My favorite childhood adventure was picking up seashells along the seashore of Lover's Key State Park. I remember my dad firing up the R.V. before sunrise and heading a wee bit south of Fort Myers beach to the official Florida shelling headquarters. (and you thought it was Sanibel) Once parked, we would sneak by the feral cats sleeping at the ranger station and head down the board walk, just as the sun was escaping the horizon. Often times, given that the park didn't open for 2 whole hours, we'd be the first ones there. But not always. That's because around the causeway there sat a towering white high-rise full of blue haired shell enthusiasts. It was the only other sign of life on the key in the 1980's. Well, flash forward to 2016 and look at me, staying in that same towering white building around the corner. Take that early birds!
Unfortunately, after they dredged the coast and widened the beach at Lover's Key, the shelling was never the same. I stopped picking up shells years ago. But admiring them is a different story. Get a load of these beauties...
A horse shoe crab with a few guests.
This shell was so big, that it had another large, 3-4 inch whelk attached to it. And look how small it looks!
A tulip shell.
Wow! That one was happy to see me.
That's Fort Myers beach in the distance. All of the above shells were alive last time I checked. And let's keep it that way. Remember to only collect the empty ones if you are out and about, doing the great American past time of shell collecting.
Happy Independence Day!
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30 comments:
Love beaches. Love seashells. Great photos!
Teresa from http://nanahood.com/paradise-point-revisited
I love shells. We found our first live one this past summer at Orange Beach, Alabama. It looked like a fidget spinner and we put him back down.
Awesome sea shells.
These are great photos. So glad you came by to share at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/07/splish-splash.html
How lovely1
Allthe shells are lovely Sharon. Intereesting last shot's angle. Happy 4th July
Wonderful pictures, I always know I'll be smiling by the time I finish your posts, and today was no exception. Happy Independence Day to you, too! :-)
great seashells.He a nice day.
I also loved collecting shells as a child. We went to Ft. Meyers when I was about 8, I remember their white beaches! catchatwithcarenandcody
Great shots of the shells. We were in Sanibel last September and only saw tiny shells
Hello! Great shell captures, some are huge, I like the one who was happy to see you!!!He he! I collect them too.
I used to love collecting shells too. These are fabulous images
Mollyx
Lovely shells, and a beautiful memory. Love the look of your blog.
Your shells are just gorgeous and I love that you have such a great memory of the beach. We have different types of shells here in New Zealand and I have a collection that the step-kids gave me over their younger years.
Très belle perspective dans la première image ;-)
Céline & Philippe
I used to love collecting shells when I was younger but never knew what to do with them. Love the fisheye shot at the end and the first shell looks like a monster from that angle. Very coo.
LOL about happy to see you! I think the whelk is actually eating the bivalve in that shot. Great photos, and excellent point about not collecting anything that might be alive.
Walking the beach is a wonderful, relaxing past time.
Amazing shells, Sharon! Loved this interesting post. We had so many shells after living on Midway Island, and Hawaii as a child...and sadly they are all gone. But I have great memories of them.
I've got only one shell, old and beautifully shaped. I can't remember how I came by it, but I know I've immediately become fascinated by the sound it emites when you approach it to the ear. Now, reading your lovely post reminds me that I should look up the internet to find a way to protect it from the viccissitudes of time and temperature.
Wonderful and creative seashore shots ~ Love that macro of the colorful shell ~ ^_^
Beautiful summer shots.
Worth a Thousand Words
Oh those shells! What a fun beach to explore!
I have great childhood memories related to seashells. We used to have several conch shells in our backyard (as ornaments). I loved to put my ear next to the aperture and hear the "sound of the ocean." Sadly, there are not a lot of shells in California's beaches. #TPThursday
Hi Sharon, I'm still a happy shell collector - the empty ones that have washed high up on the beach. Loved reading of your childhood memories.
It was quite something to see all those shells you photographed ... with their occupants too, wow!
A beautiful post. Good cheer to you :D)
I'm just dumbstruck by that one who's so happy to see you. It's hard to believe it posed for you like that!
Some beauties there. I like the story of your shell collecting with your Dad. I still can't help picking up a good one if I find one... my kids too...
That shell was huge. Dredging can have awful effects on beachscapes. :(
Don't see ANY shells like that in these parts.
Regarding the next to last photo, Is that a seashell in your pocket?
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