From the Islands of Japan to an Island in the Chesapeake: Small Craft Advisory. Time to Roast Oysters!

You won't hear me going on about how summery the autumn is around here today. I'm typing this from the attic of the cottage on the island. I've done a lot of work at this desk. Wrote an entire screenplay up here. Studied for a semester of organic chemistry up here as well.

The trip out today was a bit hairy. A small craft advisory is in effect. This happens quite frequently in the non-summer months. The advisory is issued by the National Weather Service when consistent winds of 22 mph, but not greater than 39 mph, occur. Anything stronger and you have a gale. This advisory is generally considered to apply to boats under 33 feet in length. That'd be us.

Tying up the boat was an acrobatic feat. I've done enough times in heavy seas so that I've got the system down.

These are Chinese windmill palms. They grow on the slopes of the Himalayas and are very cold tolerant. I bought these down in North Carolina about 8 years ago. The first few winters I wrapped them in burlap. Last year they roughed it on their own. Fully naturalized at this point. I don't know of anyone successfully growing them outdoors and unprotected any further north. Gives a very coastal Carolina feel to the place.

First oysters of the year! $30 for a half-bushel. That's about 100 oysters.

(I'm actually blogging from the island. I'll have the oyster roast photos up tomorrow. Time to sit on the front porch in the 20 mph wind under a Buffalo blanket and watch the sailboaters scramble for sanctuary in the harbor, known as the "pot".)

Oyster roast at the north beach. Since the winds are out of the south today, we're in the lee and things are quite peaceful. The wind has pushed the tide up so there's less beach this afternoon. The structure in the water is from an old seawall.

Toyed with the idea of using driftwood but opted for charcoal. Good thing. All the drift wood was damp.

Now we play the waiting game. After about 5 minutes you'll be alerted to their readiness by a slight hiss as they pop open and the fluid, called "liquor", spills onto the hot coals.

While we're waiting for the oysters to roast, let's have a few on the half-shell shall we. We left the cocktail sauce back at the wharf and since a run back in last night just for cocktail sauce wasn't worth it we made due with ketchup and worcestershire (sp?) sauce. Not bad.

Roasted oyster. Didn't bring any butter but they were still delicious plain.

Race against time. The sun was setting promptly at 5 this afternoon so almost as soon as it had begun, the roast was over. Here's a picture of the sun as it rocketed out of the heavens and below the horizon in a matter of moments. Western cultures romanticize sunsets. The Japanese find them sad and, naturally, consider sunrises to be romantic.