Elephant Butte, NM

Saturday, July 31, 2010

We had company!





New Mexico, Lakeside RV residents, Loren & his wife Marilyn stopped by to visit. Dave's phone rang as we were out checking the crab pot. Where are you, Dave asked? Standing in our parking lot. I also learned that Marilyn and Loren both grew up in this area. They both love to jeep in the NM hills and Marilyn and I are faithful YOGA buddies. It was great to see smiling, friendly faces. Thanks for visiting!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Crabbin' in Washington.






No, not Dave & I crabbin at each other. But crabbin for crabs, Dungeness and Reds.
I get to drive the boat. Sometimes I drive good, other times not so good. Dave had great luck getting crab while I was in Iowa. However his back hurt pulling a pot up 100+ feet.So he designed and had made a davit. McGuiver strikes again.

Which crabs are keepers and which get thrown back in for another day?

Several species of crab are found in Washington's marine waters and along its shores, though only a few are large enough to be of commercial and sport interest. Crabs are crustaceans, having an exterior skeleton or shell. Two crab species (Dungeness and red rock) are harvested locally. Crabs are most commonly harvested with crab pots but are also caught using ring nets, dip nets, and by wading in shallow water during spring and early summer.

Dungeness Crab

One of the most popular items on Washington seafood menus is the Dungeness crab. This hardshelled crustacean is fished from the Aleutian Islands to Mexico. The shell is purple-tinged, gray or brown on the back and the tips of the claws are typically white. The Dungeness crab can reach ten inches across the back though six to seven inches is more common. In Puget Sound this crab is most abundant north of Seattle, in Hood Canal, and near the Pacific coast. The Dungeness crab is frequently associated with eel grass beds and prefers sandy or muddy substrates.

Commercial

The Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) is found in commercial quantities from the Aleutian Islands, AK to south of San Francisco, CA. This crab got its common name from a small fishing village on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington where the first commercial fishing was done for this species. The Dungeness crab fishery is said to be the oldest known shellfish fishery on the North Pacific coast of America. It is the only commercially important crab within Washington's territorial waters. The most productive crabbing grounds lie along the coast of Washington from the Columbia River to the vicinity of Destruction Island. Willapa Bay is also an important area in the coastal fishery and Grays Harbor provides fair catches.

Sport

The sport fishery for Dungeness crab is important in Puget Sound and some of the coastal areas. Intensive sport utilization has been observed at Birch Bay, off Neptune Beach just north of Lummi Island, Samish Bay, Padilla Bay near Anacortes, Utsaladdy Bay on Camano Island, Port Susan, Hood Canal and in Dungeness Bay. Several crabbing methods are employed in the sport fishery, depending on local conditions.

How are fisheries managed to protect Dungeness crab?

Dungeness crab, like other state fish resources, is managed to perpetuate the species while providing a sustainable harvest. State and tribal fishery managers use a so-called “3-S strategy” to determine the portion of the Dungeness crab population that can be harvested on a sustainable basis. The 3-S strategy considers:

* Size: Only crab that are 6¼ inches or larger can be harvested, allowing smaller male crab the opportunity to mate at least once before they are taken in the fishery.

* Sex: Only male crab can be harvested, to protect egg-bearing females for propagation.

* Season: The fishery is closed during the peak crab molt cycle, when Dungeness crab shells are soft and handling could kill the animals.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Harbor Seals Young & Old





Dave called the other day so excited about the first baby seal born on the dock.
Here he is. Isn't he cute!


HARBOR SEAL BABIES

•Harbor Seal pups are usually about two feet long and twenty to twenty-four pounds at birth.

• Harbor Seal pups are recognized by their mothers by sound and smell.

•After weaning,Harbor Seal pups first learn to catch shrimp and other small crustaceans.

•Harbor Seals give birth to a single pup in Spring.

•Baby Harbor Seals are either born in the water or on land.

•Baby Harbor Seals have a crying sound that is much like the sound "Maa!".

• Baby Harbor Seals are weaned after six weeks of drinking their mothers' milk.

• The gestation period for Harbor Seals is nine months.
----------------------------------------
•Adult Harbor Seals can grow from about four and a half to six and a half feet long .

•Harbor seals can live a maximum of twenty-five to thirty years. Males have a shorter lifespan, which may be due to the stress of fighting during breeding seasons.

•Harbor Seals are sometimes preyed upon by killer whales, sharks, polar bears, Steller sea lions, walruses, coyotes, and eagles.

•You can sometimes tell a Harbor Seal's age by the number of growth rings in its teeth, but it may bite you if you try!

•Harbor Seals' flippers used to be hind legs!

•Harbor Seals can hold their breath underwater for up to fifteen minutes!

•Harbor Seals sleep on the bottom for up to fifteen minutes!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Sunday Joke.



Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married.

One broom was, of course, the bride broom, the other the groom broom.

The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.

After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, the bride-broom leaned over and said to the groom-broom, "I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!!!"


"IMPOSSIBLE !!" said the groom broom.



Are you ready for this?


Brace yourself; this is going to hurt.

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

"WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!"

Friday, July 23, 2010

Cedar Rapids, IA Farmer's Market






The farmer's market was last weekend. There were lots of people. I didn't last too long. It was HOT. Hey, Phil, the mushrooms are oyster mushrooms. That seafood keeps following me around! The top picture is the back of my family starting with Amy in the black smock. Going right from Amy is Scott, Kari, pushing Gabby and my sister Donna.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Sunday Joke.


Subject: Bass Pro Shop


A woman goes into Bass Pro Shop to buy a rod and reel for her grandson's birthday. She doesn't know which one to get so she just grabs one and goes over to the counter.

A Bass Pro Shop associate is standing there wearing dark shades. She says, "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me anything about this rod and reel?"

He says, "Ma'am, I'm completely blind; but if you'll drop it on the counter, I can tell you everything from the sound it makes." She doesn't believe him but drops it on the counter anyway.

He says, "That's a six-foot Shakespeare graphite rod with a Zebco 404 reel and 10-LB. Test line. It's a good all around combination; and it's on sale this week for only $20 .00."

She says, "It's amazing that you can tell all that just by the sound of it dropping on the counter. I'll take it!" As she opens her purse, her credit card drops on the floor.

"Oh, that sounds like a Master Card," he says. She bends down to pick it up and accidentally breaks wind. At first she is really embarrassed, but then realizes there is no way the blind clerk could tell it was she who tooted. Being blind, he wouldn't know that she was the only person around.

The man rings up the sale and says, "That'll be $34.50 please."

The woman is totally confused by this and asks, Didn't you tell me the rod and reel were on sale for $20.00? How did you get $34.50?"

He replies,"Yes, Ma'am. The rod and reel is $20.00, but the Duck Call is $11.00 and the Catfish Bait is $3.50."

Thursday, July 15, 2010

New Melleray Abbey.








Welcome to New Melleray Abbey.

New Melleray is a Cistercian (Trappist) monastery located in the rolling farmland south of Dubuque, Iowa. We support ourselves by farming and making wooden caskets (visit us at Trappist Caskets).

Currently, about 30 monks live, work and pray at the Abbey.

The monks of New Melleray are Catholics, professing the Rule of St. Benedict in the spirit of the founders of Citeaux, as handed on in the tradition of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, within a community wholly ordered to a contemplative life of prayer.
----------------------------------------------------------------
When Donna & I left Kari's we explored on the way home. Our first stop was on Monastery Road. We went thru a door in the chapel, down a cool hallway to only be kicked out for being in an area we were not supposed to be. It was a neat place.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sunday joke.



Subject: Spaghetti


A wealthy man was having an affair with an Italian woman for several
years. One night, during one of their rendezvous, she confided in him
that she was pregnant. Not wanting to ruin his reputation or his
marriage, he offered to pay her a large sum of money if she would go
to Italy to secretly have the child. If she stayed in Italy to raise
the child, he would also provide child support until the child turned 18.
She agreed, but asked how he would know when the baby was born. To
keep it discrete, he told her to simply mail him a post card, and write
"Spaghetti" on the back. He would then arrange for child support
payments to begin.

One day, about 8 months later, he came home to his confused wife. His
wife said, "Honey, you received a very strange post card today.""Oh,
just give it to me and I'll explain it," he said. The wife handed him
the card and watched as her husband read the card, turned white and
collapsed.

On the card was written: "Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Two with
meatballs, one without! Request bread...

Saturday, July 10, 2010

We are family!







Donna & I went to see her daughter Kari, her husband Jerry and the 3 kids: Shae, Avery and Gabby. It was my first meeting with Gabby. Shae has nicknamed her Gabbity. Donna had to drive to Peosta about an hour drive from her house. We stayed overnight. We went to a soccer game of Shae's. Her team is called "the lightning bugs." Shae will be starting kindergarten. Avery will be 3 in Oct. and Gabbity is 4 months old. Aunt Deb brought a water toy that was great fun!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Iowa humidity.



I have NOT gotten the laptop figured out yet as you can tell from NO blog entries. I'm in Robins Iowa at my sisters place. I'm having a great time visiting everyone.

It's been a bit humid.
What is humidity?
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature. Humidity may also be expressed as specific humidity. Relative humidity is an important metric used in forecasting weather. Humidity indicates the likelihood of precipitation, dew, or fog. High humidity makes people feel hotter outside in the summer because it reduces the effectiveness of sweating to cool the body by reducing the evaporation of perspiration from the skin. This effect is calculated in a heat index table.