Friday 13 March 2009

A Crab Came Down the Walk




I feel like I need to apologize to one Ms. Emily Dickinson. I am always hacking up her poetry to fit my own devices. Somewhere, she is in her ubiquitous white gown glaring at me. Sorry Em - never really dug your stuff anyway!



So my husband came home from work the other day and was all "Get the camera! Put your shoes on!" We bundled Madeline up and walked out to the driveway where, hidden behind a planter, we saw this guy. I flipped out because I don't like any type of bug or crustacean or what have you . . . I was like "ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" but Madeline was all "Crab! Crab! Touch the crab!! Pinch pinch!" I snapped a few pictures and went inside to finish cooking dinner and try to forget how creepy the thing was.
My husband was enthralled for some reason. All through dinner he talked about it - what was it - where did it come from - was it going to be ok in the cold - you would think it was a cute puppy or something! I was like "Who cares? It's scary! Let it die!" (I know, I'm heartless) He was trying to convince me to let him put it in a bucket in the garage for the night, but I nixed that RIGHT away. We wouldn't want Templeton, the single resident of our garage, to get upset now would we?
He wouldn't shut up about it so I finally told him to go throw it in the creek at the end of our street. So he and Madeline set out to "free" him into the creek. I couldn't believe how interested she was in it. They stopped at the neighbors house and showed them their find. They were informed that it was, in fact, a crawdad. (ick!) I hope they sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic or something while they released him.
I guess it's one more thing we have to get used to with country life!

1 comment:

Carrie said...

That is huge for a crawdad! I used to go hunting in the creek for these all the time, it was so much fun. If your husband wants to further pursue them tell mim to look in the sunny spots or under the rocks in the creek, wait fo the water to clear and grab them behind the pinchers, they swim backwards though. To cook them wrap in aluminum foil (whole until red and dead) remove meat from tail and dip in butter and salt. I don't eat such food but my sibling liked it. Do not keep them around long they put off a horrible smell.