Crabbing with Cheyenne

The temperature warmed close to 70 degrees and the seas calmed just before the arrival of yet another cold front. Wednesday before Christmas looked to be the pick boating day for a quick day trip to Marvin Key. Michael, Layne, and Cheyenne were anxious to see the much talked about mangrove island surrounded by sand along the northernmost part of Turkey Basin. Zuzu and Tootie are always up for a boat ride and were also looking forward to running on the sand at Marvin Key.

Looking down the canal from our dock to the calm waters of Sugarloaf Sound...

I was ready at the helm for our day's adventures.

Zuzu and Tootie were waiting patiently in the cuddy...

wondering when we were going to leave.

Layne, Michael, and Cheyenne arrived and, once on board, we pushed off and made our way through Perky's creek and northward across Turkey Basin.

A pod of dolphin and a check engine light later, we arrived at our destination. It didn't look like the Marvin Key we are used to. Just a narrow strip of sand was exposed, well populated by seagulls and other birds wishing to dry their toes. 

http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/2010/12/marvin-key.html

Our usual sandbar was completely submerged...only the green mangroves were visible amid the turquoise blue waters.

http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/2010/12/marvin-key.html

 We spotted another sandbar looking north towards the Gulf of Mexico, but it didn't appear to be large enough for our two vizslas and labrador to explore.

http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/2010/12/marvin-key.html

Disappointed, we headed back to familiar waters of Sugarloaf Sound to pull our crab pots. Cheyenne and her parents had never pulled crab pots. And we were by no means experts having pulled them only twice before.

Zuzu and Tootie enjoy pulling traps, often curious to see what treasure await in the plastic box.

Cheyenne learned quickly from Zuzu and Tootie that patience is needed as we carefully pull the traps one by one.

With great finesse, we pull along side the fancily painted bouy (marked with an "R" for recreational highlighted with several decorative orange dots), grab the rope, and pull.

Wayne hoists the trap onto the side of the boat...

resting it on a blanket before opening the treasure box. Zuzu and Tootie are usually observing and occasionally cheering us on with tail wags.

But this particular day, Tootie was more interested in passing boats and birds aloft.

Not much in the traps this time. There was a small fish amid the chicken bones and pig's foot.

The next one contained a lonely stone crab.

Tootie observed from her cushioned seat while Cheyenne...

gnawed happily on a pig's foot she snatched from the bait bag.

Zuzu and Tootie love boat rides and they tolerate crabbing. They didn't get to romp and play at Marvin Key this trip, but they enjoyed having Cheyenne on board and, thanks to Cheyenne, learned that a frozen pig's foot could be the best part of crabbing.