Today, I took a vacation day from work so I could go crabbing with Jim and Judy (my inlaws), Uncle Mickey, and Aunt Nancy. Mickey had apparently scoped out a place over at Fort Stevens Park near Seaside. He had even been crabbing earlier in the week and stockpiled 11 crabs just in case we did not catch anything. Mickey, Judy, and I all love crab; however, Jim and Nancy not so much, but I think they had fun anyway. Jim was able to catch up on his napping and his reading while we crabbed. He also went for a walk and found $20, but I still think we came out better with our crab find than he did with his money.
I had NO idea what to expect since I have never been crabbing before, and I think even Judy was a bit surprised. She apparently is used to crabbing with 'rings' and Mickey used nets attached to fishing poles, which after you have bait and set them you stick them into a contraption that sits in the sand and holds them. I guess the best thing to bait the traps with is chicken legs. Mickey taught me how to bait the trap, and then he "attempted" to teach me how to cast the pole. Thank goodness there are no pictures of this feat as it was no easy task. I cast it once, and once is all it took for me to make a "rat's nest." It was not as easy as it looked. For the rest of the day, I reeled the nets in, used a net to chase/scoop up the crabs as they tried to get away, and I could even bait the trap; however, after my first attempt I never cast another net the rest of the day. That is okay though because Nancy, Judy, and I were plenty happy with doing the rest of it and letting Mickey cast the nets out.
It was a learning experience on so many levels. I first learned that you cannot keep the female crabs. I then had to learn how to tell the difference between the 'he'mit and the 'her'mit crabs. I learned how to measure the crabs because no matter the sex, you have to throw them back if they are too small. I also learned after a time or two of reeling in the nets (this was harder than I expected), that it was imperative we use the big net because as one person is reeling in the nets, another person needs to be ready with the net to scoop up the catch. We learned this lesson the hard way after a few crabs got away.
We started catching crabs relatively soon after casting our nets; however, for every one crab we got to keep, we had throw back two crabs and five pounds of seaweed. Mickey and I each had a license so that meant we could catch 30 crabs. The crabbing was fun but slow. After almost 5 hours, we only had 13 crabs so we decided to call it a day because we still had to go to Mickey's to cook and clean our catch, and because we could only cook them two at a time, this process was going to take a while. Thank goodness he had caught those additional 11 crabs for us because that meant Judy got 12 and I got 12.
After I learned how to cook and clean the crabs, I then got to enjoy eating fresh crab. I have always liked crab, but I have never had crab that fresh, from water to belly in a few short hours. It was awesome, one of the true pleasures of life.
As most of you know, I really like to take pictures of almost anything. I really enjoy shooting flowers, sunsets, nature, and landscapes. So, when Katrena suggested that we go to the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge (RWR), I was up for the challenge. I knew that there would be some wonderful opportunities for some amazing nature shots; however, I was not prepared for the challenge of shooting wildlife. A lot of you laugh at my paparazzi lens for my camera, well, let me tell you, it was NOT BIG ENOUGH for shooting at the Refuge. While I was able to get a few decent shots, I did not get anything 'spectacular' because none of my lenses were big enough. 
The RWR is an exciting place for all to explore and enjoy wildlife. Enjoy viewing wildlife while driving the 4.2 mile Auto Tour Route and use your vehicle as your personal observation spot on wheels. Wildlife viewing and photography from the road is excellent, allowing you to encounter wildlife with minimal disturbance. We were going to make this trek later in October but were fearful we would not have good weather so we opted to go this day, a day when it hit over 85. The sun was bright and the bugs were out, the combination of the two made it difficult to get good pictures. Two days later, as I sit here blogging, I have to take breaks to scratch at my numerous bites. Anywhere that was not covered by clothing is covered by bites; some of them are mosquito bites and others I am not so sure about. I will spare you the nasty details, but know it is very uncomfortable. I have since learned that when out walking at the Refuge, it is a wonderful idea to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, cover your skin. I have also learned that the best time to go to the Refuge is from October thru the spring, when the animals are migrating.
It was amazing driving through this refuge - as I drove I was struck by the beautifulness God has created. The sounds, smells, and visions are incredible. The beauty of God's creation - no words I can use seem adequate. I felt so much closer to God in this environment. I would encourage each of you to go out and experience the beauty of His creation, be it a wildlife refuge or outside your front door. I am already planning my next trip to the Refuge.
