House Talk with Silvia Dukes

There are neighborhood parties popping up all over Hernando Beach this Saturday.  And what better night to choose than the night the annual Christmas Boat parade sponsored by the Hernando Beach Yacht Club is taking place. 

Festively decorated boats begin their journey from the Yacht Club at Shoal Line Blvd down the many Hernando Beach canals.  Visitors coming from all over the County will line along the canals on vacant lots to cheer on their favorites and join into the fun.  Likewise Hernando Beach residents show off their holiday light displays.

Parade takes place on Saturday, December 20th, and begins at 6:00 PM.  Enjoy!

 

....all around us! Although times are difficult for many people right now it is important to recognize that there are many things that can still be enjoyed without a great deal of expense. 

Just take a look around you... festive decorations - either put up by commercial enterprises such as a mall, subdivisions, communities, or private homeowners - are everywhere and the best thing of all, they are free to enjoy! 

I came upon this Christmas tree the other day and was stunned! Not something I could possibly put into my house but it gave me such pleasure just sitting there, taking a break and looking at it before retrieving my camera from the car!

There are added benefits too, you won't have to put up and take down these decorations nor would you have to store them!

Whether you are out driving in your car to work, to shopping, or to pick up the kids, notice the many different styles and individual choices from the simply elegant to the whimsical and outright funny!  There is something for everyone.

Enjoy a happy holiday season!

 

 

 

 

 

Following a sign much like the usual yard sale signs that pop up everywhere on weekends and announcing "Holidays in the Gardens" lead me to the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens today.

Located  just a few blocks away from a busy highway,    I found the most wonderful and tranquil little place, perfect for a break from the hectic of everyday life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

Above: Entrance area.  Left: Live Oak with Ivy

As I approached the entrance area, I was greeted by friendly and enthusiastic volunteers pointing out the features of the gardens. 

As it happened, the second annual "Holidays in the Gardens" event took place today.  Numerous Christmas trees  decorated by local organizations and clubs were displayed throughout the gardens giving these organizations a venue to promote themselves with the visiting public encouraged to vote for their favorite tree!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Above left: Boys and Girls Club of Hernando County; above right:  Red Hat Society

Encompassing an area of 3.5 acres, the grounds have been lovingly designed into 17 different gardens such as butterfly garden, cactus garden, wildflower and native plant areas, a tropical garden, and even a small rose garden with a large seating area for outdoor entertaining. 

   

 

 

 

Throughout the botanical gardens, benches and other seating arrangements invite the visitor to pause and enjoy such as the Japanese Garden featuring a tea house and a pond. 

Below: Secret Garden, Cactus Garden.

 

 

 

 

  

 

Above right: Bromeliad Garden containing one for Florida's largest collections of bromeliads.

The Nature Coast Botanical Gardens are operated entirely by volunteers from the Spring Hill Garden Club and others and partially supported through grants but also through tax deductible donations.  There is also a nursery open to sell plants Saturdays and Mondays from 9 - Noon.

The Botanical Gardens are open to the public from dawn to dusk.  They are located at 1489 Parker Avenue, Spring Hill Florida.  Get there via US 19, go East on Spring Hill Drive, turn North onto Parker Ave just past the Kenlake Drive intersection.

Definetely worth a visit, the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens are a true oasis in the middle of busy town and a "secret" that should not be kept!

 

 

This year, the Nature Coast English Car Club and the Sun Coast Classic MG Club have joined forces to sponsor the Hernando County Toys for Tots program.  Last year's event was a great success, the car club loaded up a "Mini" car load full of toys to the cause.

The event will be in form of a Jamboree to raise funds and toys.  The event is open to all makes of classic cars, hot rods, and motorcycles and taking place at Weeki Wachee Springs.  There will music, food, attendance by the Weeki Wachee Mermaids, and of course a visit from Santa himself!

Admission is $10.00 or a new toy of equivalent value, larger donations will be gladly accepted.

Come join the fun and help make a child smile this Christmas!

When:  Sunday, December 7, 2008, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Where:  Weeki Wachee Springs, US 19/Hwy 50

All proceeds will benefit the Hernando County Toys for Tots Program.

 

 

 

 

 

I am excited that this week, I will attend the first and requisite course towards the Certified International Property Specialist designation. 

Already having successfully represented international buyers in four transactions just in the second half of this year, I feel I have fulfilled one of the - in my opinion - major requirements of the certification. 

Working in a market that is dominated by short sales and foreclosures, I realized that more than half of the dollar volume in sales for me this year came from international buyers.  This is definetely a market niche that I feel comfortable in and want to pursue further.  So my first step is to educate myself so I can better target, attract, and serve these customers.

Stay tuned... there will be more!

 

 

There's always much talk about the lack of seasons in Florida.  However, in addition to the "normal" seasons, we do have one extra one "Hurricane Season" beginning in May of each year.  November 30th finally marks the end of this "season". 

This year, there were 16 named storms of which eight turned into hurricanes with winds above 60 mph and of those only five were major hurricanes of category 3.  NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, considers this years storm activity above normal.  However, just as in the past four years, none of these storms impacted the Hernando County area in a major way although one of the storms travelled up the West coast and brought some heavier winds to the area.