Armed with buckets, gloves, and keen eyes, I drove to a quiet stretch of beach near Port Aransas at dawn. I combed wrack lines where seaweed washed ashore, pried open clusters of coquina shells, collected conchs, scallops, sand dollars. The low tide revealed hidden coves and oyster reefs.
I wandered barefoot along the shoreline, the Gulf breeze tangling my hair. The morning’s light made shells gleam like jewels. After a few hours, I returned to The Palms and rinsed my haul in freshwater, arranging them in jars for souvenirs.
For lunch I made shellfish fritters: chopped bits of clam/small scallop mixed into batter, fried crisp, served with remoulade sauce. I ate outside, feet up, listening to palm leaves rustle.
Later I visited the Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History, seeing exhibits on Gulf ecosystems, shells, marine life. That evening I plated a seafood medley with shrimp, fish, scallops, red peppers and garlic — celebrating the sea’s bounty.