I had an incredible experience this week. I went with Travis, his brother Phil, and Doug the pirate, to kick off the opening of mini-lobster season. This event entailed boating out to the Atlantic, sitting on a spot that Doug had picked out and waiting for 3 hours until midnight when it was legal to begin. Those three hours were worth the whole trip. I listened to Doug recite poetry, pirate-style, listened to Travis snore, and then listened to some music on my iPod while looking at God’s awesome creation in the heavens, laying on my back in the bow of the boat.

 At midnight, I faced my giants (thanks Jesse) as I snorkeled in the dark with only a flashlight strapped to my mask. As I got used to being in the dark ocean and breathing through a one-inch tube, sometimes drinking salt water, the experience was beyond my imagination. This being only my second time to snorkel (and the first time at night), I hadn’t mastered the diving part, so I was more than happy to spot lobsters on the ocean floor and hold a light on them until Travis and/or Phil had wrangled them into a net or sometimes their bare hands. This activity continued until near dawn, though I bailed into the boat a few minutes early; too much swallowed salt water.

 Today, Travis grilled up some of our catch for lunch. I thought catching them was the fun part. Wow! That was some great eating. Totally worth all the swallowed salt water. I may have just found my new favorite hobby: Eating Florida Lobster!