Bucket list: OYSTERS

There were exactly two things on my bucket list: 1. Shucking (and eating) oysters with friends outdoors on some summer evening; 2. Curling in Canada. 

In honor of my birthday my husband arranged for a group of friends to go with us to an Oyster farm on Long Island. 

Oyster Shucking: ACHIEVED!

We arrived at Captree state park with a cooler of beer, where the owner of Blue Island Oysters, Chris Quartuccio, picked us up in a motor boat and ferried us, in two groups, to the small man-made pier-island between Captree and Fire Island.  Chris gave us a talk about oysters generally and oyster farming specifically and then we got into kayaks and paddled out to see the oyster beds and their environs.  The water was really shallow and incredibly warm - the oyster "bags" were less than a foot from the surface of the water - and it was a gorgeous evening.  When we had seen all there was to see, and paddled enough, we went back to the pier-island to shuck (and eat) oysters plus lobster rolls and, later, cake and ice cream.  The sunset was literally picture perfect. 

The outing was a peak life experience - a top ten day.  Crawling into bed that night, thinking back over the whole adventure felt delightfully like the parallel moment on my wedding night: wonderful memories forged with good friends. Here are some photos if you'd like to see:

Everyone at Blue Island Oysters was just lovely, I learned so much and we all had a really fun time.  Thanks to Carl Schweitzer, Bekah Fisk and Pam at Blue Island Oysters for taking the photos!