The beach never disappoints. My secret to always leaving the beach happy.

Hello Beach Friends! The beach is an amazing classroom. One can learn about the flora and fauna of the area, observe the weather patterns and tides, and not to mention the seashells. Oh boy, what one can learn about sea snails and the beautiful homes they make. And we will absolutely be talking about that today while we explore Lovers Key State Park. But there's something else I'd like to share or perhaps try to teach. How to never ever leave the beach disappointed. I recently had read a comment where someone was on Sanibel for a week but they were disappointed because they weren't finding the shells they wanted to find. Believe me, I've had those situations. Like not all that long ago I walked a few miles in South Carolina and was thrilled to like this alternate telling was quite a sight for sore eyes. So I have been in those situations but I also have found the secret to not getting discouraged which I will happily share with you all. Now so far it looks like the water is going to be clear so that's going to be working in our favor and now I just kind of hope that maybe a couple of seashells will show up. Now I did try to increase my chances by coming here while the tide is going out or at low tide and here we have a kitten's paw. Now these are always kind of fun because they're very variable, very different as well as the coquinas which also are very variable. So they have different colors and patterns and things of that nature. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot down by the water so if you're all just kind of meander up here on the upper quote-unquote rack line. While I realize there's not a whole lot here, guess what? I've never found one of these before. This is a striate talon. Isn't that fun? There's little stripes on it so that's kind of neat and let's see some more kitten paws and there's you know probably a coquina or two in here. All right looks like one of those days where we are going to appreciate every single seashell we pick up including a striate talon that I've never seen before which again is really kind of cool. I like that little wrinkle on it and if you're ready to what else is out there for us today at Lover's Key, let's go to the beach. Now if you like the kitten's paws, today would have been a great day for you on Lover's Key. Now sometimes I do find the the paired kitten paws closed. Me personally, if I cannot open it, I leave it at the beach. I don't know what's going on. If I can open it, that seems to me to be fair game. I'm looking for a painted egg cockle. Look at this kitten paw. So this is what I'm talking about that they can be very variable. So this is just one shell and it tried to pretend it was like a two-headed snake or something. So that's just kind of interesting. All right here's again it's kind of a pitiful wrack line but there is stuff here. Let's see. Oh that's kind of pretty. So that's a calico scallop and a coquina. Now I do have a hankering for picking up coquinas because I finally made my first shell flower. So that was kind of fun and I need materials. So I definitely need more coquinas. Now apparently you can also make those flowers out of kitten paws. At the time I didn't think of that or I would have been busy picking all of those up next time. So for here it is. It's a little slim. Yep and that's just the way it's going to be actually probably for the rest of the summer. Although you never know between the winds and the tides. So that is a painted egg finally managed to find one. It's interesting there used to be a lot of them and the Mexican talons too and for whatever reason coquinas are on the menu again which is great. Now this is an eastern slipper snail. Yeah that is a slipper. There is a little ledge. Let me try to find it for you. There it is. So yeah that is a little slipper. I tend to find those like on the inside of like lightning welks and some of the bigger shells neat. So delightful coquinas and a little eastern slipper snail. So this is reminding me a little bit of South Carolina when I drove and walked a lot for coquinas and that's okay because at least there's something. So another coquina and kitten paw. I'm seeing a pattern already. Yep they're gonna keep it moving. I like personally the south end of most islands and beaches and stuff. Oh look at this. This is a paper cockle. I think it's a spiny paper cockle but I don't see any spines on there. But that's what that is. So it's a paper cockle. Kind of fun. Different shape. All right we got a jingle on the right with a jingle business on it. So that weird little dollop that is the business of a jingle. And then on the left we have a calico scallop. Yeah again still pretty slim here. Oh a bubble. Yep that is a delightful little bubble that we have over here. No wentel traps and it'll be another day. All righty here we have a lady invading venus clam. Now the fun thing about this other than the drill hole is the scientific name is Chionopsis interpurpurea which kind of refers to that little purple color on the interior which is kind of fun. Now that is a calico scallop. Quite lovely I might add. And yep another coquina. So perhaps by the end of the day I'll be able to make a small little shell flower. Now at the beginning of the video I alluded to sharing my secret. I love my life. I love the beach. But believe it or not my joy comes from having walked through hard things. Not because suffering is beautiful. Quite the opposite. But suffering does change you. And I'm not terribly comfortable talking about this part of my life. But I also think it's important you understand a little bit of what I've experienced to help kind of piece together my outlook. There was a season of my life where I was constantly caring for someone I loved. My ex-husband then my daughter and eventually both of my parents. Cancer touched all of them in different ways. And for a long time I lived in survival mode. And when you spend enough time fearing loss you start to see ordinary life differently. A quiet morning feels sacred. Laughter feels deeper. So I don't take stable days for granted anymore. And I don't need a perfect life to feel grateful. My joy comes from discovering that survival can eventually turn into gratitude. So now when I stand on a beach watching the sunset or finding beauty in a tiny white seashell it's not shallow happiness. It's perspective. It's relief. It's sheer gratitude that I get to be alive and experience this amazing thing called life. So I know that was a little deeper than a cantharis or a scallop. But I've learned every trip to the beach is a gift. And whether I find 29 specimens like we're going to find today or just one it doesn't really matter. I am happy just to be able to come here. And let's go back to that place that I love so very much. Look at how beautifully yellow this variable wow this variable coquine is. So yeah something like that absolutely makes my heart sing. And what about this? This Florida prickly cockle with all its prickliness and its beautiful interior as well as a calico scallop I think. Yes. It's pretty windy. I was I was having a little bit struggles yeah holding on to the shells there. But that is another lovely calico scallop. Oh that one's real pretty. So a variable coquina. So yes the scientific name is actually Donax variegabelis because of that nature. And it's a hiding tactic. So the birds can't really you know identify purple white really. They don't know what color the coquinas are going to be. So that's that's why they're all different colors. So here they're clearly there's stuff here. Just for me it's not terribly interesting. What do we got? Oh coquina that is. I'll take that. Need to make those flowers. But mostly kind of crushed up stuff. Let's see. Oh look at you chestnut turban. Aren't you swell? Yeah you're in great shape. Nice little bumpies on it. And on a slow day like today you're gonna get a whole bunch of screen time. So yeah that is a very lovely chestnut turban. Oh this Mexican talon. I used to find tons of them here at Lover's Key. This is the first one I found today. I think they might have started to dry up along with the painted egg cockles. Either that or it's just a really slow day. So that is a Mexican talon. A cardida. A broad ribbed cardida. Cute hearty little shell. Yep. I like the ones that have beads. Yeah it's a little bit kind of a little bit beaded on the ribs. So the water is still clear which is excellent. Let's check in on that tide. Yep it is still going out. Well I kind of knew that. But now it's really yeah it's starting to really kind of drop. I don't know if it's really going to help frankly because I don't know that there's all that much here. But again it will increase your chances if you go shelling at low tide. At least here in southwest Florida. That was a Atlantic giant cockle. Quite pretty. And that is variable worm rock. So that is from worms. And that can create these massive clusters. That was just a wee little piece. I tend to pick those up because they're kind of like a solid color. Oh a channeled duck clam. So I guess really colors definitely help in finding the shells. Here's some calico scallops. Yep those those are swell. So yeah it's gonna be harder to find white shells here. Let's see you are lovely but yeah I'm gonna pass on you. Okay oh look at yeah. So that is a worm and that is a worm that decorates itself with shells. So I'd say about I don't know four inches of the worm is sticking up above the sand and it is encrusted with seashells. Sometimes that piece will like break off and you'll kind of find it on the beach. But yeah that was a worm covered in shells which is kind of fun. This is a turkey wing. It's lovely. Not the prettiest one I've ever seen but still pretty great. I have yet to find a hinged one. An operculum and that is going to be from a lightning whelk. So the lightning whelk and the horse conch operculums look like that. And that's that little trap door. You can collect them. I used to collect them more. Sometimes I do sometimes I don't. All right so there's another one of those worms. Just like yep they pick up shells and they kind of like encrust them on there. Neat right? Yeah just kind of weird. There's lots of weird stuff at the beach. You can imagine all the stuff we cannot see. So yep there's fun world out there. All right so this is a dark serif and kitten paws glue themselves to other things and substrates. And it looks like in this case we have some hitchhikers. So bonus kitten paws on this dark serif. Okay another chestnut turban. Whoa whoa is there such thing as a spiky chestnut turban? Oh that's kind of cool. I've never seen one like that. And on a day like today I'm gonna notice. Oh that's really a really spiky chestnut turban. That's kind of cool. What am I chasing? All right another little worm snail. Oh worm snails yeah. Oh the southernest lover's key. Yes it does tend to have a bunch of worm snails. Another dark serif. Lovely. So yeah if you did want worm snails I would I would I'd feel pretty confident sending the lover's key. As well as the rose petal talons. So we are approaching that territory. This one is broken but that bright pink color just such a treat. All right we got some fisher birds. And that's dog beach across the way. So the tide's not completely out. Although I don't think it matters. Right now the tide is great. It's great for our purposes. Because I think I feel like picking up a couple of these rose petal talons. Because I can use those to make flowers as well. So I have made one using the pink. But there's also a lot of white rose petal talon shells here as well. Although on this particular trip I really did concentrate on the pink ones. Oh look at that. So believe it or not that's a purplish tagless. I know it looks brown. But I'll show you one a little bit later in the video that actually looks purple. So yeah that's about as big as I get. Purplish tagless. So we are also approaching crown conch territory. Here we have a live one. You can see it's proboscis kind of poking out the front there. And fun fact crown conchs are not actually conchs. Nope. In order to be a true conch you have to have a stromboid notch. So those crown conchs don't technically qualify. Neither does the horse conch. So I'm gonna spend a minute or two picking up some of these pink rose petal talons. These critters when they're alive they do live kind of buried in the sand. But they they do so horizontally. Like a bottom part of the shell is sticks down and the top points up. These guys kind of lay down like horizontally in the sand. And there's tons of white ones. I don't know if you noticed the white rose petal talons. I'm just passing them. Like I said on this trip I was really just interested in the pink ones. I don't know if I've made my flower yet at this point. But once I did it's kind of addicting. Yeah I want to make more. So I have some material. Thank you very much lovers key. All right so that is a live little West Indian serif. And if you're just like if I just stay still for a minute. Holy cow everything's moving. So we have the live critters. We've got some of those brusnasses. I don't think there's any. Let's see. There are hermit crabs here. I think these are all the live snails. Oh it's kind of fun. I love the brusnasses. They are like like little vultures of the sea. They'll eat just about anything. Like if something dead is usually covered in those brusnasses. Well something small enough anyway. Fun little tide pool. And if you're kind of creepy crawly and you don't like that sort of thing. Sorry about that. But I find it fascinating. There's not too much that really kind of creeps me out. All right that is a colorful moon snail that has lost all its color. Oh well we'll leave that here. Perhaps someone else needs one of those. All right no rose petal talons here. Let's see if I can maybe find a couple more. I see a white one. I bet you I did not grab it. Okay I skipped the rose petal talons. We're on to crown conchs now. Here's two. Yep yep. Oh yes they are definitely occupied. Probably having a very deep discussion about who's going to win the world cup this year. All right I'm a hunt for an empty shell. Not you. No you are clearly alive and well. But look at the camouflage. You're practically furry. Yeah you got a pretty. You're moving pretty. You're moving right along there. All right. So no mystery there. I know that one. You're probably. Yep. All right. Sorry buddy. What about you? So if I can tell I just leave it. I just. I'm not sure. I will. Oh look at how tiny. I will check it. Tiny little horseshoe crab. Look at this one. It's even smaller. I'm just showing you compared to the size of my fingernail. Oh cute little thing. Oh alive. Sorry. All right. Let's keep it moving. What about. Nope. You're also alive. Yes you too. Oh we have a different critter here. This is a long-nosed spider crab. Yep. Happily just kind of munching away and whatever kind of algae and whatever a long-nosed spider crab eats. So yeah this whole area when the tide goes out is it's slippery. I mean like slippery as snot as Allie from SWFL Shell Guide would say. And it's alive. Oh wow. Usually I just want one. Just one crown conch. What about you? All right. That's looking kind of promising. Yes there we go. All right. We got ourselves. Oh it's got some nice spikes on it too. Now the collar. It's a little washed out. That's okay. The spikes are great. And I only wanted one. So one crown conch. That's all I need. Oh good. More rose petal talons. Excellent. Yep. And you'll kind of see there's white ones too. But yeah this time like I said. Although in retrospect I do wish I was picking up all of them. Yeah clearly I had not made that shell flower yet. Because I would have been. So yeah I'm on the hunt now for any kind of talons, coquinas, any of those little shells that may make those fun. Yeah I just like them. They're just fun to collect. A little pear whelk. Let's see if it's empty. Nope. He can. Yep. Nope. Not empty. All right. A hermit crab has claimed that. That is fine. This one too. Oh yeah. I like the rib cantharis. But so does the hermit crab. Finders keepers. Oh sorry buddy. Here. There you go. Okay. That's better. Oh a little crown conch. I probably didn't even see that rose petal talon. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Long-wristed hermit crab in there. Yep. Okay. Ah that was a good choice. Hermit crab. I would have really liked that very colorful shell. But like I said. Finders keepers. That's okay. Not like that time. Oh man. When I found that rose murix with the hermit crab in it. Ugh. Now this lightning whelk. Whoa. That's kind of unusual to find a. Usually I find like old ones. Wow. That's that's decent. All right. All right. Now the lightning whelks probably prey on some of the stuff that lives back here. And they also use their shell to kind of put it in the side of a clam and kind of like pry it open. So very possible that's what chipped that shell. Oh that was cool. Very unexpected. That's in terrible shape. Yeah. We're. Yeah. We're gonna leave that maybe for a hermit crab or somebody. But yep. Something like that. I might just not even include in the video. But I do like to at least mention that I kind of curtail these videos. So all of my frustrations I just kind of edit out. Look at this cute little crab and this cute little apple murix. I think that's the only apple murix we're gonna see today. And that one. Nope. That critter is going. Nope. Look how fast it is. All right. Clearly does not want to say hi. So I will leave it alone. Oh yeah. You too. Yeah. I'll leave you alone. I'll leave you be fun. All right. There's a little bruised nasa with a little critter in it. I love those little claws just kind of like clasping over the inside of the shell. It's so cute. Oh we have not seen one of these today. That is a sun ray venus clam. Yeah. We'll just kind of get rid of that second broken part. Very nice. So something like that is what lightning walks would eat. Yep. Sun ray venus clam. Now I personally think this is the prettiest part of lover's key. Kind of like the super south end. So right now I'm gonna be quiet and let you enjoy some beach time. All right. Let's see what other kind of delightful little seashells might be here. Oh hello heron. A little fisher bird there. Oh we have a sea star. Yeah it's trying to get some sun. Maybe not. I don't know. We are gonna. I'm gonna leave it. Yep. So that is a short spine sea star. So clearly they can kind of be out of the water a little bit without them. Sometimes you see people you take it out of the water it's gonna die. Now this is the purplish tigellus I was referring to earlier. It actually is purplish. So you have the brown that periostracum. Yeah a lot of those snails just kind of protect their shells with that periostracum. Oh an olive. We have not picked up a lettered olive yet today. Lovely. This is the spot where I did find that brownie olive. But the bowling's olive. But that was a lettered olive. Yeah there's kind of a drop off here. So not much of an opportunity around the corner. Let's see. Oh an auger. Common auger. Fantastic. Yeah yeah it's empty too. So yeah it's a little rougher over here. The kermit crabs are going to have a little bit harder of a time in the shells. They like the the more quiet water. Now what's fascinating me here. So there are these clams that dig into shells, coral, rock. And that's what's gone on here. So like a Stimson's chimney clam is one of them. They're chimney clams. And they through a chemical process will dissolve the shell like these. And that's where these holes are coming from. So another clam came in buried itself in that shell. Oh I just find that. I find it really really interesting. So when you see these shells with these like weird holes and stuff in them. Somebody else came along and manipulated that. Another sea critter did that. Yeah just just really neat. It kind of looks like a lopsided heart kind of. All right yeah there's not much. Well I don't see. I don't see much rolling around here. What did I get? Oh a coquina. Yay yay. Fantastic. Yep. Oh I like that little burst of color on the bottom there. Oh is that a calico scallop? Let's check that out. Yep. Super. Now I do realize that we are, like I said, we are going to find 29 different species of shells. But it is a little slim here today. And frankly if you didn't have the slim days, how would you be able to appreciate the days that are just amazing? Something else I appreciate is my Patreons. Because these videos would not be possible if I did not have the support from my Patreons. So thank you all of these people here. Thank you to everyone who watches. And I have been putting special content just for Patreons over there on Patreon.com. So if you want to join in on the party you can kind of go on over there. It's different kind of materials behind the scenes. Hey just whatever happens to strike my fancy that day. You just never know what I'm going to come up with. Look at this crown conch. This is a more adventurous crown conch. He's going to go find adventure somewhere. Not on the quiet bay part of the beach. But yep good luck with that crown conch. That's not a real conch. Now this, guys, this is an imperial venus clam. What the heck? First of all I love them. What is it doing here? To be fair I have found them here before. It's just weird though. It should not be here. Especially on a day where I'm barely finding anything. Super cool. Thank you Lover's Key. That is awesome. And look at this kitten paw. Super weird. And just they're variable. Yep the one actually looks almost like a giant clam. Yep kind of cool. So those are I guess we're back into the kitten paw territory. Now something I'm terrible about doing is advertising myself. So I do provide guided beach walks here at Lover's Key as well as over on Sanibel. So if you're interested there is the url there. I'll also put a link in the description box below. And I've also become a life coach. Yeah yeah it was time for me to branch out and do something more. So in addition to doing SWF Beach Life I'm also a life coach. So if you're interested in that I am going to put link in the description box below. Look at this cute little calico clam. So we have calico scallops and calico clams down here. Thanks for showing up buddy. So that was Lover's Key. It was a little slim but again without days like this the great days aren't going to look so great. And I'd like to wrap up this video with a little shout out to those other people that find joy in the simple things. And according to Gertrude silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. So get out there and rejoice in those little special moments that make our ordinary lives extraordinary. Now I did pick up garbage because I do not enjoy garbage on the beach. So today it was only 0.65 ounces but in total I've removed a little over 94 pounds of garbage from our beaches. I've removed a couple of coquinas. I can probably get a small flower out of that. Yes some of those rose petal talons. I'm going to bleach all of them. It will destroy the hinges but that's okay. There were a couple of kitten paws, dark serifs, calico scallops, there was a bay scallop, broad-ribbed cardida, that striate talon, the eastern flat slipper snails, the paper cockle, the olive, what's up there, jingles, purplish tigellus, florida prickly cockle, the calico clam, there's another chestnut turban, some bubbles, there's a rough scallop, the crown conch, sunray venus clam, the turkey wings, the giant atlanta cockle, the alavian weenies venus clams, there were also some painted egg cockles but these two, that spiky chestnut turban and the imperial venus clam, super fun. So again perhaps not the most exciting day but still a beautiful day to be out there collecting seashells. Now next week we're going back to one of the items that tends to treat me pretty well, key wading. So until then I hope you have yourself a wonderful week and I'll see you again next Sunday.