Silhouettes at Sunset ~ 1~29~10 ~ Paragliding at Sunset

This last week has brought a mixture of cooler weather and some days of very pleasant, warm weather. On one of my evenings while shooting a sunset I caught some activity at the north end of Anna Maria Island. Richie King was flying high in his paraglider observing a spectacular sunset as his image reflected the colors of the sun.  I wondered what thoughts you must have with such a view as you look over the horizon into the stillness of the evening with only the soft sound of the motor on the glider.  What a wonderful place to clear your mind while you allow your eyes to soak up the amazing glow of a sunset and watch the sun effortlessly sink into the Gulf of Mexico. This gave me a thought! Maybe it is time for me to take up paragliding! I could get some great shots of the sunset from that perspective. On the other side of the coin, the cold weather that brought some awesome sunsets into view also caused much of the vegetation including the fish, turtles and manatees to die. Rescue was in place for the suffering and many were moved to a warmer location. They can survive if only for a few days but we have had several weeks of colder weather this year and the warm waters of the Gulf are a bit cooler now. We actually had a fall in January where many of the trees turned to fall colors. That is a first for me! You have to remember we also hit 80 degrees last week! A special shout-out to Richie and my clients Russ and Ann who were some of my silhouettes at sunset. Remember to click on the gallery pictures to enlarge them and please, enjoy the sunset!

Written by Melinda Bordes ~ 941-705-0146 ~ melinda@annamariasunset.com ~ Whether you are thinking about buying or selling on Anna Maria Island or surrounding areas please feel free to contact me with all of your real estate needs. The buyers are present and making offers in hopes of owning a piece of paradise. Even though we had a cold snap this past few weeks from the reports I am getting many have had a severe winter. Keep in mind we have not hit freezing and we still boast about our days at 80 degrees. Come to the Island and feel the warmth!

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ 1~10~2010 ~ Sandman and Sunsets

If you are a snow bird who has ventured to Anna Maria Island in search of sunshine and to thaw your extremities, these last two weeks have offered more of the same weather as what those north of us are experiencing.  As the picture of the sandman suggests, there was some confusion about building a snow man instead of a sand castle. Though he looks somewhat out of place, it is more conducive to the weather we have felt coming in from the north. But the beautiful thing about Anna Maria is that if you stick around the weather will show its warming trend and offer plenty of sunshine and warmth. We are expecting to be back in the mid-70’s by the weekend. The locals have to dig deeply to find those gloves and scarves packed in boxes that are rarely opened. The tune we hear at Island Real Estate by the visitors is “you should feel the weather we just left!” They seem happy to be here surrounded by all of the beauty offered on the Gulf Coast on Anna Maria Island. The sunsets are to die for and with colder weather and the changes in the atmosphere we witness some magnificent sunsets. While walking this last week I was fortunate to have my camera and capture such an amazing sunset. I have never seen one quite so dramatic with the sun’s rays streaming through holes in the clouds as though there were many different sunsets. This unbelievable sunset rates as one of my all time favorites, so please enjoy the sunset! Click on the gallery pictures to enlarge them!

Written by Melinda Bordes ~ 941-705-0146 ~ melinda@annamariasunset.com  ~ Whether buying or selling on or around Anna Maria Island please feel free to contact me with all of your real estate needs. We were voted one of fourteen of the most favorite Islands in the world and noted as “Best Quaint Island”! That will help to improve property value! If you are an investor or just looking for the perfect second home the time is now to purchase on one of the most beautiful “family” Islands in the world! Come and see for yourself!

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ 12~14~09 Clients and New Friends

This week was challenging as we experienced drizzly rain and a bit cooler weather during the week. With potential clients headed to Anna Maria to search for that perfect investment property there were still no complaints as the weather they had just escaped north of Chicago was nothing less than frigid. By Friday we had returned to bright sunshine and and in the 80’s. For the locals on Anna Maria, you could not have asked for more perfect weather on Saturday as our locals and visitors lined the streets to watch our annual Christmas Parade and to catch the throws from the floats and see Jolly Ole St. Nick bringing up the end of the parade. We also had a large art show happening in Holmes Beach and the sunny beaches were an exceptional place to be. Of  course the sunsets were “to die for”.  Priscilla had friends visiting her and they are just glad she lives so near to such an awesome beach. The Miller’s and Trusther had just flown in from S. Indy and nestled themselves in the sand to toast an amazing sunset. I do not believe anyone was disappointed and we hope you will all come back soon for another visit.  Please, enjoy the sunset!  Don’t forget to click on the gallery pictures to enlarge them!

Written by Melinda Bordes~941~705~0146~ melinda@annamariasunset.com ~ Whether buying or selling on Anna Maria Island or surrounding areas please feel free to contact me with all of you real estate needs. The buyers are buzzing the area looking for a great deal in this market and the sellers are feeling the bottom of the market finally. Don’t miss out on purchasing an investment property in a location that is only going to grow in popularity as more people find this Island. The unique fact here is that we can only honor so much growth. With strict permitting three stories is the allowance for building, and most lots are already built up. I believe you get my gist!! With all of the coverage in major publications this year, guess what happens to our value!! You may not want to be the one lagging behind because now is the time to buy!! Come and catch a sunset and let that help you make up your mind!!    

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ Nov. 21, 2009 ~ Happy Thanksgiving

Anna Maria Island continues to see beautiful weather and amazing sunsets. Many families will rush to the Island to leave the cold and gather with other family members to partake in Turkey and the trimmings. If you live on Anna Maria you do not wait until Thanksgiving to give thanks. Everyday you wake up and see the splendor of our Island, you cannot help but stop and give thanks for the opportunity that we,  somehow in life,  have managed to live and be surrounded by nature in a place where most visitors simply describe as Paradise. We will see many seeking out the Island to spend some family time and catch some incredible sunsets as they make their guilt walks on the beach from indulging in way too much delicious holiday food and fun!! A special thanks to the families that became my silhouettes this week and were enjoying the beauty on Anna Maria while staying connected to family and nature! Remember to click on the gallery pictures to enlarge them!

Written by Melinda Bordes~941-705-0146~ melinda@annamariasunset.com ~Whether buying or selling on Anna Maria Island or surrounding areas please feel free to contact me for all of your real estate needs! Season is fast approaching and inventory is dropping. The time is now!! Remember to be thankful this week and every week because some of the most beautiful and richest gifts are free. Just look around and please enjoy the sunset! Happy Thanksgiving!

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ Oct. 29, 2009 ~ Defining a Sunset

Anna Maria Island is the essence of the sunset. Sunset is defined as the time when the upper limb of the sun disappears below the sensible horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth. It is also defined as the apparent descent of the sun below the horizon. Dr. Bruce Cordell, a rocket scientist, describes a sunset as “God’s signature on the day.” Dr. Cordell writes a brilliant blog on space and the future.   Yes, there really is such a thing as a rocket scientist. Another definition is the close, or final stage, of any period. Since today is my birthday, I suppose you could say yesterday was the sunset for that “particular year” in my life. A sunset also encompasses the atmospheric phenomena accompanying the disappearance of the sun. This is the substance for Silhouettes at Sunset. Because of the atmospheric changes, seasons, clouds, weather and the sun sinking into the Gulf of Mexico, each night presents herself with panoramic majesty and an original palette bouncing off the lens of my camera. Each sunset is unique and allows a different story to be told. Because sunset gazing is a ritual on Anna Maria Island, my silhouettes line the beach ~ whether it is in human, plant or animal form. So I invite you to join me as we observe another celestial happening. Be sure to click on the gallery pictures to enlarge them and please, enjoy the sunset!

Written by Melinda Bordes ~ 941-705-0146 ~ melinda@annamariasunset.com Whether buying or selling real estate on Anna Maria Island and surrounding areas please feel free to contact me with all of your real estate needs. Rates are down, prices are down and the buyers are up!! Anna Maria is ahead of most of FL as far as bouncing back and experiencing an active market. Europeans and Canadians are actively seeking ownership on one of the most beautiful Islands anywhere. With high season only a few months away, we will see our inventory diminishing showing giant steps in what has been called a declining market. There is only one way to travel once you have hit bottom and that is up. Think about it, when would you want to be buying a piece of paradise? Don’t forget that we just throw the sunsets and the laid-back attitude in for free!!  For more information visit Island Real Estate’s website.
For more information on the Rod and Reel pier visit our informational page.

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ Oct. 22, 2009 ~

While I understand some folks are seeing snow up north, Atlanta, GA has had an overabundance of rain and it went straight from summer to downpour to winter. Here on Anna Maria Island we just got our first cooler snap and this last weekend was in the lower 50’s. The “fall feel” was perfect for everyone dying to wear their jeans and attend Bayfest on Pine Avenue this last weekend. With an array of bands, food and drinks and a party atmosphere those who came to the Island to work on their tan lines quickly gave in to the gathering enjoying all of the sights and sounds of locals and visitors immersed in fun! But because it is my responsibility to share this last weeks sunsets with you I will leave the Bayfest photos up to someone else. As always, we have continued to have some spectacular sunsets and I have been busy snapping those wonderful silhouettes with the sunset and blazing sky as their backdrop. October skies appear bright blue and the sunsets are much more intense. What an incredible time to observe a sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. Please, enjoy the sunset!

Written by Melinda Bordes ~ 941-705-7046 ~ melinda@annamariasunset.com ~ Whether buying or selling real estate on Anna Maria Island or surrounding areas please feel free to contact me to assist you. If you have never seen the Island in October you have no idea what you may be missing. With lower humidity, crisp blue skies and sunsets that are breathtaking, you may want to consider a trip to Anna Maria just so you can catch one of these amazing sunsets. I have the best job!   For more information on Melinda Bordes visit Island Real Estate’s website.

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ September 25, 2009 ~ Slo-o-o-ow Season

 

This is a time of solitude and quiescence if you live on Anna Maria Island. As I walk the beach at sunset I am able to focus on my life and the events that have passed through very complacent or with thunder! Most of the visitors are gone right now and we are at our slow peak. So it gives us time to reflect or just be still in the awesome display of Mr. Sunset. The locals have found this to be our time to be the tourist and see our beautiful Island as our beloved visitors view her. When you greet the excited guest who are checking in for their holiday or vacation you feel a bit jealous. Then when we wake up to reality we realize just how fortunate we are because we have actually chosen to live here. It makes it difficult to go on vacation to other beach destinations because we sport one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, our peach of a beach, Anna Maria Island. One of my best life choices was to live on Anna Maria and looking back after 14 years there are no regrets, just a peaceful feeling deep in my soul. Man, I love this place and it makes me proud to be called a local.

Written by Melinda Bordes~941-705-0146~ melinda@annamariasunset.com ~ Whether buying or selling real estate on Anna Maria Island or surrounding area feel free to call me to assist you! Interest rates have dropped below 5% and prices are settling in at their bottom. Buyers are back and are displaying a confidence in this market once again. It is amazing that we are seeing such activity in our slow season. Isn’t it time that you thought about owning your very own slice of paradise?

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ 09~12~09 ~ Sequence of A Sunset

 

Have you ever stood on the edge of where the waves meet the sand at final landing and tried to take it into the real prospective? Some of my sunset walks find me to be flying solo~just me and the gulls, skimmers and blues and the sun slowly sinking to the west over Anna Maria Island into the Gulf of Mexico. It can be chilling when you look at the bigger picture of how this all really works and can make you feel very small like a grain of sand. In this walk called life we are sent so many interferences and tests that make us either become stronger, better and wiser, or if misdirected we take the opposite path trying to rely on our own knowledge and strength. It all has to do with the magnificence of soaking up a sunset. I have personally grown in so may ways by just reaching out and letting nature just touch me. I am awed by what this tiny, small Island teaches so many people who come for just a visit or decide they have come home when they drive across the bridge that connects a little bit of heaven with the rest of the world!

Written by Melinda Bordes~941-705-0146~ melinda@annamariasunset.comWhether buying or selling on Anna Maria Island or surrounding areas please contact me for all of your real estate needs. Be sure and click on the smaller pictures to enlarge them. Maybe it is time for you to cross that bridge to the Island and inhale the salt air while you allow the sunset to teach you exactly what “awe” means! Please, enjoy the sunset!

Silhouettes at Sunset ~ 8~25~09 ~ Back to School

 

 

We have reached that time of the year where we see fewer people and mostly locals on our beaches. It came to a screeching halt on Sunday as everyone busied themselves with shopping for school items. The traffic has increased on Anna Maria Island as kids are dropped off at the elementary school at the start of a new school year. I am sure that many had butterflies as they found their new classrooms and met their teachers for the first time. It was a new experience for some who got to ride the big yellow buses to school. It is an exciting time for moms with mixed emotions as they wave goodbye to the kids and try and decide what they will do with all of the spare time on their hands. I bet you will find some who saunter on down to the beach dragging their comfy beach chair and that book they have been waiting to read. If you are having difficulty getting to the beach at sunset then I can provide you with the best of the best of sunsets right here. Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge them. Just log on weekly, and please enjoy the sunset.

Written by  Melinda Bordes ~ 941-705-0146 ~ melinda@annamariasunset.com ~ Whether buying or selling real estate on Anna Maria Island or surrounding areas please feel free to call me with all of your real estate needs! We have seen an increase in buyers and a decrease in inventory as prices have dropped significantly in the last few years. With interest rates holding at just above 5% it is a great time to invest in one of the most beautiful and serene Islands, our own Anna Maria Island. What better way to catch one of our amazing sunsets than the porch of you Gulf front home.  

Silhouetts at Sunset ~ July 4, 2009 ~ God Bless America

Today as we celebrated Independence Day in America, Anna Maria Island held her patriotic head up high and paid tribute to our country as only an Island should!  For some of us that participated in the full day’s activities it began very early decorating our floats and cars that would toss candy and beads to the awaiting visitors and locals that lined the streets. We started at Coquina Beach and ended at Bay Front Park at the north end. With the mid-day heat hovering around mid-90’s we welcomed the hoses along the way that cooled us! The crowd was a mass of red, white and blue the entire length of the route. Music was blaring from many of the floats and the crowd and floaters took patriotism to a whole new level!  The afternoon was spent swimming at the beach and you could smell the aroma of barbecue as it filled the air. By night fall it was time to flood the beaches to catch the sunset and eagerly await the fireworks extravaganza displayed by the Sandbar Restaurant. The sunset was almost a fireworks show in itself. You could see sparklers waving in the air adding to the illumination at twilight. Then just after 9:00 the skies came alive  as we all sat in our beach chairs watching the colors dance across the sky over the Gulf of Mexico.  This was an ending to a perfect day and one that will be remembered by all as we turned our tired little toes up and slipped into slumber. Anna Maria Island rocks!!

Written by Melinda Bordes ~ 941-705-0146 ~ melinda@annamariasunset.com ~ Whether buying or selling on Anna Maria Island or surrounding areas feel free to call me with all of  your real estate needs. If you want to become one of the locals celebrating just such a day as this maybe it is time for you to seriously consider owning your own home in one of the loveliest communities on the Gulf Coast of Florida! It just doesn’t get any better than this!

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