Clam Hunting for the Electrical Engineering Nerd Within

So as my wife mentioned in her blog, we went out to our families cabin on Anderson Island Saturday. It was a great time with friends and family and the weather... wow! Anytime you can spend some time on the beach in Washington and it is in the 70's there isn't much room for complaining. I think that the kids (Brayden, his buddy Cooper, and Peyton in the front pack) had a good time and after awhile it became apparent that Brayden took it up as his own personal mission to throw every rock in the water (I think he would still be there throwing if we would have let him stay). After a leisure walk along the stone covered beach we discovered giant spiders, dead crabs, cool shells, and a squirting beach... I knew that the random squirts of water were clams and I decided I would try to catch one.

I decided I would try to stalk a clam and try my luck at catching one (yes I have a shellfish license so I was technically legally allowed to harvest clams and the beach we were on is open year round). I carefully walked up to where some clams were hanging out and waited for one nearby to give up its location by squirting a jet of water out of the ground. There it was, within a step of me, so I inched ever closer to his domain and as the most opportune of moments approached I began to dig with such ferocity as I have only previously seen Emma (my chocolate lab) dig up a freshly reseeded patch of missing grass in my backyard. I caught him by surprise and was able to grab his neck, the battle had begun and I yelled to Jeremy to come over fast and help me dig this behemoth of the deep from his lair. I lost track of time and our hands went numb from the cool crisp tidal waters but we eventually basked in the sunshine, claiming victory we hoisted our treasure for all to see.

I was quite taken at the size of our little friend and severely debated keeping him for a pot of clam chowder (I am sure he would have been sufficient for a whole pot). My logic got the better of me because I had not researched the toxins on the beach before our adventure and was not comfortable keeping our catch without such information. Having been the prey of bad shellfish, previously in my life, I am ok not reliving that experience. We put our clam back in his home and covered him back up and walked back down the beach toward the cars.

There was another group of people digging clams (pshh... they were using shovels) and my curiosity got the better of me so I had to see the extent of their catch. All the clams in their bucket were about half the size of the one we caught. After bragging about our catch they ogled at us with disbelief so Jeremy and I decided to run back down the beach (like baywatch without David Hasselhoff's short red shorts or Pamela Andersons upper body... although I guess that doesn't leave much) and grab our little friend. They were obviously more comfortable than I about keeping the clams so we parted ways with our dear friend once and for all. Rejoining our families (including my now sand covered son) we retreated back to the safety of the cabin to bathe, relax, and feast on chicken, potatoes, and homemade bread topped with cinnamon honey.
On a side note, upon returning home my curiosity again got the better of me (not that I had intended to return to the beach anytime soon for digging clams because my hands could probably not take that kind repeated abuse). I looked up the beach on the department of health's website but I could not recover specific information about the beach we were on. However, the one just around the corner (a couple minute walk away) was closed due to high levels of toxins so in hindsight it was probably a good decision not to consume the clam.

Of other matters, this weekend also afforded me the time to dig into a new book. I finished one last week so that means I should try to start reading two new ones (I only have about six books going right now...) I wish I could stop this but I think I am becoming addicted to books. Half of my wish list for Christmas was composed of books (I have to proclaim that my awesome wife got me every one on the list). I truly think I might have something wrong with me and my wishlist on amazon continues to exponentially expand (is there a recovery group to deal with this issue?) I am reading Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybel's, which so far I am far more captivated with than I expected to be and I just might read it all the way to the end. :)

On page 76 I discovered the best quote ever; "The wire is you and me; the current is God. We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, and produce the light of the world - Jesus." Ok, so it isn't as inspirational to you as me, but you have to remember the context that I am an electrical engineer and spent four years studying electricity and all of its many properties. Additionally I recently spent many hours studying my rear end off to get my Professional Engineering License in the state of Washington (an eight hour test I am glad I will never have to take again). So in thinking about it a little more, since V=IR (that would be voltage equals current times resistance, for the rest of you), God's current is supernaturally strong and my resistance seems to be infinite so together that means we should be able to shock the world with all that is Jesus.

More musings and adventures shall come in my subsequent posts but for my first one I think this is adequate...