Daily Archives: January 19, 2008

I’m pretty happy with these two; can’t wait for the third one to be done bleaching, so I can measure that one too. Look at the one on the left – that brilliant orange color! I really need to get some shut eye….

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Above, the two longest true tulips; below, the largest lightening whelk. This photo does not do the color justice; it’s a beautiful salmony-orange.

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Above top row, true tulips. A few of them could stand a touch-up with either mineral oil or water-based polyurethane. That chaulky look will go away, and the colors will be truer. Above, two variants of the banded tulip. I used to think the pinker ones were just faded versions of the browner ones, until I read in one of Gary’s shell books that they are actually a variant. Above, top row: the first...

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I’ve never found a venus ray this big, much less both halves still stuck together. I can only pry it apart maybe a quarter of an inch; I don’t want to force it for fear of breaking the hinge.

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This is pure bleach. To the left is one of my three mac n cheese (juvenile horse conchs) that I pried the barnacles off, only to find it spotted with periostracum, so it needs to sit a little longer. To the right, one of the most perfect lightening whelks I’ve ever found, but it’s a “stinker”. There must be some of the remains of the animal stuck deep inside. The mac n cheese might...

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Finally, it was time to go. Everyone was tired, and Ann & Al still had to go get cleaned up and check out of the hotel. They will make their journey back to the frozen tundra this afternoon. Poor souls, they are going back to so much snow! I was so glad to have gotten to hang out with them again. Can’t wait for them to come back. Went back to Gary’s to fetch...

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