The Bayou Provides

   While life on a bayou is probably not for everyone, it seems to be perfect for me.  Most would rather be highly involved with their social lives and the hubbub that comes with it.  Again...not me.  I prefer the solitude that I can find here even to the point that I let the land and bayou provide for most of my needs.  While the garden is in a lull due to a recent drought, the water is teeming with "foodstuffs".  That is where I am spending the bulk of my time...on the pier.  Mullet, drumfish, redfish, trout, flounders and crabs are all within reach and shrimp!...yes, shrimp are plentiful this year!  A massive influx of shrimp this far from the salty Gulf is rare so all of the locals are taking full advantage of the occurrence!  We are throwing the net just about every waking hour and are filling freezers for future use.  Free food is always good.

  A thought bleeped through the brain yesterday as I was hauling in yet another netful of shrimp.  What in the world is this old lady with a bad heart doing down here on the pier?  I think I am pushing my strength to the limits this summer.  Just last week, after a great checkup with my doctor, I got the orders to "Just keep doing whatever you are doing as it seems to be paying off in great ways with your health."  I wonder if Doc knows that I am spending hours at a time throwing a net from the pier?  Still...I shall follow Doc's orders and keep doing what I am doing.  If nothing else, I shall eat good!  *Just a note here...yes, that is my gloved hand holding the shrimp to show the size.  I normally do not wear gloves but after throwing the net close to a hundred times each day, my hands were taking a beating.  Bleeding fingers are not a good thing. The gloves have come into use!

Dragon or Rock?

  One thing about living on the Bayou is that there is a season for all things.  Besides the obvious garden seasons, there are also "water" seasons...meaning that certain bits of seafood can only be caught at certain times of the year.  Blue crabs tend to be more plentiful during the summer months, redfish, while here most of the year are active during the fall, flounders find their way here during the spring, trout are a great wintertime catch and shrimp are usually a fall treat.  Since we share our seafood with a good many elderly folks and with family members, I like to keep a well stocked freezer...actually, three freezers.  If I start to run low on shrimp during an off season for us, we buy from the local shrimpers.  They have a hard time making a living since factories and stores wish to buy at the cheapest rates possible and will buy foreign seafood over local if it suits their needs.  Personally, while I have nothing against foreign products, I feel helping our neighbors on the Coast is a better option.  Plus, the shrimp are fresh!

  Mark bought fifty pounds of lovely shrimp today so we could share half of them with some elderly folks who cannot get them otherwise. That left twenty-five pounds for Son and me to head and peel.  This is a workable amount and is not stressful.  In just a short time, the shrimp were headed, peeled, washed and bagged.  All were frozen except for four pounds of the peeled beauties that will become our Easter dinner, tomorrow. While working with the shrimp, Son and I were amazed at how large some of them were.  We weighed them and found them to be eight shrimp to a pound!  Those are huge!  The shrimp that we catch from the pier are far smaller but, in my opinion, much tastier! 

  Son (who was heading the shrimp while I peeled), pulled a funny looking critter out of the cooler.  "I don't think this is the right kind of shrimp." he deadpanned.  I was much more animated in my response. Ewww!  What is that thing?  "I dunno.  Should I head it?"  Son is one of those folks who is willing to try anything once.  Not me.  That thing was ugly.  I looked closer at it.  It had spikes running all down its back!  Ok! I knew I was not peeling that thing!  It would have been like trying to peel a rose branch!  The spines resembled a rose thorn and felt just as sharp.  Nope!  Ain't happenin'!  Son and I dubbed it a "Dragon Shrimp"!

  The ugly critter was identified later by the hubs.  Mark looked at it and told us that it was a "rock shrimp".  Yep.  A rock shrimp.  I did a bit of research and the thing was indeed just that.  It is edible...if you wish to take the risk of getting pricked by the many horns on that guy.  The two horns (one on the head end and the other on the tail end) on the white shrimp and brown shrimp are enough stabby things for me.  That other thing, Dragon or Rock, can keep its horns to itself.