We had a big storm form off the coast over the weekend. It's mostly passed now, but there are still some pretty big winds. Friday was basically a washout and today was so windy and cold you wouldn't want to be outside anyway. Take a look at this maelstrom in the Benny's parking lot taken this past Friday, Nov. 27. - Dennis, Massachusetts. Cape Cod
The weather this Sunday was much better than last... by far. The wind that had been blowing all day, finally calmed aound 1:00. And, although the clouds never went away, the water was clear, calm and not-so-cold. The oysters were easy picking, which allowed me to be choosy... only taking the perfect ones: rounded bottom, 3 1/2 inches or so. The previous week was so bad, I took whatever I found that was at or above the 3" limit.
This is my new gear this season: An actual clamming bucket, rather than a 3-gallon paint bucket. I just put the orange water-noodle on it this week. With a leash, the bucket now floats at arms reach from me. I also have a deeper plastic tub (to keep the waves out), a 3-foot "grabber," and the sleeves from my old surfing wetsuit.
This is a full 5-quart catch, or about 4-dozen 3 1/2-inch oysters. I didn't see many people leaving today without their limit.
Every season, in October, if you hold a Brewster shellfishing license, you are welcome to brave the elements for your share of the town stocks of oysters. Last Sunday was opening day, but since we had a Nor-Eastah' that lasted for nearly four days, the harvest was cancelled.
So THIS week became opening Sunday. I arrived with the masses at about 1 1/2 hours before the low tide and joined the rest of the oyster-addicts out there in this week's slightly-less-than-a-Nor-Eastah'. The wind was blowing 20mph from the North West, and it completely churned up the 
water into a dense brown soup. You couldn't see a thing. The only way to find 'em was to take off your gloves and just blindly feel for them on the bottom. I felt lucky to get my limit.
If next week is decent weather, there should be a bunch, since there were a lot of people leaving the beach with only some or NONE in their baskets. (look at the frustrated look on the guy standing to the left)
(click images for a larger view)
I went to see the Guggenheim Grotto in Cambridge last night. What a show. It was well worth the long drive up to Boston as well as dealing with the bridge-repair traffic.
They played to a packed house, but it was a very small, very intimate venue. I was at a table, second out from the stage and it was really a treat. Two hightlights for now before I get back to work... 1) In the song, "Cold Truth," Kevin plays the lead guitar. I never realized this until I watched Mick pass the Guitar to Kevin, that Kevin plays left handed and holds the guitar upside-down. And 2), for their encore, they did a three-song set that included at the very end, a completely un-mic-ed "What is this Feeling." It sounded something like this one from another show... [watch video]
(The photo is a still from a youtube vid at the same venue back in June)
Today, at the kids' soccer games, one of the girls came up to me and said, "Wanna see our turtles?" She had one of those padded cooler bags and I thought "odd," but OK, "Sure!" I said. "Let's see the turtles."
She set the bag down and opened it up. Along with a pile of orange wedges and a few bottles of water were tiny, half-dollar sized little turtles. There must have been around a half dozen and one of the girls picked one up. "They're snapping turtles!" she excaimed with glee. "They were all over the field. We kept these ones... We're going to put them in our pond," she said.
"Yikes!" My mind instantly flashed back to the Mill Pond and all the white-whale adventures we had floating around on that murky pool. I don't remember our monsters there as cute as these little hatchlings. (The movie, "Gremlins" comes to mind) Soccer saved the day for these guys, and surely an opportunistic gull missed out on a quick and easy breakfast.
And, it wasn't only snapping turtles that caught a break today. When I was buying Milk at Cumberland Farms today (only because they charge an average dollar less than the grocery store charges), a Chatham nartural resources officer pulled up, and he had an endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle in the car. They wash up on the beach this time of year, and usually in bad weather. They are cold stunned and lost on their migration back to the south.
No Oystering tomorrow. The town postponed the harvest until next week due to the extreme weather. (Noreaster blowing since Thursday)
After being shaken off of their bushes, these cranberries are floated in the flooded bog and harvested. This is from a bog in Harwich two days before harvest. (Click photo for bigger photo)
It's October on Cape Cod and that means Oysters!
These are from "Brewster Oysters" grant, here on Cape Cod Bay, and they are about as good as you can get 'em.
(Click Image for a bigger view)
