Not a spelling error, but a nod to the incredibly hard work these men put in. After several hours of dragging a heavy metal cage through hard sand raking up mussels in the freezing cold water, you certainly don’t need to visit the gym anymore.
The mussels are harvested at low tide, but not just in ankle deep water. No mam, these boys go out to the sand banks and rake in the mussels in water up to their necks. Gives a whole new meaning to the saying, to be in deep water!
Those specks are not dots and my bad photography, but mussel men raking the sand. Wow. This sweet doggy sat patiently waiting for his Mussel Man Daddy to come back and it warmed the cockles of my heart… Wiki says it is used to mean that a feeling of deep-seated contentment has been generated. I just felt jolly happy.
Sticking to the cockles and mussels theme, do you remember the song Molly Malone? I remember it from my childhood, but I didn’t remember that the poor girl died from a fever and now her spirit wonders the streets of Dublin singing the song. Does make you wonder if those pub goers really hear her singing or is it Ms Guiness doing the singing…
This is the link to wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Malone
There’s an interesting link to a Russian Celtic folk band (!) called Tintal and I really liked their version.
Quote: A Russian-language cover version of Molly Malone titled Душа моя, Молли (Du'sha moya, Molly - "Molly, my soul") was recorded by the Russian Celtic folk rock band Tintal. In the Russian lyrics, Molly sold trout rather than "cockles and mussels" and died of tuberculosis.
(You can link to it by copying and pasting the title above) Doesn't sound like a rock band at all! Quite funny!
Mussels
Wow, this gives me such a greater appreciation for the mussels I enjoy on my plate. Growing and harvesting our food is so often taken for granted. When you see what goes into it all, you really do have greater reverence for it.