Tip toeing through the Tulips!

We are back at our place in paradise, though it still is badly damaged around here and on Sanibel from Hurricane Ian. I see improvement every day! I spent a big part of the time while getting my beach therapy this morning appreciating how lucky we are and how little loss we have compared to so many. This is my first visit back to the beach since this massive storm hit the end of September.  They continue to work on the causeway and I am awed at how quickly they got that fixed, it looks a little more 'normal' all the time....the island looks sad, but at the same time inspiring as I watch workers and private residents working everywhere, just cleaning up! I hope to help with some of this while I'm here....

Very few beach parking lots are open, but I made it to Nerita, just as the sun came up this morning. I was the only one in the parking lot, and there were very few folks on the beach. There used to be a boardwalk here with lush foliage on each side...

There were deep crevasses along the beach, but there are trucks and backhoes filling them in with sand, 

There were also folks in 4-wheelers picking up trash, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of trash out there, I even brought extra trash bags and only found a couple of small things!!

Sanibel sunrise never disappoints!

There were signs of life all over the beach....

Tulip egg casings...

Live shells, 'writing' in the sand....

This Florida Fighting Conch seemed happy, he did a little whifferdill as he headeded to the Gulf! :)

This live Apple Murex was tiptoeing across the sand...

There were lots of live Florida Fighting Conchs partially buried...

This was a beautiful live big Horse Conch...

I could tell I didn't have good shelling eyes, I missed a couple of these medium sized Horse Conchs, (called Ponies) two people picked them up after I had passed them!!! I need more practice!!!! ;)

There were a few Sea Anemone about....

There were Billions of these small live Arks all over the place!

This monster Shark's Eye was alive and happily living in the tidal pool! 

I gently put him back in the pool after his photo op!

I found a few small Sea Stars and gently put them into the water....

This little guy made himself protector of the tidal pool....I let him have his way! ;)

A Live Albino Fighter.....(sorry about the bad focus on this one!)

This was a BEAUTIFUL Chocolate True Tulip....Live (I put him into the pool also)

and of course, the live Cockles!

...and wonderful Birds!!

So now...onto the collection!!! Today was True Tulip Tuesday!!! I found several!!

also a beautiful Gaudy Nautica!

and a pretty nice Lightning Whelk!

I also collected a bunch of Dosinia to paint....I could've filled my backpack up with these!

It was a wonderful morning of much needed Beach Therapy!

I think I might need to try this again....75 degrees and sunny in February...it doesn't get any better than that!!!

Stay Tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Lots of Minis on a Long Walk

Yes, I'm still here! I have been very busy doing shell stuff, but not shelling! Shell Club meeting on Sunday, and Shellcrafters on Monday...am I in Heaven or what?!  Early this morning Team Cheri got back together and headed out for another adventure. The shelling was pretty sparse, but there is always so much cool stuff to see and the weather is fabulous! 

The first big question we had was what in the world is this? Neither of us have ever seen it before, and we found quite a few of them on the beach.  They are jelly-like, obviously eggs of some sort, they sink when put in the water.  I pulled out the books and searched, and the internet.  Cheri and I thought that they may be Octopus eggs when we first saw them. According to what I could find, they could be that or squid...though the insides of all the pictures I found showed the squid and octopus developed, these weren't yet...any ideas out there? Would love to find out, and I will report back when I do!

The prize find of the day was Cheri found a Maculated Baby's Ear!

...and another Baby's Ear and Button Shell

We then started finding the mini's....

I found this tiny Banded Tulip...

and this little perfect Wentletrap

Can you believe this is a Lightning Whelk? From this....

 

To this!!...

I found A Keyhole Limpet...

We each found tiny Shark's eyes

 Lots of mini's!

We found some other neat stuff as well... This Sea Pork with Spots!

and a Live Bubble Shell...

Cheri had to leave about 8:30, and it was such a beautiful day, I decided to walk back to my car at Gulfside...about 3-1/2 miles! Something I have always wanted to try!

I have a craft project I am going to start working on and need some Coquinas, so I will be collecting all I can find!

 I hit the jackpot as far as finding coquinas! There were lots of Coquinas, especially in this one area! Very tedious to pick through them, but so much fun. I also found mini fighting conchs, bubbles, murex...it was definitely mini day!

Most of the take home today were these beautiful Coquinas!

I also found this odd colored Fighting Conch...

He was live, but look at this beautiful Purple lining!! (Don't worry, he went back in the Gulf after his photo op!)

I couldn't resist this Spiny Jewel Box....

I did find a cone....a Florida Cone!

I also couldn't resist this Small perfect Pear Whelk...

and this guy!!! This is a Reddish Egret and he was in a tidal pool doing his little chicken dance...he was so funny, I could have watched him forever!!!

I tried to catch a him on video, he moved around so much it was hard to keep up with him!

Stay tuned....more adventures to come!!

::Shelllady Hugs::