I recently got back from a FANTASTIC trip to San Diego. We went fishing, clamming, and to the beach, but not necessarily in that order. FIRST, I will discuss clamming. San Diego has marvelous clam beds. Last time, we went for the razor clams, but this time, our focus was Pismo clams at Silver Strand State Beach. These guys are HUGE if you haven't seen them firsthand. It was about 8 AM. We went down about knee deep into the water, but as the tide came up and we ventured further out we ended up being a bit higher than waist deep. How to Pismo clam: 1. Get a pitchfork. Start stabbing the sand under the sea. Don't stab your feet. Keep stabbing until you hit something hard buried about two inches or so down. It might be a rock. But with any luck, it'll be a clam! (This was Uncle P’s job. He has the magical ability to find clams. When I tried, I couldn't find ANY. What sorcery is this?) 2. When you hit one, feel for it with your foot and start digging it out (use your foot to dig around it). (This was also my uncle's job). 3. When you feel that your foot has done a sufficient job, get down into the water and pluck the clam out with your hands! Or, alternatively,send some other poor sod down into the water to get it out with THEIR hands (Poor sods: My brother and me). I say poor sods because these soldiers have to contend with the merciless waves breaking on their heads while they're in that vulnerable underwater digging position. My brother and I played lookout for each other. While one of us was digging, the other was screaming "HEADS UP!" and "SEAWEED WAVE!" when appropriate (A seaweed wave is characterized by a monstrous looming crest and lots, I mean LOTS, of seaweed visibly tumbling within). If the digger failed to heed the warning in time, they would get slapped in the face by saltwater and vicious strands of kelp and other weird green-brown sea plants. Later I found wads of seaweed in the pockets of my swim shorts. The limit is 10 clams per person. We got 19 before we decided to pack up. Not that we were tired or couldn't find anymore. We just realized that we could barely carry the bucket of 19 clams back to the parking lot. We took them back to my grandma's house and she made clam porridge. Which is delicious. Next, fishing. Specifically, fishing from the beach, on a boat, during the day, and the night. Boat fishing was by far the most fun. We went out on San Diego Bay on Uncle P’s motorboat in the afternoon with Uncle T. My brother and I caught mackerel and lizard fish for bait purposes while Uncle P and Uncle T used our bait fish to coax the bigger fish for dinner. After a few hours on the water, Uncle T got the catch of the day, the motherlode, the magnificent HOLYBUTT! (a.k.a. Halibut...it was a running joke while we were on the boat). After another couple hours, we decided to take the lines in and head back to the dock while the sun was going down. Night fishing was the last thing we did before we left for the drive home early the next morning. We went to a sweet spot in La Jolla as the sun was going down. My brother and I ran up and down along the shore, catching sandcrabs (a.k.a. sand fleas--but who likes fleas?) for bait and watching other fishermen reel in their catches. To catch sand crabs, look for tell-tale groups of little v’s in the sand when the waves roll back out. The v’s are the crabs’ feeders sticking out of the sand. You'll have to be fast and sneak up on them cause the next wave’s coming in, and the crabs retreat further in the sand when they feel you coming. Before the next wave comes in, start scooping! You shouldn’t have to dig far down if you’re quick enough. Just use your hand to take a large scoop of sand out where the v’s are, and slap it down next to the hole you just made. Spread the mound out so you can see what’s inside and pick out the little guys scurrying to burrow back down in the sand. Actually, another method my brother and I developed was to quickly dig a wide, shallow pit a little below the v’s before the next wave came in. The depression fills with water, and as the wave recedes, the sand crabs come tumbling down into the pit. They’ll swim around a bit before they catch hold of the sand and start burrowing again. Catching them this way makes it easier to see them and grab them while they’re floating. Here’s a great link if you want to know more about the crabs themselves: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/sand-crab Apparently the area’s good for sargo, but we didn't catch much. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the sunset and the clear night sky. Cheers!
Clem
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It's finals week! I needed a break from studying so I whipped up an Avatar-themed portrait of two of my classmates. It started as an in-class doodle and then I got a little carried away and finished it in Photoshop for fun. And then I got another request from a friend who also wanted to be "avatarized." So this happened in 30 seconds. :P In other news, I have a possible 'ukulele gig coming up in a week or so--I'll be playing a set for a luau-themed hospital staff party (Hmm...birthday party idea). If it happens, it'll be my first official public performance, so, whoo! Also, my brother and I plan to shoot a short 'ukulele music video sometime mid-June, More on that later!
Got another couple days of finals then I'm out for summer break! I'll probably post more often during the summer, cause I'll have way more time to do art. Cheers! Clem |
ClemC's Blog
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