oh and I forgot one of the best parts

When I started working with the shells, out came all of this:

Plum Island sand.  When you're there, and sand is in everything, you think, "argh sand!"  But when you're here, and it's November, and all the leaves are off the trees and the autumn light is coming in low through the windows, and it's chilly and getting chillier, that little pile of sand on the table brings to life a little bit of summer goodness and warmth.