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And to all a good night … and a bit of good grief, too By John Morton ‘Twas the month before Christmas, and all through the isle Free trees were everyone, just find a good pile Keep that eggnog flowing, keep your guests on the sauce And they’ll never know your tinsel is really Spanish […]
By Jan Baumgartner Laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) As you explore Siesta Key’s three public beaches this holiday season, guard your snacks carefully. The laughing gull, perhaps more than any other, looks for opportunities to help itself — even stealing a morsel right out of your hand! If the ruse is successful, the clever thief’s mocking […]
Poinsettias The familiar red poinsettias, which are a favorite flower for the holiday season, every year grow well in this area – given the proper care.The bright-red petals are actually leaves in the top of the plant; they surround the actual flowers, which are yellow or green and accent the center of the display. Natives […]
By Jane Bartnett Gulf Gate is truly a mini-United Nations. After visiting Nontando, a store filled with beautiful artistic treasures from 20 to 25 African countries, I learned so much about this land of 53 nations and 800 ethnic groups. Africa, I discovered, is a place that close to a billion people call home. And […]
Joyce Kouba is a Key asset indeed, despite being just slightly shorter than Kareem Q: Joyce, you and your husband, Joe, have been all over the place. What eventually landed you on Siesta Key as your forever home? A: We purchased property in 1997 on Siesta for retirement, so we did not live here for our […]
Few areas are better for exploring by wave runner than Siesta Key and the Intracoastal Waterway By Jane Bartnett “This is a happy business. Wave runners are really fun,” said Siesta Key Jet Ski owner Frankie Longenbach with a big smile. The Pennsylvania native, who holds a degree in structural engineering from Penn State, took […]
Guide dog group teams with Daiquiri Deck for recruitment of raisers By John Morton The Daiquiri Deck has gone to the dogs. Literally. This summer, as the Siesta Key business considered making the Southeastern Guide Dogs its charity for the year, the restaurant took a handful of employees up to Palmetto to meet several of […]
Osprey (fish hawk) * Pandion haliaetus By Jan Baumgartner Circling high above the Siesta Key shoreline, the osprey is the only North American hawk who dines almost exclusively on live fish, both fresh- and saltwater.It takes lots of protein (rich in Omega-3 fatty acids) to fuel the exploits of this large raptor weighing 2 to […]
Hibiscus The hibiscus, which loves the Florida climate, is a popular flower here. Although most are red, the colors actually range from white through pink, yellow, orange, lavender, and even blue. They all have five large petals, and some exotic ones are beautifully ruffled.It’s part of the Malvaceae family.It likes some fertilizer twice a year […]
Considering our island as one of his favorite spots, world-traveling photographer showcases its beauty at special exhibit By Jane Bartnett This month, the Art Ovation Hotel at 1255 N. Palm Ave. in downtown Sarasota will feature the highly acclaimed photography of John Kincaid’s landscape images of Siesta Key. Through his brilliant panoramic and aerial photography, […]