Just keep clam...

In 24 hours, the temperature raised 20 degrees from yesterday's high.  The day dawned - actually DAWNED.  With a real sun and EVERYTHING!!

Brother Chris invited Carrie to a coast treat = clam digging on Tillamook Bay.  With boat in tow, he picked her up at 5:45 A.M., and headed for the harbor and boat launch at Garibaldi.  Nice 10 minute drive, just in time to see the sun tip over the hills.

The clam digging was an adventure, as always seems to happen under Chris' tuteledge.  His wife Bev easily filled her limit then watched with amusement as Chris and Carrie coaxed more clams into their waiting bags.  Full limits - total of 60 nice Cockles. 

Then some sightseeing by boat on the bay, including seals hauled out on the sand bar.  Carrie says it was a stunning morning, no wind, bright sun, smooth water.  What more could a "working visitor" ask of the Oregon Coast?!  Carrie has good memories of spending time with her grandparents who loved taking various grandkids out to get crab or clams. 

The flip side is, of course, after the fun comes the work!  Cleaning clams is a bit time consuming, always better accomplished with several people to share stories, teasing, and getting the chore DONE! 

Cockles have to be heated in boiling water a few minutes to get them to open their shells - Carrie is lifting one out of the pot, headed for the cold water bath in the sink...

where the clams are shucked out of the shells, then cleaned of sand and innards.

Chris is used to digging and and cleaning Razors, which don't have to be scalded open.  After 60-odd years, he is cleaning his first Cockles, believe it or not!!

Now there's a nice bowl of clams.  The strange tan colored things are the diggers, the rest are bellies and muscles (little round things, which hold the shells tightly closed).  These clams were  ground, to make delicious clam fritters for dinner (good job, Carrie!!).   Several packages went into the freezer for more fritters and clam chowder later.  Livin' high on the coast!

The Supervisor was very clam through the whole process.