Sunday: Crabs

Do you know the meaning of "crabby"? Since I was feeling especially crabby and ill-tempered yesterday, I thought it would be a good day to go crabbing. We rode in the back of my father's new truck to the pier. It is now illegal for children to ride in the backs of trucks, but when I was a kid, it was THE way to go anywhere in the summer. In fact, children were expected to ride in the back because trucks cabs were smaller and un-air-conditioned. More about trucks later.
To go crabbing successfully requires basically the same supplies and skills as mushrooming: a basket and the ability to distinguish between those we eat and those we don't. The crabs we eat are Blue Crabs (they are blue). It is illegal to take whole Stone Crabs from the waters (though you may take one claw, if it has two). They are easy to recognize because they aren't blue, and they look a bit inflated. Hermit Crabs are the ones with the shells on their backs. You can throw them back before or after you watch them crawl around for a while. Hermit crabs are sold as pets at the shell shop in the Village.

When we arrived at the pier, my aunt and uncle had already baited and set out the baskets, so all Bram had to do was haul up the baskets and pick out the crabs. It wasn't a very successful crabbing expedition. We caught only one large Stone Crab, which we are obliged by law to throw back, and a whole lot of Hermit crabs. Granted, we had a lot of fun playing around with the Hermits and talking to family. It's always nice for me watch my mom with her sisters, and Bram had a fun time with his cousins.