Me, Darlene and Deb wearing Shine on Sanibel t-shirts at today’s ceremony to re-light the Sanibel Lighthouse

City officials, residents, and Sanibel lovers from all over gathered at the foot of the iconic Sanibel Lighthouse before dawn this morning for the re-lighting of the lighthouse, which was battered by Hurricane Ian but was still standing after the storm.

It’s taken five months for the official return of the rhythmic light atop the lighthouse, built in 1884. 

Local coverage by WINK TV news, ABC-7, and yahoo!

Facebook video by Audrey Stewart

 

 

Lola, a 40-foot Fort Myers Municipal bus converted into a motorhome, arrived on Sanibel four days ago to provide temporary living space in our driveway while repairs to our home continue after Hurricane Ian.

Krystle and Erick Lopez converted the bus into an RV and named her Lola. We were lucky enough to be able to rent Lola until our home repairs are completed.

This video chronicles Lola’s arrival on the Sanibel Causeway and offers a tour of the motorhome and an interview with Krystle and Erick.

Environmental Policy Director, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF)

Links

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF)

“DePaolis Joins SCCF as Environmental Policy Director” – SCCF website April 6, 2022

Florida Right to Clean Water drive to amend Florida’s Constitution

The Everglades: River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas

The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea by Jack E. Davis

The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise by Michael Grunwald

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Craig of Finnimore’s Cycle Shop, Sanibel

Links

Finnimore’s Cycle Shop

Sanibel Farmers Market

Billy’s Bike Shop

Michael of Sage and Indigo Juice Company

Today is a big day in the recovery of Sanibel from Hurricane Ian. The Sanibel Island Farmers Market has returned!

I interviewed vendors, shoppers, and Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith this morning at the Jerry’s Supermarket parking lot. If you hear this before the market closes today, come on down!

Sharing Stories of Trauma and Recovery

Links

St. Michael & All Angels Church, Sanibel FL

Chico’s women’s clothing, Sanibel

Recovering from Losses in Life by H. Norman Wright

My Kindle Chronicles podcast

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If you’d like brief updates on technology, books, marriage, and puppies, you can follow along with my Morning Journal flash briefing. From your Echo device, just say, “Alexa, enable Morning Journal.” Then each morning say, “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?” I post a five-minute audio journal each weekday except usually by 8 a.m. Eastern Time.

Golf Superintendent at The Dunes

Roy Jones is golf course superintendent at the Dunes Golf & Tennis Club on Sanibel island. He spoke with me today about progress the club is making toward re-opening the 18-hole course for play. 

Note: you can hear each episode of the Sanibel Journal on any Alexa device. Just say, “Alexa, enable Sanibel Journal” to add it to your flash briefings. Then say, “Alexa, flash” to hear the latest episode.

Mark Boluis Cleans a Court for Pickelball

Mark is a nearby neighbor of ours who introduced Darlene and me to the game of pickleball more than a year ago. We took our pickleball passion north in May, to Massachusetts and Maine, and were looking forward to reconnecting with Mark and others in Sanibel.

Hurricane Ian left piles of debris and a stubborn film of fine silt on the court. This morning we helped Mark begin the cleanup, which is going to take a lot of hours. His enthusiasm and belief in Sanibel’s recovery are infectious!

Note: you can hear each episode of the Sanibel Journal on any Alexa device. Just say, “Alexa, enable Sanibel Journal” to add it to your flash briefings. Then say, “Alexa, flash” to hear the latest episode.

At work early on Sunday morning

On the third morning of our current stay on Sanibel in a rental house, we heard the loud sound of a truck approaching. When we saw it was one of the double-bin debris-hauling vehicles, I took some photos and asked the guy standing behind the truck if he could tell us a little about the process. 

He turned out to be a Monitor, whose duties do not involve traffic control of any kind. He is responsible for assuring that the right stuff is picked up, and he takes photos of everything.

There is still a lot of debris on Sanibel 67 days after Hurricane Ian hit the island hard. 

BTW, you can hear each episode of the Sanibel Journal on any Alexa device. Just say, “Alexa, enable Sanibel Journal” to add it to your flash briefings. Then say, “Alexa, flash” to hear the latest episode.