October 31, 2009 | Solo with Others

Paranormal Researcher Erin Broemel Reads a Headstone

We’re having unseasonably warm temperatures here in Southwest Florida, in fact, Punta Gorda, Fla., had the nation’s high on Thursday (I think it was 92 degrees). Getting into the Halloween spirit while melting is a little difficult but nothing says spooktacular holiday like a good ole’ fashion ghost tour through a cemetery, which is what I did yesterday with my friends Lindsey and Jim. We joined Punta Gorda-based Danse Macabre Productions for a Fright Night Tour in Indian Springs Cemetery.

The tour began at 5 p.m., not a traditional time for a spooky tour, but was dictated by County permitting. Indian Springs Cemetery is believed to be the second oldest in Charlotte County with burials dating back to the 1800s. A small section called Babyland is easily identified by the angel headstones. It’s where infants are buried.

Our guide was Erin Broemel, a paranormal researcher and former investigator (and journalist by trade), who’s been studying the “other side” for more than 15 years. Her family has spent the past 25 years studying Charlotte County’s paranormal scene so the stories she told were either based on paranormal activity or historical research.

Babyland in Indian Springs Cemetery, Punta Gorda, Fla.

Although the sun couldn’t be any more brighter (or hotter) she encouraged us to keep our eyes open. Despite the witching hour being between midnight and 3 a.m., she encouraged us to keep an eye open for little “shadow people” running from headstone to headstone or from tree to tree. She said most activity, at this cemetery anyway, is during daylight hours. Little shadow people are spirits appearing as dark figments about the half the size a human because it’s very energy draining to manifest into a full-size person. Looking at my photos, don’t think I captured any shadow people, only that of my own shadow!

Broemel’s stories were entertaining, historical and some were plain right creepy. This was a special Halloween tour and a ghost tour of downtown Punta Gorda is offered every Saturday night for $10 per adult. Other tours are offered throughout the year, check out my article “Historic Ghost Tours of Punta Gorda, Florida” for additional information. Perhaps the folks will be interested in a tour when they come to visit this spring.

Looking for more Halloween-esque things to do? Be sure to check out my life blog, Quirk Kitsch Girl, to see the Gone Rogue Island scare crow.

October 25, 2009 | Uncategorized

No sleeping in for me and I don’t count 7:30 as sleeping in. Decided it was time for me to hit the beach and do what other tourists do, the Sanibel Stoop, the act of stooping over the beach hunting for seashells. I live in Florida and collecting shells is so…touristy…but this was my vacation so I indulged in the activity but first sprayed down with my 22% DEET repellent.

I encountered one little bird, a plover of some sort, maybe? He’s pictured below.

Shore Bird, Sanibel Island, Florida

A little bit further down the beach came across a flock of seagulls. No, not the ’80s band. There were maybe hundreds of my new feathered friends. Turns out I disrupted their breakfast, check out the video:Breakfast with the Birds of Sanibel Island, Florida.

Between slapping no-see-ums (as I later learned on my journey, these gnats with teeth laugh at DEET) I found some gorgeous shells. One of the coolest things I found were these bird prints on among the shells on the sand.

Bird Footprints in the Sand, Sanibel Island, Florida

After cleaning up was a trip to J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Was going to save it for a Friday visit but remembered the Wildlife Drive is closed on Fridays in order for wildlife to get back to nature, so to say. It’d been a very long time since I last visited yet it still seemed new. Although there were amazing birds and loads of mullet jumping, the coolest thing was this hole in a tree on the Shell Mound Trail. This boardwalk trail was somewhat interesting not just for the foliage and shell mound but the odors. It smelled of skunk, coffee, orange blossoms and jasmine. Indeed, an interesting mix of aromas.

Hole in Tree, J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

The afternoon consisted of yummy lunch at Captiva Island’s The Bubble Room, lounging in the pool – in which the tiki bar was tuned into the unfolding Balloon Boy saga – followed by dinner at the hotel. Work was interspersed with down time (just couldn’t escape it). Sanibel dining deserves its own posts so stay tuned because The Bubble Room was a trip! Can’t believe I’ve never been there and can’t wait to share? Check out “Budget Travel Tips for Bird-watchers to Sanibel Island.”

October 20, 2009 | Solo with Others

Haven’t held a bow since high school (20+ years) and had the chance earlier this month during the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Annual Conference which met here in my backyard of Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands. One daywas specifically designated for shooting and as an added bonus, Steven Robbins, Program Coordinator for Florida’s National Archery in the Schools, came out to give conference attendees a demo in archery and overview of the program including instruction.

Photo Credit: USFWS Tom MacKenzie; http://www.fws.gov/southeast

Here’s the skinny on Florida’s National Archery in the Schools Program: The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) teaches Olympic-style target archery in Phys Ed classes for grades four through 12. It’s a cooperative effort between the Florida Department of Education and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Content NASP covers are archery history, equipment, mental concentration, safety, shooting techniques, and self-improvement. The program isn’t in all Florida districts so parents are encouraged to request it through their school administrator. Expanded information about the program is found on the FWC Web site.

Although I had the opportunity to shoot a gun – something else I haven’t done since high school when the neighbor kids would let me shoot their rifles out their bedroom window at targets of vegetables mounted on bales of straw – I just didn’t have the desire to do so. But archery I could handle.

Photo Credit: USFWS Tom MacKenzie; http://www.fws.gov/southeast

Robbins provided Tom MacKenzie and me the same instruction given to students. We had to wait behind a line, walk up to our bows upon command, pull an arrow out of the cone (which I’m sure it has an official name) and place it on the bow.

Three fingers pulled back beneath the arrow, Robbins instructed me to align my arrow and target with the bow’s string. So I did and expecting to hit the big white sheet behind the target (or perhaps the target next to me) hit the black ring on the target.

Photo Credit: USFWS Tom MacKenzie; http://www.fws.gov/southeast

After another try or so, I actually made a bull’s-eye! I don’t remember it being so easy but for that day, hitting the target was easy. Was it like getting back on bicycle? I’m guessing precise training. As you can see, Robbins is happy for me, too.

Photo credit to: USFWS Tom MacKenzie, thanks!

October 17, 2009 | Solo with Others

“Head to Jerry’s and in aisle six you’ll find the repellent.”

The front desk clerk of the Holiday Inn Beach Resort, Sanibel Island, Fla., did precede this with, “Welcome” but followed the salutation with, “You’re from Florida, you know about no-see-ums.”

Um, yes, I live in Florida but didn’t think I needed to worry about biting insects once I left the Everglades almost a decade ago.

I checked in around 6:45 p.m. just as the sun was setting and the mosquitoes and no-see-ums (tiny beasts related the gnat and carry an itchy bite) were ready to feast. The hotel map showing where my room was located had a Sanibel Island map on the back and the front desk clerk wrote out directions to Jerry’s and gave me an FAQ sheet about mosquitoes and no-see-ums. (Bottom line, pest control is kept to a minimum for the environmental protection of Sanibel Island.)

Sunset on Sanibel Island, Florida

Before heading to Jerry’s, a local grocery store, I unloaded the car and luckily found my Everglades repellent with 22% DEET which meant, no trip to Jerry’s (at least not that night). After a spray down it was off to the beach to do what every other tourist was doing: watching the sunset, engaging in the Sanibel Stoop (the act of gathering shells in a bent over position) and swatting bugs.

Dinner followed at the Mermaid Restaurant & Bar (Tel: 239/472-1242, 2055 Periwinkle Way; formerly the Mermaid’s Kitchen & Cake Factory) and driving in what seemed like congested traffic along Periwinkle Way, I questioned my choice of Sanibel Island for a quick getaway to decompress. My doubts diminished upon arriving at the Mermaid and being the solo diner, at least for the first half-hour or so. While I felt bad for the restaurant since empty seats anywhere isn’t a good thing, I reveled at being the only patron and the serenity.

Mermaid Restaurant & Bar, Sanibel Island, Florida

From that point, I did my best to disconnect from the world – poor Internet service helped with that – and tried to decompress, which completely happen on the third and final day, but that’s for another time.

Planning a Sanibel vacation? Check out “Budget Travel Tips for Bird-watchers to Sanibel Island.”

October 6, 2009 | About Me

President Bill Clinton in Sarasota, Sept. 2009

Think I’ll be able to stretch my wings after this weekend when the workload releases me physically and mentally. Perhaps I’ll be able to take this blog in the direction I’ve intended. Maybe I’ll return to roller derby practice. We’ll see.

The past week has involved the Whip It roller derby movie directed by Drew Barrymore and starring Ellen Page. I saw a sneak peek the weekend prior then again with the roller derby league – which made it much more enjoyable! Check out my movie review of Whip It.

Then is was watching Ken Burns’s new documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, which is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. I was so moved by seeing the series, which took 6 years to film, I wrote how a hiking trail led to a career path, a brief synopsis of my time in the national parks and how it prepared me for the job I have now. I’ve also recently written “8 Basic Safety Tips for Camping in Naitonal Parks,” since I hope Burns’s documentary will encourage more people to get outside and enjoy their national parks.

And then, it was off to see President Bill Clinton in Sarasota last week. What a fabulous speaker! If you’re into tabloid-style info, then check out my article called, “Bill Clinton’s Whirlwind Visit.”

If looking for more hard-hitting questions of Clinton, well, there really weren’t any. But, if you don’t want to know what brings Bill Clinton joy or what he had for lunch (read the article above for that information), read this article, “President Bill Clinton’s Sarasota Visit.”

Unfortunately my camera sucks and the best I could do in capturing a snapshot is posted here. Just pretend he’s behind a frosty glass or something.

Hoping life is back to “normal” soon and I’m planning on running away next weekend. Not sure where but thinking of Sanibel Island. Stay tuned.