Hunting for the Elusive Shell... and other things...
A couple of months ago I came across a blog belonging to a gal, Tootie, down on Sanibel Island off the Gulf Coast of Florida. What captured my attention to her blog was "a" post about the shells she had found on her beach that day. It was phenomenal! I could not believe the ABUNDANCE of shellery that God had blessed her with that day!!! I believe at the time, I might have just returned from our first trip to the beach and might have been mildly disgusted at the LACK of shells that we find on the Atlantic coast shores these days. S'anyway... suffice it to say that I was DULY impressed by Tootie's post! On top of that, I rather liked her personality, so I went back to visit a few days later! What did I find? MOOOOOOOORE shells! Yes. MORE. Lots more. Days worth more! Almost EVERY day Tootie is haulin' in more shells in ONE day than I have ever found in my entire lifetime... and I'm not talking just little tiny ones... I'm talkin' about the ones that you go into Sea Shell City and PAY mucho dinero for!!! I found my self seriously stompin' my size 9's and shouting NO FAIR!!! So anyway... I've been telling Tootie that I was going to post MY fabulous finds from Ocean City! Prepare yourselves people! This will knock your socks off!!!
See? It knocked Mom's socks off!
Hehehe... okay... just a little stroll on the beach... I want you to know though that this was DAY 3 AFTER Hurricane Hanna came through. This would be the TOP day for shelling! Now notice the ground around Mom... shell abundance, huh? Okay... well... we walked for a little bit...
... and hey! That's something!
A little further on we found another one!An unbroken one I might add!
And then there was this...but that really wasn't the kind of treasure I was lookin' for!
That's not even the kind we EAT!
THEN! There it WAS! The PERFECT shell!WOW! It was big, unbroken... and just there for the taking!
Mom took it! It was her treasure!
A little while later we came across a couple of smaller ones.We left them for a child to find...
Then THIS one really was a granddaddy - but it was allbroken and rotted and ... not good.
A little further on ... a few more...but note - the majority of what you see here is
sea foam bubbles!
Now! This one IS broken - but we don't see Conch shellsvery often at all! So, I was going to grab this one... it was
GONNA be my treasure!!!
But...
That was when Mom took her fall into the water!Not only did she LOSE her shell, but the next wave
took mine! This ended our expedition for the day!
We had actually walked about a mile and it was a
long cold wet walk back for poor Mom....
(again... there is something to be said FOR having Alzheimers!)
She doesn't remember a thing!
These are two more shots taken on different days thatwe were there -- but you can see - the story doesn't change.
There just are no shells washing up on these shores...
and I wonder why!
It's sad. Cuz I remember them from when I was small!
A long long long loooooooooong time ago.
This pic is interesting because sand bars don't really happen too often in OC either. We have run into them on 2 or 3 occasions though. My kids used to love them because the water on this side of the bar was like a pond! NOT in this photo though -- it was more like a river! It was flowing and had quite a current to it this day! And the stuff that looks like disturbed sand? It's not. That is gobs and gobs of sea foam! It was sooooooooo windy that day!!! It just amazed me thatthe sea foam didn't blow straight away - but it stayed a long while and would just blow away in little pieces. I'll tell ya... nothing is ever BORING about the ocean!
Now... go visit Sanibel Toots and see what it's
REALLY all about!
(and hang onto your socks!)
posted by Melli at
12:01 AM
17 comment(s):
That's strange that you only found one shell from time to time ! Even here at the Belgian sea there are lots of shells on the beach ! but the sea is never blue even when the sun is shining and the sky blue it always stays grey ! I can watch the sea for hours it never bores me !
By
Gattina, at
10/02/2008 7:01 AM
beautiful photos Melli. Our beach is much the same, sometimes there are a lot of shells, and sometimes there are only dead jelly fish.
By
PJ, at
10/02/2008 7:38 AM
That is so odd that you didn't find more shells! I wonder where they all were.
I agree about the beach never being boring.
I can understand what you mean about Alzheimer's being a blessing in some ways. My mil doesn't have Alzheimer's, and of course we wouldn't wish it on anyone, but she has some degree of dementia, and sometimes she has just memory and awareness enough to get really frustrated over it all.
By
Barbara H., at
10/02/2008 8:06 AM
Growing up and living so close to the Jersey shore - I've found that after a storm or hurricane was the best time to go out and find some. Early in the morning. If you have a boat - some of the barrier islands have some gorgeous shells left untouched also.
Florida's coast also churns up some beauties. Especially the conch shells. However, I was really disappointed to find so many chunks of coral washing up. I found some very pretty pieces - but sure wish the reefs were the way the used to be.
By
Margaret, at
10/02/2008 8:08 AM
Don't you feel like you've really done something when you find a good shell? I have a few from recent trips. Still in search for the BIG ONE!
By
Carmen and Jim, at
10/02/2008 8:22 AM
I liked your ocean pics! I am going to have to skip visiting your friend. I am borrowing time to visit you!
By
quilly, at
10/02/2008 11:23 AM
Love your pictures. It all seems so calm and relaxing.
By
Family Man, at
10/02/2008 11:26 AM
The first shell pictured here looks like a distant cousin of the ones I find around here!!! love your beach pics, Melli. Yes, I am back and loving every minute away from the current laundry pile :)
Have a wonderful afternoon!!
By
Mar, at
10/02/2008 12:50 PM
Good afternoon Melli, I love looking at all of your beach pictures..I went over and visited Tootie's blog and could not believe all of the shells on her beach..Our kids use to love playing in the little ponds made on the beach .... I am busy with Olivia ,but loving it..
Hugs, Baba
By
Baba's Blog .. Babies Are Special, at
10/02/2008 1:38 PM
I can see why you're not done yet, I can truly understand, shells or no shells!
By
Jientje, at
10/02/2008 1:46 PM
We very seldom find any shells to get very excited about here at Tybee Island either!! I wonder where they are..Down at your friends house I think.
Pretty pictures of the beach..always something different at the ocean.
By
Flip Flop Floozie, at
10/02/2008 2:54 PM
Ah, poor Mom.
You know in FL we'd go shell hunting, but you had to be there at dawn because the people who sold shells to tourists went out at first light.
By
Maribeth, at
10/02/2008 3:29 PM
I love sea shells too! I sure love the ocean! Hugs, Grams
By
Talk..to..Grams, at
10/02/2008 4:04 PM
Hey! A shell is a shell! and there are no bad days at the ocean!
I call those yard-art shells.
By
ChrisC and JonJ, at
10/02/2008 4:34 PM
Where have all the sea shells gone, long time piling?
Gone to big stores every one.
You can pay and then be done.
No more piling.
It's that dang Global Warming.
I enjoyed the pictures.
Sorry mom fell in and lost her shell.
Life at the ocean just doesn't run smooth.
By
Dr.John, at
10/02/2008 6:03 PM
Melli, you are tooo funny! Poor Mom, I can't believe she fell and lost her shell, and you lost yours too! I'll be sending her a replacement soon when I send a package to Luz. :-) I will label it especially for her. I love those sand bars too!
By
Tootie, at
10/02/2008 7:21 PM
Beautiful pictures of beach, sand and shells!!
By
soleil, at
10/03/2008 10:26 AM
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