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Hello Folks,

Last week was the annual Fort Myers Beach Sandsculpting Contest. The contest started about midweek and ended with the final awards ceremony being on Sunday November 8^th at 1:00pm. In normal fashion, I just HAD to go down and check out the artwork.

Upon arriving I was informed that ‘things had changed" in regards to the contest and public participation / viewing ..... This year the "powers to be" put up a barrier around the sand sculpting area and if you wanted into "the area" you would have to pay a fee. In the past this has always been a FREE event to view. Fortunately the boundaries which allowed for FREE viewing were not very far away and if you had a camera which would ZOOM, then you would have pictures just like you were standing next to the sculpture. ...... provided you arrived early enough to beat the crowd.

Below are some pictures of the sand sculpting artwork, I will also add that I believe last year's sculptures were a bit nicer, but everyone has their own opinion and who am I to complain ..... I couldn't come close to the quality of artwork these people produce. Heck my "castles" would be composed of sand being packed into a small bucket and then flipped upside down to create my masterpiece.

The next photo is of a sculpting which recogizes all of the sponsors for the 2009 contest.

The orginal tiki huts started some 1450 BC with the Calusa Indians who at the time controlled most of south west Florida. Their influence in tiki building was brought to our Seminole Indians or “run-away-Indians” who transformed the tiki hut. They name this shelter “chickee” which means home in Seminole.

Westernized tiki in Fort Myers Beach

Though these island tikis are highly influenced by the Seminole Indians technique, there are some major differences to the fastening of the timber together to the palms. More modern tikis use different forms of nails and treated woods including waterproofing sealants over the roof.

The Florida Seminole Indians, who were pressed and hounded by American soldiers and push deep into of the Everglades, were master at relocating and moving quickly and that is the reason why these “Seminole chickees” though conformable, were built in such a way that they could be put together or taken apart rapidly. They were meant to be temporary.

Our Florida Indians,by the way, never lost the war against the US soldiers. These master run-a-ways managed to save their culture and people by hiding in the very wild and inhospitable depth of the Everglades. The largest Seminole Communities are still found in the Everglades and manage their own settlements and businesses with independent pride and a fair amount of success. They do not follow the rest of Southwest Florida building codes, unless they want to.

When I look at these Fort Myers Beach tiki huts I think of the long history behind these dwellings. Basic chickees use a thatch of palmettos supported by logs of cypress wood.Only Seminole Indians are allowed and authorized to removed cypress logs from our Floridian marches for building purposes.

Fort Myers Beach tikli huts along the Gulf Of Mexico

The Seminole Indians by the way consisted of a few different related tribes who migrated before the 1750’s to Northern Florida and were pushed deeper in the south by the US soldiers in the 1800’s.

Seminole Chickee Southwest Florida

Original chickees had a platform above the ground to protect against insects, animals, and provide more cooling. These days true chickees are built only by Seminole Indians and if hired they do not need to get a construction permit, they do need to follow zoning regulations.

Many homes in Fort Myers Beach and southwest Florida have adopted both of these dwellings on their properties, specially as a sun shelter, or as covered patios and are even seen on docks. They stay very popular.

Another time I will mention another great invention: the tiki bar!

For more information regarding Fort Myers Beach homes with bathrooms and air conditioning contact Lloyd!

LLoyd Nichols

cell: 239-810-2980
office: 239-463-5217
Activerain Local Blog: http://localism.com/neighbor/lloydn
Active Rain Blog: http://activerain.com/lloydn
Website: http://www.mlsouthwestfloridahomes.com
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Old lady Ida is sure stirring things up in the Gulf of Mexico. Check out these waves at the beach in Sanibel, FL. Looks like SW Florida might have a few more days of cloudy skies and sprinkles...

Poor Mr. Jellyfish didn't make it through the bashing of the surf. He's a big one!

The Fort Myers Beach 2009 Sand Sculpting Championship is in the books. It appears crowds this year were slightly less than last year. Perhaps the windy weather or economy held things down. Those in attendance were treated to an excellent contest and the following pics show the talent of the 16 Master carvers.

The themes ranged from the whimsical to the patriotic. This eagle was a crowd pleaser.

Imagine the time spent carving these geo designs !

Dolphins are always popular and this carving was a hit with the kids !

Castles in the sky or on Fort Myers Beach. Crowd favorite Amazin' Walter makes it look easy !

And the winner is ?!?!?! This entry qualifies the carver for the World Championship in Washington D.C.

Hope you enjoyed my pics of the 2009 Fort Myers Beach Sand Sculpting Championships. All pics takes with a Nikon D80, 18 - 155 tele or Sugma 10-20 wide angle.

Let me help you find your own castle here in paradise !