This Mid-Key eagle looks out over the golf course and water hazards

The negative double is usually used to show a holding of four cards in any unbid major. If North had a five-card heart suit with at least 10 HCPs, he would have bid it when West overcalled one spade.

Some of the best mornings I’ve spent birding have been on Beer Can Island when you could walk there. This is what it was like one day two years ago: It’s morning on Beer Can Island, the fish are running and great blue herons are out. One blue flies to the top of a short, dead, ash-colored tree; another is all but invisible standing among fallen gray trees; yet another flies a short distance and walks quickly toward a fisherman.

Come to a special twilight celebration of the holidays at 6 p.m., Dec. 3, benefiting the Ca’d’zan preservation fund. Enjoy holiday cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music on the beautiful terrace followed by a rare evening docent tour. 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. For reservation/donation information, call (941) 358-3180.

The Grammy-winning husband-and-wife team, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, present cherished standards, newer seasonal fare and some of their biggest hits during their “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 11, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail. Last season’s Vince Gill show was a sold-out smash hit, so [...]

The third annual Sarasota Indian Market will take place Dec. 3-5 at the Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami trail. Native American fine artists from all over North America will gather to present their work and share their culture for the weekend. The artists, representing various tribes, will include some of the finest painters, jewelers, beaders, flute makers, potters, sculptors and leather workers in the Native American art world.

Happy Birthday Ludwig will be celebrated by the Sarasota Orchestra at Holley Hall at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 16. Historians believe Ludwig van Beethoven was born Dec. 16, 1770. The Sarasota Orchestra will celebrate this special day in history, the birth of one of the most famous and influential composers of all time, with a program of all Beethoven works.

The following homes were under contract on Longboat Key from Nov. 18-23

Enjoy favorite holiday tunes alongside trumpet fish, pipefish, fiddler crabs and a real orchestra. Bring loved ones for two special holiday performances by the Sarasota Orchestra at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Dec. 21 at Mote Aquarium. Visitors can hear seasonal favorites in the courtyard of Mote Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota.

Get a ticket from Mote for “Casting for a Cause,” a celebration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 9 at the new West Marine, 4708 South Tamiami Trail. Guests can enjoy food, live music, festivities and special discounts exclusive to attendees.