The Essential Beachcomber

The Gulf of Mexico was rocking & rolling after the tropical low blew through on Tuesday morning.  Serious beachcombers know this is prime time for us to find shells & shark's teeth from deeper waters that get tossed up from the strong surf. The waves were just pounding the beach.  The sand dunes were holding their own.   The waves have washed most of the debris & dead fish left by the recent red tide back out to sea.  As I walked farther north up the beach my throat started to get that hacky-red tide cough.  There were still  fish scattered about. Time to turn around because I am coughing & my tongue is tingling from some lingering red tide in the air. Another reason to walk a little faster - I'm glad my girl scout training prompts me to always carry a poncho in my pack. We are all in denial.  No sun, red tide, 6-8 foot waves, & a rainstorm blowing in...... but yet we stay on the beach. I'm just say...

The elements are conspiring to keep me off the beach.  I arrived home from the Poconos chomping at the bit to get some sand between my toes.  Due to an outbreak of  red tide  on Manasota Key it is wise to stay away from the beach.  Breathing the toxic air surrounding an algae bloom & the resulting dead fish washed up on the shoreline can result in non-stop coughing, watering eyes, & lingering effects for those who have compromised breathing issues.  Today we have a tropical low just sitting off the SWFL coast.  We are enjoying the much needed rain.  Hopefully, It takes care of the red tide and pushes it way off shore. For those folks who make their livings on the Gulf of Mexico it means a few days of down time. TEB's favorite shell guide  Capt. Brian  took the rainy days to organize his back porch.  I too have been cleaning & organizing some closets. (although the shells on Capt. Brian's back porch look like way more...

It is a well known fact in my family that I have some motion sickness issues.  My childhood is littered with embarrassing  moments of public nausea & the ensuing loosing of my lunch in the backseats of cars, bows of boats, & rides at the county fair.  I never had to "call Shotgun" to win the front passenger seat of the family car.  It was a given that I sat up front unless you wanted to take the chance of being barfed on. My mom has tried all the usually home remedies of ginger ale & Dramamine to no avail. The problem solved itself when I got my driver's license and became the automatic driver for all errands & trips.   From the moment I started dating the hubbs over 30 years ago I have been the driver. I thought he liked having a chauffeur.  But I found out that my hubby has been spreading some nasty rumours over the years that I actually am just faking and  just want control of the wheel.  He thinks my nausea, vertigo, &...

Mobile Blogging PA - Day #7.  Our Poconos leg of the hubby's Bucket Tour is  coming to a close. If you haven't spent time with family lately put it on your list - it's good for what ails ya! Although I mainly focused in on the breath-taking foliage, I don't want you to think I went totally shell-less. My nephew had this pretty horse conch on a shelf in a spare bedroom. The giga clam had been in his garden & was being stored in the garage during a recent move. Yes, it's real & it's spectacular.  

Mobile Blogging PA - Day #6. At the suggestion of my bil I made my way down to the water to snap some pics of the trees in the earlier part of the morning while the lake was smooth as glass.  The 1st picture was taken in the afternoon with some wind blowing on the lake. Pictures #2 & 3 were snapped about 8am with no wind blowing. The reflections of the trees are just stunning.  Another perfect fall day in the Poconos. 

Mobile Blogging PA - day #5.  The roads in the Poconos are filling up with cars full of flatlanders driving through the mountains to gaze upon the changing of the leaves. The breakfast server at Chat N Chew is eagerly anticipating the onslaught because the recent floods have put an economic scramble (even more so) on this part of PA.  I took a row onto the little pond to keep my sea legs from atrophying. The reflections on the water were stunning today. 

Mobile Blogging - Day #3.  A true beachcomber can even find a beach in the Poconos.

Mobile Blogging - Days 1 & 2.  We are nestled away in the Poconos Mountains enjoying the views from the our family's house that overlooks the woods & a lake. I've already seen 3 deer & have received instructions in case I have a bear encounter. I come from the "scream like a girl & run like h-e-double toothpicks" school of thought. It's a nippy 40 degrees so I won't be going to far into the woods.

(Credit: Flickr user Nicholas T.) The Essential Beachcomber is taking the show on the road for the last leg of  Hubby's Bucket Tour.   Get ready for some mobile blogging as we head to Pennsylvania to visit family.  This Florida girl is going to get a first-hand look at the spectacular fall foliage in the Poconos, maybe pick some apples, but mostly just chill-out with  loved ones. I've packed all my cooler weather clothes that don't look too beachy. Layering will be key for me.  I have some cold weather shoes but I am taking my flip-flops - no negotiating with that one. Hey..... I wonder.....

It's time for me to do some more bragging on my hometown of Englewood, Florida.  I can go on & on about our beautiful beaches, shark's teeth, & shells but a girl's gotta eat sometime.  I about wore poor Tennessee Sister out. We went to the beach every day & sometimes twice a day. She deserved a nice lunch out.   If possible I like to frequent local business when I shop or eat out. Supporting local businesses is the best way to help the local economy.  Englewood has a rejuvenated downtown district on Dearborn Street with lots of fun restaurants, quirky shops, & artist galleries called  Olde Englewood Village.    It was the perfect day to eat outside and the colorful porch of the Mango Bistro caught my eye. How could we not sit on the porch with it's zebra-striped bench and tropical colors.  It down-right beckons you in. We were greeted shortly by a very friendly server who guided us to her favorites on the menu of authentic F...

The park is located at the extreme western end of Curlew Road in Dunedin, Florida. It is very helpful to bring a Honeymoon old-timer like Cousin Joannie along to show you what the agatized coral looks like. The sister from Tennessee is in town. All year long she waits out the frost, ice, & snow by vicariously beach combing, shelling, & picking-up shark's teeth on my FB page & blog (interspersed with some Farmville & Zenga Poker).  Once a year she migrates south for a few weeks via a cheap Allegiant Airline flight that goes non-stop from Knoxville to sunny Punta Gorda, Florida. She usually steps off the plane legs shaved & adorned in tropical attire ready to head for the closest beach. I can't let my little sister down.  We have been to the beach every day since she has been here (& sometimes twice a day)  This visit we have shelled Stump Pass , Blind Pass Beach , Manasota Key, Casey Key, Caspersen Beach, Venice Beach, Nokomis Jetty ...