Have you ever wondered how shark teeth came to be scattered along the Venice, Fla. beaches. I recently discovered a wonderful children’s book by Linda Dunn. She has uncovered the secrets of the shark’s teeth on Venice beaches. I discovered her book at The Island Bookshop at 206 W. Miami Avenue. I bought a copy for my grandson, but I may keep it to read to him myself. It is a real delight.
Time to meet Flax the Forest Fairy. He just set up his new home in historic downtown Venice. It has been quite a change for him coming down from a verdant forest up north. He is happily learning all about the Florida trees and bushes that comprise his new home. He especially likes the new urban forest over by the Intracoastal, only a short flight away.
Kellen just found his brand new bachelor pad in downtown Venice. It is small and located in the heart of downtown Venice. Kellen is eager to join the social scene as he is looking for a bride. The Kingdom of Venezia has a number of unattached lady fairies and he is eager to start courting.
Having recently relocated from the flowering plains of the Midwest, Nicholas is delighted with his new home in semi-tropical Florida. There are so many new buds and blossoms for him to discover. He is particularly fond of the many varieties of Hibiscus he is just learning to identify.
Mossey established his new home in the heart of as much activity as he could find. He loves the groups of people meeting for meals and talking. Special events downtown make him really happy, all the music and noise. Despite his name, he doesn’t let any moss grow under his fee; he’s far too active.
Petunia is a flower fairy. Her absolute favorite color is pink. She loves the pink door on her new home and will be planting all sorts of pink flowers around. If any pink posies spring up near you, look around carefully and you may spot Petunia.
Willow is a tall, willow-slim fairy who always wears shades of green. She is very close to the willow trees she is named for. She encourages the planting of willow trees everywhere she goes. Her favorite tea is made from willow bark. Be kind to her trees and she will always be your friend.
Poppy the flower fairy is very happy in her new home. Her favorite color is red and she has painted her front door in a happy red shade. She is planning to plant flowers all around Venice, in as many shades of red as she can find. If you want to please Poppy and invite her to visit, plant red flowers around your home.
Tomasina is an artistic fairy. Both of her parents were flower fairies, so she is very drawn to the beauty of art. She has built her new home directly across the walkway from Collectors Gallery & Framery. She would love to have her picture painted someday.
At long last, Princess Buttercup’s parents have built their new fairy palace in Venice. Princess Buttercup is thrilled to have the new royal castle built so near to her own abode. It makes it very easy to visit her parents, Queen Man and King Oberon. Other members of the royal court are expected to arrive soon.
Princess Buttercup has lived in the family castle for many years. Now that she, her family and many of her fellow fairies have moved to Venice, she has set up her own home not too far from the castle. She has planted as many flowers as she could fit in. She has located her new home close to her oldest friends in Venice. Early spring delights her with the multiple blossoming of her flowers. She is, of course, a flower fairy.
Verbena is a flower fairy. She is thrilled that she will have flowers year round in her new home. She helps to cross pollinate between the flowers, like her friends the bees. Making potions and salves keeps her busy. They help to soothe and heal any hurts the fairies might receive.
Kitty the fairy has just found a brand new home for her and her cat. They are settling in, just in time for the Halloween season. Kitty loves pumpkins, fall colors and candy corn. She is looking forward to seeing the trick or treaters in downtown Venice, Florida. She usually dresses up as a witch; after all, she already has the black cat. The cat’s name is Ginger.
Frosty the fairy has just moved into town. He has been living up north for many years, enjoying the frost and snow. Many of his fairy friends and neighbors have relocated to beautiful Venice, Florida and encouraged him to do the same. Finding the perfect location for his new home, Frosty is adjusting his lifestyle to suit. With no snow boarding or skiing available, he has switched to surfing and skim boarding. If he feels the need to chill out, he visits the gelato shop. It’s just like being home. He hopes they make a cherry mint gelato one day. It's his favorite.
The newest fairy to set up her home in downtown is the flower fairy Rose. She is particularly fond of pink roses and has planted several around her new front door. She likes to help tend nearby gardens as well. Please do not pick any of her flowers without permission. She may give you a cutting to start your own roses, if she deems you worthy.
Daisy is a flower fairy. She has planted purple daisies outside her new home. She likes to water the flowers and help new buds to open. The bees are her friends and help her cross pollinate the flowers. Anything she can do to help the flowers grow and bloom makes her very happy.
Thistle just moved into his new home downtown. He found a new host building that was happy to welcome a fairy. He is a garden fairy known for his specialty of removing briars, thorns and now sand spurs from the gardens he tends. Many hands are welcome to help him with his task. He is particularly fond of the VABI volunteers, known as Team Keep Venice Beautiful. He has declared himself to be one of their volunteers.
Cap is a very young fairy. He is delighted to find his new home is a very colorful mushroom. Scouring the woods and fields for assorted mushrooms is one of his favorite activities. He collects them for his friends and local restaurants to cook with. Often found in local restaurant kitchens, he loves to collect recipes and sample taste the cooking.
Lacey has just moved into Historic Downtown Venice. She is delighted to live near the heart of the city and across the street is a darling little pocket park with a fountain and flowers. She and her pet mouse, Muffy, love to go for long rambles in the park. Lacey can fly but she often chooses to ride on Muffy when they go exploring. She is very pleased that the pink flowers she planted in front of her door are doing so well.
Zephyr lives for speed. He likes everything really fast. He has located his new home near the big road, so he can try to race with the metal machines known as cars. Sometimes he just likes to hitch rides and get around town. His favorite merry-go-round is the turn table on an old fashioned record player. He definitely likes to fly on high wind days, so keep your eyes open to catch him wind surfing on blowing tree leaves.
Ash is a wood fairy. His family loves to live in forests or groves of trees. He has located his new home on a newly landscaped avenue that has a number of freshly planted trees. He loves to perch in the trees and people-watch. He loves his new home and eagerly zooms around to visit all newly planted trees.
Honey is known for her love of bees and honey. She rides the bees in order to direct them to the flowers with the best pollen. Hives are watched over closely to make sure they are not disturbed. She vouches for friends who come to collect the honey respectfully. This keeps the bees calm. Never collect honey from a hive without the permission of the fairies.
Sparkle is very excited to be living in such a cultural town. She flies from the theatre to the symphony and over to the Venice Art Center. Everyday brings her a new event, like the free concerts or movies in the park. She loves to watch auditions and even dreams of trying out some day, if the right role comes along. Playing Tinkerbell in Peter Pan or Queen Titiana in Midsummer Night’s Dream would be her dream come true.
Sawdust is an accomplished wood smith. He picks up scraps of wood and can carve or make almost anything out of them. He is very fond of his new home, as it places him close too many fellow artisan builders. Visiting backstage at the Venice Theatre, he watches the construction of sets and props on a daily basis. He has been known to sneak back later and add some special fairy touches to the stage scenery.
Salty is a retired sailor. Settled happily into a beautiful park area, he is a short flight from the Intracoastal Waterway. Watching the boats sail by is a favorite occupation. He is not shy about catching a ride on a ship he admires. If it is a fishing boat giving him a fine ride, he may help to whistle at the fish alongside to help the fishermen. Or he may just call the dolphins to come put on a show, which is something they dearly love to do.
Puck is a mischief-maker. He loves to play small pranks on people. The well-established joke of a penny glued to the sidewalk is one of his. If he can trick you into stopping and trying to pick it up, he will be very amused. You’ll hear his belly laugh coming out of a nearby bush if you’re paying attention. If your hat gets knocked off by the wind, it is another of his favorite tricks.
Beauty is just as she is named. She loves all sorts of beauty and has always been happily occupied fixing her hair and making her clothes. A true fashionista of fairy couture, she sets the styles for many of the fairy ladies. She has lengthy fairy locks and is constantly visiting nearby beauty shops to learn how new hair designs are done. Don’t be surprised if you see her zip by as your hair is being done.
Bacchus is a lover of fine wines and beer. He is also very partial to fine cheeses as well. He creates a fine vintage of fairy nectar that is very popular with his fellow fairies. He is not above sampling other drips and drops of beer and wine that may come his way. If you find some small teethmarks on your cheese, it is probably Bacchus tasting a small sample just to check quality.
Arachne is one of the newest residents of Venice. She is a well known spinner and weaver. Weaving the finest gossamer, she makes fairy stockings and helps to mend fairy wings. Working closely with friendly spiders, she has created some beautiful artworks with their webbing. Feel free to admire their work, but be careful with the webs, as they are very fragile.
Tiburon is a very cultured fairy. He loves theater and will view all of the shows. He never misses a performance, is quick with a critique and loves flirting with the actresses. He is always looking for an opportunity to insert himself into a performance, whether he’s been cast or not. Check closely for him at curtain call; he loves the applause.
Lavender is one of the artistic fairies. She selected the most artistic setting she could find. Surrounded by artists and art lovers, she loves her new home. It’s easy for her to slip inside and enjoy art lectures and classes. Some artists may be surprised to find some little flourishes on their artwork that they don’t remember making, particularly in the shade of lavender. The real sign of her being helpful is a wisp of her favorite scent, lavender.
Sweetie is known far and wide for her sweet tooth. She has settled in the heart of downtown with access to stores that sell candy and ice cream. Her door is colorfully decorated with one of her favorites- gum drops. She loves festivals when there are even more sweets and desserts available. Luckily flying helps her burn off the calories from all of her sweets eating.
Woody is a forest fairy. He located his new home on an avenue freshly planted with many new trees and plantings. Friends with many others, who call the trees their home, he visits with the birds and the squirrels for fun. Playing tag is one of his favorite activities. If a clump of berries or acorns falls down, it may have gotten knocked down during one of their lively games.
Happy is a fairy who loves to be around people. His home is located by the busiest intersection in town. People-watching is his favorite pastime. He loves to see all the new people coming to downtown for the first time. Listening in to friendly conversation, he has learned a lot about our town. He spends some of his time picking up litter, the small bits he can handle. If he sees you littering, you may be mixed with fairy dust.
Sprout is a plant fairy. His new home is situated in a garden with easy access to a park. He hides and plays in the leaves of a tree or a thick bush. He loves to play hide and go seek, so you must be very quick to catch sight of him. His home is green to blend in with his surroundings as well as his dress.
Morsel is a food fairy, she has created her new abode in a place full of good aromas and good food. She loves being in the kitchen and to enjoy the smell of food cooking. She is also quick to scavenge any spilled crumbs or uneaten goodies left on plates. She is a firm believer in the clean plate club and does her share to finish any uneaten food. Do not use her as an excuse to leave your vegetables on the plate. She will frown on this behavior. Sweet treats like dessert attract her attention, watch for her to hover around your table, looking for luscious crumbs.