“It was the best day ever” she said on Saturday night, knowing that at least one of our precious 90 days of summer was not wasted. “Let’s do it again tomorrow!” If we had planned it earlier, we could have left our crab pots out overnight. We had had a cage fight match with a big female who clung to the bait bag with all her might, not understanding that we were trying desperately to throw her to freedom without injuring her. I finally had to reach in and physically pull each claw from the chicken drumsticks before she could either claw onto it again or claw me instead. Crabs are fierce and can be a little scary. Still, nothing makes her happier than the beauty of the sun and sea, the thrill of the chase, and the reward of tasty crab. She giggled with excitement each time we threw a big male into the cooler.
It’s become our tradition to stop in Langley for lunch every time we go crabbing. Right now the cute little downtown is lined with brightly covered flowers. It’s a fantastic place for it: it’s scenic, it’s got several restaurants, an ice cream shop, a whale museum, and a little park by the marina with free public bathrooms.
She prepared Saturday’s catch the Chinese way: stir-fried with ginger, green onion, and oyster sauce. It was so tender and amazing – I’d never experienced crab like that. We had four to feast on, including one 7″ across. The second day’s catch she steamed in stackable steamer trays she had brought from China, then she made sushi out of them. Next time she promised crab cakes. On Sunday we pulled into Langley while our pots soaked and walked into town for lunch. The water there is so clear that you can see all the mussels and sea stars on pilings more than ten feet down. We saw seals everywhere in the water and on the docks, as well as a bald eagle off Hat Island. My weeds are hopelessly out of control, my fridge is empty, but I’m enjoying my summer.
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