A week ago I saw what looked like two large blue crabs on the piling of our dock. When I looked under the dock yesterday there they were again. I tried baiting them with a chicken neck on a string. My knot on the chicken neck held up well but the crabs just would not cling on to the bait long enough for me to net them.

I said to myself, "Time to break in my brand new crab trap." I meant to take up the trap before sunset but it started pouring. I was almost afraid the crab trap might have drifted away. Guess what I found early this morning? That pair of blue crabs and a conch (?).

Such blue crabs are called doublers or buck and rider. The male crab cradles the female crab in an elaborate courtship ritual. He does it to protect her because she's in her soft-shell stage and is venerable. This particular male crab didn't let go of the female even as I threatened to kill it. His dying devotion seemed so real. Even though I'm craving for a good meal of chili crab, I couldn't bring myself to separate them. So they're back in the canal now. Hopefully they will make lots of babies and live happily ever after