A milestone: after six and one half years of blogging, I have reached WordPress’s 3GB maximum of free image storage. This is at least one picture a day, probably more on average, for some 2375 days. Wow! Feel free to wander about in the voluminous archives, loosely cataloged by subject…
But now I have to pay to continue playing here. I’ve resolutely kept advertising at bay (although Word Press hasn’t; some people see ads on individual posts, but I’ve never gotten any revenue from this), and am trying to figure out my next steps to maintain this project.
But in the meantime, how about this Florida Horse Conch shell (Triplofusus giganteus). It is 16″/41cm long and was M’s Florida grandmother’s, so we have no idea how long it has been beached. I was not aware there were such large univalves in American waters — the species ranges from North Carolina south. I’m used to the Knobbed and Channeled Whelks up here in our chilly currents.
This is Florida’s state shell. They can get up to two feet long, making them our largest gastropod. The soft part of the animal — but how can you separate the soft parts from the hard shell? isn’t that like taking the skeleton out of a vertebrate? — is a great carnivore and a startlingly bright orange/coral color.
Backyard and Beyond 
Please don’t stop! You are the one email I look forward to reading and an essential part of my day. What would Thoreau do? Thank you so much. Donna
Thank you, Donna! What an inspiring vote of confidence!
I second donnahorton’s comment and wonder if there’s an organization (perhaps on your blogroll) that would welcome your blog and its followers. I continue to look forward to your extraordinary journalism.
Thank you, Sharon!
Maybe give us a link to offer donations to help support the site?
You could pretty easily set up a non-profit to accept the donations and take the payments. You could do a meet up for supporters to have some fun with it – a better way to meet people than PokemonGo, I’d say.
If you need help with that, I’d be glad to aid you (I do that kind of thing for a living…)
Warm regards, Caitlin
A donations link has crossed my mind. Thanks for the encouragement, Caitlin.