Yesterday, Joey found a crayfish crawling down the side of the road. There was not a swamp or crick or pond to be found nearby, so it begs the question, how in the world did this mini-lobster find his way to the side of a county road on the first of April? Perhaps a frustrated mom, tired of cleaning the fish tank of slime decided that enough was enough and she needed to deep six this beast before Johnny came home from school. She was running late to picking him up so, she picked up the pail, water slopping over and soaking her shoes, and let out a yelp. “That’s it!” She exclaimed. “I’ve had enough.” Her Honda minivan squealed its tires as she reversed out of the drive. As she zoomed down the county road, she dodged to avoid a series of potholes and slimy water splashed up out of the bucket and all over her Coach purse laying on the floor. That was the final straw. She screeched to a stop, spraying gravel in a huff. She jerked the door open and unceremoniously poured Mr. Cray out into a shallow ditch. He was a little cdisoriented but he started crawling. She roared off, glad to be rid of him. Maybe she would get Johnny a new toy to take his mind off the missing crustacean. Meanwhile, the day dragged on, and the winds blew and Mr. Cray was getting a little dried out. He was moving slower and not making any progress finding any cool mud or a puddle of water. He had been crawling for miles (in his world) and there didn’t seem to be much hope. Suddenly, a rumble and the sky was filled with red. A shaggy-headed human with dirty hands reached down and snatched him up. He found himself on a soft fabric for a short time and then was thrust into a bucket of water and mud. Ah, sweet bliss! Just when he thought it was all over, salvation! After being transported around for a bit and after some strange box was pointed at him, the bucket was tipped up and slowly drained of the water. He was lowered gently by the shaggy boy into a wide crick, gliding in among some large rocks along the edge. That was the last we saw of Mr. Cray, but we have hopes that he will survive and not get picked up by a Great Blue Heron.
