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...social
hub where all matters are discussed, followed closely by the
pavilion where games, arts and crafts, weekly bingo, and special
dinners are held. Other favorite pastimes include crabbing
expeditions with fleets of boats joining in the hunt for Blue-claw
Crabs, often ending with crab bakes shared by the crews.
Outside
the tight ring of mangrove island hugging the shore and outward
several miles, many resident boaters embark on shelling expeditions
to the outer islands. Here on the edge of the Gulf are beautiful,
uninhabited islands ringed by pure white sand and framed by
battered trees pounded by recent hurricanes. In addition to
the gorgeous scenery, they find hundreds of shells, some spectacular,
many of them becoming craft projects during arts and crafts
days.
Chokoloskee
Island Park is home to a number of accomplished artists and
crafters who often work together on projects that include
jewelry-making, painting, clay, wood, and shell sculpting,
silk-screening, knitting, sewing, lure-tying, and more. Some
of this work ends up in local galleries, some in galleries
around the country, and some in the homes and RVs of visitors
here.
As the
images here suggest, many residents are avid photographers,
and almost nothing is more adoringly cultivated than the fine
art of sunset photos.
Fish
stories rule the roost, however. Some of them are true.
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