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Bay Fresh Shrimp, Bon Secour, AL (2026)

11/02/2023

Suddenly, I Forgot
Her Majesty Trawler Lauren Jean demanded John’s attention late this past Saturday night. Just as I was about to reach that relaxed mode heading into dreamland, John starts throwing the covers off, jumping out of bed, grabbing his shorts and shoes and saying “I’ve got to go to the boat”. As he was rushing out the door, (without his phone🤦‍♀️) I’m hollering “what’s wrong”. He yells back just as the door slams, “I left ?? running”. I still to this day don’t know what was running, but it must have been a bad thing 😳 and should have been turned off before he came home that evening. So, now, what about me🤷‍♀️??? I was faced with a choice. Do I just try to get back that nice relaxed state I was in before being rudely interrupted? Or, do I lay awake and worry? I worried, of course. What if he doesn’t get there in time and Her Majesty is suffering, what if there’s a wreck because he’s rushing to her…what if…what if…
Time passed slowly as I stewed. Then, after what seemed forever, he returned, in one piece. He crawled back in bed saying it was “all okay, no damage done”. And then, he promptly went straight to sleep. I really wanted to give him a good kick under the covers while I lay there wide awake.
How quickly I forget. Didn’t I just a couple months ago talk about the keel is the foundation of the boat giving us a picture of what we have in the Lord? Yep, I did. And here I was tipping over😁 from the what ifs that were running through my head. The next morning I continued my study in the book of Esther in the Old Testament. There I saw a young girl face major decisions. The what ifs hung heavy on her, I am sure. What if the king did not favor her when she approached him. What if he didn’t like her request? On and on. The Lord’s name is never given in this story, but His providential care is all over it. I learned another name for the Lord, Jehovah Machseh, God is our refuge. I’m sure I’ll keep on forgetting that the Lord is There and is my Refuge…but I am also planning to Suddenly, Remember.
I think I’ll keep the photo below John took a while back to help me remember His promises are true.
I recently had a delightful conversation with two locals who had come to pick up shrimp to put in their freezers. They took time to stand around and chat, sharing “I remember when” stories. I learned a couple facts that I cannot wait to ask a few people about! I think skinny dipping was mentioned! Lol! 😂. From skinny dipping we wandered over to fixing a good fried mullet. Actually this is the time of year you would sometimes see mullet in huge schools with their tiny mouths opening and closing at the surface of the water. I never saw it but they say it was quite a sight! John called it “mullet smokin’”. My new friends said they’d say the mullet were “popeying”! This isn’t seen much anymore. John said the lights around the bay have played a major part in the disruptions of so many ‘use to be’ normal occurrences.
The weather is keeping John in for a couple days now. He says it’s “blowing a gale”. Too much wind, in other words! We can’t predict what will be in the bay after this latest front goes through. But if there’s shrimp out there, John and Her Majesty will be ready. Give him a call or text.

09/29/2023

P**f!…Food?…MIA
“Here shrimp, there shrimp, everywhere shrimp, shrimp”. Then…P**f…they’re gone.😳. Have they moved towards the beach? Did the tide change? Do they just bury up and become inactive? What happens remains a mystery to this day. Drag after drag is fairly good. John stays on that same track. He’s got the plotter and pilot set, and then…those stinkers are gone, just gone 😳. During the regular “hurricane discussion” we have around this house, John went tripping down a memory lane P**f moment. He remembers the time he was catching “beaucoup” of shrimp and we were thinking, “Yay, could be a really good month.” Then, hurricane Danny made a threat, and the shrimp did their P**f act. It was a bust month instead.😢. BTW, “beaucoup” is Cajun for a whole lot! But ever since I’ve know Mr. John he’s said it like “beaucoudels”. That must be a Bon Secour take on a lot of shrimp! Heehee!
“It’s like a wet towel stuck in the webbing, you can’t shake it out”. The ‘Sauerkraut’ is starting to show up. And it’s not the kind you put on your hotdog! That brings to mind fun times. This “kraut” ain’t fun! Digging through that mess for shrimp can almost be scary. I’m afraid of what I might find under there.
Sometimes it’s not what IS there, it’s what is NOT there. What’s missing??? Something isn’t right. Several years ago we had great fun with Mr. Heron. He (maybe a She🤷‍♀️) would meet John and the Trawler Lauren Jean as they hit the Bon Secour bay heading to the dock. He’d catch a ride and try his best to sneak a wayward shrimp or fish hanging around the deck. I also watched his tactics when John was dealing with the shrimp at the dock. He would just be standing there on those skinny legs, all innocence. I’d look away, check back, and there he’d be a little closer! (Makes me think of playing Red light as a kid!!!). He did that all morning until we had to finally do the “shoo” motion! But give him a few minutes to regroup and he was right back, starting his game all over. Kept me entertained while John headed shrimp! But, the Herons are MIA this season. Where are they? We’ve asked around and others have noticed their absence, too. They’re missed. I need the job of “shooing” or John might put me to work heading shrimp. Not a pretty sight. I whine😁.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible comes from Psalms 139:9-10. “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your Hand shall lead me, and Your right Hand shall hold me.” One of the Names of the Lord is “He is There”, Jehovah-Shammah. Wherever we go, whatever we do, He is There. Jonah tried to run away from the Lord and look where that landed him! Having a talk with the Lord from the belly of a fish. Thank you, Lord, You are never MIA.
John’s still hitting the bay in search for those shrimp before they pull the P**f act! Give us a text or call. Don’t miss out.
Blessings

09/13/2023

“My flabber was too startled to be gasted”
One evening recently I was crawled up in bed reading, in between nodding off to sleep 😴. Then, in an awake moment I read the sentence, “My flabber was too startled to be gasted”. Archy in McNally’s Secret by Lawrence Sanders had found himself in a very unusual situation and this is how he described his astonished state. I giggled, laughed, and giggled some more😂. Unfortunately, John was out in Mobile Bay in the throes of the continuing ‘Battle of the Jellyfish’, so he wasn’t here to share the laughter. And, actually, he just looked at me when I shared it the next morning. Maybe he was just tired.🤷‍♀️
Since that night this line has played over and over in my mind. It’s hilariously funny to me, it really is; yet, beyond that initial giggle it seemed to move into adequately defining so many moments in my own life. I bet everyone can relate. Some of these times are good, such as when I see my grands for the first time in months. They’ve grown, oh my! What happened!?😳 But sadly, there are too many times when we’d rather not have answered the door. Which ever the case, good or bad, we’re surprised, astounded, shocked… Then… the questions arise…What’s next? What’s the forward steadying step?
Once upon a time, there was another Trawler Lauren Jean. The photo is a painting of her. She was a classy lady and served John well for many, many years. She was built in Biloxi, MS, in 1949, so she was heading up there in years of service. One night she met a sad fate and after the dust settled, we found that her keel had been broken. Startling news. A keel of a boat, I’m sure all know, is vital for stability in the water. Without a strong, steadfast and sturdy keel, a boat will simply roll right on over when hit by a wave. When met with moments, or times, or even seasons when our ‘flabber’ is too startled to be ‘gasted’ we need a strong ‘keel’ to hold us upright and keep us steadfast in the churning water of our life. I’m sure you’re like me, I don’t want to just flop over!
Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us where to find stability in all of life. Even in the ‘flabbergastedness’.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

John spent hours today in the kitchen sowing on a net. Yes, you read that right. The kitchen😏. It’s hot outside, ya know! He was quite proud of it. I would be too. I barely sow a button on, let alone mend a shrimp net!!! The shrimp sizes are still in the 21/30 ballpark. Let him know if interested in these sizes. They won’t stay there. Like my grands, they grow, fast.
Blessings

08/31/2023

“It’s a game day decision”
Ever watch those college football coach interview shows? There’s always someone who will ask whether a player will be “starting“. “That’ll be a game day decision” is the most used non-answer answer! Recently John has hijacked that statement. That’s what I hear when I am silly and ask, “Are you going out”. But what he’s actually saying is, “I really don’t know”!! Last night as the sun was moving into the dark thirty setting, he made the decision, going out. I rushed supper, he rushed out the door. I took a deep breath, a relaxing eve ahead. An hour later I hear this commotion in the garage, a jingle at the door, and in walks my distraction. 🙄 Changed his mind…. There was a reason, but I can’t remember it now! Please know we do our best, but sh*****ng is never a sure thing. And, it does not run on a schedule. Too many variables. Sometimes it’s just a “game day decision!” That can change!
With the incoming tide recently the Figure 8, or cloverleaf, jelly has slid into the bay. These creatures don’t sting but they can sure wreck havoc. They glue to the nets, matting up against the sides. Kinda yucky. Picking out shrimp from among them is a double yucky.😳
They can actually bog down the boat, too. John said once he came to a standstill because of the jelly glue. When they show up you have to pull drags up more frequently because you sure don’t want them filling up the tail bags. If they do, it’s like trying to lift a huge tank of water. Oh, and you have to block off the pick table when you do drop a drag that has the Figure 8’s in it. If you don’t you will lose the drag! It’ll all just go slip sliding away, right back where it came from. Not good!
On the good news side, though, the stinging nettles jelly haven’t shown up. Now that’s a whole ‘nuther story. They aren’t just aggravating, they sting. And it hurts.
Update on the “almost” hissy fit! I decided my sanity was just too important. I quit! Threw in the towel! I finally got the cover and profile photos set. But…there is nothing I can do about the way it shows up on different devices. Sorry. On the iPad and phone the profile photo is huge and covers my cute “pondering” picture. 😔 But on the desktop or laptop, it’s fine. 😃. The explanation to that must be slip sliding through the bay with the figure 8s!!!
It seems to be staying the same on the size of the shrimp, 26/30. Send John a text or call if looking for shrimp to boil, or make gumbo, etc. for Labor Day. A part of his “game day decision” is if he has orders.
Blessings to all

08/23/2023

I’m seriously on my way to a hissy fit. I have uploaded, re-uploaded, and re-re-uploaded the new Facebook cover and profile photos for Bay Fresh Shrimp. Each time it looks all good, then I check in later and it’s reverted back. I’m sure everyone thinks I’m getting senile with these changes. I might be headed down that road if Facebook keeps messing with me, though. I think I need to hire a 10 year old to help me out.😏 Anyway, I’m sorry if y’all are seeing a whole bunch of changes. It’s facebook’s fault. Just saying….

Btw, the sunset photo of the Lauren Jean was taken several years ago by Lynn Jordan. Isn’t that gorgeous? John was coming out of the Bon Secour River heading into Mobile Bay. Check out her page, Lynn Jordan Photography, for more of her work. It is all beautiful.

John went out last night and is out tonight. So far it’s been mostly a 30 count shrimp that he’s catching. That’s good. But, we’re back to praying that all shrimpers, and actually everyone, stay on top of the decks. The sharks are out in force in Mobile Bay. And John said they’re Bull Sharks. The baddies.

08/20/2023

Okay, maybe I am old🙄 Like John….
The cell number I gave below is mine🤦‍♀️
John’s is 251-752-7277.
But I will relay any text that comes my way to the head kahuna!

08/20/2023

Good Shrimp News/Bad Shrimp News
I said I’d do an update on the results from the Thursday night shrimp trip.
The Good: John did catch 26/30 size shrimp. Personally, this is my favorite size. I like the huge ones for BBQ or grill. But this size is great for most everything else. Creoles, salads, boiling, scampi, shrimp and grits (a fav)…..think Bubba Gump!!!
The Not so good: John’s getting kinda “long in the tooth”! That’s how my mom said someone was getting old!!! HeeHee😂 Btw, I’m not😁. And the heat was brutal. He was also out pretty much by himself. That worries me a little.
So, John said he will go out if he has orders. For now.
Please contact him if interested.
251-752-7278. Nowadays we’re all iffy on numbers that we don’t know, so texting might be best. But, please remember even though texting we need a name.
Blessings

08/18/2023

Southern Sh*****ng & Soul Pondering
“I think I’m going out the end of the week”, John announced just a few mornings ago, as he came into the kinda, sort of, clean kitchen, dripping sweat from his morning run. Before I answered I ran for a towel! True to his word, after frying some shrimp for supper, he headed out into the sunset last evening. It’s almost like the opening of the season. Until he makes a drag through the waters and brings the tail bags up, will we know quantity and sizes. John has not been out since the first of July when those big jumbos he was catching decided the grass looked greener out in the Gulf and vacated Mobile Bay. So last night’s trip is a big deal. A feast or a famine night? Or somewhere in between?
I will report the findings when I get word. But, if anyone is even just thinking about getting shrimp, stay on stand by. This year is being tricky.
By the way, we think it’s hot….John says one time it was so hot out sh*****ng the coke cans started blowing up on deck. And in years past most of the shrimp boats didn’t have AC. (I seriously can’t imagine such!) So in the mornings the shrimpers would tie their boats together and sleep on the cabin floors of the boat that did! That sounds like fun! Haha!
Lately I’ve been pondering on “joy” and how this tiny word packs a mighty, multi faceted, meaning. Lurking in the same family is “happy”. But as I dug into meanings of these two I’ve discovered happy comes in at a distant second place. Joy is a resident of the heart. There’s a but involved, though. It is special. It is a choice, an invited, permanent guest. Joy is built with sturdy supplies giving us a foundation that stands firm. Now Happy is fickle. It comes and goes, like the tide meeting the sands on the shore. They can be high, even or neat, or low tides. And, just as the tides, happy is governed by an outside force. Like the tide’s moon, our circumstances of life direct our happys.
The middle of July our grands, and their mom and dad, came for a nice long visit. They live much too far away. But where ever they are, they have my heart, they each are my joy. While they were here with me happy danced and showed off. But the day came and I watched the car leave the driveway. Happy left the building; but, my joy over them remains and fills my heart. The Bible tells us “the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10). Thus the Lord is the true source of joy and it is strong, a foundation that stands firm. I’ve got more pondering to do on this. I do wonder, though, do we mix up joy and happiness. One does not equal the other.
I don’t have new sh*****ng pictures to share, but I do have my joys! I think the boys are “pondering” while they look out over the water! And the sand dollar? Well, it’s there because I shared this with them. A sand dollar hides in its heart 5 tiny doves.
Blessing to all
Shirley

07/09/2023

Squall No. 2
It’s been a calm couple weeks around here. No big events. Just life moving on with its own ups and downs. Well, I take that back. The 4th was nice. Watched fireworks on Saturday night and then enjoyed someone’s personal fireworks from our backyard on the 4th!
Btw, the calm is about to end. Our three “hurricanes” are headed our way today! Yep, I’m sure you guessed it! Our grands, 😃😍 with mom and dad, of course!
On a sad note…The shrimp have decided to take a little vacation. John has tried a couple times. He knocked at their doors, but no answers. As soon as they’re back, I’ll be letting everyone know.
Now, on to Squall No. 2! One of John’s last trips out was another hair pulling, heart stopper. This time I got a map. Seriously, he drew me a map. But I did redo and color code to share! I had to decipher it a little🙄, too. He’s kinda bad about “explaining” but with lots of “assuming” that I already know and understand some things. I don’t.
I’m a slow learner, I guess🤷‍♀️. This squall was a different creature from the earlier one. Just take my word for it! Okay? But the same decision has to be made by all shrimpers heading to the dock…stay out and “stand pat” or go in? This time he decided to come on in. Instrument knowledge, water and wind knowledge, boat navigation knowledge…and years of experience, all must come together as one to bring him home. The wind was out of the west and at the “dogleg turn” that could give the Lauren Jean lots of trouble. As in a possible rollover😳. So, once the cell tower red light can be spotted telling him he’s in the channel and the compass is showing bow is heading NW he can move forward. Well, other decisions and considerations need to be made. The skimmers for one. They can cause instability. Too high or too low. Needs to be just right! And the velocity and direction of the wind. A Major consideration! Once the wind moves to the NW, there could be lots of rocking and rolling. But the Lauren Jean is a ‘tough old bird’! (As the saying goes!). Hmmm….does that mean her captain is one, too. Food for thought there! 😂
John had another comment that will probably show up at a later date! With all the new navigation tools, GPS equipment, etc., the simple compass (could be a Cracker Jack prize) is the most important instrument to have. That tells if you are pointed in the right direction. Wow! Going to think on that one!
Blessings to all,
Shirley

06/22/2023

Murder, or not, on the Porch
After supper last eve John left the house anticipating a normal night of making sure he didn’t become shark bait and hoping for a nice haul of shrimp. I spent a quiet time working on a little/big project. You know, the kind that started small and then it grew. I think I was falling asleep at the table when a very loud crash sounded outside the house, close. Wide awake now, I sat there frozen, stunned. I think my heart did some funny stuff, too. Tiptoeing through the house, I turned off lights so I could peak through the blinds. At first I couldn’t see anything. Then, suddenly, creeping across the front window was a big ole gray cat. He looked straight at me. And there it was, guilt. It was written all over his face.
It hit me. I went from scared to mad in a nano second. We’ve been monitoring the process of a wren who thought my porch fern would be a great place for a nest. We’ve watched her build it, monitored her eggs, then were watching out for the babies. Now, this fern and stand were laying across the porch. A sad state. I made mean, loud, noises at the cat as he ran away. I decided to not disturb the fern until I had help from John.
This morning we sadly righted the fern hoping to see life. But the nest was empty. No, Wait! One of the potential victims entered our living room through the front door I’d foolishly left open. I ran to shut all the other doors in the house and John ran for our son’s old bug catcher net. (Not the scoop net. They can slip right on through those. This wasn’t our first bird rodeo!!). After an half hour long tour of our living room, with me calling out wren sightings and John rushing around with the net at ready, he was finally caught hiding in the driftwood in the foyer. I guess it really was a funny sight! 😂
But it was a successful catch and release event.

Yes, that cardinal in the photo is sitting on the ledge of the window, inside the house. John thinks he was trying to escape the 100 degrees that day. Flew right through the garage into the house! Crazy! Again, John was the hero of the day.

Shrimp are staying the same size, jumbos. The weather has been playing havoc on us all. Go out? Stay in? Squall lines seem endless.
I do suggest that if you would like shrimp for a 4th of July celebration, you need to get now. Not wait.

06/18/2023

Just Another Night in Paradise - on a Shrimp boat.
After two nights off because of weather, John decides to give it a try. He knew it probably would just be half a night, though. Radar showed a line of squalls from the north headed towards Mobile Bay.
Midnight came and went. I’m all nicely tucked in bed.
And John had a drag laying on the deck table ready to be picked out. That squall was getting serious, though. Then, it happened. He heard a noice. Now, shrimp boats are noisy. Big engines, light plants, etc. all invade the quiet. But there’s this relationship between captain and his boat. There really is. I’m serious! Anyway, something wasn’t “right”. The new sound was a “clanking”. I’d say just take my word for it😁. There was a “blowed cap” off a day tank. And there’s something about a pulley coming off an alternator. This means one engine is running hot and had to be turned off.
Meanwhile, back at the house, I’m still tucked in.
But John’s under stress to get ahead of the squall now. Decision time. Stay on one engine and try to beat the storm or shut down and fix it. Oh, by the way, don’t forget there was a drag getting hot on the deck table. He figured he had about 15 minutes to spare. So he shut it down, and fixed whatever was wrong.
Meanwhile, back at the house, I’m NOT tucked in. The storm has hit. I’m Awake! Watching radar, worrying, and praying. John’s still on the bay.
He had made it to the mouth of the Bon Secour River where he needed to stay and “stand pat”, running the Lauren Jean hard into the wind. But, you really aren’t moving. He moves her close to shore, almost aground. He doesn’t want to get into the river because it’s easy to get disoriented.
The Squall passed. The drag got picked out. The engine fixed. The Lauren Jean is all tucked at the dock. And John pulled in at home about 3:00 all ready to tuck in himself for the rest of the night.
Me? Still wired🤦‍♀️.
Just Another night in paradise - On a shrimp boat.
And those left on the home front.
I’m going bed early tonight. I need my rest.

06/14/2023

🦈🦈🦈 Well, I did my due diligence on clarifying John’s statement yesterday of “the sharks were righteous last night”. This use of the word “righteous” seems to be founded somewhere in folklore, not to be understood by the regular lay person. Meaning most of us🙄. I’m guessing here….I couldn’t pin him down before he crashed this morning…that it’s saying the sharks were congregating and stirring up trouble. He said he counted 5, 5 footers, following his nets as he pulled a drag in. That’s crazy!
Oh, and he’s not sure what kind they are. “Maybe Blacktip or Bull”, he said when I asked. Then he added, “I’d have to catch one to be sure.”
So, let’s just leave it at that😳. Okay? I don’t need to know. Nope, I’m all good😁.
This photo is from several years ago. But shows that, yep, he can catch one. But this is a little guy!!

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