Exploring Florida Beaches at low tide! Come with me to find shells, critters, birds & beach fun!
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- Опубліковано 19 жов 2024
- Exploring Florida Beaches has taught me so much about the snails, birds and shells that I encounter on the beach. I picked this particular day since it was negative low tide and it tends to be better for finding shells as well as the creatures that create the shells we find.
On this day we found a jasper cone, which we've never found before and a bunch of really spikey, spiny jewelboxes. My favorite days exploring florida beaches are when I find an interesting array of goodies to bring home as well as some critters to take a closer look at.
While I have learned a lot exploring Florida beaches, I have relied very heavily on a book we bought to help me identify the shells and critters I come across on the beach. If you want to learn more about the shells and creatures you find exploring Florida beaches, I recommend this book that you can purchase off Amazon: amzn.to/3hLEexB
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Instagram: / swfbeachlife
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Thank you for the Map of the area..it really helps as I'm planning my first trip there ! Thank you again !
We stayed at smugglers cove during thanksgiving and I swear we found so many shells right in front of the condo. The place is nice and down from where it gets busy perfectly located.
@@mitzimorris4746 Thank you ! Will keep that in mind ! I wrote it down !
So many people thing Sanibel has all the shells!
Cool finds! The mystery shell from 4:22 I believe is a surf clam. The shell at 15:58 is a dwarf olive! They are so tiny, and they really don't get much bigger than the one you got, and are always hard to spot because of their rather plain color and tiny size. That cone your husband found I actually think is a dusky cone, not a jasper. (Jasper cones are in a different genus than all the other SWFL cones and are more common in the Caribbean). The dusky cone is usually the tiny cone shell found in SW Florida and they don't get bigger than maybe half an inch. It's in pretty good condition! They're usually more round on the edges after being thrown around in the surf, but yours made it in great condition! Interesting color on it too!
That spiny jewel box had a rice olive as his hitchhiker.
I just looked up the dusky cone and it has ribs all along the outside. The guy we found only had them at the bottom, which is what made me thinks it's a jasper. What sources do you use to identify your shells? I have one good identification book, one more scientific book (not that helpful) and one with a little more info on the shells and the Sanibel Shell Museum website. I'd love to find new sources!
@@SWFBeachLife Good point, however it could be that the ribs were worn out on the top from tumbling in the surf? Not sure, but I would assume dusky because it is the common tiny guy, but you never know.
I have a few books on seashells, like yours (Florida's Living Beaches), Florida's Fabulous shells, and the Sanibel Kaleidoscope. I do also use the Shell Museum website. Another great source is inaturalist.org. You can look over all the different shells people have found and posted (or really any organism). It is useful for figuring out what you have based on what others have found, and if you want you can post your own observations of any living, or once living organisms (beach found shells count too!), and people there will ID it for you, or you can tag somebody for help.
For me personally when none of these work, I occasionally reach out to the Shell Museum's curator Dr. José H. Leal, whom I have met last year before the pandemic when he toured me around the hidden parts of the museum which was really cool.
you are just what I need on a snowy night in Indiana Thanks
Watching your video now in my bed as it's after midnight in Scotland. We are on lockdown so can't visit my usual beach. It's so informative too as you tell us the name and type of shells. So relaxing too, a Great end to my day. Thank you!😊
I'm sorry you can't get to your usual beach :( I'm glad I could still give you a little beachy goodness. Thank you so much for watching!
Gosh darn! Such beautiful shells. Only wish your videos were longer! Watching you collect is so informative and therapeutic! 🐚
Why thank you so much! I appreciate you watching!
WOW!! so many baby shells.. i LOVED the tulips, gaudy nauticas, and sea urchins! and of course the spiny jewelboxes 😊
thanks for taking us along on your beach walks :) have a wonderful week!
Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful week too!
Your walks always bring a smile to my face. And, I love your shriveled fingers!
Ugh, when it's cold out my fingers will get all pruny! Nothing I can do about except keep picking up shells! Thanks so much for coming along with me!
@@SWFBeachLife "
Just when I think I know what the shell is, you tell us it's a different shell. I don't know how you remember all the different types of shells and other sea life there is! I absolutely love learning all about it. You have the best channel! It's fun,interesting,and informative. I get such a kick out of your excitement when you find something different. Thank you bunches!!
Aw...thank you so much! I love learning and I want to leave people with something a little bit more than just some pretty shells :) I found a ton of new critters I've never seen before today. Can't wait to share them! Thank you so much for watching!
Love the tiny shells, thanks as always for the walk.
I hope there are lots of nutmegs there my favorite😊
That shell casing for the lightning shells was so interesting!!!!
I brought a piece home from a clearly not viable string. I wonder what's inside...I'll be sure to share!
@@SWFBeachLife fascinating!! I hope you find more shell casings to see how similar or different they are!
I love the jingles and the minis! I used a pill bottle to collect those when I was down there to protect them.
I love all things shore, shells, birds etc.
I'm so glad I found your channel, do you sell your shells or photographs
I'm glad you found my channel too! I haven't sold any of my photography but if you're interested shoot me an email: swfbeachlife@gmail.com
I look forward to your videos every Sunday. I travel to Sanibel once a year and love my shells. I also got married on blind pass in 2016.
Oh Blind Pass is the perfect spot to get married!! Sanibel is so pretty. A drive over the causeway is the perfect way to start a vacation!
When im stressed or sad,i always watch your videos! Especially when i cannot go to the beach because of the pandemic. Im Learning all about shells and other beach stuff! And i have one question. Can you take barnicles home? I cannot take live critters. I question if barnicles are alive or dead.
You always put a smile on my face. Your shells are absolutely Wonderful! Totally Subscribing! God bless😊
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment! The barnacles I find are normally dead since they've been on the beach and out of the water for a while. They are filter feeders and need water so if they get washed up on the beach and are there for a bit they don't really stand a chance of surviving. All the ones attached to shells that I've kept are definitely dead. They are interesting little creatures, and they're actually related to crabs! I don't ever take live critters off the beach on purpose. One little hermit crab came home with me once on accident, so I had to drive him back to the beach so he could survive :) Thank you for coming along on my beach walks with me!
Thank you for taking me along🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩💖💖
You are so welcome - thank you for coming with me!!!
Lovely video, I'm still just as obsessed as I was when I first started watching!!
YAY! Then you're learning along with me! Thank you so much for watching each week!
What a fun walk, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it - thank you for watching!
Great video
I am really enjoying your shelling videos. I’ve begun my countdown-4 months!! My Dad’s a snowbird, so he’ll bring back about 4 five gallon buckets of our treasures. I have a shell garden out by my front porch, so I freshen up the shells with a bucket, and the others get sorted throughout the summer. I can’t wait to get down there and relax and go shelling! Again, thanks for sharing! 🐚🐬🦀🐡
Thanks so much for coming along with me! I hope your gallon buckets have tons of awesome treasures for you!
I would have loved to have my hands in the water so long to be pruned! Lol...my favorite is the beautiful pair of cockles!! But all were great!
Ugh, when it's not warm out I prune right up! But it's worth it! Thanks so much for coming along with me once again!
Another great video. Ty
Ahh wonderful! As a Canadian spending her first ever winter stuck in the cold, I appreciate this video as it's exactly what I'd normally be doing up in Madeira Beach! I love your commentary, it's just like how I talk about the shells and critters I find. I'm not as knowledgeable as you on all the shell types but I knew several of them. And I guessed the Sunray Venus cuz it's one of my favourites :)
Glad to have found your channel. Thank you!
Welcome to my channel northern beach friend! I share one of my beach walks every Sunday so I can at least get you to the beach each week "virtually." I'm a bit of a smartalic, but I try to keep myself in check because I know some kids also watch my channel. You'll learn ALL the shells if you keep watching. I want to know every single one! I'll learn them all eventually. Been doing this almost a year and a half so with time I'll keep on learning. Thanks for coming along with me and I am so glad I can get you to the beach while you're stuck inside. I hope you can make it to your beach soon!
@@SWFBeachLife Thank you so much!! I hope you keep safe and enjoy those sun rays for me! :)
Love the American flag shell. So much fun finding a shell that looks like something else. We took a short walk today and found loads of sea urchins. Loved the small nutmeg.
I’m so happy the urchins down here are harmless! I’ve been stung before and they are not to be messed around with!
I would make jangle jewelry, very interesting finds that day👍♥️
Hi Sharmon - i think the tiny white olive stuck on the spiny jewel box is a rice olive. I found a bunch there last week.
Thanks for the great video!
You found a bunch? How on earth did you see them? I've never seen one before that one on the jewelbox, but I've never looked for them either so I guess there's that. I'm still looking for my elusive wenteltrap!
I really enjoy your videos. Can’t wait to get back to the west coast of Florida. Can I ask, what do u do with all your finds? I have mine in lamps, candle vases, lanterns etc. I still enjoy the search!
Currently I keep my shells in glass bowls and jars. Nothing fancy. All my free time goes to editing videos! Maybe one day I'll find the time to make something with our shells. Wait, we did make some shell "Wall art" and my husband has made jewelry but that's about it. At least we'll have the supplies when we're ready to make things!
Oh, that baby Crown Conch! 😍
You found some nice spiny jewel boxes. What a tiny king crown, nice you had a fun day.
I love our shelling strolls on the beach! Great finds! 🐚
Love the mini shells 🐚! So cute!😌
I love your enthusiasm when you find shells plus I also love your explanations. Thank you for your videos. I watch them a lot.
Great finds beach friend...love to hear your comments....so friendly and helpful....such pretty colors...love to go during a low tide..thnx for taking us♥️
Thank you so much 😊
Nice haul, love the tiny ones !! Thanks for the peaceful and informative walk and for the maps, too.
I love the patriotic oyster! Great fun as usual!
Those lightning welk egg sacks were fascinating! Thanks for another great video!
I found one that was all tangled up in a tree so I knew the contents weren't viable. I was going to cut it open and see the itty bitty shells but they were all empty - which is good since it means they all hatched before the casing got loose. Maybe one of these days I'll find one with the little snails in there and I can share that too! Thanks so much for watching!
Those prickly cockles are pretty neat, love the colors on the inside. Oh wow, that is neat seeing the casings of the lightning whelks. I got a couple of jingles. I did not know what it was called till now watching you. Lots of cool spiny jewel box. I enjoy your seashell beachcombing video as always. Thank you.
Thank you for coming along with me!
I used to live in Ft Myers. Whenever there was a rough storm on Sanibel or Captiva, we would go hunting. We found some amazing things and I envy that you get to do this!
I'm pretty dang lucky. We vacationed here at FMB and that's all it took for us to fall in love with the area. We love it here! Thank you so much for watching!
Love the awesome spiny jewel boxes. Hard to find good ones. 🤗🐚🐚🐚🐚 keep on shelling!!!
Thank you! 🤗
I just found your channel, and I like it a lot!
Love all the beautiful shells you find, and your comment is so funny.
We're in lockdown, so with your video's you take me outdoors.
Can't wait to see your next adventures.
You've got a new subscriber.
Saying hi from the Netherlands 🤗
Hello Netherlands! Thanks so much for coming with me on me on my beach walks! I post a new video every Sunday evening because I like to give everyone something to look forward to before the work week starts :) Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and watching my explorations!
I smile all the way through your videos.
Thank you!!! ☺️
All the shells of Florida look so pretty !! I live in Brittany (France) and all we have here is beat up scallops and mussels...
Merci! These sea snails love the warm waters. The Gulf gets cool, but it never really gets cold. I’m lucky to live where I do so I try to take advantage and go to the beach as much as I can! Thank you for watching!
You had some great finds!!
Really enjoyed this weeks walk.
Thanks!!🐚
Love the osprey!!! , jingles are lovely i can imagine a beautiful necklace out of those , the top snail , is known as a top knot here in UK 🇬🇧.. I did see a little wader there at the end .. it looked like a ,sanderling, or again.. a knot .. strangely the birds have shell names !! Lol lovely video .. beautiful shells as always .
It’s so interesting that these snails can live anywhere the water temp suits them! And some of these dang shells have so many names! I should just start making up some of my own. ☺️ Thank you so much for coming along with me neighbor!
,,Therapeutic, .. Treasure
I recently returned home from Ft. Myers Beach. I had found some of the same shells that you are finding too. Thank you for all of the interesting information about nature there too.
You are so very welcome! I hope you enjoyed your trip and found lots of great shells while you were here! Thank you for watching!
I really appreciate your video's. Thanks to you I get my beach and shelling fix.. Until I am able to get to Florida again. I hope I have as much luck and fun as you seem to be.. I also am learning the name of my shells❤❤❤
I am having SO MUCH fun and thank you so much for watching my videos. I hope you get to come back to Florida again soon too!
Thank you so much for your trip to day, hope you find out the name of that white clams you found today 😍🐚🐚🐚
Thank you! The consensus seems to be it's a surf clam. I love learning!
I really enjoy your videos and I have learned so much about the different types of shells. I live about 10 minutes from Manasota Key and I do my beach walks and shelling at Stump Pass State Park Beach. I’ve been thinking about videoing my beach walks and the shells that I find. You have definitely inspired me.
You should! We all need as much beachy goodness in our lives as possible! 🐚🌴
I didn't know about the spiny Cockle... I find the other all the time. Now I will look for the Spiny. I found a big pretty Cockle quite a while ago and I display some of my favorite minis in it!
There are a lot of "common" shells I haven't paid that much attention to but I am looking to add new shells to all the ones I know already. Those giant Atlantic cockles are great for displaying minis! I sometimes use one on the beach to carry things or dig things up. Quite handy! Thanks so much for watching!
Love your videos, can’t wait.
We almost have everything packed. I can’t wait to get out of this cold weather.
I wanted to ask you what seashell is great to make a wind chime? I would love to make a couple, when I down there.
My top two shells that I think would work great are jingles and scallops. Both make lovely "tinkling" noises when they are jounced around in my shell bag. Good luck (again) with the packing and the move. I barely remember living any place else!
Thanks for taking us along for shell hunting! Take care!
That Fighting Conch at 12:35 looks like it may be a hybrid of a Florida Fighting Conch and a West Indian Fighting Conch - if that's the case, it's a pretty unusual find for SW FL. West Indian Fighting Conch shells are a cousin of FL Fighting Conch and sometimes found on SE FL beaches but most commonly found in Caribbean! So cool!
I have found maybe 3 or 4 of those West Indian Fighting Conches. I've read that some people don't even separate them from the FFC and others call them a different species. I haven't really found conclusive info - it's not easy finding shell identification on some of these guys! I just love the light color on them. Thank you so much for leaving a comment and watching!
Lovely beach walk. ♥️
I love walking along with you on the beach!
What a fun beach walk! I love the minis. Last time I was at Bowman beach, I spent hours shifting through the shell piles looking for minis.
The minis are just as much fun to find as the whoppers! Thanks for coming along with me!
Great haul. Been slowly getting through this ep all through today. Just finished. Oh you found some tinies. Ha good. And one was on the spiney shell. I love sunray venus. That tiny crowned conk was cool. Those birds were cormorants btw. Anhingas are pretty much freshwater but sometimes go in salt, swim with their bodies under water and have straight yellow beaks. They also have a long tail that gives them the other nickname Water Turkey. Cormorants are mostly salt water and have hooked beaks. They swim like ducks with their bodies on the water.
Someone else said they were cormorants too. I spent quite a while trying to figure them out. I thought since they had straight pointed beaks they were anhingas but I guess I have more learning to do! Now that I think of it, I do see a lot of them near fresh water. I’ll start paying more attention so I’ll know next time! Xoxo
@@SWFBeachLife They might be far to see in this video but they have hooked beaks. Beak shape and swim pattern is easiest way to tell them apart. Cormorants are way more common. Both birds are members of the pelican family.
@@ScaryFear Even in pictures they look the same to me. I need to do some bird studying!
The brownish clàm with the stripes is a surf clam. They're really pretty white when they get bleached out. Saw some HUGE ones today at Lido (thanks again)☺️. I love the prickly cockles when they're that gorgeous purple and orange inside. Loved the American flag oyster! That was some great variety! Thanks!
I don’t know why I never really noticed those surf clams before. I love that light stripe they have. I love a good variety day! I had a fabulous beach day yesterday. Can’t wait to share in a few weeks! Xoxo
@@SWFBeachLife Weeks?? I have to be in suspense that long? Yeah, shelling has been off the charts here and at Lido Key. I'll email a couple of pics.
@@gingermackeen5741 Has it? It’s been rough down here! I’m paranoid that I won’t have a good adventure so I’m always a few weeks behind to make sure I’ll have something each Sunday! Has it been cold up there? Since I like to get to the beach first thing it’s been a bit chilly!
@@SWFBeachLife It was in the upper 40's this morning but it's nice now (60's). Because of the nature of Honeymoon's beach (rocky for a lot of it) I don't usually get in the water. In fact, a lot of my best finds are at the high tide line. Xxoo
@@gingermackeen5741 Good to know! I can brave any weather I just hate when I have to wear shoes at the beach 😂
Great finds and love the sea urchins! I’ve been on sanibel since Saturday and all I can say is holy surf and brrrrr! Found some great shells and critters though. Even seen a shark caught and released like 6 feet away from where I was shelling! Wowsa!
Oh it's hard to be excited about going to the beach when it's 50 and cold but if you dress for it you're good! It's been a bit "brisk" lately and what totally cracks me up is I'll be in a sweatshirt and long sleeves and I'll see people in their bathing suits enjoying the 65 degree weather! I've seen a bunch of sharks being caught and released down here - isn't it neat? I hope you find tons of great treasures while you're here!
@@SWFBeachLife leggings T-shirt hoodie with hood up for me! Found my first perfect angel wing❤️hopefully more to find!
@@aries327 That's pretty much my uniform and throw in a knit hat if it's real cold!
I love to find shells and I love the water
Me too!
What a wonderful adventure....loved seeing all the minis
You are becoming so knowledgeable! Must do a lot of reading and research. And we are the benefactors! :-)
I'm a nerd at heart so I love knowledge and learning and sharing along the way :) Thanks so much for coming along with me once again!
@@SWFBeachLife Nuthin' nerdy about knowledge! :-)
Beautiful little treasures!
We cannot wait to get down! Less than two weeks! I think we are going to start on blind pass and turner beach. I want to explore the stretch up toward bowmans beach.
Both are totally walkable and it's so delightful to be on the beach when it's not crazy hot! I could stay out there all day! Happy packing!
Can’t wait!! Maybe we will see you there! 😀
You are da best!!
Awww - thank you!!!
What are the shells that are usually round but real thin. Seems like they have some real thing layers. White or pale yellow
You answered my question.. They were jingles.
You got it! Thanks so much for watching!
Schism was wonderful...i live in NC and our shells are always so broken up. I would go nuts there. What do you do with all your shells
Yeah, it's hard NOT to pick up shells and I do kinda go nuts when I find good ones! I had been getting a lot of questions about what I do with my collection so I had made a video about it: ua-cam.com/video/d7SmDUcvdjU/v-deo.html
I show you how I store some of my shells too. The struggle is real to keep them organized!
New subs as you like combing the beaches keep an eye out for ambergris as well, you never know..
Couldn’t hurt to be on the lookout! Thanks for watching!
Where is the best place to find worm shells? Thank you. I enjoy your videos!
I find them at all the different beaches I go to so I don't have a "best" beach recommendation for those guys unfortunately. Thank you for coming along with me!
How do you tell kittens paws from lions paws? I loooovveeee your videos!!
Lion's paws are much larger and the "knuckles" are much more pronounced. I found one on this shelling trip if you'd like to see: ua-cam.com/video/jjQXBxGJxL0/v-deo.html
How do you dress shelling in January? I'm coming out on Wednesday and I don't know what to pack. Hot or cold? Lol
January can be chilly or perfect - it just depends, but Wednesday looks like it will be awesome! If going early bring a long sleeve shirt but looks like by the afternoon it should be in the high 70's with lots of sun. Perfect beach day! I hope you find lots of goodies!
I think the little shell stuck in your sp. jewel box is a rice olive
I'll probably NEVER see one of those again! LOL! Thanks for pointing in my right direction!
I live in Indiana and have a question about the tides. When I’ve been in SWF I have a terrible time trying to figure out the tide schedule for the area I’m in, as it’s never at the published tide locations. What advice do you have?
The tides used to drive me crazy too! I was using the website tides4fishing.com but it was a little hard to navigate but super helpful once you finally found the right place to be. I have switched to an app - it's called Tide Chart. It's a blue wave with a white outline. Once you open it it will automatically find the closest tide station near you. I click on the three white lines in the upper left corner and chose "Show Map." From there I find the station I want to know the info for and you can swipe to see what the tides will be going into the future too. I've had several other people ask me, so I'll incorporate the info into an upcoming video. I shared the website info but I don't think I've gone back to explain what my new app method is. I hope this all made sense but if for some reason it doesn't, the video should work it out for you!
We went to Holly Beach,La , it was full of shells
Awesome! I hope you had fun and had lots of goodies to bring home!
We picked a 1,000,000 and left 10,000,000
I lived in FL for 24 yrs. Now I'm in MO, and NOW I want shells 🙄
Yeah...that Murphy is a cruel one.
Is the water cold?
The water is chilly but if it's warm enough out, I'll still put my feet in. Today was in the low 60s and I was in the water. I wouldn't go swimming but you could definitely go barefoot.
Okay, so what was the yellow "stuff" you found???
I don't know!!! It's probably some sort of tunicate but I didn't find anything in my research that would confirm what it was. Beach mystery!
What is the best beach in Florida that you will get the most shells at particularly like the Florida fighting conch and the lightning whelk and the alphabet cone
Unfortunately there is no one special beach that will always have shells. You have to take the weather and tides into consideration and hope for the best. My two favorite beaches to shell at are Bowman’s Beach on Sanibel and the South end of Fort Myers Beach. I hope this helps!
@@SWFBeachLife ok got it
@@SWFBeachLife where at Danube because when I went there we went to lighthouse but I’m. It sure if that’s the best one and if not what side is best usually? Or does it come down to tide and current?
@@SWFBeachLife and can you mix the bleach and mineral oil to get the best results or do you have to wait for the one to finish to do the next?
@@brendenh6790 The mineral oil is a last step to try to bring any color or shine to shells. You’d use it after bleaching or instead of acid.
Have you tried clr?
I have not but I'm willing to give it a try! I'd really like to find a good system to clean up those Florida fighting conchs.
Why are banded tulips called a “rookie shell”?
One day over in Sanibel I chatted with an older gentleman about what shells we had found in the beach that day. I told him I had found some banded tulips and he told me they were “rookie” shells. I used that term for a little since I thought it was funny. I’d be happy finding banded tulips all day long!
Is FMB free public parking ?
Hi Nancy - Sharmon may know other spits. The FMB beach access I’ve gone to is $3.25/hour. Great thing is you pay w Passport parking app. So, if you find some goodies and want to keep shelling, you just add time from your phone.
@@bmiller7017 Thank you ! Is Passport Just for FMB ? I have stumbled on other pay beaches. That's a big help !
There is ZERO free parking at FMB. Actually, all the beaches down here in SWFL are paid lots. There are lots where you can pay between $10-$20 to park for the day (based on the time of year/holiday/etc.) and there is paid parking ($3/hour) at beach access lots along the beach. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the parking information ! Will be prepared !
@@nancycross2228 My very best advice is so early and beat the crowds!
Do you ever find sharks teeth there
?
Not down here but I have found them up in Venice beach! Here's that video in case you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/p4x7GyKyBjg/v-deo.html
What do you do with all the shells ?
Mostly I keep them in glass jars, vases and lanterns. I showed my collection in a past video: ua-cam.com/video/Afy0jl0smpE/v-deo.html Then, åI put some shells to the side to sell and others to do projects with. I've managed to complete 2 projects thus far. A shell mirror: ua-cam.com/video/Mf5SVm8m5n8/v-deo.html And a shell photo frame: ua-cam.com/video/h9UIvqlOzgM/v-deo.html I have lots of ideas I just need to find more time!
@@SWFBeachLife I collect Agates & Crystal's and do the same thing with them I have them all over my house ,I have family in florida visited last year but never got to go to the beach maybe next time ,Happy shell hunting 🙂
The hornier these guys are the more I like them! Whoops ! ! I mean spiny. Snort
🤣🤣🤣 I thought I was going to have to delete this comment - hilarious!
You missed a few things this vid
I forgive you lol ;)
Maybe you didnt lol either way just poking fun love the vids
It drives me CRAZY when I see something in the video that I didn't check out 😅😅 Poke all the fun you want - I love a good sense of humor!