They’re alive, just an hour or two after leaving the bay, and will be until they are cooked an hour or two later.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.northcapemay.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/clams-in-late-november-2019.jpg?resize=525%2C876&ssl=1)
The air is chilly in the shadows, but the water is still warm enough for sandals.
In a generation or two, different clams will fill the same basket, different hands will hold the same rake.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.northcapemay.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/clam-shells.jpg?resize=525%2C315&ssl=1)