Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Mystery Shells Make Duck Harbor Visits Worthwhile

I have always loved these shells. Yesterday, when I visited my friend Femke, I spotted a whole basket of them on her porch. It may take a while to drive to Duck Harbor, but these shells make the trip worthwhile. I love to search the beach for shells. Now, anyone who collects shells knows that this amount, a basketful, represents numerous trips out Chequessett Neck Road. There are not many available on the beach there, and usually the take is less than a fistful. They shimmer in the sunshine. There’s something about their fragility that moves me. They're precious, like rare coins in a fantasy world for little girls. Femke’s husband told me that his family collects these beauties. Some family members use them in the creation of jewelry. I've also heard of a woman who glues the shells around a mirror as a border, and someone used them for the decoration of a birdhouse roof at the 2011 Prez. Hall Birdhouse Auction. After so many years of admiring these shells at Duck Harbor, I realize I do not even know their name. What are they called? Does anyone know? Why are they so scarce? Do you collect shells while at the beach?