Murdering Crustaceans

 Wednesday 22nd December

The boat vendors continued to visit Daisy, and we bought jewelry, and stone boxes and carvings from stone and yes, even lobster.  I usually don’t eat lobster because I can’t bear to think of them being boiled alive, but I thought if we kill it quickly and hopefully painlessly that would be OK.  I had no idea of the trauma it would cause me, Danni and Edi.

We filled our large cooler with seawater and put the lobsters in, leaving the lid open so the air could circulate and we wouldn’t end up boiling them in the sun.  Danni took particular interest and gave the small one a name (I knew this would be disastrous especially as we were going to murder and eat it later).  Having read the instructions on how to kill a lobster quickly, and armed with my sharpest chef’s knife Edi volunteered to do the evil deed.  I put a large pot of water on the stove to boil, and with Bob on standby Edi removed the first lobster from the cooler.  I stayed below while Bob and Edi performed the executions.  Poor old Ed was not prepared for the brick hard shell and struggled to insert the knife.  I brought all my children up to love and respect animals, and have consideration for all living things, consequently killing the lobster quite unsettled Edi, Danni was disturbed by it all and when Edi and Bob brought the dead lobsters down for me to cook they all moved as I put them in the water and that made me cry.  Bob assured me that they were actually dead, so I wasn’t boiling them alive but the movement really upset me.

We all ate the lobsters for dinner, but I honestly don’t think any of us really enjoyed them; it wasn’t a pleasant experience, and not one I will repeat in a hurry.