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.

Sharing the Love of Sea Glass

I couldn't wait to share the sea glass hunt with my sister-in-law, Debbie. She has such a love for nature and beautiful things, so I knew this was an adventure that would capture her heart. I was so glad when she got a green and cobalt blue piece of glass early on the prowl. The temperatures are warm, it's a Saturday evening, in June (beach weather), so we shared the beach with quite a number of beachcombing enthusiasts. Debbie has a very creative mind (she's our scrapbooking expert in the family), so I'm sure that this sea glass is going to become a piece of art in its own right. I'll ask for pictures and will post at a later date.

Buttons, their Bichon Frise, chased crabs (they were quicker than her and she's a fast little sucker) --- Buttons seemed to really enjoy the adventure.

Mike & Mom were along, too - Mike found a few pieces of sea glass, so I think we got his curiosity going....He seemed rather enthused when he showed us a feather and claimed it was an ancient pen belonging to our fore-fathers. The old gutted out sunglasses he claimed belonged to Benjamin Franklin --- Okay, okay --- we get it!!! The walk ended as the sun disappeared over the horizon...Mom was a great sport to keep on going....She sat for awhile and absolutely enjoyed the sunset. All and all it was a wonderful evening.

Lastly, I've posted a picture of my first piece of sea glass jewelry. Alexis and I had the most memorable evening with all the sea glass, pliars and jewelry pieces laid out across the table....as we worked until we were so tired we called it a night. We looked at each other with a sense of satisfaction knowing we gave it our all in learning a new craft...one we hope to enjoy many years to come. I spent at least an hour wrapping and re-wrapping this turquoise/green piece in a lightweight gauge wire. Finally, it met with approval. ....Cannot wait to try out some other styles...I'll post pictures of Lex's jewelry in a later blog...

Until we meet again -----enjoy each moment and make them count!!!

Sunset on the Bay

What a beautiful evening for a walk. Alexis, Ashley and I enjoyed the scenery, the salty air and the hunt for sea glass. Alexis found a beautiful piece of pottery shard, along with several nice green selections. Ashley enjoyed finding flat rocks and skimming them across the water. My finds included a couple pottery shards, pink sea glass and an exquisite tiny square block in bright turquoise. It was fun watching a huge military ship (looked like a battleship) anchored offshore very close to the point at Fort Story. Formations of helicopters gave quite a show as they took turns and landed on the ship one by one. The ship looked close enough to reach out and touch. Walking as far as we could without infringing on military property, I noticed that the girls had wandered quite a distance ahead. They weren't aware that they were in a restricted area. I waved my arms and tried getting their attention, but they were chasing seagulls and having too much fun to notice. Just as they were about to round the corner where all the military vehicles were standing by....the girls turned and came back. Whew!!!!

2009 Boardwalk Art Show

Exercise 101 --- Walk, walk, walk, walk and walk some more...That I did. Amy and I met up early and went to the Boardwalk art show. There were a few artists showing their sea glass jewelry. It's amazing how something that started as someone's trash, thrown into the sea, tumbles over time and then becomes a jewel. One artist in particular gave me some advice. Start out with a pair of pliars. Another artist had a few gorgeous pink selections. He said they were the only ones in his collection because pink was so difficult to obtain. He found this particular sea glass in the Bahama Islands. He also told me that Puerto Rico was the best for sea glass. I questioned another artist about his glass and was promptly told with disgust that he only works with precious gems. He also told me to watch out for sea glass because most of it was only tumbled glass and not the real thing. Amy reminded me not to ask too many questions because it could be offensive to the artist. Yikes!!! So much for my inquisitive mind. After getting from 34th street to 18th street, we decided to walk back on Atlantic Avenue and "play tourist" - We went into all the shops, bought a few touristy items and made our way back to 34th street. What fun we had right in our own city. Besides the jewelry there was some absolutely exquisite artwork. One in particular struck me as unusual and beachy - This artist had work that was featured in Coastal Living Magazine summer 2007 --- His name is Tony Krysinsky - Check out his work at tonykrysinsky.com

Lost and Found

Up at 5:30 a.m. and on the beach by six - What a peaceful way to get the day started. The Papillons know the drill and are ready to start their morning. Other dog owners realize the beauty of getting an early start. We run into several canine friends. The morning starts with a few unusual finds. I'm really only interested in sea glass, but this morning I find a Verizon LG Dare cell phone (It's drying out now and hopefully will start back up so I can find the rightful owner) --- Found a Samsung digital camera (Hmmmmmm) and a huge cobalt blue, perfectly intact Skyy Vodka glass bottle) - I threw the bottle up on the beach in hopes it would be there when I returned. It was quite heavy and awkward for the long walk ahead. Found quite a few pieces of sea glass (nothing extraordinary) - We continued on past the lifeguard station and noticed that the beach was rather bare up ahead. We walked about 100 yards further and decided to turn around. On the walk back I picked up a nice pair of sunglasses (Amy can add them to her collection) - Too bad there's not a "lost and found" in a central location on the beach. There's no way to find the owners of the camera or the glasses. I passed another sea glass enthusiast (we cross paths most mornings - usually she beats me to the game) This morning, I was the early bird. I don't think she was too happy because she didn't smile or say "good morning" - That's the downside of this hobby. Sea Glass addicts become possessive over their territory and very secretive about where they hunt. As we approach our starting point, I notice a little boy playing in the surf. I continue to walk back towards the ramp with my eye on that gorgeous cobalt blue bottle as the little guy goes running past me. He spots the bottle and begins to lift it up and play. He's fascinated with the bottle and his great find. Off he goes with his mother and the blue bottle. Oh well....that little guys eyes lit up..you would have thought he had found Blackbeard's Treasure. That's treasure enough to know that someone else has an appreciation for beach finds.

Red, Orange, Turquoise, "Oh My" -

What a great morning. Up by 6:00 a.m. and on the beach by 6:20. Now I know how a fireman feels when he/she awakens at the sound of the alarm, jumps into their clothes and off they go...Only my alarm is Amber (my youngest Papillon). She comes over to me and nudges her nose against my cheek and starts her morning ritual of waking Aspen. She definitely has an internal alarm. Goes off every morning at the exact same time. All right, all right...throw on the beach gear and let's go. We only have 4.5 miles to drive and we're ready for the hunt. Immediately scooped up 10 - 12 pieces of sea glass. I knew this was going to be a good day. And then, there it was staring back at me. My first "red" find. Sea Glass experts will tell you that red is a very rare color and is only found about one in a thousand. About 100 yards further, I stoop down and grab the prettiest orange you ever want to see. I'm convinced this beach will never run out of glass. Great finds. We continued on past the lifeguard station. Temperatures were climbing and I knew that the Pappies would only last awhile longer so we turned around. Once we turned, the light breeze blew across our faces and made for a comfortable return. We witnessed the lifeguards (8 total) in the water training for their day. These guys were quite impressive. All were dressed alike in red suits, in the water and holding what appeared to be a large log as round as a telephone pole. They chanted in unison and lifted the pole together over their heads on their left and then transfered it to their right. It was an amazing sight. They finished up as we watched and then I had the opportunity to chat for a bit. I told them about a beautful, large piece of driftwood about 1/2 mile further east from our position. It's too heavy for me to drag home. These guys are going to retrieve this driftwood using their all terrain vehicle and have it waiting for me on my next adventure. They've assured me they can drive it back to my car....My sea glass adventures have certainly allowed me the opportunity to meet some really decent people. What a pleasure...Final day count: 109 pieces of sea glass and 9 pottery/tile shards. I'd say this was a very productive morning.

Where Did All the Sea Glass Go?

Summertime is definitely here. The beaches are crowded. Everyone seems to be beach-combing and looking for those coveted treasures (maybe under a piece of driftwood or seaweed) The dictionary defines "treasure" as:

1. wealth or riches stored or accumulated, esp. in the form of precious metals, money, jewels, or plate.
2. wealth, rich materials, or valuable things.
3. any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized:

A short walk after dinner this evening produced a very small amount of sea glass (interestingly enough) only white pieces were visible. All the green, turquoise, browns and blues were nowhere to be found. The surf was a little rougher than normal...the tide was moving in.....but no sea glass was visible along the edge of the water...this calls for a change in plans. I decided to walk further up on the beach in the soft sand (good for the legs) --- You guessed it...every 10 feet or so, there they were like precious gems ---- frosted, smooth, glass....what a find...

Mission Accomplished!!

Morning Treasures

Up at 5:30 a.m. with the Papillon's --- On the beach by six --- what a beautiful morning. I quickly saw that I'm not the only early bird this morning. One passerby stopped and wanted to admire the dogs. He had lots of questions about the breed. We continued on with the walk and found quite a few treasures. This morning's haul included a cobalt blue piece of glass. I pick up all glass because I realize that the newer pieces have a creative use as well as the frosted older selections. We got to the lifeguard station and turned to look at a very dark sky, so I figured it was time to turn around. The skies cleared way to sunshine and by the end of the walk, I was whooped....that's okay...a good brisk walk is just what I needed.

The Thrill of the Hunt

It's early morning. The sun has just risen and my papillon's are anxious to get on with their walk. We pull our car into a parking spot as the Papillon's (Amber & Aspen) are crying and carrying on knowing that the beach is a short distance away. We have our bags (for doggie accidents) - My bag to hold my treasures - cell phone ---- and car keys, along with fresh water and small plastic bowl....We're ready for the hike. It's not unusual for us to walk 3 hours. What a peaceful morning. Overcast skies, cool bay breeze and off we go....Amber and Aspen pick up scents of the crabs and other sea creatures. I'm only there to find my favorite treasures - SEA GLASS or more commonly known as Beach Glass. I collect it all. Pottery Shards, Sea Glass, tile, marble (it all washes up from the sea) - Since the bay area where I collect is very close to the Atlantic Ocean, I'm sure a lot of this glass washes ashore from shipwrecks of years gone by --- I walk along the edge of the water in hopes of finding the new glass washing ashore. Where did the glass originate. That's the mystery. I envision Colonial times and ships arriving from England. Tragedy strikes and the ship runs aground. I like to think that all the people onboard make it to shore alive, but they've lost their entire ship as it settles to the bottom of the ocean floor. Hundreds of years later, I'm walking along the shoreline and finding pottery shards that came from those ships. My treasures have included old medicine bottles, bottoms of jars, coca cola bottle shards from the early 1950's - I've found so many pieces of glass and just imagined where it began it's journey. There is an art to finding sea glass. You must walk along with your eyes looking down, make a sweeping view scanning a large area of beach in front of your walk - walk in a zig zag fashion and be ever vigilant. If you've walked 100 yards or so and not found one piece of glass, you can surmise that another avid hunter beat you to the punch. I don't allow this to deter my motivation. I continue on and walk up on the beach closer to the dune line. At times, this has proven to enable me to find a treasure trove of glass (the worn smooth type that obviously has been around for 100's of years) --- Our walk continues and the papillons are becoming restless while on their leashes. They give me that look. We want to play. Off come the leashes (as long as no other dogs and people are around) and off they go chasing each other in circles, running through the water's edge and having a great time. We're close to the end of our walk. All's well. The Papillon's are exhausted....I have a bag full of glass.....and we're ready to go home and chill out....Amber and Aspen sit in the back window of the car...I smile knowing that I have more glass to add to my collection and we all go home happy....