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The game plan was simple: take a short and scenic cruise on Pine Island sound, grab a cheeseburger in paradise and catch the return boat back home. A three hour tour, five at most, just a small dose of the local waterways, that’s all we wanted.
Across the Sanibel causeway we drove, heading for McCarthy’s Marina on Captiva Island. Not a cloud in the sky. Light traffic and lush, tropical foliage surrounded us. Glimpses of glistening water and quiet beaches tucked themselves between trees and down side streets and driveways.
Once we reached the marina, we visited the office of Captiva Cruises, clutching half-off discount coupons and reminding ourselves how great it is to live in our little corner of paradise in the off-season. No crowds. No lines. Nothing but azure and emerald Florida in every direction.
Tickets in hand, we relaxed on the dock, absorbing the quiet beauty. Birds flitted along the shoreline. A few fishing tournament stragglers were trying their luck at the vast schools of silvery snook flashing in the shallows beneath the docks. The waterfront residences, empty and uninhabited, invited our eyes and imaginations. Those who can afford such houses very rarely have the time to occupy them. Those who would love to occupy them very rarely have the means to afford them. Capitalism and beauty seem to meet at a paradox.
The Lady Chadwick, Captiva Cruise’s flagship vessel, patiently awaited us at the end of the dock. Two or three staff members were scurrying within her, preparing for the daily outing. When boarding time arrived, at 10:00 am, only a handful of others were there to take the trip with us.
The Lady Chadwick is a classic 65 foot long cruise boat, with a climate controlled main cabin and a canopied and open air upper deck. Both levels are carpeted. It has a full service cocktail bar, and spacious men’s and women’s facilities. It was built to carry 148 passengers. There were only 12 others traveling with us on this particular cruise. With such a small group, it felt like a private charter.
Our boat was on schedule to meander through Pine Island Sound towards its two ports of call. The first stop would be Cabbage Key, an “Old Florida” island hideaway with a restaurant and inn. The second was Useppa Island, an historic retreat and private club for the well-to-do. Somewhere along the course of our hour long narrated cruise, it became apparent we were the only ones getting off the boat at Cabbage Key. Everyone else had tickets to tour Useppa, leaving us wondering if we’d made a tragic mistake in choosing our itinerary.
Two midmorning Bloody Mary rounds from the ship’s well equipped bar put our anxieties to rest, as we glided across the smooth sheet of sea past Upper Captiva and Cayo Costa. Quirky spoken-word histories of local significance were playfully passed down to us by the guide. There were stories of destructive hurricanes, creative artists and free land given away on Sanibel Island.
We’ll be picking you up no later than 2 pm. If you’re not on the boat by the time we sound the horn, they’ve got some great rooms…you can spend the night in on the island.
Before long we made the final approach to Cabbage Key. A few small cottages and docks teased the shore of the 85 acre mangrove island. The fauna was thick with cabbage palms (which give the island its name) and bougainvillea. A peaceful marina harbor with a tiny white boathouse and weathered docks awaited us. The harbormaster, looking like a hot and tired Hemingway, guided the Lady Chadwick into its temporary slip. The ramp was extended and we were escorted off the boat. Our cruise-mates waved goodbye as they pulled away and headed for Useppa island, leaving us behind.
The main focal point of Cabbage Key is the restaurant overlooking the harbor. The restaurant doubles as an inn with six overnight guest rooms. There are also six detached cottages available to rent. But it’s the restaurant that draws most of the 500 travelers who visit each day of the in-season for lunch. That said…this is the off-season. Perched atop an immense 38 foot Calusa Indian shell mound, the restaurant and inn sits tranquil amidst the few royal poinciana trees surrounding it.
Long told local rumors pinpoint this restaurant as the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett’s song, “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. While Jimmy Buffett did visit this restaurant, and probably even ate the cheeseburger, I’m afraid I have to be the one to stop the perpetuation of this easily unproven factoid. Jimmy Buffett has repeatedly placed *the* “Cheeseburger in Paradise” at a small bar in Roadtown, Tortola. At Cabbage Key it’s still a cheeseburger, and it’s still paradise…but that’s as close as the legend ever comes to truth.
Our appetites dragged us up the shell walkway to the front porch of the restaurant. Classic rock sang from outdoor speakers. A young male employee offered us the option of indoor or outdoor seating.
“Which do you suggest?”
“Our indoor seating is an interesting experience…the walls and ceilings are covered in thousands of dollar bills.”
Indoor it was, and dollar bills there were, over 50,000 of them, to be exact. To walk through the piano bar and into the rear screened dining porch is akin to entering a cave made of money. Dollar bills wave in the island breeze, some are yellowing, some are covering other dollar bills, and all of them have two things in common: names written on them in black magic marker and lots and lots of masking tape.
Built in 1938 by mystery fiction novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart and her son, the restaurant and inn probably look just as they did almost 70 years ago. Everything is still in its original condition, from the rough wood floors to the rustic furniture. Even the dollar bills were around in those long gone days. The first bill was signed and taped up by a fisherman in 1941, as a way of ensuring he’d have the funds to purchase more alcohol on his return trip. The next time he arrived, he had money to spare and left the bill hung up where it was. Other customers soon followed suit. Now the roughly 3,000 bills that routinely fall to the floor each year are all donated to charities.
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Throughout the years some noteworthy bills have shown up, including those signed by John F Kennedy Jr., Julia Roberts, Bart Simpson creator Matt Groening, ex-president Jimmy Carter, and one by the cheeseburger man himself, Mr. Jimmy Buffet (his was the first dollar bill ever taped onto the piano, but is framed behind the bar now). Walter Cronkite, Ted Koppel, Sean Connery, and Ernest Hemingway are also among some of the many celebrities who are known to have had a soft spot for time spent at Cabbage Key.
Stained and wrinkled menus led us to our orders of tropical mixed drinks and cheeseburgers. Cabbage Creepers sealed our fates, pina colada mixed with rum and a Kahlua float. Two-a-piece of these coconut mind-lubricants and spontaneity became our destiny. Comments became dangerous and day-changing. Peer pressure and an island-instilled sense of adventure led to new plans.
“Imagine what it would be like to spend the night here.”
That was all it took to elevate our experience to the next level. Somewhere between the cheeseburger and key lime pie, from within the vibrant fog cast by the Cabbage Creepers coursing through our veins, the idle thought slowly began to become reality. Our waitress overheard our conversation and sent over a female manager. Minutes later she was giving us a tour of a two bedroom cabin, assuring us she could make all the arrangements with Captiva Cruises to stop them from coming to pick us up. She said she would make the necessary phone calls to have us picked up tomorrow. Are we really doing this? And before we knew it, we were down at the white-wooden boathouse gift-shop, giddy and giving her our credit card to charge the cabin on. I can’t believe we’re doing this. It was a done deal.
When the alcohol began to wear off we found ourselves completely stranded on an island with no paved roads and no general store. We were escaping the punishing humidity, sprawled out in the stark cabin, thanking modern-humanity for the air conditioning. The television had three fuzzy channels. The radio had one broken speaker. There were a few random magazines with last year’s news shouting urgently from their covers. On a shelf was a Gideon bible. Our cabin had a large screened-in wraparound porch, the front facing Pine Island Sound and the rear facing mangrove swamp.
We trudged down to the tiny gift store by the docks, assuming they must sell bottled water. They sell T-shirts, Christmas ornaments, and novels by Randy Wayne White and John D. Mills. That’s it. You’ll find no water or snacks here. The restaurant on the mound is the only game in town. They’ve got you, and they know it. Tropical alcoholic drinks always lead to dehydration, and our tally for the six 12-ounce bottles of water we needed to bring back to our cabin was before tipping the bartender.
It occurred to us, around this time, that we’d brought no change of clothes, no hair care products, no toothbrushes, no deodorant, nothing but cameras and money. We were stuck with our dirty and sweaty selves until 2 pm the next day. Looking at the clock, I saw it was 1:30 pm…only a little over 24 hours left to go.
The oppressive heat limited our entertainment options. Denial kept entering our minds, demanding there must be somewhere to purchase a few of the items and beverages we were craving. If only we’d come prepared. We told ourselves stories about how next time we’re bringing a cooler full of water and soft drinks with us, extra clothes, hygiene products.
“What should we do now?”
“We could read some of that bible.”
“Let’s go for a walk…they’ve got nature trails.’
“You want to walk in this heat?”
“We’ll just stay here for awhile and go for a walk when it cools down a little.”
Cabbage Key forced us to talk and think. We talked to each other about the scenery. About nature. About family. About God. We talked and thought in ways we never would’ve without being stuck on an island with no way to leave. We faced our appetites. We pondered all the routine comforts we take for granted in our day to day lives, drawing the lines between simple actions and the abundant comfort those actions deliver us. Fresh clothes. A trip to the refrigerator. Our comfortable beds.
After 5 pm Cabbage Key quieted. Boat traffic ended and the population of the island dwindled down to the scant visitors staying overnight and employees (who all live there full time). A sedating calm fell over the grounds. A large gopher tortoise, sensing the tourists were gone, came out from wherever it is they come from and began patrolling the wide expanse of lawn. An osprey in a nearby tree minded the goings-on below. Dark clouds offered solace from the sun. Lightning in the near distance offered eye candy. A faint thunder rumble filled the air. The storms never approached.
We walked the nature trail, towards the depths of the island. Gumbo limbo, seagrape, live oak and more mangroves climbed the sides of the path, in some instances providing a canopy of green. Salty mud and organic decay filled the air, noxious perfume of low tide, death, rebirth, and the food chain. Geckos and fiddler crabs skittered across the way, ducking into undergrowth and holes in the marsh as we approached. A wrong turn in the poorly marked trail led us to a distant and overgrown, shell-scattered dead end.
Dinner reservations are taken at check-in. The proprietors must know an anticipated meal is a psychological balm in this setting. Ours were for 7:30. We gave in at 7:00 and headed for the restaurant.
Darker and lit with small twinkling lights, evening scents of night blooming flowers waft through the screened dining room. The dinner menu is limited and a bit pricey. Beverage refills are never free at Cabbage Key. Thick with atmosphere and the dull buzz of the few others among us, we ordered our food. Meals were cooked to perfection. The chink in this restaurant’s armor was found in our waiter. The service was not commensurate with either the ambiance or the prices being paid. Mistakes in the final bill were many and a time-consuming inconvenience. With only a handful of tables occupied, there was no reasonable excuse.
Making the most of it, we put our dinner experience behind us and went to sit on the deserted docks. The harbormaster sat in a dark corner having an animated conversation on his cellular phone about an approaching tropical storm. Imagine weathering out the storm here. These moments felt film-noir, with the cinema-perfect island around us, subdued lighting on the looming restaurant, dark motionless sea water at our feet, and Key Largo palms bending in tropical form.
Back at the cabin, conversation soon turned to the ghost stories surrounding Cabbage Key. Printed on the internet and in haunt-hunter books, legend often places the apparition in room number 3 of the main inn. As the story goes, a guest of the Rhinehart’s contracted tuberculosis in New York and came to the inn to recover. While waiting for her family to join her, she died of complications from the illness. Now, those who stay in this room are frequently woken by a woman entering from the private patio. She is said to have long, dark hair and is dressed in a blue skirt and long-sleeved white blouse. Wandering in, she often looks at those in the bed before retreating to the patio once again, without ever opening the door.
Staff members have been known to tell other chilling stories regarding physical manifestations of spirits in the main inn. Some involve objects moving significant distances with no one ever touching them. Other stories have more of a Calusa Indian burial ground slant to them. However, popular knowledge has it that the current owners do not want the haunting stories told, and will deny them when asked. Information must be gleaned from the employees who work there, and even then, only when the owners are nowhere to be seen.
Putting the lights out around midnight, the darkness was darker than it is at home. A strong wind was kicking up outside, and the cabin felt to slightly sway on its stilts. Images of ghosts and devious shadows smeared themselves across the insides of our heads in smudged mind-colors. I wish we had a night light. Spiders and alligators roamed in the imagined terrain surrounding our beds. Door locks were triple-checked. This is the closest I’ve ever stayed to home and the farthest away I’ve ever felt.
We woke to forgotten dreams and a new day, clean sun streamed in through the windows. There was blue sky and wispy clouds overheads as we took our traditional and reasonably priced breakfasts on the open veranda. Sun sparkling waves heightened our spirits, and those of the others around us, the dreadlocked vegan family and the romantic getaway couple. I wonder if their experience last night was like ours? The staff was bright-eyed and conversational.
Another spontaneous idea and a phone call to customer-service-conscious Captiva Cruises got our adventure adrenaline pumping again. They agreed to pick us up as they dropped today’s Cabbage Key guests off. They would transport us to Useppa Island and then back home at no additional cost. Those half-off tickets got us quite a distance down the road.
Before the boat arrived to take us to storybook Useppa, and our incredible lunch at the Collier Inn, we climbed the water tower which is at the highest point of the mound on Cabbage Key. From 60 feet we looked at the green bumps protruding in batches all over Pine Island Sound, small islands where plants and animals grow undisturbed, much as they did before human beings ever existed. We weren’t speaking, but I’m pretty sure that within us all a keen appreciation was settling in, an understanding that we’d learned more in the last 24 hours than we realized, that by escaping our routine way of acting we allowed ourselves to grow, to live, and to create a lasting memory which was still being formed as we sat there silent with late morning sun on our smiling faces.
is the publisher of the , an online newspaper serving Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and the Islands.
To see his articles, complete with images, visit the website at: http://www.capecoralbarometer.com
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Artistic talent can supplement income or be a job all on its own. If you have a skill for something in the arts or crafts area of talent, you may be able to sell your services or items to other people. You may want to start your own home-based business so you can run all aspects of the production and profits of your items or service. Some people may prefer to work for a company where someone else is in control of profits and how much of the item or service is sold. Research how much raw materials and supplies will cost for your artistic endeavor. Also decide if you will make more in profits than you will in buying supplies and materials.
Artist can be defined in many ways, often one thinks of an artist as a painter. Painting is one of the many artisitic endeavors one can choose from. Options for artists include writing, drawing, painting, animation, film making, and music making, just to name a few of the many different options available. There are even subsets to the artistic options that were listed. For example, film making could include drama, comedy, horror, or whatever topic is of interest to the artist. Once again research how much material you will need and how much of a need there is for your talent. All of these jobs can be home-based opportunities.
There are artistic endeavors that count as services. These would include decorating a home, painting faces at a party, making balloon animals for an event, or a number of other artistic services. Research what would be a typical fee for these services and decide on a service fee that is reasonable and competitive. There are companies that look for people with these skills. If you want to work for them you can do that knowing that all the fees are set and you may not get as much of a profit as you would if you did the job on your own.
If you decide to start your own home-based business for your artistic talent or service remember to get your name out. Start a website showcasing your work, or meet with other local talent that is doing similar work to what you are doing (you may be able to collaborate or find venues you can sell your work or service through their help), get business cards that you can give to people that like your work as they will help you connect with other people that may like your work. Ask businesses and stores if you can set up a stand outside of their places and let people observe and buy your art. If you sing or make movies see if friends will let you screen your work at their house or if you can do a concert at a local venue. Talk to your friends and family about ideas where you can sell your work as they may have connections that can set you up with a terrific gig or opportunity to sell your work.
Every person, every thing needs shelter to protect them against harm. Types of shelters include:
1. Bus shelters:
Bus shelters are where soon-to-be passengers wait for their ride. They are covered giving people a place to wait away from the rain, snow and bright sunshine. They are usually equipped with appropriate signage indicating bus times and routes. They also let the bus driver know to stop because people are waiting. Bus shelters are often used for advertisements and other forms of signage.
2. Bomb shelters:
Bomb shelters are shelters designed to protect civilians and military men against enemy attacks from the air. They are a lot like bunkers, except for they aren’t equipped to defend against ground attacks. Bomb shelters can be set up in tunnels, underground stations, basements, or outdoor sheds.
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3. Car and cycle shelters:
Car and cycle shelters are designed to protect cars and cycles from the effects of poor weather, as well as to keep them out of the way. Some cars are stored in garage shelters, while others might just have a canopy in their driveway. Cycle shelters tend to be located on school campuses, as well as on public streets.
4. Playground shelters:
Playground shelters have a number of purposes. They can be used to store toys and equipment outdoors, they may have seating where students can have outdoor lectures, they might house a small stage where students can put on performances, or they might simply cover an area where people can eat their lunch, play games or just sit together.
5. Homeless shelters:
Homeless shelters are set up to offer free housing for people who live on the streets. They have beds, bathroom facilities and generally offer food. Depending on the city and the shelter, it may be difficult to get into them. Often people are turned away once capacity has been reached.
6. Animal shelters:
Animal shelters take in stray animals all around the world. They are generally for dogs and cats that have been abandoned and left in the streets to fend for themselves. The animals are often sold or given away to people who want them.
Shelters can be as big as an entire building designed for one specific purpose or as small as a canopy at the entrance of a building or out on a playground. The idea is that they provide a place for people to go, to be together and stay safe.
One of the best ways to break into a Web-based business and to start to make money online with little training, equipment or financial outlay, is to sell goods on one of the major online auctions. You don’t need a business license, you don’t need a large inventory of goods, and you don’t need a lot of staff. If you want to know how to make money online NOW, gather the things that have been hiding away in your attic, your garage and your closet, and sell them on the Web. All it takes is Internet access, an e-mail address and a fairly good digital camera and you’ve started your Web based business.
You can make money online with your own crafts in this manner, too. Perhaps you bake great cookies, or decorate cakes for special occasions. Perhaps you design one of a kind doll clothes or weave great rugs or do your own beautiful quilting. Maybe you’re an accomplished painter or sculptor. Perhaps you write and design your own unique brand of children’s books. All of these ventures lend themselves well to the start of your online business. If you choose the right online auction site the price you pay to the site to make your money online will pay for the fabulous job the well-known merchandise auction provider does in marketing your goods on the Internet.
On the largest merchant auction site in the world we looked at the various opportunities for an individual to create her or his own Web based business. Not only does the site offer several ways to do that but it also provides a step by step tutorial about how to make money online. Of course, if you don’t continue to make money the auction site doesn’t either.
You can start your own online business as an individual selling one item just to get your feet wet. The site will do the Internet marketing for you and guide you in the entire listing process. If you find that this seems to be the right work from home online opportunity for you at any point you can make the jump to an online merchant with your very own online store, the ability to showcase your goods, e-mail alerts for your Internet marketing and a discount for bulk sales.
Once you have decide to start your own home based business you will need to look into web-hosting. For this check out Hostgator who offer unlimited domain names in a single hosting package. This is essential to keep costs low and to allow for multiple streams of income.
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Home interior designers are the pick of your play when you want to beautify your dwelling with the most creative and innovative ideas. Roosting in the same house which has remained unwavered since ages, at times becomes boring and monotonous. Even if you are out to live in a new house, you would want it to be something stylish and unique.
We generally formulate an opinion about the taste and preferences of people living in an establishment on seeing the interiors of the room. Interior decoration of a building or house reflects the lifestyle and class of people. An Interior design company is a veteran of interior decoration and is well versed with the different types of architectural structures to be used in the process.
This is a highly creative field where designers blend modernity with archaic culture. Hogged with a brilliant taste of colours and style, they have an eye for choosing the right colour. They use every corner of the house by spelling their imaginations to give you a wonderful feeling. The elements of design include space, line, form, color, and texture with which they have are very well acquainted with. Whether you are looking for experimenting with your current furnishings and fabrics, or ‘starting from scratch’ with an empty room, Miami interior designers will model your home, helping you win apprehensions from your guests. And to your surprise, interior designers charge very economically for their decoration services understanding your needs and budget. If you have an art piece or a specific colour in your mind and want it to be displayed with elegance, let them know it in advance; they will create a space for it in a manner that will not only make it look appealing, but also functional. So, if you are looking forward to change the interiors of your home, hire an interior designer.
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These designers closely work with carpenters, painters, and purchase decoration material from a reliable shop only after consulting you. The work starts after your approval of the plan which focuses to get your desired results and effects in the room. If you do not find the designed plan matching your expectations, you can very well ask the interior designer to give a better idea.
Interior decoration is not only popular in metropolitan cities today; it has become popular in small towns too. Interior designers help us to rejuvenate and give picture and colors to our ideas. Miami interior designers are experts and can guide you for the decor of your house. Today, even media and event management companies hire interior decorators to update their offices and sites for an elegant and exclusive look. With the help of interior designing ideas, a lifeless and disfigured place can also be transformed into your dream world!.
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The idea of conducting an event outdoors often sounds more enjoyable than having it inside the house. Outdoor events allow more activities to be held rather than indoor ones, where activities tend to be restricted due to constraints in space. A family gathering will be enjoyed more by the members when held in a spacious area. However, there are some problems in conducting an event outdoors.
The heat of the sun or wet weather can ruin a perfectly-planned Sunday afternoon lunch date. Guests either end up feeling irritated with the extremely hot weather, or the preparations end up being in vain when the sky suddenly turns gray and rain pours down on the carefully-chosen table cloth. One must be prepared for these kinds of unexpected disasters.
Using tents for outdoor events can resolve problems caused by hot or wet weather. Tents are indispensable camping equipment, proven to be useful both for hot and wet weather. There are different kinds of tents for various occasions. Canopy tents are very useful for large outdoor events, such as conferences, gatherings or assemblies. This kind of tent can also be put up with customized decorations.
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Canopy tents are available in stores selling camping and caravan equipment. There are also tent rental companies that offer canopy tents for rent for different occasions. These tent rental companies can provide tents in different sizes depending on the occasion or on the number of guests.
Tent rental companies, aside from providing different kinds of tents, also do tent decorating jobs. If canopy tents or other types of tents are needed for an outdoor event, renting from a tent rental company is more practical than purchasing one. Staff from the company will take charge of putting it up and decorating it, saving the organizers the hassle of putting up the tent.
Organizing an outdoor event and celebrating special occasions can be made easier. There’s no need to worry about the hot or wet weather. Rain cannot ruin perfectly planned events. Whether it’s a canopy or other types of tent, tent rental companies can provide the perfect tent for all special occasions.
There are many advantages which an individual can benefit from when pursuing the possibility of improving their home. These enhancements have an important effect on the home environment, including increasing property value, improving home appeal, and even increasing the comfort for any current residents. The greatest options you can pursue while considering home improvement is the do-it-yourself option. The following identifies four possibilities any homeowner could take benefit of to discover all these improvement benefits and avoid the high costs of professional services.
Painting
Painting represents the simplest possibilities a person could take benefit of to completely alter the look of a room. Many house owners have pursued the chances of professional painters in order to accomplish this task and found it to be an incredible waste of a lot of money, taking into consideration of the simple steps which are involved in any painting project. It is highly recommended while painting that you make the decision to do this project on your very own as well as follow the simple steps of preparation, priming, and painting.
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Flooring
Flooring is another do-it-yourself home improvement opportunity which several people can achieve on their own, without the need of a professional resource. While there are some flooring projects far more complex, where professional aid may be recommended, taking benefit of opportunities such as simple tile installation or carpeting are simple steps you could complete on your own.
Air/Heater Installation
Any home is instantly improved when they take benefit of the opportunities which exist with installing air conditioners or heating resources. This could dramatically alter the environment of a home, as you take advantage of comfortable temperatures which will prove highly beneficial, whether you are a living in this environment yourself or looking to sell a home. There are several opportunities available for individuals to take advantage of with this installation opportunity, creating a unique do-it-yourself potential.
Shelving
The last opportunity a large number of people can take advantage of, while looking into the possibilities which exist with home improvement, is found with shelving. There’s a large attraction which exists when a homeowner is able to construct custom-made shelving to fit a specific room environment. Not only will this prove beneficial to the current owner, it would also prove to be a highlight for any new individuals, looking to make an investment into this property.
When you can take advantage of any of these home improvement opportunities, you would be able to save a tremendous amount of money by turning these into do-it-yourself projects.
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Most working individuals with families target a home as their primary investment. Since the home is generally considered symbolic of one’s social status, many exert much effort to make their homes a beautiful and comfortable one without sacrificing functionality and the budget. This attitude also helps boost the property’s value and makes the dwelling a personal statement of the homeowner.
This motivation drives a multi-billion dollar market for home refurbishments, fixtures and related maintenance and services. One particular segment that thrives on home building and renovation is the market for patio canopies, covers and accessories.
The exposure that patios have to rain, snow, sun and the elements has made canopy manufacturers come up with varying models made of different materials to address this concern. For added comfort, canopy makers typically offer waterproof systems with roof tensioning and related support to prevent water accumulation. Made-to-order patio canopies can take 3-4 weeks before delivery.
One solution to protect patios from nature is the use of aluminum patio cover kits and retractable awnings. Such outdoor patio covers are generally for long-term use, maintenance-free and comply with standard municipal load ratings and provisions of the International Building Code. The retractable quality allows one to adjust awnings depending on the weather condition. Aluminum canopies also come in do-it-yourself models that can be used to augment a current deck, as carports or, for wealthier homeowners living near the water who have boats – protection for their vessels. Extended patio canopies allow homeowners practically continuous appreciation of the outdoors.
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Patio canopies also have use for residences with a swimming pool, the backyard deck or other large and exposed areas. These flexible and pre-engineered structures can be attached to an existing home, over the target area to be covered or set up as a stand-alone unit. Canopies can also be made of steel while maintaining their retractability and flexibility. For added comfort, privacy or security, some manufacturers even offer screen attachments to close off a desired area. For wide-open patios, canopies effectively make them an extension of the house or a new room – giving the homeowner wider space and more comfort.
Homeowners have a wide range of options to better protect their patios and homes in general, ensuring also that visiting family and friends can be entertained outside regardless of weather conditions. Canopies also allow the owner to read a book, have tea or simply relax outside on the patio without any worry. Some canopy makers offers terms for individuals seeking a custom-made look with wind-release protection, awning flexibility and other desired features.
The US Census Bureau has noted that backyard patios have become an increasing fixture of new single-family homes: 45% of such dwellings have them, rising from 37% in 1992. This increase has fuelled a related jump in outdoor furniture sales: Figures from the American Home Furnishings Alliance reported a 129% increase in purchases of canopies, tables and other outdoor items from bn more than 10 years ago to .3bn in 2003.
That surge in demand has made retailers increase their focus on outdoor collections, with Hold Everything and West Elm launching their initial outdoor line in 2005. Separately, Restoration Hardware covered outdoor entertaining on 52 pages of its summer catalog, more than double the 25 pages it devoted to the category in 2004.
Some canopy covers are made from heavy-duty vinyl and are available in various sizes, allowing for easy maintenance and storage. Several makers offer vinyl patio units with limited 15-year warranties. As an alternative, companies also offer lattice patio cover kits created primarily for garden settings.
The market already offers patio canopies made from Alumawood, or aluminum material that feels and looks like wood. The product does not pose any of the problems identified with wood, including peeling, warping, repainting and termite attacks.
Patio canopies also extend beyond the residential market. Eide Industries, Inc. offers both permanent and temporary or portable models, with frames made from aluminum tubing or galvanized steel and fabric covers made from an extensive line of canvas products, for businesses and other non-residential users.
These exterior and interior products appeal to restaurants, resorts, hotels, retail shops, convention centers, theme parks, and exhibits and trade shows. For businesses fronted by a sidewalk, setting up a canopy along the path would help shade passers-by and also possibly draw potential customers to the shop. Combined with appropriate lighting at night, patio canopies add to the overall look of a business even during off-hours.
Leaks in the basement and bathroom, faded exterior paint and a rusty roof are reasons I want to acquire a major home improvement in VA. Guess I’ve been working too hard thus hardly noticing 10 years have already passed since I had a home construction in VA. However, upon seeing the deteriorating features of my abode one weekend, I realized I have to do something fast before my house falls down on me unexpectedly while I’m sound asleep at night.
Though I badly want to improve my place, I don’t know where to start. I’m not knowledgeable in structures, foundations and roofing systems. In fact, had it not been for my brother’s home construction project in MD 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have considered putting up my own house since I was happy traveling to different places and not having to worry about what could possibly happen to my house while I’m away. Renting fully furnished apartments and studio units was easier for me then.
Now that I’m faced with this predicament which concerns my home, I really don’t know what to do. I called my brother yesterday to share it with him but he said he’s in the middle of a conversation with painters from a home painting company in MD. That’s my big brother, always after the welfare of his haven and sparing so little time for me.
I trooped down the neighborhood bookstore to find myself an interesting book. Outside the bookstore, a big banner screamed “Get 75% discount!” I wonder how many books I could bring home today I thought excitedly. I scanned the pages of The King of Torts by John Grisham. I had this book before but somebody borrowed it, and unfortunately forgot to return it to me.
As I roamed the place, I noticed a new read on the magazine stand. Usually this area would teem with People, Cosmopolitan, Entrepreneur, The Economist, and other familiar titles, but today a new glossy read titled Fresh Home joins the pile. Impressive layout I thought as I examined the cover of the magazine with several storyline titles of interesting topics ranging from home remodeling in DC, decorating tips, DIY home furnishings, and many others. I bought the magazine and drove to the Subway Restaurant to grab a bite. After my meal, I headed home and contacted a remodeling company as I have some great remodeling ideas that only they can concretize.
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