If you are looking for a hobby that you will never tire of doing, I recommend you to begin studying about shells and collecting them. When you
come across a new shell take the time to investigate the animal that lived inside
the shell. You will find many interesting facts, that never end, but lead you to want to know more and more about the many inhabitants of the ocean. Always remember an empty shell was
once someone's home. Ask yourself... What did they look like? What did they eat?
Did they help mankind? Will they hurt mankind? Do they have any money value by
today's standards? How did they protect themselves?
What unusual historical signficance did they have? How did they get their name? Always obtain their scientific name as well as
their common name and then you can key them on the internet. There will be a world of information about each shell. If you have the shell
in your hand you don't need to buy expensive books to get a better picture.
Here at The Old Gray House, I have four shell shacks:
One has shells collected from around the world that are abundant.
Another has shells that are adaptable to crafting and entertaining.
In the back area under the moss laden oaks you will find a shack dedicated to specimen or rare and unusual shells.
Next to it is an area where I keep various forms of sea life, such as porcupine fish, shark jaws, alligator heads and fossilized shells.
The shell shacks listed above are dedicated to my friends Rusty and Caroline Stetson who introduced me to the shell business. I am also indebted to George and Elena Gundaker who opened up the world of specimen shells to me. They have brought great joy to me in my retirement and enriched my life by sharing their knowledge about seashells. It gives me great pleasure to pass on to you this knowledge with quality shells at the lowest possible cost.
Old Gray House Shell Shacks -- These Are Real Beauties
If you are down this way I have a few nice shells in my specimen shack you might be interested in seeing such as the ones pictured here.
The Old Oak Tree
The old oak tree is my favorite spot at the old Gray House. It is here I have spent many
warm breezy summer days snoozing and reminiscing about my childhood days on the Island. It is also here that I have had the opportunity to meet and greet hundreds of folks like yourself who
come to share in the beauties of Hatteras Island, and soak up Island culture. Mary and I thank you for making our retirement dream come true
by letting us be shareholders of your exciting lives. Oh, by the way, did I mention my other retirement hobby has been writing the things I
remember about growing up on Hatteras Island. I encourage you to write down for your family your memories of the past as I was encouraged by Irene
Nolan, editor of the Island Breeze Magazine. You might want to read a couple of my articles which are listed below that were originated from under the old oak tree.
