Lifestyle
St Petersburg Sunrise
August 19th, 2010 categories: Lifestyle

St Petersburg Sunrise on a Broadwater canal
This St Petersburg sunrise was spectacular. The sun reflecting from the clouds looked like flowing gold on the canal this morning. When I passed this early this morning, I had to back up and take a photo. Not a bad capture for an iPhone! This was taken looking west, which shows that reflections can be beautiful, too.
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Sunset from our dock
August 11th, 2010 categories: Lifestyle

Sunset over Boca Ciega Bay
Lately sunset has been about 8:15 pm (getting a minute earlier every night) so I get the chance to get home and watch it. Generally by then the afternoon rains have passed as well. The sunset itself is generally worth seeing, but I enjoy watching the changing colors and patterns in the sky after the sun has disappeared under the horizon.
Our boat, anchored between the tie poles to the left of the dock, would have blocked half of the view and most of the water. So – I’m glad we recently sold it! The newer, smaller one will be on the lift “behind” the dock so it won’t block the view (and won’t need monthly bottom cleaning). Hooray!
This photo was taken with my new iPhone 4G – not bad for a cellphone photo!
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Successful book signing in downtown St Petersburg
May 1st, 2010 categories: Downtown St Petersburg, Lifestyle

Discussion at book signing in downtown St Petersburg FL

Savannah Law book signing in downtown St Pete
This morning’s book signing at The Simms Team real estate office in downtown St Petersburg FL was a success. At times the area was filled with people standing and talking – at others there was time for conversation. Bill Eleazer signed and autographed several copies of his book, Savannah Law. Author Nino Fabiano also stopped in.
ALVA International, Inc. is a full service real estate company – and highlighting local authors has been a lot of fun.
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Chihuly Collection to open in downtown St Petersburg Florida
April 1st, 2010 categories: Downtown St Petersburg, Lifestyle
The Chihuly Collection will open in downtown St Petersburg Florida and it’s scheduled to open the Fourth of July weekend! Work has been going on at their new location at 400 Beach Drive in downtown St Pete. Work is going on in their 10,000 sq ft on the corner of Beach Drive and 4th Ave North. The Morean Arts Center has been working for five years on bringing a permanent collection of Dale Chihuly’s work to the City of St. Petersburg.
When the Museum of Fine Arts presented a Dale Chihuly exhibit, people lined up along Straub Park waiting to get in. St Pete is proud to host both the Chihuly Collection and the Salvador Dali Museum, which will be opening in its new building in downtown St Petersburg on 1-11-11.
Downtown St Petersburg has a wide variety of museums, galleries, art centers and theaters. It’s a wonderful arts hub. Just think – if you lived in downtown St Pete you could walk to all these!
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Christmas at the marina in St Petersburg
December 12th, 2009 categories: Downtown St Petersburg, Lifestyle

Snowman at St Pete Yacht Club marina
We had lunch at the St Pete Yacht Club today, taking friends there to see the fabulous Christmas decorations. Every year they have trees and decorations everywhere you look – lining the halls, in each of the dining rooms.
Our table was beside the window and we had a view of the marina. We really enjoyed looking at this Snowman, hanging from one of the boats (yes, when I went out to look, it was on Spindra.) Christmas can be fun in Florida.
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Broadwater Christmas Boat Parade
December 11th, 2009 categories: Boating, Broadwater, Lifestyle

Broadwater Christmas Boat Parade
Gulfport announced that their boat parade wouldn’t be going through the Broadwater neighborhood this year. We thought we’d have to wait for the downtown St Pete boat parade tomorrow night – bigger, but it sure is nice to watch from your deck or dock. Then we heard through a Broadwater infolink e-mail that 6 boats were having an impromptu parade Friday night starting at 8 and inviting other residents to join them. We were the last of the 3 main canals on their route. By 9 we’d about given up, when we heard laughing and singing and saw the lights of TWO boats. It was fun to watch them head down the Maximo Channel and wait for them to return. Our waiting was rewarded – thank you diligent boaters for going all the way.

Broadwater Christmas Boat Parade
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St Petersburg Waterfront Parks Centennial
October 19th, 2009 categories: Downtown St Petersburg, Lifestyle

Straub Park along the downtown St Petersburg waterfront
The waterfront parks in Downtown St Petersburg Florida are part of maintaining the charm and appeal of downtown St Pete. The tall condos are set back from the waterfront, with parks, roads and sidewalks along the waterfront for all to enjoy.
From the Albert Whitted airport to Coffee Pot bayou, there are 23 blocks of waterfront parks – eleven of them, in fact. Some are passive and others are filled with a variety of activities.
This month begins the Centennial celebration, which will continue for a year. It’s hard to think that development of the waterfront was a divisive issue for the City Countil back in 1906.
Visit Downtown St Petersburg Waterfront Parks Centennial for more history, photos and a calendar of events.
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O Wave sculpture by Ovation condos St Petersburg
September 24th, 2009 categories: Downtown St Petersburg, Lifestyle, Ovation

O Wave sculpture by Ovation luxury condos in downtown St Pete
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Posture is Important
August 20th, 2009 categories: Lifestyle
This morning I was surprised to look out my window and see young ladies walking up and down the steps of the Museum of Fine Arts with something (a book?) on their head. It looked like a session for modeling or just for poise. The instructor shaded her skin from the Florida sun with an umbrella. Click the photo for an enlarged view.
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Egmont Passage
July 25th, 2009 categories: Lifestyle, Miscellany
Egmont Passage Tale of the Dreamcatcher is now out. Antonino Fabiano’s latest book is even better than his first, Egmont Passage, Tale of the Seventh Mystery. I like the combination of the local setting, which is Tierra Verde and the Bayway Islands, and the history intertwined with a current plot. Fabiano brings together elements of his interesting life as background, and has created a tale that is interesting to both youth and the no-longer-so-young. Zeke, JJ and Izzy are familiar from his first book, and though the second is a continuation, it stands on its own. From the first chapter on I couldn’t put the book down until I finished reading it. I might not have found this book if Nino wasn’t a friend and client, so I’m glad I had that introduction, and pass it on to you as well. Hopefully we’ll ve having a book signing here at the ALVA International office. Until then – follow your dreams, and read Egmont Passage. Yo Creo!
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