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Summer Sunshine and Smiles – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – It was a quiet weekend with Island neighbors and friends enjoying their time on Useppa. During the week the Service Department and the Fire Department coordinated a controlled burn of landscaping debris. The Pink Path sidewalk improvements continued. And the best news is that the iconic Pink Path Banyan Tree is being trimmed and treated to prolong its life. To Useppa it’s not just a tree. It’s a symbol of past and present, a well-loved backdrop in hundreds of family photos. Children once held on its branches are now parents holding their own children smiling at the camera. Useppa recovery from Ian continues. Even the Banyan Tree is smiling.

Hot Weather, Warm Smiles – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – Summer on Useppa is hot weather and warm smiles with some rain and storms added for excitement. It’s a time when mainland members pack up their boats and bring family and friends out for lunch on the Collier patio, an afternoon at the pool, cool drinks and conversation in the Tarpon Bar by the Marina. During the week only a few lucky people are on the island. Homeowners and visitors feel like Useppa belongs just to them. Summer …. one more island gift.

Tropical Storm Debby on Useppa: Before, During, and After – Pictures and Thoughts by UseppaGin – Cleanup is still going on, but the water is back on, roadways are clean, and the high tides and high winds only memories. There are damages that still need repair, but the smiles before Debby and the smiles after show nothing can stop Island life. Pictures show bits of the storm on Useppa, but only one week later and all is good. Thumbs Up Useppa!!!!!

Summer Weekends on Useppa – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – Boats with families arrive at the Marina. Multigenerational passengers unload and begin their walks to the pool. Other families and families staying on the island are already swimming or having lunch on the Collier patio. Summer weekends on Useppa are a chance for Florida year-rounders to enjoy leisurely visits. Boating Members have the island almost to themselves.

Useppa 4th of July Weekend – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – Happy Hour and Pasta at the Collier Inn on Friday, the pool on Saturday and Sunday, Patio dining and music by the pool…. families and friends arriving by boat or staying on the island all had fun. Coming together in friendship, being together for fun… 4th of July on Useppa is a highlight of the year on Useppa.

Izaak Walton 4th of July Kids Fishing Tournament – Thoughts and Photos by UseppaGin – Eighteen young fishermen lined the dock, stood on boats throwing a line, catching and releasing almost twenty fish. The smallest was a 7” Pinfish. The largest was 15” Snapper. The most unique fish was a little 8” Grunt. It was the first tournament for some and the last one for a veteran 12-year-old. Now she joins her mother as an Izaak Walton Tournament alum. Now like her mom, in the future she will help others catch a fish. Thanks to the Tarpon staff, and thanks to Kyle Corey for another great time.

The 4th of July on Useppa – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – The 4th of July is a family holiday on Useppa. All ages are on boats, in cottages, at the pool, the Tarpon Bar, and dining at the Collier. Fellowship and friendship describe life on our island. Time together on Useppa is a gift.

Father’s Day Weekend – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – Summer on Useppa is family time. Most of its residents are gone, and the island is a place where local members come by boat with goodies and children for lunch on the Collier patio and an afternoon by the pool. Rentals are vacation getaways. Multigenerational fun and love are shared in the warm summer sun. Grandparents and grandchildren swim in the pool while parents sit side by side watching and smiling. Little puppies hide under chairs waiting for treats. Useppa’s employees make it all possible. A special thank you to them for all their hard work.

Summer Island Fun – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – Summer means Tarpon fishing, boats at the Marina, dinners at the Collier, and all day by the pool. During one Happy Hour we celebrated an Islander’s 1st Tarpon. She was given an Izaak Walton pin and posed by the picture of a Collier-era Tarpon angler (Men and women fished in separate classes of Izaak Walton Tournaments, but if the size of their catch was compared, the women won.) Multigenerational family reunions were held. Birthdays were celebrated. Boaters filled the Marina. Members relaxed by and in the pool. It’s only beginning. All ages smile during summer on Useppa.

Memorial Day Weekend on Useppa I – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – …. Reunions and visits of families and friends describe this year’s Memorial Day Weekend on Useppa. For a few, it was their first island holiday. For others, it was a years long tradition, a once little girl now a mother. Flags everywhere honored those who fought and died for our country. It was a weekend in the Useppa family tradition.