Clamming in Ninilchik

We were invited by a couple of Kenny's old work buddies to go clamming on Memorial Day. So Monday morning we left a little after 6 a.m. and drove the 190 miles down the Kenai peninsula till we reached Ninilchik. Neither of us had ever done it before, so it was a whole new experience. You go when it is low tide, walk out as far as you can and dig for clams in the mud. It was very messy, and very fun. The kids had a hard time walking in a lot of places. I mean it was difficult for adults, but their boots kept getting stuck in the mud and their feet would come right out when they pulled. So there was a lot of us carrying and helping them to just move around. I was carrying Kelsey in the baby carrier on my back the whole time, so Kenny did all of the clam digging by himself. It is a very physically hard task, so I was glad he was up for it. Not only that, but he loved it. It was a challenge for him, and he loves things like that. I told him I was so glad that it was a time sensitive activity, meaning we had to dig until the tide came back in, because I know he would have never wanted to stop! :)

We got there at a different time than Tim & Christina and Alexis, and Mike & Maren and their girls, so it took a while to find each other. But once we did, the men went off and kept clam digging, while the moms took the kids to another part to look for sea life and what not. It was a gorgeous day, and we had so much fun. The kids were completely worn out by the time we were done, and so were Kenny and I! But we loved being out there and seeing another part of this great state.

 

You first look on the sand for small holes or divots, then use the clam gun and push it down into the sand (which is hard to do), then pull it back out, and dump the sand onto the side. You can look for the clam in the hole you made, and in the sand you've just pulled out.

 

Our very first clam!! I think they're completely disgusting...but kind of cool too.

 

At one point Brynlee was so upset. She was crying and covered in mud, and got so frustrated that she couldn't even walk. She said "this is NOT fun and I am never having fun again for the rest of my life!" (ahem, drama queen) She said she was done and going back to the van. She started walking back the way we had come by herself, and no amount of persuading would make her stay. But then she saw an empty clam shell, and she was so proud of herself for finding it. She insisted it was a real clam, and put it in the bucket. After that, she thought it wasn't so bad after all and took it upon herself to help out, since she was so good at finding clams :) That, and daddy gave her more rides like this--which she loved.

 

 

This boy was in heaven

 

Lots of beautiful bald eagles, golden eagles, and seagulls.

 

Once you pull the sand out  with the clam gun, you have to hurry and reach your arm clear down in the hole you just made, and fish around for the clam with your hand. He was in clear to his shoulder!

L to R: Tim, Tyler, Mike, Kenny

 

 

Some of our treasures we found: top row- lots of starfish of all colors and sizes. Bottom L to R: squid, hermit crab halfway out of the shell, and various kinds of anemones sucked back in their holes

Far left in back Christina and Alexis, then Maren showing all the kids something she found

 

Awkward head shot to prove that Kelsey and I were, in fact, there with them.

 

Finally tuckered out on the way back to the car

Husking/cleaning them was my least favorite part. They are so slimy and squishy and just so gross! I know I'm a wuss when it comes to these things. I had the job of holding them by the slimy long thing that sticks out of the shell, and submerging them into boiling water for about 10 seconds. Then the shell pops open (or it's supposed to) and then I dunk them into a bowl of cold water, and use a spoon to scoop them out of the shell. Then I did the first part of the dissecting and removing of unnecessary parts, and Kenny did the rest. He was nice enough to do the most disgusting parts, and spare me a little bit. The last picture on the bottom right is so cool to me. Clams have zippers! As part of their bodies! I'm pretty sure that's where humans came up with the idea of a zipper because it looks just like one. It's pretty cool.