Crabs -- Finally!

 Being tagged prior to cooking. 

Remember back last summer when I tried my own hand at crabbing and failed miserably?  After losing my trap, I opted to not waste money on another.  The commercial Dungeness Crab season opened here a couple of days ago and thus far the catch is stupendous.  I'd read about a little crab shack down on the docks and today went in search -- thinking I was only scoping it out for next week, when a friend will be visiting.  Do you think I could walk away without one?  Forget that!

Even though she was just opening up, customers arrived right after I did and we all waited while she fished our orders from a live tank, weighed and tagged them prior to cooking.  I had thought to cook it myself, but these were HUGE crabs, also rather angry crabs who would have to be handled at some point in order to put into the cooking pot -- so I wimped out and let her cook and clean it for me.  My crab weighed around 2.5 pounds -- and they were all about the same.

Can't beat the price -- it would be twice that in Eugene, and not nearly as fresh.

While I waited for the crabs to cook, I wandered around the docks, fascinated as always by the boats and water.  The floating crab shack is in the background here.

This was, of course, the commercial dock, rather than the pleasure boat marina.  I love reflections of those tall arms in the water.  I was in Brookings for awhile before I realized that those arms are let out to the sides while fishing, only raised when in port.

The big boy, cooked and at home.

Half of him produced this luscious pile of fresh crabmeat.  I'll have the other half tomorrow. Life is good.

So now, my tummy sated, it's back to reading and resting, since Thursday has worked itself into being my weekly day of rest from physical activity.  I need that rest -- I've been pushing myself fairly hard, and my body just isn't as young as it used to be, as much as I try to deny that.  I'll be back to it tomorrow -- headed back into California to tackle the Boy Scout Tree Trail again.  This time, I called ahead and made certain the road was open! Our fabulous weather is also supposed to hold for a few more days.

Before that, however, is the BIG GAME tonight in Eugene!  Since I don't have a partner in crime, I guess there's no seedy bar and beer in store for me, but I'll keep my eye on the score, probably go upstairs to our recreation room and watch it for awhile.  My friend in Eugene said this morning that the city was abuzz, and having lived there on big game days (although never one quite this big!), I know what he means.  The town simply throbs.  I found a bit of football fever spreading through Brookings while I was out - U of O flags flying on cars, the bank all decorated (more or less evenly divided between the two schools).