Happy as a Clam
The sun is warm and sits in a deep blue sky. The shade is a bit chilly.
As I was crossing the bridge over the river this morning on my way to breakfast, I saw quahoggers, the first I’ve seen this season. The tide was low, and they were bunched close to shore with their baskets floating beside them on small inflated rings. Most of them were bent to the water, the best raking position. I thought how good a baked stuffed quahog tastes.
A long time back, my friends and I used to meet every Sunday morning. We’d go clamming or quahogging together, and we knew the best spots. For clams, we’d head to the flats where the sand was still rippled from the tide. We’d walk and look for the tell tale clams holes, then get down on our knees to dig. A rake needed to be used carefully so as not to break the clam’s shell. I remember getting squirted by the clams and laughing.
Other times we’d go to our secret cove to dig for quahogs. I’d wear waders and walk and feel with my feet for the quahog then I’d reach down to rake it and put it in my basket. I always got wet, and my waders were heavy with water.
With our bounty, we’d head to our friends’ house for the day. We’d sit on their patio overlooking the marsh, drink coffee, talk and read The New York Times, each of us grabbing our favorite sections. Sunday dinner was always what we’d all brought. Some had vegetables from their gardens, we had the seafood, and our friend Harry always had something for the barbecue, sometimes meat and sometimes fish. We’d all help make dinner then sit outside in the early afternoon and eat together. They were the best of Sundays.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
May 16, 2010 at 11:40 am
I don´t think we have quahogs over here, so we picked Blue mussels or King scallops instead. But we are few that likes them amongst my friends and I. I love them. But nowdays we have problems with the algies. They become poisouness when flowering and the clams and mussels eats them. So early spring and late autumn is the time to pick them nowdays.
The warm weather dissapered today, it has been really cold and windy all day. But they say that we are turning towards warmer weather again, about time I think. But this year we at least have had a chance to enjoy spring 🙂
Have a great day now!
Christer.
May 16, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Christer,
We used to collect mussels as well then have them for dinner that night-they were always so delicious. A lot of people don’t like mussels so we always found plenty.
We are having glorious days!
May 16, 2010 at 5:07 pm
When our kids were young we spent most summer weekends in Deale, Maryland crabing and fishing all day and joining friends for a feast at night. A few times we even slept (all four of us) in the van. But Sundays were for crabing to take back home and that we did. It was a wonderful way to spend the weekend and the kids learned a lot on every trip there. We lived in Mt Vernon, Virginia then.
May 16, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Z&Me,
I don’t remember eating crabs until I was older. We had steamers and quahogs and lobster but seldom crabs.
I love crabs!
Great memories!!
May 16, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Love today’s memories kat
and the music was sublime!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
May 16, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Thanks, splendid
It’s always better when you come along!
May 17, 2010 at 9:24 am
I do enjoy living in the mountains near a lake…but I really miss the ocean! The smell, the sound, the color. You make me a bit homesick today!
May 17, 2010 at 9:59 am
Erin,
I think the mountains are beautiful, but I couldn’t live far from the sea.
May 17, 2010 at 11:17 am
My Korean wife traumatized our (then) 5-yr old daughter on a trip to Pismo Beach. They went out clamming early one morning. My wife showed our daughter how to locate clams in the sand. Our daughter found two and rushed over excitedly to show them to her mom — who immediately cracked ’em together and swallowed ’em raw!
May 17, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Buzz,
Sorry, but this story made me laugh. I could imagine your daughter’s joy turning to horror while her enjoyed what she thought was a great gift.