Hmmmmm.....Empty Shells?

Oysters are also harvested out of Tillamook Bay; the shells are bagged and stored on the dock until they are picked up. The empty shells are used in the farming of more oysters; millions of Pacific Oyster "seeds" are bagged and placed in the bay, later they are pulled up and harvested. Once in awhile we find oysters when we are clamming at low tide, but we aren't supposed to take them. Only the commercial farmers can harvest the Pacific Oysters; once there were native oysters in Tillamook Bay, but they were over harvested and now are protected. The Oyster Shells are also a good source of Calcium; they are ground up and used in gardens. People also buy shells for craft projects and for driveway paving. So why are the shells here on the dock? The oyster farmers sell oysters to the two fish markets on the dock; the shell are saved and returned to the farmers. There is a big processing plant for oysters in Bay City; you can see mountains of oyster shells in an area, near the plant, just off Hwy 101. Those shells are loaded by big equipment into dump trucks and most likely used for driveways. I am not a big fan of eating oysters, but I find them fascinating.

Today I was back in the garden after a relaxing peaceful morning; there was a little more pruning I saw that I wanted to get done while we are here alone. This evening we just went for a ride in the boat around the bay....very peaceful.

We are feeling very good about spending more time here than usual......we have always said we should spend a couple weeks here, but it seems like we have to get home for some reason....not this time.  :-))

I hope you had a lovely weekend and that you are feeling healthy and happy. Remember the quickest path to happiness is by being kind to everyone, all the time.