My Gecko's are really Anoles!

I've learned alot about my front porch wildlife from the Postles and the Parkmans. These are actually Anoles not chameleons or gecko's ( hey in my world those little green creatures looked like the Geico green guys on all those commercials!)

The two little guys I saw fighting and who I told to stop were indeed battling for their territory. These are the pictures from yesterday- I don't know my little friends well enough to figure out if these were two different guys on either side of my front door or the same guy who just changed from side to side. I do know the guy on the right side posed for me- my camera was inches from in ( true- it was from the inside looking out the window) but he let me close enough to click and take several pictures! His pouch was bright cherry red and he kept opening and closing the pouch to either try and scare me off or impress me. I hope they'll stick around all summer for me to watch them.

Geckos, Frogs and Birds Oh My!

Who knew my cottage was a wildlife preserve! In between the rain drops this past week, I've had a chance to observe wildlife in action, literally just outside my front door!

David, our cottage handyman and retired editor from the AJC ( Atlanta's newspaper) pointed out to me I have a very large nest in the palm tree outside my door with some sort of large bird and her 6 babies. This is not a small bird- this is some sort of wood stork or other large water bird. No chance of this nest blowing out of the tree- it looks like it's made from large sticks! I tried to get a picture of the mom and babies, but I couldn't quite get them to pose.

Then on the rail on my front porch area I saw two green geckos doing what I thought was the mating dance. Both their pouches beneath their neck became big and red, but then one lurched and grabbed the other's head and looked like he was trying to eat the other!! I was so startled I yelled at them to stop which scared them both and one ran away. I think it was a fight and I saved the little guy's life!

But the loudest and funniest wildlife visitors are the frogs. My next door neighbor has a large pond in their front yard as a direct result of all this rain. Whenever this happens we have a large group of big fat squishy frogs who have this deep throated croaking which sounds like ducks! The noise is so loud that inside even with the TV on, you can hear them over honking and croaking over and over!

Just more pleasures of living on a barrier sea island- no matter how well populated we are , the wild life finds a way to shine through!

Look at the results of all the rain!

All this rain ( and it's still raining....) has resulted in great flowers in my window boxes and in front of the cottage. I took these yesterday when there was a brief ( yes very brief!) break in the rain... The entire island is over flowing with rain, but also beautiful gorgeous flowers!!!

Rain Rain go away

We've had rain now for the entire week. The rain is moving up the coast and has stopped on Tybee for a few days ( can you blame it? Great place to hang out for a few days!) This has been a very hard loud rain and water we'll be grateful for later this summer. I only wish I had my rain barrel in place to have been collecting all this great water! Next week I'll have two in place and will share the pictures.

The dogs wish they could be sitting out in the yard watching birds, people and bike riders. Instead they are stuck on "their" sofa looking out the window wishfully at that pouring rain.

At night the frogs arrive and start their croaking. We have a virtual pond at my neighbors home next door and the frog noise is so loud you can hear it over the TV!!! Rain again today but we're about to sneak out between showers for a quick walk.

Nests!

We've had crazy winds all week. Lots of rain ( which I actually love because it helps our flowers grow so beautifully) but with the rain has come winds which make it feel like the fall and winter. I've been walking the dogs like I usually do and started to know an interesting phenomena- birds nests are being blown out of the trees!

I love nests. I love the concept of "nesting" as in being so happy in your own home ( nest) that you don't ever want to leave. If I hadn't named my own cottage Mermaid Manor I would have found a name that included the word nest. I actually just helped name one of our soon to be Mermaid Cottages which I've been sharing the process with you- Wrenn's Nest ( more pictures and details to follow soon!)

This week while walking the dogs I've brought home 4 bird nests- all empty - and they now help decorate my home. There are little birds flying everywhere on the island and singing as well- it's quite musical when you walk outside!

Enjoy my newest collection!

Farrah's Story

When I was in college in the 1970's, we all tried to have Farrah's hair. There is a picture of me with my college Pom Pom squad floating around my blog somewhere from last fall of our group in the 70's what our version of this hair style- including me...



There was a special on NBC Friday night documenting Farrah's fight with cancer. Extremely personal in how open she is about the 2 year plus struggle she's going through. When she shaved her head finally - that hair that made her so famous intially- you wanted to cry because her hair is part of what so many of us grew up admiring...



There was one statement she made that I can't get out of my head since I heard this on Friday night. About a year into her struggle, she just kept saying how she wants her life back. Not the Hollywood life of making movies or going to "must see" restaurants and events but the day to day life which made up her life . The moments of life that are too easy to forget. The moments of making dinner for your 93 year old Dad, spending an evening with your girlfriends laughing and having fun, spending time working on her paintings. She's in the final stages of her cancer and the last few scenes were of her in bed because she's too sick be up and around.



I can't stop thinking about this because really and truly my life is pretty darn perfect in all it's inperfectism. I think about how healthy I am and can walk the dogs for a hour at a time if I want because I'm strong . I can go to Huckapoos on a Saturday night - riding my bike in the rain- to heard friends perform and see other friends there. I can cook a dinner making anything I'd like to eat . After hearing Farrah talk so sadly about missing her day to day life I just keep saying a silent prayer of thanks for being able to have such a rich and full day to day healthy experience. And to all of you reading this as well, do the same. There is a wonderful expression out there which says " If the only prayer you ever say is Thank You, that is enough".



I'm saying Thank You right now and mean it with my entire healthy being!

The incredible power of the internet

We've been very busy with inquiries. Really busy! I've been so busy I haven't had time to look over my Google Analytics to see how many visits my website and blog have received, where people are coming from around the world, how many are first time visitors- all sorts of interesting stats! Last week I was extremely busy. Overwhelming so! Well, I just found out why. On May 13th I had 2,551 unique visits to http://www.mermaidcottages.com/ and 97.8 % of these people were first time visitors to my website. Why you might ask? Again, these amazing computers can tell you everything. I could determine exactly where these inquires came from.

msn.com ran a story on line that had been featured in http://www.forbes.com/ and we were featured in the article! Here's the article:

"Relax ... Savannah, Georgia There's a lot about Savannah that's just plain good — good food, good weather, good people. The city's one-of-a-kind architecture, dreamy gardens and laid-back culture make it the perfect place to escape life's frantic pace. The Hamilton-Turner Inn (http://www.hamilton-turnerinn.com/) is one of the city's chicest bed and breakfasts. Built in 1873, the house overlooks the equally elegant Lafayette Park.Avia (http://www.aviahotels.com/) is not your typical Savannah hotel. Housed in a modern block, the sleek rooms downplay Savannah's occasional tendency toward the frilly. Hit the hotel's wine bar for pre-dinner drinks.Elizabeth on 37th (http://www.elizabethon37th.net/) serves award-winning cuisine that uses local seafood, seasonal produce and house-grown herbs. Bonus: The restaurant is housed in a Victorian mansion.Kick up your heels at Uncle Bubba's Oyster House (http://www.unclebubbas.com/), part of Food Network star Paula Deen's empire. Shrimp and grits are a stalwart on this menu along with oysters — char-grilled, steamed, straight up — and pecan pie for dessert.If you like to get your fingers messy, Desposito's is the place to go. Known chiefly for crab, it also serves up steamed, boiled and fried shrimp and oyster dishes. Want to learn how to cook Southern-style? Head to the 700 Kitchen School on Forsyth Park (http://www.mansiononforsythpark.com/) and try your hand at whipping up crab-stuffed eggs at the school's "low country" classes (about $90 per person). If you're looking to get out of the city, head for the islands off Georgia's coast. Tybee Island is a 20-minute drive from Savannah and is chock-full of seafood shacks and long stretches of beach. If you decide to stay, check in at Mermaid Cottages (http://www.mermaidcottages.com/). "

Thank you to our friends with Forbes Magazine and on line and thank you to http://www.travel.msn.com/ for running this story as well!

One of our Favorite Guests- Paul from Raleigh, NC

We just love Paul. Paul first found our cottages a few years ago and comes to visit as often as he can ( which is not often enough in our books!) Paul is the type of guest who not only tells the world about how much he loves Tybee and the cottages, but brings guests to visit and even brings US gifts!!! This is a picture of Paul and friends visiting Mary Kay Andrews at her just completely Breeze Inn Cottage http://www.breezeinncottage.com/ which is soon to be a Mermaid Cottage and available to rent for your own vacation. This is also a picture of the wonderful gift Paul brought my dogs! Homemade dog biscuits shaped like Margaritas- very yummy looking and based on how fast the dogs ate them delicious!

The best part of Paul's visit is that it's never dull. Paul had not one but THREE Celebrity sightings while on Tybee and Savannah. Not only did he come over for drinks with his very favorite southern writer- Mary Kay, but also saw Sandra Bullock at AJ's Dockside restaurant ( the same place I saw John Mellancamp a week earlier) and yes- Paul also saw Miss Paula Deen! But here's the story Paul told me which reinforces that Paul's visits are never ever dull.

Paul brought down two co workers with him on this last visit. The home they selected had a hot tub on the back deck. The two young ladies were on Tybee to "partee". They arrived at the home earlier then Paul and called to tell him they were sitting by the pool and hot tub enjoying some adult beverages. Paul had just arrived at the home when they called and couldn't figure out exactly what they meant since there was NOT a pool at this home and they were not at the home. He called the girls again on their cell phone and he could tell by the way they answered the phone that they were having a big time. When he asked them where they are and again they said they were sitting by the pool, he happened to look outside at the home next door and sure enough there were the girls , sitting by the pool, drinking margaritas- topless! Paul drops the phone and runs outside yelling at the girls they were at the WRONG HOUSE and to please get dressed and get over here. Just then the owner pulls up to the home ( and this is a very, very nice home) sees this man running towards her back yard, sees these two girls topless and drinking by her pool and starts to "freak out"! English is not her first language and she couldn't quite understand Paul's explanation that this was just an innocent mistake and she proceeds to call 911 screamed that there are some crazy strangers naked at her pool!

Tybee's finest pull up in police cars lights flashing, talk to Paul, get the whole story, snicker at the story, try and explain to the owner this is just fine and matter closed. No one goes to jail for indecent exposure, owner still isn't quite clear about what happened , Paul and the girls go back to the correct Mermaid Cottage. Life is good again!

Paul, come visit again! It's too dull without you!!!

"Salt & Light" Cobb Life Magazine tells the Tybee Story!

Wow! Mermaid Cottages and Tybee was featured in a recent article written by Joan Durbin of the Cobb Life Magazine which goes to homes in North Atlanta. Here is a snippet of the whole article. You can read the whole article on http://cobblifemagazine.com/detail/361.html

Thank you Joan!

"As much a state of mind as a geographic location, Tybee Island has an undeniable allure. Reminiscent of the Florida Keys before those islands were spoiled by glitzy commercialization, Tybee is an easygoing, free-spirited beach town with an unpretentious, laid-back vibe guaranteed to loosen the kinks and refresh the soul.Separated from Savannah by 18 miles of salt marshes and sky, the little barrier island is just under three miles square and has a year-round population of about 3,400 residents. With a wide, three-mile long beach with multiple public access points, fishing charters, boat rentals, dolphin cruises and historic sites, it’s a great sun ‘n’ surf destination for families on vacation.

For all the comforts of home, there are many agencies on the island that rent charming, fully furnished Tybee abodes.As we recently discovered, Tybee is also an ideal spot for a long, lazy weekend getaway for two. A friend had recommended Mermaid Cottages, and owner Diane Kaufman fixed us up with a snazzy three-level home called Shore Leave. With soaring cathedral ceilings, cheerful, attractive furnishings, a large modern kitchen, wet bar, second-story deck, small screened porch and fenced yard for our two dogs, there was plenty of room to unwind after the five-hour drive from east Cobb. It was the perfect home base for exploring what the island has to offer."

Beach Bum Parade 2009

Beach Bum Parade has come and gone and was it's usual big time for kids of ALL ages! These three pictures show some of the preparation in getting ready for the Friday night 6:30PM Kick off... This is two homes on Butler Avenue- this is a very well respected Doctor with over 1 ton of ice ( he very proudly told me....) filling up all the garbage cans . The colder the water the better!!! And I loved the banner also hanging from a home on Butler Ave!

I was lucky enough to enjoy the parade from the front desk of one of our Vacation rental homes- Shore Leave with the owner Kris and her friends and family. Perfect vantage point and only got shot with the water guns a few times!

The Island is back to normal now and visitors can again ride their cars safely down Butler Avenue without fear of getting soaked!

Mermaid Sightings sent in from our guests

Check out these two mermaid sightings sent by some of our recents guests! The Mermaid Sightings on the left is actually a table from a restaurant on Edisoto Beach, SC called McConky's. Melissa from South Carolina sent us this one. The 2nd Mermaid was found by Lee , another regular Mermaid Cottage guest and is from the winner of that contest called the "Best Job in the World" who gets to blog about a tropical island for the next year. This mermaid is somewhere on that island.

Hey- that's what I do! Live on a sea island and blog about the island and look out for mermaids! I truly have the best job in the world. Thanks to all our guests who keep on the look out for Mermaid Sightings.... great pics!

Treasures from the Estate Sales Adventures!

Here are a few of the treasures from our Estate Sales adventures a few weeks ago! These are those incredible 1960's paint by numbers of dancers ( dancing with the stars on canvas!). This is also a picture of the GREAT vintage picnic basket we found at a sale in Ardsley Park. All these these are now for sale at Seaside Sisters Coastal Cottage Shop! ( hmmm I wonder if this is considered and ad??) Anyway, enjoy!

Jasmine everywhere- it's late spring time on the island!

It happens every year about this time. Jasmine blooms everywhere you look on the island. Jasmine does great here, it can survive the heat of the summer and just grows and grows. Up the picket fences, up the trees and makes a wonderful natural border anywhere you look. Best of all, you plant one small pot and within a couple of years it's everywhere!

This is the arbor at M.Paddy Cakes Vacation Apartment where 2 Jasmine plants were put and now look! There are two arbors in front of the home both looking just this great. And the smell! Sweet, yet not too sticky sweet- the smell of springtime on Tybee Island!

Don't forget as well- today is the Tybee Wine Festival which is a fundraiser for the restoration Post Theatre. See you at the Lighthouse today from 2PM- 5PM.

Byers Street Beach Cross Over

This is the brand new cross over the City Of Tybee just completed. GREAT timing since the crossover is literally a 5 minute walk from Wren's Nest Vacation Apartment! ( Even better news for those of you still looking to come to Tybee and stay with us- another pet friendly Mermaid Cottage to stay in!!) A crossover is constructed to allow people to get to the beach while not disturbing any of the natural vegetation and even wildlife that live around the dunes. Bunnies, lizards , birds etc all live around the beach. The Cross over starts right at the corner of Byers Street on the North End of the island and leads directly to the beach.

The North Beach is very different then the main beach, it's a less populated beach- really can only get there if you have a home or place to stay on the North End, or have a bike or electric car. The beach looks right on the Savannah River which means you can see Cockspur Lighthouse to the left and the all the pilot boats and of course the massive cargo ships coming in and out. The cargo ships are just like what was captured by the Pirates off the coast of Africa. In fact many of the ships are heading off to those dangerous waters!

The North Beach is also where you can usually find shark's teeth! Enjoy the pictures and even better , ride your beach over and enjoy the crossover.

Another Amazing Artist @ Seaside Sisters

The Magic of Seaside Sisters Coastal Cottage Shop is you never know what's going to be there. There is such a wide variety of treasures, you really have to poke all around the shop to see what's there!



We have yet another incredibly talented artist showing her original art at Seaside Sisters. Jill Feree specializes in children, marsh scenes and the beach - she's starting an entire new series on the Surfers of Tybee Island. This beautiful little girl is a pastel and framed in a vintage frame, it's hard to see all the gorgous colors and how the dress shimmers. Just beautiful! Be sure to stop by the shop and see this picture!

Jill will be at the shop all day this Saturday ( mother's day shopping weekend) with her large orignal art but also some new fun smaller pictures- also orginals!

We love to support not only our "junking" habits but also to support our various local artists.

An Estate Sale and Yard Sale Saturday Morning

6:30AM meeting Kathy and Susan in the parking lot of SeaSide Sisters.... Armed with Kathy's list of Savannah in town yard sales and estate sales.... She is a master junker with a passion for finding the best yard sales on a Saturday morning. 10 places on the list to hit and we're going to be at that first sale when the doors open!!! First stop, Krispy Kreme Donuts with Cops on the Roof ( they were raising money for some good cause and staying on the roof the entire weekend....)

Loaded up with sugar and caffeine we're off! Finds galore. Kathy found two incredible slip covered arm chairs for Breeze Inn, I found a vintage picnic basket, Paint by numbers art from the 1960's and some great beachy furniture, Susan found an entire set of vintage yard furniture complete with cushions in great shape! Much of our treasures will soon be available for your cottage through SeaSide Sisters very soon or finding it's way into one of the Mermaid Cottages. This picture is me with some of our finds at the end of the day..

We found so much great "stuff" that we had to return on Sunday with a truck and a van to pick everything up. Kathy said this was an exceptional junking day! Be sure to visit her blog for her version of the day... http://www.marykayandrews.com/

The life of a Tybee Dog

Recently a few of us went to the Back River to watch the sunset over the water , marsh and Little Tybee. It's still chilly here as the sun goes down ( we love the spring!!!!) and we were able to bundle up just a little and toast the sun set. Key West has nothing on us! Danny and Max joined us as we sat on the porch on one of the little fixer upper cottages just down the street from Mermaid Manor.

This picture of Danny is from our last trip to take my mom home to West Virginia a few weeks ago. My Honda CRV held three adults, 2 full sized Labs and of course our luggage.. Danny ended up sitting in the back on top of all the luggage hanging his big head over the edge of the back seat! A picture if there ever was one...

A Northen Mermaid Sighting!

My very wonderful friend Kim ( hopefully soon to be my Canadian Marketing Mermaid!) who lives on the glorious island of Prince Edward just found this chilly mermaid who lives on the side of a local fish and chips shack. Yes, that white stuff on the window ledge is indeed snow... Enjoy!