What a Sunset!!

I caught a glimmer of color from the corner of my eye out the window, grabbed my little Olympus and ran out the door.  And boy, was it worth it.  I took pics without flash were washed out, then used my flash and got this spectacular photograph.  Our bougainvalia is doing the best it's ever done, and against the sky looks fabulous. 

Next picture is our house at sunset.  It's such a nice house, and just the right size for us.  It looks so pretty with the Christmas lights. 

Probably my last post till after the holidays, so have a happy one!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Holiday Weekend

What a nice little town.  Just like those quaint New England towns at Christmastime, except there's no shivering or shoveling.  Only sunshine, shorts, sunglasses and beachsand.  But we do get into Christmas down here in a big way.  Friday night was Sebastian's yearly "Light up the Night," which gives businesses in town the opportunity to get new customers, greet old customers, and just get to know and give back to the people in Sebastian they serve.  But customers get the best part--strolling in and out of each business on a beautiful summer night, sampling food and beverages, chatting with the owners, and seeing all the wonderful Christmas lights put around the businesses in a night of "Competitiv Lighting!"  It was our first time, don't know why because we've lived here since 2006.  We were actually on our way to catch a bite for dinner, but by the time we finished walking around with our friends, we were no longer hungry.

On the way home we drove by some beautifully-decorated homes, a few of which I snapped pictures of.  Here's one below, but not too crisp because of limited light and camera knowledge.

So after a very pleasant night of twinkling lights, sparkling Margueritas and dyn-o-mite nibblies, we settled in at home and saw in the paper that there was lots more to do tomorrow.

In the morning while getting ready these guys landed on our dock hoping to get a snack from me.  By the time I grabbled the bread there were 22 of them.  What a sight, what a canal, what a town.  Then the mere hens started squaking and sidled over too.

So by 8:30 we were off to the St. Sebastian Church's Flea Market, where over 100 vendors, some just local people who need to get rid of "stuff," set up their tables and spread out their wares.  So interesting walking around seeing bits and pieces of past valued items, including things I remembered from my childhood--glass piggy bank, copper horse with beaded reins, etc.  There's everything from furnitue, jewelry, plants and planters, produce, antiques, clothing, childrens toys, decor, tools and you can even have your lunch there--hot dogs and more.  Easy parking, not far to walk, and the weather was beautiful.  Below is just one of many aisles.

Then we stopped at Pizzo's Italian Deli, in the Roseland section of Sebastian, to try out their Italian Bread.  Having spent the majority of our lives around the New Haven area of Connecticut, the main thing we miss is good Italian food, especially bread.  The food has gotten better since we came to Florida, but the bread has not.  Except this was close, and at dinner time we enjoyed it stuffed with peppers and eggplant.  This new deli has everything yummy we were used to getting in Connecticut ... and more!  Below is only a sampling of what's inside this delicious-smelling deli.  See more at www.pizzositaliandeli.com

After picking up a loaf of Italian Bread, which incidentaly filled the car with aromas reminiscent of Lupi Legna's bread in New Haven, we sidled down to the Pelican Diner for breakfast.  This is a typical small-town breakfast/lunch place, with friendly people and good hearty food.  Decent coffee too.  We always seem to run into friends there.

Then it was on to Riverview Park, where some art buddies of mine were showing their paintings and pottery along with the Sebastian Craft Club.  Things were hopping there, with lots of interesting things for holiday giving.  There were so many people there from the Sebastian River Art Club it looked like a private meeting with all of us standing around chatting and chuckling. The picture below was snapped as we drove away, so it's only part of the backside of the park.  There were probably around 50 vendors set up, so there was a little bit of everything.  Plus a giant Christmas tree in the midst of it all.

After rolling up my sleeves and planting the begonias and poinsettias I picked up at good-ol' Home Depot today, I had to run back out because I needed more.  As I passed Riverview park on Route 1, the street was being closed and Santa was on his way!  There was going to be a Christmas parade!  Wish we had noticed that earlier, as I was on a mission and anxious to get back to the dirty mess I left in the midst of adding some living Christmas "reds" to our front landscape. 

Just to reiterate, this is a great little town, and sometimes I think I shouldn't advertise the fact, because Bob and I like it just the way it is.  And then there's all that Florida sunshine.  Could it be any better? 

Getting busy so may not post for a while.  Everyone out there - Merry Christmas or whatever your holiday or non-holiday celebrations are.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Portraits Finished!

Just a quick post late-night to update you on the portraits.  Had some good sessions and received some great feedback.  Now to reproduce the videos!

Been so busy with art shows I haven't cruised around Sebastian much, but after this weekend's "Bird Art Show in Vero which I'm helping out with, I can exhale and explore this great town once again.  There's a clam festival coming up ... more about that later.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Come Watch A Painting Demonstration!

Sorry no post in quite a while, camera has been down, but back up now and ready to blog more about things to do in Sebastian.

COME SEE A PORTRAIT DEMONSTRATION ~
 Tuesday September 25th will be th 5th in a 6-part series of multimedia portrait demonstrations at the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center, 1245 Main Street, 3-4:00 pm.  Given by yours truly, I'll demonstrate in fast-motion in an hour how to create a lifelike acrylic portrait from a model.  And on October 2nd the demo will be in oil, my favorite.   It's free, and to see the progress just click on this link www.burgarellaportraits.blogspot.com for more information.



Guido Costa (pencil)         Norwood Stanhope (charcoal)        Noah Lavender (pastel)         Kathy Costa (watercolor)

 And if that doesn't suit your fancy, just take a few steps north of the Art Center and come see our brand spakin' new Senior Center!  Lots of room, lots of things to do, and lots of friendly and helpful people.  We're pretty proud and excited about this new little "jewel" on our City Hall campus. 

The Art Center and Senior Center are separated by a lovely little native Florida garden that seemed to just magically appear out of scrubby rubbel when the Senior Center was created.   Sebastian just keeps getting better and better, thanks to the collaborative efforts of our citizenry, businesses, and our public servants who work so hard to make it the best little (actually not so little) town in Florida.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for Sebastian, my home town.

Wade Fishing in Florida!

Just have to pass this fishing information on to you - click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1oHPSxhESs a video from Visit Florida.  The video was taken in Vero Beach, but wade fishing in Sebastian could probably top it.  Much more access shore-wise in the Indian River Lagoon.  Makes me want to go right out and fish.  Nothing like the taste of fish taken from the river into the frying pan!

Psst! - Another thing, the secret's out - Opening tomorrow will be a brandy new Senior Center right here in Sebastian, right there behind my beloved Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center!  Headed by Councilwoman Andrea Coy--a dynamo whom I saw first hand gets things done in this town--volunteers showed up to paint, scrape, clean, sweep, and some local businesses in the area opened their pockets and rolled up their sleeves for the betterment of our elderly population (elderly?  I've seen in print that my age bracket is in the "elderly" category, much to my chagrin!) 

With a lot of elbow grease, and the generous helping hands of volunteers and donors, they brought this dilapidated empty useless building up to the standards of a class-A clubhouse.  It's amazing what can be done for a good cause by good people in a bad economy.  Thanks to all for helping to provide a happy meeting place for our struggling seniors.

I hope to post pictures of it soon ... as soon as I get a camera that works agian.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Best Town in Florida!

Sebastian - A Great Place to Retire!

One of the great things about living in Sebastian is the wildlife.  It's all around us, crawling near our feet, flying overhead, scurring in the trees and bushes, and slithering in the grass.  One of my favorites are Meer hens, a common sight in Sebastian wherever there is water.  Their call sounds like deepest darkest Africa.  And since I've started tossing out bread to them at sunset, they remind me with their call that it's time.  Or if they hear the screen door from the lanai they come screeching and paddling over to our canal shoreline. The one pictured below is raising up some babes across the canal.  Many species of birds gather together to feed, all sizes, shapes and colors, and it's always a thrill to see them.   

Below is a meer hen carrying off some bread I tossed out, probably bringing them to the nest where her babies await.  Living on a canal affords us a constantly changing view of wildlife going about their busy lives, gathering food and socializing with birds of a feather.  Binoculars are a must here, and I can sit outdoors and watch the show for hours.  We have seen many different kinds of turtles, snakes, alligators, otter, spoonbills, osprey, sandhill cranes, ibis, meer hens, anhinga, limpkins, and many others, besides all the northern birds that fly down for the winter.  I've gone on many nature walks, but have not seen the numbers or varieties of wildlife I see out our back door daily.

Meer hen carrying a piece of bread to her brood

Meer hen and Limpkin waiting for a snack

A recent US News & World Report article listed Sebastian/Vero Beach as being one of the top 10 areas in the country for the well-educated to enjoy their retirement.  Cities on the list have a large propertion of people 65 and over with master's degree or higher level of education.  It cited the availability of intellectual pursuits, art galleries and museums, theater, beautiful scenery, and plenty of like-minded company.  It mentioned the year-round pleasant temperatures, beautiful scenery, nature and beaches, and easy access to all these things.

Well, I guess the secret's out.  If there's anybody out there thinking about retiring here, don't hesitate.  We retired here seven years ago, came from Connecticut, and have never regretted it.  In fact, we pinch ourselves each morning to see if we really are living in this paradise ... or was it all just a dream.  And the housing market in all price ranges is ripe for the pickins--so come on down and pick one out.  You'll find everyone here very friendly and helpful ... and you'll never hear another person complain about shoveling the sidewalk.  As they say, "You can't shovel sunshine."

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Fabulous Fishing in Sebastian!



Yes, this is definitely a record.  The Florida record for redfish is 52.8 lbs., and this one's 54 lbs.!  Caught right at Sebastian Inlet Friday, and this lucky fish got to live and swim another day as it was not in the acceptable slot limit of less than 18" nor more than 27".  My husband Bob and his buddies saw it all, and our friend Tom Lohr caught it with his camera.  Bob and his buddies volunteer for clean-up every Friday, however I believe they do more chatting with visitors and each other more than anything.  And they get to see stuff like this, and Bob brings home stories of great schools of stingrays, manatee meanderings, porpous, pelicans getting too near a hook and having to be rescued, and interesting visitors from far-away lands.  And oh that fresh ocean breeze and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks, not to speak of the surfers and bikinis.  Next ...

Tooling around Friday morning I hastily followed a parachutist with my car, stopping now and then to try and get a photo of it.  Suddenly I found myself at the Sebastian Golf Range at the airport.  So I got this photo of the parachutist, but became more enthralled with the golf course.

Parachutist skimming over the trees near Sebastian Airport/Golf Course

So after I got my shots, I walked over to the golf course, and not wanting to be a butinski I took some quick shots while people were obviously having a great time on the greens.  This is another little gem in Sebastian, people love this course.  And golfers also have an interesting diversion watching planes land and take off, and skydivers jumping out of planes.  The following shots do not do it justice, but you can get more information about this golf course by clicking on the following article in the Hometown News by columnist James Stammer -  http://www.myhometownnews.net/index.php?tim=&cat_id=Golf

After a round of Golf (or recklessly jumping out of a plane with a little piece of cloth keeping you from getting squashed like a bug!) you can grab a bite at the Eagles Nest (casual dining with golf course view), or amble over to the Zoo Bar (really casual) where you can watch the skydivers gently (or not-so-gently) drift towards terraferma while sipping a Marguerita.  A-h-h-h, Sebastian!

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Pics from June 22nd and 23rd

June 22nd - On the drive home from running errands in town, of course I took my favorite route - along the Indian River on Indian River Drive.  I can never get enough of the variety of views, smells, sounds and sights of driving by all the joints and waterspots there.  Like a mini vacation.  And it always takes me way too long to get out of town, especially if I have my camera.  I want to capture everything I see so I can look at it again when I get home.  So anyho-o-o-o, here's some pics from Thursday ~

Sun coming through a clump of trees, moss and vegetation caught my eye--pure tropical jungle

The below plant, night-blooming cactus, made me do a doubletake.  I just had to turn around and see what in the heck it was.  It had climbed over 20' into that big ol' oak.  Looked like something from the "Little shop of Horrors."  I have a species of this in a large pot that puts out huge white fragrant flowers at night.  It always looks unhappy in the pot, like it doesn't know how to droop or grow upright.  Now I know why ... it wants a tree!  And I've got just the right oak out front!  Growing things here is always an adventure.  The children happened to come out of the house where I snuck near to take the pic.  They were giggly and delightful and not too camera-shy.  And typical Florda bare-foot boys laughing and playing and having a good ol' time.  Just added to the delights of the day.

Night-blooming cactus with some day-peeking children



Close-up of the night-blooming spent cactus flower.  It measured about 8", and must have bloomed just last night

 This huge variegated philodendrum growing up an old oak had caught my eye some time ago, it's in back of the Kroegel's--the octagonal fruit stand on Route 1 on the corner of Indian River Drive.  Been wanting to take a pic of it but every time I drive by there has been an old pickup parked in front of it.  Finally it was gone and I snapped the pic.  This is another totally tropical Florida view in my opinion.  Both tree and parasite plant living symbiotically in this hot and humid environment.

Philodendren

 Bob spotted this rabbit as we drove along - he was hiding beside an old boat beached in some brush.  He acually blended perfectly with his surroundings and he probably thought I couldn't see him.  Just barely.

Brown rabbit

Below are pics from Saturday June 23rd, which I took while I tooted around town garage-saling.  Bought a dress, 6 CD's, 2 movies, 6 brand new rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, a lovely oriental ginger jar which will be the "star" of my next painting... all for under $10!  Garage saling gives me a great excuse to explore Sebastian, stopping at all its parks and whatever else catches my eye.  A perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.  Below is the ginger jar, with price tag still attached!

What a bargain at $3!  (and what a lovely painting it will be)

The next group of pictures I snapped from the Garden Club Park on Barber Street.  I often stop there to sip my Dunkin and watch the animals scurry around me.  Oddly enough, this is the first time I noticed the name of the park.  "Thank you Garden Club for such a gift."  Many of the parks in this town have been beautified by generous individuals and organizations, who usually donate their efforts and funds with littel fanfare.  We who enjoy the fruits of their labor should at least read the markers by the trees and think of the effort that went into getting that tree, plant or bench to that spot.  I know we work hard at the Sebastian River Art Club for the community in many ways, and many times it goes unnoticed.  However we take pride in what we do and hope the community benefits from it.  Enough babbling.  More pictures.

Garden Club sign



Peaceful view of the Garden Club Park on Barber Street

Two of the many species of flowers at the Garden Club Park



Ibis at the Garden Club Park

Ibis Close-up


Below I came across a marker indicating this queen palm was donated by the Stepping Stone Quilters.  How nice of them, they happen to share part of the building with us on the City Hall Campus--a nice group of ladies who also think of ways they can give back to the community.  I saw that they donated a fabulous hand-made quilt to the Sebastian Historical Society, depicting Sebastian history and attributes.  A must-see for every resident.  Bravo ladies!


Gift of Queen Palm from the Stepping-stone quilters



One of the many quiet spots to sit and enjoy the day

 The next group of shots are from Dale Wimbrow Park on Roseland Road.  A great little spot to bring kids, launch a canoe, kayak or small boat, or exercize in the half-mile walking trail.



Bob and I have kayaked this river, launching our crafts at this point.  It's an interesting paddle and lots of tropical flora and fauna to see.  A very meandering river.

Large pavillion in Wimbrow overlooking the Sebastian River.  Perfect family picnic place.

Spiderlily growing in the watery rushes of Dale Wimbrow Park

Friendly grasshopper at Wimrow Park

Children's playground at Dale Wimbrow Park

Half-Mile Fitness Trail at Dale Wimbrow Park

Dale Wimbrow - where the gators are ...

I walked out onto the grassy peninsula to take some pics, and realized that was the perfect place for gators to slither up onto the banks, so not wanting to confront one of those scary creatures, I snapped quickly and took off.

View of Dale Wimbrow launching area

The next picture is of Donald MacDonald Park, a very primitive campground with very isolated sites with no water view but it has a boat launch.  After driving around the whole isolated park, I asked the park ranger on my way out why noboy was there camping.  And he said when it's hot and rainy nobody camps because it's so primitive (code, for too many bugs!)  Bob and I have taken a river cruise from this dock, a really nice safe way to see the beautiful and very exotic Sebastian River.

Boat launching area at Donald MacDonald Park

Well, that's all folks, I've put way too much on the blog tonight, but I hope you've learned some more about beautiful Sebastian, Florida.  Oh, and one more thing.  Here's a video of the Sebastian River High School Sharks Marching Band to enjoy--it's from a few years ago but their band is nationally renowned - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMCGVWkcx5A&feature=player_embedded

Judy Burgarella
Blogger

Thursday, June 21st, Random Photos

While looking for photos of the construction of our house in 2005 so we could see where the wood framing was in order to hang sconces, I came across the following interesting photos which are worth enjoying again, and sharing with y'all.

Wood stork, taken at Judah's Fish Market, my favorite bird-snapping site along the Indian River Lagoon

Pelicans and woodstorks waiting at Judah's for some chummy hand-outs

Perfect little white pelican



Hibiscus in my yard



Bouquet of hibiscus "Neon-ized"

 I just had to post this when I saw it on my hard drive--I remember how inspiring it was when I first saw it, I think at the Henneker Center for the Arts in Historic Downtown Melbourne, about 20 minutes from Sebastian.

Section of stained glass entryway at Henneker Center for the Arts

A Photoshop bumped-up view of a colorful sunrise caught on-the-run right after a rain

Well, with that last flash of color, I'm signing off now in the hopes that you enjoyed the view.  Seems selfish not to share the beauty we all can capture so easily in this digital age.  I notice there's lots of people like me out there in bloggisphere who just have to get their pics out there to prove how bountiful the beauty is all around us.  And best of all it' free ...

Judy Burgarella, Blogger

June 17th, Sunday, some pics

All my pics are of public domain, so you can use them however you please at no charge!  All you painters out there--enjoy!

Ibis on our dock.  Many species of birds hang out there every day.

Pink bougainvillea, finally healthy after all these years in our backyard

Banyan tree down by Crab-E-Bills on the Indian River - straddling poles are bottom of wonderful treehouse lookout

Interesting boardwalk, fence and gate with copper bird on the Indian River

Vulture waiting for lunch (fish entrails) at Crab-E-Bills

Bromilead about to burst on our front porch.  Bloom will stay fresh for over a month

The following pictures are from Turkey Creek where we went on Father's Day.  It's only a 15-minute drive from Sebastian, and a beautiful drive it is along the Indian River Lagoon.  A few miles of interesting meandering walkways, overlooks, many native species, generously shaded from the sun, and conveniently adjacent to clean bathrooms in the Palm Bay Library.  Lots of turtles and big fish, birders would love it too.  And butterflies.  Raised walkways keep the critters and bugs from bothering you, plus you're closer to the breezes that blow along the bluffs.

Turtle doing lunch

Saw several canoes and kayaks on the river

Beautiful reflections along Turkey Creek









Jungle-like forest seen from an overlook at Turkey Creek

Butterfly I caught basking in the sun

On leaving Palm Bay Road, on the corner of Route #1, I spotted this osprey with a nest of babies on top of the tall cement "Palm Bay" monument.  I had Bob pull over on the grass, I jumped out of the car and ran towards the sign to take a picture.  All of a sudden the mama osprey took off towards me, swooping and diving and this was all I could get before I jumped in the car.  I made a second attempt but she almost got me.

Osprey Mom, babies and nest



Grabbed some mexican food, drove on down to the Sebastian Causeway and enjoyed the view of people swimming, watercrafting, and just enjoying the view.  The wine was an added bonus!  End of an almost- perfect Father's Day.  It would be just perfect if our kids were here, but I think we made the best of t!