Bobby:
Hope you don't mind, but I would like to add a word of praise for the
Island of Eleuthera.
I was there several times in the 70's and it was great place.
Two great moments (and there were many more):
My cousin and I were driving up the northwest coast and randomly took a
little dirt road over to the beach. It was low tide and out from shore
were several exposed small sand bars which we walked over. Didn't see
anything until I leaned over to retire my sneaker and noticed a bump in the
sand. It was a beautiful live Chicoreus florifer. And when I started
looking for more bumps. There must have been hundreds. Some shells were
cream-colored,some tan, some almost black, some a mixture. I think I took
about 8, there were so many. It isn't often one sees a treasure trove that
like.
Later that same trip staying at a cottage up at the northern tip, the
manager's wife - knowing we were looking for shells - told us to head
south, drive past the road turning left for Windemere and in a few miles
turn right on a sandy lane about 1/4 mile to the beach. She said there
were always lots of shells washed up there. So we did, but it wasn't very
productive and after 1/2 hour we decided to move on. However, deciding I
needed a little privacy before leaving, I decided to take a little walk up
beyond some bushes on the right. But, immediately beyond them was a tiny
cove with lots of dead shells on the sand. Among them were Xenophora
conchyliophora,a shell I had never found before. 20 minutes later
I returned proudly bringing a few carrier shells, all dead and not exactly
in gem condition but new to my collection. When I was asked if I had
accomplished my original purpose, I had to think for a minute and then
hurried back around the bushes again.
I wrote an article in the Fall 1976 issue of Tom Rice's Of Sea and Shore
that you might find interesting.
Are there still lots and lots of shells there? Tucker Abbott told me once
many years ago when I asked him about shells in the Cayman Islands. "No
one can promise shells anywhere. What may be great today may be poor
tomorrow. Shells are where you find them." And that is so true. But I
hope if you go to Eleuthera, it will be a wonderful trip for all of you.
for that island has a special place in my heart.
Betty Jean, The Tall One
At 10:02 AM 6/2/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi All:
>
>The Astronaut Trail Shell Club is still looking for a couple to fill
>their field trip to Eleuthera in July. The dates are July 9-14 -
>Cheapest trip you can make to the Bahamas. Cost $450 for flight,
>cottage and rental car. Bring your own food or eat out (whichever you
>prefer).
>
>Fly from Ft. Lauderdale - be there in an hour!
>
>Recent finds on Eleuthera - check out the Malacological Cabinet at:
>
>http://pw1.netcom.com/~ejpower/macab/malcabinet8.htm
>
>Great shelling on this trip and some unusual finds.
>
>Bobbi Cordy
>Astronaut Trail Shell Club
>
>Space Coast Shell Fiesta 2001 June 20-21, 2001
>
>2001 Shell Odyssey at the Radisson Resort at the Port
>for the COA Convention in Florida
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