My first view of the ocean was in 1975. We moved to San Diego. Drove in through the Orange groves. That first night, the fog rolled in. I still remember how bright the sky was. And how moist the air felt. It seemed magical to an eight-year-old. I loved it, still do.

None of these are from that first beach visit, but I did collect the sand dollars above. The dark one is “petrified”. Hard as a rock. The smallest is smaller than a dime. Less than a half inch in diameter.

I often think, “Hey, I should paint a shell!” Lord knows I have plenty to choose from. Their complexity sort of intimidates me though. But I did attempt the large one above.

Above, sand stars, a sea biscuit, and a keyhole sand dollar. The two white Augers below are attached like Siamese twins.

I remember collecting these miniature shells. I was at Bonita Cove in San Diego. I spent most of the afternoon walking the beach and sifting the sand. All I had were my hands and a Ziploc bag. The water’s edge was loaded with shells. I remember I filled the bag and then started putting the larger shells in my pockets.

I cleaned out my cobalt jars the other day, and I finally took the time to separate the shells by size. I set aside the tiny and small shells. The medium and large went back into the jars, organized by types. Next, I organized the tiny and smalls by type as well. I lucked out and found mini jars on clearance. Perfect!

All that work to find the tiniest shells I have ever seen! Well, now I can see them whenever I like. They are no longer figments buried at the bottom of a blue jar.

Filing this under things that bring me joy. And calling it done.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
— Jacques Yves Cousteau

Are you a collector? Tell me all about it in a comment 😉