Clam-Digging with a Bearbnb Host

 Hullo!!! Sandy Bear here... as a Bearbnb host, we get a lot of guests who come to Nanoose Bay to go clam digging and oyster hunting! I'd never, ever been here, so I thought I would check it out, the better to interact with my guests!

We know the spot along the highway, where people park in the spring and summer. Sometimes there are tonnes of cars lined up here! But today is not bad!!

Then we had to find a little trail down the embankment to the old railroad tracks.

No fear of getting hit by a train along here! This section of the line hasn't been used in decades!

Then we scrambled down another trail to the beach.

We are on the right track! Discarded empty shells line the trail!

And pretty Nootka Rose flowers!

Here's the beach! The best time to come is at super low tide... not just any low tide... super low tide... like 2 ft or less.

As we walked out towards the water, we started seeing little clams. We think this one might be a Butter Clam.

There's a clam airhole!! Some people start digging at these spots! You might find a Butter Clam down there!

And a little dead crab too!

That big, open one is definitely a butter clam.

When you dig here, you have to be careful not to disturb the sea grass... it's part of the habitat you know.

Lots of empty shells and then... we say it... a very weird thing sticking out of the sand...

You you see it??? It kind of looks like a clam but...

When we touched it and gave a tug... it was kind of rough and soft and it pulled back... It's a Geoduck! There's a clam at the end of this siphon, a very big clam.. with a very long siphon. I am not going to post a picture of the gooeyduck (that's how it's pronounced)... but look it up. They are quite the delicacy... we would have needed shovels and fast digging to dig this puppy out!

There are some people over there digging clams... let's go check it out...

They have small rakes and are picking these from the top 6 inches of the rocky sandy here... They are Manila clams...

Farther along, the sand gets even more rocky and there are tonnes of oysters.

We found a Dad and two kids picking oysters!

There sure are a lot here!

Do you like oysters and clams? Well then, this is the place. So many places along the coast suffer from "Red Tide" (algal blooms of dinoflagellates that accumulate in shellfish in the summer months and lead to Paralytic shellfish poisoning). But Nanoose Bay is "usually" toxin free!

Sandy's Bearbnb - The Other Washing Room

Many of our Bearbnb guests want to do their washing when they are staying with us. So we have a laundry room that they can access.

We always remind them to use eco-friendly practices... like washing in cold water and only washing full loads.

I try to make sure the humans are up on sustainable practices. A stuffie's job is never done, you know!

It's pretty basic... just a washer and a dryer.

There are laundry baskets in the suite and there's even a wire clothes rack in case things need to be hung to dry...

Also laundry detergent and dryer sheets.

Yep... this is where it happens. There is a Gentle wash cycle in case... you know...

... a stuffie needs to get washed. I've never had that happen to me (knock on wood) but... you never know...

And then there is the dryer... but you really don't want to put a stuffie in there... maybe on the Air setting (with no heat) but... **shudder**... I hate to think of what a stuffie might look like on the "High Heat" setting!

Oh... and there is an outdoor clothes line as well, where your humans can hang their beach towels and stuff.

I think that covers laundry! Can you think of anything we might have forgotten? This Bearbnb host is always trying improve their offerings!

A Beary Special Section of the Welcome Book in Sandy's Bearbnb

Hullo! Today... I am going to show you our Welcome Binder... aka... the House Manaul. It is a beary important part of any Bearbnb and tells guests how to operate appliances, where to find different things, etc.

Ours has expanded over the years as we've added more and more sections. We have a section for kids... and another one with things to do and places to go. But today... I am going to show you the BEST and MOST IMPORTANT section... 

Yes... Is is the Section for the Young at Heart! And it's all about... 

.... MEEEEEE!!!!

There's a whole section on who I am and pics of me on some of my adventures...

I mean... any visiting stuffies need to know who their host is, right?

Then there is a section on Sandy's Selfie Chair... where visiting stuffies can get a selfie with Yours Truly (that would be me!). And another page explaining the Travel Journal stamp... and how to get their stuffie passport stamped...

And finally, there's a section on the BookCrossing books...

Can you think of any other sections I should include in the Welcome Binder? I want stuffies to feel welcome!

Chilling in Sandy's Bearbnb

 Hullo!! Let me show you the living room, where our guests like to chill and hang out.

It's really quite nice in the early morning sunshine. So bright and cheery.

The couch is uber comfortable. Can you imagine how many stuffies could fit on this couch?? Scads!!!!

And there are two other chairs so we can have an excellent conversation across from each other.

We could also watch TV... if there was a Stuffie channel... which I haven't come across yet.

And then... under the TV... we have...

Games, lots and lots of games!!

There are some magazines to read too. Again... why is there no stuffie magazine?

And right now... the view out the window is full of blooming rhodos. Sooo pretty. 

It might not be a big living room... but it is a cozy one. Perfect for vacationing stuffies (and their humans... if you have to bring them along... and sometimes you do).