It’s fairly predictable that we here on Sanibel and Captiva Islands are sure to get “red tide” warnings at least a couple of times per year and it seems that now is one of those times.

Today’s post I simply wanted to dedicate to learning about “red tide“ (or more appropriately called, “harmful algal bloom”).

Below is a great list of FAQs from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division, that also sees a lot of “red tide” by being located in the Gulf of Mexico just as we are.  The Gulf of Mexico has historically been one of the more concentrated areas for harmful algal blooms in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is red tide?
• What causes red tide?
• How, when and where do red tide blooms start?
• Where is the red tide on the Texas coast right now?
• How can I get the latest information on the current red tide?
• Should I consider postponing a trip to the coast right now?
• Is it safe to eat fish that I catch in or near the red tide?
• Why doesn’t the state post signs on the beach warning the public about red tide?
• Is it safe to eat oysters during a red tide?
• Where can I get more information on red tide?

I also found a video that provides some simple facts:

Bottom line:

You can still swim, you can still eat seafood (apart from open shellfish like oysters, clams, mussels and scallops, which should be avoided during a red tide flare-up) and you can still walk and play on the beach…

Here’s this week’s beach report:  SanibelIsland Beach Report – Nov 3

Red tide is nothing to be afraid of, but it is important to understand a little more about it, if nothing other than to calm your nerves!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  You won’t believe the deals Rob and I have for you over at our main website:  SanCap One Source Realty

Just in time for Halloween…

Do you remember the movie from 1985 called “Day of the Dead?”  It was the third installment of George Romero’s Horror trilogy that followed “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead”… You can read more about it here at Day of the Dead.

Anyway, did you know that it was filmed in downtown Ft. Myers and right here on Sanibel Island?

It’s true.

We even have living proof in the fact that our very own Rob Coscia was an “extra” in the film!  He was a zombie and you can see him in the photo to the right immediately after they applied the makeup and were getting ready to shoot for the day… isn’t that funny?

So, you have to ask Rob next time you see him what it was like to be in a real Hollywood movie!

I just thought this was fun island trivia as we celebrate Halloween tomorrow…

So, have a fun Halloween weekend and don’t eat too much candy (oh, and watch out for any stray zombies out there, lol),

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  See you at the ‘Tween Waters Hallo’Tween Party tomorrow night… see last week’s post:  Hallo’Tween Party

p.s.s. SanCap One Source Realty rocks!!

Hey all,

I absolutely LOVE Halloween and I have a ball every year conjuring up the most creative costume that I can think of, to wear to the now “infamous” Hallo’Tween Party at ‘Tween Waters Inn on Captiva Island.  It’s the biggest adult Halloween party on Sanibel and Captiva!

This is one party I would never miss because it just keeps getting bigger and bigger every year (and more fun!)

I think more than 800 people showed up last year in the most amazing costumes and battled it out for cash prizes that were given out at midnight.  I don’t expect this year to be anything less than spectacular in its turnout…

It’s an adults-only night of dancing to great live music, food, games and outdoor beach fun, so do not miss out!

It all happens on Halloween night (Saturday, Oct. 31st), of course, starting at 8pm and runs until about 2am… The theme  this year is “VooDoo Island”

You can read more about all the details over at their website:

Tween Waters Inn Halloween Party

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Lots of great new deals over at SanCap One Source Realty, check ‘em out…

My apologies for getting this out so late to y’all, but if you follow me on Facebook (which you should – see button to the right) , then you know what a busy weekend it has been and preparing for it as well.

First, the wonderful success (despite said thunderstorm which tried to dampen our spirits) of the First Annual F.I.S.H. 10K Race on Saturday morning, which had a spectacular turnout of more than 300 runners!  Can you even believe it?  Wow!

Then we had the island benefit and live auction for Eric Vartdal, an amazing island resident with ALS, and Rob and I grabbed some great art at the live auction and we’re now looking where to put it.

But, this post is really about this upcoming week, Oct 18th-24th, featuring our famous Sanibel Island “Ding Darling Days” at our beautiful J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, which is always a big hit on the island for locals and tourists alike!

Great wildlife tours, free outdoor events, including free admission to the Ding Darling Visitor’s Center, free hot dogs and a whole lot more… Come one, come all!

You can read all about it right here:  Ding Darling Days 2009

Hope to see you all there,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap  One Source still rocks, come by and see us!

Well, you know that I’m always one to tell you about events that take place for a good cause and Bailey’s Center is once again this year hosting its 24th Annual “BaileyFest” on October 25th from 1pm-4pm.

Who benefits?  The non-profit organizations C.R.O.W., F.I.S.H. and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, that’s who… 

There will be live music, food and drink, as well as lots of family activities such as an inflatable slide, a dunk tank, mini-golf and mule rides just to name a few.

You need to get registered before October 23rd for the more than $1700 in prizes being given out by the Bailey’s Center Merchants Association members…

Lots of great stuff to win, so hurry!

You can read more about it right here:  BaileyFest 2009

See ya’ there!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Don’t forget about the Sanibel 10K Race 4 F.I.S.H. next weekend on Oct 17th… there’s still time to register!!!

p.s.s.  Also don’t forget to check out our new listings over at SanCap One Source Realty

Woo hoo!   We’re gonna be famous… We’re gonna be famous!

The reason that I’m so excited is because one our friends, Rusty Farst, over at Video Biography, LLC has created a fun little short film for the big screen about Sanibel Island called “Sandbars To Sanibel”.

Filmed entirely on the island, Rusty and his crew set out to show a historical perspective of the modern Sanibel Island that we all know and love today.

The official unveiling of this “straight-from-the-heart” project will be at Big Arts on November 12th, 2009 during the Celebrate Sanibel Festivities with a big red carpet event and everything!  I can’t wait!!

However, Rusty and his team will be having a screening at the Island Cinema in October to raise the funds necessary to bring this homegrown “gem” to the public. So, we sure hope that you can come along and help out…

And guess what?  You can see the actual trailer below……..  So, enjoy and be sure to leave your comments below to tell what you reeeally think!!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap One Source loves a good movie flick, especially when it hits so close to home… Thanks Rusty for all of your efforts! 

Yes, the fishing is amazing and yes, Pine Island Sound is healthier and happier, but is anyone else noticing that the “sands are definitely shifting” and giving boaters fits in trying to navigate across safely.

Word on the street is that you should still take the long way around the Lighthouse even though Blind Pass is technically “open”.  It’s proving to be quite risky for even small boats to maneuver this channel successfully in high or low tide, it’s just too unpredictable.

Here’s an article that also explains some other peoples’ experiences:  Blind Pass Navigation Spotty

Only time will tell what Mother Nature decides to do with Blind Pass… but, with all the benefits that having it open provides, let’s just hope that $3.2 million in dredging it wasn’t just flushed under the bridge!

Have a great week,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap One Source Real Estate

Ya know, we don’t spend enough time talking about Captiva Island and ALL that they have to offer!

It is an amazing place with great restaurants and hotels, gorgeous private beaches and fishing to die for, especially since Blind Pass has opened up!

Well, I’m not sure if you are aware of one fun event that happens at The Crow’s Nest at the Tween Waters Inn called “The NasCrab Crab Races” whereby you choose a hermit crab, name it and then cheer it on as it races all of the other crabs to the edge of the table… and the winner even takes home a prize!

This is great fun for the family and kids simply LOVE these events.  It’s also really fun just to watch and not participate!

I’ve attached a little video for you see what I’m talking about in action, it’s so cute…

So, if you’re looking for some family events while on vacation or even just for locals to get out of the house and have a good laugh, c’mon over to The Crow’s Nest and have some fun!

Look forward to seeing you there…

Have a great week,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap One Source Realty

Posted in Family Activities, Local Events Tagged: Captiva Island Events, Captiva Island Real Estate, SanCap One Source Realty, The Crow's Nest - Captiva Island FL, The NasCrab Crab Races Captiva Island, Tween Waters Inn - Captiva Island FL ]]> http://sanibelcaptivablog.com/2009/09/18/the-nascrab-crab-races-at-the-crows-nest-at-tween-waters-inn/feed/ 0 sandyramseth Hermit Crab - NasCrab Crab Races - Captiva Island http://sanibelcaptivablog.com/2009/09/18/the-nascrab-crab-races-at-the-crows-nest-at-tween-waters-inn/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sanibelcaptivaislandblog/~3/0aIPB28aEcY/ http://sanibelcaptivablog.com/2009/09/12/sanibel-island-10k-charity-race/#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:30:48 +0000 Sandy Ramseth and Robert Coscia http://sanibelcaptivablog.com/?p=913 ]]>

Wow, what a week… I apologize for getting this out late, but Rob’s 91-year-old father passed away this week and services were held, so time just slipped away from me…

Well, on a happier note, I am very excited to report that Rob and I are a tad more “famous” these days after being approached to help sponsor an incredible charity event for the F.I.S.H. organization right here on Sanibel Island.

F.I.S.H. stands for “Friends In Service Here” and they are a non-profit organization that provides all different types of charitable assistance to those in need here on the islands.

As you know, Rob and I love to run and have participated in several races over the years, including just finishing a half-marathon in Chicago last month.

Well, we got together with Joel Soobitsky who is a F.I.S.H. board member and he suggested that we do a 10K race as a fundraiser with them due to the fact that their client base is increasing as this economy is starting to weigh on people and their finances.

We agreed that it was a great idea and that set the wheels in motion… it’s now expected that the “Sanibel 10K Race 4 F.I.S.H.” is to be an annual event!

We are excited to be joining all the other sponsors who have signed up as well:

• Mike Valiquette of Sandcastle General Construction
• SanCap Trust
• Over Easy Cafe
• Bank of the Islands
• Island Cow
• Island Pharmacy
• Doc Fords
• Baileys
• Sanibel Sea Shells
• C.C. Caldwell
• Quick Print
• Bob Kern
• Randon Eddy

See what can happen when great people get together! 

The date is coming up soon on Oct. 17th with formal registration ending on Oct. 10th, so hurry and get your registration in and start training… we can’t wait to see you there!!!

You can read all the juicy details right here:

Runners Get the Chance To Race in Charitable 10K Event On Island

Ok, that’s it for now, have a great upcoming week!

p.s.  Sanibel Island Real Estate

Yes, it’s true.  With the economy the way it is and with everyone pulling in the strings a bit, one fact remains, and that is that people still need a break from their routine in the form of a vacation, or even a mini-vacation.

So, the obvious choice for most Floridians is to see what else this great state of Florida has to offer its residents by taking a short or medium drive to somewhere they’ve never been.

Good news for us here on Sanibel and Captiva because our reputation precedes us when it comes to people looking for a fun, action-packed (or super relaxed) mini-vacation experience.

We have so much to offer people that they cannot find anywhere else, such as one of the world’s top 3 shelling locations, an incredible wildlife preserve including all of our turtle nests and one-of-a-kind bird-watching, not to mention our great land and fishing excursions.

Top restaurants, great local music scene and super friendly residents make for the perfect escape!

Now, let’s just hope that some of them love it so much that they want to move here or invest here and buy a beautiful house from Rob and I!! 

Have a great long Labor Day weekend and we’ll see you next week,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap One Source Realty is on  the move for YOU!