Nature and Animals

THE GREAT BLUE HERON IS A LARGE WADING BIRD IN THE HERON FAMILY, COMMON NEAR SHORES OF OPEN WATER AND WETLANDS. According to Visit Florida, the state hosts more than 500 native bird species and naturally occurring strays, with more than 300 native species appearing commonly. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shares that […]

THE SUNSHINE SINGLES RECENTLY MET AT THE BABCOCK RANCH PRESERVE AND ENJOYED LUNCH AT THE ON-SITE RESTAURANT. Another month, another adventure, this time to the Babcock Ranch Preserve — a 73,000-acre conservation area about 30 miles from our back door. Although it was a working ranch for several decades owned by Edward V. Babcock, it […]

THE CONSTELLATION GEMINI WILL BE BIG AND BRIGHT IN FEBRUARY. Stargazing in Florida in March offers amazing opportunities, highlighted by a rare total lunar eclipse (blood moon) in early March, along with the peak of the dry season, which provides clearer, less humid skies. March is also “galaxy season,” when the sky is perfect for […]

THE CONSTELLATION GEMINI WILL BE BIG AND BRIGHT IN FEBRUARY. For February 2026 stargazing in Florida, look for events like the Winter Star Party (Feb. 16 – 22) in the Keys, a D Ranch Preserve Star Party (Feb. 21) near Osteen, astronomy nights at Big Cypress National Preserve (Feb. 21), and Florida SouthWestern State College’s […]

While sitting around your holiday table this season, here are five crazy trivia tidbits to dazzle your friends and family. Earth’s rotation is changing speed. It’s actually slowing, and this means that, on average, the length of a day increases by around 1.8 seconds per century. Ironically, the fear of long words is called Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. […]

I recently embarked on a trip of a lifetime. A 17-day, five country, South African adventure. The tour was organized by my former business partner. … Every day was a unique experience. I was part of a group of 10 friends and we meshed with a larger cadre of travelers for a total of 39 […]

SHERRI WILLIAMS AND JOYCE SAMSEL SHARED GREAT INFORMATION DURING THE RECENT BUTTERFLY SEMINAR. There was a fabulous turnout for the Wonders of Butterflies Seminar held at the Clubhouse last month. We had an amazing session featuring Sherri Williams, a Sabal Springs resident, and Joyce Samsel from the Florida Monarch Research and Educational Project. They showcased […]

DECEMBER’S SUPERMOON AROUND DEC. 19 WILL BE HARD TO MISS. In December, Florida skies will feature the peak of the Geminid meteor shower around Dec. 13 to 14 and the peak of the Ursid meteor shower around Dec. 21 to 22. You can also expect to see a supermoon around Dec. 19 and longer nights […]

LAKE OKEECHOBEE IS SO BIG IT IS TOO LARGE TO SEE ACROSS. Florida is home to more than 7,700 lakes. Despite its long coastline, Florida is also home to thousands of inland lakes, with the largest being Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee is the largest freshwater lake in Florida and the eighth largest in the United […]

In November, Florida stargazers can look for “Halloween fireballs” from the Taurid meteor shower peaking around November 4 to 9, and see constellations like Andromeda and the rising Capella and Sirius. The Big Dipper will appear low in the sky, and the planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will be visible, while Saturn and Uranus transition […]