"You Can Never have Too Many Tulips!"

There has not been a lot going on to post about lately....I have managed to slow down and act like I'm retired! My days are crafting, either making stuff out of shells for Sanibel Shellcrafters or painting shells to spread (we call it sprinkling) around Sanibel Island, and Team Cheri has been pretty consistent with our beach 'walk and talks' which is my therapy session! :) 

Oh and we had a little storm pass by!!

We spent a lot of time watching Hurricane Idalia and it's path. It was forecasted to pass to our west and make landfall up North, between Tampa and the big bend. As it passed by we held our breaths that it wouldn't turn, it brought a few bands of heavy rain, but not bad. After it passed we were in what Hubby and I called the  'tail' of the storm, it lasted for at least 2 days, pretty strong winds with stronger gusts, and some rain bands. Unfortunately it gained strength and made landfall near Cedar key. My thoughts and prayers go out to those folks.

So, I've heard that after a storm goes by, the shelling can be tremendous. There was light flooding on Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach. Mostly parking lots near the beaches. So I went out each day to the beaches that were open and found little to nothing! The best (low) tide was the day the storm came by so I got out there as soon as I could. Nothing to post about...then a friend messaged me and suggested I try another beach, this time on Fort Myers Beach...I've only driven by once or twice and stopped to shell a couple times in the years we've lived here. It's just as close as Sanibel, just across from it, another direction...so why not? I'll make it an adventure! Fort Myers Beach was hit very hard by Hurricane Ian nearly a year ago and they are still very devastated, they are as bad or worse than Sanibel and are very much in rebuild mode, business, Hotels and homes are all in varying stages of restoration. It's very sad to see, and so hard to imagine what they are going through! While there a man stopped and talked to me and said they were getting better and slowly but surely they would be back to whatever normal is! Such a great attitude!

Sorry, too many words....on to the adventure! 

I got onto the beach at daybreak and immediately could see that this was going to be an adventure! The Gulf was very calm and the visibility was good in the water...

Tons of shells in the water, most were alive, so you have to do a lot of studying and exploring! Heaven!!

One of my favorite shells (I have many) are True Tulips! How about this beauty?!

a few more steps and I saw this pretty Pear Whelk!

There were lots of signs of life here, which, as you know, I love! This Banded Tulip was hanging out on top of the Cockle!

This is a nice sized Horse Conch, I don't usually find these guys this time of year, he was alive and well, so after his photo op, he went back!

His 'body' is the bright orange you see around the dark brown Operculum (door) that offers him protection!

I found several of these big old gnarly Lightning Whelks, they have lived a hard life and it shows!

There were quite a few of these little clusters of live shells, notice the Albino Apple Murex on the left, that's a special find!!! But it is alive so it won't be disturbed!

Another beautiful Pear Whelk, look at that color! It's a pretty good guess with such vivid markings that it could be alive!

and it is!

Back he goes to grow! I found my first complete Calico Clam, some call them Checkerboards....Had to save a set for my collection!! Nice coloring on it, right?!

Score!! Another Beautiful True Tulip!....

Nope...it is alive also!! Back he goes to Live on!

as you see in this picture his Operculum (door) is open!

I really enjoyed this guy....No you don't see him....

Now you do! 

He played peek a boo with me for a while! It's a hermit crab in a Pear Whelk! So fun!

I enjoyed this, I'm calling him Chester, after my Granddog! Press the arrow, I couldn't resist taking a video!

A little ways down the beach I hit the jackpot with the True Tulips, most of these came out of the same place!

So many colorful True Tulips!! With a bonus Nutmeg and another pretty Pear Whelk!

And Another favorite...I know I know, I have SO many favorites! A juvenile Horse Conch! Nice color huh?!

It was time to head back, I have been on this adventure for 3 hours now, it's time to call it a day!! On the way back I found this BEAUTIFUL Lacey Lace Murex...He was alive, but look at all that lace!!! He safely back in the Gulf!

Here's a look in my bucket! I think it was a good day, wouldn't you?

Here they are a little more organized!

At the very top center are broken pieces I save for a friend named Bonnie who paints beautiful things on the broken ones!to the right of them is a Huge piece of Coral I found that was Hollow in the center, I thought it was cool, and may work for another craft piece! Next row is a pair of Sunray Venus, a set of the biggest Cockles I think I've ever seen, then some Shark's eyes. Under the Cockles are a variety of colors of Lighting Whelks! Under that are my collection of True Tulips for the day, the the left are a few Apple murex. In the center are two Horse Conchs, a biz zillion Banded Tulips, and a nice collection of Pear Whelks!

Close up of the Trues...

and the Pears

I might just be going on this adventure again! It was such fun!!

Stay Tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs!::

 

Taking in the Sunrays!

 I'm still in paradise! It's hot down here in sunny Florida, but it's August! It's summertime and it's no hotter here than up in Virginia! I love it! Before Susan and Katie left to go back to Virginia, we decided to hit a couple of beaches during a lower tide, we were unsuccessful with shelling but did get a slow dramatic show of dolphins! I didn't get great pics, but you can see them pretty well!

The water is pretty and the beach is clean....

a little too clean this day, not even any shells! ;)

We left Gulfside beach (mid island) and went on up to Blind Pass, my first time seeing it since Hurricane Ian rocked these beautiful Islands!

The beach is still beautiful, but you can definitely see the loss of foliage....not to mention the view of everything else is still obvious, they are working hard to get back to whatever the new normal will be, but it is a slow tedious process! No resorts are open, well one is...with limited rooms, on Sanibel and it will still be months, maybe years before it's fully open again! Restaurants and business are making great progress, it seems like every week someplace new has finished restoration and will open.

Time to change the subject....

On Friday, Team Cheri got back together for a little walk and talk, birding and shelling, the tide was nice and low so we headed to the mud flats. Boy were the Sunrays out...Suns rays AND Sunray Venus Shells in pairs!! 

Cheri had a small 2-1/2 gallon bucket that she filled, I had a shell bag and both pockets of my backpack full before we finally decided we had enough!

We use them as 'canvases'...we paint them and put them out around the island for folks to find...like the rocks! Heres just an example of what we do with them.... the long slender ones (crow, cat, Jelly fish)bottom right are sunray venus....they are some of my favorite shells to paint!

We had so many and our bags/buckets got heavy so we headed back to the car to lighten up and grab some water! Then back out!

There were a few birds out, Cheri is an amazing photographer and was very pleased to see many Avocets, 

according to Bird-nerd Cheri they migrate through here and only stay for a short time. 

They're very cool looking birds with their slightly curved beaks and long legs...Cheri has the camera for a much better shot of them....

and she can stay in this position for a long time!!! I can't even get into that position, much less hold it steady for a period of time!! My highlight for the day in the bird world was a Roseate Spoonbill! He was there all alone, and was so colorful!!

I found this nice Lightning Whelk rolling in the surf! It was covered in moss and yuck, but I believe with a little work it will clean-up nicely!

We also found quite a few empty Kings Crowns...

...and a few white and Rose Tellins.  Here's my final tally for the day....check out those Sunrays!!!

On the left are Kings Crowns, up to Sunrays, (four columns on there back and One group at there base showing the outside) in the center are white and rose tellins, (all the white are still in pairs), below them to the left are a few Alphabet cones and to the right are 3 nice Pear Whelks.

Kings crowns

That ugly whelk, a little bit better!

The whelk and Kings crown aren't completely done in the cleaning process, I will post pics of the 'after' when they're done!

It was a great day, and I had a lot of fun! The tides are pretty low the next few days so hopefully I'll have some more adventures to post! 

Stay Tuned!

Thanks for coming Along!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Last nights sunset from my driveway! How beautiful is that??