The Essential Beachcomber

I love the sound of rain.  I love the smell of rain. Walking in the rain doesn't bother me in the least. I was awakened by the ping ping ping sound on my bedroom window the other morning. Then a huge ka-boom. Finally, some much needed rain. As I lay in the dark listening to the storm it dawned on me that all that rain would leave behind be coup sharks teeth on top of the sand out at the beach. One of the best times to look for sharks teeth & fossils is right after a good hard rain.  The water run-off clears the top layer of sand & leaves all those buried sharks teeth & fossils right on the surface. I reached over in the dark & set my alarm for 7am.  When my alarm went off several hours later the Hubbs was already up and had made a fresh pot of coffee.  As I grabbed my to-go cup & filled it with my favorite Creme Brulee Coffee mate & coffee He just shook his head and laughed. "Going somewhere?" he asked rhetorically. Rain pounded sand at Stu

GeeGee was a depression baby who grew up during WWII.  She either reuses, recycles, or saves everything. To this day I'll go through the cabinets while she is out of the house and get rid of 10 to 15 glass jars that she has washed & peeled the labels off of.(I don't throw them all away just the ones that fall on my toes when I try to grab a box of cereal)  They are all jammed in the kitchen cabinets awaiting little dabs of whatever leftover du jour she is saving for another meal.  "Money doesn't grow on trees!" our mothers & fathers quip about any wasteful use of anything. Well, guess what! Waste all the shells you want because I found out - Shells do grow on trees !   Pick up as many as you want. Give them away. Make something pretty out of them. Put them in your garden. Throw a big handful up into the air and yell "Weeeee!!".  Shells do grow on trees. I have proof. Shell tree on Stump Pass Lots of shell wishes Sitting in the she

Hey Y'all! (And if there is more than one person reading this - Hey All Y'all!) I don't like to brag but not only do I have the good fortune of being a Florida native - I am twice blessed to be a GRITS (girl raised in the south). Now, all y'all who live north of the Mason-Dixon just settle down.  Northern women have their assets & advantages too but we southern gals seem to slow down enough to really revel in ours. Southern girls know bad manners when they see them: Drinking straight out of a can. Not sending thank you notes. Velvet after February. White shoes before Easter or after Labor Day.  Southern girls appreciate their natural assets:  Dewy skin  A winning smile  That unforgettable Southern drawl Southern girls know their manners: "Yes Ma'am"  "Yes sir"  "Why, no, Billy !" Southern girls have a distinct way with fond expressions: "Y'all come back!" "Well, bless your heart."

The most popular souvenir t-shirt sold in the little town that I now call my home says "Englewood - a small drinking town with a fishing problem". Yes, we are a coastal community with with 7 miles of spectacular beaches. Everyone here either has a boat or goes  fishing  on beautiful Lemon Bay.  The official local pastime is hunting for sharks teeth on the beaches.  But I really think the t-shirt should say "Englewood - a small creative town with an artist problem".   You cannot go anywhere in Englewood  and not see something creative. There is even a street called Artist Avenue with cross streets named for various artists like Van Gogh Road & Pablo Picasso Drive. The historic downtown Dearborn Street is a perfect example of how creative people with lots of paint & ideas can bring life back to a tired business area.  There are murals reinventing walls on old buildings. The businesses have funky decor and there is lots to look at. The main culprit behind

In the pursuit of a more fulfilling relationship with my hubby I read that book "Women are From Venus Men are from Home Depot" or something like that.  I did what the book recommended. I waited for the opportune time to talk. He was relaxed on the couch after a nice dinner. No sporting events were on the tv.  I asked him "Honey, How are you feeling?" He looked over at me, decided it was not a trick question and replied "What do you mean?" I took a deep breath, "I mean Sweetheart,  How are you feeling?" (I'm thinking that book is so stupid). So He answers "Well, I'm not hungry.  I'm not tired.  I'm feeling pretty good." OK, can I get my money back for that book now. I'll let you in on a little secret of mine. I ended alot of frustration in my relationship with my hubby by using this one little trick (no deception intended) Don't worry.  He doesn't read my blog. He just looks at the pictures every few week

This was the packet of shells that came when you paid admission to the shell show People give me a quizzical look when I tell them I am heading for the mothership.  My friends & family know that means I'm packing the truck up with my shelling gear & heading for Sanibel Island. On one of my first pre-dawn drives down as I was crossing the San Carlos overpass that leads to Sanibel the lights reminded me of the spaceship in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  I start laughing every time I cross that overpass thinking it's transporting me to close encounters of the shell kind.   I live 2 hours north of Sanibel travelling by Interstate. Now, if I had a boat Sanibel is just 30 miles south of me as the seagull flies. But alas no boat so I must drive.  I usually get on the road early - about 4am.  That puts me on the beach before sunrise. Early morning shelling is the best.  As the sun rises I get to  watch the beach wake up.  Not to mention I have the entire