Tiny Treasures of St. Simons Island

Although St. Simons abounds with multimillion-dollar homes, I am partial to cozy, little beach cottages - preferably those with a few years on them! I took most of the following pictures last summer on bike rides to the beach and am posting them now to remind me that summer is on the way! By the way, although our home definitely qualifies as "cozy" and "little" (to say nothing of having a "few years on it") , I have not included pictures of it in this gallery because I am not happy with the foundation landscaping. One of these days when I have a little time...... LOL

1. Redbird Place on Demere Road. More than 70 years old, this cottage has stood the test of time - and climate! It is one of my very favorites.

And this is what this home looked like at Christmas time.

2. I love this home with its beautiful porch and gardens. The metal roof was just installed a few months ago, and I would love to hear the rain from inside the house!

Another view...

3. Although this is a very simple cottage, the owners elected to install a formal garden which they maintain meticulously!

Pathway through the formal garden to the front door.

4. This little gem reminds me of a Caribbean hideaway. The owner changes the yard decorations each season.

Another angle....

View of the cottage through the arbor entryway.

5. I love that the owners of this beach cottage built their porch around the palm tree!

6. This adorable cottage is very close to the beach.

Note the cute dinner plate edging!

Twinky warms her buns

You know it's cold when your cat perches on the hearth of the fireplace. As a matter of fact, Twinky actually spent the entire night indoors - something she's never done before because she is not litterbox-trained (don't ask - it's a looooooooooong story). And she even let me share the couch with her, so we both enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace all night long! At 7 this morning, she let me know that she had to go outdoors, and later, a careful inspection of the house confirmed that there had been no accidents during the night. Yay!

Not having been endowed with a naturally warm and furry coat like Twinky's, I have to make due with what's available at Walmart.

Six more weeks of winter?

Well, it's two days past Groundhog Day, and it appears P. Phil was right about six more weeks of winter. Overnight temperatures are supposed to dip below freezing tonight and tomorrow night, so we'll have to cover our tender vegetation. At least we don't get snow. Yay! And we can still ride our bikes.

First Full Moon of 2009

Jaime and I had a perfectly wonderful day today. We rode our bikes to the village, had a snack and mimosas on the upper deck of Brogen's restaurant overlooking the ocean, then meandered over to the fishing pier to see if the crabs were running. We ran into our friend Susan who reminded us of the full moon tonight. Because we had our bikes and didn't want to have to ride after dark (we have very poor headlights on them), we thought we'd have to miss out on the moonrise, but lovely Susan offered us a ride home so that we could drive the pickup truck back to haul the bikes home. Perfect! A half hour later, we were back in the village where we picked up the bikes and then headed over to Massengale Beach to watch the moon rise over the ocean. The sky was perfect, and I managed to get a few fairly good pictures. Then we stopped at The Crab Trap for roasted oysters and beer. Now this is what retirement is all about (or SHOULD be)!!!

Jekyll Island in Winter

On January 1st, Jaime and I rode our bikes on Jekyll Island, and I took the opportunity to take some pictures. At one time a playground for the rich and famous and now a State Park, Jekyll's outstanding beauty may not last since a fairly major development scheme is in the works. Click the following link for a brief history of the island: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-928

South Dunes Picnic Area on Jekyll Island

The marsh grass in winter is silvery-black and shiny.

A dolphin playing in St. Andrews Sound, Jekyll Island

I am still trying to figure out how to navigate this site! My first few posts are not in any discernible order, so please bear with me! I posted a few pictures from Christmas, and I will probably be posting some other older pictures as I go along. Once I think I'm "caught up", I'll try to keep things in chronological order. Sorry if I've confused you!

Although our Christmas decorations are packed away for the year, here are some pictures of what the house looked like last week. I haven't decided yet whether I prefer decorating or UNdecorating the house! LOL

Biking on the beach on Christmas day (it was 80 degrees!), we came across this lovely piece of driftwood. Wish I could have figured out a way to get it home.

Good by 2008. Hello 2009

Christmas 2008 has come and gone. The decorations are back in the attic for another year, and 2009 is off and running.

Last year ended badly. My brother Art passed away on November 23 after a relatively short battle with esophageal cancer. I am still in shock. The memorial service in Michigan the day before Thanksgiving was lovely, and it was good to be with family, but I have still not come to grips with his death. He was (and will always be) my baby brother - regardless of the fact that he was 64 years old when he died! One of the hardest things for me to grasp is that he was not really a major part of my life since we were children. His wife Sharon and his three daughters were his true family, and he had a wonderful family life. Being so involved with his family and his work and the fact that he and I lived so far apart meant relatively few get-togethers over the years, although I treasure the memory of each and every one. I love him, and I miss him. But life goes on. Jaime and I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this June, and I am hoping all the family will be able to attend our party. I am working on the details now.