I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Friday, March 27, 2015

Shellseeker



Hello, hello! I hope you had a wonderful week?



It's grey and gloomy here but when I looked out at the beach the other morning I saw---The Invasion of the Giant Trucks had begun.


Yes the local road crews [somewhat prematurely, as we are expecting snow or sleet tomorrow] have removed their overused snowplows and replaced them with their shovel and/ or sand rake blades. All beach grooming must be finished by April 1st when the piping plovers arrive and begin nesting.



I watched the guy who does our beach as he energetically shovelled sand in and out of the dunes. These guys always look like they're having so much fun. They begin at dawn, lights blazing, diesel engines fuming. Shorebirds fluttering in distress.



I suddenly realised that, if I wanted large white clam shells for my shell strings, I better hustle out with my collection bag to stock up. The sand rakes remove all but the tiniest shells and beach treasure. Kinda sad.



I brought home a good haul though. The biggest clams are larger than my hand, maybe 7-8" across.



I didn't find any good lobster pot rope however. And I was appalled to find out at the local marine supply store that ''cordage'' whether nylon, cotton, hemp, or polyester, is very expensive! I'll have to work harder to save what I see on the beach. Often I just pick it up for the recycle bin.



I love making my shell strings! Whelk shells are rare and I only make one a year at the most, but large clamshells are there for the taking after a winter of storms and high tides.


 I am thinking of selling them in my etsy shop.


Yes I know my friends cringe when they're blessed with a shell string gift, but if people will buy those driftwood strings I've seen, who knows?  Usually they hang from the eaves of the house, on my deck, but I bring them indoors in the winter to protect my windows in a gale.






Mo of course found the clams quite interesting.


They come from the beach ocean-washed and scrubbed pristine white by the sand and wind, but they must retain an interesting smell that attracts Mo. He'll gnaw on them like bones if not scolded away.

ribbon reel I see, not a clam after all.
Poor Mo, gets blamed for everything.
Back home my pockets produced useful finds: The first ''cash find'' of the year, a nickel;  a heavy rusty weight for a shell string's end, a purple toy starfish. I also have a little blue boat to use, and lah di dah, an iridescent glass sanddollar.


Drilling and knot tying is a fun break from sewing!







love

lizzy 

gone to the beach














13 comments:

  1. Great shells. Love Mo in his coat.

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  2. a shell string would be a blessing! beautiful!
    Hugs from Strawberry

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    1. Is this you, Sue? Be careful admiring the shell strings, one might appear in the box with your next straws! LOL.

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  3. Good thing you realized you had better get out there and do your gathering before the sand movers did their thing. The shells are quite pretty, and lucky you, a few other finds as well. Not surprised Mo finds their aroma enticing!

    I like that you attach something different to the bottom of your shell strings. It makes them special I think.

    A few pretty warm days here this week. A cousin is visiting from MD and she is SO happy to be able to sit outside and soak up the sun!

    Hope this weekend's weather is the last you'll have of the dreary stuff.

    Did you ever read the Rosamund Pilcher book, 'The Shellseekers'? Loved it. In fact, I should read it again soon:)

    Kel

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    1. Your weather sounds lovely, I wish I was there too. We d get out the blender and make peach margs, right?

      I loved The Shellseekers and have read it many times, tho right now I m not recalling the story, time for a reread. [unkind and distannt artist father who painted The shellseekers, his children...but then what? family angst?] I just finished the newest Randy Wayne White. I enjoyed a visit w Doc and Tomlinson but found it somewhat incomprehensible as far as the plot went.

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    2. Most def peach margaritas! And, yeah, Randy Wayne White books aren't what they used to be. It happens.

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  4. Wow, BIG clamshells! I'm glad you beat the truck to them!

    I have another craft idea for a pair of medium-sized shells - I'll e-mail it to you if I can find it again...

    Hope you have some nice weather soon!

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  5. That lah-ti-dah is a brake pad for a car!
    I love your little shell creations and always love seeing what you bring home from the beach.

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  6. Love Mo in his windbreaker.

    Your strings of clam shells are a treasure.

    We lived in Pismo Beach CA for a while. My mom tried cooking clams every way a clam could be cooked and none of us liked them. Baked, broiled, fried, diced, sliced, minced, and everything in between. She who could cook tasty shoe leather couldn't figure out a way to like us eat clams. (By the way, she didn't like them either.)

    The only way I could eat them was in potato soup. I used to swallow them quickly so I could get back to the soup. LOL.

    Back to the cranes.

    Hugs.
    Hunter

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    1. eeeew, I won t eat clams. My brother and I called them fish snot,lol. I have a neighbor who collects the clams [whole live ones] and also the musels from the beach and cooks them. Not sure that s a good idea, but folks like my kids who love seafood say her clams are great as is her mussels marinara. She cuts the clams in strips and fries them like onion rings, in beer batter.



      Which posibly illustrates my dad s contention that you can eat anything if it s breaded, deep fired and slathered in tatrtar sauce.



      :-(



      I love your new cranes, what an artistic dimension you re adding!

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