Big Decision Time

Some times you have to make decisions in life, right? They can be small decisions or bigger ones, for us just now, they were pretty BIG.

We have been living almost 7 years in Key West and had a wonderful time playing and working in paradise. We fell in love with this island from the moment we came down here from South Carolina in 2001 and decided to make it home.

Since last year the economy of this island seems to be going down hill drastically - our accounting numbers are showing that the tourists are not buying as much art as they did before and the prices of everything are going sky high - so, we had to think of alternatives of how to sell our art and make our living in a different way.

Believe me, we have been thinking long and hard and didn’t make quick decisions. Our thoughts have matured over a long period, starting months ago.

One of the main criteria for us was: We just don't want be "stuck" on this rock and not be able to get away at all - like many others we see here already in this situation because of financial reasons. We don't want to have a feeling of just living from day-to-day and be worrying all the time how to pay the horrendous prices to live in a little run-down shack or a room with no space to work.

To make a long story short: we are leaving Key West for good this month and we will be moving up to the mainland of Florida's peninsula. We found a nice little house in a very arty town on the west coast - and we are very excited about starting our life anew there!

I will be not online for some days after the 20th of January while getting ready for the big move. I hope you all will not forget me in the meantime....LOL...and I'm excitedly looking forward to being back here blogging with new inspiration and new photographs about our new living place.

I’ll be back for sure! Will you? :-)

Isn’t this a good way to start a new year?? We are very excited, both hubby and I – so stay tuned please!

The Red Dot

The Red Dot

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Lonely Lifeguard Chair

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11" x 14" - $ 39.00 Buy with PayPal

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This is a lonely lifeguard chair waiting for busier days on Sanibel Island.

Dieser einsame "Lifeguard-Stuhl" wartet auf seinen Einsatz in der kommenden Saison, wenn die Beach wieder voll mit Turisten belegt sein wird.

New Sponges

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11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

Larger sizes can be made on request

This is how it looks each morning in the harbor at Tarpon Springs: new sponges have arrived on the boats and they will be now inspected, cleaned and prepared. A long process before you can use them for your luxurious bath.

Und so sieht es dann jeden Morgen aus im Hafen von Tarpon Springs: Boote laufen ein mit neuen Schwaemmen, die dann zuerst gereinigt und ueberarbeitet werdet muessen, bevor sie in der Badewanne zum Einsatz kommen.

Greek Sponge Diver Boat

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8" x 10" - $ 45.00 Buy with PayPal

11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

Larger sizes can be made on request

Is this the boat that takes you over to the island of Santorini?... No, it's not.... This is just an old sponge boat sitting in Tarpon Spring harbor, a Greek village in Florida, where local men are still diving for sponges today.

Dieses Boat ist leider nicht die Faehre rueber nach Santorini...... Es ist nur ein altes Schwammboat, welches im Hafen in Tarpon Spring sitzt. Tarpon Spring ist ein huebsches, echt griechisches Dorf an der Westkueste in Florida, wo einheimische Maenner heute immer noch nach Schwaemmen tauchen.

Beach Chairs

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11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

Larger sizes can be made on request

It is time to relax, time to read a good book or just to lay back and listen to the sound of the rolling waves. By the way: Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Heute feiert man hier in USA "Thanksgiving-Day". Das ist eine Zeit der Besinnung und Dankbarkeit, wo viele Familien im ganzen Land sich vereinen, um zusammen dieses Fest zu begehen.

Beach Umbrella

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8" x 10" - $ 45.00 Buy with PayPal

11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

Larger sizes can be made on request

Weekend is coming - time to go to the beach and relax....!

Das Wochenende ist nah und wie waere es mit einem Ausflug zum Strand?

Captiva Island

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11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

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Sanibel and Captiva Islands are off from Ft.Myers Beach, quiet and relaxing places to get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life. Take a long walk at the beach to enjoy the wildlife and the nature scenes.

Sanibel und Captiva Island sind zwei schoene Inseln ausserhalb von Fort Myers Beach gelegen und sind perfekte Naherholungsgebiete vom Alltagsstress der nahegelegenen Staedte an der Westkueste Floridas. Kilometerlange schneeweisse Straende laden ein zum Wandern, barfuss im Sand - aber auch nur faulenzen in Liegestuhl am Strand ist erlaubt....

Sea Oats Sanibel Island

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11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

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Sanibel Island's beach view with sea oats, white sand and the blue color of the water and the sky. A very simple and inviting beach photograph. Do you have still some free vacation days...?

Mir gefallen die Farbharmonien von Weiss und Blau und die Bildaufteilung. Ein ganz einfaches, einladendes Beach-Foto fuer die naechsten Beach Ferien in Florida.

Fighting for Food

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11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

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You will see every day the same show on this spot: hungry pelicans are fighting for food and surviving. But only the strong can win. Does'nt sounds that familiar for a lot of us humans too, all the daily hard work for food and to survive? Not all of us are lucky enough to be on the sunny site of life!

Ist diese Situation nicht auch fuer viele von uns Menschen bestbekannt und alltaeglich: der taegliche Kampf ums Ueberleben, die harte Arbeit fuers taegliche Brot? Und nur der Starke kann gewinnen! Nicht alle haben das Glueck auf der Sonnenseite des Lebens zu stehen!

Swamp

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11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal

Larger sizes can be made on request

On the way from the Florida Gulf Coast to the Atlantic, the back roads were taking us through thick swampy areas on both sides. There was a fantastic view of nature with a lot of big white herons fishing in the late afternoon.

Das war auch fuer mich ein schoenes und aufregendes Erlebnis, als wir von der Westkueste Floridas rueber zur Ostkueste am Atlantik, durch richtige Sumpfgegenden fuhren. Links und rechts der Strasse waren nichts als djungelaehnliche Landschaften, Palmen, tropisches Dickicht, und aber auch sehr viele der herrlichen, grossen weissen Heron-Voegel am fischen zu sehen.

Rainbow

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11" x 14" - $ 75.00 Buy with PayPal


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This picture was made on the West Coast of Florida. After a big rain the sun came back with it's golden glow and this wonderful rainbow colored the whole area in a soft multicolored light.

Ich schenk dir einen Regenbogen... Nach einem starken Regen kam die Sonne zurueck, zog diesen herrlichen Regenbogen ueber die Landschaft und tuenchte damit die ganze Gegend in ein warmes goldenes Licht.