Hi there, everyone! There is no way to know what the day will bring. We couldn't dispute that there are days when we've thought about what to do in great detail and made all the necessary preparations, but then time throws a curveball and provides us with something completely different and exciting to accomplish. And that's how our Saturday went down.

Last week's sunny and pleasant conditions inspired us to set in motion the two-day, one-night island getaway that was originally planned for this coming weekend. The entire night of Friday, it poured.

The rain had ceased by Saturday morning, but there was still no indication that Mr. Sun would be making an early appearance. Our island getaway was canceled and we were left with no other options. In the aftermath of our postponed vacation, I found my energy levels to be low. This weekend, I had planned to go for a run on the island. I was filled with boundless enthusiasm and boundless energy for the rest of the week thanks to this idea. Now that it had arrived, I felt drained.

My husband had observed a change in my demeanor and offered some suggestions to brighten my day.

Well, it's not an island, but it's a beach, so why don't we go there?" he suggested.

It was low tide, according to the calendar he checked.

He went on, "Since it's low tide today, let's select some shells on the beach; we'll bring some "baon" rice with us; let's dine there; and when high tide arrives, we can go swimming!"

It put a smile on my face just thinking about it. I didn't realize until last weekend that the mere mention of the word "beach" made my mood lighten.

We prepared by collecting a few essentials and some food, and then we set off for the shore. We rode our motorcycles for almost an hour to get to Tigbawan Beach.

Low tide on Tigbawan's beach, as shown in the image.

A great place to find shells and other sea life is at Tigbawan Beach. Tigbawan's sea floor is covered with seaweeds, pebbles, and corals at low tide, providing shelter for shellfish and other marine life.

However, a small section of Tigbawan beach does feature sand. There is nothing except seaweed on the remainder of it. You can still go swimming, but I wouldn't call it a particularly enjoyable experience. People typically don't go there to swim, but rather to collect shells.

When we finally made it to the beach, it was well after 2 o'clock and the tide was quite low. Okay, here's a guess: Suddenly, the sky cleared, and a brilliant sun beamed down. *Tsk. What if we had gone to the island instead? Then again, I guess I should "enjoy the moment" now that we've here. After dumping our belongings on the rocks, we set out on foot to find shells.

This wasn't my first time shelling; when I was a kid, my parents took me and my siblings to the ocean once a quarter to gather shells for a family feast. (It's a cherished memory from my youth.)

Did you know that no matter how fresh the sea shells are, they will never taste as good as the ones you gather yourself off the ocean floor and turn into a delicious soup? In my opinion, the seashells you carefully selected have a better flavor.

In order to safely store my shell collection, I took a plastic bag along. This time, the seafloor was quite kind to us, as we discovered a plethora of shells. There were periods of time when shells were few and difficult to get.

I was intently scanning the sand and shells for the best finds. To get a better look at the lake, I leaned over.

That's pretty serious, huh?

I stayed on foot and headed towards seaweed-rich areas, where I expected to find many shells. There's no way I could fit that much inside my container. Even though I'm no expert, I had so much fun collecting shells this time that I could easily fill a bucket if nobody stopped me. Haha . lol.

Unfortunately, there weren't any crabs to choose. My husband and I go off in different ways to search for shells. Each of us took turns holding our infant. The seafloor was a lot of fun for my infant as well, who enjoyed strolling about and exploring.

My husband brought home a bounty of sea urchins (swaki) while I stocked up on " sikad-sikad" shells.

We ate our fresh sea urchins and rice out to the side after we had enough catch. Sea urchins were a hit once we opened them and doused them in vinegar. We stuffed ourselves silly and thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

The realization hit me harder when I had to work for my meal.

The seascape was so stunning that I had to capture it on camera as well.

Not only did I have a wonderful day with my family while shell-collecting, but we also shared a truly special moment together. Our time here was not expensive, but it was well spent. If I don't have any plans for the upcoming weekend, I'd be happy to do this then, and I wouldn't mind having a few more unscheduled weekends like this one.

The time I spent collecting shells deepened my appreciation for the wonder and generosity of the natural world. It's true that you reap what you sow, so to speak, in this life. Finally, remember to take pleasure in the present now, as tomorrow is never guaranteed.