A Crawfish Found Is a Crawfish Earned

This past spring  I went for a run in one of the parks that I enjoy near my house.  I noticed after getting into the parking lot that there were several really large dark red crawfish posturing towards vehicles and everything else that came their way.  I paid them only a passing bit of attention and continued into my run.  Along the way I could hear several women and effeminate men jumping and squealing or crying out to avoid the crawfish that had invaded the grass and trails and parking area.  I completed my run and got into my truck thinking about the crawfish.  Although I did not feel like staying out at that point when the sun had started beating down after my morning run, I do love some crawfish.  I proceeded to gather up my cooler that I normally keep in my truck and I cut the bottom out of a water bottle. 

The Cooler Trap

The cooler I used to get the attention of the crawfish as I swung it in front of them.  They would posture up with their claws in the air and begin backing away.  The water bottle I could hold by the cap end and they would back straight into it as if it was a rock crevice.  They were neatly poured into my cooler one by one and on to the next.  I gathered as many as I could find and all the while people thanking me for my service to the community.  I later contacted my friend who works for the fisheries division for the NCWRC about the crawfish.  He said they were an invasive and also thanked me for gathering them from the area. 

The Meal

When I returned home I rinsed them all off in the sink and I boiled them in a large pot on the stove until their shells reached that bright red that seafood gains once it completely cooks.  I shelled them out and since I’m not Cajun threw out the brains and head portion and kept the tail meat.  I boiled some brown rice.  I sautéed a chopped onion, chopped celery and chopped green peppers in some olive oil with some andouille sausage, and some chicken breast.  I mixed all these ingredients into the rice with the crawfish tails and added some Cajun spices and some pepper for my own rendition of jambalaya.  As it turns out sriracha sauce on top of that makes a mouthwatering addition that I’ve been incredibly pleased to have found.  Since then I have not been able to time another crawfish migration, but I really felt blessed God provided me with a free meal from the park after a morning run.  A little bit of work went a long way and made for a really nice dinner.  Sometimes God’s supplies to us are not obvious at first, but if we make the best of what he has provided then things will turn out just fine. 

Psalm 81:10