Hey guys,

This is so cool!

The next time you head out to J.N. Ding Darling’s NWR be sure to check out the newest (and coolest) feature on display… the new funky QR Codes on the trail signs all the way down Wildlife Road.

Here’s a quick video to explain it:

So what is a QR Code exactly?

According to www.Qurify.com (pronounced Q R ify .com)…  ”QR Codes are 2 dimensional barcodes that are easily scanned using any modern mobile phone. This code will then be converted (called “dequrified”) into a piece of (interactive) text and/or link…”

Hmmm… So why would we need these things?  Well, scan the code below and see why…

Pretty darn cool!!

Have a great weekend!

Sandy and Rob

Yessirree, it is that time of year again when Sanibel Island’s best-of-the-best chefs compete for the highly sought after “Taste of the Taste” Award signifying that their dish has won the 29th Annual “Taste of the Islands” Top Honor!

Make sure you mark your calendar for Sunday, November 21st from 12pm to 5pm at the Sanibel Community Park on 2231 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island.

You better get there early and definitely bring your appetite because it will be an action-packed 5 hours of sampling every kind of delicacy that you can imagine.  A new twist this year is that the judges have asked that each chef include one indigenous ingredient in their dish to give it a more “local” flair…  this should be really interesting!

You can get even more details and the long list of different awards being given out by category right here at:  29th Annual Taste of the Islands on Sanibel Island

Of course, this is all for a great cause, as half of the restaurant proceeds and all of the entry fees go to our beloved C.R.O.W. Wildlife Refuge!!

So, we will definitely see you there!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s. psssst, SanCap One Source Realty (that’s us!) has some awesome beach homes on sale, wanna see?

Photo Courtesy of www.dingdarlingsociety.org

Yep, it’s that time of year again… when we get to experience all of the wonder and awe of our beautiful J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge!

So, start planning ahead as to which events you will attend with the family because the fun begins on Sunday, October 17th with “Family Day” and runs through Saturday, October 23rd.

There are so many things to do with the kids, including wildlife shows of the many different reptiles and even bald eagles.  There will be a “touch tank” and a “butterfly house” and even a conservation cartoon drawing contest.  Lots of opportunities to create cool nature hand crafts and face painting.

You can take a tram tour through the refuge or go on a cruise around it.  More hands-on would be to take a guided kayak tour and get up close and personal with the wildlife!

Just about anything you could ask for during this action-packed week…

Hope to see you there!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s. Sanibel Beach Homes

Sanctuary Island on Sanibel is a beautiful and exclusive golf-course community that is nestled within the J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge on the northwestern corner of Sanibel.

It is the only private golf course on the island and was designed by Arthur Hills giving it world-class status.

The Sanctuary has 465 glorious acres that is home to all sorts of wildlife and 272 gorgeous homes overlooking the golf course, as well as nature’s playground.

Just because you don’t live in the Sanctuary doesn’t mean that you cannot become a member and enjoy the golf, tennis, pool and fitness center.  There’s also a full-service clubhouse which is a great meeting spot for the Sanctuary’s social events and group activities like book clubs and the like.

You can check out all the details right here:  The Sanctuary Golf Club

Well, that’s it for this week…

Have a good one!

Sandy and Rob

p.s. Homes on Sanibel Island in your price rage are available… Call us!

There are so many distinctive features on Sanibel Island, but few more dramatic than the shrub-bush type trees with long tangled roots growing out of sort of “mucky” brown water.

These beauties are known as Red Mangrove trees and they are prevalant in several coastal areas all over Florida and the world, and are particularly well-known right here in Sanibel and Captiva.

They are known to protect coastlines from erosion, fish and birds from predators and inlands from hurricanes and other tropical storms.

They are so important to the  natural ecosystem here on Sanibel and Captiva.  Since Hurricane Charlie hit in 2004 and wiped out a large portion of the red mangrove population, a concerted efftort has taken place since then to help repopulate the island with pre-hurricane mangrove numbers.

Sabrina Lartz, a research assistant at the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, is spearheading the effort which has included more than 250 students from the area volunteering to help with the restoration project.

You can read all about it right here and contact the SCCF as well for more details.

That’s it for this week!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap One Source Real Estate is on a roll…

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!