A Wonderful Windy Day on Keewaydin Island

I'm back in Florida paradise, and have been since right after Thanksgiving. I have been spending most of my time getting ready for Christmas, Florida style! Baking, shopping, wrapping, crafting for Craft shows with the Sanibel Community House, and of course I had to do a little bit of shelling. This time of year is wonderful shelling, the tides are super low, and normally the winds push the shells up to the beach. I've been a few times, gotten a few treasures but nothing too much to brag about...yet.  Lynne, Liz and I did take a trip out to Keewaydin Island with Hemingway Water Shuttle ! I have been with this small, family owned business many times and will continue to do so....and you should too when you are down here! If you haven't been following the weather down here, we have some sort of a storm going on, LOTS of wind, heavy gusts at times, and today and tomorrow they are adding rain to that forecast! We worried that the trip would be canceled, but they just had us come a little earlier and as we were done, pulling up to the dock, the wind and a bit of rain started, perfect timing! We went out to the island the 'back way' to avoid the wind in the gulf, we tiptoed through the mangrove islands and saw this beautiful Eagle! (I love Eagles!) Liz got her phone out in time to snap this pic....

We actually saw 4 eagles today!!
 

So, how did we do?

This was my very first find!

Isn't it a beauty? It's the Florida state shell, a Horse Conch, and one of my favorites! 

Lynne's first find was an Alphabet Cone! SCORE! I really was glad to see that...I would like for her to enjoy herself and come again!

My next find was a first for me....though it is not perfect, and a little pitted, it has definitely been on my bucket list of things I want to find! It's called a Caribbean Vase Shell!!!!

I was tickled pink!!! If I don't find anything else, My day was made!!
 

I have many pictures so I'll just take you on the trip as I took pics....more seeing less talking! :)

an Olive, 2 Gaudy Nauticas, and a beautiful Florida Cone....

a HUGE worm shell, a Banded Tulip, a Pear Whelk at the top next to a Lacey, Lace Murex, a tiny Pear Whelk and another Gaudy!

There were lots of Live Large Lightning Whelks, so good to see!!!

Not a perfect Alphabet Cone, but so huge!, another Olive, tiny dusty cone, Juvenile Horse Conch, worm shell and Nice sized Kings Crown.

ANOTHER Alphie, a pretty Christmasy True Tulip, a Chocolate Alphabet Cone (dark colors) a Shark's eye, another worm shell and 2 Nutmegs...

more Olives, a Chocolate True Tulip and another small Gaudy.


There were many, many broken big shells all over the place....They were obviously old and well-worn!

We all picked our spot and shelled separately but compared notes frequently....

Lynne seemed to be doing just fine!

She found a Live Calico Clam, it was beautiful...

She put him back in the gulf after his photo op....

I think Liz was doing well too.....

She found this beautiful Neon Orange Horse Conch!!

It was a cloudy day, and somewhat windy, but the temperature was perfect, not too hot, not too cold! Perfect in my book!!! 

We bid Keewaydin a fond farewell with plans on another trip coming soon with our bags full!

Here's all the shells I picked up, I was somewhat of a shell snob, but there are just some I can't resist! I could've filled up all my shell bags with Fighting Conchs, banded tulips, lightning whelks...all sorts of treasures...so this is what I settled on for now....

not bad for 3 hours of shelling huh?! I'll take it!

 Here is the Vase shell after a bleach soak, they are normally very white....

I think Liz had a successful day as well....here are her favorites!

Lynne had a great time and has promised she will be coming back with us soon, no pictures from her this time as she is always busy and she and I have a Craft Show this weekend!! Busy Busy!!!

We will head back to Virginia for Christmas next week, then back down here after for some more adventures! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families! May you be blessed and celebrate the true reason of the season!!!

Stay Tuned!!

::Shelllady Hugs::