Milford Haven

This is a rather odd shot I took from the Sea Breeze restaurant on Gwynn's Island. It's odd because I didn't know there was a bird flying across when I snapped the picture and if I could take this picture over, I would have angled it upwards a little more, but never mind. This particular area is known as Milford Haven, which is referenced in today's brief post.

Recently I checked out a bunch of library books relating to the bay and to Mathews. Below is an excerpt from one of them that references the vicinity where I took today's picture.

"...Gwynn’s Island, where colonial Governor Lord Dunmore took refuge from the patriots at the start of the American Revolution, is a recreational area where marinas serve both watermen and pleasure boaters and many houses have their own docks. The scene at Milford Haven, which separates the island and the mainland, is a typical Bay tableau. Small, unpainted buildings stand near a short pier piled high with crab pots. The land curves eastward in a long arc that creates a cove. Boats move in and out of a larger docking area in the distance. A small, white motorboat moves slowly landward and docks at the end of the nearest pier. The waterman glances at those watching him, then silently places a half-empty bushel basket of gleaming blue crabs on the pier and begins unloading empty pots.

He is more talkative than most watermen. In response to a question, he explains his half-empty basket. This conservation-minded waterman has thrown back the “white” or papershell crabs and kept only full-grown blues. He blames—regretfully not accusatively—fellow watermen for helping cause a decline in the crab population. Why are crabs declining? Others are taking too many “cushion” crabs – the crabs with the big orange pouch of eggs on their stomachs. No hatching, no crabs, he says matter-of-factly..."

- from Adventuring in the Chesapeake Bay Area
John Bowen
Sierra Club Books, San Francisco
1999

Chesapeake Bay Woman's Random Two Cents: On the topic of declining crabs, there are many contributing factors, and different people will give different reasons. We also notice a decline in oysters, both in quantity and size, and we must do everything humanly possible to ensure the future of the fried oyster. I'm quite certain I would be unable to function without a regular dose of those delectable, heavenly morsels.