INTJohn's Belated Winter '21-'22 Truk Livn

[INTJohn]

The 8 days at the MacArthur Park area are worthy of several posts so buckle up. What a great place exploring and found sooo many different shell types while here. Some were first time finds and one species I didn’t even know what it was.

2nd or 3rd day here had to buy this book from the park info/book store. I had bought this book coupl years back for my dawter and decided time I had my own copy. This book is sooo much more than just a shell book covering about all one wants on Florida beaches.

Also had to rename this park Bonnet Beach as everyday here I think could’ve filled a bag with Scotch Bonnets……..
intjonny boi shellin like a felon

 

[INTJohn]

Pitchur tyme!



Above: found this awesome horse conch one morning tossed on shore by the waves. Couldn’t believe it. At first I thought it was a decent sized lightening whelk but then realized the shell had a right hand swirl so thought it was a knobbed whelk. Approaching closer realized it was a horse conch and went into OMG! don’t be broke mode. And it wasn’t. It’s 10” long and such a beautiful orange as is typical of this shell when the brown colored periostracum has been worn off by wave action. A very fortunate find.


Above: also found this very large nicely colored Alphabet Cone- largest I’ve ever found. Most info 3” maximum size but this one is 3.25” so a very large one indeed!
intjonny luzsha baybee

 

[INTJohn]

Display of numerous shell specie found while at MacArthur Beach. Along with all others I’ve found? Yes, I need to take inventory and do a sort. I have sooo many shells now stowed away in my truk that it totally smells like the bottom of the ocean.
Confessions of a Shell Whore:
Yes, I’m addicted to shells. I can’t say no and I can’t stop picking them up. And they all have shell whore names like Tulip, Bubble, Nutmeg & Olive. Yes, I’m a shell whore. Can’t say no and can’t stop picking them up…….

intjonny boi just plain joyin lyfe 2 much.

 

[INTJohn]

4 Feb, ‘22
Left MacArthur Beach and the West Palm area about a week ago. Honestly can’t wait to return and I might do that as a cold front is forecast to move thru on the 8th.

After leaving West Palm, headed north along the Florida coast spending a couple days north of Jupiter & Stuart area. A day at Dickinson Park which is slightly inland - lotsa trails hiking biking & horse riding along with lots woodsy wilderness stuff.
Also cupl days at Hobe Sound National Seashore not far from Stuart.

10 Feb ‘22
Moved north to Fort Pierce / Vero Beach for several days but retreated south when cold rain front moved thru. Went back to Riviera MacArthur Beach area where night temps a lot warmer with daytime low tides.
Perfect……..INTJohn

 

[INTJohn]

Not everything I find on a beach is some kind of shell as seen above. Found these pieces of seaglass. I’ve never collected or sought to collect seaglass but apparently it’s a thing for me now. Mostly in the past glass is something I try to not step on rather than collect but these pieces, especially the blue ones were so obvious I had to pick them up…….

According to my beach book, the blue pieces are quite rare with the darker blue pieces even more so. Of course had to research all about seaglass blah blah and I’ve collected another piece - see below.

This piece has embossed “& CIE” on it and apparently is a “medicine” bottle marketed in the US by a German company called “Bauer & Cie” circa 1900. Interesting stuff.
Jonny boi finding kra stuff

 

[INTJohn]

intjonny luzsha baybee alway have alway will

This is another interesting thing I found; it’s called a sea heart. It comes from a plant that grows in Central & South America and it somehow made its way to the Central East Coast of Florida where I was fortunate enough to find it at the previously mentioned Hobe Sound National Seashore Beach.
More kool stuff over the horizon
intjonny luzsha baybee alway have alway will

 

[INTJohn]

Above is a bright orange Lions Paw shell and 2 smaller ones - must be “Cub Paws”? Guessin..
Below are shells I had never encountered on a beach but did even know existed. They are called Atlantic Dostorio and weren’t mentioned in any of my shell books. Of course had to research ; read all about them. Apparently they are related to the Triton group of sea shells.

Jonny boi always amazed by a new day.

 

[INTJohn]

22 Feb ‘22
After several days on the Vero Beach / Fort Pierce area moved farther north along the Atlantic Ocean coast where spent a day at Sebastian Inlet Beach Park and a cupl days at O Club Beach on Patrick Air (Space) Force Base south of Cape Canaveral. Melbourne & Cocoa Beach’s.

Here I met up with an old buddy I was in the war with. Good time. Reminisce & laugh about strife & life. “The older we get the better we were” kinda thing.

Then moved north back to Titusville & Canaveral National Seashore. Where spent several days hiking the beach & found a couple nice knob whelks. Nicest 1 pictured below.



Also viewed the Kennedy Space center launch of the Space X Falcon 9 rocket on 21 Feb:
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellite-launch-4-8-rocket-landing
This morning moved a lil farther north to Daytona Beach area…….
Ciao 4 now
intjohnny

 

[INTJohn]

27 Feb ‘22
Am slowly migrating northward as Warm moves that direction……..
Unlike last year, Arrived this year at Daytona well ahead of the 10 day Bike Fest melee and again spent a night next to the Daytona International Speedway. Night shot below


Next day moved to Ormond Beach where spent 3 days of secluded edifying solitude.

And…..

A beautiful lagoon at Tomoka State Park.
After leaving Tomoka, spent a day at North Peninsula St Prk right on the Atlantic Ocean; spent night at Palm Coast and then spent 2 days hanging out at Washington Oaks St Park - 1 day at The Gardens west of the hi way and next day at the unique coquina rocky ocean beach to the east.
Ciao 4 now
INTJohn

 

[INTJohn]

1st & 2nd March was spent at Favor-***** State Park which is an off the beaten path Florida park. Not far from the ocean but very remote on a slow moving river. Lotsa woods n wilderness and like Tomoka a great change of pace from my usual ocean beach hangs.

Above: Sandhill Crane strolls by…….
Below: My spot “down by the river”……

Hardly saw another person the 2 days spent here.
jonny boi luzsha

 

[INTJohn]

3 thru 5 March was spent at Anastasia St Prk
6 thru 9 March was spent at Little Talbot Island,
Big Talbot Island and Amelia Island St Prks.


Above my neighbor for the day while at Amelia Island Prk; this 5 maybe 6’ long gator. Don’t think it was to thrilled by my initial arrival but I think it warmed up to me after an hour or so. It laid there all day soakin up rays and every once in awhile would change tanning positions.

10 March decided to back track from the Jacksonville area as a cold front is forecast to move thru North Florida with nightly temps in 30’s. Sooo drove 150 miles south back to the Titusville/Canaveral Seashore area where temps will be in 40’s at night and 70s day. Come 14/15 March will head back north again in the J-ville area for several days Warm! Before leaving Florida toward South Carolina.
jonny boi stayin warm!
Ciao……..

 

[INTJohn]

Back at Titusville:

Above: another one of the many cats that always seem to hang around me…….
Below: a pair of nesting Sandhill Cranes kept me company at Canaveral Seashore



…….and while hiking the beach shore found this extraordinary rare piece of multicolored mosaic seaglass that was originally from ??? The saltwater wave frosted glass is not simply typical but exquisite.
The it was back north to Jacksonville.
jonny boi bouncing north & south

 

[INTJohn]

After returning to Jacksonville area I hung out for 3 days at Fort Clinch State Park / Fernandina Beach area which is extreme NE Florida; on the St Marys River border with Georgia. You can see Cumberland Island National Park which is in Georgia.

Spent my time walking the expansive beach looking for seashells specifically knobbed whelks tho anything of shellacious appearance would interest me. Day 2 of my beach hike I was drenched from head to toe having been caught in a massive thunderstorm some 2 miles from my truck.

But Hey! It was low tide and had the entire miles of beach to myself and with no shell competition found a bunch of nice whelks.

Feeling exceptionally sociable I guess, later in the afternoon with the sun out and now dry I sauntered over to a local ocean front tiki bar where I treated myself to a cupl gin & tonix and also actually enjoyed a great conversation with a couple from Connecticut. He was a mechanical engineer and she a 6th grade teacher. Always up for intelligent and intellectual conversation having depth & substance! Like all valuable things - exceedingly rare!

Thursday evening (17 March) my winter journey around coastal Florida which began last mid December came to an end as I exited Florida, drove across Georgia and bunked for the night at the I95 South Carolina Welcome Center. In the AM awoke and headed toward Hilton Head.

intjonny luzsha baybee alway have alway will

 

[INTJohn]

17 March ‘22
So M gettin ready to take a pik of the shells found at Fort Clinch Park; Fernandina Beach & Amelia Island when this woman walks by; never saying a word & never broke stride placing the below painted shell on my truck tailgate by my shells. I said “kool thanx” to her and she never paused; never said a word; just disappeared into the beach crowd………
I thought Damn! How kool is that? The koolest.


Close up of both sides of the painted shell she left…….

And above is pik of my shells with the painted shell where she placed it. So absolutely kool!
And if everyone I met was like her I prolly would love every1! She said so much by not saying a word and just going her way.

Intjonny Luzsha Baybee alway will alway will!!

 

[INTJohn]

18 March ‘22
Fish Haul County Park; Hilton Head, SC
I finally got around to an inventory of 3 specie of shells I’ve collected this winter.

Above are the Queen Conchs that I found while I was in the Florida Keys and below are the Lightening Whelks that I’ve kept. Lightening whelks are the only left hand shell and I’ve given many away but kept the ones shown below.


Above are some of the Knob Whelks I’ve found as after this pik was taken i found several more and will post a more inclusive pik later. The ones shown here were found at Canaveral National Seashore and Fort Clinch State Park, Fla.
More yet to follow
Intjohn

 

[INTJohn]

19 March spent day at Hunting Island
20 March spent day at Edisto Beach
21-24 Mar spent at Folly Beach with war buddy
25 March spent day Huntington Island
26 March drove back to Jacksonville Fla due to approaching cold front
27 & 28 March Fort Clinch St Park & Fernandina Beach; NE Florida
29 March drove back to SC; spent rest of day at Huntington Island St Prk
30 March spent day at Myrtle Beach St Prk
31 March entered North Carolina
There’s that up date……. Intjonny
Ciao

 

[INTJohn]

While at Edisto Beach found the below pictured knob whelks.


I purposely come to Edisto Beach just to find nice knob whelks and it didn’t disappoint me.

I think I now have enough knob whelks of varying sizes & colors from several different geographic areas to complete my knob whelk collection.
Jonny boi had a very successful shell collecting & beach experience this winter!
Yes he did!
intjonny livin the dreem!

 

[INTJohn]

Above & below: On one of my many beach hikes while back at Fernandina Beach, Fla area I stumbled upon this old milk bottle buried in the dune sand. It was mostly buried but I noticed some of the glass and started wiping the sand away wondering wtf is this?! When I reached the bottle mouth rim I immediately knew it was an old milk bottle and it was packed full of sand not a crack or chip anywhere.

It’s embossed with “Florida Store Bottle” as well as numerous “3 C”[ents] - my brackets.

Bottle bottom also embossed with “3C”. Internet investigation revealed a later made “5C” bottle the was made during the 1920’s & ‘30s so my guess is the bottle I’ve found is older making it over 100 years old. Amazing find. One can only speculate what storm or hurricane put this bottle where I found it or from where it came………
The Beach always rewards me with amazing stuff.
INTJohn

 

[INTJohn]

above & below are opposite sides of an ancient artifact projectile point (arrowhead) I completely stumbled upon while searching the side bank of a small river that emptied into the Atlantic Ocean at the north end of one of many barrier islands. Couldn’t believe it when it came into focus- slapped me in the face. Never expected such a find.

After some internet research they are referred to as Hardin Projectile Points and could be as much as 10,000 years old:
https://www.projectilepoints.net/Points/Hardin.htmlAnd since I found this in South Carolina, found the below link both interesting & informative:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322243011_The_Southern_Hardin_in_South_Carolina

As usual the beach never fails to reveal a few of its infinite secrets to me. What a great place to be fortunate for.
intjonny boi luvin the Beach for evah!
Found this broken arrowhead at Virginia Beach and I’ll add it here
Thanx Jonny boi

 

[INTJohn]

Summary of trek thru coastal North Carolina:
31 Mar entered North Carolina & hung out on Oak Island; also 1 April.
2&3 April at Carolina Beach & Fort Fisher St Park south of Wilmington
4 April Surf City Beach Park on Topsail Island
5 April toured Emerald Island & Atlantic Bch
6&7 April spent both days split at Goose Creek St Prk and Washington City Waterfront Prk
8-10 April Outer Banks barrier islands (OBX)
11 April left NC; into Virginia to Virginia Beach

More on the way
Jonny boi