Exquisite Harmony

Coming in September – Exquisite Harmony, works in collage by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson. There is an opening reception Friday, September 10 from 6-8pm, then “Meet the Artist” on September 11th at 1pm. There is even a collage workshop planned for Friday-Sunday, October 22-24, from 10-4pm. Come and learn from the best, the artist herself!

Maitland Arts Center

The Maitland Art and History Association at the Maitland Center has a lot of great events planned in the upcoming months!

The Great Florida Birding Trail is a program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, supported in part by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Wildlife Foundation of Florida. This 2,000-mile, self-guided highway trail unifies nearly 500 birding sites throughout Florida. Modeled after the successful Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, this ambitious project features detailed guide booklets and special highway signs identifying Birding Trail sites. Free guide booklets contain site descriptions, directions, and maps showcasing the wonderful birding opportunities in Florida. Each Birding Trail section consists of a series of clusters, with each cluster containing 1 to 15 sites highlighting communities and special ecosystems like the Lake Wales Ridge.  

Baby owl shower

The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey is two streets from Thurston House B&B in Maitland, and an amazing facility! They even hold baby owl showers yearly. Come see!

August 6 – Movie begins at dusk.

 Oscar® winner Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star as two sexy spies-turned-corporate operatives in the midst of a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves on either side of an all-out corporate war, they’ll put everything on the line to remain one double-cross ahead in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse. From writer/director Tony Gilroy (seven-time Oscar®-nominated Michael Clayton) comes the film critics are raving about. (2009, PG-13)

These date nights are a wonderful way to enjoy Leu Gardens in an evening setting. Pack your blanket & dinner basket, and enjoy the show.

Thurston House yard in the morning

Make it an even better night out and book a room at Thurston House too! This Maitland B&B is just 15 minutes from the gardens. We are like a mini Leu Gardens, with our beautiful lakefront setting. Come see!

Osprey

Last week guests really enjoyed going to this wonderful facility in Maitland, just two streets away from Thurston House bed & breakfast. Sometimes we think our yard is a birds of prey center as we often see owls and osprey flying around!

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey

Founded in 1979 in Maitland, FL, the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey has treated over 12,000 injured or orphaned birds of prey (raptors), releasing more than 40% of these former patients back into the wild. The Center handles the largest volume of eagles, owls, falcons, hawks, and kites east of the Mississippi River–averaging more than 650 admissions, or injured or orphaned birds of prey, each year—and is a leader among all North American rehabilitation centers for specialized eagle care.

The Center also provides environmental education programming to over 20,000 local students, teachers, and visitors annually, while promoting a culture of conservation towards birds of prey and their habitats. A nationally renowned research institute, the Center is an influential voice in the ongoing fight to save endangered and threatened birds of prey.

Leu House

Their mission statement says it all – The mission of Harry P. Leu Gardens is to inspire people to appreciate and understand plants, the enviornment of Central Florida, and the gardens’ historic significance.

This botanical garden is just a short 15 minute drive from Thurston House in Maitland. Their over 50 acres are filled with a varitey of gardens, from tropical to sculpture to roses to fruit…there is lots to see. A historic house tour awaits you too…Leu House. Almost every day someone gets married in the gardens. There are a lot of little quiet areas with benches and gazebos, as well as a boardwalk and covered benches overlooking Lake Rowena. The garden house has special event facilites, a research library and a wonderful gift shop.

Camellia

Monthly events may include Date Night, Story Time, Orchid Auction, Central Florida Folk Concerts, Orchid Society meetings, Tarflower Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society meetings and our personal favorite – Jazz Stroll. A variety of classes and workshops are offered year round too!   

Here is the latest offering -

Secret in Their Eyes

Best Foreign Film Oscar winner from Argentina

With THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES, Argentinean writer-director-editor Juan Jose Campanella has created a multi-layered and poignant thriller interweaving the personal lives of a state prosecution investigator and a judge, with a manhunt spanning twenty-five years. Recently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin (Ricardo Darin), decides to write a novel based on a twenty-five year old unresolved rape and murder case, which still haunts him. Sharing his plans with Irene (Soledad Villamil), the beautiful judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years, Benjamin’s initial involvement with the case is shown through flashbacks, as he sets out to identify the murderer. But Benjamin’s search for the truth will put him at the center of a judicial nightmare, as the mystery of the heinous crime continues to unfold in the present, testing the limits of a man seeking justice and personal fulfillment at last.

Enjoy your wine on the Thurston House porch

The shop is just minutes from Thurston House bed & breakfast so it is handy to buy some wine to enjoy here, or to take home with you. Their experts will help you chose just what you are looking for!

Spring Event: May 8, 2010
10am – 2pm

Each Spring the Center holds its annual Baby Owl Shower to raise funds to offset the increased costs during baby season.  Join us on May 8th to celebrate Mother’s Day and spring.  Non-releasable baby raptors will be available to view (pending).  Other organizations will be joining us this day for educational activities and programs.  Admission is “free” that day with baby gifts from our wish list that is used in caring for these young raptors. Contact the Center at 407-644-0190 for more details or if you have questions.

Baby Owl Shower – Help us help them…

Spring is coming and with it brings baby bird season.  During “baby season,” as the Center calls it, the clinic receives approximately 20% of our annual patient load.  Most of these young birds have been temporarily displaced from their nests. The Center’s ultimate goal is to get all these babies back into the wild where they belong, and we need your help!  Many of these babies will be reunited with their families or placed in foster nests. Others that are orphaned or that cannot be returned with their families are being raised and prepared for life in the wild.  Center staff spends many hours educating the public on what to do if they find a baby bird and if the bird is in need of help.  The best procedure is to get the baby back up into the nest with its parents if at all possible.

Screech Owl Babies

All Funds raised will help offset the cost during baby bird season.  Funds will be used to buy food, medications, medical care and other essential supplies.  To give you an idea of what it takes to care for these youngsters, a typical season looks like this:

• FOOD…287 pounds of fish, 148 quail, 595 chicks, 679 mice, 93 rats, 5000 crickets and 4000 mealworms.  We went through 2 knives and three pairs of scissors cutting it all up into baby-size portions!
• HYDRATION…12,000ml of fluids were administered.
• CLEAN-UP…we washed 956 baby blankets and used 150 pounds of newspaper.
• LABOR…500+ volunteer hours were donated to rescue, feed, clean cages and care for the babies.

We need your help!  Donate

This fabulous center is just a short walk from Thurston House Bed & Breakfast. Bring a baby owl gift for free admission.

This Saturday, April 24th, from 6:30PM – 9PM…the Maitland Wine Market in Central Florida is hosting a wine & barbeque event. The cost is $35 per person, plus tax. Reservations and payment in advance required.
Chuck Wagon is to be  provided by Four Rivers Smokehouse! Buffet dinner paired with 5 wines! Dinner includes, Assorted Appetizers, Slaw, BBQ Beans, Mac & Cheese, Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork and Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake. And of course, Four Rivers famous BBQ Sauce! Entertainment too!

Cubbedge Room is still open on 4/24/10!

Reserve now and then book your room at Thurston House bed & breakfast. Mention Thurston House Times to get a special 20% rate. Only one room still open! The market is an easy walk from us…

DON’T FORGET!! Coming up soon is the fabulous 22nd Annual Maitland Spring Arts Festival on beautiful Lake Lily, north Orlando. The weekend of 4/17-4/18 brings the show to this beautiful Maitland park. Tents with art and crafts will surround the lake. There will be food and drink offerings scattered about, and plenty of great items for sale. An easy 10 minute stroll will take you from Thurston House bed & breakfast to the site of it all. The Waterhouse Residence Museum will be open for viewing too. What a great way to spend a weekend in Central Florida so BOOK NOW!