Oh my gosh! Who found this beautiful seashell?
Move over Clark! There’s a new sheller in town that can find a JUNONIA too….mmmeeeeee! I found one!! Finally! I’m so giddy, I can’t even think straight!
Believe it or not, I was the first one on the beach in Captiva this morning. I know, this is very rare for me but after seeing the piles of shells along every stretch of Captiva beach yesterday I couldn’t sleep. At 6:30 a.m., I layered up my clothes since it was low 60s this morning (for most that’s not cold but for here…. brrr) grabbed my lighted cap and headed for Blind Pass. I was meeting some of my girlfriends but poor Clark had to work so he couldn’t join us.
The pile had fresh new shells stacking up so I started to sift through. I found a small piece of JUNONIA so I started to get a little excited but had to keep focused. Digging…..sifting……digging….. sifting. Are my eyes deceiving me? What? No! It isn’t! YES! It is! It’s a JUUUNNNOOONNNIIIAAAA!
This is my very first JUNONIA. I’ve been shelling for a long time and this is the first whole one I’ve ever found. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like JUNONIAS are the rarest shell ever…..but they just have never been found by me…until now.
The weird thing is, right after I found it and celebrated, I dug right back in thinking I could uncover a whole famly of JUNONIAS. LOL Then the sun broke through and I celebrated some more. I know, I look like a shelling geek/nerd/dork/dweeb in this “get up” but who cares! I did a few happy dances!
While I was happily shelling with my buddies, as my good luck today would have it, Dr Jose Lealwalked up right beside me on the beach with his surf board ready to hit the waves. I got to show my prized shell to him! To me, he’s like the “Seashell Czar”, “The Mollusk Magnate ” (and Surfer Dude!)… oh I’m just being silly, but it really was fun to show him my find.
See? I think he’s impressed by my find too… heehee
Just another view of this beauty…
To get a shot of my wonderful friends Diane, Becky and Ellen that helped me celebrate, I took this photo “long-armed” so that’s why I’m so close. Remember, it was really early in the morning.
My luck continued. When I got in my car, my all time favorite song on the planet was on the radio- Madonna’s “Holiday”. It was the perfect song and the perfect time.
If we took a holiday
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be, it would be so nice
Everybody spread the word
We’re gonna have a celebration
I’m feeling so lucky, I’m buying a lotto ticket today.
WOOHOO!!! WTG!!!
How COOL! Brighten up my day seeing your excitement.
As I came across your update, my kids were whining they were hungry, but I didn’t care!!! I had to keep reading! So excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m soooo giddy with you!!! B~e~a~u~t~i~f~u~l Junonia!!!
Awww ~ Congrats ~ soooo happy for you!
CONGRATS!!! You scored!!!! I felt equally excited when I found one a couple months ago @ Blind Pass, reached back in and came up w/ an alphabet cone, too. Junonia was smaller and had a little piece chipped away, but yours is Gorgeous! Hoping to make this sunday’s low tide :-)
So Cool……I have never found one you are so lucky….Good for you!!!!!good luck on the lottery!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome… so jealous! LOL! Way to go! Mine is out there waiting for me!
Yay!! Congrats save some shells for me! I’ll be there in 23 days!!!
Congratulations, what a great find!!! Yahoo!!
Lee & Bill
Good for you! We will be there tomorrow and I’m hoping to be as lucky as you. Do you think if I wear my “I love shelling” t-shirt it will bring me luck?? I sure hope so! Your excitement is catching I can hardly wait to get on that plane tomorrow!
Connie
Yay Pam! How great! Such a beauty of a shell. Color me green… hopefully I’ll find my first whole Junonia when I come down there next month. :) congrats!
Pam, You so deserve this moment….thanks for sharing!!!
You give the rest of us Junonia seekers hope! Put it in a place of honor!
Congratulations, Pam… great find… wow!!!!! …and have a wonderful weekend!!
Good for you! And I hope Clark celebrates for you just as you’ve celebrated so many times for him!
It’s a really beautiful one Pam! Finally! You deserve a really pretty Junonia like that for all the pretty stuff you show us all the time! Well done!
Congratulations! Early bird gets the junonia! Thanks for the fun pics and the info on your blog. I check daily before I go to a webcam to view my favorite place on earth. Keep up the great work!
Pam, I am sooooo excited for you!!! And, I’m soooooo happy Clark had to work so you could find it before he would have — ya know???? Anyway, thanks for the fun post!
Congrats Pam on your Junonia. It sure looks like a nice one.
Love it!! YOUR HAPPINESS IS CONTAGIOUS I am smiling for you all the way up here in NY!!! Hope to find even a piece of a Junonia some day next time Im in sanibel to make a necklace!!Awesome!! CONGRATS!!
When I saw the picture on FB I was praying it was YOU that found it. Congrats Pam – you look ADORABLE in your geek/nerd picture. LOL. SO cute! You made my day cuz I’m so happy for you. Now, what are you going to do with it or where are you going to put it???
Woo-Hoo and Congratulations! Your photos made my day!!
No Way!! Hoorayyy!!!! I can’t believe it – I am way beyond excited for you!!
CONGRATS Pam, that is awesome! As always beautiful pics….the morning sky looks so cool!!
Bee..u…ti…ful! So not only do you find a JUNONIA but a perfect one at that. Like my mother always said…”Good things come to those that wait!” Congrats! Keep doin’ the happy dance, girl! Love to you and Sanibel!
Congrats, Pam. You’ve found your holy grail. Now on to the next one…
Way to go!
CONGRATS Pam!!!! Who cares about looking a fool, you are making others drool! So go on with your Junonia self!!
Pam!!! Welcome to the OMGIFAJS!! ( Oh My God I Found A Junonia Society) :D
I can’t wait til I’m in the OMGIFAJS!!!!!!!!!
Yah me too. So far I’m only in the OMGIFAJBIBS (Oh My Goodness I Found A Junonia But Its Broken Society.) :( But my family is gonna go to Sanibel for fall break so maybe then…:)
YEA!!!
Congratulations! I’m so excited for you; how awesome!!!
Congratulations Pam! You look so happy. We were at Barefoot Beach today and the shelling was great. Lots of cones.
WOW! I’m dancin’ all the way up to central FL! Doin’ the happy dance for you…or WITH you! I’m so happy for you! And the cool weather makes it FUN to do everything! You look adorable…as always! Enjoy your weekend! Somehow I’m pretty sure you WILL! Hugs, your FL buddy, Diane ♥
Congratulations! that’s a beauty! Gives us all hope in finding one :-)
Pam – CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! :) I’m so excited for you!! I even did a little happy dance for you!!! LOL It was so fun watching the video of you calling Clark, too!! Wow!!! I wish I could have been there to see you find it. How exciting!!!! :)
WOOT-WOOT!! Way to go Pam. I knew you could do it. Clark has competition now. Enjoy and celebrate big time. You deserve it.
OMG!!!!!! Yeah!! My heartfelt congrats! it is simply gorgeous!
Far out, Pam!! I’m so excited for you! Yay! Congratulations!!!
That is great!!!!!! Love it!!! Congratulations Pam. That’s a beauty! When and where is the party? PJP ( Pam’s Junonia Party) I’ll be there!
Pam,
I got so excited reading about your JUNONIA that I almost felt like I had found it myself!!! Thank you so much for letting me live the Sanibel life through you!
If ever a sheller deserved to find her Junonia it is you Pam. You give us all so much of yourself here and I am so very happy for you. Yes, Clark has found more then his share but yours is truly a perfect one. Love that your friends took the video. Thanks for sharing again.
SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!!
That is so awesome!!!!! And if I remember correctly you’re not too much of a morning person?!? Well I think that’s changed. ;)
Congrats, that’s a long time coming!!!
PS–yours is WAY prettier than Clarks.
YEA, Pam! Congrats on the most beautiful junonia in the world – it’s YOURS!! :D
Pam….AWESOME find!!! And… it’s absolutely perfect!!! You certainly deserve to have the prize shell…you bring so much cyber shelling happiness to soo many…especially me! You’re giving me hope for our trip to Sanibel next month….maybe there’s another out there! :-)
Oh, and we were wondering where on Sanibel could we stop to purchase the metal shell digger type thingy Clark uses? We’d like to try to use one when we are shelling next month…can’t wait!!!!
Thank you again for your site and your wonderful videos and blogs. They make me feel like I’m actually there for a few….love it!
Congrats Pam….it is just beautiful. The early bird gets the…….JUNONIA ~
Loved the video, seeing you so happy and giddy. I’m still smiling .
Linda
Congratulations!!!!
Save one for me to find on my next trip down!! I’ve been shelling longer than you have so I’m far and away overdue! Congrats! How wonderful to share the moment with your girlfriends. You made MY day.
How exciting for you Pam! In celebration of your great find on a Friday, I have Jimmy Buffet playing and having a glass of wine, way up here in Seattle, Washington surrounded by lots of sea shells I have collected on the Florida beaches over the years. I love following your blogs, thank you for your great website and the webcam links, I look at the beaches everyday and look forward to coming back to Florida in the spring. I hope you are still having fun celebrating such a cool find.
Julie
Yeah Pam
Well deserved after all your walks…
Yay! I’m so happy for you! The junonia is awesome, but the photo of you holding your just-found first junonia and Dr Leal with his surfboard and the beautiful Sanibel backdrop, THAT is a unique treasure! (not to mention amazing timing).
AWESOME!!!!! Glad I am not the only one that does a happy dance! :-)
Congratulations! You waited all this time and found a perfect one! I hope you win the lottery too! :)
Congrats…..Big Time….I’m glad I decided not to go super early today…lol ;-)
was there the first week in October…boo…wish I had been there this week!!!!
What a beauty and the shell is pretty nice too. Too bad we won’t be there to the 31st. I love that you were so excited and giddy. When I checked TripAdvisor and everyone was talking about “your find” I was giddy. Hope to see you soon.
Welcome to the club!
Congratulations, how many years do you shelling? The best photo is definitely the last … have read the joy and happiness in your face
YES!!!!!
I am so happy for you!!!!
Congrats, she’s a beauty…
Oh pam , how wonderful !!! I have tears in my eyes right now for you !!!!! As I told you . your day would come & when it did you felt just like I did when I found mine !!! Yes . it was ment to be Sistah sheller . Congrats , congrats , congrats !!! So dang happy for you … WHOO HOO !!
I’m thrilled for you Pam its a beauty! I had to call and tell someone right away when I found mine. Yours is way prettier! YIPPIE!
Congrats! I am jealous :)
Yahoooo! Good for you!
As your mentor in before-sunrise -flashlight-shelling I just want to add my big WooHoo!!! The sunrise alone makes the early morning trip worth while but to finally find the big jay…..I’m so glad they caught you on video – priceless!
Congrats, Pam!! I think your find is definitely worth a happy dance!!
Congratulations Pam! We read your post last night. My son (he’s 8 and knew exactly what you found) and I were so thrilled for you! We were doing a happy dance for you! You must be on a shelling high right now. What a great feeling and find. Keep up all the great work you do on your blog. Love reading your posts.
You go girl…so excited for you…congratulations…all GREAT things…come to those who persist….:).
My heart is pounding just reading about your find! Congratulations, Pam! You were due!!
Yea!!! I found one in 2003 and haven’t gotten over the thrill yet! It has a place of high prominence in my den. I’m sick I’m missing all the shells…..
Congratulations!!! :-) So happy for you and ditto to what everyone else has said before me. It is a pleasure to see your finds daily, and hopefully each one of us will find that one special Junonia!!
My sister and I come every year to Sanibel for the past 5 years but always in June, and we both are dying to come again before next June. Your daily finds keeps our mouths watering :-)
Thank you for this site, your joy, and sharing your treasures with us daly. I look forward to seeing what you have found each day, as well as all the others I am sure.
Congratulations!!!!!!!
YAY! So Happy for you!! It looks beautiful!
you go girl!!! maybe next year I will come in oct rather than sept, maybe stormy weather would help my results
I am SOOO happy for you Pam…finally! and it is a beauty. Your excitement is contagious…sure hope I get to Sanibel in 2012 and just maybe someday I’ll find one too…you give us all hope as well as virtual shelling and Sanibel Beauty! I love your new ID pictures of all things Sanibel…I just got a quick look the other night but will go back for more now!
Happy Shellin’ Sistahs
Superfantastic!
So, so happy to see this! Cutest video EVER!!!!!! Yay! xo
ITS TIME TO ‘SHELL’EBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW EXCITING FOR YOU! I THINK CLARK SHOULD BREAK OUT THE ‘SHELL’PAGNE FOR YOU!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!! I’ll be there this time next week looking for one with my name on it—–
Yippeeeee!! Way to go Pam!! I’ll be looking for your picture with that junonia in the Islander and Island Sun real soon!!
I just KNEW you were going to find one!!!! When you posted on FB about the shells would be coming after the storm…we said It’s time for you to find one! We just had that feeling :)
“Jake Bouchelle WOOHOO! We feel a JUNONIA in YOUR future!!!!
October 18 at 5:36pm · Like · 1 person”
We are SOOOO happy for you!!!
yay! woohoo! congrats!
You go girl!!!! HUGS!!!!!!!!!!
ILOVESHELLINGTOO!!!!
Fantabulous!!!!!
Congratulations!
And welcome to the Junonia finders club, of which I am a proud member!
Yippee!
OMG, OMG!! Sooo happy for you! Your first junonia! And it is a beauty!! I hope I find more than a piece some day, lol.. Love the pics, you are adorable! Congrats!
So, so happy for you! Thanks for sharing and bringing a smile to all of our faces!
Congratulations!!! As all the others have said, I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait for March to come and maybe I can add my name to the list too.
Good friends, great find, a sunrise and your favorite song… A perfect day!
PAM – I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND SOOOOOOO JEALOUS!!!!!! BUT I AM ALSO DETERMINED THAT “MY DAY WILL COME” YOU GO GIRL!!!! THERE IS NO STOPPING YOU NOW.
Sooooo happy for you!! It was bound to happen!! Yay!
Thank you sooooo much for the awesome trip to Big Hickory Island on Tuesday! Best shelling I’ve had! And congrats again on your perfect junonia💎
See you soon!
Love,
Isabella H