A Walk On The Beach with Katherine Benusa

Spring Time Treasures
Seen Walking The Beach!

These interesting little clams were found exactly as shown in this photo by Lake Chelan resident Katherine Benusa back on March 8th, as she walked the north shore uplake from Spader Bay.

Clams? - Fresh Water Clams! - What are they doing all grouped together? (Practicing to march in the upcoming Manson Apple Blossom Parade in May? … or maybe they’re just hovered together to stay warm?)

Are they edible? - Are they tasty?

It’s not that we haven’t seen a clam or two in Lake Chelan before, but we’ve always seen a longer, more narrow ‘black object’ that we called mussles; and they were tough, and not very tastey, as we recall.

Katherine’s photo of the clams comes with her own questions - which we pass along to our readers to respond.

She asks:
Does lowering the lake have an impact on the ecosystem when all of the fresh water clams are left high and dry? The eight clams in the photo were in shallow water and in line as they appear in the photo. I was taken with them.”

Katherine has more photots and more questions to go with these:

She asks…
These photos are from a walk along the lake, Saturday March 8, 2008. It was a gloriously warm day and a privilege to be surrounded by the ever-changing beauty of the lake and hills.A couple of questions…where can I find out the history of the home I photographed?

Second, does lowering the lake have an impact on the ecosystem when all of the fresh water clams (I think that’s what they are) are left high and dry?

The eight clams in the photo were in shallow water and in line as they appear in the photo. I was taken with them.

In the second photo,the reflection of the hills in the lake made me feel as though I was let in on the secret of the majesty of Mother Nature.

The home, of course, made me think about how lovely it had been when it was loved and cared for and I wondered about the history.

The views from every angle were carefully thought out. I could tell it was someone’s “chosen” spot.

To view these photos up close and enlarge - CLICK HERE