Pronounced "ESH-Way Beez-YOO"-- Echoue Bijoux is French for "Washed Ashore Jewelry"
Join Mitch as she collects then creates with shells & goodies she finds on FL's west gulf coast beaches: Jewelry, Home Decor, Holiday items, lights, mermaids, & more - her endless creativity will amaze you, & her beach/shelling reports share conditions, accessibility, parking info & much more for popular shelling destinations
Mitch is a disabled yet passionate sheller who uses a walker for PT on the beach. She's got a keen shelling eye & loads of shell knowledge, often spotting rare finds that others walk right past...& she's an excellent craft instructor who's had dozens of projects published too!
Mitch is located near Sarasota FL. You'll likely spot her walker on beaches at Lido, Pass-A-Grille, Fort Desoto, Longboat Key, Anna Maria, Venice, Dunedin, Manasota - you never know, stop & say hello!
Her 1 of a kind creations are available at Echoue Bijoux Online here: echouebijoux.square.site
@@kevincourtney7312 I love that tortoise lol… saw it on another occasion honest up to some guy walking a huge iguana on a leash - it wanted to check out the iguana it was a riot! There’s another short of this same one booking it to a playground installation too in my shorts collection! I hope those guys are ok after Helene and milton they aren’t swimmers per say
They said Milton was a cat 3 but the most winds I saw were gusts to 105mph. The southern eyewall was completely sheared. More like a cat 2 or strong cat 1.
interesting- when I googled it I get sustained at 120 making it 9 miles an hour shy of a category 4. Certainly the waves and surge were more to blame than the wind over on longboat - but the winds were definitely a big factor all over town from what we have seen…. And I think this thing spawned microbursts all over… too small to hit the radar like a tornado in the middle of the event, but - I’ve seen metal wrapped around wires and light poles, tress partially defoliated on just a small area that are already regrowing, amaryllis flowers and hibiscus laid down facing a different direction than the wind damage to the house… just weird weird stuff
Kammy you brought up a good point and I would like to address it about rebuilding This event will very likely rewrite building codes across the coasts like the Miami Dade construction standards did following Andrew in the 90s It is important to remember that when a lot of the stuff around the coasts built up those standards made people feel like their houses were tough and could take it. There also used to be a LOT more sand over at Longboat for example just 4 or 5 years ago- so some places had way way more beach before the last few years - And barrier islands move Great example is the dome houses Another is Egmont Key Even on longboat there is another place up from the pole house that has an enormous sea wall… been in some older vids actually - I was told by a condo owner I met on the beach north of there that even that place had sand in front of the sea wall and you could walk around it on sand… Pass a grille; master naturalist Gary had photos of a rock with a hole thru it - only instead of 7inches from the sand it was 9 feet UP Barrier islands move The rock and buried sea walls exposed are testament to PAST efforts to bend Mother Nature to man’s will We will see what the future brings…
Michelle, I am just blown away by the amount of damage. It's really sad. I am wondering if they will ever just say that you can't rebuild to people who are basically part of the beach now? Doesn't it ever get to the point where some of these homes will have to stop being rebuilt? I mean that poor little stilt house. I think it's shocking that things are even able to be on stilts. That poor little house looked like a kid's toy. My daughter has so many friends with water damage, and a tree went through a friend's roof. I have to say you finally looked like you are well rested. I saw some pics in the intro that looked like it could have been your place. I'm sure that was no fun, either. I am glad you and John DID evacuate, and that you are both safe, and still have a home. After seeing all of this damage, it's shocking that anyone still has a home in the coastal areas.
@@Kammy44 now you can understand the stress level - this is what’s legit going on around here…. The damage, the scamming, the everyday gut punch of needing to come up with the money to fix it and not being sure how… not having food in the fridge cuz we were short on cash and everything we couldn’t take in a cooler ruined…. The frustration of no connectivity to be able to get the word out… fema playing whack a mole with locations and frustrating to deal with… I was getting a lil frayed around the edges and wasn’t sleeping well for days as the wind make the damaged roof metal creak and bang all the time… Things turned a corner tho on the day the scrap guys came - because finally we could see grass again and not feel like we were living in a war zone… that’s the day I felt a change not just in me but all the hollow-eyed neighbors who all shared the same boat and troubles too. Seeing progress helps And once we could park in the driveway again AND see grass and did what we could here, we were able to see what else has gone on and be able to see other places working on it and digging in
Thank you for taking the time to edit this video and do the side by side comparison. Glad I moved off of Lido, but it made me cry seeing my favorite island in such sad shape.
@@Plutogalaxy ?? 🫨 Not sure that’s a good thing - homeowners insurance usually stipulates that you pay between 5 and 10 percent of your house value in deductible for a named storm before they pay anything - that means if you have 300k house, you have to cough up 15-30k out of your pocket before they pay anything … It’s better for homeowners if things don’t have names- but worse for states & municipalities who need to make infrastructure repairs because a names storm unlocks federal emergency funds to fix streets govt bldgs police overtime etc
Thanks so much for doing the side by side comparison. Holy moly the destruction is just incredible, and hard to comprehend but the double view is very helpful. Stay safe, thoughts and prayers for you all.
I know - that side by side is just crazy isn’t it? It really helps tell the tale. I am going to do something similar with sunset beach footage too since I have lots of previous footage that shows things after idalia then the dune fixed then the no name storm took it then they repaired more then this shredded stuff It’s incredible to see the changes over time
Looks like Florida and North Carolina have a long road to recovery. Florida beaches will probably never look the same unless Mother Nature decides to put a little twist on things never know.
@@cindywhite9115 she sure did at pass a grille- went from needing to dredge renourish to having more sand that they can deal with In a strange way it simplifies things for a while because we won’t need army corps permission for dredge renourishment now
@@cindywhite9115 yes that is true There are large and sifting operations happening on sunset and on pass a grille - there is probably one on lido someplace but we didn’t see it yet - same is happening on Bradenton beach as well near coquina beach parking at the south end They are sifting out the metal and wood and wreckage - and probably some pretty good shells too but it wouldn’t be safe to paw thru the sand at this point
@@cindywhite9115 they’ve got more trucks around here than you can shake a stick at doing that very thing … large dump truck style things with a second trailer behind them that have these powered arm grabber kinda looking contraptions There’s crew doing sand there’s crews doing debris and waste management is picking up house hold trash and yard waste All hands on deck It’s just such a monumental task that nothing seems to be going fast enough… however I lived in SC and saw how long it took THeM after hurricane matthew and I have to say- governor desantis has done incredible to cut red tape and deploy help where needed. We have army corp guys and guardsmen around helping on debris too they have these big wheeled high dump trucks on debris detail also It’s been hard- there’s a long way to go- but Florida wants to be back to normal
pass a grille and sunset beach coming up next - just need a couple more days to get things edited... the shell piles are insane but the mess and damage is too and parking is a bit limited. The beach area next to the paradise grille across from The Hurricane has been turned into a giant sand processing station and you feel like your at a mine when you get up close to it... its just surreal. The shells are above not below the rocks and the damage to the point and islands end is striking to say the least
Yes working on that video next - damage is bad….tonhomes and beaches. The entire parking lot at the pavilion is sand cleaning storage mountain right now and the pavilion itself is quite damaged
@@echouebijoux much of the asphalt and concrete was lifted and destroyed in the parking lot and around the pool at the Sunset Chateau across from Harbor House. No doubt most if not all of the old bungalows were wiped out. Truly heartbreaking 💔
@@pegbracey4718 aww... :( i didn't see them but I saw the ones near the pavilion and they were slammed further up i saw someones garage with a car inside that was sitting on like 2-3 of sand... i just can't even wrap my head around the damage all over the place from these storms
Beyond sad 💔 Have you been able to get up to Sunset Beach yet? I’ve spent Winters at Harbor House for about 8 years, not sure if it will be inhabitable by ‘26. I’ve seen some pictures where it looks like there’s hardly any beach left.
We are praying for y’all. We love you and John. God bless you and keep you may his face shine upon you in the mighty name of Jesus. I pray angels in the community will step up and help you. We have been through 2 new roofs because of hurricanes it’s a very expensive thing to have to pay for. These people need to be shamed.
I’m so, so sorry for your losses. I can’t even imagined the feelings you are going through right now..😢 I know you will bounce back with your positive attitude and from the love and support from family and friends. Do what you can and then go for a beach walk, your happy place to renew your faith and spirit…best wishes dear RU-vidr..🙏❤️🐚
Hello my sweet dear sister! My heart goes out to you and everyone that's been effected with these storms. The devil is working extra hard because he knows his time is almost up. I pray God the Father of ALL creations above, blesses each and everyone of you with better than what you had. All these people goin around doing the devil's work, God sees it all and sister, He's got so much in store for you all that believe. God said pray for your enemies because revenge is mine saith the Lord! I want you all to know our Father is working on all your behaves as I type this. Please keep your faith and stay strong because I know everyone has to have a place to live and lives matter no matter what color you are. Prayers are going up as I type for all of you that's being scammed. Stay safe sister and God bless you and everyone that reads this.🙏🙏🙏🥰
Praying for Gods perfect will to be done in you and for you. May you have peace and calm, like when Jesus walked on the water , and he said , Be not afraid to his disciples. I think that is one of my favorite passages in the New Testament. There is a song written about called “ Be not afraid “7 Jesus made the raging sea to be calm. I’m praying your needs will be provided. , and that of your community.
@@LisaPolk-j9t that depends…. They filed a claim already I think How long can folks hold out … how long before water damage inside hurts the subfloors… how lowball will they go….if the DO pay…. Ian claims took forever to pay out and a lot of people had to sue their insurance companies while their homes suffered and rotted Half of Sanibel is still boarded up from that one A recent whistleblower came forward from Ian too. Company altered his estimates and reports and gave way less than he put the claims thru for
Seems like I say this more and more these days, but we truly do live in such a sad, sad world…… You and the state of Florida continue to be in my prayers 🙏
Michelle, I am so concerned for you. You have been so stressed, and under so much pressure. PLEASE take care of yourself. You can't stop out a fire if you are burning up. Your empathy is obvious, but I'm concerned for YOU. Please, don't worry about your channel, we will all be here when things calm down.
@@Kammy44 I have been very stressed. And my happy place escape- my beaches - are closed ;( that’s not helping lol But I also cannot stay silent on what is happening because it’s happening to a lot of nice people I know and call my neighbors and friends - and maybe that push to speak truth and alert others is coming from above, because I am very tired but it’s the kind of “push” that I can’t just set aside. Nothing worth doing is easy, they say- I am scheduling a little southern beach break soon. And I would love to share with you guys the things we found between Helene and Milton too - once we can get some reliable internet and I can get the laptop online
Folks - please share 😮 a lot of people are about to get victimized by Milton all over again thru this kind of stuff- I mean you’d never expect it unless you saw it happen, it sounds crazy - but here we are It’s discouraging to see- and I hate that it’s going on- But if people are aware of this kind of stuff, they can be on their guard for it and not get blind sided
You're right, you don't expect the scam attempts to come from park management -- they are supposed to support and assist their residents! Hugs & prayers for you and your neighbors.
@@JILLCritterologist I will bet a dollar that they aren’t the only park owners doing it I mentioned before Milton that there was talk of condemning some of the lower end parks that got wiped out where folks didn’t have the money to fix … my guess is they will condemn bulldoze and sell land to a developer for big bucks
@@dibrown3996 thank god we told the park don’t tarp us - John wanted first eyes on things… and even more thanks that our roof is ok - we have a couple broken vent caps from the carport peel back but I don’t see stains on ceilings - The poor folks around us tho 😱 It’s hard to see it happening to people you know and like and that you know can’t handle the crazy numbers they are being thrown
I don’t know if either of these two things will work, but there is a price gouging hotline for Florida during these times. To me this qualifies as a JUMBO price gouge. MAYBE THEY COULD HELP YOU WITH A RESOURCE, AND SINCE THIS ISN’T SOMETHING SIMPLE LIKE CHARGING TOO MUCH FOR AN ITEM IN A STORE, MAYBE THEY WOULD HAVE INFORMATION ON A PRO BONO ATTORNEY THAT MIGHT GET INVOLVED IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SECOND THOUGHT IS, I KNOW YOU’RE NOT IN MY COUNTY, BUT IF THIS WAS MY COUNTY, -sorry for all caps, I don’t know why that happened- I would call the county sheriff nonemergency line or if you were in the city limits. then the police nonemergency line and ask somebody there what you are supposed to do. In my county, sheriff deputies literally go around here and check contractors on the spot to see if they have licenses and insurance, which you’re superduper roofer guy/crony of the park, probably does not have. Feel free to message me for my phone number and if you need to talk to me on the phone while I look up stuff on the Internet for you, I do not mind. I’m usually free most afternoons. Hugs!!!! Also: The phone number for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Operation Blue Roof program is 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258):
Mitch...I'm so sorry! Disasters bring out the BEST in people, but it also brings out the WORST. Wasn't sure if your roof was damaged when the carport came off, but I am sure all your neighbors appreciate you trying to help them.
@@DebbyCastrillo our wall is a bit damaged - but John’s got things covered so we won’t get water in the wall - had to scramble this am when we got some rain we weren’t expecting
It’s beyond disheartening that there are such rotten humans standing by to take advantage of others! Rest assured there is a special place in hell for these scumbags. On the bright there are more folks with hearts of gold looking to help! ❤
@@pegbracey4718 John is beyond words he’s so mad at what he’s seeing … cuz he knows what needs doing and he sees how shady and underhanded things are getting He went over there today with 3 other guys from the neighborhood and they patched and tarped for them to give them some time to figure things out (rain coming soon and that will make stuff so much worse) He’s a good man, my honey - and I’m glad he helped them 🥰
@@audreyfreeman3217 I agree and I have been working all day to try to find a senior advocacy group that can give us some help and advice for folks We sat right there and watched these jokers not even crack a ladder - then tell the neighbors that they went up there and the roof wasn’t safe - the manager that the company sent down told them there was no operation blue roof - they told em that it was 1700 to tarp it and that they weren’t giving estimates yet but to expect it to be $20-25k They are beside themselves The water leaked in the roof over holes and soaked their laminate floor and their furniture and rugs … they are in tears every time they come here to get things out I’m heart sick over it John went up there with a couple guys today and they patched all the holes from the roof over and covered it with tarps because if they didn’t the coming rain will wreck any chance they have at repairs And they aren’t the only ones who the park said o no they can’t tarp it They are telling the folks with the nicer doubles and then they turn around and put tarps over gaping holes that FEMA and army corp won’t do
Oh poor you. Seriously, do you know how pathetic you look making this video! You lost at least one subscriber and I'm pretty sure much more. At least you're alive. What a horrible attempt at trying to make people feel bad for you
WOW My neighbors are being lied to and takes over the coals FOR GREED. They are both 80 and not in good health and they cannot afford to pay DOUBLE for roof repairs on fixed income This video is not about my home or me- maybe you should listen again and maybe with a heart, instead of hate Yes I’m alive They are too And dozens of them are being lied to and taken advantage of by the very park that their house is in - by a shady roofer that they assured everyone was great and brought in. Maybe I do lose you as a subscriber but ya know what? I would rather get the truth out there and let people know what’s happening to honest folks down here in Florida and how their very own PARKS are setting things up to be able to steal their homes I cannot even believe your comment But I’m gonna leave it there and let ya think about it or delete it yourself Might wanna try listening again to what’s really going on and wrap your head around it before saying something so crappy
@@FloridaBeachWalks thank you guys - And if anyone out there knows of any senior advocacy groups who might be able to help with this kind of stuff PLEASE let me know so I can pass it on to folks
😢😢😢 I want to hug you! I’m so sorry you and your friends are going through this. I read about a Federal program that tarps for free. Are you familiar with it?
@@dalegruder2363 yes it’s called operation blue roof and the army corps comes and tarps you. Typically they only like to do shingle roofs not mobile home roofs- but they can make a determination on a case by case basis and the mobile needs to have somewhere they can attach the tarps We have given the info to a few neighbors now already - It’s temporary but at least it will keep the rain out and give people some time to get someone hired or get their insurance if they have any etc
@@donnacribbs1807 right now we still have a lot of clean up. I am trying to put together places where my neighbors can get help because insurance and fema isn’t moving too quickly and a lot of people’s homes can be fixed if they can get tarped up etc - my internet here is still down tho so I get what I can on the phone. Tried going to some of spectrums free spots around town and their own internet in their own stores barely functions - I could not get google up when I tried yesterday This is the real hard part- not the storm but the aftermath. Unscrupulous people trying to take advantage of people’s troubles… roofers who lie and say they went on your roof when they never cracked a ladder or used a drone - telling people is 1700 to tarp them and that they need all new roofs when it’s roof overs that were damaged All sorts of crazy things happening right now and strangers driving around and grabbing metal for scrap… The aftermath for folks is very challenging right now
Was so glad to hear from you - worried when I saw that Lakeland was getting hit with high winds and you had gone there! Glad that you are safe and your place is in a state that you have shelter and other creature comforts. Stay strong - it is a journey now to "right" yourselves. Hoping your fur babies all came thru everything unscathed. Hugs to you and your family from SoCal!!
I’m grateful you’re all alright and the pups too. Sad for the damages , repairs and must and luckily you have a very capable hubby ! Hold tight to prayers and love from all your friends here for some comfort Michelle ❤
@@ginnamagda5810 you guys have all been so incredible and it makes my heart so full to know so many folks care about us down here! 🥲 it’s been a really tough few weeks for sure and many folks have been hit so hard - it’s hard to wrap your head around the extent of just how enormous these two storms’ impacts have been - please keep praying for Florida cuz right now a lot of folks are reeling from a 1-2 punch and drop kick combo The outpouring of love and kindness from folks has meant more than words can express and I am grateful to be part of this wonderful community of shelling and beach lovers with the biggest hearts 🥰
Oh no. Well I am glad that it’s not worse, but just heartbreaking to see the damage to your neighborhood. I’m so sorry that you’re all having to deal with this. Just take one thing at a time. It will be ok. My family has been through several hurricanes and had to deal with similar cleanup and repairs and it’s not easy, I know. Sending you love and prayers and hugs.
Sorry for your damage and that of your neighbors 🙏🏼 Blessings and I hope you can get some stress relief soon 🐚 Glad you all are safe-something that can’t be replaced.
@@FloridaBeachWalks thank you! Sharmon has started a go fund me for us too so we can get stuff fixed- it’s overwhelming, the amount of damage around us - and John can’t even go work on anything else until the carport is down so we can at least get cars off the street. Been tough because Helene then we had rain before Milton between prep evac and 2 storms and being gone things are tough at the moment can’t lie
