Yesterday our friends Paul and Lana Jane came to Oysterville for a long-awaited steamer clam hunt out on the tide flats in front of our house. We’d been planning this adventure for more than a year, but between our various schedules and the time of an appropriate tide, it had been hard to find a day that would work.
Lana Jane and Paul live on a bayou in Florida. They also have a place on the Oregon coast near the ocean. And though they have had other fishing and shellfish gathering experiences, yesterday was their first Great Steamer Clam Hunt.
They arrived shortly after 9:30, dressed for adventuring and with boots in hand. We had rakes and buckets at the ready and, before the tide was fully out, we were on our trek. The weather was coolish – the sun playing hide and seek with big grey clouds. It was one of those days you don’t think about sunblock and then are surprised that you’ve acquired quite a bit of color!
I think if Paul and Lana Jane ever decide to give up their day jobs, they could go into the steamer-gathering business. They were great at it (not everyone is!) and before too long Nyel was making “we-probably-have-enough” noises. Finally, we headed shoreward but it wasn’t until we were scrubbing the sand off each clamshell that we realized how right he had been! We had a LOT of clams!
We put them in buckets of clean water and gave them the afternoon to clean themselves. Meanwhile, we had a lunch of salads and build-your-own sandwiches and then went thrift store and gallery-hopping. We found a couple of treasures and Paul even found the perfect wedding gift (not!) – a stuffed hippopotamus head – for their soon-to-be-married son. Through the magic of his cell phone camera and texting, he even sent off an on-the-spot preview of this proposed gift which was summarily rejected.
Before we knew it we were at the table pigging out on crusty French bread, an avocado-laden salad, steamers and lots of garlic butter. Lana Jane’s raspberry pound cake topped off the meal. And there were plenty of clams to send home with them.
A while later, as I drifted off to sleep, I realized that I hadn’t done a lick of work at my computer from the time Paul and Lana Jane arrived. Now that’s what I call “a perfect play day!”
That was a perfect play day! I envied you your menu. I can’t think of a more perfect meal. Glad you had such a lovely day.