Herb Wins the Race -- 4/12/2014

The invitation to the April social of our Laguna Madre Yacht Club, Port Isabel, says it will be the second annual low country crawfish boil, hosted by Commodore Chris Hughston.  As an added extra, there will be crawdad races during Happy Hour -- the winning crawfish will be released into the wild; all losers will be eaten!

Louisiana being our native state, Herb and I were born eating crawfish!  So we are delighted.

However, I am at a loss on how to race them.

On the day of the social Chris explains it.  First the benches from a picnic table are turned on edge, creating a tunnel.

He then instructs everyone to pick a crawdad to race from a bucket.

Contestants place their entries at the starting point.

The crawfish begin to move!  Some are tired and stop to rest, so they have to be encouraged to continue.  A gentle tap wakes them up, but one must be careful not to get his fingers in their sharp 'pinchers' or claws.

Some go sideways -- not a good direction toward the finish line.

Would you believe that Herb's crawdad won?  That is because he knew to turn his backward, as that is how they move.  Heard the phrase that someone crawfished (reneged)?  


Merriam Webster says:  

Definition of CRAWFISH

     : to retreat from a position:  back out  "I crawfished as fast as I could" -- Mark Twain

So 'backward' is forward.

After the boiling is done, the feast is on.  Herb is asked to demonstrate how Cajuns peel and eat crawfish.  It involves a skill.

Marylin lends her expertise to the kitchen and no one goes hungry!

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Saturday, April 12, 2014