The Right Kind of Crabbing

It's a wonder that crabs come anywhere near our dock. The constant thunder of bare feet up and down would surely deter the hungriest crab. The draw of the crab trap is a magical thing though. As soon as the smell of pluff mud reaches their nostrils, my kids cast aside the ipods and texting for another obsession: hauling in crabs. It is the first move of the day when still in pajamas, they drag in the trap to see what scuttled in during the night. It is also the final pass before bedtime when they hang over the water with flashlights and hope for some "keepers" to delay bedtime for boiling.

I am truly fortunate that the older kids, Emma and her friend Colin, enjoy picking out the crab meat. They sit on old stools at the big kitchen sinks, crank up the music, and pick crabs for hours while they cut up and enjoy the marsh view. Old Man Taylor's crab cakes are legendary

and crab cake night is the high point of our culinary week. Fresh crab cakes, "cold" slaw, corn muffins, and Bud-out-of-the-bottle...I'd better go get some more chicken necks for bait.

The big blond crab in the net is Colin. I think he's a keeper.