Island Hopping with Admins!

I'm still here, just been too busy (and lazy) to post! Shelling hasn't been exceptional, but the Beach Therapy certainly has! Shellcrafting therapy a couple of times this week has been too!!

I am an admin (administrator) for a facebook page called "The Shellinators", there are 10 of us that admin the group and we're from all over the country! Rarely, if ever, have we been in the same place at the same time, but we have still become great friends! Four of us, Cindy, Liz, Cheri and I decided to go out on a Shelling excursion together yesterday....what fun it was!! ....the shelling was good too!!

We started out just as the sun came up...another beautiful day!

Me, and Cindy heading out with Capt. Nate at the Helm!

Cindy and her beautiful Smile....whatever the conditions are! 

Liz and Cheri had the wind at their backs!

The shell hunt begins....

Cindy, Cheri and Me!

Liz, Cheri and Cindy

This pelican was kind enough to allow a nice photo as we passed him by...

This Calico Crab was testing the waters.....I think it was too cold for him!

This live True Tulip was huge!! 

But it's good to see lots of live shells out there....

Cap'n Nate stopped at Cape Pompano at the Dome Homes and grabbed this great pic!!

Cindy, Liz, Cheri and Cheri

The dome homes are beautiful, though sad that the Gulf is taking them over....there were 6, now there are 4....soon they will be a reef.

The birds obviously love them!

We all worked hard to find treasures....

and it paid off for each of us!!

Cap'n Nate wanted a pic with my favorites...

mine was a couple of Rose Murex and a nice Alphie!! (Alphabet Cone)

Pretty Rose!

Liz's were Rose Murex also!!

It turns out that we all found some nice Rose Murex which is awesome!

Cindy even found a Scotch Bonnet!!! 

Cheri posted a saying on our facebook page that absolutely sums us up:

“Friendship is about finding people your kind of Crazy” 

I'd say that pretty much sums us up!! So fun with these great Girls!! We gotta do this more often!

We all had a great time...and found great stuff!!

Cheri's:

Cindy's:

with some feathers too!

Liz's:

and mine!

and some of my favorites too...

Beautiful, tiny Lace Murex 

Florida cones

Alphabet Cones!!

Nice Olives!

Love those Horse Conchs!

Dark Nutmegs!

 and last, but not least..

Rose Murex....4-1/2!

We finished up with lunch together....we were all exhausted, but happy....hopefully you will see us together again....I leave in a couple of days...but there is always next time! 

Still have time for one more trip, so Stay tuned!!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Slow and Steady Beach Therapy

It was another beautiful Morning near the East end of Sanibel Island, Florida.... 65 degrees and with a slight breeze, the only sounds are birds and the water slowly lapping up on the beach, headed toward low tide....How does that sound? Nice Huh?! 

Another day of Beach Therapy, and I just took my time, in no hurry....pretty soon I found this awesome Apple Murex...I don't normally pick these up as I have way too many, but this one was Big and Perfect, lacy even...

...and it was Purple inside!!

It was a nice sunrise....

 I managed to catch the sun a couple of times through the holes in the clouds....

 ...still beautiful!

Back to the beach stroll....

Olives aren't my favorite either, but I do collect them for a friend, and I couldn't resist this one....more on the way Sheila!!

I did find one of my favorites....a Medium sized Horse Conch....we call them Ponies....Love the coloring on this one.....!

...and another favorite, True Tulip....

Most of the shells I found today were buried in the sand...so you HAD to go slowly so you didn't miss anything!! They were hiding!

Small Horse Conch...

Banded Tulip....

Lightning Whelks...

I actually love this kind of shelling, takes concentration and is great Therapy! :)

I got to see some live stuff today too!!! 

This guy charged me as I stepped into his tidal pool....he was adamant that I leave the area!! 

and this beautiful Sea Anemone...

Notice, I'm getting better with the new camera....Learning every day!!

Here are some of my finds for the day....

Murex....Apple and a couple of Lace!

One of my Favorites.... Horse Conchs... so many different colors and sizes!

and more 'Sheila Shells'! (Lettered Olives)

Here's my finds for the morning....another good day!

It's supposed to cool off tonight, so I may have to add a couple of layers of clothes tomorrow....but I plan on being there!! 

Stay Tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Beach Therapy...Being the Cone!

I finally am back home in our favorite place! We arrived yesterday and Team Cheri got out bright ...or should I say early this morning for some much needed Beach Therapy!! The beaches, at least, Bowman's and Blind Pass beaches on Sanibel have changed so much since I was last here.  They had a few winter storms that have turned up some amazing treasures! I just had to get down here and try my luck!! Hubby bought me a new water camera, so bear with me through the growing pains of learning to use it .....in the dark!!

Cheri and I walked for a bit this morning before we saw anything  extara special....there were lots of shells, the standards..like Arks, Scallops, Cockles etc....and look what I saw peeking out of the sand in the tidal pool!!

SCORE!!! I finally found that Alphie (Alphabet Cone) I have been searching for!!

Ok...now the rest is just pure therapy.....the weather is amazing....I've been in cold rain in Virginia forever! It was just a bit cool this morning....65, warming up to the lower 80s!! Who can't feel better in those conditions!

We were watching the sun slowly rising...and ran across an area where the water slowly lapped onto the beach, you've got the picture, walking ankle deep just a slow mosey.....Cheri looked down and saw this AMAZING Flat!!

Then she noticed another Alphie....slowly drifting along....

I looked down and saw 2 more.... all together!!! All about the same size....

Before we were done...in a very short distance, we had 11 Alphies!!! Talk about fun!!!

I also found a few Shark's eyes....

a double Jewelbox....

Cheri picked up a big Horse Conch....

which she tossed back into the Gulf....and a nice Lightning Whelk, which I grabbed before she threw back! ;)

I found a few Olives with a perfect tip

and we both found a few Banded tulips and Nutmegs of different sizes...

We continued down the beach, just chatting and enjoying this beautiful morning....

I did find a piece of a Junonia.... (sorry about the focus!)

Here are a few of both our favorites from this morning....

and a better picture of Cheri's amazing Flat Scallop!

So my first day back was a huge success....and gave me lots of needed therapy....I can't wait to get back out there!! 

Stay tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::