This is my neighborhood. A few houses around the lake, a few more on the hills, a strip of shops and services on the main road, small cottages here and there in the forest all around, bogs, farms and ranches, all inhabited by folks who came here to find paradise. The town started as a fort, protecting loggers from native tribes, when logging was the primary industry here, before fishing.
There is even a road called Paradise Point Road.
To those who have lived here all their lives, the rhythm of the town circles the fishing season. Though we have just fifty or so fishing families, the industry is the only one left here, after logging disappeared. The original cottages are still here, built for fishermen or loggers, two bedrooms, a wood stove, a yard to store the boat off season, and a place to keep the cords of wood needed to keep warm during stormy days.
Our crab season was late this year. It missed the holidays, and everyone was panicking. It is during the holidays that crab moves. People pay top price to have a crab meal for Christmas or New Year!
The whole coast was anticipating December 31st, opening day for crab fishing, worrying that a bad first day would break most folks who make a living here. When boats returned with their catch, the town celebrated!
Crab will be on people's tables, only a bit late, and maybe even cheaper, because the catch is amazing!
The Port provides the last industry for young families. Without a healthy catch, families cannot afford living in this paradise. Enjoy your dungeness crab, wherever you are. Know that it is not a staple, but a luxury item. It is available only a few months of the year, when they are big and plump. Also, know that there is not a single fisherman who has become rich from fishing. Rather, many have perished doing this job.
