Got Crabs?

Chesapeake Bay is home to the largest producer of Blue Crabs in the world.  As I head south and embark on the next leg of my outdoor adventure, of course I have to stop and check out the nearest town and have lunch! After all, it’s a long way down to Florida and who knows when I’ll land in a better place? 

Oh!  There’s a sign! “Exit Here Now”

Off the freeway I went and followed the billboard sign, and soon I was scooped into another tiny and quaint little town, where I found Woody’s Crab House on the main drag of North East Maryland.  I parked and headed in.

Did you know that Crabs are monogamous?  Yep, they only mate once in their entire lives. Hmmm, can you imagine? And the females produce several million eggs in their reproductive cycle, but only one in a million grows to adult crab size. 

Of course one never tries to listen in, but after I was seated, I could hear a conversation between a man and a woman behind me.  It went something like this; 

Woman: “All I want is a gun.  That’s all Santa needs to bring me.” 

Man: “But don’t you want him to get you nice jewelry or clothes?

Woman: “No sir, just my own gun that fits me is all I need to make me happy!” 

Man: (laughing) “well you know what you want, that’s for sure”.

Woman:  “next year I’m getting me my buck with my new gun.  You just watch.”

Suddenly there is someone standing at my side.

Introducing Woodys’ greatest waitress, Linda.  Blonde, 40 something, upbeat, spunky, and dead serious about that shotgun.

“Hay, hon, what can I get you?”

“Are you a hunter?” I asked.

“Yes, well actually a bowhunter.  Shot a doe this year, missed a buck with a gun that didn’t fit me.”

Boom.  That started a conversation and a half about our experiences hunting, loving the outdoors, traveling, her family, and on and on. Every time I meet someone like Linda it’s so interesting and inspiring. She and her husband are soon opening a sports shop. They love the outdoors, love to hunt, and they do it all together.  She is an outspoken and straightforward woman who is a fantastic representative of hunting heritage.

As much as I was thinking crabs, Linda recommended I try the Famous Luncheon Special (pick two from shrimp, oysters, founder and scallops) which I did, and indeed, it was fresh and fabulous.  She also suggested their very special Woody’s Bloody Mary (woo-wee that cocktail came with a kick!) which was practically a meal in itself.

By the way, did you know that if a crab loses a limb, they can grow it back?  And their shell doesn’t grow with them, they periodically outgrow their shell and have to “shed it” and grow a new one so they can get bigger.  Wow, the things we learn about our favorite foods….

After an enjoyable meal and conversation with fellow outdoorswoman/waitress Linda, I took a stroll through town.  Cute gift shops, a surf shop, and plenty of historic buildings with stories.  Not sure why I needed to buy crab Christmas ornaments since we won’t have a tree.  Well what the heck, they won’t take up much room…..