Paper and Threads

I LOVE our early morning beach walks with two other couples.  We walk one mile from our starting point and then turn around and walk one mile back.  On weekdays we can have breakfast at the Snack Shack and sketch, paint, and talk.  During our walks I constantly look for shells, and I'm surprised at the variation of shells and other things we find on the beach, which changes from year to year.  Last year we learned about sand collars - mucus/sand 8" diameter flat structures made by moon snails and under which moon snails lay their eggs.   This year moon snails of medium to large size are everywhere, but there are NO scallop shells.  However, I found 3 whelk shells - two new varieties - which are definitely unusual.

Our local fish store has several walls of bouys which hang on picket fences in front of the entrance.  I love the variation in shapes and colors