I had a free day so I hopped in the car and headed down to Sanibel Island for a visit. I have a long list of places to explore here in Florida and Sanibel was near the top.

It was a blustery, but sunny, Tuesday afternoon and thankfully, the island wasn’t very crowded. I started at the historic lighthouse on the eastern end of the barrier island. Built in 1884, the open, iron skeleton tower gives this lighthouse a unique look (compared to others I’ve visited).

While I strolled the beach looking for shells, I wasn’t as intent as the others who were practicing the “Sanibel stoop” (bent over, peering at the shell piles, hoping for rarity). To be honest, I was mostly just enjoying the beauty of the day.

The only imperfection was the brown water in the bay. According to a recent news report, the tea-colored water was the result of releases from Lake Okeechobee. The excess rain from Tropical Storm Sally raised the water level and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wanted to reduce strain on the Herbert Hoover Dike.

Overall, a wonderful introduction to a popular location!

The temperatures are still in the 80s but the days are getting shorter. One of the very few indications of the change of season down here.

While Hurricane Sally spared this area, she did churn up the water in the Gulf. Low tide yielded some fun surprises this past week, including these sand dollars (and one oxidized quarter for scale).

This was tucked up in the sea oats near my favorite spot on the beach yesterday. It was a bit waterlogged, so I presume it blew away from someone during the storm the previous afternoon. As I was packing up to leave, I discovered another folded $20 bill nearby.

Believe you me, I spent a few extra minutes scanning the greenery looking for more cash. Thank you, Treasure Island for living up to your name! 🙂

Hope your week has been as satisfying thus far as a good ear scratching! If not, hang in there, it’s halfway over…

Hope your weekend is as relaxing as this view…