Clam Ya Dig It?

The Pacific Razor Clam

We embarked on an adventure to dig these things from the safety of their sandy homes.

When we left home it was cold, gray and foggy.

This was waiting for us on the coast.

Gorgeous sunshine.

We stopped at a little grocery store to ask directions

and while Michael was inside doing that we spotted this

out our windows.

This creepy guy seemed to be spying

on another group of creepy guys. We were there about 5 minutes and he never moved.

Sherry and Katie had to show us the rest of the way to our spot

on the beach. When we got there Bill Reus had a fire roaring and lunch on the grill.

After lunch we all just enjoyed the lovely weather visiting and doing various other

things such as playing in the surf.

Jackson

Taking pictures in the warm sun.

Ian, Mollie and Mimi

AJ was working and Bradley was at a basketball tournament

so they couldn't be with us

Splashing in the water.

Reading "Clam Digging for Dummies" brushing up on our digging techniques.
Bill and Sherry already had their techniques down. This was our maiden clam digging adventure so we were the 'dummies'.

Jackson and Ian drawing in the sand

The Reus' dog, Abby. She finally held still long enough for me to get a picture.

Hanging out by the fire.
Bill Reus, Bill and Katie Schelmerdine, Sherry Reus, me, Mollie and Mimi

Beach combing
Mollie, Mimi and Ian

Bill and Katie Schelmerdine
AKA: Mommy and Daddy!


Enjoying the lunch Bill Reus grilled for us.
Thank you everyone for fortifying us so well before the work ahead of us.

Mimi redoing Mollie's french braid. Gotta keep the hair out of the way while digging.

Sherry and Katie enjoying the sunshine after lunch! Glorious!

Soon after we got busy dressing for the adventure as it was about to begin.

There is no fashion statement to be made while clam digging. The name of the game is staying dry...or as dry as you can. It's a given you will get a "little" wet but it's worth trying to stay dry. Some in our party were better at it than others!


So here are a few pictures of everyones statement!

Barb favors hip waders. She looks rather cute in them I must say.

Thanks to our friends the Sigmons it looks like Mollie and Ian are going to be nice and dry.
Watch out for those waves though.

Sherry and Bill are striking a pose in their clam digging attire.

Phil needs a bit of help from the Clam Guru Bill S. Katie is showing me how fine her booty looks in her fashionable hip waders! Shorty get low!

Michael and I are as ready as we ever will be.

As it turned out we both stayed very dry.

While going after his second clam it attacked Michael and cut his finger badly. He had to stop digging for the day. He went back to the car for first aid and came back with the camera and became the photographer for the day.

Poor Michael.

I dig....you dig....we all dig.....FOR CLAMS!!

Ya dig?

There were hundreds of people out this beautiful day

digging for the elusive Pacific Razor.

Jackson going after a clam.

He was able to master his digging technique with the shovel.

He also picked up one or two clams just off of the beach, no digging needed.

He kept a sharp eye all day. He helped me get my limit as he could spot the spurt holes the clams made from under the sand.

He was very good at it.

Mollie and Mimi watching for the next place to dig

Success!

I wonder if this is the one that Mollie fought so hard to hang onto?

As she was digging down for this clam and just as she got a hold of him

a wave came up and sunk her arm into the hole up to her armpit.

She had to wait until the wave went back out before she could pull her hand out still clutching the clam. Well done girls!

After I reached my limit of 15 clams, I helped Ian get his

Barb and Phil and Sherry and Bill all using their muscle and their clam guns.

Barb only went after the really big clams. So she had to work extra hard for those.

Bill Reus going after a clam. He preferred the shovel technique.

Bill S. helping Ian and me get a clam just as a wave came up

Bill and Katie were so patient in helping Ian and Jackson learn how to dig for clams.

Jackson paid attention too because he could spot where those clams were better than I could and he got two by digging with the shovel. I never did get the hang of that technique.

Way to go Jack!

This picture must have been taken after the wave that knocked Katie down

and wouldn't let her back up. She got drenched from head to toe. Her hip waders were full of water but she kept digging.

What a woman!

After a full day of digging we all made our way back to the fire for dry clothes.

Mollie and Mimi took a few action shots jumping off a piece of driftwood as it got darker.

Jackson and Ian in action.

Mimi and Mollie

Ian, Mimi and me warming by the fire. I'm eating the last of the Brats.

Me and Michael warming up

Fine Art Plastic Surgery staff:

Dr. Bill Reus, Office Manager Sherry Reus, Surgical Assistant Lisa Saner, Nurse Katie Schelmerdine and Nurse Anesthetist Barb Klube.

I couldn't ask to work with a better group of people.

The rest of the staff are: Nurses Connie Bowles and Kristi Holterman.

Front Office: Carol Howard and Tammy Alsdorf

Bill and Katie trying to keep Chu warm

They gave up and just put his coat on him. How cute.

Bill R., Katie and Barb staying warm by the fire

Barb Klube and Phil Ouimet

After we left the beach we headed home.

Jackson promptly fell asleep. We stopped in Aberdeen for dinner.

We arrived home by 9:30.

We had an awesome clam digging adventure!!

We're ready to go again.

Look at 'em! Aren't they beautiful?

We came home with approximately 35. I say approximately because some

clams didn't come out of the sand whole!

Now the fun really begins! Cleaning them all!

Before we left the beach the night before Bill Schelmerdine gave us a tutorial on how to clean razor clams. I am so glad he did.

So the cleaning continued for about an hour and a half.

My fingers were waterlogged before I was through.

I put my apron on pretty soon after I began cleaning as it was a wet, messy job.

Lots of running water is very helpful to rinse all the guts away.

My pile of "extra" parts was almost as big as my pile of cleaned clams.

They were given to the chickens. Michael is going to smash the clam shells up and we will give them to the chickens as well for a little extra calcium!

The fruits of our labor.

The bowl on the left are the bodies and the bowl on the right are the "feet" or "boots".

Dinners ready.

Fried clams, New England Clam Chowder and Caesar Salad and Breadsticks!

"Dig" In!

~Lisa