Sand dollars, the whole story

I have always had an affinity for sand dollars. Despite the loss of many types of sea life and shells washing up on the peninsula, they have survived to die on the beach. Their patterns are beautiful. Each is a little different. They are more delicate than one would think. They must taste good as seagulls will peck the shell open to eat them. If I find one stranded in a pool of sea water, still wearing its furry filaments, I discus-throw them back into the Pacific, hoping they will live.

But when it comes to collecting the firmly deceased, I am a piranha. Well, that was a bad metaphor, as piranha don't live in the Pacific. But I am not going to fly and screech, "Mine, mine, mine!" (Finding Nemo) I know right where to find the heaviest populated sands and I know when to go out to find them.

Last summer my granddaughter Emma and I went on a sand dollar quest. We had not arrived at the primo location yet. She was becoming a little bored. As we walked along a long-haired, black-attired man approached us. I clutched her hand. He greeted us and asked if we would like some baby sand dollars. What was he talking about?!? I had never seen baby sand dollars in my 45 years combing the beach. He held out a cellophane cover of a cigarette package and there in it were miniature sand dollars, some only 1/3 of an inch across! I told him that I had never in all my beach life seen them. (I really thought they were fakes). Then he said, "You need to look carefully in the silver threads." I knew immediately what he meant. On the beach there are amazing little waves or threads that glister like silver when the sun hits them. It looks like they are cluttered with stones and broken shells, but nothing more. Wow! We had not thanked him and walked 20 feet until Emma and I found the silver threads, and our own baby sand dollar discoveries. We doubled the amount that he gave us. A photo of them on an orange plate is above. There has to be a lesson in all this.... Often we only look for the obvious. Closer scrutiny discloses amazing revelations. Anyone else have a "lesson learned" idea from this?

So last week I took my cousin Benita to the beach and I told her about the sand dollar trove in my secret location. We had a long beach stroll, and finally hit the mother lode. We did find 3 babies that day. But the sun was obscured and the silver threads were camophlaged. But as you can see, Benita "made a haul!" Can't wait to see her project in which they will play a part.