Nancy-Dailey

Author | Artist | Educator

The Beach

June19

  I’m back on Amelia Island; am thoroughly enjoying the weather although people here complain about it being hot.  It’s a very nice change from the cold and rainy, stormy weather back in Missouri.  A delightful breeze blows every day, the sky is a beautiful blue with a few clouds drifting lazily across the sky some of the time.  I love the beach and the sound of the waves tumbling towards the shore.  Every day is different when it comes to what the ocean leaves on the sand–which types of shells or other things.  This trip I’m finding more sand dollars than ever before.  No luck with finding sharks teeth this time, though; well at least not so far.

Met one girl who had just found her first sand dollar; she was sooo excited!  It is addictive, almost as most as hunting for sharks’ teeth.  (I didn’t tell her that I have 14; got 8 in one day.  Of course Lois was a big help there–she found five of them.)

Now I have the “problem” of trying to get them home without breaking.  They are rather fragile.  I found two that were much darker than the others; but they are lighter now that they have…dried out more?  On two days I found two only to have one break each day.  I do have those funny-looking little white pieces that fall out, though.  They are somehow part of the sand dollar’s mouth.  You can see the hole for the mouth on the underside in the middle.  I went online to find an answer to a question about them and discovered that when sand dollars are alive they are purple!  Very pretty!  Would love to see one alive.

 

posted under Blog, The Beach
One Comment to

“The Beach”

  1. Avatar June 22nd, 2008 at 7:27 am Cara Says:

    I didn’t know living sand dollars were purple! I enjoyed your post. Can you pack the sand dollars in bubble wrap layers?


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Nancy Dailey

I have always loved to draw and paint.  In high school I got caught drawing a teacher.  I knew I was in big trouble when she took the drawing and left the room.  Sure enough, I was soon called out.  But what happened astounded me.  My schedule of classes had been quickly rearranged and changed to include art!  If anyone had told me then that I would teach art for over thirty years, the size of my eyes would’ve outgrown my face — that was so impossible!

Writing crept up on me while I was busy teaching and raising a family.  Finally, encouraged by my husband I enrolled in the Institute of Children’s Literature of West Redding, Connecticut.  I was amazed at what began to flow from my pen!

As an educator I was always looking for something to enhance the classroom experience, something involving looking at things in a different way — both literally and figuratively.  I experimented, researched, and sometimes learned along with my students.

These days I’m painting for myself, currently ocean scenes in watercolor.  I also make one-of-a-kind pendants from seashells.  I’ve illustrated a children’s book which has been published in Holland.  I’ve begun writing again.  Currently I am working on two books: a picture book and a fictionalized biography.