Vistiors, Vistors and More Vistors--It Must Be March!

It's March on Sanibel--which means  those of us who live here are pretty much guaranteed company, visitors from the north who want to escape the cold and soak up some sunshine.  And that's great.  It's good to see old friends and family members, good to have a chance to catch up. 

It also means the island population swells.  Traffic many days looks like a subtropical version of rush hour on the roads outside of New York--but  a bit more laidback.  People rarely honk their horns!  Restaurants are packed--you almost always have to wait for a table.  But that stuff is good as well--our local economy depends on it!

And church attendance is up.  Way up.  Here at Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ our Sunday morning attendance quadruples in season!  Amazing!

When we talk about these things we often refer to "the seasonal effect"--how our lives go from the slow pace of summer to the harried pace of winter and then back again.  How everything we plan has to take into account the fluctuation in numbers that we live with year round.  One thing is for certain, it's never dull!

There's a rather snarky bumper sticker that I see every so often here on the island and in neighboring Fort Myers.  It is always found on cars and trucks with Florida plates.  It reads:  "Some of us aren't on vacation."  OK--it's funny--but it's not exactly hospitable!  If you're a visitor, don't take it personally.  Most of us are really glad you're here.  Though some would agree with my grandmother, who used to say about our family with four rambunctious children, "I'm glad to see them come, and I'm glad to see them go!"

But bottom line:  We're delighted you are here!  Enjoy the sunshine, the warmth and the beaches.  And come July or August, we'll return the favor!