It was a fabulous day for "The Great Homes of The Landings" tour (sponsored by The Landings Company) and the "Gardens of Skidaway Tour" (sponsored by Landings Landlovers) both held on Saturday, May 3, 2008.  Hundreds of visitors and residents came out to see the gardens and the nine extraordinary Landings Company homes that were on the tour. Many registered to win prizes at the homes. Our thanks to The Landings Club for the logo items that they provided for the raffle!

Congratulations to the following folks who were randomly selected for prizes during a  drawing held at The Company office on Wednesday:

Residents:

• Bruce Schneidewind
• Cliff Lindholm
• B.S. Dunham
• Sue Addington
• Pat Sunshine
• Judy Weiner

Winning Guests hailed from:

• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Texas
• Louisianna
• Pennsylvania
• Canada

Thank you all for coming out and enjoying the glorious day on Skidaway!

I took my 3 year old grandson to the Landings fishing derby last May and he had a blast. Luckily no fish were being caught so I didn't risk having to take anything off the hook. This year I understand the fishing pond has been restocked and the catch rate should skyrocket. Since grandson is now 4 he may be able to really catch a fish. This has grandmother and me very excited in light of the escalating food prices at the market.

My grandson's favorite spot on Skidaway Island is the Landings Harbor Marina  where he could watch the giant fork lift take and return the boats to the dry storage for hours. I made the mistake of buying him a chocolate popsicle at the marina store when he was 2 and, to his mother's dismay, I am expected to repeat this ritual everytime he visits. Hey!

I'm his grandpa! The Landings is a great place to raise children and to spoil grandchildren.

I have lived at The Landings full time for about a year and a half, but have been coming down here regularly for over 10 years. One of my favorite things about this location of ours is that The Landings makes a great home base for some terrific day trips. One of the side trips I have always wanted to make was to the famous Vidalia Onion Festival which takes place during the last weekend in April each year. I always pictured this as a quaint small-town harvest festival that just happens to take place in the Spring instead of the Fall. The VOF lived up to my expectations in every respect!

Vidalia is an easy hour and a half drive from Savannah, directly West on I-16. The "main event" of the festival is the air show headlined by the famous Navy flying team "The Blue Angels". We left the house at 9am to make sure we had plenty of time prior to the 12pm. start of the show. Getting off the Vidalia exit, you know you are in the right neighborhood, because of the unmistakable aroma of onions which fills the air. Our trusty GPS system directed us through town toward the regional airport, but was hardly necessary as a long string of cars was going our way. Too many, as it turned out, because we were stuck in one spot not moving for at least 30 minutes. Time to fire up an alternate route. The cool thing about rural Georgia is that it is honeycombed with dirt back roads that provide "unofficial" ways of arriving at a destination, and most of these little travelled paths are documented in GPS maps. Our alternate route took us behind the airport, less than a quarter mile from the action and had lots of pull offs to choose from. We soon found out we had chosen a good location.

The acts to the Blue Angels included biplane wing walkers, prop planes and jets performing hair-raising and dangerous stunts to the delight of the small crowd that had joined us in our dirt cul-de-sac. With about 20 minutes between acts, there was lots of time to get acquainted with our new best rural friends, discuss the pros and cons of various brands of pick-up truck and learn the proper way to peel a Vidalia (a seven year-old showed us how).

Then there was a massive roar from the airport followed by quite a surprise to this air show newbie. Rising above our horizon was a massive C130 prop driven transport plane powered to a crazy angle by two rockets attached to the fuselage. The noise and spectacle were astounding to say the least. But.... It was all over so fast I did not capture a single frame of the event on a day of over 300 exposures. The decisive moment still lives and we have to be ready for it!

After an additional 20 minute intermission, we heard another massive roar and this time I was ready. One great thing about the F18 Hornet going about a million miles an hour...they can't make a really tight turn (not like the biplane which turns on a dime). This meant that the formations were bound to fly directly overhead after making a pass on the airport runway. (Clearly the show was directed to the folks right at the airport, but something made me just as happy to be a little distant.) The compositions from that vantage point were much to my liking and some of the more back lit images turned out the best.

The Vidalia onion festival made a perfect day trip. Roadside onion rings, back road exploring and a great air show were highlights you just don't do every day. The traffic was a bummer, but served as a great reminder why we're down here in the first place. We were in high cotton.

I hope you had the chance to attend the annual Kiwanis Concert on the Green at The Landings soccer field on Sunday night. It was without a doubt, the most pleasant afternoon/evening -- blue skies, slight breeze, great food, conversation and entertainment.

The Savannah Arts Academy provided the entertainment with their Skye Lite Jazz Band. What a group of kids! They played and sang their hearts out and provided the perfect venue for an excellent evening under the stars. With selections like Bandstand Boogie, Route 66, Fish & Grits, My Funny Valentine, Blue Skies, the crowd was tappin' and swingin' along. Where else can you see such a talented group of high schoolers, enjoy the company of your Landings neighbors and friends, enjoy a picnic on the green, look at antique cars, and be supporting such a worthwhile charity all at the same time! Under the direction of teacher, Michael Hutchinson, the kids performed to perfection.

The highlight of the evening was when the band played the finale - America! A hush fell over the crowd while hundreds of Landings residents stood to their feet to honor America.

By the end of their 20th year in 2008, Kiwanis will have donated $1,000,000 and 275,000 volunteer hours to the organizations they support.Thank you Kiwanis of Skidaway for a great night and for 20 years of extraordinary service!

When I left the "big city" to come South, one of my objectives was to find a place where I could still enjoy museums, the theater, and take art classes. Savannah and The Landings seemed to be the perfect place ! And it has certainly proven to be true. My first year here I decided ceramics classes would be what I would tackle first. After two years and countless pots of various shapes and sizes, I decided to try my hand at jewelery making. A few classes in Savannah  and zillions of beads later, I had made bracelets and earings for all my friends and family up North and here in Savannah. In the meantime, I had discovered the many theaters in Savannah and Hilton Head and saw some really fantastic performances.

This weekend, however, I was so pleasantly surprised when my husband, a friend and I  took the 45 minute drive into Bluffton to see the May River Theater's production of Jekyll & Hyde. I had seen the Broadway production and wasn't sure what to expect. Well, Daniel Cort, who played Jekyll (and obviously Mr. Hyde) was just fantastic! I was riveted to my seat. He was incredible -- touching and vulnerable as Dr. Jekyll and absolutely frightening as Mr. Hyde (as it should be). I later found out after reading the program more closely, that his lovely wife played Lucy -- what a Star! It was an enjoyable evening, great acting, and all for just $20 a ticket.

Savannah and its surrounding theaters have not dissapointed ... its a great place to live if you're looking for the arts!

I noticed that most blog comments had to do with everything going on at The Landings, but the thing that attracted me to The Landings and to Skidaway was its proximity to historic downtown Savannah. What a great city! there is always something going on, and unlike other big cities I've lived near, everything is so EASY!

I can get in and out of Savannah in under 20 minutes. If I attend the St. patrick's Day parade, I can take my folding chair, drive in to town, park, enjoy the parade, get back in my car and be home with no hassel. If I want to see a play, there are plenty to choose from - and the tickets are not $110 a seat! I can enjopy a fabulous dinner at any one of the many restaurants in town, or I can take an art class if I choose to.

Not only that, the city of Savannah's Cultural Affairs office always has something going on ... and most if it is FREE! I can hear a concert on River Street, see fireworks the first Friday of every month, attend craft fairs, or see free performances of Shakespeare in the Park, enjoy ethnic food at the International Festival or the "Oy Vey" festival. I can take a SCAD Gallery Hop or attend the Savannah Music Festival or the Legends of Golf tournament. Then there's the museums  like the Telfair and the Jepson, and the Owen Thomas House. Too many things to mention here -- but that's what I enjoy about Savannah! And in under 20 minutes, I'm back home in paradise -- at The Landings. What a life! 

What a pleasant surprise ..... When we moved to The Landings on Skidaway I was not sure if we'd fit in, afterall, we're a family with young children. I'm a stay at home Mom and my husband works in downtown Savannah. The decision to move to The Landings has been one of the best we've ever made. Not only does it offer the natural beauty that we were looking for, but it has been a great place for my kids!

They can ride their bikes all over the island on the biking trails and I never have to worry about them riding in a busy street. There is an athletic field and a playground that my little one enjoys, and, in the summer, we all love the pools - especially the pool with the water slide. What a hit! We purchased a small motor boat and we just love tooling around the waterways surrounding Skidaway island, and we enjoy the dog park (which we call the Bark Park). Another wonderful way to spend time with the kids and the dog!

We have a great youth coordinator on the island and she creates lots of great programs that the children really enjoy, especially the summer cramp and anything to do with crafts. I love the babysitter's club and we've found some really great teens to sit when my husband and I want to catch dinner and a show in Savannah.

All in all, I think we've landed in paradise!

Hang On! What a day! For all you sailers who enjoy a little competition and a lot of sailing, the Rhodes 19 Sailing Club at The Landings on Skidaway Island is a perfect way to enjoy the waters surrounding our island and our community! Last week our Club had a great time  ..... we had breezes that varied from calm to knockdown velocity, from southwest to north, in about a 10 second window of time. Skippers and crew had to be looking at the water's surface and boats ahead and behind to be ready for the changes that were sure to come. There were times when four boats would be closely grouped and all but becalmed and a fifth boat would overtake and pass them right through the fleet! How does that happen?

 We had three great races with seven boats battling it out. Ken Rand and Art Wolters found the best angles and managed the conditions well and were rewarded with a 1,2,1 record...well done, guys! The places changed numerous times in the fleet but Bearboat kept moving to the front.

We had two new racers joining us today, Dudley Koontz and Scott McGlynn. They both had a good time and we hope to see them again. Scott sailed with me and took the tiller for the second race...yeah, he got the bug. Jake Master crewed with Joe Witten last week in Jake's first time on a Rhodes and they took three first places. He was hoping for a "threepeat" today but ended up with three last places. Sailing can be a bit like golf. There's always next week, Jake.

The Committee Boat was ably handled by Debbie Rouzee, Carol Walsh and Jim Morison...thanks very much, guys. A good CB crew makes a big difference, particularly when you have seven boats competing.

  NOTE: Things got pretty crowded at the starts, including some bumping. That is to be expected and "incidental contact" is not a problem. However there are rules to be followed and when you're in a crowd, particularly at the start or when rounding a mark, you must either follow the rules or absolve your sins by making penalty turns. There were some sins that went unrepented. At some distant time those who are guilty will probably be redirected to hell, but should such behavior occur in future races PLEASE own up and take your penalty turns.

GolfCourseHome.net just sent out their monthly e-newsletter and it was great to see that The Landings made it into the top ten communities being viewed by people who access the GCH website! It's probably because there's so much going on here that people are really interested in finding out more about how exciting life at The Landings can be and how many social clubs and groups there are to join.

There are so many other communities on that website ... I think its a pretty big deal that we're in the top ten!

A few days ago a local, Savannah, GA TV station, WTOC, reported on the desperate need for supplies for the dogs and cats at the Savannah Humane Society. It seems that they are in short supply of a number of essential items and in over-supply of needy cats & dogs. One of the staff members at The Landings Company, on Skidaway Island, thought it might be a good idea for the Company to be a collection point for The Landings community for donated supplies since we're centrally located.

As a result, the TWATL was nice enough to put a "blurb" about this in their last issue and donations have been arriving on a steady basis. It kind of reminds me of the Angel Tree that we put up at Christmas in the lobby of The Landings Company! It really warms my heart that the residents of this community care so much for the orphaned and needy animals of Chatham County in the greater Savannah, GA area and so willingly rush in with their donations!

If anyone out there is interested in helping, just stop by The Landings Company office for a full list of needs, or call our main number at 598-0500 and someone will read the list to you. Or, the following is a short list of the most needed items:

Pedigree or Purina wet puppy food, puppy pads, dog collars and leashes, wet & dry cat & kitten food, cat litter, cat and dog toys, towels and blankets (used are fine if clean), liquid laundry detergent.

Donations will be brought to the Savannah Humane Society on an ongoing basis as they start to pile up.