FIX IT, MOVE IT, CLEAN IT, TOSS IT.

RVing is relatively new for me, that is, in spending more than a month on the road in one. Lest you think this is a perpetual vacation, there are times when one must rest from all the fun; do the laundry, rearrange things and toss stuff. One can't accumulate much stuff in a motorhome. The unspoken rule: something comes in? Something must go! It is cleansing to the soul.
We adjusted the new seat on my bike, laid around and watched the river, napped, read books, took old movies we have watched and books we've read to the Good Will store. Jim decided he will no longer give slide presentations on his trip to Panama in 2004. Its old news. Out goes the projector and screen. The old Polaroid is no longer useful. The crock pot has a crack in it. The microwave quit. The pressure regulator on the water gave up. It rained a bit yesterday and today. A mechanic is coming to adjust the choke on the carburetor and Jim has his yearly physical this week.
There is something to be said for letting your brain turn to mush and just loll around and eat pretzels and cheese. A good beer helps. And, this morning I got a friendly recipe from a reader on how to cook razor clams, and when we pass through Long Beach I'm going to give it a try. This is a good time to mention how low-techie I am. Even though I click "publish" comments, once I've read them I've never figured out how to view comments on my blog for those of you who've asked me why? Beats me. Its reasonable to assume there will be a new media to replace blogging by the time I figure it out. But, I enjoy and thank you for comments.

HOW NOT TO COOK RAZOR CLAMS

Pacific Razor Clam (Siliqua patula)

I was reminded yesterday of the irascible razor clam when I took leftover oyster/clam chowder out of the freezer for a quick meal. It was very tasty, but let me tell you, the chowder was a "rescue" dish.
Back in Long Beach, I went on a search for a local specialty, razor clams. I ended up getting them at a restaurant deli where the restaurant's chef told me there were only two ways to cook them, deep fried or pan fried. Since I don't have a deep fryer in the motorhome, nor like deep fried foods over much, she gave me precise instructions on how to pan fry them. Flour the clams, heat your oil very hot, and fry them for under a minute, don't overcook or scorch the flour. Easy!
These clams seem to be a local rage. Type Razor Clam into a search engine and you get lessons on how to dig them with a shovel or tube. You get pictures of what looks like a hundred people crowding a beach digging razor clams. They are popular; they have to be tasty. They can grow as large as 6 inches and live for 9 years. They influence the health of the ocean and are productive and charismatic citizens of the deep. Yup! Gotta have 'em.
That's it, folks. If you like greasy, tough, inedible rubber that is how you do it. We ended up chopping them fine, and putting them in the chowder with more edible companions. Rescue!
I love to cook. I like a challenge. My friends tell me I'm a good cook, but I'd never try them again. Well, maybe never!
I'm intrigued. Any success stories out there?

OYSTERVILLE AND LONG BEACH

Sydney Stevens, tour writer, describes historic Oysterville so: Oysterville was a rip-roarin' town in those days. There were those who lived in "sin" and those who lived to be "saved" - about an even division. When the church was dedicated, the hard drinkers abandoned the saloons, marched in a body to the church, put their gold pieces in the collection plate, and returned to what they considered more stimulating than praying-drinking.

The Long Beach Peninsula is long and narrow, (about 28 miles long and 2 miles wide.) It has a Pacific Ocean side and a Willapa Bay (freshwater) side with Cape Disappointment at its Southern tip. Oysterville is now quiet and picturesque with old historic buildings, the oldest working Post Office, and graveyard. The Postmistress was helpfully kind to me, and gave me a cache of Oysterville for my stamp collection. The whole town site is now on the National Historic Registry and thus preserved for all of us. The oysters, once depleted are now farmed with dredges, cranes and huge oyster baskets. We bought them fresh along with steamer clams to take back to the motor home for dinner. The Methodist Church opened in 1897,




















A pass by the cemetery and you realize people are unique, live or dead, and that the dead still speak to those who visit.


Most people come here to play, with many vacation homes and permanent campsites along the Pacific side. Long Beach reminds me of other Beach Towns before they got too sophisticated. Fast food joints, bumper cars, a carousel. Fun in the sand, throwing frisbies for your dog, horse back riding, buggy rides. Along with your paper bowl of street chowder, the smells of cotton candy, salt water taffy and popcorn fill the air. A signature tacky joint called Marsh's Free Museum lure you in with a million thrills like Alligator Man, the two headed calf, 5cent machine hucksters and cheap souveniers- Oh, kid heaven.



















Heaven for us was the oysters. We were told they'd open in 3 minutes on a barbeque. Not!! Lying cook books claim they will open on a hot barbeque within 6 minutes. After 15 minutes Jim hammared the first 6 apart. The next batch went into the steamer and they didn't read the lying cook book either. They came out much better with a screw driver after the six minutes was up. With sour dough bread, the juice from the steamer clams, nicely laced with white wine, garlic, lemon juice, onion powder, tobasco and worcheshire sauce. Hey, delicious and what the heck. We laughed the whole time at our efforts, wondering if our neighbors were also laughing at our ignorance.