Shell Museum

We went to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium on Sanibel Island.  The displays were extensive, educational and wonderful.

Carved images of sea animals and shells were around the exterior lower level.  I liked this octopus.

A mannequin dressed beautifully in shells stands in the lobby.

There are so many amazing shells in the displays.  Here are just a few.  The top shells are horse conches.  The lower ones are Hebrew volutes.

This colorful panel of Polymita picta bush snails was assembled in 1930 by Carlos de la Torre.  He presented it to William J. Clench, a zoologist at Harvard who specialized in studying mollusks.

There was a case of the largest known shells of various kinds.  This is a 16 inch Atlantic trumpet triton that was found off Fortaleza, Brazil, at a depth of approximately 140 feet.

And there were several cases exhibiting artwork created from shells.  This beauty was one of several in a display of Sailor Valentines, which were created by lonely seamen for their loved ones back home.

Mucky Duck

Mucky Duck is a favorite restaurant on Captiva Island.  In past years, people sat at outdoor tables and looked out to the Gulf of Mexico.  In 2022 Hurricane Ian blasted the beach and the restaurant.  

Mucky Duck was almost destroyed in the storm and was closed for four yeas.

Mucky Duck finally opened just weeks ago.  But, the county has built up the berm to protect against future major storms, at the cost of the view from the outdoor tables.   The restaurant owners aren't happy, but I think the county made the right decision.

Many people rent bicycles to get around on Sanibel and Captiva.

There is a wait to eat inside.  Because the restaurant is small, tables are close together.

My family always eats outside.

I can't remember ever eating at Mucky Duck without someone going home with a new tee shirt.

Mucky Duck opened 50 years ago.  I'm glad it is finally open again.

The Timbers

 

The Timbers is a family favorite seafood restaurant on Sanibel, Florida.

"We serve it fresh… or we don’t serve it at all."  A good motto for 48 years.

My family first went to Timbers in the 1980s.

Last week we went over to Sanibel to visit a friend who has had a condo there since the 1990s.

The food was as good as always.  Including the dessert!

No Diving!

 My pool is too shallow to permit diving.

But belly flops are permitted.

And cannonballs.

And pencil dives.

And flips.

Easter Brunch

 

Easter brunch was amazing.  Shrimp and crab legs with a tasty dip.  Omelettes.  Salads.  Oysters and escargots.  A carving station with beef, ham and lamb.  Salmon. Vegetables.  And more.  Much more.

My eyes are bigger than my stomach.

And of course the desserts were delicious.  I might have had slices of carrot cake and cheese cake. 

I felt guilty for being so glutinous while others are struggling.  I went home and made substantial donations to two different food insecurity organizations.   

Mally Khorasantchi

 

German-born artist Mally Khorasantchi has lived in Florida for more than 30 years.  She produces large-scale paintings that are influenced by this region's flora and fauna, from mangrove roots to honeycombs to palm fronds.

Artis Naples has a first floor gallery in which the work of a local artist is displayed for a year.  

For 2026, Ms. Khorasantchi has been chosen to exhibit her works.

They are appealing and encourage a viewer to spend time looking at the details.  I photographed the exhibition during the day when Artis Naples was pretty empty.  A few days ago I attended a concert (with the fabulous violinist Joshua Bell the featured soloist) and this gallery was so packed I couldn't get in.

Golf

I play golf five or six times per season (November through April).  I played recently.

 The plantings near the putting practice green are pretty.

As are the plantings near the first tee.

The clouds above the fourth hole were great.  (I only play nine holes these days.)

I carry my camera with me, just in case.  A gopher tortoise crossed the seventh fairway.