February 03, 1994 - Focus on Nature: Soft Clamming18
Previews &
Parrish Workshops
The Parrish Art Museum will offer a
series of art workshops in February.
The museum's "KidsWinter" workshops
will be held on Saturdays, February 5
and 12. The Education Department can
be reached at 283 -2118 for details.
On February 5, at 11 a.m., children
ages five to eight can join "A Burst of
Color," a watercolor workshop with
Casey Anderson ($6 for members, $8
for others). Later in the day, at 1 p.m.,
"Construct a Collage" will be offered
with Lisa Baglivi. A mixed -media work-
shop, it is intended for eight to 12 -year-
olds ($6 for members, $8 for others).
On February 12, at 11 a.m., "Native
American Beadwork" will be held with
Denise Silva - Dennis. Young people six
to 12 years old are eligible to enroll ($8
for members, $10 for others). At 1 p.m.
a valentine- making workshop, "Love
Me Tender," will be conducted by Betsy
Yastrzemski for children ages five to
eight ($4 for members, $5 for others).
Films at Guild Hall
Guild Hall in East Hampton will be
showing a series of recent movies
through the months when the United
Artists East Hampton cinemas are
closed (February through April). Ad-
mission (unless otherwise indicated) is
$7, or $6 for Guild Hall members. Tick-
ets will be available at the door only.
The schedule through February 10 is as
follows:
-- Thursday and Friday, February 3
3 Realists
(Continued from Page 16)
worked briefly in New York City with
painter Raphael Soyer before moving to
the East End. Such training cannot be
unlearned; why, then, would Mr. York
have chosen, late in life, to remove him-
self from the art world?
"York is an artist with a strong inde-
pendent nature," said gallery owner Ed-
ward Thorpe. "I'm very high on this
man's work. He's a visionary. From a
dealer's standpoint, I'd say it's disap-
pointing that he's chosen to remain so
quiet, but he has. I can't say why."
Mr. York's friend and neighbor, the
late Fairfield Porter, found one possi-
ble answer to this mystery in the pain-
tings themselves. Mr. Porter suggested
that York had made a conscious choice
in his non - participation in culture, ob-
serving that the artist's work is "a re-
action to the standards of a criticism
based on 19th- century belief in progres-
sive change." Instead of participating
in the contemporary painterly dialogue,
Mr. Porter suggested, Albert York is
caught up in a project of recognizing
"an emotion that he had discovered out-
side himself." Outside himself, that is,
in the natural world. And while many
passing through Southampton's historic
landscape have seemed odd, even
ghostly presences in the light of late
afternoons, Mr. York alone has manif-
ested this very specific feeling in paint.
All three painters— Knott, Wilson and
York —have tangled with the New York
art world. Each has, to a greater or les-
ser degree, turned away from the dia-
logue of contemporary painting in favor
of learning directly from landscape.
Perhaps their work is more precious to
viewers because of our growing aware-
ness of our endangered ecology, but to
the artists themselves, the paintings are
mostly about the importance of land-
scape to their spiritual life. But this
should come as no surprise to local res-
idents, who have had ample opportun-
ity to experience the distinctly
mysterious (and often inspirational)
force of the Southampton landscape on
the individual soul.
11
and4, at 8p.m. and Saturday, February
5, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.: "The Wedding
Banquet," winner of the Golden Bear
Award at the 1993 Berlin Film Festival
and Best Film and Best Director at the
1993 Seattle International Film Festi-
val. Directed by Ang Lee, it is described
as a "wildly funny, seductive social
comedy about a trio of friends and a
marriage of convenience." In the cast
are Winston Chao, Mitchell Lichtenstein
(son of Roy) and May Chin.
-- Monday and Tuesday, February 7
and 8: "In the Soup," winner of Best
Picture at the 1992 Sundance Film Fes-
tival. The story of aspiring Lower East
Side filmmaker Aldolpho Rollo, who
sells his epic screenplay to pay the rent,
"In the Soup" follows its hero through
a surreal saga that involves him in a
world of petty crime. Directed by
Alexandre Rockwell, it features
Seymour Cassell, Steve Buscemi, Jen-
nifer Beals, Jim Jarmusch and Carol
Kane.
-- Wednesday and Thursday, Febru-
ary 9 and 10: "Mistress," the first film
from Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Produc-
tions. It is billed as "an outrageous
comedy about a movie director with
integrity who's having a hard time sur-
viving in Hollywood." Directed byBarry
Primus, it features Danny Aiello, Rob -
ertDeNiro, MartinLandau, Eli Wallach
and Robert Wuhl.
Talk on Trees
Peter L. Hornbeck, a landscape ar-
chitect, will speak about "Trees and the
Landscape "at the next meeting of The
Horticultural Alliance of the Hampton,
on Sunday, February 6, at 2:30 p.m. in
the main auditorium of the
Bridgehampton Community House.
Members of the Horticultural Alli-
ance are admitted free to the lecture;
non - members are charged $5. Refresh-
ments will be served.
Mr. Hornbeck's focus will be on the
use and role of trees in landscape set-
tings, and our attitudes toward them in
our gardens, town and countryside.
"The ways we use the past, the games
we play, the stories we tell, the land-
scape settings we create, all involve
trees," Mr. Hornbeck points out, and he
will explore these in his illustrated talk.
Details can be obtained from the
Alliance office in Bridgehampton, 537-
2223.
the Stonehill Theatre Project, a not -for-
profit theatre that produced more than
15 new plays in five years.
'Aids' on WPBX
Giuseppe Verdi's "Aida" will be
broadcast live from the stage of the
Metropolitan Opera House on Saturday
afternoon, February 5, at 1:30 p.m.,
Eastern Time, over the Texaco-Metro-
politan Opera International Radio Net-
work. It will be heard locally over radio
station WPBX, 91.3 -FM.
Sharon Sweet will sing the title role,
with Dolora Zajick as Amneris, Michael
Sylvester as Radames, Juan Pons as
Amonasro, Paul Plishka as Ramfis,
and Hao Jiang Tian as the King. The
conductor will be John Fiore.
Theatre for Kids
As part of its ongoing program of
"Kidfest" events, Guild Hall in East
Hampton will present a new theater
workshop.
Noted actress and director Serena
Seacat will lead "Dramarama at the
Drew," an eight -week workshop for
students aged eight to 13, on the profes-
sional stage at the John Drew Theater
of Guild Hall. "Dramarama" is de-
signed to introduce the art of theater
through a program of creative dramat-
ics incorporating skills and techniques
that nurture creativity and self- expres-
sion.
Dramarama" takes place from 3:30
to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays from February 8
to March 29. The performance will be
presented on Friday, April 1, at 8 p.m.
Students must preregister for the work-
shop, and may do so by visiting Guild
Hall, or calling us at 324 -0806.
'Kids Connect'
There is still time to register for
"Kids Connect," a 10 -week acting work-
shop for children ages seven to 13, to be
offered on Saturdays, February 26
through May 14 at LTV Studios in
W ainscott.
Registration will be held on Satur-
day, February 5, from noon to 2 p.m. at
LTV Studios. The fee for the workshop
is $200. Additional information can be
obtained by calling 267 -6469.
Designer's Coup
Artist Roy Nicholson of Sag Harbor
has designed the set and costumes for a
Acting Workshops new dance by the choreographer Karla
The Bay Street Theatre Festival has Wolfangle to be presented in the "Sun-
The
that it will be offering win- days at Three" series of workshop pro-
ter workshops in Acting Technique and tan on Sat the 92nd Street Y in e 3 p.m.
Scene Study beginning February 9, and tan or Sunday, February 6. The 3 p.m.
continuing on a weekly basis through Performance for eondpe out. Tickets
April 2 are available for a secondperformance,
The fee for both workshops is $240 for scheduled for 5 p.m. The dance is titled
the eight -week session. Admission is by "Petites Sensations." Tickets are $5
ea WIT be reserved by teler�o-
interview, and those- interested'tsifexld - `f-
contact the Bay Street TheatreFestival's N' at 212415 -5552. !
administrative offices at 725 -0818, prior
to February 4 to schedule an appoint-
ment. ment. 4 Fous on
The Acting Technique workshop will
take place on Saturday mornings from
10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. (commencing on
February 12) and will be co- taught by
two of Bay Street's co- founders, Stephen
Hamilton and Emma Walton. The work-
shop is a comprehensive introduction to
the basic elements of an actor's craft.
The Scene Study workshop will be
taught by Murphy Davis, Bay Street's
producer, on Wednesday evenings from
6 to 9 p.m. (starting on February 9).
The course features a straightforward
approach to acting truthfully under
imaginary circumstances, utilizing im-
provisationexercises and applying them
to introductory scene work. In addition
to being a producer at Bay Street, Mr.
Davis is a professional actor, and was
the founder and co- artistic director of
In a perfect world, the power would
never go out, the lights would never flicker
and utility rates would never increase.
Unfortunately, we know that's not the
will ask why you have power when
case. And most of us don't realize how
theirs is out.
much we depend on electricity until the
Even though we can't do much about
power goes out. Even the most simple
electric rates, we can make sure you'll
things are temporarily on hold.
never be without power for more than a
A Kohler Standby Power System
few seconds. And a few seconds isn't too
supplies electricity when the normal
for from a perfect world.
source fails, protecting your property
shouts
13 " —your old
whether you're there or not.
COMMANDER
It starts and stops automati-
Ford
87 Hosp.
cally. And It's quiet, too,
ELECTRIC MAINTENANCE CORP.
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full line of
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Sc `I°ie1' your neigi�eO15 734 -7100
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85 Uncovers
THE SOUTHAMPTON PRESS /FEBRUARY 3, 1994
ent bank that will nourish our creeks
and bays, which depend on them for
their bounty.
Muddy Marsh
My boots sank ahalf -way up to my
knees as I tried to cross the marsh in
one place.
Then I saw the smaller hole that told
me soft clams were below. I made sure
to dig deep enough and off to the side
and soon, with those rubber gloves, I
was able to pick out the big soft clams.
The water ran out of my eyes as the
wind tore at my face and clothing but
this is my element. Down on my hands
and knees I was getting more excited as
I pulled those old granddaddys From
their hiding places. A small flock of
bufflehead ducks flew by, their heads
into the wind like a weathervane. My
clam basket was a wire one and when-
ever I'd get 10 or 15 clams I'd put them
in the basket and thenput the basket out
in the water so that the clams could
cleanse themselves of any sand.
Slowly my basket started to fill. The
sun had now disappeared and the har
Nature: Soft Clamming
These granddaddy steamers are hard to come by, but if you kr:; -. ^nts the,. � _ -
still be found. This one measures five inches. —Pout S[ourenburgh Photo
By Paul Stoutenburgh
It was a real winter's day. The wind
hadbeenblowing for twodaysout of the
northwest and had blown most of the
water out of the creeks. Whenever this
rare occurrence takes place, it's time to
drop everything, get out the old hip
boots and go soft clamming. The big
ones, usually found just below the nor-
mal low -water line where they are pro-
tected in regular tides, are exposed at
such times.
There's a special art to soft clam-
ming, which requires just the right
amount of digging if you don't want to
break the soft shells of the clam. The
first step is to dig a starter hole that is
deep enough to create a caving -in ef-
fect. As the sides cave fn, the loose wet
sand is bailed out so that the caving in
will continue.
If there are clams about and the hole
you dig is deep enough, sooner or later
you'll see clams falling with the sand
from the sides of the hole. You'll even
see the passageway where their long
neck traveled to the surface for food.
This has to be kept open, for clams die
when sediment chokes them out —a
major factor in soft clam depletion.
The place I go must be an ancient
habitat for these palate delights for the
clams are up to five inches in length,
indicating that they must have been
there for years and years. Most are
found at depths of at least 10 to 12
inches, another indication that they
have been there for a long time; soft
clams move very little. What I do is look
for their squirt holes in the sand.
By the way, they are often called
"piss clams" for the way they squirt
water out of their necks up these holes
when they are disturbed. Actually the
neck withdraws for protection and the
water in it is squirted out.
Polluted Clams Made Good
All mollusks filter their food out of
the water and for this reason they are
very susceptible to pollution. It is also
one reason some hard clams are purged
(cleaned) in clean water after being
harvested from polluted waters. Seems
the toxins can be cleansed out of the
clam if they are left in clean waters for
a certain amount of time. It is also
another reason why creeks and bays
are closed after rain because the big-
gest polluter is road runoff and, of
course, this most often occurs after
heavy rains.
I put a shovel and clam basket in the
back of the pickup and was off. Throw-
ing in a pair of rubber gloves was a last -
minute thought that really paid off, for
the water now is freezing cold and the
combination of wind and wet hands is
unbearable. I went off to my secret spot
where I've always gotten huge clams
when the water was way out. I had to
walk across a muddy marsh and then
along an exposed sandy bottom before
I reached the spot. The cold north wind
was biting but the sun added enough
cheer to make the walk exhilarating.
The time was late afternoon and I had to
work fast for the sun was already low on
the horizon. Yellow - tinged clouds scur-
ried fast on their way south and I found
myself alone in the creek.
Most people would not consider this
much of an adventure but I believe
that's what life is about. My adventures
are right here on our own East End. The
marsh had lost its rich green and was a
dull yellow brown. Later the ice and
snow of winter will break it down so that
it will decay and help create the nutri-
sh
raw day relentlessly renewed its effort
to banish me from the creek. I was
satisfied with my harvest and started
back to the pickup, content with a day
on the marsh.
Last Week's Solution
RAMP SEAL CHAMP I B'p R
p C p R M Il L T p O I L E R T O R E
M D R E'X O U S EC D L L E G E U S M p
I N S T A N C E E M O T E M A T Y fl
E L E E T fl p N S B I L B O
p M N 0 T P A T H E p l U M I N U M
N I M E B L A I CUSS S N I T
A L P C I V I L R I G H T S 8 P I T E
S H E E T E D O R fl l 8 S N A V E R
I N N E R A G A I N T O fl T E
S I S T E R CRETE S p L 1 E R t
COTE 8 S E G fl E G p T I 0 N S 0 B,
O N E R T p R 0 l I N E L I T E
T I N J A M E S E A R L R p Y p T p N
T p'N G E L 0'S ALUMS E M M Y S
ELL I S G fl p 0 Y B L A B
C p 3 p L 3 F O L I O S E L A 3 8 1 E
USSR MART I N L U T H E R N I N G
fl H E E p D p T E P L E p 0 I L S A
T E EU N O P p fl H A W_ N N O O N
Celebrating Our 60th Year!
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ice
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Weekly Crossword
Puzzle
Edited by James C. Boldt and Joyce Nichols Lewis
"JOB ACTIONS"
By Shirley
85 Tarry
117 "King Kong'
12 Corrida
46 Snuggle
81 Best man of his
Soloway
86 Singer
star
shouts
13 " —your old
47 Diplomatic
understanding
generation
82 High -level
ACROSS
Ford
87 Hosp.
118 Garment
style
man"
50 inquisitive
offs.
1 Big celebration
5 Edge around
employees
119 King of
14 Dieter's
53 Dessert item
85 Uncovers
10 New Mexico art
88 Versifier
comedy
120 Fabulous
nemesis
15 What a diver
56 What a
marcher might
90 Braid
91 Yemen city
colony site
14 Dancers take
89 — mode
90 What an
fiddle
likes to do
do
92 Ship's
these
optometrist
121 Yikes!
16 New York
58 Burglary
control
19 Raines of
might be
94 Full house
122 Hold back
123 Bog down
canal
17 Dressmaker's
59 Hopes
60 Other, in
93 Shoved
96 Barometric
films
20 Court event
adv.
124 Earful
need: Abbr.
Oaxaca
"—
"contour
line"
21 European
95 Help to
125 Excise
18 Collar insert
28 "The — Love"
62 well that
ends..."
100 Churchman
capital
remember
97 Kin of
editorially
29 Verdi work
65 Twilight
102 Italian cultural
22 Gem weight
23 "The — of
105 Down
DOWN
30 Oozes
69 Daytime
city
the Crowd"
98 Maxwell and
1 Early TV's
33 Cook slowly
drama
103 Mountaintop
24 Alice Morse —:
Martinelli
Gertrude
34 Abettor
35 "Superman"
70 Choir
members
house
104 Food fish
colonial
99 Charges
101 Obstruct
2 Lotion
ingredient
Chris
71 Coin taker
105 Pack animal
historian
25 Functions
103 Clerical
3 Blind feature
36 Strongman
72 Shows joy
106 Shoot forth
26 Japanese
garment
4 Most
Charles
73 Harry's
107 Sandwich
shop, for
dog
104 Olfactory
challenging
37 Open-
follower
":
27 What a
signals
5 Hearty
mouthed
74 "— soul
short
108 James Mason
lawyer likes
107 Where a
dentist might
entrees 38 Fed.
6 Caviar exporter 39 "— Finest
no one
75 Type of golf
role
to do
be
7 Gossip
Hour'
tournament
109 Siamese
30 Icy
31 — Pulver of
114 Sticky
8 "Le Roi d'Ys"
41 Prince of
76 Actor
110 Bowlers
"Mr. Roberts"
115 Thomas of
composer
opera
Richard and
family
111 Yen
112 Afrikaans
32 Pinball
the rink
116 "The Merry
9 Put in office
10 Disarrayed
43 Florida's
Marion County
77 Singer
113— Park
machine
Widow"
11 Valued
seat
Lotte
115 Beaver's
no -no
33 Borscht
composer
properties
44 Bear breed
78 Curve types
oeuvre
ingredient
34 Rub out
NOME
EMEME
NEON
BOWEN
37 Rocker
Adam
40 Streetcar
name
MEME
MENEM
NEON
WOMEN
42 Emulate
Bugs
45 What a
psychologist
mom
MEME
NONE
likes
46 Opening
NOMME
Now
HEMEME
mom
49 School subj.
51 Come
MMEMMOMMENME
mom
NONE
together
52 Consumed
mom
MENEM
HOME
HEME1
53 Luau dishes
54 — Alto, Calif.
55 Tanguay and
Peron
57 What
beautician
ONE
MEN
might do
mom
60 Ceramic jugs
61 Say it again
63 Baseball's
"Pee Wee"
64 Part of some
WOMEN
WEE
rivers
Boom
NEON
66 Room
extension
HOME
mom
HIMMEMEMONMEM
67 Puppy bite
68 Covered
mom
MMMMEM
ONE
MENEM
container
69 Tastes
NOME
MENU
WE
73 — the bag!
75 -- toothed
79 Bread
spreads
80 What a rail-
road worker
might do
83 Shoe widths
WOMEN
NONE
WEENE
NOME
84 Island off -
-
21994 Los Angeles']
intes syniilcate
Alaska
-
ent bank that will nourish our creeks
and bays, which depend on them for
their bounty.
Muddy Marsh
My boots sank ahalf -way up to my
knees as I tried to cross the marsh in
one place.
Then I saw the smaller hole that told
me soft clams were below. I made sure
to dig deep enough and off to the side
and soon, with those rubber gloves, I
was able to pick out the big soft clams.
The water ran out of my eyes as the
wind tore at my face and clothing but
this is my element. Down on my hands
and knees I was getting more excited as
I pulled those old granddaddys From
their hiding places. A small flock of
bufflehead ducks flew by, their heads
into the wind like a weathervane. My
clam basket was a wire one and when-
ever I'd get 10 or 15 clams I'd put them
in the basket and thenput the basket out
in the water so that the clams could
cleanse themselves of any sand.
Slowly my basket started to fill. The
sun had now disappeared and the har
Nature: Soft Clamming
These granddaddy steamers are hard to come by, but if you kr:; -. ^nts the,. � _ -
still be found. This one measures five inches. —Pout S[ourenburgh Photo
By Paul Stoutenburgh
It was a real winter's day. The wind
hadbeenblowing for twodaysout of the
northwest and had blown most of the
water out of the creeks. Whenever this
rare occurrence takes place, it's time to
drop everything, get out the old hip
boots and go soft clamming. The big
ones, usually found just below the nor-
mal low -water line where they are pro-
tected in regular tides, are exposed at
such times.
There's a special art to soft clam-
ming, which requires just the right
amount of digging if you don't want to
break the soft shells of the clam. The
first step is to dig a starter hole that is
deep enough to create a caving -in ef-
fect. As the sides cave fn, the loose wet
sand is bailed out so that the caving in
will continue.
If there are clams about and the hole
you dig is deep enough, sooner or later
you'll see clams falling with the sand
from the sides of the hole. You'll even
see the passageway where their long
neck traveled to the surface for food.
This has to be kept open, for clams die
when sediment chokes them out —a
major factor in soft clam depletion.
The place I go must be an ancient
habitat for these palate delights for the
clams are up to five inches in length,
indicating that they must have been
there for years and years. Most are
found at depths of at least 10 to 12
inches, another indication that they
have been there for a long time; soft
clams move very little. What I do is look
for their squirt holes in the sand.
By the way, they are often called
"piss clams" for the way they squirt
water out of their necks up these holes
when they are disturbed. Actually the
neck withdraws for protection and the
water in it is squirted out.
Polluted Clams Made Good
All mollusks filter their food out of
the water and for this reason they are
very susceptible to pollution. It is also
one reason some hard clams are purged
(cleaned) in clean water after being
harvested from polluted waters. Seems
the toxins can be cleansed out of the
clam if they are left in clean waters for
a certain amount of time. It is also
another reason why creeks and bays
are closed after rain because the big-
gest polluter is road runoff and, of
course, this most often occurs after
heavy rains.
I put a shovel and clam basket in the
back of the pickup and was off. Throw-
ing in a pair of rubber gloves was a last -
minute thought that really paid off, for
the water now is freezing cold and the
combination of wind and wet hands is
unbearable. I went off to my secret spot
where I've always gotten huge clams
when the water was way out. I had to
walk across a muddy marsh and then
along an exposed sandy bottom before
I reached the spot. The cold north wind
was biting but the sun added enough
cheer to make the walk exhilarating.
The time was late afternoon and I had to
work fast for the sun was already low on
the horizon. Yellow - tinged clouds scur-
ried fast on their way south and I found
myself alone in the creek.
Most people would not consider this
much of an adventure but I believe
that's what life is about. My adventures
are right here on our own East End. The
marsh had lost its rich green and was a
dull yellow brown. Later the ice and
snow of winter will break it down so that
it will decay and help create the nutri-
sh
raw day relentlessly renewed its effort
to banish me from the creek. I was
satisfied with my harvest and started
back to the pickup, content with a day
on the marsh.
Last Week's Solution
RAMP SEAL CHAMP I B'p R
p C p R M Il L T p O I L E R T O R E
M D R E'X O U S EC D L L E G E U S M p
I N S T A N C E E M O T E M A T Y fl
E L E E T fl p N S B I L B O
p M N 0 T P A T H E p l U M I N U M
N I M E B L A I CUSS S N I T
A L P C I V I L R I G H T S 8 P I T E
S H E E T E D O R fl l 8 S N A V E R
I N N E R A G A I N T O fl T E
S I S T E R CRETE S p L 1 E R t
COTE 8 S E G fl E G p T I 0 N S 0 B,
O N E R T p R 0 l I N E L I T E
T I N J A M E S E A R L R p Y p T p N
T p'N G E L 0'S ALUMS E M M Y S
ELL I S G fl p 0 Y B L A B
C p 3 p L 3 F O L I O S E L A 3 8 1 E
USSR MART I N L U T H E R N I N G
fl H E E p D p T E P L E p 0 I L S A
T E EU N O P p fl H A W_ N N O O N
Celebrating Our 60th Year!
0
ANa AM INC. 51 ! It])
Garbage Hauling &Cesspool Cleaning
Portable Toilet Rentals
Container Serv
ice
283 -0604
NARDY
PEST CONTROL INC.
• TERMITE PROOFING
I •GENERAL PEST CONTROL
FREE ESTIMATES
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Nature: Soft Clamming
These granddaddy steamers are hard to come by, but if you kr:; -. ^nts the,. � _ -
still be found. This one measures five inches. —Pout S[ourenburgh Photo
By Paul Stoutenburgh
It was a real winter's day. The wind
hadbeenblowing for twodaysout of the
northwest and had blown most of the
water out of the creeks. Whenever this
rare occurrence takes place, it's time to
drop everything, get out the old hip
boots and go soft clamming. The big
ones, usually found just below the nor-
mal low -water line where they are pro-
tected in regular tides, are exposed at
such times.
There's a special art to soft clam-
ming, which requires just the right
amount of digging if you don't want to
break the soft shells of the clam. The
first step is to dig a starter hole that is
deep enough to create a caving -in ef-
fect. As the sides cave fn, the loose wet
sand is bailed out so that the caving in
will continue.
If there are clams about and the hole
you dig is deep enough, sooner or later
you'll see clams falling with the sand
from the sides of the hole. You'll even
see the passageway where their long
neck traveled to the surface for food.
This has to be kept open, for clams die
when sediment chokes them out —a
major factor in soft clam depletion.
The place I go must be an ancient
habitat for these palate delights for the
clams are up to five inches in length,
indicating that they must have been
there for years and years. Most are
found at depths of at least 10 to 12
inches, another indication that they
have been there for a long time; soft
clams move very little. What I do is look
for their squirt holes in the sand.
By the way, they are often called
"piss clams" for the way they squirt
water out of their necks up these holes
when they are disturbed. Actually the
neck withdraws for protection and the
water in it is squirted out.
Polluted Clams Made Good
All mollusks filter their food out of
the water and for this reason they are
very susceptible to pollution. It is also
one reason some hard clams are purged
(cleaned) in clean water after being
harvested from polluted waters. Seems
the toxins can be cleansed out of the
clam if they are left in clean waters for
a certain amount of time. It is also
another reason why creeks and bays
are closed after rain because the big-
gest polluter is road runoff and, of
course, this most often occurs after
heavy rains.
I put a shovel and clam basket in the
back of the pickup and was off. Throw-
ing in a pair of rubber gloves was a last -
minute thought that really paid off, for
the water now is freezing cold and the
combination of wind and wet hands is
unbearable. I went off to my secret spot
where I've always gotten huge clams
when the water was way out. I had to
walk across a muddy marsh and then
along an exposed sandy bottom before
I reached the spot. The cold north wind
was biting but the sun added enough
cheer to make the walk exhilarating.
The time was late afternoon and I had to
work fast for the sun was already low on
the horizon. Yellow - tinged clouds scur-
ried fast on their way south and I found
myself alone in the creek.
Most people would not consider this
much of an adventure but I believe
that's what life is about. My adventures
are right here on our own East End. The
marsh had lost its rich green and was a
dull yellow brown. Later the ice and
snow of winter will break it down so that
it will decay and help create the nutri-
sh
raw day relentlessly renewed its effort
to banish me from the creek. I was
satisfied with my harvest and started
back to the pickup, content with a day
on the marsh.
Last Week's Solution
RAMP SEAL CHAMP I B'p R
p C p R M Il L T p O I L E R T O R E
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p M N 0 T P A T H E p l U M I N U M
N I M E B L A I CUSS S N I T
A L P C I V I L R I G H T S 8 P I T E
S H E E T E D O R fl l 8 S N A V E R
I N N E R A G A I N T O fl T E
S I S T E R CRETE S p L 1 E R t
COTE 8 S E G fl E G p T I 0 N S 0 B,
O N E R T p R 0 l I N E L I T E
T I N J A M E S E A R L R p Y p T p N
T p'N G E L 0'S ALUMS E M M Y S
ELL I S G fl p 0 Y B L A B
C p 3 p L 3 F O L I O S E L A 3 8 1 E
USSR MART I N L U T H E R N I N G
fl H E E p D p T E P L E p 0 I L S A
T E EU N O P p fl H A W_ N N O O N
Celebrating Our 60th Year!
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We are epair your system. Please call
ESS &HEATING 00325eB 956
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Celebrating Our 60th Year!
0
ANa AM INC. 51 ! It])
Garbage Hauling &Cesspool Cleaning
Portable Toilet Rentals
Container Serv
ice
283 -0604
NARDY
PEST CONTROL INC.
• TERMITE PROOFING
I •GENERAL PEST CONTROL
FREE ESTIMATES
726 -4777
WATER MILL
Yo:PLUMBING
ow System
Tested
ally!
Us
We are epair your system. Please call
ESS &HEATING 00325eB 956
00334
ice
283 -0604
NARDY
PEST CONTROL INC.
• TERMITE PROOFING
I •GENERAL PEST CONTROL
FREE ESTIMATES
726 -4777
WATER MILL
Yo:PLUMBING
ow System
Tested
ally!
Us
We are epair your system. Please call
ESS &HEATING 00325eB 956
00334