Christmas Tree Decorating

Spent last evening with our soon to be 6 year old grandson, Luke, decorating his Christmas tree. Such fun to watch them as they decide just where to put each ornament and why some ornaments are more "special" than others. Lukes favorite ornaments either had his name in LARGE letters on them or were of his favorite super hero characters!!

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

The LYNX Arrives

LYNX is an interpretation of a Baltimore Clipper Schooner from the War of 1812. In keeping with her mission to bring life to the naval traditions of the early 19th century, LYNX has been fitted with historic artillery: four six-pounder carronades and four half-pounder swivel guns. Her crew wears uniforms of the 1812 period. These two-masted vessels with heavily raked spars were renowned for their swiftness and maneuverability, which made them ideal as privateers or naval dispatch schooners. For tour times, sailing times and costs please see http://www.privateerlynx.org/.

brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Look Who Came to Breakfast

Terry and I were having breakfast yesterday and suddenly there was this little fawn nibbling away outside the lanaii! What a treat. We are so lucky to live in this great town with tons of history, miles of sandy beaches and all kinds of land creatures from adorable fawns to black snakes to alligators and then we have our ocean creatures like the sperm whale that just recently beached itself on Vilano Beach and unfortunately was not able to be saved. We treasure every day.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Halloween was alot of fun for us this year. We had the two youngest grandchildren at our home for "Trick or Treat." Terry and I were very pleased to see that many families were passing out healthier snacks than in the past. Hope you all had as much fun as we did either passing out goodies or participating with your children or grandchildren.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Fall Color

And, no, this is not St. Augustine. Terry and I managed to snatch a couple of days to enjoy the fall color in North Carolina. We had anticipated that the weather would be much cooler than here in St. Augustine and were very surprised to discover that the daytime temperatures reached 80 degrees. Of course, the evening temperatures were in the high 40's which made for brisk mornings. We did a half day hike off the Blueridge Parkway on a trail known as Sims Pond. Just a couple of lovely days in the Carolinas.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

St. Augustine Lighthouse

During the month of October residents of St. Johns County who show a valid drivers license are admitted FREE to the lighthouse, the grounds and the museum. Today was a perfect day to take pictures and enjoy one of our cities most historic sites. We hope you enjoy these pictures.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Angry Atlantic

Our first Noreaster in a long time arrived late yesterday churning up the Atlantic with white caps as far as the eye could see. Today, the sun came out and the wind whipped up. A few brave souls ventured to the beach being mindful of using enough sun screen and finding a way to keep the sand out of their eyes. Surfing is not considered to be good when the waves are coming into shore as they were today--better when they roll away from the beach. This picture was taken from behind the dunes at the Mary Street beach drive on.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Birthday Celebration

Had a wonderful afternoon celebrating our youngest granddaughter's second birthday! Terry and I picked up grandson Luke from after school care and spirited all of us to Orange Park and Chucky Cheeses. Imagine a room full of children, teens and adults all hustling to put tokens in machines that make NOISE!! These ears loved every minute of the chaos and melee but after two hours we were all ready to call it quits and head back to St. Augustine. A wonderful way to celebrate Miss Audrianna's second birthday.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Great Golf

Carolina blue skies coupled with temperatures in the mid 70's made for a fantastic day of golf. The 18 hole private Beech Mountain Club course was designed by Willard-Byrd in the late 60's and has been both maintained and improved over the years. The vistas from each tee or green of this challenging course are truly extrodinary. Another great reason to enjoy Beech Mountain, North Carolina.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Elevation 5500'

Greetings from Beech Mountain, North Carolina. It was 48 degrees last night and we had a fire in the fireplace! Todays high is projected to be 73 degrees. Floridians flock to this part of the Carolinas in the summer to take advantage of the average summer temperature of 72 degrees and to enjoy hiking, rafting, fly fishing, tennis and golf. In the winter southerners come to Ski Beech--the highest ski resort in the east with terrain that will challenge most skiers and snowboarders.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Pirate Ship

The pirate ship Black Raven is a new attraction docked at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina directly South of the Bridge of Lions on the bayfront. This ship has been designed to please young and old alike. The mission of the crew is to provide both enjoyment and education. An effort has been made to engage the most talented pirate actors in Florida and to design a program that has the flexibility to suit different and demanding audiences. Check the link below for the current schedule and how to save by purchasing your tickets on line.

http://www.blackravenadventures.com/about.html

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Parks and Recreation

These pictures are of the new Ocean Hammock Park Walkway located just North of the Publix on Anastasia Island. The top picture is the sign as you enter from the beach side and the bottom picture is looking from the beach back to A1A. If you have not had a chance to walk, ride your bicycle or jog this walkway you must put it on your "to do" list. The park is open from dawn to dust year round.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Audrianna

This is such a cute picture of our soon to be 2 year old granddaughter that I just wanted to share it with everyone. Miss Audrianna will be two in September and as you can see she has been spending a good bit of the summer at the pool or the beach (note the white lines at her elbows)! She has turned into quite a music fan dancing to any music that she hears. We think she may turn into another Britany Spears or Miley Cyrus or even Madonna!!

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Great Fishing

WOW! What a beautiful day to go fishing! The picture is of Terry and a very nice size Kingfish caught today about 8 miles out. So for all you fishing enthusiasts just a reminder that there is excellent fishing just off the coast of St. Augustine.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Free Concerts at the Beach Pavilion

The second concert in the summer series was held this evening featuring music by Roland Fleming Connection- Jazz Classic. These free summer concerts are held each Wednesday thru September at the St. Johns County Pier Park. Dinner from a local restaurant at a reasonable price is offered at 6:00 p.m. with concerts beginning at 7 p.m. Be sure to bring your beach chairs and if you prefer bring your cooler packed with your dinner and soft drinks. There is seating inside the pavilion as well as outside on the sand. Parking is at a minimum so plan on a short walk to and from your car. Concerts are over by 9 p.m. and there are plenty of policeman directing traffic. Some upcoming concerts include:

May 26th------Valerie Wise Cracker---------Florida BG & Folk Music

June 2nd-------Crabgrass--------------------Cajun, Old Time Blues

June 9th-------Funk Shui-------------------Classic R/R Blues

June 16th------Amy Alysia & The Soul Operation----R & B Motown

June 23rd------Those Guys------------------Classic R/R

June 30th------The Falling Bones------------Blues Classic R/R

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Most Photographed Street

Magnolia Avenue is a must see when visiting St. Augustine. National Geographic rates it as one of the most photographed streets in the United States. The magnolias for which the street is named died out many years ago and the majestic oaks have taken over and are now adorned with the air plant-Spanish Moss. This street runs along side the Fountain of Youth named for Ponce de Leon's great discovery! Drinking of the water at the Fountain of Youth was reported to add longevity to ones life but the only truly long lived resident of St. Augustine is the "Senator" a huge, sprawling, 600 year old oak tree that lives nearby! Be sure to make time to visit all three of these attractions on your next visit.

Brought to you by:Team Gledhill, Prudential Network RealtyBuying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co? Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Bridge of Lions

Most of us have been waiting patiently for the reopening of the Bridge of Lions which officially occurred on March 17, 2010. The bridge was originally built in the 1920's during the Florida boom. In 1976 it was recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the most significant bridges in Florida and in 1997 it was placed on the National Trust of Historic Preservation's list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Structures." The newly restored bridge with its graceful arches and tile-roofed towers appears to the eye to look like a brand new bridge. There is still one thing missing--the return of the marble lions that grace the western entrance to the bridge. We hope to see their return soon.

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Jacksonville Zoo

During Spring Break we took a trip to the Jacksonville Zoo with grandson Luke and his mother, Agatha. There is so much there to entertain a young child that we would suggest you plan to spend the day. Be sure to bring water bottles and snacks for everyone. Where to start? Of course the train that encircles the zoo is everyones favorite and you can ride it as many times as you wish during the day. During the really hot days of summer we suggest you make a stop at the Play Park where children can find their way through two mazes, then climb, jump and get wet in the Splash Ground. The Jaguar exhibit is a particular favorite as is the Giraffe Overlook where your child or you can feed the giraffes. Want to see, touch and feed a stingray? You can do just that at Stingray Bay with Sharks (additional cost of $2 for children, adults and seniors. Food for the stingrays is $1) Maybe you'd enjoy spending time gazing at the lions, the elephants or the zebras. Be sure you locate the Penguin Exhibit (new this year) and the rare giant otters at the back of the Avia

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Saturday Farmers Market

Spring has finally come to St. Augustine after one of the coldest winters on record. Today our temperature is near 70 degrees with blue skies and lots of sun. Both Terry and I were anxious to get outside so we decided to go to the Farmers Market held each Saturday at the St. Augustine Ampitheatre from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Today there were 4 booths selling great looking fresh produce along with numerous arts and crafts booths as well as booths with homemade bread, cheese, sauces , and jams/jellys. We were serenaded by some lively bluegrass music but declined to avail ourselves of the on site art classes. Admission is free and so is parking! When visiting we highly recommend a visit to this weekly event.

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Beautification of A1A

A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a National Scenic Byway. This historic highway parallels the eastern coast of Florida for fifty-two miles, through Historic St. Johns County running from Ponte Vedra Beach at the northern end to Marineland at the southern end. If you are traveling south from Jacksonville you will drive thru historic St. Augustine, the oldest continually occupied European-style city in the United States, housing over 2500 designated historic sites, from the old Spanish Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, to the Victorian=era Flagler Hotel now the home of Flagler College. As you cross the Bridge of Lions unto Anastasia Island and head south toward the beaches or Marineland, you will see that the four lane section of the highway from the intersection of A1A and SR312 south to where the road narrows to two lanes has just been beautified with large palm trees . This is truly a wonderful beautification of our historic and scenic highway.

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Annual Ski Trip

Our annual ski trip to Beech Mountain, North Carolina took place the first week in February. The attached picture is of Terry and his skiing buddy Craig taken in front of our mountain retreat. This year the weather has been either amazingly terrific for skiing or simply awful and we were delighted to have three really awesome days of skiing before another storm crashed into the mountains bringing snow followed by freezing rain. For those of you who are not skiers Ski Beech is the highest ski area in Eastern America with an elevation of 5,506 feet. It is a nine hour drive from St. Augustine and in the summer there is little or no need for air conditioning as the temperature rarely gets above 80 degrees. In the town of Banner Elk, N C at the foot of Beech Mountain is Lees McRae College winner of many mountain biking events that take place during the summer months. One of the claims to fame of the area is that when Lance Armstrong was first training for the Tour de France road race he trained at Beech Mountain. With skiing/snowboarding in the winter, an 18 hole golf course with awesome vistas in the summer, tennis on clay courts, and lots of hiking trails this is a terrific vacation area and one we highly recommend.

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

New Home Owners

Please welcome Don and Barb Colburn to St. Augustine-pictured front row left and center. Today was the final walk thru and closing of their new home at St. Johns Golf and Country Club. The three young men behind the Colburns and myself are all part of the builders team that made the whole building process very pleasant for the buyers. Don and Barb are moving here from PA to enjoy our wonderful weather and be closer to their daughter who lives in Sarasota.

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Flagler Hospital

Recently we had occasion to take one of our good friends to the emergency room at Flagler Hospital and we were reminded of how lucky we are to have this great facility in our town. Our friend received prompt and kind attention and we are glad to report is now home resting comfortably. When we think of Flagler Hospital we think of the outstanding heart center (just ask anyone who has been there). Besides the heart center this hospital is known for its bariatric surgery center, cancer center and brain and spine center. Our grandson Luke was born prematurely in this hospital and both he and his mother received excellent care. Flagler Hospital has grown into a 316 bed, acute care center that is consistently recognized nationally for overall clinical excellence. For more information go to http://www.flaglerhospital.org/.

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"

Best Way to See St. Augustine

There are two trolley companies in St. Augustine. One is the red tolley and the other one the green trolley. Both of these companies do a terrific job of touring you in and around the old city while doing a constant narrative of the history of the town. We would suggest that you make one of the trolleys your very first stop and that you enjoy the entire tour before deciding which of the many historical sites you particularly wish to visit. On our first visit to St. Augustine in 1998 we enjoyed a stay at one of the many downtown bed and breakfasts where we could hear the horses clompping down the brick streets at night. The very next morning we boarded a trolley to get an "overview" of the city and we were immediately hooked. We had a long list of sites that we wanted to spend time exploring. So many that we were not able to complete the list on our first trip and had to make a "do next trip" list. Now that we have lived here for almost 10 years we find that each year we enjoy taking a trolley tour and revisiting all that St. Augustine has to offer.

Brought to you by:
Team Gledhill, Prudential Network Realty
Buying or Selling Property in St. Johns Co?
Call 904-874-2588 or email info@teamgledhill.com

"Sharing Our Community with Buyers & Sellers...One Snippet at a Time"