A Week at the Beach

Last week we went on our family camping summer vacation. We reserved a campsite about 100 feet from the ocean waves at Assateague National Seashore in Maryland. We pitched our tent in the sand and ran around for 5 days in bare feet because it was too annoying to keep dumping the sand out of your shoes. It was also one of neatest places we have ever been camping. Along with swimming in the waves and making sand castles as well as the smores and hot dogs, we also learned how to catch crabs, canoe with a 3 year old and an 18 month old in your craft and finally that Nick can singlehandedly hike 1/2 mile without stopping.

By far the funnest thing we did was catch blue crabs. Tom figured it all out before we left and brought all the stuff so we could capture and cook the freshest crab feast you ever thought possible. All it takes is a piece of string, a chicken leg and a net. You tie the chicken leg to the string and then throw it out in the water. The crabs come up and start nibbling the chicken. As the crab eats, you slowly draw the string towards shore where you have a long handled net waiting in the water with the tip buried in the sand. When the crab is over the net you lift it up out of the water and voila! Steamed crab for lunch. The whole process takes 2 people so you really have to work as a team and there is skill involved with luring the crab over the net and actually bringing the net out of the water while keeping that snapping thing inside the net. Initially, we didn't bring anything to hold the crabs (I don't know what we were thinking, it seems we always forget something. Taylor rode back to camp on his bike and brought a pot back. It was relatively small but on the up side, they were ready to cook.) Those crabs are way feisty and would try to attack anything that came within their line of sight. Luckily, they can't see behind them so you can maneuver them if you grab from behind. One pinched Taylor on the finger and cut it, Nick was afraid of them and would cry when they got snappy around him. It gives a whole new meaning when you say someone is crabby.

Teamwork...

Here is a picture of Miriya proudly holding her crab, just before she ate him.

Here is Isaac with a crab in his net.