Author: Porter

Island-Grown Delicacies

Although I love the thought of eating food fresh from the garden, the fact is, some foods taste no better when you grow them yourself. For example, I’ve never thought a home-grown carrot tasted any better than store-bought. It makes it hard for me to want to spend the time involved in gardening, especially during Florida’s warmer months. However, there are some foods that grow here with almost no attention, and they taste far better than store bought. We acquired two such delicacies with our Anna Maria Island property when we bought it ten years ago.

When we met at the lawyer’s office to close on the purchase of our new home, I asked the previous owner if it were necessary to water anything in the yard. Completely new to Florida, I had absolutely no experience or knowledge of landscaping and gardening on Anna Maria Island. “If you want bananas, you’d better water those,” he said. That was all.

Since then, we have done very little watering, including of the bananas that grow along the property line. Every once in awhile, when it’s been extremely dry, we give them a little water. Every year or so, we give them a little fertilizer. When we cut off the old, tattered fronds, we leave them under the banana trees and they act as mulch, holding in whatever moisture may be in the soil.

Tags Albertsons, Anna Maria Island, Drought, garden landscaping, grocer, Landscape, Lawn, Old Florida houses, Publix, Rainfall, supermarkets, SweetBay, trees, Watering restrictions

Sports

Sailing in Tampa Bay

One of the greatest advantages of living on Anna Maria Island, as opposed to other islands along the Sun Coast, is our proximity to Tampa Bay . So much of the Gulf Coast is shallow, not only around the islands, but into the Gulf. In contrast, Tampa Bay is a wonderful, place for boating, especially for sailing. And, when you live on Anna Maria Island, Tampa Bay is your back yard.

When we first started looking at property along the Sun Coast, Siesta Key caught our attention. Maybe it was the write-ups that described it as a place inhabited by artists and writers. Or maybe it was the descriptions of its award-winning beach. When we visited there, and looked at real estate for sale, we noticed a huge premium was put on properties with “sailboat water.” So many of the properties on Siesta Key sit on canals that are crossed at some points by low bridges. It is therefore not possible to bring a sailboat or large powerboat in and out of these canals. Hence, the terms “sailboat water” is something associated with the more desirable properties on Siesta Key, and one sees it often.

In contrast, this term is not common on Anna Maria Island. An outsider might think that would mean Anna Maria Island does not have it. On the contrary: sailboat water is almost a given on Anna Maria Island. That’s why we don’t talk about it. Although there are a few locations where canals or lakes are cut off by low bridges, the majority of waterfront homes enjoy canals without bridges and easy, quick access to the Intracoastal Waterway and Tampa Bay.

Tags Bradenton, Egmont Key, Egmont Key State Park, island shores, Sailing, St Petersburg, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa Bay

Real Estate

A Gecko Visits Our Anna Maria Island Home

Post author By Porter
Post date July 29, 2009
No Comments on A Gecko Visits Our Anna Maria Island Home

When we first moved to Anna Maria Island ten years ago, we had some trepidation about what the locals euphemistically called “critters.” We had never lived in a tropical environment. We loved the thought of tropical vegetation, but we knew that in any healthy ecosystem, tropical vegetation attracts and hosts a large number of creatures, many of them with more than two legs.

We have been happily surprised not to come across giant spiders; not to be overrun by palmetto bugs (a.k.a. large roaches); not to have rats emerge through the toilet or nest in our walls. Most of the critters that live around us actually add a positive side to our life here. The occasional egret staring at us through the window, and the antics of a squirrel hoping for a walnut are very entertaining. The reclusive frog behind our garage shutter has been a constant quiet neighbor for many years. Our only interaction with it was at the time we had the house tented by exterminators. For its protection tried to relocate the frog into the banana grove on the edge of our property. Every time I carried it across the yard to this safe place it managed to return to behind the shutter surprisingly quickly. (I had to relocate it a final time right before the tent went up.)

Lizards are one of the most welcomed critters on our property, because we often see them chasing and eating palmetto bugs. I’ve never been completely clear about the distinction or relationship between geckos and small lizards. I suppose I could look it up, but for the purposes of this commentary, I’d like to describe what I see at my island home. There are many small lizards running around the yard. They vary quite a bit in terms of markings and color. They are no bigger than five inches long at maturity. They clearly prefer being outdoors and rarely end up in the house. These lizards are more angular and less flat than what I think of as geckos.

Tags critters, Florida wildlife, gecko, lizard, pest control, pests, rats, roach

Real Estate

Anna Maria Island Properties

Post author By Porter
Post date July 22, 2009
1 Comment on Anna Maria Island Properties

Many wonderful places are surrounded by not-so-wonderful places. Often these wonderful places have been preserved, and protected from development, but the development has sprawled all around them. Eventually the small preserved spots can start to feel more like museum exhibits than like places where real life takes place. They are isolated. It may be fun to visit such places, but in my opinion it would not be enjoyable to live in them.

Sometimes things happen in the opposite way. It’s the new development that is nice compared to the older surroundings. This is how it is when an upscale gated community is developed in an area that was previously undesirable. All is fine inside the gates, but outside there is not much of appeal.

Anna Maria Island is a gem of a place, and it is surrounded by a wide variety of other kinds of places, all of which are appealing. This is one of the island’s greatest assets in terms of being a wonderful place to live. Not only is the island a remarkably small scale, natural Old Florida area, but it also offers its residents easy access to many other kinds of places. This makes life here more interesting and colorful. Within a short distance, the variety of surroundings and activities is remarkable.

To the south, Longboat Key is one of the wealthiest communities in the nation. The professional landscaping is reason enough to occasionally take a drive or trolley ride down Longboat. At the top of Longboat Key is the historical village where peacocks have roamed freely for years, and where the art center is now a part of the Ringling School of Art and Design.

Tags Bradenton, Cortez, Development, Lonboat Key, Old Florida houses, Real estate, Ringling School of Art, Sarasota, St Petersburg, Tampa, upscale gated community, wonderful place, world class tennis

Wildlife

How to Live Peacefully with the Occasional Snake

Post author By Porter
Post date July 15, 2009
2 Comments on How to Live Peacefully with the Occasional Snake

In my ten years living on Anna Maria Island, I have come across very few snakes. The ones I have seen were not venomous. Yet I know some people in my neighborhood kill every snake they see. This is not necessary and it’s not kind. It also can have unforeseen consequences.

Every creature is a part of a complex system that human life needs to survive. By far the majority of 45 species and 44 subspecies of snake found in Florida are not venomous. And many of them serve useful roles, such as the ones that eat mice and rats. Rather than kill every snake, it makes much more sense to use the numerous guides available in books and on line to identify a snake first. If it’s not dangerous, then the best way to treat it is the same way we treat the lizards, frogs and birds in our yard. Try to appreciate them. They are part of the beautifully rich Florida environment.

There are professionals who relocate unwanted snakes. If you try to relocate a harmless snake yourself, one effective method is to find a large plastic garbage bin with corners and a lid. Lay it on the ground near the snake (don’t get too close yourself) and sweep the snake into the bin. Turn it upright and put the lid on. Remember that large snakes can strike from a distance, and even non-venomous snakes may bite, so be sure to use a broom with a long handle. Carry the bin to a large wild area and release the snake carefully, without handling it.

The southern Black Racer snake is harmless, commonly seen in daylight in or near undergrowth, and avoids people but it is is good for the garden by eating insects, rodents, lizards and moles.

There are only 6 venomous snakes in Florida. It’s worth knowing them in order not to panic when other snakes appear.

Tags Anna Maria Island snakes, Black Racer, copperhead, coral snake, corn snake, cottonmouth, diamondback, Florida snakes, rattlesnake, red rat snake, snakes, venomous snakes, water mocassin