My friend Alyssa and I headed down to Pass-a-Grille beach yesterday. She had just returned to town and this was her first beach day – what a fantastic day it was!

We wandered around the southern tip of the island, looking for shells. This beach has the best shelling in my area and it did not disappoint, we both gathered handfuls of treasures.

Not only did we have pleasant weather and stunning water but we shared our day with some fascinating locals: a Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita) and three Manatees (Trichechus manatus).

Man, I love this little slice of paradise!

I found these decorated shells on my beach walk last night. I love shelling but these were certainly different than what I usually find.

They gave me such delight, thank you to whoever created them. I kept one, but left the other so that it could brighten someone else’s day. I love my beach, it never ceases to surprise me!

I never know what I’m going to see around here, certainly made me do a double take. I love the random surprises!

Since I wasn’t able to get to the beach yesterday, this shot from Monday will have to do. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this view!

According to his family, one of Jimmy Buffett’s last wishes was that we keep the party going. This past Saturday, The Landsharks threw a free concert in downtown St. Pete in his honor.

The band had a special connection to Jimmy, he discovered them years ago in Key West and hired them to play at one of his properties.

It was a wonderful night full of music, dancing, and laughter – just exactly what Jimmy wanted.

I worked the grand opening of a new Sprouts last week. They had special demonstrations as part of the celebration, one of which was fruit carving. I expected radish flowers but her artistry with the melons was quite impressive!

I was supposed to mow yesterday morning but when I heard there were flamingos at Shell Key I grabbed my paddle instead. The only good to come from Hurricane Idalia has been the multiple sightings of flamingos around the state.

At the end of August, Hurricane Idalia brought at least 20 flamingos to Florida (and points further inland). According to ornithologists, the birds were en route from the Yucatan Peninsula to Cuba when they were caught in the strong winds.

As wild animals, the birds have been moving around the state looking for food. There are at least 10 that have been spotted in various locations around Pinellas County. Wisely, a handful have recently gathered at Shell Key, a nearby wildlife preserve.

The various sandbars and mangrove islands that make up the preserve are a popular kayaking destination which I’ve paddled to before. It’s a lovely trip, even without flamingos. Lucky for me, four of them were hanging about. I had a fantastic time watching them, it was a great way to spend a morning (far better than mowing).

Here’s hoping that the flamingos find suitable habitat and decide to stay!

While relocating the fire wood in my backyard yesterday I uncovered a stash of little, round eggs. While I’m by no means a herpetologist, based on the egg and clutch size as well as the way they were buried in the sand, my educated guess is that these were laid by a Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei).

There are certainly plenty of them dashing around my yard! Unfortunately, it’s an invasive species which is putting immense pressure on our native Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis). Not much I can do about it, so I will just enjoy my hardworking team of insectivores.

I stopped by the beach for a stroll after work the other day. The sun and the clouds played peekaboo as dolphins cruised by. Yet another stunner for the books…