The Essential Beachcomber

The good news is my vacation is coming up and I am heading to Sanibel to go shelling.  The bad news is....the conch kill just across the harbor on Bonita Beach. There are 1,000's of fighting conchs washed up on the shoreline. There is alot of speculation as to what has caused it.  Some say an algae bloom, others say the oil spill is the culprit.  There is a rumour that all the political commercials on tv caused an overload of radio waves to attack them & send them fleeing for their lives.. ( Believe it or not I just jumped up to answer the phone for yet another recorded plea for my vote)  Whatever the cause - it sucks. A blogger friend from Sanibel Island  Pam from iLoveShelling.com  has some daunting pictures on her blog from a shelling blogger friend that lives close to Bonita Beach and saw the conch kill firsthand. My Englewood paper is reporting conchs washing up on Boca Grande which is just north of Sanibel. So, I'm going to keep a close eye...

Going shelling is so much fun but if you don't like getting sandy & wet beach combing it is probably not for you. But guess what, I hit the beach today and didn't even have to put on sunscreen. There are lots of beach shops along the Gulf coast of Florida.  Most sell imported seashells, cheap manufactured souvenirs, and mass-produced t-shirts. For almost 50 years The Shell Shop in Englewood, Florida has been selling local sea shells, hand-made shell art, & sharks teeth.  The Shell Shop located at 10 Crestview Dr & 776 in Englewood, Florida.  I moved to Englewood 2 years ago. The more I meet people around town the more I started to realize that everyone in Englewood  is either related to, went to high school with, or is the ex- of someone I know.   Take the Shell Shop for instance. The business shares half the building with a cousin who runs his family's barbershop. That cousin & his wife are friends of mine. I met them at church. His cou...

Sssshhhh....Don't tell my hubby but I have a huge crush on another guy. He's a hottie in that Grizzley Adams/ZZtop-kinda way The niece CaseyCakes introduced us to free NetFlix. Our family loves documentaries about history, biographies, & anything by National Geographic. We are all big-time armchair travelers.  Netflix has these in abundance for free. If it's for free - it's for me. While watching a documentary on Yosemite Park I was introduced to John Muir (1838 - 1914) .  I have heard his name before but never really paid any attention to who he was. As they read quotes from John's writings - his journaling really, as he wandered through the wilderness of Yosemite, I really felt a kindred spirit with this guy. I've always been drawn to people who walk  off the beaten path. My hobby is studying early church history - my favorites being the early desert fathers/mothers. Jon Muir had eyes to see more than majestic  scenery. His eyes saw the Creato...

The only rule is don't be boring and dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to blend in. Paris Hilton

This was the -.01 low tide on Englewood Beach today about 10am EEWWWW! What. Is. That. Smell? That is the most common reaction to low tide.  Your average beach-goer probably could care less if the tide is in or out when they head to the beach.  Most folks just want to know is it going to rain? (Hello - It's Florida.  It probably will)  I have always loved low tide. I even love the smell. (Just so we are on the same page - I am talking about low tide not red tide.)  To me that first whiff of salty, muddy, sea-weedy air brings back memories of going cast-netting with my Dad & brothers on Dunedin Causeway. Low tide smells like my PawPaw who was a bridge tender on Clearwater Pass in the 60's & 70's.  Whenever I would return home from a road trip, I knew I was getting close as that salty smell blew through the car as I would cross over Tampa bay on the causeway.  My Grandpa was the bridge tender on the  old Sand Key Bridge on Clearw...

We see plenty of these What a gorgeous day today.  I got the grocery shopping done & made a pot of spagetti sauce. It was only 4pm so I drove out to Blind Pass Beach for a few hours of shark's tooth hunting.  My intention was to make a video of how I have been finding so many teeth on the high surf line in the shell crush.  There were several other ST hunters with their shell shovels looking in the water.  The tide was going out and it was very windy so I plopped down on my pile of shell crush and proceeded to shoot my little movie.   All the sudden this woman is yelling she found a baby turtle.  She had spotted him heading for the water when a seagull tried to nab him.  Let me say right now seagulls are now my least favorite bird. That being said I grabbed my camera and ran over to where she was watching one  baby turtle.  Well, his brothers & sisters were marching right behind him to the water.  There were little bab...

North Jetty Park in Nokomis,Florida or as the locals say "no shirt, no shoes, No komis" - hey it's a fishing village Some things never change.  I have never been an early riser. I can do it but it is physically and mentally painful. I am definitely not a morning person. I'm not crabby just not really conscious.  I call it "climbing out of the cellar". As a kid my mom would have to drag me out of bed for school.  Now, if we were going somewhere good...... like Disney World.... I wouldn't even need an alarm clock. I'd be up, dressed, & sitting in the car ready to hit the road.  My work schedule rotates my days off.  Every once in a while I have to work 9 days straight.   The good news is - you have the week end off! The bad news is - your schedules bump together and you won't have a day off for 9 days . So, as I left work last night at 10:30pm and squealed out of the parking lot, I had every intention of going home and getting some much...

Awww, Mary Engelbreit has been sick.  I have admired her work for over 20 years. I recently started following  her blog .   Mary is currently writing from her home where she is resting & recovering from a " weird form of pneumonia". Sending blessings your way Mary - get well soon. Funny, how we are each drawn to different types of art or collectibles. Anything ME has been a passion of mine that has never waned since buying my first little card of hers years ago.  The quotes she chooses are always inspiring, her illustrations touch my soul, & her decorating style makes you want to snuggle down and never leave home. The 1st print that captured me as a collector I have picked up most of my ME collection from garage sales & thrift stores.  They mean even more to me when I can get them at a bargain. I had one wall in my house that I had left blank. I just didn't want to hang any ole picture there just to fill the space.  I wanted some...