The New Shells Are In... The New Shells Are In....

While in Maine I have had to rename a day of the week - sort of a reminder that too much of a good thing is bad for you.  So this year I only have lobster one day a week - on Lobstaday.  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Lobstaday Saturday Sunday....

These two guys are the first I have seen of New Shell Lobsters.  And now that they are showing up in the pounds, they will continue to be plentiful throughout summer.  Matter of fact, up here in Maine, unless you specifically ask for Hard Shell Lobsters, this is what you will get.  And as far as I am concerned, there is NO need to order hard shells.

The soft shell is exactly what it sounds like - a lobster with a soft shell.  Once a year between May and as late as August, all lobsters will "shed" their shells.  In fact "shedders" are what the lobster men (OK... lobster people) call them.  In order to grow, they have to get rid of their smaller shell in order to grow into a larger one.  Lobsters have a subtle line that runs along the top of the carapace from the head to the back of the carapace.  They lose up to 50% of their weight in body, claw, knuckle and abdomen (tail)meat.  During the molting process they position themselves head down on the bottom and their carapace (body) splits down that longitudinal line.  Once split they literally pull themselves out of the shell.  I guess it's pretty easy to see how they can pull their abdomen and tail fins out of the old shell but the real magic is in the claws. 

If you look at the first picture, you can see that there are two "knuckles" between each claw and the abdomen (that section between the tail fins and the carapace).  And as you can see, the knuckles are considerably smaller than the claws.  So imagine the struggle trying to pull all that claw meat out of those tiny openings in the knuckles.  Some trick ehh?  Occasionally their claw meat is just too massive to pull it through so they instinctively break that claw off.  By the way, a lobster with only one claw is called a "cull".  Not to worry though, if the lobster isn't caught for three or four years, it will actually grow a new claw. 

Once the shedding is completed, they hide away in the rocks on the bottom and limit their movement because of their vulnerability due to the soft shell.  But they still have to eat and that's why lobstering produces a very high percentage of shedders.  The traps lay on the bottom, in rocky areas and the newly shed lobsters smell an easy meal with a minimum of exposure in the water column. 

Shedders in their new shell have far less meat than a hard shell of the same size but actually will weigh more.  That's because as the new shell is forming, a considerable amount of seawater is trapped inside the claws, knuckles, carapace and abdomen.   They cook up the same as a hard shell in a bit less time but I am here to tell ya - they are far easier to eat, the meat is much sweeter, more tender, and the seawater is absolutely delicious.   And as you undoubtedly know from a previous post, they are natures perfect food.  Just learn to enjoy them with a squirt of fresh lemon juice in lieu of melted butter.  Personally, I save the butter dipping for the first and last bites only.

Lulu

If you ever find yourself in Bar Harbor on a nice day, and have a few hours to kill... go for a ride with Captain John on the (modified for passengers) Lulu.  Here's a link to learn more about their schedule, rates, etc.  Lulu Tours ..  Try it, you'll like it!  As a matter of fact, this was our #1 most favorite paid attraction in Maine to date.  If you were able to go to a dictionary and look up the definition of "an ambassador to the Maine Lobster Industry"  - you'd see a picture of Captain John.

The standard tour takes you out of Bar Harbor from the Public pier, through the breakwater, and a few miles out to Egg Island and the Egg Island Light.  You will spend some time viewing bald eagles, puffins, several species of gulls, and the main attraction, harbor seals.  The captain gives the island and the wildlife a wide berth.

The rocky shore is lined with harbor seals and their pups.  Once again, I am hoping for a little better digital camera for Christmas (that's a link to the one hint hint).  In this picture you can actually see some of the harbor seals hangin' out on the rocks.  Some appear light brown in color while others seem to melt into the rocks around them.  There are probably a dozen of so of them in this picture.

If you happen to be on the tour in the May / June time frame you will also be privileged to see the harbor seal pups hanging out with their Mom.  Pictured here are two Moms with their pups except one of the Moms disappeared when I said "SMILE".   Afterwards,  you motor back into and behind Bar Island where the captain pulls up numerous lobster traps from 50 feet of water. 

 Here, Captain John pulls up a trap with 3 lobsters "in the parlor".  A trap consists of two heads (ports of entry - where the lobsters first enter the trap), a kitchen (which is where the lobsters enter and where the bait bag is), a parlor (the apparent exit after eating), and a juvenile escape port.  By law, the traps must also have a larger escape port should the pot be lost at sea - typically a stick of wood which holds a trap door closed will rot and the trap door opens.

Captain John is using the lobster gauge.  You can see the notched area which measures the minimum length of the carapace (3.5 inches).  In this case the lobster is too small by about 1/8th of an inch.  The other side of the gauge is the notch to measure the maximum length of the carapace (5").  Any lobster with a body over 5" in length (that would be a lobster weighing 4 to 5 pounds) must be returned to the sea.

Here's a borrowed picture to illustrate the main parts of a lobster.  I assure you, the captain goes much deeper into the biology.

 Lobster men and the state of Maine do an excellent job self regulating / regulating the industry which is why they are able to supply 90% of the lobster sold in the USA without endangering the numbers of lobsters in their territorial waters.  It's an education the entire trip out, while at and behind the islands, and on the way back in - the captain is wired!  That is, he wears and amplified remote microphone and uses it ever minute you're on the boat.  He has been a licenced captain for 30 years and has mastered boats (ships) up to 100 tons.  Needless to say he knows ever inch of the water and the area land masses.  He was the most upbeat, knowledgeable person (well, at least in this element) I have met to date.  And do NOT try to match wits with him - his mind processes information faster than a speeding bullet.

Thanks to the folks at  the Lobster Institute for letting me use this picture.  The web page for the picture is  http://www.lobsterinstitute.org/media/172.jpg

Vengence Is Mine....

You'll see this guy in the parking lot of Ruth &Wimpy's Restaurant on Route 1 in Hancock, Maine.  Before we arrived in Maine this year, I promised myself that I would "slow down" in the consumption of these wonderful crustaceans and have been doing what I consider a really good job.  Two a week is very reasonable! 

Now then, normally if you were to see a 10' high plastic lobster in front of a restaurant your common sense would tell you to beware the tourist trap - right?  Becky and I passed the place by a number of times but finally were persuaded to stop by a sign outside - Lobster and Potato $8.95, Crab Roll $5.99.  And so we did and were both surprised and amazed to see a dining room slam full of Mainers!  Both our meals were delicious and all the plates that passed by us on their way to other customers looked equally a good. 

And if I were a better photographer, or had a better camera which ever applies to the picture to the left, you'd be able to see the benefits of consuming Maine lobster.  They are "highly nutritious and are a dieter's dream.  They are low in fat, calories and cholesterol lower than lean ground beef of skinless chicken or turkey.  Lobsters contain Omega-3 fatty acids which reduces hardening of the arteries and decreases the risk of heart attack.  Lobsters are also high in amino acids, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamins B2, B3, B6, and B12.  They also contain Calcium, Zinc and Vitamin A.  My God!  Lobsters are God's answer to the perfect food - forget all the hype about eggs - except those found in female Lobsters.  Did I fail to mention that their taste is right out of this world?   Aside from all of that.... if you can't believe a paper place mat, just what source of information would you trust?

So... how many folks do you think posed for a picture as I did in this one?   It must be in the tens of thousands and I would guess the vast majority would have been kids - or old farts like myself that haven't learned the technique of "growing up".   After a day trip on  The Lulu with Captain John, I noticed an anatomical anomaly on this creature... it has two "crusher" claws instead of one crusher and one "shreader" - oh well.  By the way, more on Capt. John and The Lulu later.

How much did you say those clams cost per pound?

Here in Maine soft shell clams, also known as steamers, long necks, and spitters cost $2.50 a pound. In Billings Montana they would probably cost $6.50 or even more. Well, to be fair to those who dig clams commercially, the price needs to be adjusted upwards by a factor of 10! I went out onto Long Cove clam flats for 45 minutes - got 48 clams (about 2 pounds), 2 blisters, and one hell of a cardio workout.I described my clam rake in a previous post. That, a bucket, and a pair of good boots are all you need to go "clamming". Although as you'll see in a picture to follow, I am including a pair of long rubber gloves. If you look close in the picture above, you'll see me out there diggin' clams. I went a bit further out into the flats but I started sinking in to within a few inches of the top of my boots - so I came back in a bit. Below is a close up and as you can see, the mud is well up over my ankles. It is very hard to move around. The suction is unbelievably strong. To lift a leg, you need to twist your foot about 10 degrees and pull up immediately. Forget to do the little twist action before taking a step, your body will move forward but your foot will stay right where it was and you will go ass over tea cup into the cool, cool mud.

The process of raking clams is pretty straight forward, (referring to the close up) with one hand you push the tines of the rake into the mud right down to the bend in the tines a few inches from the tell tale hole that the clam made burrowing its way into the muck. Immediately after you rock the rake up and away from you which brings up about 5 pounds of mud and a clam if you read the signs right.Here's what I looked like after less than an hour on the flats. I learned that one other "tool" is needed - a supply of water to wash both clams and hand.

Here's what 48 (2 pounds of) spitters look like fresh from the flat. I was talking about finding the tell tale signs of finding clams. I learned first hand that day how they got their alternate name "spitters". When the clam is burrowing further into the mud, you'll see a stream of water come up from one of the holes - a sure thing!

Yes, I am a sucker for punishment and will get out there again. It is a great workout and you get a prize for your labor - lunch! There is a moral to this blog post... next time at your fish mongers or the seafood counter at the supermarket - don't complain about the price of clams - believe me, it is well worth the money - regardless of cost.

Retirement has become boring...

Becky and I have landed here in Trenton, Maine and I am bored stiff. And so, I have decided to take a part time job. Actually, I found the first job and a second part time job offer came with it - so I took them both. Well, as it turns out I couldn't help but grab a third. So for six hours a day, I am going back to work.....

Part time job 1: For two hours a day, I sit in my EZ lawn chair and make sure the tide go out.........

Part time job 2: For two hours a day, I sit in my EZ lawn chair and make sure the tide comes back in..........

Part time job 3: For two hours a day, immediately following low tide, I walk on the beach and dig for clams. By the way... digging for clams is optional.....

Those jobs should keep me busy don't ya think?

By the way, my "clam rake" is homemade - sort of... I found the rake part of the tool in a local junk yard but the handle was gone. Luckily the rake still had an attachment spike on it. Then I found a piece of driftwood that fit my hand well, shaved a few burrs off of it, sawed the rake end square and drilled a slightly undersized (from the spike) hole in it. I filled the hole with gorilla glue and hammered the rake spike into the hole. Finally I wound Kevlar twine in and around the tines and ran it down the length of the handle and then covered all with black duct tape. Voila! A clam rake!

Can't wait to start my job... it's less than a 100 yards to the bay and about 2 hours from low tide so I'd best get out to my EZ lawn chair to start Job 1.

On The Road Again.....

Well folks, we've been in North Carolina for a month now with two highlights to report.. (1) my Daughter's wedding (see previous post) to Jeff and (2) the North Carolina Zoo at Ashboro.

The zoo is one of the "open range" types and consists of two "continents" - North America and Africa. There are a total of 5 or 6 miles of pathways in the 500 acre park. They really did it well for the animals - if they prefer not being gawked at by people animals, they spend their time as far away from the viewing decks as they can. And that could be 1/4 mile away or more. This is the only "open range" zoo I have ever been too and although most of the animals were a good distance from the viewing areas, I really think the animals were far more impressive that those you see in "a caged in" zoo. We shall visit other zoos' of this type as we work ourselves around the country.


A really "cool" exhibit in North America was the polar bear pool and that's the only picture on that continent I took where you can actually discern what animal was being photographed.


The giraffe exhibit in Africa was a bit more confined which made getting pictures a little easier. Good for the people animals but not so good for the giraffes. I think there were a total of four giraffes in the exhibit. They are just as goofy looking up close as they are on TV.


The elephants have a huge pasture to roam in. A drinking water pond was built right up against the viewing deck so the elephants spent a considerable amount of time within camera range. There were a few elephants way off in the distance - I got the impression they were "at home" there.

I'd never viewed a behavior they exhibited... there was a pile of really dry looking hay on the dirt pathway you see in the pictures. The elephants would scoop up a pile and carry it to the pool - you can see the pile to the left of the elephant. They would eat some right there at the shoreline and then get a drink.

Other than those shown, we saw perhaps a dozen or so other animals but these were the only "closeups" we could get a picture of. Bottom line to the zoo is... if you happen to be in the Ashboro area, take a day to visit it.

Last fall as we drove South out of Maine, the fall foliage was chasing us. Now we are on our way back up to Maine and we will be chasing the Spring foliage. From here its an overnight er in PA, a few days in my hometown of Pittsfield, MA to visit family, up to NH for a little warranty work on the trailer and finally, on May 1, we will arrive in Trenton Maine which is just on the other side of the bridge from Bar Harbor. this is where we will be until the end of October. BEWARE LOBSTERS!

http://www.barharborcampingresorts.com/content/4004/NARROWS_TOO/

Meet The Staffords....

Introducing "The Staffords".... l-r .... Nick, Haylee, Cariann, Pastor (who's name I have forgotten), Jeff, Mackensie, Ethan. How about this for a family! This was probably the nicest wedding I have ever been to. Informal, casual, relaxed - you pick the word, that's what it was. All I can say is that it was a Christian affair and if you want more specific than that, afraid I can't help. Cariann didn't stop smiling the whole day and is probably still smiling today. Perhaps it's just that I am her Dad, but she has the prettiest smile I have ever seen - perhaps it's Jeff that has put the glow in it. The Pastor obviously knows Jeff and Cari well as he made numerous mentions of how Jeff feels about Cari. He was using words like "gaa-gaa over her" and "head over heels for him".

After the "I do's", the whole family participated in "The Sands Ceremony". Each member had a small vessel of lightly colored sand. They took turns pouring their sand into a single larger vessel.

When done, the smaller ones were empty and the single larger one was full to the brim. I had never seen this ceremony and as they poured their sands, the Pastor beautifully told the story of the sands. I will leave the symbolism to your imagination and would bet that it is very accurate. Simply beautiful.

The blog site limits pictures to five so I will end it with the traditional cutting of the cake. By the way, the cake was made by my youngest daughter, Sandra or "Sammy" as only I am allowed to call her. The bride and groom atop the cake were made of "leggos" by Ethan who has quite a collection of leggos.

I wanted to include a picture of a leggo recreation of a Starbucks Coffee Shop that Ethan did - Cari is addicted to Starbucks coffee. Hummmm... maybe that is another reason for the smile.

So to wrap this rather brief accounting of the wedding up, it was great meeting the Stafford clan and Jeff, Mackensie and Ethan... Welcome to the "Sacchetti" family!