Image by mathewingram via Flickr
I am not a seashell expert, just an everyday person who has recently taken an interest in identifying the Florida shells I have collected over the years.
While walking the Florida beaches during the many years I lived there, picking up pretty seashells was just part of life. It was something to keep the kids happy on vacation and we always went home with a bucket of their favorite shells. …..continue reading
“i love shelling” Blog’s Brilliant Idea
I visit the “i love shelling” blog from time to time to see what vacationers to Sanibel Island, and the writer herself, have been finding along the Gulf Coast beach.
My latest visit turned up a new product. It’s a waterproof seashell identification guide sheet with fabulous shell pictures with their names. Take it along on your next trip to the beach and know immediately what you have found!
I was so impressed that I contacted Pam, who writes the blog and is selling the guide, to ask permission to list it here. I figured since it’s a promo for her product she wouldn’t mind, but I like to ask. She was thrilled, and also sounded very busy. Living in a climate where the weather is fine year round tends to keep you busy.
English: Spaceship Earth in Walt Disney World in Florida (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A few years ago I left Florida and moved back to New England where I grew up. My Florida friends thought I was crazy, but many of them had grown up in Florida and couldn’t stand the cold. I missed the change of seasons. There were things I did not like about Florida, but there were also many things that I knew I would miss.
I lived north of Disney World. Most people know where that is, or they know Daytona. So I would say I lived between Disney and Daytona. It was a nice area to be in. The east coast beaches were only about thirty minutes away, and the theme parks were about an hour to the south. I found out about “rush hour” and knew to stay off I4 during that time of day. And forget about driving in snow, driving in the torrential Florida downpours was worse. I can’t bring myself to go fishing up here in the north, since the fishing in Florida spoiled me. And I haven’t visited the beach since I left the south. It’s just not the same here.
There was much to do around my Florida home. Blue Springs state park is in Orange City which was close, and it’s a great place to swim if you like 72 degree water -which is the temperature year round because of the spring. The nice clear water was a treat too, but the park is closed to swimming when the manatees come in winter. It’s one of the best times to visit and view manatees in the wild. With the clear river water by the spring, it’s easy to see them swimming around.
The Daytona Speedway was just up the road, and they offer tours of the track and have a museum for race fans. And if you like biker bars, the Foxhead Saloon was always packed during Bike Week – and the surrounding weeks. I lived so close, I could have walked there. And just down the road (Doyle Road) was one of my favorite places – Pell’s nursery and fruit stand.
The St. Johns River was close by for boating and fishing too, and of course we could head south to the theme parks that offered Florida residents some “deals” at certain times of the year. We never made much money living in Florida, so even the deal tickets were expensive to us. Disney prices their tickets according to what the wealthy out-of-staters can pay (IMO).
So I lived in a great area of the state. About once a week we would tow our pontoon boat over to the ICW and go fishing and maybe stop at JB’s Fish Camp to buy a delicious meal of fresh fish.
I am not mentioning the horrible traffic and crowds of tourists that are often found at these places, and I miss Florida for many reasons, but I honestly don’t miss living there full time. To be a Floridian means you share your home with tourists – constantly.
Variety of Sponges (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Along most of the Florida coast you may be able to find sea sponges. There are many varieties and their coloring can be bright red or pale beige. Some sponges will be soft and others will be crusty and hard. In fact you may come across a piece of a sponge on the beach and have no idea what you are looking at.
The many years I visited the beach I remember seeing some pretty strange-looking things in the sand. Some I recognized as jellyfish, parts of crabs, seaweed and other familiar creatures, but other things I did not. I’m sure I’ve seen a strand of mollusk eggs, and sponges and beach rock, but not knowing what I was looking at kept me moving and uninterested, except to think that the ocean held some very strange “stuff”.
You’ll know you’ve come across a sponge if you see pores or if the piece is flexible and soft. A certain type of sponge – the boring sponge – will dry on the beach and become hard and wood-like. It spends it’s life boring into things such as shells, coral, other hard materials, but if a section breaks off you may find one on the beach. Most likely it will have some of the material attached to it.
The Sheepswool sponges (Hippospongia lachne) resemble the bath sponges you can buy in stores, with their light brown coloring and rounded shapes.
Seashell (Photo credit: globetraveler2)
Have you been reading my blog or viewing my seashell photos and decided to go on a quest for one (or some) of these shells? April vacation is the time when many northerners head south to soak up some Florida sunshine and most of them do that somewhere along that long coastline. If you are one of these vacationers, you have the chance to find a sweet seashell if you keep your eyes open.
Although most shell collecting is done along the beach, up in the sand, don’t forget to look down when you are out in the water, and especially during high tide. Empty shells just waiting to be found, may be right under your feet. Make sure they are not occupied, as many out in the water tend to be.
It will be easier to see down into the water in certain areas of Florida – such as the south and Gulf coast. Water along the eastern coastline tends to be darker and more churned up. But the sea is ever changing, and just like the wave height, the water coloring can change from day to day. I’ve been to New Smyrna Beach when it was nearly flat and very calm and I’ve seen pretty, crystal clear water there as well. But most of the time it’s not that way. It’s a good idea to have a mask if you want to get a view down under the swells.
Shells on the shore can be grabbed by any passerby, but out in the water, your search for that elusive treasure can be greatly expanded.
My Seashell Tervis Cups
Bealls department store was one of my favorite southern stores. It was one of the only places I saw loads of the Tervis Tumblers for sale. It was also close to my home so I didn’t have to go to the mall. I really dislike malls.
I got turned on to the Tervis brand cup when my husband was given one as an office Christmas gift. It had an image of palm trees – a typical tropical scene – and it was made of heavy duty plastic, but other than that we looked at each other and shrugged. A cup? Okay, nice enough, but we both thought it was a bit of a strange gift. Continue reading
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