Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Nantucket ACKtivity; Squidding!

A few dipping motions, and then there it is! A small tug on the lure and you know to yank the rod up in time to catch the squid. Ink sprays as the squid breaks the surface of the water, and into the bucket it goes. There are some small sucking noises as the squid ejects the rest of its ink, and the rod is put right back into the water for more. It is dark. The pier is lit by only a few lights up and down the edges, and the water is peaceful and murky. There is a slight breeze. The harbor is dotted with small boats, and the pier has boats tied up left and right. People with rods are lined up at various intervals up and down the dock, buckets sitting next to them, waiting. Every couple minutes people yank their rods out of the water, sending their squid flying through the air and into the bucket, then put their rods back for more. 


Even though the squid are no more than a foot long at this time of the summer, the feeling of catching one is exhilarating all the same. As the bucket gets filled up, the feeling of satisfaction grows, as does your hunger after thinking about frying them up for some homemade calamari! Sad, but true. 


Lined up, and waiting

The Squid! (No, this was not our final count!)

Life preserver, and the squidders beyond.

Concentration

The catch! (And the reaction!)



To those who have not been, I strongly suggest it. And bring your camera! Go squidding through the lens!

Summer Scenes

I'm back! This post is going to be a short one - I just wanted to share a few photos that really show what Nantucket Summer is all about. 


Obviously (or perhaps not THAT obvious to those that have not spent any time on Nantucket during the summer) it is not summer without some good old fashion bonfires, charcoal grills, and pallets stacked up on the beach to fuel that fire. 


Summer, to me, is spending endless days and nights on the beach, sipping on a cold beverage, and laughing with friends and family. Watching the sunset on the beach may just be the best feeling in the world, no doubt about that. The warm air turns cool enough to cozy up in your favorite sweatpants and sweatshirt, and wrap up in a blanket. The soft rush of the waves breaking in the background, the burgers sizzling on the grill, and the sight of the ferry passing through the sound are what summer is to us Nantucket Natives. Sounds too good to be true? Here are some photos for you to help wrap your brain around it. 




A shell resting atop the pile of pallets

Sun shining through the pallets at 40th Pole

Grilling at its finest

The bonfire on the beach