Shelling

 

 

I'[ve been a shell collector all my life. Well, since the late 60's when we moved to Texas and were in close proximity to Galveston. My kids too loved to look for olive shells, sand dollars and shark's teeth from the time they were teeny weeny until today. It was always a fun contest to see who could find the most, of, whatever. I still have little tins here in Mexico of shark's teeth and sand dollars. There is a certain time of the year to find sand dollars. It must have been in the summer from the looks of how many I still have.

Shells that we used to find on the beaches of Galveston are now very very scarce. Such as olive shells. Such a beautiful dark brown shiney dotted shell. Oh, and the sea beans. Haven't found one of those in about twenty years.

The photos on this post were not found by me but by my host at the beach. Aren't they exquisite? They are sea urchin shells. I actually coveted them and wanted a few to bring home but didn't have the guts to ask if I could have some.
These were found right after the hurricane in October on the beach in front of the house. With that driving surf, it is amazing to me that these delicate, translucent shells weren't just a bit of broken pieces. The soft lavender color couldn't be improved by anything mass produced. Nature at its best.

I have quite a few different shells that I have carted from house to house over the last 40 years. The most precious to me though is one that my youngest daughter bought for me at a shell shop in Galveston when she was about 4 or 5 years old. Each child had been given a dime or quarter to spend back then and Julie, with her money, bought this shell for me instead of buying something for herself. I doubt she even remembers this, but each time I see it daily on a shelf in my dressing area, it touches my heart. Life is good!