This past weekend I participated in my first pond harvest. It was extremely smelly and dirty, but I actually had a pretty good time. But I tell you what, those of you who eat shrimp may think twice before eating shrimp once you see some of these pictures.
When I got to work early Saturday morning, Tim said I would be getting in the pond with him to run a seine net. I thought he was joking. He wasn't.
In the first pond, the water quality was so bad that once we starting breaking up the sludge, the shrimp started to die before we could even get them out. I've never seen that show about America's dirtiest jobs, but I think that what I was doing could probably make the show. I know there are a lot dirtier jobs out there, but this was pretty nasty.
What was supposed to happen was this: we release the drain and let all the water and shrimp drain out of the pond. Here's another photo of the drain that the entire contents of the pond are supposed to drain out of...
As soon as the shrimp came out of the pond, they were rushed to the lab where they were chilled on ice to kill them and keep them fresh. Then they were bagged and put in freezers.
One thing I wasn't prepared for was having the shrimp brush up against my legs and jump between my legs and stab me with their stupid rostrums and/or telsons. I still have little scratches all over my legs from those little buggers. It probably took me 20 minutes to get used to them touching my legs on the first day. Until that point, I kept screaming every time one ran into me because I'm really jumpy. I always have been.
In order to appreciate this photo, you'll have to click on it to view it larger. This is me as soon as I got home from work on Sunday. I have pond scum splattered all over my shirt and shorts. My legs were really gross, but I hosed them down before I came home.

4 comments:
you never looked better. Leyla just keeps growing and growing. Love those girls. What did you do with the shrimp after they were bagged? And isn't life like your job? up to your a** in crap.
Chuck
Wow that really is so gross. I am so glad you put a picture of you up! You look amazing...just like I remember, haven't aged a wink :) I wish you could be in Inkom with me. And of course your girls are as goreous as always.
Great story... in a "how gross" and icky way.
I notice that Leyla didn't mind that you were all stinky and yuck!
It definitely IS a dirtiest jobs contender. I've seen a few episodes where they have done somewhat similar stuff. Glad I couldn't get the smell with the pictures.
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