Good Morning from Florida's Indian River Lagoon
Good morning from Barefoot Bay along Florida's Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian FL. Today is Friday September 18, 2026.
Welcome to today's Lagoon Life Report, where we explore the weather, wildlife, waterfront communities, parks, local food, and everyday moments that make life along the Indian River Lagoon so special.
Today's Lagoon Life:
This has been a nice few days of gardening for others. Thursday night I went to yoga and then did 2 hours in the garden at The Yoga Garden in Melbourne. Then Friday AM, I got up and went to Chozen to attend their first volunteer gardening of the season with my buddy Corey and we also ran into Sky who is a friend who lives at Kashi, the ashram next to Chozen. Then Saturday morning was the International Coastal Clean up day which I did with some of my friends from ORCA at the Main St boat ramp in Sebastian. After volunteering IO found this lovely gift tied to a small twig as I returned to my car! Thank you whomever placed it for me!
Lagoon Living Tip of the Day:
Tomorrow Morning, Don't Just Talk About the Lagoon. Pick Something Up.
Here's an unusually actionable Friday tip.
Tomorrow, Saturday, September 19, Indian River County Parks, Recreation & Conservation and Coastal Connections are participating in an International Coastal Cleanup at Round Island Riverside Park in Vero Beach.
Volunteer check-in and the safety briefing begin at 8:45 AM, with the cleanup running from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. The county says bags and cleanup supplies will be provided, while volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and are encouraged to bring sunscreen, insect repellent and a reusable water bottle.
Round Island sits directly along the Indian River Lagoon, so this isn't an abstract environmental exercise happening somewhere else.
It's our backyard.
Wildlife & Nature
My video today, played on mute, is awesome. First I noticed the milkweed and then as I was thinking where is a monarch one flew in and deposited eggs on the leaves. I cant wait to go back next Friday and see what has happened.!
Today's Lagoon Spotlight
Featured Community Do-Gooder: Shining Light Garden Foundation
We're pointing the compass firmly back toward Indian River County, and today's organization is exactly the sort of local story I've wanted these Insights to uncover.
Shining Light Garden started in 2008 when Joel Bray began giving away surplus vegetables from his backyard garden.
That's it.
Grow too much food.
Give it to somebody who needs it.
Then apparently keep doing that until your backyard garden becomes a 20-plus-acre nonprofit farm. 🌱
Today, Shining Light Garden grows thousands of bushels of fresh produce for local food pantries, soup kitchens, veterans organizations and senior programs. The operation is volunteer-driven, and the vegetables are given away rather than sold.
But vegetables aren't the entire story.
The garden also grows flowers for the VNA Hospice House, provides miracle fruit for people undergoing chemotherapy, and has planted more than 250 mango and avocado trees to add fresh fruit to what it distributes.
💚 Here's Another Piece I Love
Community organizations have begun supporting the farm's infrastructure as well.
The Garden Club of Indian River County and its Jasmine Circle recently contributed $10,000 toward a new refrigeration system so harvested produce can be kept fresh while awaiting distribution. Other Garden Club circles have donated as well, and members regularly volunteer at the farm.
That's community working almost exactly the way you'd draw it on a napkin:
One person grows food. Volunteers help. Another organization buys a refrigerator. Local charities distribute the harvest. Families eat fresh vegetables.
No grand theory required.
💙 Why They Matter
We talk frequently in these reports about protecting the natural abundance of the Indian River Lagoon.
Shining Light Garden is a reminder that Indian River County's abundance also grows on land.
And there's something particularly appealing about an organization whose entire operating philosophy began with having more tomatoes than one family could eat.
A surplus became generosity.
Generosity became a garden.
The garden became twenty acres.
And twenty acres became thousands of meals.
Sometimes changing your community begins with asking a remarkably simple question: What do I have too much of that somebody else needs? 🍅❤️🌱
Learn More
Shining Light Garden Foundation
Lagoon Lifestyle & Real Estate
Don't Judge a Florida House by Its Air-Conditioned Temperature
You walk into a showing in September and the house is a glorious 72 degrees. Wonderful.
Now ask: What did it cost to make it 72 degrees?
For a Florida buyer, electric bills can reveal things a showing cannot. Ask the seller for several months of utility bills, particularly summer months. Two similar-sized homes can have dramatically different operating costs because of insulation, window efficiency, HVAC age, ductwork, sun exposure and even tree cover.
Also pay attention to additions and converted spaces. That enclosed porch or Florida room may add wonderful living space, but was it designed to be efficiently conditioned?
Purchase price gets most of the attention during a home search. The electric bill sends you a little reminder about the house every single month afterward. ❄️🏡
Thinking About Life Along the Lagoon?
Whether you're planning a visit, considering a move, or simply enjoy following life along Florida's Indian River Lagoon, I hope these daily reports help you experience one of Florida's most beautiful regions.
If you're looking for local insight about waterfront living or real estate anywhere along the lagoon, I'd be happy to help.
Every report is another chapter in the story of life along Florida's Indian River Lagoon. Thanks for following along.
Chris Norris
Broker Associate | Treasure Coast Realty
Serving Florida's Space Coast & Treasure Coast along the Indian River Lagoon
ChrisNorrisRealEstate.com
SebastianLagoonLife.com
YouTube: @ChrisNorrisRealEstate