As I mentioned yesterday, I was at the Novelists’ Ink conference in St. Pete’s Beach last week. It’s been at the same location since 2013 and this is the third time I’ve attended at this location. I love to walk the beach whenever I’m close to one. I also love to pick up seashells.

The first year that I attended the NINC conference in St. Pete’s, I brought home two or three shells. There are lots of conchs with their residents still inside, but those get left on the beach. Here’s one that a crab has chosen for its new home. There are more pix of the beach from that trip, right here.

The second year I attended, I had a bit more luck, and even found three fighting conchs.

This year, the shells were amazing, especially on Sunday morning after the king tide on Saturday night. Here’s what I picked up this year.
Cockle shells:

Fighting Conchs:

I love how these look inside:

And my big score, my very first Sunray Venus, the two halves still attached. It’s about four inches long.

These have a lovely tangerine glow on the interior:

Do you pick up seashells when you’re at the beach? What do you do with them once you get home?