But, what a difference eight months can make!  As you can see in the photo below (please click on the photo for a larger view), nothing remains of the old center; the new Fresh Market has truly taken shape – and it looks as though it’s going to have room for a lot of great stuff inside!  I’ve been impressed with the quality of construction as it has been going up, and I’m pleased with the look of the building.  It could have been yet another boxy building on the corner, but, instead, it’s an interesting and attractive structure.

I wish that I could give you a precise opening date, but when I contacted Jordan Worrall, the man responsible for Public Relations for Fresh Market, he said that they do not yet have a confirmed opening date – they do feel certain that it will open this Fall, but nothing more specific than that.  He promised me an opportunity to get inside and get some preview photos when the time draws closer, and you can be sure that, when that happens, I’ll update with a new post.   

So, I finally did a little digging online, and learned that it is to become a new administrative hearing and appeals office for the Social Security Administration.  Currently, the closest hearing office is in Tampa, and there is a large backlog and waiting period for cases to be heard.  To address that, this new office is being built.  I was unable to learn whether the ‘regular’ social security office, currently on 34th Street North, will also move its operations to this new center.

And a new bakery!  For me, this is one of those areas where my response today is pretty much the same as it would have been when I was a child.  I am ecstatic!  I remember the days of bakeries scattered all over St. Pete when I was a kid.  Even the Publix grocery store bakeries were separate entities in the ‘old days’, branded as ‘The Danish Bakery’ and situated in separate shops next to Publix.  But most stand alone bakeries have become a thing of the past.  I know of only a handful in all of St. Petersburg.  And none downtown.  While I love The Cupcake Spot on Central Avenue, it’s not a full bakery – as good as Cuppy is at making cupcakes, sometimes I long for more.

So, when I saw these signs in the window of the shop space next to the new Cassis American Brasserie on Beach Drive, my heart skipped a beat and I felt a serious adrenalin rush!  Bakeries rule!  I am very excited and can’t wait for this bakery to open it’s doors!

The Job Corps is, in their own words, ”the nation’s largest and most comprehensive residential education and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24.  Job Corps combines classroom, practical, and work-based learning experiences to prepare youth for stable, long-term, high-paying jobs.”

Job Corps programs have had huge economic impacts in communities where they’ve been established, and when this Center opens, there will be new jobs created at the facility, as well as new skilled workers graduating from the facility, likely for many years to come.  For more details, as well as a number of photographs of the Center’s buildings, check out this document.

But, after years of delays and evolution, the Chihuly gallery is being built even as I type!  The new gallery will be located downtown, at 400 Beach Drive, easily accessed by visitors and residents alike.  The gallery is the creation of the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, and it is scheduled to open on July 4th.  With the opening of the Chihuly gallery, downtown will have, within a few blocks, the Museum of Fine Arts, the new Dali Museum, and the Chihuly Collection.

For anyone who is not familiary with Dale Chihuly’s work, there are dozens of sites where you can peruse his creations.  One of my favorite venues for his work is the lobby of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas… 

One of my favorite water activities is getting out in our canoe.  Living in Northeast St. Petersburg, there are plenty of places that I can go to canoe, but one of my favorite areas is the Weedon Island preserve, at the north and east end of the city,  just this side of the Gandy Bridge on the edge of Tampa Bay.  There’s a nice launch area, and parking just a few feet away, so it’s ideally suited to canoes and kayaks.  And, although you can just head out and paddle wherever you want, there are actually two canoe trails laid out, marked with numbered signs. They lead you through some areas of open water plus a lot of little canals that crisscross through the mangroves. It’s a beautiful place to go, and it truly feels as though you’re far away from city life, out in the wilderness. You can print out a map of the canoe trail, just for moral support, at this link. But there’s no need to – the trail is clearly marked from start to finish.

If you don’t own a canoe, there is a local outfitter that has a roadside rental concession just a short distance before the launch point. If you drive toward the launch point on Weedon Island, you’ll find the outfitter and you can rent a canoe or a kayak.

To get to Weedon Island, you can either turn east off of 4th Street North onto 83rd Avenue, continue on as it turns into Patica Rd NE, then turn onto Weedon Drive NE – you’ll see a sign pointing the way. Or you can turn south onto San Martin Drive off of Gandy Blvd (just east of Derby Lane Dog Track) and then turn onto Weedon Drive NE when you see the sign. It’s a fun adventure, it doesn’t cost much, it’s good for your soul, and it’s right here in St. Petersburg!

I have not tried Cassis yet, but I promise that I will, and soon – it looks beautiful inside, and I love the arrangements for outside seating – these high-tech swing-out umbrellas each have a built-in light, so that you’re not eating in the dark at night!  And the bar inside the restaurant looks just amazing from my window view.  As soon as I have a chance to eat here, I’ll post again with more details any my very objective opinion of the place.  But I was in the neighborhood one early morning a few days ago and had a chance to get this photo and wanted to mention Cassis right away – I love the fact that we have new restaurants opening downtown, and I’m happy to spread the word! (Please click on the photo for a larger image)

Yesterday, I went to Honeymoon Island, just west of Dunedin, for an all-day Photography class and Photowalk.  The title of the class was ‘Flight School’, and the goal was to teach us how to better photograph birds in flight. 

I had a great time, and this shot of an Osprey in flight is just one example of the sorts of sights that abound on Honeymoon Island.  In addition to lots of gorgeous beaches, there are also great nature walks, and that’s where I caught this beautiful shot.  We saw Eagles, Ospreys, a Catbird, Ibises, and more. 

If anyone wonders, as did I, why it’s called Honeymoon Island, here’ s the lowdown: It was originally called Hog Island, but in 1939, a New York developer bought some land on it, built 50 palm-thatched bungalows, and marketed them to honeymooners as a little paradise getaway.  (Please click on the photo to see a full sized view of it.)

Osprey in Flight