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Hearty soups are the ultimate comfort food for cooler temperatures. Serve them with a green salad, add a loaf of crusty bread or a basket of light biscuits or cornbread muffins, and the meal is complete. By Mary Beth Vallar
Photo by Denise Ritchie |
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If scary images from the movie Jaws come to mind, you’re not alone. Portrayed on film as dangerous predators that target human beings, nothing could be further from the truth – in reality, most sharks avoid human contact, preferring to feast on crustaceans, fish, seals and birds. The issue environmentalists have been concerned about is that the shark population has declined significantly over the last 20 years mainly due to severe overfishing. This is the result of demand in China and other Asian countries for shark-fin soup, a delicacy that has generated a lucrative, billion-dollar market. By Ann Taylor |
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When viewed from the road the new home on the river is understated in comparison to many of the others in the upscale community. It’s when you are invited inside that the understated becomes extraordinary, for what you see tells the tale of a husband and wife who knew what they wanted and how to get it. By Ann Taylor
Photography by Anne Gridley & Gary Graves |
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Okay, so the long splurge that began with Thanksgiving and ended on New Year’s Day is finally over. But don’t reach for those diet books just yet – a tsunami of Girl Scout cookies will be heading your way when the organization’s annual cookie sales program starts on January 19. |
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Indian River citrus began in 1807, and rapidly became the most important agricultural product in our area. While our local fruit, especially grapefruit, is popular in many countries, our leading importer is Japan – Indian River grapefruit accounts for over 95 percent of all of the Florida fruit shipped there. Photography By Denise Ritchie |
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Heightened ecological awareness among people born since the post-World War II baby boom has helped turn ecotourism into a fast-growing niche market in Indian River County. Residents and tourists alike have an abundance of outdoorsy activities to choose from that combine fun with sensitivity to the area’s unique and fragile ecosystems. Natural habitats represented within the county range from mangrove swamps, where American alligators roam alongside roseate spoonbills, to pine flatwoods, where endangered Florida scrub jays sing and gopher tortoises burrow. By Deborah Borfitz |
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When Burt MacLeod spent his last days at Indian River Medical Center, his beloved wife Pat knew exactly where she belonged. And that was right there with him, day and night, for 23 days. By Mary Beth Vallar
Photo by Denise Ritchie |
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As well as being a leading Vero Beach Realtor, Charlotte Terry is president of the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation, which promotes literary programs in the community, and is past president of the Indian River Literary Society. As a staunch supporter of writers both published and non-published she is, of course, an avid reader. By Mary Beth Vallar |
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Quail Valley Golf Club opened its doors 10 years ago this month. Built on the traditions of family values and community involvement, the club has stayed true to these themes, weathered the economic recession quite well, and looks toward a future of growth and continued success. By Mary Beth Vallar
Photography by L.C. Lambrecht |
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“For me a strong work of art is the result of a powerful experience. I am attracted to everyday sensations and find myself responsive towards the subtle beauty of things, the hours when there is tranquility of light, the rhythms of nature,” says painter Luke Steadman. By Julia Douglas |
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We are all more popular when walking with our dogs in tow. People smile at us and sometimes stop to chat. While it can be delightful to take a stroll with your furry best friend, some of our pint-sized darlings lunge and bark like crazed banshees when they see an unfamiliar face or, heaven forbid, an interloping dog in their neighborhood. I recently addressed this problem with a pretty 18-month-old Jack Russell terrier appropriately named Zippy. Zippy’s habit is to intimidate visitors to her opulent home by barking and leaping with all the menace that her 12-pound body can muster. She has, when the spirit moved her, nipped several visitors and workmen. By Amy Robinson |
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Writing is usually a solitary pursuit. Most writers chain themselves to a desk, a club chair, a kitchen table or the corner of a tearoom like J. K. Rowling, who finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on an old manual typewriter. They perform this act of self-immolation for a variety of reasons. Seeing their name in print is the least of these. No writer I have ever known writes to see his name in print, principally because they already know their name and second, writing is difficult and frustrating work. If you want your name in print, shoplifting is an easier way to do it. By Evelyn Wilde Mayerson |
