Catch of the Day!

Junonia and Alphabet Cone

On January 27 (my father-in-law's birthday), I found these two beauties on Anna Maria Island. The one on the left is a Junonia -- Florida's rarest shell. In fact, on Sanibel Island only one is found per day. Some shellers go their entire lives without finding one. So, you can imagine my surprise when I found the shell lying in the sand all by itself -- almost as if someone placed it there. And right beside it was an alphabet cone! It would have been a trifecta if there was a Scotch Bonnet in the mix. This Junonia isn't perfect, but I'm excited that it's not because I got to see the inside which is pretty amazing with the spiral going all the way up to the tip of the shell. Normally, you find these shells pretty far out at sea, but this one traveled a long way and in the process wasn't totally intact. But I didn't care. I'm still in search for the perfect Junonia, but this one will do for now. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm passionate about shelling. It comes with living on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. The cool thing is it's a hobby my husband and I can do together; he loves diving for sand dollars and I'm content to stroll along the beach and pick up shells.

Feel free to share what you're passionate about in the comments! Passionately yours,