Before I lived in my house by the sea, I owned an old Victorian farmhouse built in 1860.

In its original condition, the staircase leading to the second floor was worn and dreary. The former owner had painted it an odd anduninspiring shade of brown. One winter I decided to change that.

Click on this image to listen to Kenny's The Key's In The Conch Shell while you read.

The  transformation included teal green steps, pink risers and 14 conch shells, one for each step. And while the entire house was a tropical respite from the long and cold New England winters (which start in October and run through May) the steps were its most vivid feature.

The conch (pronounced konk) is the symbol for island living. Whethereating the meat, using the shell as an instrument in music orceremonies, or, as Kenny Chesney does, hiding a house key in a conchshell, the conch shell represents sunny days, turquoise water, and freedom. Its history is rich and long.

“The queen conch fishery dates back to the pre-Columbus period of the Arawak and CaribeIndians. These early civilizations utilized the shell as a horn for religious ceremonies, for trade and ornamentation, as well as forbracelets, hairpins, and necklaces. Archaeologists have also found remnants of conch shell pieces that were used as tools, possibly tohelp hollow out large trees used as canoes. The tasty meat was a source of protein not only for the early civilizations, but also for theincoming European settlers. The new settlers would eat the conch meat raw, marinate it in vinegar for salad, fry it, or dice it for chowderand conch fritters. The conch meat was sold all over the Florida Keys and soon became a symbol of the history and the culture.” ~ from Save The Conch.org

What ever hey’re used for, conch shells are just plain fun. What follows are aseries of links into various fun conch adventures. Each is more unique and interesting than the last. Take a few minutes now to fill your“play” quota for the week by clicking on each one. Then, share the love and forward them either individually or this blog post as a whole.

And in case you’re wondering, no, I don’t hide a spare key in a conch shell.

The last of the original “step” conch shells. I gave the others away.

Kenny Chesney, Keys In The Conch Shell ~ my new favorite song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f08Qa4O6f0

Listen to the Conch Shell horn:
http://www.conchking.com/Horns-Sounds.htm

The Magic Conch Shell Rap by Sponge Bob Square Pants (this one’s for you Loretta):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiVxrqdVys0

In Key Largo a group of people attempted to break a record for the most conch blowers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hIxbHyRpTM&feature=fvw

The history of the conch from Save The Conch:
http://www.savetheconch.org/history.html

Conch shells in Buddhism:
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/conch.htm

Kenny Chesney’s website (this is a very well done site and worth a visit)
http://www.kennychesney.com/home.php

Make it a beach day whatever that looks like for you!

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Copyright 2009 Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
Photo credit: Diana Taylor Conch shell and statue out in the yard

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Want to know my thoughts on love, island living and how a cancer diagnosis prompted me to pursue writing as a career? Listen here:
http://www.inspiredbysteve.podbean.com

Here’s the story behind how I came to live in South Florida and what makes me laugh:
http://thecoastalstar.ning.com/profiles/blogs/meet-your-neighbor-diana

Visit my other site:

ooLou ~ A resource for creative people needing assistance with their artistic expression. ooLou.com offers photography, writing, editing, and coaching. www.ooLou.com my other site: