An Always Exciting April on Useppa Island

Easter was soooo late, this year!

Which gave us all that much more time to play!!  And, April has been BUSY!!

It started with the party sponsored by the Useppa Historical Society to celebrate the Barbara Sumwalt Museum's 20th Birthday.

It was very festive!!  Live music!  Dogs, Brats and Beer! 

 Dancing! Decorations!  Hats!  Speeches! 

And lots of recognition for those that played a key role in making the Museum what it is today.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

SPRING CROQUET

Spring Croquet...this year's tournament was planned to bring out the novices as well as dedicated players.  Golf Croquet on day one, then 9-Wicket Croquet...the backyard croquet that everyone has played in their youth.

SUCCESS!!  A great turnout with well-matched teams ...experienced players partnered with new players to balance the competition, to allow everyone a chance at a win and to create a fun learning situation for the inexperienced.

Our favorite Croquet Pro, Bob Kroeger came to help with the

Tournament and to give lessons on both shot making and strategy.  

See you on the court???

Then....Easter Weekend!

It all started with Egg Coloring at the Tarpon

Followed by the Annual Easter Fishing Tournament for Kids.  And, what a day!  Lots of Fish!!  Lots of Smiles!  Lots of Fun!  And, Lots of Trophies!!

The Wee Ones Had a Great Time!!

Krissie Gear

Lilly Gear

Gabby Gear

The Gear Girls walked away with the big wins!!

EASTER MORNING!!

Useppa residents, once again, came together to create another Sunrise Service on the Beach...this year, featuring the children of Useppa.

That morning, for the first time in decades, it rained...a cool misting rain that dampened us all, but did not dampen the spirit of the occasion or the attendance.

We sang hymns, offered Communion and Passed the Peace.

As Useppa's youth gathered at the front of the assembled group to lead The Lord's Prayer, the sun rose and broke through the clouds...and the rain stopped.

 A wonderfully special Easter Service!

TIME FOR THE EASTER EGG HUNT!

As with the Fishing Tournament, Lots of Eggs, Lots of Smiles, Lots of Squeals of Delight!

It was "Finders-Keepers" and not one child was disappointed.

Families went home to have their own Easter Egg Hunts...to celebrate Easter with other families and/or went to the Collier Inn for an unbelievably great Easter Brunch!

One thing is guaranteed....none of us will escape April without carrying some of it on our hips, thighs or tummy!!

Holidays are something very special on Useppa.  Many families have been celebrating this time, together, for decades.  Friendships that last for an eternity are made and renewed over Easter and Christmas.  Children grow up together....families evolve together and lifetime bonds are made.  

"Useppa Time" is always a memorable time.

Coastal Beauty of 304 Useppa Island Featured in Luxury Home Gallery: DuPont Registry

DuPont Registry is featuring 304 Useppa Island on their homepage.

duPont REGISTRY is the intermediary between luxury home sellers and buyers. Our classifieds include luxury homes and real estate, island property, mansions, ranches, estates, waterfront, and mountain property and more.

Useppa Island, Florida

360 Degree Views - Captivating Useppa Island Location

304 Useppa Island
33924
$3,000,000

Situated on an attached island appendage to Useppa with 360 degree views and a protected cove with docks and a lift is a home designed in the "old Florida" coastal vernacular, nearly 3300 SF. With architectural details that enrich and enlighten the sensory experience, a flowing indoor to outdoor floor plan creates a dialogue between shelter and the complicity of sky, land and water.

View DuPont Registry

Catboat Regatta on Useppa Island

SAILING...SAILING...

Yes...today was the first day of the bi-annual Catboat Regatta on Useppa Island, hosted by the Useppa Island Yacht Club....where there are no dues...no rules.  You just have fun! And, if you have an idea or suggestion....YOU get to do it!!

Four races today...with 28 boats participating from as far away as New Jersey, only a couple of boats caught too much wind and went topsy-turvy!  Didn't catch that on camera but see some of the action, here....

                                             Coming up on the mark....

Rounding the mark....

                                                                                                               
                                 "Ferreting" things out....

Then, replenishing your energy at mid-day cookout!

                             Captured beautifully by Useppa Island artist
                                  Captain Charlie Chapin

Tomorrow, it's a Poker Run.  Race, again, on Saturday.  So, if you're on the water....come watch!!  You can find the action on the east side of Useppa, in Pine Island Sound!

READ ALL ABOUT IT!: Useppa Island Featured in March Issue of Gulfshore Life!

CHECK OUT THE MARCH ISSUE OF GULFSHORE LIFE!!

The fashion shoot photographed on Useppa is on pages 122-129 and the ad featuring four Useppa homes is on page 213.  So….go buy some copies!! Pass ‘em out!  And, LIKE US...and FOLLOW US  www.Facebook.com/PeopleOnUseppa!!    

Here is the ad.....

About Gulfshore Life Magazine:

Since 1970, Gulfshore Life magazine has captured the vibrant spirit, style and natural beauty of Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, from Fort Myers and Cape Coral down to Naples and Marco Island. The region has grown in recent years to become an international hotspot that attracts sophisticated, cosmopolitan residents and visitors from all over the globe. Our coverage of local personalities and pursuits, from arts and entertainment to fashion, real estate and the luxury lifestyle, helps these residents and visitors enjoy the best of the region. The magazine has earned numerous state and national awards for writing, design and publishing excellence—including recognition as Best Overall Magazine two years in a row from the Florida Magazine Association.

Deeply involved in the local community, Gulfshore Life is committed to highlighting and preserving the unique character and resources of our region, and partners with local charitable, cultural and business organizations in a variety of ways. From its Naples offices, Open Sky Media also publishes Gulfshore Life, Gulfshore Life At Home, Discover Southwest Florida Visitors’ Annual, the Naples Chamber of Commerce’s Naples on the Gulf visitors guide; NCH Healthcare System’s Naples Health and numerous other publications.

Behind the Scenes with Gulfshore Life Magazine on Useppa Island

Gulfshore Life is on the newsstands....so we can now "show and tell" about the model.

Aksala, who moved from Russia to Miami to avoid the cold, came to Useppa to do Gulfshore Life's annual fashion shoot.  The wind was howling, the temp was 38 degrees and she wore...not much!

Between shots, the team did what they could to keep her warm

But you could, literally, see her shiver!!  This next shot was perhaps the coldest time of the day....winds whipping.

Looks like Spring, huh???

Useppa Island Featured in Major Publications in 2014

So much to blog....so little time....

Well, January, generally slow, got off to a BANG!  At least, for us!

'Tis "the Season" here in SW Florida and we are advertising to best leverage the interest. We were immediately hit with Production Deadlines?!? All due the same date!  WOW!

We are doing full page ads in DuPont Registry, Soundings and Gulfshore Life plus DuPont Registry is using one of our listings for their "Featured Homes" on their home page.  www.dupontregistry.com/homes. 
(Go to the Featured Home box, upper right quadrant (they cycle fast) click quick on Useppa People Ad.)

Soundings also invited us to be their on-line  "Waterfront Home Feature" for "boat show" month. At  www.SoundingsOnLine.com month."  (Click the "Waterfront" tab, top right.)

Gulshore Life chose to feature Useppa Island as the perfect place to do their Spring Editorial Fashion shoot....8 pages!!  It took a crew of six and one model to pull it together.

               

  A couple in The Palm Garden.

....behind Jay's house 

                       ....On the Collier Preserve

Behind Albert's new house, on one of Irwin's Palms and our back deck for sunset.

And, what a great bunch of people.  We were unable to shoot the areas they had previously scouted so, we all scouted together...trekking through neighbor's back yards, phone in hand to ask permission whenever they found the perfect spot.  It was gusting to 35 knots at 40 degrees.  Brrrrr!! Between playing the wind, the sun and the temp, it was very interesting. That model made it look like 80-degree weather.

And, NO!!!  This is not the model.  Of course, every crew has it's comedian...this is "the Techie," Javier from Miami.  They were all independent contractors .  I could take pictures of everyone BUT the model - something to do with her Agency, how the photos are used, etc.

This is the afternoon break...still freezing.  Left to right...the tech guy, Gulfshore Life Fashion Editor, photographer from New York and Australia, hair and make-up expert and another tech assistant.  The fashion coordinator and assistant were in another room, with the model, coordinating, shoes, jewelry......underwear or NOT???

They were more than a little protective of both model and fashion pieces as Gulfshore Life is THE fashion opinion leader in SW Florida. So I could not shoot anything "definitive"....just the process.  I actually do have some photos of the model but am honor bound NOT to show them until after the publication is out. 

The whole process was absolutely amazing! Some had worked together, most had not. Yet, as a team, they worked like a well-oiled machine. 

A few had to get back, so Brian got to boat 'em back...in 38 degrees minus wind chill.  Those that stayed were super fun!!  A little dinner....a little wine....a few jokes....a few stories on each other and prior shoots....  A good group!  They were an experience, by themselves. 

And, rumor has it....they'll be back!!!

Useppa Island Featured on US Harbours

Travel writer and resident of Useppa Island, Gretchen Coyle, shares her perspective of the various lifestyles and activities found on Useppa, in this article from US Harbors.

USHarbors delivers free, printable tide charts, onshore and marine forecasts, buoy data, weather radar, a steady stream of local knowledge, and a directory of coastal businesses. 

Useppa Island Lifestyles

Is it a harbor? A private island? A marina? What the heck does the name “Useppa” mean, and where is it located? For me and my husband, Useppa Island, Florida, is our home for six months of the year — and it has been for almost thirty-five years.

The island is private, but the definition of that sort of depends on who you know, your membership status, whose guest you might be, and what boating organizations you might be a part of that might have privileges.

Our home is a 1912 Collier Cottage, built by Barron Collier as bedrooms and baths while visitors ate meals in a large inn on the north end of the island. Over the years we have restored and added to the structure while keeping the mullioned windows and look of the old home.

Read the article Useppa Island-Life at a slower pace