Happy Memorial Day from Outer Banks Blue

Happy Memorial Day! The unofficial start to the summer season is upon us and here at Everything Outer Banks and we greet the day with excitement and reverence.

The Memorial Day holiday is officially explained in wikipedia as a federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May and commemorates the men and women of the United States who died while in military service. First created in 1868 the holiday was enacted to honor Union soldiers who perished in the Civil war, and after World War I it was expanded to include soldiers who perished in any war or military action. In 1968 the Holiday was finalized as a Federal Holiday thus creating a 3 day weekend that coincides with the early summer start.

On a more relaxed level Memorial Day means a long weekend at the beach, time with family, and cookouts in the back yard and certainly the Outer Banks is brimming with folks who are enjoying a day away from work today. The water temps are rising, and the sun is out so we will have lots of folks sporting their first evidence of a beach day at work later this week.

As the day progresses however we want to call attention to the real reason of the day and to call attention to the fact that President Obama has called today an official day of remembrance. The White House Commission on Remembrance has designated 3PM on Monday, May 25, 2009 as a time to pause in an act of national unity (duration: one minute). On the web site (http://www.remember.gov/) it states “The time of 3 P.M. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The moment dos not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans.”

We at Everything Outer Banks pause on this special day and remember as well. Thank you to all who made the ultimate sacrifice.

2009 Outer Banks Relay for Life

Well this week on Everything Outer Banks we have to take our collective hat off to the Outer Banks Relay for Life which benefits the American Cancer Society. Particularly we congratulate the Blue Team from Outer Banks Blue Realty Services which did a fantastic job raising money for the charity of our choice.

The Outer Banks Relay for life was a 24 hour marathon walk around the track at the First Flight High School Football Field. It was held on Saturday, May 16th beginning at noon. The event was the victim of some rogue rain showers that passed through the area on Saturday afternoon, but the event went on undaunted through the afternoon, all evening, and eventually wrapped up at noon on Sunday, May 17th. A full 24 hours of fundraising for the American Cancer Society.

Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated. There are many heart warming moments in the 24 hour event, but topping the list must be the “survivor walk” where all in the area that are cancer survivors walk one lap together around the track. This year’s survivor lap was greeted with thunderous applause from all who attended. Another moving experience is the lighting of the luminaries (bags with the name of a cancer victim or a cancer survivor), and then the reading of all names on the luminaries. This year there were so many luminaries purchased that not only was the entire track encircled with the bags, but the words “HOPE” and “CURE” were able to be spelled out on the bleachers of the football stadium. A stirring site.

The event was well attended, and the community responded very well to the call for help in fundraising for this worthy cause. OBX Blue’s team alone raised more than $3,000 for the Cancer Society thanks in large part to the generous donations received from many of our homeowners. "Thanks" cannot properly express our appreciation to our wonderful homeowners for opening up their hearts and their checkbooks for this worthy cause.

At the event itself The OBX Blue team had two fundraising ideas that went over very well. Our chief cook Mimi Shrader brought her crepe maker, and we made fresh crepes for all. Berries, powdered sugar, and pancake syrup was flowing at the OBX Blue booth all day Saturday and Sunday too!




We also had a super fun fishing game for the kids. Every kid that played got an OBX Blue pirate hat just for playing, and everyone was a winner. If a player caught one of our magnetic critters in our plastic lake they got to choose a toy of their choice (cancer society stuffed bears, pirate bandanas, light up pens, bubbles, etc.). Outer Banks Blue’s presence was definitely felt by all at the Outer Banks Relay for Life.

The Outer Banks Relay for Life is one of the top events of its kind in the nation. Now in its 13th year, the Outer Banks Relay for life has consistently ranked among the top 10 community fundraising events of its kind for the American Cancer Society.

Thanks again to all who helped at the Outer Banks Relay for Life!

Outer Banks Soft Shell Crab Season has Started!

Today on Everything Outer Banks, Memory Monday finds it to be a special day on the Outer Banks. This past weekend marked the full moon in May, and with it brings another signal of the summer season approaching…the birth of Soft Shell Crab season on the Outer Banks!

The beginning of soft shell crab season is traditionally marked by the full moon in May. It is the time of the year when the blue crab begins its molting season to accommodate its summer growth. As crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt their exteriors and have a soft almost leathery feeling covering for a matter of hours when they are vulnerable and considered usable. Over the next two weeks crabbing activity will be at a race car like pace to catch these money makers for local fishermen. The actual shedding of the shell can take anywhere from one to three hours, after which the side crawler must be removed or the hardening process will continue, reducing the quality of the soft-shell crab.

Crabbers put the ones beginning to molt aside, until the molting process is complete in order to send them to market as soft-shells. Crabs should are kept alive until immediately before cooking. Crabbers tell us crabs must be eaten within four days of molting to be useful as soft-shell crabs. They begin to rebuild their shells after that, and when eaten, have a thin shell.

Young crabs before they shed exhibit an identifiable characteristic that tells the soft shell crabber when they are about to shed. Located on their back flippers is a stripe of color. If you look hard enough and know where to direct your attention you will find what all soft crabbers know. When it is time the stripe will turn from white to red.

Crabbers call them “Redliners.”

Soft-shells are harvested in their peeler stage in peeler pounds or pots and transferred to shedding operations where they are monitored around the clock. Female crabs will actually seek out male crabs in advance of their peeling for protection during the process. It isn’t surprising to actually see male crabs, or Jimmys, carrying the female crabs just before the molting process. This is one sure fire sign that the female is about to molt. Meanwhile when male crabs are set to shed they literally try to hide.

The local crabbers collect the crabs in area waters around the time of the May full moon. The harvest is surprisingly simple as crabbers will many times place a pot in the water with no bait other than a large “Jimmy” in the top of the pot and wait for the females to seek out their hulking protector. Once they have their quarry the crabbers will place the soon to be soft shells in wooden boxes that they have set up on the marshes near their boat landings. These boxes called shedders will have fresh water running through them and they will need to be checked constantly over the few weeks in May when shedding or molting occurs. It is exhausting work as the shedders have to be checked no less than once every four hours around the clock the these few weeks. Its not unusual to see a lot of activity around a crabbing operation at 10 PM, 2 AM, 4 AM, and of course throughout the day. It is usually an entire family responsibility to check the shedders.

The crabs must be picked from the shedder during the time they are shedding their shell, packed on ice and shipped live to gain the top dollar. Depending on the size of the crab the creatures can fetch a small fortune for the local crabber. They are marketed by size with, of course, the largest commanding premium prices. They are measure across the back of the crab from point to point. They are categorized as follows:

Mediums – 3 ½ to 4 inches

Hotels 4 to 4 ½ inches

Primes 4 ½ to 5 inches

Jumbos - 5 to 5 1/2 inches

Whales - over 5 1/2 inches

Although soft shells are available fresh from May through September it is generally agreed that the ones that molt now, in Mid-May, are the best of the bunch. Local crabbers expect to sell the delicacy for a minimum of $12 per dozen as they leave the shedder meanwhile their price will increase at least 6 times that by the time they make it to the market in New York City.

No matter the size, the taste has been described as “sweet,” “tender” and “succulent.” Whether you like them broiled, deep fried, with old bay, pan fried with lemon and butter, olive oil and ranch dressing, or just lightly breaded, and put on a sandwich there is no mistaking that they are a staple of Outer Banks life and today marks the time when the trucks start removing these 8 legged residents of the Outer Banks to their new home!

Relaxing OBX Style

Kick your feet up and relax at the OBX!

This week’s “Memory Monday” entrant comes to us from Mark and Regina Davis from Manakin Sabot, VA. Mark and Regina have been coming to the Outer Banks for years, and their entry into our monthly photo contest comes from their visit in 2005.

In the one photo it is Regina relaxing in OBX style on the porch of her OBX Blue rental home. Ahhhhh….that’s the OBX Blue life we are looking for

The other photo is the Davis clan at Oregon Inlet getting a fishing lesson from Mark’s brother. He looks like a stern teacher….I said Keep that line tight!!!!

If you have photos from your Outer Banks Blue vacation, please submit them for consideration to our “Memory Monday Photo Contest.” Each week we will post our favorite photos here on our blog, and each month we will pick a winner to receive $100 off their next 2009 stay with OBX Blue.