Cockle clamming in Garibaldi
Thought I'd share this on the board:
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Something new for me yesterday! I went cockle clamming! It was great fun, although my shoulders are really sore from raking now!
What a fun thing to do with kids!
I unearthed things that made me scream a bit. Little Dungeness crabs, although small, still able to pinch their unsuspecting victims.
We put on our hip boots, work clothes and rain coats and drove to Garibaldi. We joined the parking lot full (or nearly full) of people along the bay already enjoying the sport.
Let me tell you, you get wet, but you don't care!
Take along a bucket, and a four pronged rake when you go. Bill had a purex bottle tied on a belt and wrapped securely on his waistline.
You can buy the rakes at your local sporting goods stores. We got one for around 6 bucks, on sale.
Walk along the water line, or go in the water a couple of feet. You don't need to rake more than one rake depth to find them.
We were late, and our area was fairly worked over. The competitor in me first was a little disappointed, thinking that it was first come, first serve. I found out it really didn't matter though, as there was plenty for all! By raking where the grasses are growing, you can find untouched earth, and therefore the prize of a beautiful cockle!
I was totally lost in the hunt. What a great way to rid your mind of stress!
We easily got our limit and headed for the car.
I don't know where Bill's mind wandered as we walked along the railway in silence, back to the car, but a pile of railroad ties along side the track took me to a time, years ago, at Christmas.
Although I was very young, this memory is clear in my mind.
My Mother always wanted a railroad tie fence alongside her side garden, that separate our house from the neighbors. She spoke of it often, and I would see her searching through the papers for a good deal. Finally, knowing her limit on finances, she seemed to give up.
The small details are unclear, but somehow we found the ties for my Mother, but kept it a secret.
A month before Christmas, we devised a plan. Every time my Mom was out of the house on errands, we would go out and dig holes for the fence to be placed in. It was a very secretive and giggly time! Trying not to be caught, scheduling things just right...
On that Christmas eve, my Dad took my Mom to a friends Christmas eve party. He had a hard time convincing her to go, as this wasn't traditional, and traditions are very sacred in our family!
When they pulled out of the driveway, my brothers and sisters and I pulled on our work clothes and went out in the dark of night and assembled that fence! Everything had been pre notched and fitted and holes had been dug.
My mother came home that night, drove in the driveway and did not notice the elves work.
I will never forget the look on her face when she saw the fence, early on Christmas morning. It stood there in it's glorious, wobbly wonder, still needing a bit of work, but nonetheless, the dream of a fence that she had wished for. Nothing that you could order out of the Sears catalogue.
I smiled to myself as I skipped the last two rungs of the railway and down the trail to our car.
I miss my Mom.
I have wonderful memories though, and I thanked God for the morning.
Going out clamming in the cold, salty drizzle had cleared my mind. It had broken the chain of everyday stresses that can block out happy thoughts and memories.
With a bucket full of clams for clam chowder, and one very special memory, we drove home.
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Merry Christmas in April!
Jen [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
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The goal in Life's Journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "whooo hoooo (!) what a ride!"
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