Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Oyster Shells


The other day I went for a walk down Williams Wharf Road.  Stepping out of the car, I was greeted by this scene. The sunlight was perfect and the colors were radiant.




These next two are the same two poles from a different angle.




Do you see all the oyster shells there in the mud?  That's reason enough to have No Swimming signs posted all over the place down here, even though most of us already know that the combination of creek/river mud and oyster shells is a recipe for disaster when it comes to bare feet.  Those shells will slice you wide open if you aren't careful.

Still, a few cuts and sliced off toes were never enough to prevent the Chesapeake Bay Sisters from swimming in the creek - only the stinging nettles could do that.  To avoid the dreaded shells, we used to slip on an old pair of tennis shoes and jump right on in.  This was well before the days of electricity the aqua shoes that are so prominent on beaches these days.

(You'll never catch me in a pair of those things, thank you very much.  I'd sooner put on a pair of sandals and white tube socks than wear aqua shoes, and could someone please--please!--explain why anyone wearing sandals would ever wear socks, much less white tube socks?  Isn't that defeating the whole purpose of sandals? But this is really not what we're here to talk about.)

I'd wager one good oyster shell could put a hurtin' on those thin-soled aqua shoes.  Give me the good old tennis shoes any day.

Speaking of oyster shells, but not about white tube socks and sandals,  the 53rd Urbanna Oyster Festival is this Friday and Saturday.  I think it's time to pull out the ole crab hat, because I will wear one of those.  Proudly.

Have you ever worn shoes while swimming?

Have you ever worn white socks with sandals? 

Do you know why people might wear socks with sandals?

While I have a very strong opinion on the subject, I would never judge anyone except Chesapeake Bay Middle Sister, who used to wear white tube socks with Tevas back in the 1990s!

But then again, I wear a crab hat, so to each his own.

14 comments:

Kay L. Davies said...

Love your photographs. What a great place your part of the east coast is. Very few people. Yay!!
My part of the west coast (well, where I come from) is wall to wall condos now. Not yay.
Swimming with shoes. Yep. Tennis shoes before aqua shoes were invented. Aqua shoes for snorkeling in the Galapagos. Didn't slice them open, but didn't see masses of oyster shells like that. I know to avoid oyster shells, coral, etc., to shuffle my feet in the water to warn rays I'm coming and don't want to step on them, etc.
I quite like the aqua shoes. They dry faster than tennies.
Well, I see I'm typing words inappropriate to the subject, so it must be bedtime.
Love reading your blog.
-- K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

deborah said...

Remember the toe socks that people used to wear with sandals? Ugh!
Gorgeous photos!

Ann Marie said...

sweet baby jesus.. tube socks and sandals make my skin crawl .. so do those water slippers for that matter.. EWWWWWW

I keep debating about this weekend.. just not sure what I am doing..

Jamie said...

Have a great time at OF!

Yes, I've worn tennis shoes swimming and a few times my cousin and I wore jeans and turtle necks swimming so we could outsmart the jellyfish. It's not easy swimming in jeans and turtlenecks.

Never wore socks and sandals. I don't like socks.

Trisha said...

While I have never worn shoes while swimming, I must admit that I have done the white socks with sandals - but let me explain!

When I go to classes I usually wear clothing and shoes appropriate to the outside weather. Then I sit in a classroom which is chilled to near arctic temperatures.

Because of this I take sweaters and socks to slip into when I get cold.

That is the only time I wear socks with sandlas and I usually remember to take them off before leaving the building . . . usually!

Daryl said...

I dont understand shoes of any sort in the water ... and socks with sandals seem to be a tourist thing and also a Birkenstock wearer thing, maybe due to the Birkenstock being a wide sandal which needs something more than a foot to fill it .. or not...

JNesbitt said...

My grandfather always wore shoes while clamming, and we had to, too. Even though we went swimming in the same water, if we were JUST swimming, nobody wore shoes. For this reason, I always figured the shoes were to protect us from being stabbed by the clam rake. I tried my best never to let my feet touch bottom, anyway...there were weird, mysterious items down there (Chincoteague Bay.) I remember wearing white socks with sandals when I was a little girl, and I'm sure it must have been my mother's idea and not mine!

Lynne M. said...

I LOVE it!! Someone shares my very serious pet peeve!!! My father wears white tube socks with his sandals ALL THE TIME!! Once I even saw a little 1 1/2 year old boy that I know out in public with them on! (NOT my son, mind you) How could you do that to your child? I would think it would scar him for life!

And, yes, I have worn tennis shoes swimming -- and don't own a pair of those dumb water shoes..

Mental P Mama said...

When I was a girl, I sliced my foot wide open on a cloister of oyster shells. I think that's why I don't like them. And socks with sandals oughta be against the law.

Meg McCormick said...

I'm told socks with sandals are A-OK in, like, Seattle. But I myself wouldn't dare. While I'm at it, open toed shoes with pantyhose? DON'T.

I can't remember the last time I wore shoes in the water.

WV: Wardist. Insert clever sentence about Bayman here.

big hair envy said...

When we were kids, my sisters and cousins and I were treated to a day at the beach in Whitestone. One of my cousins chose not to wear her tennis shoes in the water. Fifteen minutes after we arrived, said cousin cut her foot on an oyster shell. We spent the rest of the day sweltering in the back of a station wagon, waiting for the local country doc to stitch her up. Because of said cousin's stitches, our trip to the water park the following day was cancelled. I believe that was the same year I wore white tube socks with Dr. Scholl's sandals. Good times!!!

Oyster Festival, HERE WE COME!!

foolery said...

Yes, yes, and if you live in California, almost ANYTHING goes. Except socks with Birks, though I have certainly done it.

(Tennis shoes were necessary in lakes because of the huge cockle burrs buried in the mud, and probably glass shards. Tennis shoes were advisable in creeks because of the SLIME.)

Country Girl said...

Never wore socks with sandals until lately. I wear my Merrils with socks. But I'd never go swimming with them (too heavy). And never swimming in socks. That's just wrong.

AverettLadyNana said...

Loved the pictures of the shore I spent many happy hours playing on as a child while Momma and Daddy working.

Been swimming with shoes...yes tennis shoes to protect the feet. Worn white socks with sandals --yes, when around five or I burnt my foot bad and had to wear white socks all summer on that foot with all type of shoes and if barefooted that foot was socked. Burnt it down New Point Beach the entire family on Daddy's side had spent the afternoon down there, clamming, cooking out, walked down to the lighthouse, swimming, etc. They had dumped out the charcoal to cool before leaving and taking it with us to dispose...it had became covered some with sand and I stepped on it burning the HECK out of my foot. Wouldn't tell, sat with it in the water to cool the foot. When we went to leave it started burning like all get out going to the car, burst out in tears. . . Dr. Bowles took a look, got some Rx ointment for it, etc.