgEU9sRhkKJ48b217EmJyZ2HIuguel6bN4l0nAco/s320/Celery+Fields+collage.png" width="283" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As a consequence of staying safe at home during the COVID-19
pandemic, one of the silver linings for me and for my wife is enjoying the
wildlife in our backyard more than we usually do. I do not consider myself as a
serious birdwatcher (my wife is) but I can certainly say it’s been relaxing to watch a
pair of cardinals raise their two babies, along with the Redwing Blackbird and
Tufted Titmouse’s little ones. We regularly see Redtailed Hawks as well as Osprey
and Cormorants hunting for fish and prey. We have three bird feeders along with suet for
the songbirds We also have two ground feeders filled with cracked corn for our resident
ducks that live around our lake, which include Wood Ducks, Mallards,
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Mottled Ducks. We have also had the rare
pleasure of observing Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks and Sandhill Cranes along
with gators, otters and three types of turtles! All told, my wife has
identified 42 different birds in our little ‘aviary’ out back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The only other place
close by for us to see all of this is The Celery Fields. It may seem to be a strange name
for the county-owned preserve and home of the Sarasota Audubon Society’s Nature
Center, so here’s a little history of yet another wonderful place to be outdoors in
my hometown. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Celery Fields got it name because of the area’s long
history as an agricultural center where winter vegetables and, of course celery, were grown for consumption locally and for shipment nationwide. Area
roads, with names such as “Packinghouse” and “Albritton Avenue” attest to the
neighborhood’s long-standing agricultural heritage. The Celery Fields in east
Sarasota just off Fruitville Road, has been important agriculturally and
ecologically for more than 100 years, with the family of landowner Mrs. Bertha
Palmer farming vegetables, predominantly celery, in the rich muckland from
about 1920 on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Construction of the Celery Fields began in 1923 and the main
canals were finished by 1926. An experimental farm of 2,000 acres was set up and
although different vegetables were tried, by 1927, it was decided to grow
predominantly celery. Roads were built across the area and ditches served
10-acre tracts and artesian wells served two 10-acre tracts. The fields became
part of a massive flood control project the county participated in to help
quickly move storm water from the Phillipi Creek basin after severe flooding
damaged scores of homes in the area in the aftermath of several heavy rain
events in the early 1990s. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The spoil hill was formed by the dredging of the farms,
which were sold off as private units, continued to produce celery.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">With the
added water diverted to the fields came more fish and with more fish, more
wading birds, especially avian hunters like Osprey’s and Kingfishers. With
input from local naturalists and other members of the local chapter of the
Audubon Society, shore vegetation like elderberry, saltbush and cord grass was
planted. In 1995, Sarasota County acquired much of the land and the
360-plus-acre site now serves for flood mitigation and lucky for us, as a home
to wildlife, walking and biking trails, birders and The Sarasota Audubon Nature
Center.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We hope The Celery Fields can remain pristine forever for
all the nature lovers out there such as ourselves. Liz and I feel grateful to not
only have it close by, but to have our very own little nature preserve right in
our own backyard. The important thing is to take the time to enjoy it. Stay safe, be well and remember to revel in all the beautiful things around you! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-129720462361355972020-04-16T12:01:00.003-04:002020-04-16T12:01:45.466-04:00Normal is a Setting on a Dryer<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEexLxzMkqpLNhfs6HolaQGeiC1adwk8T6QWGflYbEjbVbBEfzHMD-4QFw2IglwSADml8VfR6VgM4ourX_8WN0jh3U3eKKjJkNp2OH9z-JGVgfknKLghVhz4q4D0Hj1v7QCPVRjIOAYfM/s1600/Normal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="461" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEexLxzMkqpLNhfs6HolaQGeiC1adwk8T6QWGflYbEjbVbBEfzHMD-4QFw2IglwSADml8VfR6VgM4ourX_8WN0jh3U3eKKjJkNp2OH9z-JGVgfknKLghVhz4q4D0Hj1v7QCPVRjIOAYfM/s320/Normal.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Merriam-Webster defines the word ‘normal’ as: conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected. A Southern friend of mine describes it this way: “Honey, ‘normal’ is just a settin’ on the dryer”! (This is also the title of a book by Patsy Clairmont, which is an good read right now).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I skipped last month’s Blog Newsletter because things have not been normal in my world, in the world of Real Estate and in fact, not normal for anyone in the world. This COVID-19 pandemic has hit us on so many different levels that we are not sure what ‘normal’ is any more. And every one of us is trying to find their ‘new normal’.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This ‘quietness’ almost reminds me of the off-season back in the day…Sarasota used to be a ghost town all summer. Businesses closed or reduced hours. There was very little traffic. There were no crowds and no waiting to get in to your favorite restaurants. You could find a parking place at the beach. We could easily do pretty much whatever we wanted to do. But not now.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Some of the things I can’t do now:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Shake your hand</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Touch anything without thinking about it first</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Go to the grocery store willy-nilly like I used to</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Go out to dinner</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Go to baseball and football games</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">None of this is the end of the world! </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What I CAN do:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Be thankful that my wife and I are healthy (and I hope that you are too!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stay on top of the Real Estate market every day</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dive into more continuing education on Real Estate law and contract law</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stay in touch with you just to say “Hi”, which I will continue to do</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Catch up on household projects (my wife’s Honey-Do list is very long) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy some extended quiet time on the lanai with books I have been meaning to read</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Take the time to truly appreciate my life and my career</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I am staying focused on the silver linings we have. We still live in paradise and now there’s more time to reflect on how lucky I am to have grown up here in Sarasota. My wife Liz and I have taken some long drives lately…sightseeing in a sense, and seeing what we have with different eyes and reminding ourselves how special life is. Yes, it will take a while for Real Estate to come around and, as it will be with so many things after this pandemic is over, it will be a different normal but we will all be OK. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So for now, I am staying home...working on my Honey-Do list and helping Liz put the clothes in the dryer and trying to find that setting that says 'Normal".</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I am confident that the Real Estate market will be fine in Sarasota, Florida.</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> I am not considered essential as a Realtor right now. But I am essential as your friend. You can count on that. </span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-71860410994434552112020-02-25T14:22:00.000-05:002020-02-27T15:10:39.500-05:00There's a Chimp in the Dining Room!<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can you imagine all-night parties with entertainment by
circus aerialists and chimpanzees performing during meals? These were mainstays
of the John Ringling Towers Hotel. Located on the site
now occupied by the Ritz-Carlton on Tamiami Trail, it was a hotel until 1957 when
it was converted into an apartment complex. In its years of grandeur,
celebrities often stayed at the lavish hotel, and visitors and diners enjoyed
the circus entertainment, which included elephants, chimps, trapeze artists and
clown performances. Ringling even had ropes, rings and bars installed in the
Fountain Room for dinner performances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKW8Zvtp7IipbAXpEw1aHE17DctnjW42sQ5G3dc1mAf-ybBk2ST9ek6gJMRchyphenhyphenM-nNxSTAtT9qG7e1Feraps9i9Nlq1U29wsh2sHkkalvdBgfW3U8xwZyM0w4SobP7wxNIwFcL12qZaHU/s1600/JRHotelCollage2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="587" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKW8Zvtp7IipbAXpEw1aHE17DctnjW42sQ5G3dc1mAf-ybBk2ST9ek6gJMRchyphenhyphenM-nNxSTAtT9qG7e1Feraps9i9Nlq1U29wsh2sHkkalvdBgfW3U8xwZyM0w4SobP7wxNIwFcL12qZaHU/s400/JRHotelCollage2.png" width="342" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The hotel was constructed in 1926 by Owen Burns and
originally named The El Verona for his wife, Vernona. In the 1930s, John Ringling acquired
the luxury hotel and changed the name. His nephew, John Ringling North indulged
the hotel with all the trappings of their famous circus. From its earliest
days, the hotel was the site of numerous celebrations, dinners, dances and
became the focal point of many of Sarasota’s stellar events. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The adjoining
M’ToTo Room, named for the famed circus gorilla, was one of the most popular
lounges in Sarasota…and greatly enjoyed by our parents back in the day. Named
after Madame ToTo, the famous circus gorilla, the bar was hugely popular, one
of Sarasota’s favorite and most colorful watering holes. Even during
Prohibition, booze was plentiful, despite police raids.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The hotel was later transformed into apartments, and
ultimately it was abandoned and sadly, the 1926 landmark was demolished in 1998 after a failed court
battle by the Sarasota Alliance for Historical Preservation to protect it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My wife and I have many memories of this once
grand building…but not the chimps performing in the dining room! (Some of these things were before our time
but have been passed down to us by our parents). Our memories are of our high
school Cotillion dances, which were formal affairs that the guys hated (coat &
tie) and the girls loved (formal gowns, long gloves, up-dos and heals!) And the
memory of the wrecking ball demolition of this once grand building still weighs
heavy...just like it did with the destruction of the <a href="http://sarasotaron.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-lido-beach-casinos-magical-seahorses.html" target="_blank">Lido Beach Casino</a>. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But time marches on and the Ritz Carlton, which replaced the John Ringling
building, is indeed lovely. It is such an irony that Ringling tried to build a
Ritz Carlton on Longboat Key (<a href="http://sarasotaron.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-ritz-carlton-ghost-hotel.html" target="_blank">The Ghost Hotel</a>) and now the Ritz is on the site
of his once popular hotel!</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are looking for Real Estate in Sarasota, Florida, give me a call and we can meet at Jack Dusty's at the Ritz Carlton, have a drink and find the perfect home in paradise!</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a great video about the John Ringling Hotel and the M'Toto Room...Enjoy!</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vz9RLC1ATGI" width="560"></iframe>Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-21447656287989567422020-01-28T11:45:00.000-05:002020-01-28T11:45:13.526-05:00The "Old" SHS Building Keeps on Teaching!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jl5ExZSZ7g_jleUGimcNerKzU1Ul4YsCLiVbbzh7yzcszYz7AjRG7pd-sSfEb2oUJn2xa1ra1loys_qXVGRES3KZTcNISkMkeV11vRhW4cvFxa7MYtQ6wGMoF8uvcmgzlexmzOV3Mdw/s1600/featured_smoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="710" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jl5ExZSZ7g_jleUGimcNerKzU1Ul4YsCLiVbbzh7yzcszYz7AjRG7pd-sSfEb2oUJn2xa1ra1loys_qXVGRES3KZTcNISkMkeV11vRhW4cvFxa7MYtQ6wGMoF8uvcmgzlexmzOV3Mdw/s320/featured_smoa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Good schools are always important when buying a new home in
Sarasota or any community for that matter. I attended school here in Sarasota
from grade one in 1950 all the way through high school graduation as I reminisced
in a<a href="http://sarasotaron.blogspot.com/2016/08/school-days.html" target="_blank"> previous blog post</a>. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But the schools I went to were by far not the oldest. Here’s
a little history!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sarasota's first school, built around 1878, was located on
the south side of Main Street east of Pineapple Avenue next door to the old
Kress Building. It was a small, one-room building 16 feet wide and 25 feet and
the children sat on homemade benches and desks that were quite different from
those in present times. In 1899, a two-room school was built on 8</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Street between the railroad and Central Avenue
(what was then 8</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Street is now 2</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">nd</span></sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Second Street). By
the winter of 1903-1904 the school was badly overcrowded. A new building was
constructed for $3,900 during the summer of 1904. Sources are conflicting as to
the location of the building. One source says the school was located on Main
Street east of Pine. Another source says the school was erected on Golf Street
on the future site of Central School in 1936, where the downtown U.S. Post
Office was later located. The two-story building contained four classrooms on
the first floor and one classroom and an auditorium on the second floor. That
school opened September 19, 1904 with an enrollment of 124 students.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">During the spring and summer of 1913, a new brick building
was built at a total cost of $23,000. School trustees predicted that the
building's 11 classrooms and its auditorium would fulfill Sarasota's needs for
at least ten years. The old frame building constructed in 1904 was sold and
moved off the lot. When classes opened September 15, 1913, 200 girls and 153
boys were enrolled. The following fall it was decided to add two more grades
and make the school a full-fledged high school as well as an elementary school…It
seems that this is when Sarasota High School actually began. The old frame
building which the new brick building had replaced was brought back and put to
use. Located in back of the new brick building, it housed the younger children.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By 1927 Sarasota was once again in need of a new school
building. School began on Tuesday, September 6, 1927, in a huge new building,
which is now fondly referred to as "the Old Building". Several
available figures conflict as to the cost of the building. Prices range from
$317,000 to $345,000 to half a million dollars.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The 57,000 square foot building opened its doors to students
from the 7th-12th grade in the fall of 1927 and flourished for almost 70 years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In 1984, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Although the “Old Building” school closed its doors in 1996, my wife and I and other members
of the community felt attached to the building and we were inspired along with
others to champion a new purpose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlVm4g89xofPqASlNmOlArWc9WoeQ0SWY-Np7RXc-MfEIVBeW9V-l66XxUI1zRY03LqIDvgzP4rjs8lancIgm-WdxA198oT_t1gqADYXaJgDWjaN8VDVllsHZ4-g1SkGbLPKLdgGyE7g/s1600/76610995_10157904950978739_365893147324055552_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlVm4g89xofPqASlNmOlArWc9WoeQ0SWY-Np7RXc-MfEIVBeW9V-l66XxUI1zRY03LqIDvgzP4rjs8lancIgm-WdxA198oT_t1gqADYXaJgDWjaN8VDVllsHZ4-g1SkGbLPKLdgGyE7g/s320/76610995_10157904950978739_365893147324055552_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Fast-forward to 2002, the start of a two-year
process of community involvement and consensus-building known as the Sarasota
High School New Life Initiative. Funders of the New Life Initiative included
the School Board, the City of Sarasota, Sarasota County, the Selby Foundation,
the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and private donors. More than 200
potential uses of the 93 year old historic building were considered. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In October 2004, the School Board voted to lease the
historic Sarasota High School building to Ringling College of Art and Design to
transform the building into the 27 million dollar Sarasota Art Museum. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Fast forward (through a lot of challenges!) to December 2019...the doors are now OPEN and it is stunning! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I taught Computer Basics in that old building for several years (anyone remember DOS?!) and my wife graduated from SHS. Her sister also graduated from SHS and went on to achieve three Bachelor Degrees in Art in college thanks to her art teacher at SHS who inspired her.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Liz was on the fund-raising committee which successfully raised 2.5 million dollars towards keeping the Sarasota High School name as part of the new museum. It is appropriately named “The SHS Alumni Auditorium”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Today, the Sarasota High School
historic building has been given a new life as a modern art museum. As hometown
Sarasotans, we are grateful that this memorable educational institution will be
preserved and be a place to be enjoyed for many years to come and that the
historic Sarasota High School "Old" building will continue to be a central part of
this community and will continue to focus on education.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you are considering moving to Sarasota and buying a new home, our school system has an outstanding reputation. Contact me at RE/MAX Alliance Group and we will start your search for a new home and a great school! </span></div>
<br />Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-60265232486951748792019-12-18T16:00:00.000-05:002019-12-18T16:00:05.826-05:00Politics at Christmas...BAH HUMBUG!!<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 20.2176px;"><b>A Politically Correct Christmas Poem</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouYBYY8uJ3mxEWVvgKOZzYnj1Ta9hThh_J_SZcmm6YRNude-oR8hkomUznmvJQlNQy_TuTbYeSya-wFd8Ofv4xdxHzBt6ndFQm47y3twjugRZs3QMnwci_ZR_XOnIMfNlKwGD-Rue3Kg/s1600/Reindeer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="650" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouYBYY8uJ3mxEWVvgKOZzYnj1Ta9hThh_J_SZcmm6YRNude-oR8hkomUznmvJQlNQy_TuTbYeSya-wFd8Ofv4xdxHzBt6ndFQm47y3twjugRZs3QMnwci_ZR_XOnIMfNlKwGD-Rue3Kg/s320/Reindeer.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 20.2176px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>How to live in a world that's politically correct?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>And labor conditions at the North Pole,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>were alleged by the union, to stifle the soul.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>released to the wilds, by the Humane Society.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>And equal employment had made it quite clear,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>that Santa had better not use just reindeer.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>The runners had been removed from his beautiful sleigh,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>because the ruts were deemed dangerous by the EPA,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>And millions of people were calling the Cops,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>when they heard sled noises upon their roof tops.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Second-hand smoke from his pipe, had his workers quite frightened,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>and his fur trimmed red suit was called "unenlightened".</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>To show you the strangeness of today's ebbs and flows,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>He went to Geraldo, in front of the Nation,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>demanding millions in over-due workers compensation.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>So...half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>who suddenly said she'd had enough of this life,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>joined a self help group, packed and left in a whiz,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>demanding from now on that her title was Ms.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>And as for gifts...why, he'd never had the notion</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>that making a choice could cause such commotion.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Nothing of leather, nothing of fur...</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Which meant nothing for him or nothing for her.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Nothing for just girls and nothing for just boys.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Nothing that claimed to be gender specific,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the truth.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>And fairy tales...while not yet forbidden,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>for they raised the hackles of those psychological,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>No baseball, no football...someone might get hurt,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>besides - playing sports exposed kids to dirt.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Dolls were said to be sexist and should be passe.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>and Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>So Santa just stood there, disheveled and perplexed,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>he just couldn't figure out what to do next?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>He tried to be merry he tried to be gay,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>but you must have to admit he was having a very bad day.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Something special was needed, a gift that he might,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>give to us all, without angering the left or the right.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>A gift that would satisfy - with no indecision,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>each group of people in every religion.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Every race, every hue,</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>everyone, everywhere...even you!</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>"MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES, ENJOY PEACE ON EARTH"</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: green; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; text-align: start;"><i>by Harvey Ehrlich, 1992</i></span></span></span></div>
Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-89927235876458901232019-11-27T09:58:00.002-05:002019-11-27T09:58:50.118-05:00So Much to be Thankful For!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgLxgUHNeZragomPqv7txwtza20fJcCkj8lCPgG9jUXtWtm8Ck7VEINT3A6IZLkXcBBg9YV05Q2ei0BIWD8-YPhELyqCc5dSu3JGY8Bf-nqkkzSL87sgKdK_X2Ur3XQpNvpXyFbGOEOs/s1600/thanksgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgLxgUHNeZragomPqv7txwtza20fJcCkj8lCPgG9jUXtWtm8Ck7VEINT3A6IZLkXcBBg9YV05Q2ei0BIWD8-YPhELyqCc5dSu3JGY8Bf-nqkkzSL87sgKdK_X2Ur3XQpNvpXyFbGOEOs/s320/thanksgiving.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thanksgiving as a national holiday has an illustrious past.
In 1789, George Washington introduced the event as a national holiday. It was
not until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln set the final Thursday in
November. Fast forward to 1989 President George H.W. Bush, when granted the
first official pardon to a turkey, a tradition that continues today, including
this year. Humorously, it’s time for us to grant a few turkeys we know a pardon
or two as well, right? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Seriously, it’s in the spirit of thankfulness that
reminds me how lucky I am and how important it is for me to let others know how
thankful I am. Sometimes we don’t often share that thought out loud. So let’s
all stop and take a deep breath right now…stop time passing for just one or two
minutes. What are you thankful for right now? Is it having a wonderful home and
having time to enjoy the people in your life that you are thankful? That would
be a ‘yes’ for me…I have a lot to be thankful for!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I’m thankful for the opportunities I have to make good on
promises I’ve made.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful because of challenges which serve as a vehicle
to train me to be a better person.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful for those who read, use, and share my Sarasota
Hometown Blog content about my memories of Sarasota, my hometown.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful for you…my family, friends and clients </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful for the most incredible and eclectic group of Real
Estate clients who entrust me to help them make the right decisions about the
largest purchase of their lives. And they not only give me the pleasure of
using my gifts and experience to serve them, but they pay me, too, so I can
provide for my family and live well!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful for like-minded friends and mentors in the Real Estate
industry who energize, challenge, influence, and help me.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful for clients who entrust me with helping them to buy or sell
their home in Sarasota.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful for the United States of America. As broken as
our federal government appears to be, I remain a proud patriot and could not be
more thankful for the freedom we enjoy, those who have sacrificed to keep us
safe and free, and the unlimited opportunities available to those who call this
great nation home.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful for the beauty of nature I experienced this past year, whether
as dramatic as the Colorado Rocky Mountains or as simple as a ‘staycation’ at
the beach here in my hometown.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am thankful to a talented and passionate wife who allows
me to do what I do and is always by my side not only as my wife, but my administrative assistant. (Long hours, 7 day a week!) I just want to say thank you to
Liz, without whom I would be lost half the time.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yes, I have much to be thankful for. From my family to yours please know that we
keep you in our thoughts, and hearts and we are thankful for each of you. We wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8708059893412867308.post-48610331314823460032019-10-29T15:58:00.001-04:002019-10-29T15:58:57.648-04:00See Sea Life in Sarasota!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2c3e_JQfXXX6XkFP0cZGAJlx-otE_2SuXVkAxNTFnttT48BwKUvW53Asm-RaMls6valZGEiAzK9fbCS3nHTnTk7OSi90_qMME80h8yY7l0egCI8Rb00QNCYMEilhaY9f_fbGtWxMVYw/s1600/Mote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2c3e_JQfXXX6XkFP0cZGAJlx-otE_2SuXVkAxNTFnttT48BwKUvW53Asm-RaMls6valZGEiAzK9fbCS3nHTnTk7OSi90_qMME80h8yY7l0egCI8Rb00QNCYMEilhaY9f_fbGtWxMVYw/s320/Mote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My wife Liz and I just returned from a week in Atlanta.
Probably like most of you, we have traveled through or around the city on our
way somewhere not to mention in and out of Atlanta’s airport. But this is the first time we
have actually made Atlanta our destination for a sightseeing trip. We enjoyed the
CNN Center, the Botanical Gardens, and the Jimmy Carter Museum and Library. But the best part was The Georgia Aquarium. This surprised us! We obviously have
lived by the Gulf of Mexico all our lives and we have the Mote Marine Laboratory,
but we decided to go to the Atlanta Aquarium anyway, mainly because it is the
largest aquarium in the western hemisphere. It was fantastic…but in a different
way than our own Mote Marine. For one thing, it’s really huge compared to Mote
and we easily could have spent an entire day there. Also, there were many cold
water animals and sea creatures we had never seen, along with the fantastic beluga
whales. Did you know that they are the only whales that have ‘necks,’ which
allows them to move their heads up and down and side-to-side?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But given all that, we realized that we are so very fortunate
to have Mote Marine Laboratory right in our backyard! While the Georgia Aquarium is loaded
with great exhibits, Mote is by far the best learning facility for marine
science and those interested in nature. So here’s a little information about the
six decades of Mote Marine Laboratory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mote has a long history of shark expertise, having been
founded out of a combined effort by Dr. Eugenie Clark, the “Shark Lady,” and
philanthropist Anne Vanderbilt, according to a history on Mote’s website.
Clark’s work focused mostly on the behavior of sharks and the lab became known
for it, and still is today. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is an
independent, nonprofit research institution founded in 1955. Mote began and
flourished because of the passion of Dr. Eugenie Clark and her partnership with
the community and philanthropic support, first of the Vanderbilt family and
later of the William R. Mote family. The one-room facility in Placida where it
all began doubled as a dock where the wealthy Vanderbilt family could store a
boat, and existed chiefly so Eugenie Clark could quietly study the migration
patterns of sea life in the Gulf of Mexico. It was known as Cape Haze Marine
Laboratory until its 1967 renaming in honor of major benefactors of the
laboratory William R. Mote, his wife Lenore, and his sister, Betty Mote Rose. Since
1960, it has been based in Sarasota, Florida, and has been located on City
Island since 1978. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">More than six decades later, the laboratory continues to
provide a foundation for marine and science-based industry in the region. Today, Mote is one of the top attractions in Sarasota,
Florida and has</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> five campuses stretching from Sarasota to the Florida Keys. Mote
has more than 20 world-class research programs studying oceans locally to
internationally, with an emphasis on conservation and sustainable use of marine
resources. Mote’s vision includes positively impacting public policy through
science-based outreach and education. Showcasing the Lab’s research is Mote
Aquarium. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexU_2-Ye4ZUwRUq3gdOBskmST5p1_3yUa7z76eEEtb9zH1xpmpzesx4bCr6uCyS736CYJzHzvRjp5ZSQy1MhbWJq4d7o0O68uktyRoz2aqeoCXcUu-5ZSaVzadDIWSSVYIIYktjJShNA/s1600/shark+plastic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexU_2-Ye4ZUwRUq3gdOBskmST5p1_3yUa7z76eEEtb9zH1xpmpzesx4bCr6uCyS736CYJzHzvRjp5ZSQy1MhbWJq4d7o0O68uktyRoz2aqeoCXcUu-5ZSaVzadDIWSSVYIIYktjJShNA/s320/shark+plastic.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On a recent visit to Mote, Liz and I had our eyes really opened about all the plastic pulled from the oceans. All of the art was formed from that plastic and it was something to behold. (see photo of the huge shark made from plastic.) The ‘Sea Debris’ exhibit was a
fun and creative way to start a conversation regarding an issue that is
affecting all of the world’s oceans on a macro and microscopic scale. The hope
was that exhibit opened guests’ eyes, not just to the problem, but to the solutions
regarding sea pollution. It sure opened ours!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ground will be broken in 2020 for a brand new facility, the Mote
Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA) will be an iconic, educational and
outreach hub that vastly improves access to marine science and technology for
an estimated three million residents living within a 60-minute drive and
visitors from around the world, representing a rebirth of the current Mote
Aquarium. According to Mote’s website, Mote SEA will be built on 12 acres in
the Sarasota County-owned land within Nathan Benderson Park. Mote SEA will be
an iconic facility with 110,000 square feet containing more than 1 million
gallons of exhibits featuring marine life and scientific displays from around
the world, onsite diving programs, a STEM (science, technology, engineering and
math) resource center for students, teachers and the general public, conference
and special event space, educational galleries with interactive, advanced,
digital and augmented reality technology to enhance learning, two STEM workforce
training labs and three K-12 STEM teaching labsMote SEA is expected to be
complete in 2022.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you have never visited Mote Marine Laboratory, it is a ‘must
see’ attraction in Sarasota, Florida and just one more reason to live in Sarasota paradise! If you are looking to buy or sell your home or condo in the Sarasota, Englewood, Bradenton area, call me!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Sources and Credits: Mote Marine Laboratory, Mustdo.com,
Wikipedia, Your Observer, Sarasota Herald Tribune</i></span></div>
<br />Sarasota Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307768173188548442noreply@blogger.com0