The Essential Beachcomber

(Photo Credit:  Michael Sullivan)     Be careful out there.  No day at the beach is worth trading your health for. (Photo Credit:  Stephen Hayford GNS) Can you believe Red Tide is still with us on the shores of SWFL ?  Yuck!! The algae bloom has been meandering  up and down the coastline from as far north as Clearwater Beach to as far south as the Keys.  The highest concentrations have been on Venice Beach, Manasota Key, and Pine Island Sound (the backside of Sanibel/Captiva).  Before you head to the beach on SWFL check The Florida Fish & Wildlife Con s er vation Commission site for an update on your local beach. Here's a throwback from happier shelling times from a year ago .  I'm re-posting my adventure to become a Guinness World Record holder in my favorite sport - the Sanibel Stoop.   (Originally posted on February 19, 2012) On Friday February 17, 2012 - 700 Sanibel Stoopers set ...

Misty Morning Dewy Dayspring Soupy Seashore Bleary Boulders Petrified Patterns Pea-soupy Shells Treasure T rove Trio Shrouded Serenity (Thank the Lord for http://thesaurus.com/ )

Even the shy guys come out of their shell to watch the sunrise. Sunrise at 7am - Low tide at 7:30.  My favorite spot to converge with nature is Boca Grande . A 20 minute drive puts me on the beach right as the sky is waking up. My camera batteries went dead so all my pictures were taken on my iPhone.  I caught a huge parade of pelicans crossing the pass heading south to Cayo Costa Island on the other side. Someone must have missed the pre-flight meeting. A little Egret sashays by.  He was making sure I didn't have a bait bucket with some freebies for him. My heart le a pt in my chest when I spotted this beauty in the shallows. The hermit crab chose a lovely Horse Conch for a home.  Sadly, t his one went back in the water. Huge Lightning Whelks were everywhere in the shallows of the low tide.  It was fun just to have a closer look and then place them back where they were found. This Orange-...

With the Baltimore Ravens beating the San Fransico 49er's 34 to 31 in Super Bowl XLVII , Buffet the Manatee's winning streak remains intact although he did not predict the power outage.   

              (Credit:  www. cfnews13.com)                                                                      The resident manatees at Mote Marine in Sarasota have made their Super Bowl predictions again this year.  Buffet the manatee has a 5 year winning streak going.    I am re-posting (again) my Super Bowl post from Febuary 6, 2011.  It's still my favorite s helling day of all time.) Usually Superbowl is a big deal around our house. The Hubbs is a real football fanatic but mainly for his college team - the Florida Gators. Our first real date was  31 years ago on Superbowl Sunday.  My dad was a football coach so I know my way...