Ahhhh, summer.

Well, I've baited the crab trap with menhaden I caught last year. These oily bait fish have been in the freezer since I caught them with my aunt's cast net.
And tonight, we're having fresh local shrimp, squash and onions (or maybe a squash casserole), creamed corn and tomatoes. Lazy Girl peach cobbler for dessert. I love summer.

While it may be hard to work this time of year, I must admit this is when I feel most alive. Long days, warm water, shrimp jumping. It's the only time of year when it's okay to be barefoot and a little dirty. Clothing and conversation seem so much more casual and easy. It's good.

Working outside as I do, I have a different summer experience than most. For one, I wear long pants and huge straw hats to work, shying away from the tank tops and shorts everyone else has on. And any exposed skin is coated with three distinctive layers: sunscreen, perspiration and a final dusty layer of potting soil. While at times this is absolutely unbearable, most days I secretly love it. You know how great a shower feels after you've been camping for a few days? I get that experience every day in the summer.

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and I'll teach you how to throw the cast net! I'm not that good at it (one time I threw the whole thing in the water and forgot to attach it to my wrist first. Not good!), but I plan to be a pro by summer's end.