A Mother's Day Adventure!

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” 
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I decided when I got up this morning I was going to make today a little different and go on an adventure! I have lived here for over 42 years and have never explored the beaches! I have been once or twice when my parents took family visiting from the midwest, but never to shell, and never on my own! I went all the way over to VA Beach several times, when I was in High School, before I got the shelling bug! I have read on facebook from people who are local, and also had a friend mention that there is sea glass here, which is completely different from anything we find at Sanibel! So I studied google maps and decided to head out around 8:00 to see what I could find! Where we live is not really on the ocean, it is the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay!

I drove through a fairly new housing area and found the entrance to a small stretch of beach....

 This old tree was right near the entrance, I thought immediately that it had a story to tell...turns out I was right! See the sign hanging on the lower right branch?

GVI stands for Grand View Island

I noticed right away the beach was very rocky!

 ...and there were small pieces of angel wings in there!!

 ...and of course there are always slipper shells, wherever you go!!

I slowly walked to the end of this beach, and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful day and my new adventure, picking up a few things, and started finding Sea Glass!! I even found 2 aqua pieces!! 

When I got to the end, I noticed something in the sand, I noticed the 'aroma' first...this creature was 8 feet long or so, and I didn't want to get too close....for several reasons....I didn't know what it was, it didn't smell very good, there were ghost crabs all around it....and it was 8 feet long!! I don't know if it is a land or sea creature but I am going to have to investigate this! The head has been removed so I don't know where to start, and it has a long tail....What do you think it is??

It was very freaky! Looks like a sea monster to me!! 

After I left there, I drove around along the coast and found this quaint little marina, and couldn't resist snapping a picture. I caught this Great Blue Heron in flight, wish I had zoomed in a bit.

When I got home, I took some pics of my new finds....some are very familiar!!

A Wentletrap! 

A Channeled Whelk

Angel Wings!!

I'm gonna have to look this guy up....don't know what it is 

Razor Clams

False Angel Wings...

...and sea glass! 

Aqua Sea Glass

Green Sea Glass

White Sea Glass

Here they all are after I cleaned them up ....Except I broke one of the angel wings :(

I WILL be doing this again!! I hope you enjoyed going on this little adventure with me!! It sure is good therapy!

I hope you all have a Happy Mother's Day this weekend.

::Hugs::

Cheri

UPDATE:I found out that my 'sea monster' is actually an Atlantic Sturgeon, they have become endangered here in the bay, and apparently travel through here in April and May headed in to the James or York river to spawn. Here is a link for more information!