Tidal Pool:Urchins

"...It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool again.” ~John Steinbeck

As I told you, last night's shelling wasn't too spectacular, but we had fun anyway.  It's always an adventure shelling in the tidal pools...there are so many live things, and lots of activity....not including all of us avid shellers! Here's our 'catch' for last night...

I did get an alphabet cone, though it was not in great shape...it's top right.

We spent quite a bit of time just chillin' on the beach today, we saw lots of dolphin and something we couldn't figure out....it was VERY long and slender, and swam very quickly, no fin above the water and all we could see was it's dark shadow under the water...we saw the front of it come out of the water twice, but couldn't figure out what it was, it looked like a snout, but was too thin and quick to be a Manatee! We finally decided it was a sea monster, and it was just one more reason not to go in the water above the ankle when you can't see your feet!!  Other than that, It was so pleasant, there was a constant breeze, so we just sat there and watched the world go by.....dozed a little and watched some more.  I'm glad that I do that now, it took several years to realize how relaxing it is to sit there under an umbrella and just take it all in....if you haven't ever done it, just try it once...it really is good for the soul!!

 We sat there until about 3:30 and decided to go ahead and get ready to go to dinner....at Sanibel you eat by the tides, you know! We want to go out shelling around 6 since the low tide is ~8:45 so we will be out there until dark! We went to a place we had never tried before, called Cip's Place.  They had a wide variety of choices, including lots of seafood choices at a fairly reasonable price (another advantage to going early....early bird specials!!) I had Ginger shrimp stir fry on oriental noodles....OUTSTANDING...and Hubby had Grilled Salmon caesar salad, and he said his was great too!!  We will be going back to check it out more thoroughly!! :)

The weather was beautiful and we headed out to the tidal pools just before 6...tidal pool shelling is my absolute favorite....you see so much, and it's just so calming. But you have to take your time and look carefully! It's also so neat because I have this new waterproof camera, so I spend a lot of time taking pictures and videos, so I can share more with you! I took so many pics this time that I will have to make this a multiple 'chapter' post!! Then you will get videos next week after I get home....to a reliable network connection!!

...so here is the first chapter....I'm going to call it Tidal pool: Urchins. Urchins gather items on their spines, I assume for protection, for some reason, to me, they look like a 1950s housewife in those foam hair rollers....remember those? There were hundreds of these little dudes out there with all kinds of hairdos!!

This is the bottom side of an Urchin, that area in the center is his 'jaw'

Here is the top of the same Urchin...she's just beginning her 'do'

There were Hundreds of them that looked like this!! Every type and size shell you could imagine!!

This one decided to try dreds!!....or maybe just ribbons

This guy was very cool, had really long spines

Here he is taken from farther away, he had attached himself to a pen shell! He was Very dark Black...they are normally a deep maroon color.

 Today was really a lot of fun out there, we stayed out until nearly dark, and had a great time....we got some neat stuff....I'll post those pics tomorrow!


I always have said that God and I have some great conversations while I'm shelling here at Sanibel, today My Dad joined in on those conversations! I talk to him everyday, but today we talked a little longer, he loved shelling here, and today I felt he was a little closer to me, and I really needed that!


More tomorrow!!


::Hugs::


Cheri