Family and Friends - Redoux

The highlight of springtime on Useppa is always a visit from family.  From youngest to oldest is Evie (just 7), Clara (about to turn 14), Erin and Jeremy.  It’s a long trip form Eugene Oregon which we attempt to reward with warm weather and lots of relaxation - so after a day to settle in, off we went for a brief boat ride and an afternoon on Caya Costa to wander the beach, collect shells and venture into the turquoise waters. 

Back on Useppa, there was also visits to the Grotto, with its increasingly odd assortment of art and artifact.  The girls were very helpful in the butterfly garden, where we spotted newly hatched Monarch caterpillars on Giant Milkweed bushes.  Egrets were spotted fishing on the dock. Most mornings Evie could be found patiently waiting for Po-pop/Steve  to finish reading the morning headlines, while Bubbie/Karen watched the sun come up while preparing the first round of breakfast.  

There was also the very unexpected visit of some of Karen’s closest and most enduring friends to help celebrate her BIG birthday. (We’ll let you guess which one.). Steve had spent months contacting, planning and plotting their travel and a weekend of surprise events.  They braved unexpected snow storms and boarded trains, cars, planes and boats to meet on Useppa, where they hadn’t been since witnessing our wedding over 10 years ago. They, and the all of Useppa,  kept this secret and certainly pulled off the surprise of a lifetime! Proof positive that secrets truly can be kept and that really good friends are one of life’s most precious treasures. 

So what are you waiting for? Be in touch and let us know when to expect you!

 

Useppa Celebrates

The Spring is filled with cultural and religious celebrations honoring new beginnings, often tinged with a sense of the surreal.  Particularly after this long winter, who wasn’t  looking forward to the promise of a new start? And yes, we in southwest Florida, were not battling the March snows, now famously visiting the northeast like the weekly plague, but we did have a flu season that knocked out about two-thirds of the Island for weeks at a time. So when the occasions arrived, Useppans were out in full force!

First up - Saint Patrick’s Day.  With a Grand Martial leading our own fire truck (one of two) and over a dozen ingeniously decorated golf carts, no one misses those  oversized  balloons anyone can see on TV. And, of course, we have prizes - lots of prizes -  as well as genuine leprechauns!

However it is the ecumenical Easter sunrise service, now in its 20th year, that is truly Useppa magic. This weekend tops any other in terms of people on Island.   It begins with the questionable privilege of  arriving before dawn to participate in a morning of thoughtful community reflection, music and readings as the sun arrives, carefully timed, with the first speaker.  The newest participant in 2018 was less then 2 weeks old and represented the third generation of her Carmichael family here.   

This year our opening greeting was from Allen Symonds, a Jewish resident, who reminds us of our shared heritage. And for the first time, Mr Steve Kaufman opted  to attend  and see what all of the fuss was about.  We think he enjoyed it, although surely the suggestion that blueberry muffins accompany  hot-cross buns is a memo being composed for the suggestion box.   

Winter is the obvious time to make a southern visit - but those in the know “think Spring”. You won’t be disappointed.  

Winter 2018

What HAVE we been doing? We have been pretty much exclusively on Useppa since Christmas.  Ok, except for a pre-New Years foree to New Hampshire for Karen’s godson Henry and Mary’s wedding.  

Back on Useppa, the weeks fly by. If you read our holiday letter, you heard Steve bemoaning a lack of overseas travel. Clearly he’s focused on correcting that issue in 2018.  

Shanghai was Steve’s first passport stamp of the year. He was quick to raise his hand to do a pre-visit, in preparation for our return in May with a group of HBS students.  Yup - more on that later.  

Santa brought Steve a drone, which he has quickly mastered.  Besides zipping around the Island and dodging palm trees, Karen now has areal views of the Butterfly Garden - perfect for planning!

Karen’s work to attract yellow Sulphur butterflies and capture their lifecycle has paid off. Eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis and butterflies found the masses of Senna and Cassia planted last summer.  Karen’s threatening to get her Master Gardener certificate so that she can come out of retirement and officially start a career in Butterfly Gardening. Perfect for a NYC girl, don’t you agree?

Looking for culinary, culture and local art? Come to the Pine Island Clam Jam - where you can find a bit of everything while the experts judge the best “chiefs”.  Karen and her neighbor John eye an outdoor fire pit made from discarded iron tanks.  Ok - we’d need a bigger backyard and a crane, but stil......

Like many sailing club members, Karen and Steve took a turn at the grill for upward of 40 after the Saturday afternoon Catboat races.  And this year the Useppa Yacht Club sponsored the biannual Catboat Rendezvous - where sailors and their boats come from as far away as New England.  

So when should we expect you? We’re leaving Useppa before the end of April, so the clocks ticking!

10 Days of Complete Business

It began with the arrival of the Oregon Kaufman's on July 3rd.  The first in about 7 years and Evie's first visit. Here at the Maperium - a Boston original and a way to experience the globe from the inside. This is a unique experience you'll only have here, can't really describe and will never forget. 

This is Boston with the Kaufman's so there was boating. Swan boats on The Commons, a tradition since 1877 - the replica WWII amphibious Duck boats - and of course Blue Chip with Captains Evie and Steve at the helm. 

July 4th, which meant fireworks on the Charles, viewed from our back deck with the Boston Pops playing in the background. (We're happy to arrange anything for Evie, Clara, Erin & Jeremy and invite all of Boston to attend.) Clara and Jeremy clearly enjoyed driving and bumping at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH.  Evie and Bubbie over did it in the twirling cups and decided pitch-prize games might be a better option.  And we all agreed that the New England Aquarium was the perfect rainy day activity.  Definitely visit during feeding times for giant sea turtles, penguins, and seals. Also stop and pet the sharks and man-if-rays - but NOT during feeding time. 

We were very sad to see kids leave and hope they return soon - there's so much more exploring to do! While Steve got back to work, Karen got back to earning traveling points. 

A quick trip to NYC proves you can successfully put lipstick on a pig! The LIRR and NJ Transit are finally going through s renovation it's needed for 40+ years. It's truly amazing what a little "lipstick" can do. 

Above ground - movie makers take advantage of New Yorkers exiting the City for the cooler beaches.  Hoever, in the evening it's clear that vacationers are here in full force, despite the fact that in the summer Time Square becomes a de facto oven. (Where is trip Advisor?)

A quick run to Florida for a dentist appointment (don't ask) also means a stop on Useppa.  Late day storms creates beautiful sunsets, complete with rainbows. The rainy season has everything blooming, including  beeblam and Passion flowers.  The butterflies are thrilled! It's also a great time to plant, if you can work the timing around the 100% heat index. More water please. 

Southwest Florida loves its Gulf Coast shells.  Although typically seen decorating mirrors, boxes and lampshades, why stop there? This 2005 VW Beetle is covered in 60 different species of shells to commemorate the first National Seashell Day which was proclaimed by Lee County, FL and first celebrated on June 20, 2016. It took 65 volunteers 1,200 hours to apply 20,000 shells using 100 tubes of Amazing Goop marine glue. Okay - we've  now debunked any rumors that Florida lacks innovative spirit!  Has anyone contacted Ridleys? 

Summer has just started.  Clearly we are determined to make the most of it. We'll keep you posted. 

Nature on Useppa

 

Summers on Useppa are extraordinary. Yes it's warm and it rains every evening, but that also means evening clouds which create extraordinary sunsets.  

 

If it's June then it's also time for night blooming cereus. All year long strands of cactus slowly grow down the trunks of cabbage palms. During the month of June long park red blossoms emerge. After dark, these burst open into glowing white blossoms nearly a foot wide. They only last for the night and then proof - they're gone. The next night, the magic repeats as new blossoms open.

 

It's also a time for our resident butterflies to enjoy their garden. With the rainy season comes an explosion of plants and also of butterflies. Besides the colonies of black and yellow Swallowtail that live here year round, we have have a profusion of others. These orange Gulf Fritillary have been fluttering around each other, doing a mating dance. Eggs will be laid and a few weeks after, the resulting caterpillar will be munching through a passion vine before starting the process all over again. 

 

Florida is not just a place to escape the winter.  It's a place filled with hidden and exotic beauty all year round - all you need to do is come and explore. Okay and bring sunblock and maybe a little bug spray - but it's worth it. Promise!

The Journey Continues!

We can't even begin to explain where we've been these last 9 months. Steve was teaching this past Fall at HBS. Karen was at art school in Sarasota, spending weekends with Steve on Useppa island in southwest Florida. Beyond wonderful friends, it's sailing for Steve and butterfly gardening for Karen.  

The winged guests were numerous. As we prepared to depart Useppa for a month of boating on Blue Chip, it is the black Polydamas  butterflies who dominate. 

 

Dozens can be found flitting around the garden  mating and laying their eggs.

 

Their caterpillars of all sizes munch away on our Dutcman's Pipevines, with its plate sized purple with yellow splotched flowers.  

 

This week we had the added delight of hundreds of hummingbirds descending on Useppa, particularly in the butterfly garden where there is an abundance of nectar plants. They've  been playing tag with the black Polydamas butterflies. The green feathered dimunituve birds easily blend in with their favorite firebush. 

 

The exceptional number of  enchanting hummingbirds is the result of a "fallout" having been buffeted by recent storms while on their migratory pathway North for the summer. We welcome them with plants they absolutely need to feed on in order to finish their journey - as we also prepare for our journey North. 

Butterfly Garden in Action!

This is officially my new obsession. On my way back from Eugene, I stopped by on Useppa to close up the house and - okay - check on the butterfly garden. Everything is blooming and butterflies are out in the dozens. The Pipevine planted in March has  grown to over 20 feet tall, rapidly covering the trellis put in place just for its use. The black with yellow stripe Polydamas are out in the dozens. They were rubbing tails (i.e. mating) and laying eggs. It is beyond description to see them transition from flittering about to folding their wings and carefully hovering to lay the tiniest of golden eggs in precisely strict clustered lines. 

                          

The  eggs hatch a couple of weeks later. What's unique for this species is that the small golden caterpillars that emerge remain in a cluster as they travel along eating in an ever moving pack. It's not unusual to watch them cause multiple giant leaves to simply vanish. As they transition from 1 to 3 inches, they separate from each other to more easily satisfy their appetites. 

                      

At this point the most miraculous transformation occurs. The small golden mass eventually becomes individual large black gold spotted caterpillar and then a hairy looking creature of about three inches long. Slowly it attaches a strong silk filament to a stem and spins its cocoon (chrysalis), hiding within the tan and yellow structure for weeks as it metamorphosis back to the black and yellow butterfly. 

                     

   Here you can see the relative size of egg to chrysalis. To me, and all those kindergarten and first graders, the process is as close to magic as I've witnessed in the natural world.  

                                

If you missed this  natural science section (maybe you had chicken pocks that week),  feel free to visit the butterfly garden and see it for yourself. It's mesmerizing. You will see the world around you through an entirely different, magical lense.

Lepidoptera Flourishes on Useppa - Or - If You Plant it They Will Come

The Useppa Island Butterfly Society originated several years ago when the island donated a sandy, unbuildable 1/3 acre plot to the care of islanders Colleen and  Craig Ligabell for a butterfly garden. When they departed three years ago, Judith Sear and I (that would be Karen)  took over its stewardship. 

Butterflies each have a specific plant or plant family they will lay their eggs on and can detect these from as far as five miles away. Could we attract more Florida specific butterflies to Useppa and encourage them to remain here? What began as simply keeping the partly developed site going turned into spread sheets identifying native flowering plants to reduce water usage, while cross referencing nectar versus larval plants in the correct proportion to attract less migratory butterflies that would happily reside on Useppa year round. This year was the big push.

      

        

Bamboo structures which had been built from island harvested stands were cleared, many having collapsed from the weight of 200 pound mature vines, coupled with the 40 and 50 MPH winds that can tear across the island. Gatewood Construction helped us to rebar and cement cedar trellises that we hope to have for many years to come. 

                          

Dutcman's pipe vine grew as rapidly as a couple of feet a day to quickly cover its trellis. The minute yellow eggs, the size of a pencil point, are the first sign of our success. Swallowtails search out pipevine as their preferred plant for laying clusters of eggs. The hatched larva/caterpillars remain in clusters as they quickly devour the vine's dense foliage.

                     

                            

Gulf Fritillary lay individual minute brown and tan eggs on the underside of passion vines. The Lady Margaret crimson colored passion vine boasts further evidence of success. The orange caterpillars "hatch" from the egg and quickly become the size of a nail's crescent. Voraciously eating the vine,  they will eventually grow black spikes and rapidly become over an inch long before curling up into a chrysalis from which a butterfly will emerge. These butterflies are native to the Gulf of Mexico, hence their name. Given the correct balance of larval and nectar plants, these hatchlings should stay with us on Useppa for generations to come. 

                         

The most rewarding aspect of the days dedicated to planning, planting, weeding, relocating plants, fending off gopher turtles that love our tender seedlings (don't get me started!) and repairing water lines, is sharing the garden with people of all ages. Young children either inherently know about caterpillars or must have read The Hungry Caterpillar, ever popular with the preschool set. Emerson, one of the island's full time children, visits with a Monarch caterpillar, happily munching on scarlet milkweed.

                         

It's us older folk that often have confusion about how the whole butterfly lifecycle works. Here's five of the seven stages we painted on stepping stones so that the the young people have a teaching tool for those that somehow missed hatching butterflies chapter at school. 

    

Having a garden has always been a dream of mine. As a New York City - and now Boston - girl, I thought I'd have to be content with pots and containers. Now I can spend days on end painting the landscape with color and structure that has purpose. (I know those of you that know me well are simply  shocked to hear that spreadsheets and highlighters  were involved in the creative process in creating this garden. It's just SO unlike me!) Do you think There is a graduate program that would certify me as a master gardener and lepidopterist while still obtaining an MFA? How many lives do we have? Come visit the garden.

What happens on Useppa?

It's challenging to imagine what could possibly occupy us on an island 1 mile long, a 1/4 mile wide, with no paved roads, cars or shops and only one small restaurant. To give you an idea, here's a recap of this past winter. 

Steve started the year winning a quadrant of the annual croquet tournament. When not addressing the ball in his whites, he's been working this past year to bring reliable  Internet service to our little island of 100 homes. UWIN - Useppa Wireless Internet Network - has been an experience of fortitude and patience (peppered with a bit of cursing) for Steve and his small band of determined, tech savvy islanders. Nothing deters the UWIN team. OSHA is clearly NOT present and life insurance policies have been significantly increased as the team scales the Inn's three story metal roof by rope, sans harnesses, and wearing boat shoes (!) to view potential tower locations. Fellow Useppans will be grateful when we're high speed live, but collections for the UWIN widows is also being discussed. 

Land stewardship was another theme this year as the Kaufmans, with their neighbors the Sears, identified an arborist (NOT island volunteers in boat shoes with ragged ropes!) to help rescue one of the island's two banyan trees that reside in front of our homes. 

Years of rot have been trimmed back. The tree is again safe to climb and hopefully will last another 100 years. 

A person has to eat and Useppans like nothing more than to entertain. Net result a coq a vin cooking class. You can guess who prepared the food and who oversaw the table preparation in his tuxedo. 

Any ocassion is worth celebrating. The island prides itself on being an equal opportunity venue as O'Kaufman presided over the St Patrick's Day golf cart Parade.

Family and friends are always welcome! They came this year from near and far - some too camera shy to appear here. Know that you are welcome to join us - just ask. And if the island activities don't win you over ...... 

  

... then sunsets surely will. 

Seville - perfectly bejeweled

Poets, authors, artist and composers have long espoused the love they have for Seville. There is something glorious about the combination of Moorish and Christian Spain that creates magic. 

Historical buildings, from as early as the 8th century, are lavishly embellished with decorative Moorish arches, elaborately carved painted and gilded ceilings of wood or plaster and walls covered with azulejos glazed ceramic tiles that are reminiscent of those found in Morocco. The result is jewelbox homes with fountain centered courtyards and carefully planned gardens dotted with orange trees. 

The Christian conquest in the late 13th century kept the Arabic structures and simply incorporated them within their gothic architecture. Therefore, Seville's monumental cathedral's core is the earlier built masque. The all  important bell tower (La Giraldi) is the 10th century minaret.

The final cathedral is an incredible mix of architecural styles, from Moorish to Rococo, that evolved over centuries. A knave's pure silver alter is stunning. The interior tomb of Chistopher Columbus was a surprise.  (He wasn't always the most popular guy at court, but gained favor by ultimately opening up the New World, and therefore Seville and its port on the Guadalquivir  to incredible commercial growth.) 

The whitewashed and colorfully decorated labyrinth of Santa Cruz is the old Jewish quarter, ironically located alongside these religious structures with thier large public squares. The Jews were generally not embraced by the Moors and many left Seville.  They returned with Christian rule, which turned out to be a BIG mistake, even well before the Inquisition. Thousands died and although none of the old synagogues remain, the Santa Cruz quarter lives on with a museum that tells the awkward relationship that Spain has had with this population over hundreds of years.

Seville is all about life, energy, bull fighting, Flamenco and cafes which stay open late at night with children still running around outside close to midnight. It's an easy going, friendly local - in fact we ran into a branch of the Useppa Miller clan - Kathy and Scott - who were bringing their daughter to a week of camp in Spain, while they "waited" for her in Portugal. Now THERE'S an idea!

It can't be!

What are the chances?

Tempted by the Hope Town Inn and Marina's outdoor trellised restaurant, we wander off Blue Chip and who do we run into, but the Dimmitts! Fellow Useppan residents, Richard and Doreen, were escaping for a long weekend of R&R to this quant town with Victorian cottages on Elbow Cay. Having come here for many years, they shared the best places for the essentials - pies, ice cream and snacks. Here they are water shuttling across with the Dohertys to the other side of the harbor.

You never know who you might meet.

Conch farewell

You know someone has officially left the island when the conch shell sounds. The Kaufmans wave farewell from Blue Chip to the "tunes" of the conch as played by a favorite Useppa neighbor, and sometimes crew, Coleen Ligibel.

We'll miss you and the blogmeister!

Spring Break

This Easter was full of firsts - and seconds. For the 2nd time, Clara brought her Mom, Dad and little sister Evie to Useppa for Spring break. For the first time Clara participated in the children's fishing tournament and caught three, including one of the day's largest. Evie had her first Easter egg hunt. Usually fearless, she wasn't so sure about the six foot tall Easter bunny. There was much eating, laughing, lots of events and meeting new friends. They wore us out, but we all loved it!

Not so guilty pleasure

Whether its hosting a party to celebrate our neighbors and Blue Chip's Useppa arrival or simply a Tuesday evening, this is our backyard view. Prefer sunrise? Take a look out the front door.

You could be here - just give us a call.

Useppa Thanksgiving Recruits

This year, not only did we make it to Useppa for a LONG Thanksgiving weekend, we brought along 5 willing recruits. Karen's nephews Cal and Tim were joined by their friend Jesse while Crysta was there with her friend Erin. But what to do if your under 30 on an island with no cars or malls?

The boys built a VERY impressive lean two with found items at a small private beach at the island's end. Incredibly impressive and, along with their fishing prowess, proving that these three are definitely the guys you want to have with you if ever shipwrecked.

The girls chose to relax and wowed the islanders with their croquet abilities. They insist it's the first time they've played, but their shots indicated otherwise. Beginners luck, Erin's birthday luck or were they just faking us out? Steve came back with a one stroke shot through the wicket from across the court, but the girls were still tough to beat.

We all had fun. The weather was terrific and the turkey available in abundance. We hope they'll return again for more kayaking, swimming, fishing, exploring and did we mention eating?

A Final Visit

Calvin and Rinda have become our "regular" Useppa guests. But it's April and finally time to close the house. New adventures await. Until next time.....