SeaGlassing Old Clay Pipe
November 30th 2012 Posted at The Beachcombers
6 Comments
This has got to be my favourite find of the week. I have found clay pipe stems dated back to the 1800’s and looked up the story on them and was amazed to find out the history behind a clay pipe stem. Back in late 1700 and early 1800’s people used to smoke clay pipes, then break off the bit of the stem their mouths had touched, and pass the pipe onto the next person so he could use it. The broken-off bit would be tossed into the ocean and over time these clay stems wash ashore, rounded with the while still inside. The pipe stems are easy to find, the hand forged clay bowls break and are not so easily to find. Either way I was doing a happy dance on New Dorp Beach after I bent down and picked it up.
Speaking of New Dorp Beach did I happen to tell you that we ended up there after leaving Prince Edward Island? We found folks that needed help and seeing we had a little bit of time on our hands we felt the need to volunteer our time and hang our hat in camp; organizing the supply tents, caring for folks and doing what we do best in the cook tent.
The big deal of all this was the sea glass just behind where we set up camp on the waterfront and the amount of seaglass that had come ashore in the Hurricane with storm Sandy. We would venture out early morning and pick sea-glass, run over to the cook tent and get the coffee on then back to our RV and wash sea glass. I took those pieces of seaglass and wire wrapped them into pendents and gave them out to the locals and volunteers of Occupy Sandy. What a souvenir and a reward to give back to the community what the ocean gave up.
Take care,
Cindy