I always have one of those laid back, “No Problem, Mon” attitudes when I comb the beach during a nice low tide on warm summer evenings on Sanibel Island. It’s the perfect weekend.
There was no shelling frenzy. No racing from beach to beach trying to find a huge shell pile. No disappointment at not finding an ALPHABET CONE… or no deflated feeling of not finding the SANIBEL SIX. It was pure pleasure to stroll the Lighthouse Beach to discover little treasures like this along the way…
Theodore from Michigan felt the same way. He had a huge beach to explore and a handful of minis already in his pocket. Happy (and adorable).
I was already feeling lucky so when I found this CRUCIFIX SHELL, I snapped a photo and left it where I found it so someone else could find the lucky idol.
We also went to Gulfside City Park in the evening this weekend where Clark found these…
I met cuties Sharon and Matt from Connecticut who were feeling the shelling love too.
I also met a Missouri family new to shelling and you can see the happiness on their faces. Here’s Hannah, Danielle, Emily, Tyler, Dave, Danielle and Jeff. Talk about cuties!
There were lots of live OLIVES making trails in the sand but every once in a while, we’d see an empty, glossy gift of goodness right at our feet.
Laid back warm and fuzzies.
Share the laid back feeling with me and enjoy a little unhurried CYBERSHELLING with me. Take your time and I bet you’ll feel a little more laid back with a few warm and fuzzes for your day too.
Happy shelling and enjoy your week!
Your photo of the Missouri family is beautiful. I hope they use that as a family portrait.
What are you hearing about the bacteria in the water Pam? Any thoughts or cautions on that?
Kim, Clark and I were in the water all weekend long- It was beautiful!
Yesterday I went to Cat Island off the Mississippi gulf coast with my family. There were tons of hermit crabs in the water and on the shore but not any other shells. Back from the shoreline I found a few nice moon snails with dead hermit crabs in them. I pulled them out and kept the shells. My husband who is not a sheller, found a perfect 5 inch whelk with nobody home. He always finds the BEST shell without even trying! I came back with a total of 5 shells, but I was very happy with those!
The Crucifix Shell (it is actually a bone) is beautiful, BUT IT IS NOT AN IDOL.
I am shocked and disappointed that you would refer to anything as an “idol”.
Gosh! Linda, Im so sorry you are offended by my word “idol”. And yes, I highlighted and bolded the words CRUCIFIX SHELL to take you to a post that I had explained that it was a catfish bone. Since Ive always thought the crucifix shell as sort of a lucky charm/talisman/good luck object, I called it an idol… like the show Survior’s hidden immunity idol (aka- my favorite tv show). Since Im horrified that you are so offended, I looked up the meaning of idol on wikipedia…. “An idol is an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed or any person or thing regarded with admiration, adoration, or devotion.” So now I’m really more confused why you are so offended but if thats how you feel, please accept my apology.
Pam, I’m glad you responded to Linda. I looked at her comment and thought…why would anyone be offended? Just as the cross I wear is an “idol” or a reminder, if you will, of my beliefs, so can many things we see in nature or life can be a reminder that God is with us. This is a wonderful “reminder” that God’s hand is in the beauty all around us and comes in many forms. His workmanship is found in the most spectacular ways! A Crucifix Shell is a wonderful “idol” in the fact that a crucifix in any shape or form represents a very specific “deity” that my religious worship is addressed to and that I “regard with admiration, adoration and devotion”. I would feel “lucky” to find one!
Thank you for beautiful comment.
I love the picture of the crucifix, which is really part of a catfish skeleton. I have one my grandmother, who taught me to shell, gave me when I was about 12. (I’m almost 62, now.) She coated it with some sort of glossy, pearlized paint. It is still beautiful. I also have a pair of earrings she made me from the “pearls” inside the skeleton. She would always look for them after red tide attacks, and from the broken ones, she’s take the pearls. Lots of shelling memories, and I have all of her collection, as well as mine. I still always want more when I’m at Sanibel!
if you would like clark can go ahead and send me some of those little beauties!! haha It almost seems like when we are there shelling is terrible for me and when I am home I see all the beauties. Maybe next time i will come at a different time.
Love the glossy olives! The cybershelling was a great start to my day. Thanks for the calmness.
I got chills when I saw the crucifix shell. How beautiful and different.
Thank you for that amazing find.
hi Pam! love your posts…..always fun to read and full of good information. Never any boasting!
I also love that you left the crucifix shell for someone else to find.
As Kim said, we are concerned about the water. Please keep us informed with your posts, ok?
Traci arrives Friday, we arrive Sunday! woo hoo!
Thanks for the cyber-shelling image (can’t wait until I shell again!). I immediately spotted a Wentletrap. :)
WHOOPS! Teasing – it wasn’t a wentletrap. Boo!
I love the crucifix shell and your use of the word idol, it’s so fitting!
Have Clark pick one up for me next time, I’d love to have that on my mantle.
A fun request. I love the “cyber shelling” I would love for you to post a “before” and “after”. We get to find what we can find and then you “pick the site” for us and tell us what you found in the mix. I bet we wouldn’t see half of what your experienced eye sees.
Where are all the shells?????? We have been here since Sat. and have only found 1 good keeper.
We were there last week. The shelling was very very dissapointing! All our good things were found digging in the water! A young girl found a junonia right in frount of us :( I was happy for her but sad I didn’t find one! Keep looking don’t give up!
I wish I could have been the lucky one to have found the Lucky Idol !! Love that crucifix shell !!
Beautiful images Pam!
Pam your wonderful pictures reaffirm that there is always something beautiful to be seen and found on the beaches of Sanibel. We have a lovely crucifix “shell” that was given to Ken by another sheller several years ago. It’s wonderful that you left it for someone else to find and treasure.
Great cyber-shelling photo. Thank you for always putting something in the middle :-) so that we don’t go away empty-handed (so to speak). As I slowly and carefully worked my way from side to side and up and down I found several sweet horse conch, ceriths, a turkey wing, wormies, and others that I recognized. And I so-o-o wanted to sift those shells through my fingers to look for more. Thanx so much, Pam!
wish we were there ,its looks so exciting I really miss being on the gulf,see you in January —p.s. thanx for sharing your fun sincerely R.G. STEIN
Love your posts Pam. They always give me a “being there” feeling! I could walk the beaches for hours. I’m never disappointed in shelling on Sanibel. I don’t mind what I find. Everything, every little or bigthingisatreasure to me. I just love being there in that peaceful place. Just seems to make ya forget any troubles.
Love the mini shells you and Clark found. I think that they’re just as good as the adult ones-it’s harder to find them. I think I saw a cone shell near the middle. It was to the left of the turkey wing near a slipper shell. There might also be a comb bittersweet and a cat’s eye. Enjoy the shelling. Pat
Now that was fun, I found all kinds of minis cybershelling. Your photo of sea glass in the earlier post would make a beautiful framed picture.
A few months ago after my husband and I got home from our morning shelling walk on Ft Myers Beach I was sorting through our finds and came across a gross looking item that my husband had picked up. I thought it looked like some kind of animal carcass so I tossed it out. Imagine my surprise (and horror) the next day when I read your post about the Crucifix Shell and realized that is exactly what I had thrown out. I immediately went on a panicked search for it and luckily managed to find it. So glad I did as it is such a unique piece and one of the special finds in my shell collection. I love shelling and your blog. It is packed with so much great information. I have learned a lot. Thanks so much.
Pam, the cyber shelling made me realize how much I miss the beach and need a vacation. I even got a little teary. I can’t afford to go to Fl., but at the end of August, I get to go up to the lake in michigan. Sure hope it’s a fourth as nice as sanibel.
Hi Pam; i visiting Miami Florida next week for my vacation, im really trying to stay anyplace where they have shells to wake up in the morning and start looking for them. Which place do you really recommend to stay besides Sanibel and that have clear or blue waters? Or white sand? I heard there is also a place near Naples. But dont know exactly where to stay and if you can recommend a hotel to stay.. You will really help me alot. Thank you and i will be wating in your response:)
Hi Ivonne, Miami doesn’t have shells washing up on any of their beaches and depending on the weather, any of the beaches on the west coast of Florida can be a hit or miss with clear blue water. I can recommend a couple of places to stay in Sanibel and Captiva …..http://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/sanibel-captiva-family-beach-hotels/
Pam –
I was on Amelia Island a couple of weeks ago and found some hermit crabs out in the water under my feet. I know that they borrow empty shells for a while when they’re growing, so I was trying to identify the shells these guys were living in. I THINK the orange brown gastropod shells that there are either 2 or 4 of (2 clearly in the middle, and one darker to the left with stuff on it and possibly the bottom one) of are periwinkles, but I’m not really certain. Can you help me out? (And I did put them back in the water under the sand after taking their picture and showing my kid!) Thanks!!!
Sorry, Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach up north of Jacksonville!
Hi Sherry B, Im so sorry but I had to delete your link since it wouldn’t let me open it without signing up for that website. (and if it frustrated me, I don’t want it frustrating anybody else- so sorry!). Try to post them on iLoveShelling Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/iLoveShelling
I will do so later tonight. Thanks!
Any more info on the flesh eating bacteria? My husband and I have tickets and are coming August 5-12, but I’m a little worried… My husband is thinking we won’t be able to get in the water! I heard a general warning for the whole state of FL, but then I also heard around Sanibel it was at Blind Pass/Turner Beach and the Causeway Islands. Then I also heard red tide might be coming as well… What is true, do you think? My hubby is almost thinking we should cancel and I don’t want to do that!! I’ll die! ;) I haven’t been there in a whole year!! Sherri from MN
We r constantly in the water so of course if I thought there was a problem, we wouldn’t go in. If there was a health issue, the city of Sanibel would inform us and our visitors. There are so many other news resources that have updates and details of water quality. If I would ever hear of health issues, I would of course pass the info on but since there are no problems and we have gorgeous water right now i will be In the water all weekend long.
Hi Pam. Regarding your picture of Sharon and Matt, I think I see a gold fighting conch or cone in the clouds behind them. What an amazing shot!
you are right about shelling in the evening but the excitement of and early morning find comes into view and I really like that too,so expect in January (7) and we can do both because shelling is a fun trip in paradise sincerely R.G. STEIN