Blog Northwest Florida

Hurricanes in Florida . . . And the latest from the prognosticators? "Global Warming has Little Impact on Tropical Storm and Hurricane Numbers."

Yes, you are reading this correctly . . .  A leading scientist (meteorologist) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a harsh critic of the Bush administration's past censorship of studies citing the danger of global warming, has now come out with a study indicating that global warming isn't to blame for the recent jump in hurricanes.

Go figure . . . Tom Knutson's study released on Sunday indicates that the warmer temperatures will actually reduce the number of hurricanes coming ashore, and not by an insignificant amount. The study indicates that the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic will decline by 18% by the end of the century.

While numerous factors came together to slow the Florida real estate market, a spate of hurricanes hitting the state in 2004 and 2005 certainly had an adverse impact. The Florida Legislature ultimately stepped in to assume much of the risk in an effort to keep insurers from leaving the state altogether. So . . . there's a great deal riding on these predictions.  And, for the last two years the dire predictions - expectations of a higher than average number of hurricanes coming ashore - failed to materialize.

Hurricanes in Florida . . . it's anyone's guess. What say you?

Click on the Title below to go to the article:

Global Warming has Little Impact on Tropical Storm and Hurricane Numbers

Downtown Pensacola - Aragon Tour and Wine Tasting - What's a Realtor girl to do on a sunny spring day in Pensacola? Well if you're lucky enough to be me you head to a home tour and wine tasting combo!

The downtown neighborhood of Aragon held their fifth annual tour and wine tasting today and - wow - was there a good crowd! The neighborhood is a planned urban community that integrates Pensacola's rich history and it's varied architectural past. Aragon is pedestrian-oriented; lots of nice sidewalks, pocket parks, a community garden and a central park with a large gazebo.

Seven homes were on the tour today, with styles ranging from Federal to Florida Vernacular. Several of the architects were on hand to give visitors a fact-filled tour. One of the things I loved best about the tour was the opportunity to view the "secret gardents." Aragon homes have their garages in the rear of the home so each home has a courtyard.

Want to know more about Aragon and similar communities? Just check out my article:

Aragon Tour and Wine Tasting

Downtown Pensacola - Aragon Tour and Wine Tasting

East Hill Pensacola - Quaint, charming, historic, and vibrant all describe East Hill, one of Pensacola's largest and most popular neighborhoods. East Hill is one of two garden districts (the other - North Hill) that developed in the early 1900s as the City of Pensacola, fueled by the burgeoning logging industry and increasing imports through the Port of Pensacola, expanded north up the hill.

East Hill homes encompass a wide variety of styles and tend to be a bit smaller than those in North Hill, with the exception of the homes bordering Bayou Texar and overlooking Pensacola Bay.

The borders of the neighborhood (roughly) are Fairfield Avenue to the north, Scenic Highway to the east, Bay front Parkway to the south and 9^th Avenue to the west.

Today the neighborhoods' shady tree lined streets, variety of home styles, proximity to parks, restaurants, shops and water access make East Hill an in demand address.

Residents of East Hill can easily walk or bike to one of the many festivals held in Seville Square or Bartram Park or take in the Pensacola cultural scene by visiting art galleries, the Pensacola Symphony, the Pensacola Opera or a variety of theater and concert venues.

The vision of the early city planners has provided residents with eleven neighborhood parks, most of which encompass at least an entire city block. (Like Lakeview Park - Photo Right) 

The sprawling Bayview park on Bayou Texar covers 28 acres. As a little girl, my family spent many a Sunday afternoon picnicking at Bayview Park and I can still remember the difficulty I always had in deciding between swinging on the jungle gym or splashing in the water!

The park boasts the following amenities: boat launch, picnic shelters, bocce court, tennis courts, playground equipment, dog park, recreation center, restrooms, senior center, and soccer field.  

East Hill Pensacola  - A Pensacola neighborhood worth getting to know!

Historic Downtown Pensacola - Go figure . . . if Spanish explorer Don Tristen DeLuna had just a little more energy (or maybe a good cup of java) back in 1559, Pensacola would be able to claim St. Augustine's title as the United State's oldest settlement.  As fate would have it, a storm came ashore just after DeLuna made the decision to enjoy a few days of relaxation in his new home prior to unloading his cargo. All DeLuna's ships save one, and all his precious supplies, went to the bottom of Pensacola Bay. What with transportation being what it was at the time (Ha!) it took the Spanish another 138 years to colonize Pensacola.

Today historic downtown Pensacola is a magical place steeped in history, in part due to the great job being done by West Florida Historic Preservation Inc. (WFHP), a non-profit organization of the University of West Florida. WFHP manages 23 historic properties in the Pensacola Historic District (one of the oldest in the southeast), 10 of these are interpretive facilities and are open to the public.

At the core of the WFHP holdings is the T.T.Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum. Originally the 1908 City Hall, the Spanish Revival style museum has both permanent and temporary exhibits relating to art, science, West Florida's History and the properties which make up the Historic Pensacola Village. The museum also houses a popular children's hands-on exhibit, the Discovery Gallery.

Historic Pensacola Village is a must stop for guests to our area. I always make sure my out-of-town visitors take the tour! A great place to start is at Plaza Ferdinand VII, named in 1814 and often mistakenly called Ferdinand Plaza. This park, directly across from the T.T. Wentworth Musuem, was an early parade ground for the British fort. The Plaza was the center of town life during the late Colonial era and over the years even served as the site of executions. The Plaza houses markers for the Colonial Archaeological Trail which stretches the through the Historic Village providing evidence of fortified structures occupied at various times by Spanish, British, and American soldiers.

The plaza is also the site of the William Dudley Chipley Monument, a beautiful fountain which is a replica of a fountain in Seville, Spain, a United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Benchmark, a Plaza Ferdinand Renovation Monument, Andrew Jackson Monument and four cannons obtained from Ft. Pickens, Ft. Barrancas, and the Navy Yard.

Of interest is the wall built of ballast rock, which extends around the Plaza.  Begin your visit in the center of the Plaza; move north to the fountain and then rotate counter-clockwise. I'll be posting more on Historic Downtown Pensacola in future blogs so make sure to visit again!

Emerald Dolphin condominiums - Pensacola Beach Bargains! It's opportunity time on Pensacola Beach. Emerald Dolphin is a SUPER condo project (so SUPER that I had to buy one myself . . . ) There are currently eight listings in the Emerald Dolphin. This is one of the newer condos on Pensacola Beach - completed in December of '06 - and truly one of the better buys on the beach.

Here's why:

1. Superior Construction - built to the latest hurricane codes and with three levels of parking below the first floor (blow through), the building is built to last.
2. While on the beach - See Photo - this building is built far enough behind the dune line to be protected from the storms.
3. FABULOUS VIEWS - views from the end units with wrap around balconies take in both the white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, the Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay. WOW!
4. State of the Art Exercise Facility - Work out with a view to the Gulf. Doesn't get much better . . .
5. Short walk to Peg Leg Pete's restaurant and Lafite's Marina.
6. Pensacola Beach is a true gem. This barrier island has only 8.2 miles of beach in development, bordered by 15 miles of state parks and National Seashore. 
7. There's only so much white sand Gulf out there!

Here are the units currently available at the Emerald Dolphin:

Four two bedroom/two bath units at 1235 square feet. Prices range from $449,800 to $625,000.

Two two bedroom/two bath units with a bunk room at 1345 square feet. Prices range from $$495,000 to $499,900.

One three bedroom/three bath unit at 1691 square feet priced at - NO KIDDING - $625,000.

One four bedroom/three bath unit at 1986 square feet priced at $695,000.

Want more information? As an owner, I know all the ins and outs and would be happy to share everything about these fabulous condos. The Emerald Dolphin on Pensacola Beach - SUPER time to buy!

In honor of Mother's Day . . . Oh, the Wild, Nekkid Bloganistas . . . It's not often I have a FREE Saturday. There's usually an event to attend, serious things to do with my spouse, Mr. Project Man, or - more often than not - a client to attend to. But, Mr. Project Man is away. There wasn't much in the way of "necessary" community events (I know, I should have been at Pet Fest, what can I say . . . I'm a two toed sloth and my big red dogs hate me for staying home.).  Worst of all, there were no clients with a burning desire to buy real estate from this gal, so here I sat with glorious time on my hands.

So, I spent a good part of the day in front of the computer. Which means I was in front of the picture windows.  AMAZING what you see if you are still for a bit.

Before the newspaper hit the porch two humming birds stopped by to graze on the colorful flowering bushes my mother planted (and whose name only my horticulturally gifted mother can recall). A little later I saw a peregrine falcon swoop low through the moss covered trees. By late afternoon two bunnies had hopped by, a small red fox had poked his nose out from around the bottle brush plants and a bold raccoon had walked right up the driveway as if preparing to mount the steps and knock on the door.  And I live in Florida. In a subdivision. God knows what's actually out there!

So it is with Blogs. What's out there? I am always curious. And finally, I really got to spend some time looking around and WOW . . . How differently people see things, how eloquent are some, what funny takes some have on things, how rooted in place many are (you can tell she's a city girl, from the sticks fer sure, and so on), and then there's the generational thing. Even though I'm sure I'm hip and all - after all I do have a momma's boy who's in a fraternity in college so not much shocks me - but, here I find myself thinking "Can they really be saying that?" Would I say that in a public forum? Hhhmmmm . . .

At any rate, I wanted to find blogs having to do with mothers so I went to "Oh, the Wild Nekkid Bloganistas, My, Big, Fat, Harry, Blogrolls" and there was a lot to choose from. From narcissistic whining about laundry and lack of sleep to crazy family dynamics bordering on psychotic, from Anthropologist for Corporate America to Death by Children, the mommy bloggers were baring it all. But my favorite, by far was the blog Ducks Mahal, this blog - I kid you not - is written by a colorful gentleman "Audubon Ron" who is a Rouen Mallard duck rancher in the Deep South (Mississippi I think). While Audubon Ron has southern roots, he spent much of his life working in corporate America in the California sunshine. Audubon Ron pulled me in with his Mother's Day story and then his "True to the last molecule" endorsement of a story in his blog kept me reading. Worth a stop by if you want a good story fix and some sublime southern creative writing.

Which has me thinking of a title for my creative writing blog. Think I'll call it Story Creep A.S.A.P. (As Southern as Possible). In Honor of Mother's Day . . .

Silver Lining to the Harsh Realty Reality - Just got off the phone with a truly lovely lady. She bought her house in '06, not at the height of our local market, but before it started it's big slide. She has a beautiful, large home in a much sought-after downtown neighborhood walking distance from great restaurants, the symphony, shopping, etc. What's more, this lovely home has a full apartment over the garage. Heaven. But, as you know heaven is a relative thing.

The owners plans have changed a bit. Things happen. The grandkids are on the other side of town. They don't need quite so much home. It makes sense to downsize a bit. But what about that sliding market? What about the money they will lose?

Here's the thing . . . as one of my mentors once said, "The best time to sell is when you need to." Sounds like they need to - for comfort, for convenience, for love of the grandkids.

And here's the other thing . . . the Silver Lining to the Harsh Realty Reality - they'll do FINE. They'll buy for less on their downsize than they would have just a year ago. It will all work out. But we have to get there. And we get there by letting it sink in and then putting one foot in front of the other. And pricing for the market - truly pricing for the market.

Pet Fest in Gulf Breeze - Trust me, Pet Fest is a "Don't Miss" event in Northwest Florida!

Have you ever seen an iguana dressed as a cheerleader? Here's your chance. This is an Anything Goes event second only to the Flora-Bama's Mullet Toss. Over 1,000 people attended last year, most of them brought along by their pets. And the variety of pets is pretty amazing as well - horses, goldfish, lizzards . . . and yes, some cats and dogs as well.

This year's event will be more educational, with 23 vendors displaying pet related items and 7 veterinarian stations.

• WHEN:   10am to 4pm, Saturday, May 10
• WHERE: Shoreline Bark Park, across from the Gulf Breeze Recreation Center, 800 Shoreline Drive
• COST:   $5, Proof of rabies vaccine for all pets
• INFO:    932-7888

Pet Fest in Gulf Breeze . . . Don't let your pet go without you!

The Zoo Northwest Florida hosts a Longneck Party to welcome the newest giraffe, Colby.

Wooo Hooo! Break out your dancing shoes as there will be live music. Heavy hors d'oeuvres, raffles, a cash drawing and the unveiling of the Zoo's new giraffe exhibit are among the treats you can expect at the Longneck party.

Colby is a 12 year old male giraffe that stands 18 feet tall. Zoo handlers say he is adjusting well to his new home.

• WHERE:   The Zoo Northwest Florida, 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway
• WHEN:     Friday, May 9 - 7pm to 10pm
• COST:     $30 per person, $50 per couple
• INFO:      932-2229

The Zoo Northwest Florida - Gulf Breeze, FL

Santa Rosa County Clean Community - Lots of reasons for the environmentalist in you to smile - and play! You can take care of Mom and help the environment. Crafts, from jewelry to birdhouses will be available for sale, along with some gorgeous plants and horticulture-related items in this Mother's Day tradition held for the 6th year in a row. The Milton setting is beautiful and you will find food, gifts and music for Mom and the entire family.

Green-Up Santa Rosa is a program sponsored by Santa Rosa County Clean Community System. The county organization supports environmental programs countywide. Funds raised during Green-Up go to projects like Adopt-A-Space, a program whereby community organizations or businesses work to keep sections of the county free from trash that damage the environment and the natural beauty.

• WHERE:      6758 Park Ave., Milton, FL
• WHEN:        9am to 3pm - Saturday, May 10                         Santa Rosa County Clean Community
• CONTACT:   623-1930