October 14, 2009

  • Shrimp Saning on Jekyll Island

     

    Saturday, October 10, dawned bright and clear. And hot! October it may be, but we still had a 90 degree day to head to the nearby Islands!

    Ben’s brother and sister, Chris and Beth, were visiting for the weekend with some friends, and the Yoder family decided to make an excursion to do some shrimp saning. I had heard of this before, but had never seen anything like it, so I was very intrigued with the whole process!

    October through December is when the shrimping is good here, so Ben tells me. And he’s lived here most of his 29 years, so I think he knows.

    The whole Yoder family was there for most of the afternoon, except for Mary Jo and Wendall and their beautiful girls. We missed you guys!!!

    Crossing the beautiful bridge heading to the Islands. The sky was so blue that day!

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    And we’re heading to Jekyll Island! You see this sign, and then drive through miles and miles of marsh land. I should have taken a picture, except there’s nothing to see except… marsh.

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    While we were getting vehicles unloaded and Rod was buying a sane net, the little kids were sucking lollipops. Zoe gave Karston a few licks.

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    But oh boy, Zoe sure liked Aunt Jena, who gave it to her! Mommy doesn’t often treat her like that!

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    After getting unloaded, hiking to St. Andrews Beach (one side of Jekyll, where long ago the black people were allowed. Back in the day, there were separate beaches for white and black people, and not so long ago, actually. This IS the south, after all. Growing up in the north, I didn’t realize how present-day some of this racial stuff was.).

     This beach has a lot of driftwood, and I actually really like it. Except that when the tide is up, there is really no beach at all. It was at high tide when we arrived, but soon started receding.

    Taking the net out for one of the first times. I’m sure I looked like a tourist; I was snapping pictures right and left because I had never seen anything like this before!

    Ben, Chris, Jeff, Tony in the water. Jena, Cash, and Karston standing on the beach.

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    The net was about 75 feet long, I think. Took quite a few guys on it to drag it in and out of the water. Weights on the bottom and floats on the top of it.

    There were probably about 8 dolphins that were sxwimming around close to the nets. At first we all thought it was so cool! I mean, this felt like Sea World or something, except we were in the wild! But when the dolphins came so close that they were making holes in the net trying to eat the fish they saw in there, that was not so cool. Not in Rod’s brand new net.

     But later some of the guys were able to feed fish to the dolphins right out of their hand! Crazy! This little northern girl was completely amazed!!

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    Showing the kiddos a fish that was caught in the net.

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    Cash and Zoe running down the beach. They just LOVED the entire day!

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    Sorting through the mullet (sp?), shrimp, and other various sea creatures. Tony is really attacking something. :)  

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    This picture isn’t focused well, but I still like it because of all the action going on around the net.

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    Love this picture of Zoe playing in the sand.

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    Mama Yoder rocking my baby to sleep – bless her!

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    Papa Bob (as Cash and Zoe call Robert) with two of four sons.

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    Zoe and Papa Bob walking the shore line. Love this picture too.

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    Rod and Jena and their boys.

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    A storm was gathering several miles across the water. The lighting was amazing, and another shrimping party passed by just in time to be on my picture.

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    Having a little down time on some driftwood. This reminded me so much of the movie, “The Swiss Family Robinson” or something! Felt like we were on some deserted island – so so cool!

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    Mama and Papa Yoder with Zoe and Olivia.

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    Laurie waiting with the cooler while the guys were out with the net.

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    And yes, they did catch shrimp. Take a look at this monster, will you? Around 6 inches long, at least.

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    Definitely puts a new angle on shrimp-eating when you see what they look like in the wild. Ugh. I wasn’t so sure I could still eat them, although I normally love shrimp.

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    But hey, they were free shrimp. And who could pass up on eating at least a few when Rod and Chris boiled the 200 shrimp for lunch the next day? Not a one of us, I say. And we cleaned up almost every last shrimp there was. :)

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    What a fun family day!

    -clarita

     

Comments (15)

  • such lovely photos…it reminds me of a movie or something!! so cool! i could use another southern-getaway right about now. feeling so restless and unsettled at school these days. my soul needs space to breathe…perhaps it’s because we were always meant to live close together. your little daughters are calling my name. can the end of october possibly get here any faster??… blowing autumn kisses and lattes to you in the meantime. =)

  • That was quite the interesting shrimping experience….even from the xanga perspective!! Lovely pictures * Ooooh so lovely!!!

    I know what you mean about the ugliness of shrimp in the “wild”!!  I had my first experience with them at Edisto Beach, and I thought about the same….can I eat these things?!  But, you kinda get used to it, I reckon….

    Thanks for sharing your “family day!” =)

  • That looks like a fun experience…and a fun family day too!  You got some really good pictures of it all!

  • That was interesting.  I’ve always heard of it but never saw it in action.  Your FIL was talking about you Sunday night taking all those pictures!

  • wow never seen anyone do this before….quite interesting! Looks like a fun family outing! I love that picture of Zoe and her Papa walking on the beach, totally sweet!

  • that does look like a great day! Never heard of shrimp saning, but it looks like fun, in it’s own right! All your beach pictures made me sad that we didn’t get to the beach once this summer…you have some cute pics! The one of the storm in the background is awesome! looks like something from National Geographic!

    enjoy this day!
    ~Rachel

  • Oh I am one jealous little northerner! Jekyll Island and good memories there are calling me back. =) And your pictures are absolutely wonderful, Clarita!! I was going to start naming my favorites (making mental notes as I started reading your post), but by the end there were almost too many to mention . . . the last one, the one with Zoe & her papa, the lightening storm, the one with everyone gathered around the net . . . you get the idea. =) Sounds and looks like a very profitable day: family time, shrimp, sunshine, and good pictures to remember it by (and to impress all your friends who never saw, let alone KNEW there was such a thing).

    Come visit, K? On second thought, why don’t we come visit you and then we can go to Jekyll for an afternoon. ;)

    SN

  • Take a look at the times some of us “mommies” post our comments . . . must either be nap time or early in the morning before kiddos are awake. Just noticed that and thot it was interesting. =)

  • @Yoderfamilyof5 - that’s funny about my FIL. :) He always gives me a hard time about taking so many pictures! :)

    @foreveranoatneygirl - I had never heard about it either, before I met Ben! Must be a thing of the South, I guess!

    @FOREVERLANE - Absolutely, why don’t you come on down? Now that the weather is getting cooler up there, we’ve got the perfect weather here (can’t believe I’m saying that about South Georgia! :) ). That was so fun when you came before. That was back in the day when Phil thought all little girls do is cry. :) Still makes me laugh when I think about his ideas about girls -  back *before* he had one of his own! And it *is* funny about the times that mommies post! You must have been awake early this morning again!

  • So fun. :) Save some warm weather for us, won’t you? Hurry up, October…

  • I enjoyed your post and pictures very much. I had never heard of shrimp saning before. Looks interesting. And I could use some of that 90 degree weather right now. But this is PA in Oct., so what can I expect? It just seems to me that summer was waayyy too short, but then I’m not that fond of cold weather. Ah well…..

  • How fun?!!?  I almost feel like I was there! Today is rainy and cold with talk in the wind of snow!!!

  • Wow looks like sooo much fun!!! I dont really like shrimp but the one time i really liked it was when i got it fresh ar Roberts!!! I LOVE that pic of robert and Zoe!!:)

  • Hey girlfriend!

    I am so looking forward to another chat with you soon, but til then I have a question. You mentioned your daytimer/day planner once upon a time. I’m thinking it was a specific brand that you really loved. I can’t remember exactly what it was that you said about it except that it has lots of extra room to write. Do you mind sharing the info with me? I’m thinking ahead to what I want to use for next year and I’d esp. love it if it would fit into the dayplanner binder that I already have.

    Thanks.

  • @FOREVERLANE - Hey Shelly! I have a Moleskin X-Large Weekly planner. It’s kind of a book in itself, but you can get smaller sizes (I have biggest, about 7 X 10). But I LOVE it. It is my brain, and I would be lost without it. The size is kind of big, but I like it like that because then I can write my weekly lists on each week and there is still extra room after that. Maybe the smaller size would fit in your dayplanner?? I think moleskin has a website where you can see the different styles/sizes.

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