HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Melissa & Tim, Hanging Around & Some Interesting Facts 9/9/2008

First of all we would like to wish Melissa and Tim a very very Happy Anniversary and hope they have many more together!!!!!!!!!!!!


Tuesday we took a day off from doing anything at all.......ha ha as if we ever do anything.....and just hung around. Mom washed clothes and I cleaned the bugs off the front of the coach and washed the back end as it was all road film.
There is one piece of very interesting information we did learn today about how the campgrounds came to be named Cherrystone. Just as you drive in the entrance there is a business named Cherrystone Aqua Farms which is a division of Ballard Fish and Oyster Company, Inc., which has been in the shellfish business since 1895 and now grows littleneck clams. The president and general manager is Dr. Michael Peirson, who holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from North Carolina State University. Dr. Peirson has built on the pioneering work of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to develop a hatchery program that assures the consistent quality of Cherrystone Aqua-Farms littleneck clams. The clams are grown in the high-salinity, ocean-flushed waters of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Growing waters and packing facilities are inspected by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Shellfish Sanitation. Finally, Cherrystone Aqua-Farms clams are carefully handled, immediately refrigerated after packing and shipped fresh. At Cherrystone Aqua-Farms, the choice littleneck clams are cultured from carefully selected genetic stock in highly-controlled conditions, assuring the best quality possible. They are vertically integrated, controlling all aspects of clam production from producing the eggs to harvesting, which allows them to control costs. The clams are mechanically graded into the four different sizes of littleneck clams that they sell. The clams are harvested daily so they always bring the freshest catch to their customers. If properly handled and refrigerated at 40° - 45°F, their clams should last a minimum of seven days. A littleneck clam refers to the size of the most popular grade of clam. They usually are best suited for appetizers and entreés. Generally, the smaller the clam, the more tender it is. This benefit makes smaller clams such as littlenecks very desirable because they can be served in a variety of ways. It takes approximately 2 1/2-3 years for a clam to grow from an egg to market size. Compared to many protein foods, clams are lower in calories and fat and 12 clams contain only 100 calories and only 15 calories of the 100 are from fat. Clams are high in potassium and full of iron and clams have special oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Now you know where littleneck clams come from and from what we understand these are some of the best clams in the country. It was to bad you couldn't buy them in smaller quantities than a bag of 250 as we would have gotten some.
Well that was about it for the day as we watched TV and had dinner and then we called it a day as we were leaving for the Outer Banks tomorrow. Well time to say until tomorrow we love you and miss you all. Mom and Dad


Picture List:1,2,3,4-Cherrystone Aqua farms littleneck clam farm.....picture 4 is where they actually raise the clams.