Back in the Saddle

First day back to the beach........still have a cast but at least I can drive and pick up sea glass with the left hand. The papillions and I strolled along the beach early this morning. The sun was shining brightly as we kept our eyes glued to the ground...wow...what a catch. Everywhere we looked there was sea glass. It was insane. I even found yellow....it was such a productive day, but I'm paying for it now..very sore muscles from walking and bending so far...almost made it to the rocks...

temporarily absent

well friends and family,

my seaglass adventures are temporarily on hold while I recoup from thumb surgery. my hand will be in a cast for a short while - cannot wait to get back to hunting for that perfect piece of glass ------- I'll hopefully return soon

happy hunting

Jeanie

N'easter

Forgive me for my lack of posts of late...I'm typing very slowly since taking a fall chasing my dog...my right hand is in a cast...yep..I'm right-handed. Managed to go to three beaches yesterday and today...Today's "catch" was more productive..we figured it out...the storm caused the dunes to fall which in turn covered old sand as well as any sea glass....not much pickens out there yesterday...today was much better...went to Grandview Nature Preserve in Hampton, VA off State Park Road..Had to hike in (ankle deep water) to get to the beach...but what is sea glass hunting without an adventure...busy making pendants out of my glass...will post pictures very soon...

What a Great Fall Morning

I like mornings when the tide is out and we can take our time on our walks...not feel rushed. This morning was not one of those times. We only had an hour and a half at best, so we had to complete our mission on time. Wouldn't you know it. There must have been 4 or 5 lines of shell beds all along the beach. How in the world was I going to check each location out in such a short period of time. I figured it best to start where the waves were breaking due to the tides moving back in...What a great day for sea glass. I could not go two feet without finding a piece or two. Lots of green this morning. A lot of plain white pottery....a little turquoise...one piece of cobalt blue and the rest white and brown....Out of a hundred pieces of glass, I'd say there are 25 pieces that are good quality for jewelry...good finds today....It was interesting because you would think the beach would be desolate so early in the morning. No such luck...other beachcombers checking out the finds...lots of photographers taking family pictures. I guess the season is upon us and those Christmas cards must get out with smiling faces and sand all around...I felt fortunate to find all that I did....we'll see what tomorrow brings...

Tidal Pools

Rough seas, rain, a little sunshine (all in one day) ---- Few days ago decided to try my luck when the seas had been very rough...Sun came out very briefly, so me and the Papillions decided to head to the beach and see what we could find. Good news...only one other person beachcombing. This should be relatively painless. We walked briskly for awhile (Pappies needed the exercise and so did I) ..... started looking down for sea glass. There it was...in abundance....turqoise, green, white, brown...No cobalt blue or cornflower blue...BUT...very old rounded, frosted sea glass...bottoms to old bottles, bottle rims...I even found a gorgeous pink which later fell out of my pocket while retrieving gloves. Darn!!!! It was so pretty...My consolation is...hoping that another sea glass lover found that piece of glass. I want someone that appreciates sea glass to have it to enjoy....We had an interesting experience further up the beach. The tidal pools stretched 1/2 mile or longer along the beach. On the other side was the nicest stretch of a shell-bed you'd ever want to see. How do we jump across the rushing water to get to the shell bed? Hmmmmmmmmm....the only way seemed to walk further up and try to get across the narrowest part. Okay...I stepped across the water...and yikes...my left foot sunk up to my knees. Holy Cow!!!! What am I gonna do now? I had no choice but to fall on my other knee and crawl out of this mess (all the while holding onto my Papillions). They were troopers and knew that I was in some kind of trouble. They both stopped and waited until I was up on my feet and able to walk again. Almost lost my shoes in the process. Now, we walked along with squishy shoes and very wet legs. Oh well...At least it was a worthwhile adventure. We now found lots of turquoise pieces of glass. Thank goodness the effort was worth every minute. Since we backtracked 1/2 or more to enjoy this shell-bed..it was now time to find a way back. I WAS NOT going to chance going back the way we came. Instead, we walked 1/4 mile or more further east and then turned south toward the dune line. Once we were at the base of the dunes, we were able to walk westbound staying close to the dunes. It was our only option. It worked...On the walk back to the car we noticed more beachcombers making their way in our direction. Sure enough, they too...were looking for sea glass. I can only hope that someone found that beautiful pink glass. I'd like to think it's sitting in a window sill somewhere with the sun causing the colors to dance or maybe someone turned it into a nice necklace for all to admire. No matter what, we had an adventure...that's what life is all about...

3 days of hunting in a row

The past few days have been very relaxing getting back to the routine of searching for that perfect piece of sea glass. The Papillions were anxious to get going on Saturday morning and they seemed to love every moment. The beach was scarce of people, but plenty of glass. We defintely got in a good hour and 20 minutes of searching and came home with our pockets full....

The alarm went off early Sunday morning, but I hit the off button and kept on sleeping. Made it in time for church and decided to take the walk in the afternoon hours. The Papillions seemed okay with the change of routine. We ended up walking further than usual...since we were finding lots of glass it was difficult to make the decision to turn around. When the skies started turning to dusk, we knew it was time to make the 180 degree turn...After arriving back to the boardwalk I turned and looked at the sky...The moon rise was awe-inspiring and the ships against the red sky took my breath away.

This morning we dropped Lex off at school and continued on to our favorite beach....only one other car in the parking lot, so off we start on our morning jaunt. We were detained for a very short period of time when a park employee stopped and asked about the dogs. We engaged in a lively conversation, but soon we were on our way.....I felt my heart sink when I saw my "sea glass competitor" coming back from her walk...I bet she got all the good glass. Geeshh.....why bother going. I felt so sad, but I put on a smile and said, "Good Morning"...is there much glass out there?" to which she replied, "no, the tide is too high"...I walked 10 more feet as she passed by me in the opposite direction and there, right before my eyes...the most gorgeous large piece of cornflower blue you would ever lay eyes on...What in the world? How did she miss this? So I continued on....Motivation has become my friend...I found purple, white, turqoise, brown, green, pottery shards....unbelievable...No more will I allow feelings of despair to take over when I think there's no reasons to push on...

Came home today and decided to organize some of the colors. I had a very large, round vase and decided to put all my white pieces in this particular vase. Wow...what a statement this makes...I'll post pictures in a future post...

Until then.....happy sea glass hunting....

Only weekends

I've only had weekends to walk the beach and look for the glass. This past week I did run down to the beach close to our house and near the Bay Bridge tunnel....no glass at all...looks like a lot of new sand, so if it was hauled in...they probably covered any seaglass that may have been lingering. The dogs and I had a chance very early this morning to take a quick walk at First Landing....found the usual white, brown, some different shades of green and several turquoise selections....couple pieces of pottery and a cornflower blue "frosted" piece shaped in an elongated triangle. Overall, it was a very good morning for finding glass. Leave for Atlanta tomorrow, so won't be able to beachcomb until next weekend...

Unbelievable Morning

The alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. Crawled out of bed and dressed in my comfortable beachcombing clothes. The Papillions were stirring and ready for the morning. We were on the beach by 6:15 a.m. Wow...the beach was perfect. Tide was out and there were a lot of shell beds all along our walk. When you start finding cobalt blue and turquoise the minute you start your walk, you know its going to be a great day....That's what happened. Pottery shards, tile, glass......it was GREAT. We walked for over an hour before turning around to head home. It was pretty amazing. On the walk back, we found almost as much as when we started out. Just when I was getting ready to give up and head up to the ramp, I looked down. What in the world is that along the shore...It was the top of an old bottle with the handle intact...that was a great find...Yesterday, I purchased a nautical chart of the area where I search for glass. What amazed me was the fact that old wrecks of ships are depicted on the chart. What was even more amazing were the number of wrecks off Cape Henry and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Just imagine how much glass might have been on those ships and its now making its way in pieces to the shoreline. I can't help but hope that it continues for many years to come.

Early Morning "Bonanza"

What an interesting week on the beach. Last Tuesday was an exceptional afternoon...Rough seas, wind blowing a bit...so I thought if I took the Pappies for an afternoon walk, we might have some successes...Well, I don't know how successful you could call it, but we made it down to Fort Story Beach and lo and behold, there it was...the most gorgeous driftwood and it would go perfectly where I had in mind in my kitchen...I've been dreaming about this project for a month now. Okay, how do I get it home...It must weigh 75 lbs and was huge...Here I am walking two dogs and dragging a "tree" home...I'd drag it 20 or 30 feet and stop and drag some more. Finally, I called the Park Ranger and he rescued me with his John Deere tractor. By this time, I had walked at least 3/4 of a mile. Great cardio workout....Only a handful of seaglass, but a backpack full of driftwood (not to mention, the "tree") -

Wednesday wasn't much better in the seaglass hunt...Only a handful. Okay, I'm not one to give up, so I went out this morning at 6:30 a.m....what a gorgeous day. Sunrise, wave action AND seaglass everywhere...the usual white, green, a few brown and a very few aqua pieces. Found a few pieces of nice pottery. Some of the clear glass had writing and designs. What a refreshing morning. We made it almost to the rocks and I realized that "Mother Nature" was about to call...so we headed back...We still had a couple more miles to go, but when walking on the beach a mile goes by and you hardly notice. End of the morning walk and we came home with over 100 pieces of glass. I'd say we had a great morning....

Driftwood and then some

It's been a little difficult to get out during the week with working and getting home a little on the late side...Not to mention, we had some really hot days last week. I'm looking forward to the cool days of fall and less people on the beach. I'm having to stay over in Richmond tonight, otherwise, this evening would have been great for seaglass adventures. After the rain and the bay churning up...that's seaglass lovers perfect scenario. Anyway, I did get on the beach for a two hour walk early Sunday morning. The Papillions and I made it almost to the rocks. There really wasn't much seaglass at all. Amazingly enough, I was collecting a lot of driftwood. We meandered from the shoreline to the dune-line. It was rather interesting. I took my co-workers suggestion and carried a canvas shoulder bag. It certainly came in handy for all that driftwood and bottled water for the "babies"....Hopefully, I'll have more pictures and seaglass to post this weekend.

WOW, AWESOME, UNBELIEVABLE

What a fantastic morning for seaglass. Pappies and I were on the beach by 6:40 a.m. -- The sunrise was gorgeous...the breeze was welcoming....and the beach was a treasure seeker's glory....Everywhere we walked we found treasures. We came home with an unusual coconut shell, pottery galore, old teacup, a very old intact bottle, seaglass shards, and driftwood. I was having a great time and so were the Papillion's....We walked for over 2 hours this morning - enjoying the treasures, the sun and other canine friends. Just when I thought that we should turn around...I decided to venture up closer to the dunes. I was talking to my mother on the phone and looked down. There it was...The largest, prettiest piece of blue and white striped pottery I'd ever seen in my life. I felt like I had found a million bucks...Yesterday's visit to the Chick's Beach Art Show was so much fun and I came home with a head full of ideas. I met a really neat artist who's work was fantastic. She fuses glass in a kiln and then places the pieces in window panes which is then set in resin...These pieces were gorgeous. My head is swimming with ideas for the seaglass and bottles along with pottery... I need to find a kiln and learn to work with resin...Hmmmmmm. I see projects galore on the horizon...Having trouble uploading pictures on the blog - I'll troubleshoot and add later...

A Beautiful Summer Morning

Early mornings are fun for myself and the Pappies....I love the bay breeze and the solitude of the beach - They love the bay breeze and the occasional dog we meet along the way. Dog lovers tend to go out in the early morning to walk their canine friends. The beach in the early mornings is heaven for dogs. This morning was good. I found a lavender piece of glass very early in the walk. I guess that's the clue as to what is to come. Later on, on the way back, I found a green piece that looked as though it'd been struck by lightening. It was very interesting as you can see by the picture. We walked as far as Fort Story Beach (not much pickins that far down the beach) and turned around. On the walk back, I ran into the person that also looks for glass in the early mornings. She was not happy to see I had already made my track down and was back as she was getting started. I got a cursory good morning after I made eye contact and said it first...Oh my, the competition of finding the best seaglass. It's crazy. I'm watching the weather reports as this storm makes its way off shore. I'm guessing that by Saturday and Sunday morning, we'll hopefully have some great pieces of glass wash up from the churning waters. We'll see...I'll try to be out there by 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Until then...happy hunting for the best treasures the beach can hold....

Taking it Slow

A good case of bronchitis has kept me out of the loop for the past week and a half. Yesterday, I was up early and on the beach with the dogs. We found quite a few pieces of seaglass. Found my first black piece of pottery. On the walk back we had just about reached our final steps when there it was (pretty as good be) a fine piece of cobalt blue. It was glistening in the sunlight and I scooped it up so quickly, it would make your head spin. Our walk wasn't quite as long as usual, but that's okay. Getting back into the swing of things, I figured I better take it slow and easy....Hopefully, by next weekend we'll be back to par....

Over a thousand pieces of glass

It's been a challenging week. I've got some crazy cough that will not go away. I've been to the dr twice and I'm now being treated for severe bronchitis. It's put a damper on my seaglass expeditions, but I'm hanging in there. I thought I would share some pictures of my seaglass and I can now officially say that I have over 1,000 pieces. I think I'll use this post for my pet-peeves. Number one pet peeve while combing the beach. Dog owners that allow their canine to travel without a leash. Helloooooooo....there's a leash law in Virginia Beach. There's this one person that walks the beach daily at the approximate time me the Papillon's are out. Her dog is without a leash until she sees me and then she puts the leash on the dog. Why, you ask? Because her dog hates little dogs. Good grief, leash your dog constantly. And then guess what she does. Fido (a huge yellow lab) runs up towards the dunes and deposits his business. What does this irresponsible dog owner do at this point...she runs over and covers the "business" with sand. Yikes...please tell me it isn't so. Yep, she does. I'm amazed by the lack of common sense by this dog owner. Pet peeve number 3 - Fishermen and women that block the shoreline with all that gear. Puhleeze, move your gear further away from the water and allow beachcombers the freedom to walk along the waters edge. It's one thing to stand there with your pole, but to block the passageway with coolers, nets, chairs, etc. It's insane. Pet peeve #4 - Bringing your vicious dog on the beach (even though he's leashed) ---- Geesh...Fido is barking and struggling to get free from the leash as he growls and wants to attack my dogs...Keep these vicious dogs out of public. Well, there you have it...my pet peeves. Add your own comments and let me know yours. Signing off for now...not feeling too good...

Blueberries instead of Seaglass

Did not get to the beach today in search of seaglass. I suppose a few of those folks I encounter will be glad to know that I was not out there competing for the prettiest seaglass. Instead, I spent the day with my beautiful grandson and favorite niece :), Justine. Okay, okay...guys...to all my other nieces. This is a little joke in our family. I always tell each niece that they are my favorite...It's because I love them all the same, but it's fun telling each one they are the favorite. I can do this because they all know that I love each one the same...we drove out to Pungo to find a blueberry picking patch. Found it, we did!!! We were actually hoping we could buy them already picked but no luck. The nice lady handed me a bucket, so off we went. John ran through the bushes and kept Justine hopping. I was filling the bucket as quick as we could. It was getting hot and we wanted to go visit with Melissa, Mike and Josiah...Somehow we lost John's "binky" pacifier at the Blueberry Patch. We heard about it almost to Kempsville Road...Well, John fell asleep, but Justine ran into the store and got him a couple more binky's - never know when we'll need it...had a short visit with Josiah...Man is he beautiful. So small and just beautiful.....Love him to pieces...The day is over and John is asleep, the Pappies are quiet and I'm off to catch some Z's....hopefully, we'll get on the beach tomorrow evening...

Sharing the Seaglass Experience

I was thrilled when my sister-in-law called Tuesday morning and asked to join me on the beach on the hunt for glass. She had her two precious granddaughters, (Isabella & Madison) and her mom (Nina) --- My mom (Nana), Alexis, and our two pappies (Amber & Aspen) were there for the fun, too....Amber (our feisty female pappy) is in this picture checking out other dogs on the beach. Amber and Aspen both love meeting other canines while on the hunt. Isabella and Madison were so adorable (dressed alike) and scooting along finding sea treasures. Alexis helped them in spotting the glass along with with the rest of us...pointing out shells and other beach debris (crabs....jelly fish.....) it was all around. The girls squealed with delight when finding treasures. I was so impressed how much the two young girls shared. When they would find shells, each one would immediately look at the other and offer to give it away...How sweet. The walk ended just before nightfall which caused all those crazy little sand crabs to come running out of their holes. Poor little Madison was frightened by those quick little critters. I offered to carry her and she promptly accepted the offer. Bless her heart....I recall when I was her age and our family was walking into the Duck-Inn restaurant on the bay. It was dark outside and those crabs were running like mad along the ramp up into the restaurant. I screamed in horror thinking they were going to bite my toes. My dad was so wonderful. He scooped me up and carried me the rest of the way...Whew...thank goodness. It's a memory I'll always carry with me..Sharing the seaglass hunt with our family was wonderful and that, too, is a memory I'll always have. Thank you Debbie for the call. It ended the day very nicely....Love you guys...

On the Beach Early

Yesterday wasn't such a great day at the park...Set up the jewelry and keychains to sell, but didn't do well at all. Met a lot of interesting people. The author of the books that set up a table next to me wasn't having any luck either. I think it's the wrong venue for something like this. I should have better luck on Etsy.

The Pappies and I were on the beach at 6:15 a.m. What a great morning. Wonderful breeze, low tide and hardly anyone on the beach - I did notice a blanket up on the beach with what looked like two sets of feet sticking out. Yikes...what are people thinking? You never know what you'll stumble upon. I'm glad I stayed down by the shoreline. It was a pretty good day for seaglass. We walked past Fort Story Beach and found quite a number of large pieces of glass. I think I'll try painting or etching sayings into some of the larger pieces. They would make great paperweights. The pappies were anxious to be let off leashes. They ran and chased one another to their hearts content. It's fun to watch.

All in all, I found about 100 pieces of glass. Not bad for summertime when the pickings are low.

Two Days to Go

Getting ready for Saturday at First Landing State Park. I'm not sure what to expect since this will be the first time I've sold my seaglass jewelry. I'm preparing myself for a ton of questions, criticisms, and meeting new and interesting people. I plan to try to stay positive about this experience. I'm getting close to having 100pieces ready for Saturday. Whew!!!! Between looking for the seaglass, finding the right jewelry making supplies and then putting it all together ---- this has been fun but hard work. Thanks to Papa for making me a stand to display the necklaces. I need to remember everything....jewelry pieces, black cloth, mirror, boxes to make layers on the table, tools (to work on jewelry while sitting), cooler with water (might be hot), bags for the jewelry, inserts for the bags, cash box, notebook (for keeping track of sales)....I'm sure I'll think of more later.

P.S. Great walk this morning, but only 5 or 6 selections of seaglass found...Did find a couple interesting pottery samples...

See you on Saturday......

Only a Handful

Got on the beach a little late...Only a handful of seaglass available. It's the time of year, I'm convinced. Seaglass is much more plentiful in Winter and Spring. Can't wait until the beaches are desolate and I can don my hooded sweatshirt in cool weather and start searching. It's shocking how much trash washes up from the bay. If we don't take action and become more conscious of cleanliness in our waters, what are our grandchildren and great-grandkids going to do? They won't be able to visit a beach for fear of bacteria and infections. It's become very disgusting. It could be because of the time of year and number of people frequenting the beach. I remember last spring the beaches looked so pristine. I hope we can get them that way again. I'm getting ready for the jewelry event at First Landing this Saturday. I hope it turns out well to give me incentive to keep going. I love making the seaglass crafts. It's so much fun to see how creative I can be with certain pieces of glass. Until next time....remember to pick up your trash as you leave the beach...It would be so simple to carry and trash bag with you and take it as you leave. So much for my lecturing...Have a great week!

Overdue

Overdue was the operative word in our family this week. But, yeah....my niece had her baby this morning. A gorgeous, healthy, baby boy...Welcome to the family, Josiah Michael. We are so excited that you are finally here.

I'm overdue in posting on this blog, but here's what has been happening with seaglass hunts. I have been this past week (not much glass to find) ---- BUT, the good news is that I will be setting up a table and selling my seaglass jewelry next Saturday, July 25th from 1pm to 5pm at First Landing State Park. I hope to have over 100 pieces on display. Went to the gem show this past weekend with Celia & Dona - Had a great time. Thank you Celia for inviting me along. The lunch was fabulous and the company even better. And, Yes...came home and thought about all those beads and how nice it would look to incorporate them into the seaglass designs. I hope to go back in October.... I learned a lot from the show and was able to copy an interesting design for charms.....

Last week the walks produced a few nice pieces for making jewelry. Found cobalt blue each day. The papillons had a great time running up and down the beach (yep, I let them off the leashes and told them to "have at it" ----

Here are pictures of the jewelry and some of my seaglass finds. Enjoy.....Hope to see you at First Landing next Saturday...

A Late Start

Well, this morning we got a late start going to the beach. Getting a late start has its disadvantages. You now and then will meet a real jerk on the beach. This morning was no exception. The Pappies and I walked almost to the rocks (a good 2 mile walk) --- Found some gorgeous seaglass along the way. On the way back a few folks were milling around Fort Story Beach. Some short, fat, cantankerous man walked up to me and looked like he was "seething". He blurted out that "pits were not allowed on the beach". I looked at him and said, "these are not pits ---- they are papillons" --- He started foaming at the mouth and lectured me to say that no pets are allowed on the beach....blah, blah, blah....I knew immediately not to be confrontational. I smiled and said, "thank you very much for that information" and I walked away. Next time I'll know better than to get a late start. Hopefully, I'll not run into him again. Everyone else that we encountered (Park Police included) stopped and just loved the dogs and told me it was perfectly okay to have them on the beach. The good news is that we found over 100 pieces of seaglass of which 1/2 of it is good for making jewelry. Also, more good news. The lady that runs the gift shop at the Park told me that on July 25th, I can set up a table and sell my jewelry. I'm very excited about that news. I must sign off now and get busy making jewelry. Until next time.......remember that seaglass is the jewels that nature makes from our trash....

You Never Know.......

The Pappies and I were on the beach by 6:30 a.m. Very nice morning. The tide hadn't started back in yet and the cool breeze was so refreshing. What a way to wake up in the mornings. Okay, you're probably wondering about this picture. Yep, not long into our walk; there on the beach amongst seashells, seaglass and seaweed were a set of false teeth. I couldn't believe it. Now I can say I've seen everything.

The walk was great and the seaglass was even greater. We almost made it to the rocks. The lifeguards came up on their 4 wheeler and stopped to chit-chat. I had collected about 10 or 15 pairs of sunglasses and gave them to the lifeguards. I told them to give them out to their beach buddies. I found some great seaglass selections along that particular stretch of beach. On the way back we ran into some doggie friends; Hurley (the big black lab). We haven't seen Hurley in awhile, so it was nice to visit with him and his owner, Donna. Hurley had some of his buddies along for the beach day, too. The pappies were let off their leash and ran around with their friends. We finished the morning around 8:30 a.m. What a great way to start our day.....with 77 pieces of seaglass & pottery.

Patience Pays Off

It feels a little strange with Alexis gone for the weekend with Youth Group. I'm glad she's with such a great group of friends, but I'll miss her. They are going to a Lake House for a weekend retreat...The papillons are in full force right now wanting me to throw toys and play catch. Looks like our morning walk would have worn them out, but never happens. Our walk started at 7:15 a.m. As soon as we approached the beach I knew it was going to be a refreshing morning. The breeze was blowing strong and the waves were cresting pretty high. The beach looks perfect for glass. Why have I walked so far and there's nothing. It's gonna be another one of those scarce days. I'm guessing that the early-birds got the best...About 1/2 mile into our walk the Papillons were getting antsy. I decided since no one was around that it would be nice to let them off the leashes. Oh my gosh, you should have seen them run in circles and chase one another with such joy.... They were so good and came running back once exhausted as if to say, "we're ready to go back on the leash" --- We continued a few more feet and right there in front of our eyes was a cobalt blue, turquoise and bright green. Okay, it's going to be a great walk today. We continued on past Fort Story Beach. Once we reached Fort Story, nothing was found for quite some time. I decided that once we went 100 yards or so with no finds we would turn around. And, that we did. I would say we found 20 or 30 pieces-------a couple were jewelry quality...so all is not lost. The morning was definitely productive. I think we should plan on earlier jaunts......

Ho Hum Jaunt for Glass

The papillons and I arrived on the beach around 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening. I was quite surprised to see all the people down along the shoreline. Most of them were either fishing or crabbing. Raw chicken everywhere. It was all I could do to walk along and keep Amber from snatching someone's crab bait. It was definitely a challenge trying to find the most coveted piece of sea glass. I would have to say that the majority of the finds were the routine brown and white selections. Much to my delight, a couple of turqoise pieces showed up and a nice piece of pottery. Funny thing happened. There must have been 20 or more people gathered closely along the shore with their crab lines and buckets. There was no room for us to pass. I decided to go around and look along the debris line from last nights tide. Right then I spotted the nice pottery shard and a nice frosted piece of white glass. I think that goes to show that a detour can be advantageous. I'd like to think that detours in my life have been beneficial, as well.

The WOW factor

WOW.....today the sea glass was everywhere....The papillons and I had just started our walk and I noticed something dark in the surf rolling back and forth with the waves. I did a double-take and realized it was most likely a piece of glass. I jumped into the surf and snatched it up. Yes, it was a cobalt blue piece approximately two inches in length. At this point it didn't matter if I found another piece of glass, I was very content. We walked a couple miles and found turqoise, green, brown and of course white.....Only one pottery shard was found during the entire walk. Lo and behold on the way back we discovered another cobalt blue selection. I think even the Papillons were smiling. The walk ended rather nicely with a beautiful sunset while watching children playing in the surf. Two kids that were fishing started whistling for their parents to come running. They spotted the dolphins as they were frolicking in the bay. Yes, this was a great evening for sea glass hunting. Evenings like this make the scarce hunts seem so far away.

Jewelry

The day started out overcast and rainy, so I skipped the beach today. It was probably a great day for sea glass...there will other days, I'm sure. Attended church at 11:00 and enjoyed the service....my sister and brother-in-law were recognized before the congregation as new members of the church. Afterwards, we all went to the Silver Diner for lunch (met Amy & John) - I always love spending my Sundays with family. Amy, John and I went back to my house and those two napped. I made jewelry. I figured if I wasn't going hunt for the sea glass, I could certainly be productive and make something out of what I had on hand. Boy, do I have a lot of sea glass on hand. In a future post, I'll take a picture of all the sea glass piled on my table. That should be interesting. Until then....may your next piece of sea glass find be your very best!!!

Rough Surf

The "pappies" and I were on the beach by 7:00 a.m. The surf was pounding on the shore in what appeared to be high tide. Lots of seaweed lined the shore and not much hard sand to line our path. Again today, hardly any sea glass to be found. I found 3 or 4 pieces and a couple pottery shards. That's it!!!!Is the timing of the year bad for sea glass? Is it the fact that so many people are visiting the beaches, they're getting all the sea glass? Or could it just be that I need to wait for low tide? I've heard that the spring time is best for finding the pretty jewels of nature. Since I haven't been collecting a full year, I cannot say this is a fact. Once we reached Fort Story beach I looked around and no one was in sight. I decided to release the "pappies" from their leashes. Oh my, did they ever smile and run. They LOVED it. They ran in circles around and around and finally came running back to me, looking at me...as if to say "thanks, Mom --- that was a great time." ---- I would have to agree...

Some Days the Glass is Scarce

Some days are good and some are "not so good" - The positive aspect of this morning walk was that the Papillons and I got a lot of exercise and fresh air. The sea glass was very scarce so it was best to make the most of the morning and enjoy the sea breeze and sunshine. All in all I found around 15 pieces. Not a good day for sea glass....but at the end of the walk a beautiful pottery shard was waiting for my gaze. I scooped it up and felt great that the hunt ended so well.

I was on the road yesterday and had a chance to go into Michael's Arts & Crafts to pick up a few jewelry making supplies. I had a bag of sea glass in my briefcase. I decided to purchase a small, inexpensive set of needle-nose pliers. I wouldn't suggest these pliers for anyone trying to wrap sea glass. I worked and worked and maneuvered and finally was able to make the necklace I've posted on this site. It's time to invest in a Dremel Drill ----

You Know You Are a Sea Glass Lover When..........

Ashley and Alexis at sunset on the Bay - The girls love running along the surf, picking up strange sea creatures and tossing rocks into the water...oh, to be a kid again --- You know it's going to be a great hunt when you first get down by the water and your gaze takes in thousands of shells, pebbles, rocks and tucked between it all sea glass. This is what you see as far as your eyes will go --- The walk begins, but the Papillons want to scamper quicker than you care to go. I've resigned myself to the fact that Amber and Aspen are leading this walk for now. That's perfectly okay because they'll tire quickly and I can take my time on the return to get all the sea glass my pockets will hold. I cannot believe it!!! Turqoise, green, pottery, yikes....this is too much fun. You know you've become a discriminate sea glass lover when you pass up the shiny, clear glass - toss it back into the bay --- continue on looking for the frosted versions...Yep, it happened to me today. I guess now I can join the ranks of a "real" sea glass hunter. All these tourists soaking up the sun and walking along the shore and they're passing up these jewels of nature. I look ahead and notice beachcombers leaning down and picking up treasures. What could they possible be doing? I get closer and closer and nonchalantly check their bags (with just a little sideways glance) --- Whew!!! Full of oyster shells....What a relief...the sea glass is still there waiting for me as I reach down and scoop it up. On the way home we pull up to Nana's for just a minute and there on a car roof is the prettiest cat perched as if to say, "I'm guarding the neighborhood....you got a problem with that?" Alexis informs us that the cat's name is Axle --- One of her many friends she visits while at Nana & Papa's....The day is over and I can report that the find for today included 77 pieces --- 2 of the 77 were pottery shards and one was an interesting shell.