Day 11 on Captiva

Today the weather is perfect for shopping stores in Sanibel....so that is what we did....shopped until we dropped!  Not really, but we did hit a lot of stores.  We started out about 10am at the Periwinkle shops.  One of our favorites is Island Pursuit where I bought a pink and white check shirt and a navy cover up.  Al found a new blue cap that he liked.  We visited several of the shops but mostly doing "window-shopping." 

Next to Tahitian Gardens for lunch at Sanibel Café.  Al had Rueben Sandwich with Fries and I had Chicken Salad with Grapes served with fruit and muffin.  We visited all the shops and Al purchased a shirt on sale at the  Brown Bag.  

 

We then made a stop at 3 Crafty Ladies to check out their stamping supplies.  Little to offer except for a few Florida Theme stamps and a small selection of 12"x12" card stock.  But they are stocking a lot more than last year, especially quilting fabrics and supplies.  It looks like they are in to online shipping now which might be supporting their business.

Then off to Jerry's Shops  to visit H20 Outfitters and a friend Wanda.   Al purchased a Windbreaker made by Columbia. 

Our last stop was Bailey's Grocery for some fresh pastries and bread. Then back to the house for Happy Hour on the porch with Gin and Tonics.
Tonight I made a beef-noodle casserole using my own recipe with tomatoes, onion,  basil, garlic, cheeses,  and some other Italian seasonings. This was served with sauteed spinach and hot rolls. Yummy dinner!

Day 33 on Captiva

This morning we made an early trip to Ding Darling to photograph birds.  It was a bit overcast but some birds were out. 

 

 

 

The day became more cloudy and we decided to go to lunch at Doc Ford's and sat outside on the deck.  About the time we finished eating, there was a heavy tropical rain and many diners ran for cover as the wind blew the rain under the sides.  We were not affected as we were well under the roof.  Al ordered a lunch special-a roast beef wrap with fries.  I tried the  Captiva Gulf Shrimp Flat Bread topped with arugula, local gulf shrimp, roasted red bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, kalamata olives and crumbled greek feta cheese. Finished with basil and an aged balsamic reduction drizzle.  Was not to my liking....balsamic was too strong. 

We then went to Chadwick Square across the street and did some shopping. I bought a new Captiva Tee and a sun visor.  Al bought a Life is Good Captiva Tee at a new shop Beach Life.

 

For dinner, I made Shrimp Scampi served with pasta and salad. Used a yellow tomato in the salad from Renee's tomato garden.

Day 29 on Captiva

Sat, Mar 2

Today Cecilia flew home. We were up early and had coffee, OJ, and some toast before leaving for the airport about 9:00.  The line up to the security gate reached around the terminal area and probably took 2 hours or more to take care of all the passengers waiting.  Luckily we were early and Cecilia only had to stay in line about an hour before getting to security. Her flight from Ft. Myers was scheduled to leave at 12:45 but was delayed about an hour because of ice on planes in Charlotte. She was able to make her connection in Charlotte but it was close.  Once she bordered the plane in Charlotte, it was held up. She finally arrived home an hour later than scheduled. Next year we will schedule direct flights for both legs of the flight if possible.

On the way back to Captiva, we had the car washed in Ft. Myers, shopped at Publix, and stopped at the Outlet Mall to shop at the Polo Store.  Al bought some Polo Black items and I bought a couple of tees and a pair of pants. It did not warm up so we did not go outside  after coming home.

We had a late lunch of Sushi from Publix.  I prepared Shrimp Puttanesca for dinner...this is Al's favorite pasta dish and he has been asking for it for 4 weeks. So it was time to make for him. I served with an arugula salad and hot roll.

Day 25 on Captiva

We began today with coffee and later I set up Continental breakfast so everyone could eat what and when they wanted to.  Had cereal, fresh fruit including bananas, blueberries, strawberries, oranges and grapefruit, juice, bagels,toast, and pastries. We then drove to Sanibel to shop at Periwinkle Place.

Just as we arrived , an EMS truck pulled in....a large tree limb had fallen from a tall tree in the garden and landed on a woman walking with a baby in her arms.  Fortunately the limb fell on the woman's back and missed hitting the child.  She did not seemed to be seriously injured. While shopping, Cecilia found some items at Chico's which is the original store for this chain.  We also bought more books by Christine Lemmon, local author from Sanibel and Cecilia found a sun bonnet for her grand daughter 1 year old Hannah, at Fresh Produce.

We were back home around 1:00 and lunched on tuna salad sandwiches with chips. Then we trekked over to the beach for sun and relaxation.

Tonight we dined  at The Green Flash in Captiva that sets on the bay side situated on the waters of Roosevelt Channel and overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway, the tranquil waters of Pine Island Sound, and the pristine beauty of Buck Key. We had a lovely dinner and great service. Cecilia ordered Prince Edward Island mussels sauteed with tomatoes, garlic and wine sauce served over pasta.  Al enjoyed a Veal Chop served with garlic mashed potatoes.  I had Crab Cakes, Maryland style, served with black bean and corn salsa.  Food was great...best food that we have hadhere.

NOTE: Green flashes and green rays are optical phenomena that occur shortly after sunset or before sunrise, when a green spot is visible, usually for no more than a second or two, above the sun, or it may resemble a green ray shooting up from the sunset point. Green flashes are a group of phenomena stemming from different causes, and some are more common than others.

Day 7 on Captiva

It is a rainy, cool and cloudy day on the island but it is wonderful here compared to the 2-4 inches of snow back at home in Ohio.  And there is more snow on the way!  We had planned to go birding this morning but decided to stay in. Doing our things on the computer and staying dry. After lunch, we decided this is a good day to do shopping so we headed off to Periwinkle Shops were I bought 3  items of cotton clothing at Fresh Produce and some napkins. Then we were off to 3 Crafty Ladies, the only store on the islands with any type of crafting supplies but mostly for quilters.  I did find some solid card stock all stacked together in one tall stack....not the best way to merchandise. Bought some colors that I did not bring from my stash. What this store  could do to seek out card makers if they just added a little more stock and had a couple of card classes to get people interested?
We then went to Comfort by Design where Al ordered some new walking shoes and I bought sandals less 60%  from Heidi, the owner.  Then headed to Jerry's Shops where Al found a great shirt from Tori Richards at H2O Outfitters and some Sperry sandals which we purchased from Wanda whom we have known from years of shopping on  the islands.
Stopped at Jerry's for dinner provisions and headed back to the house.  It is still cloudy and getting even cooler. For dinner I prepared jambalaya (from a box mix) with andouille sausage...kind of a spicy dinner for a cool night. Enjoyed with a chopped salad and hot rolls.

About 9PM, Rene called to tell us there were some white pelicans feeding at the dock under the lights.So we hurried and  grabbed our coats and cameras and headed to the dock behind the main house.  We watched  3 white pelicans and a brown pelican as they swam back and forth feeding and tried, not so successfully to make some pictures. The best of the ones that I took are shown here: