Home Again in Paradise...

We are back home, in Ft. Myers! We actually arrived on Sunday, but have been pretty busy, so I will have to catch you up on our trip.  I'm going to do it a little differently, posting today's trip first....then catch you up with the last 2 days in another post later....Because today was an awesome day! 

 Most days here are, of course, but today team Cheri went out on a real adventure! We went to Marco Island and got on the Hemingway Water Shuttle. They dropped us off at Tigertail beach for a couple of hours....
There were tons of shells all over the beach....pushed up by high tides due to Hurricane Michael passing by us in the gulf...

Lots of Sunray Venus pairs.... with beautiful color....

Both sides of an Orange Scallop...

Lots of nice size Shark's eyes....you guys know I can't pass them up!

Nice Nutmeg...

Cheri found an Apple Snail with a Hermit crab in it!

It had been painted!

I saw several Live Olives....I love these guys!

There was an amazing shell pile....Cheri kicked around in it and found part of a nice dark Junonia!

I found a couple of Flats...(Zigzag Scallops)

And a live TINY Sea Urchin...

After a couple of hours, The 'shuttle' came by and picked us up and headed out to another island, Keewaydin. On the way, we found several small pods of Dolphins with babies!! I never got a really good picture, but it was so fun to watch!

Keewaydin didn't have those huge shell piles, but it had a nice long beach for some great therapy....and a few treasures, like this double Jewel Box...he was alive so he went into the Gulf....

 SCORE! Finally found a nice Alphabet cone! They have been few and far between lately!

 I had to take a pic of the cool pattern on this FFC (Florida Fighting Conch)

And this has to be the ugliest Alphabet cone I have seen (sorry about the bad photography!)....but it came home with me anyway!! ;)

Cheri found a nice Alphabet Cone also!

 ...and a Flat!

I found so many pieces of Flats....beautiful colors! Finally I found a whole one!
Mahogany colored!

...And I have to mention the birds....so glad to see birds! 

Cheri snapped these awesome picture of a Bald Eagle pair with her amazing Camera and Lens! 

First They appeared to be hugging....

Then he just flew away!!!

I think we did pretty well shelling....the therapy was Awesome!
here are my finds for the day...

 Purple Semeles, Cones, Horse Conchs, Flats...

 Worm shells, Jingles, Scallops, Olives... Fun!

The day ended as pretty as it began...Cheri snapped this awesome picture of the Sunset tonight on Sanibel....

Stay tuned....I'll catch y'all up!!

::Shelllady Hugs::

A Two-fer post! 2 days in one!

Since I skipped another post, I decided to post 2 shelling trips in one this time. Of course, anything from here on out can't top the big Whelk I found, but I have found a few other little treasures. I decided to try the beach west of the lighthouse since I hadn't been there since Irma came through.  The water was very clear, though it still had that Root Beer color....just a little lighter. By no means normal.  I walked along the ridge where the waves break the whole way. I think I could have filled a bag completely with Banded Tulips and Fighting Conchs, there were also a bunch of small Lightning Whelks.  I have sworn off of all of these as I already have too many.  My very first find, was half of an Alphabet Cone....so sad, not a good way to start off!

Things got better pretty quickly, I found this Lace Murex....so many variations of these, in color and texture....

and, of course, I'm not going to pass up on a Shark's eye...

 I so wanted this True Tulip to be complete...what beautiful color!

I found a bunch right together....a Florida Cone, Blonde Shark's eye, Juvenile Horse Conch, Pretty colored Nutmeg, Mini Banded Tulip and Nutmeg...

This was my favorite find of the day, a Gaudy Nautica with amazing color, it was perfect!

Though the water was gold, it was very clear....see the circle? Can you tell what it is? (you can click the pic to enlarge, then x in the corner brings you back here...)

This is it, Love this size Horse Conch....

Then turned to the right, and this guy was just rolling along!

Such variation in color, about the same size...Perfect!!

I also avoid the Apple Murexs because I have so many, but the colors on this one were beautiful...

I did get a small Alphabet though not very colorful, but I took it anyway!

 The final find of the day was this very delicate Lace Murex, so different from the first, much more dainty!

My Shelling Buddy Cheri Flew in today, so we planned to hit the beach as soon as she settled in....We went to the beach and were VERY disappointed at the color of the water....so Dark, darkest I have ever seen....and very rough...

Cheri is good at shelling the waves, My brain can't process things fast enough....I think I need some practice....so I shelled the shoreline...My first find was a Flat Scallop....

This is becoming one of my favorites, loving the Flats, all different and so unusual...

2 more variations of Lace Murex...the big Fossil like one with very little lace and color, and the tiny one, not yet lacey...but very colorful! (I apologize, this pic is not in focus, it's hard to tell in the bright sunshine!)

I found another Florida Cone..

But check out the color on this one that Cheri found, Isn't it amazing?!

She Also snagged this Big Alphabet Cone in the surf....I'd say that was a SCORE!

On the way back up the beach Cheri spotted these Eagles in a tree....she says it's a pair, Male and Female. How Awesome to see these Magnificent birds...

Well, the shelling wasn't fantastic, but it's still fun being out on the beach. Stay tuned for one more shelling Adventure before I have to head home....
:(  This has been quite a trip, but so much fun....

::Shelllady Hugs::