“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” - Pastor William G.T. Shedd

(Photo Credit:  Momma Gee)

"Spontaneous" is a scary word to some people.  The very thought of flying by the seat of their pants or working without a net breaks them into a cold sweat.  Of course on the  spontaneous meter of life there are two extremes.  The low end would be forgetting your shopping list and grocery shopping without one. Going a little higher up the meter would be the middle-aged woman that goes to the hairdresser for her regular highlights but impulsively decides to go wild & get  aqua blue streaks  instead (you know who you are).  Impetuous tattoos and impromptu  skinny dipping would be on the wilder end of the spontaneity meter. (Note - Adding alcohol of any kind especially tequila can definitely affect your spontaneity.  My sobriety has definitely put the kibosh on my impulsive outbreaks of karaoke. But I can still sing a mean Bonnie Raitt in the shower.)

  When life gets too daily you just have to do something unexpected & fun to shake things up! I fall in about the middle of the spontaneity meter. My friends would probably describe me as reasonably sensible but I have been known to do some crazy shelling.  Monday was one of those days. I had a small window of  free time, made a phone call & was on the road 20 minutes later with my wild spontaneous partners-in-shelling-crime driving 100 miles south to catch the late afternoon low tide on Little Hickory. 

 Go with the flow and ride with the tide.

(Photo Credit:  Momma Gee)

Little Hickory is the north end of Bonita Beach on the SWFL coast.  At low tide the entire cove empties and leaves shells as far as the eye can see.

(Photo Credit:  Momma Gee)

Almost the entire cove will uncovered as the tide lowers.

100's of starfish were stranded on the sandbar.  Momma Gee takes a closer look at  this huge 9-armed sea star.   If they sense a predator the starfish will drop an arm hoping the predator will take it & run.  They then start growing a replacement arm.

(Photo Credit:  Momma Gee)
Wade-ster exploring the tidal pools with his net.

(Photo Credit:  Momma Gee)
The colors of the dimming of the day looking towards Ft. Myers Beach with the lights of the dredge in the distance.  Beach renourishment has begun at Lover's Key State Park.

Things are looking good.

(Photo Credit:  Momma Gee)

A pile of pen shells washed in by last week's Tropical Storm Andrea is an indicator of treasure below.

(Photo Credit:  Momma Gee)

After a little excavating with my shell shovel we uncovered a shell pile left from the storm.  At high tide the pile would have been under 2-3 feet of water.

Taking a break to watch the glorious sunset.

Gee-man perusing the tidal pools.

Found this 16" Horse Conch on the sand bar about 50 yards off the beach.

Intact jewel boxes with some spines not tumbled off by the rolling waves.

My prize - an albino fighting conch.