SOUTHERN SKIES By Mike P. Usher usher34105@earthlink.net Did you see the Lunar eclipse last month? We scored a reasonably cloud free night and everyone got at least a decent view. If you missed it, don’t worry. You will have another chance this coming October and twice more in 2015. A group of four consecutive lunar eclipses viewable from North America […]
No More Let’s: What’s Next?
READ MY TIPS Doug Browne dbrowne912@aol.com Last week, I attended the Southern Conference college tennis championships and walked away with several observations. One, the service ‘let’ has been eliminated. Due to rampant cheating, the rule had to be changed. Translation: Most of the kids possess big flat cannonball serves and the balls barely clear the net. If the foe is […]
One Plane / Two Plane
Golf Tips Todd Elliott telliott@hideawaybeachclub.org The Plane Truth for Golfers by Jim Hardy is one of the best books written about golf for the casual golfer and the PGA teaching professional. In the book, Hardy explains the one and two plane swing and what swing the golfer should use. Even though I not a method teacher nor am I a […]
Naomi’s Kitten Duties
FOR THE LOVE OF CATS Naomi & Karina Paape chestergun@comcast.net Dear Fellow Felines: I am up to my whiskers in kittens! I’m not too good with numbers, but it looks to me like there are hundreds of them. They’re swinging from the rafters, climbing the walls, running, jumping, tackling, stalking, tumbling, sliding, pouncing and either standing in or knocking […]
On the Road Less Traveled With the Swallow-tailed Kite
It was a typical drive home from work on April 22 when I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a bird flying. Its movement was a bit different than other area birds, and then I saw its tail. I smiled, and said to myself, “They’re back.” I am, by no means, a professional birder, but seeing certain species […]
Mussaendas in Bloom
PLANT TALK Mike Malloy mikemalloy@naplesbutterfly.com Sightings of the Tropical Mussaendas are becoming more frequent in South Florida gardens. Making them colorful standouts amongst the mainly green Florida landscapes. There are over 150 varieties with only a handful seen here in South Florida landscapes. They are native Africa to Asia and are members of the coffee family (Rubiaceae). This plant also […]
Together We Will Finish The Fight
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY CARES Lisa Honig On April 12 and 13, community teams, friends and family descended upon Mackle Park for 14 hours to “Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back” at the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. This year, the signature event was presented by one of our long time supporters, Robert J. Flugger. The theme was “A World of […]
Expert Tips About Fishing Live Bait
LADY ANGLERS Captain Mary A. Fink islandgirlscharters.com When you are serious about catching, and not just fishing, use live bait. The most common local natural baits include shrimp, minnows or baitfish, sand fleas and crabs. Shrimp are devoured by virtually all game fish, as shrimp make up a large part of just about any marine fishes diet. The advantages of […]
The Goodland Good Life
GOODLAND LIFE Melinda Gray melinbrya3@yahoo.com Life has been good in Goodland for J.W. “Dub” Abbott, who will turn 100 years old this month. The Drop Anchor resident was born May 2, 1914, in Checotah, Oklahoma, to Wayne and Beulah Abbott, who had five other boys and one girl; his youngest brother is only 93 years young. He says his mother […]
Fishing the 10,000 Islands in May
FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps CaptainRapps@gmail.com Spring is here, and one of my favorite months of fishing is among us. Mild weather patterns make May a perfect month to enjoy our local waters. It is typically a dry month with light winds. The water is warming up into the 80s, and the fish are on their annual migration from […]